Johns Creek Herald - April 4, 2024

Police chief requests more officers amid rising burglaries in Johns Creek

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Johns Creek Police Chief Mark Mitchell says a significant number of the burglaries committed in 2023 can be attributed to a specific group.

Whether those involved in a loose network of non-violent crimes like entering autos and homes are a quantifiable threat to the City of Johns Creek is still under investigation.

Burglaries increased by 30 percent, according to the Johns Creek Police Department’s “Multi-Year Plan” presented at the City Council work session March 25, and Mitchell says the “South American Theft Group” are likely responsible.

In an interview, Mitchell said that out of more than 70 burglaries last year, about a dozen or so may be connected to these South American groups, but pieces to the puzzle are missing — such as identified suspects, which would include their country of origin.

South American theft groups operate like franchises, with little to no cooperation among them but with similar methods, according to police document.

“There could be other groups,” Mitchell said, referencing the Drug Rich Gang, known for stealing from celebrities and influencers, and having been linked to crimes in Sandy Springs and Roswell.

He said there were a couple of burglaries last year where weapons were involved, and police are investigating whether suspects are from a South American theft group – though violence is uncharacteristic – or the Drug Rich Gang.

The method South American theft groups use to burglarize the wealthy do not appear to be novel.

Members on vacation visas, aka

“criminal tourism,” or “straight up illegal aliens taking advantage of our southern border” tend to enter at the rear of a home via a broken glass door or window after dark, using signal-jammers to block wireless technology like cameras and carrying backpacks to store the loot, according to the police document.

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Driver clocked at 75 mph along State Bridge Road

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Police arrested a 24-year-old Lilburn man after clocking him at 72 mph in a 45-mph posted zone on State Bridge Road March 22.

When police pulled over the suspect and searched his vehicle, they found a bag of marijuana, a digital scale, blunt wrappers and a handgun, according to the incident report.

The handgun was not found in a records search, nor did the suspect’s criminal history reveal that he was a convicted felon, the report says.

Police cited the suspect with speeding, driving while license suspended and disorderly conduct, then transported him to the North Fulton County Jail in Alpharetta.

Residents in Thornhill area suffer rash of car break-ins

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Police were dispatched to a number of homes in the Thornhill neighborhood March 23 after residents reported their cars had been burglarized.

According to one incident report, a man off Waits Ferry Crossing told police someone smashed the window on his vehicle and took an Easter bag, which was later located down the road. The victim said he had seen a suspicious vehicle possibly casing the area in the days prior, the report says.

A second victim off Waits Ferry Crossing told police a small white bag with gold trim was taken from her unlocked vehicle. The bag contained a necklace with large pearl beads worth more than $200. The bag also contained an expensive pair of sunglasses, and multiple medications, the report says.

Police said surveillance footage showed a group of suspects checking vehicles in the victim’s neighbor’s driveway and fleeing toward Chelsen Wood Court, where more vehicles had been burglarized and where police located the victim’s bag which still contained most of its contents.

Police were also dispatched to Tuckahoe Trail where one victim told police $400 in gift cards were stolen from his vehicle. A second victim off Tuckahoe Trail told police his wallet had been stolen, containing cash and credit cards.

Salon reports client for walking out on bill

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A nail salon on Old Milton Parkway reported a customer fled the store without paying March 23.

Employees reported the suspect paid for a manicure and pedicure with a $30 Groupon discount, but she upgraded her services for each.

When employees told the suspect she owed $50 for the upgrades, she reportedly fled without paying the difference.

Employees said the suspect left in a gray Jeep Compass, which officers traced to a 41-year-old Atlanta woman who matched the description.

Officers tried to contact the woman to confirm the incident, but they received no answer. Employees told officers they wish to press charges.

Woman scammed of $200 in bogus Tesla, cash deal

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — An Alpharetta woman reported March 22 someone deceived her into purchasing a $200 gift card in exchange for $25,000 and a Tesla.

The victim reported the suspect called her March 19 and claimed to have money from the government they were distributing to people. The suspect reportedly told her to purchase a $200 gift card from Kroger, and she would receive the vehicle and $25,000 in return.

The victim told officers she realized she was being deceived because the suspect immediately cashed the gift card after re-

ceiving the information, the report states. She reported the suspect asked for an additional $1,000 split between two gift cards, but she refused.

No suspects have been identified.

Armed robber strikes in liquor store heist

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alpharetta police are investigating a March 22 armed robbery at a package store on Old Milton Parkway.

Employees reported they were counting the money in the cash register around 11 p.m. when a man wearing a gray hoodie and ski mask entered the store and pointed an AK-47 at them.

The suspect reportedly provided a black bag and demanded the money in the register.

Employees handed over $90 in cash, and the suspect fled.

Officers reported reviewing camera footage that showed the suspect entering the store around 11 p.m. and leaving a minute later. He was last seen jogging toward the west side of the parking lot.

Officers searched the area but were unable to locate the suspect, the report states.

No suspects have been identified.

Driver cited for speeding through neighborhoods

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County deputies arrested a 19-year-old Cumming man March 15 who allegedly drove more than 40 miles over the speed limit through neighborhoods on Bethelview Road.

Deputies reported clocking the suspect driving 85 mph in a 45-mph speed zone near Aaron Sosebee Road and initiating a traffic stop.

The suspect reportedly continued passing over drivers and darting between the left and right lanes while accelerating.

Deputies ultimately stopped the suspect on Oakwood Trail, and he reportedly acknowledged he was driving fast and recklessly because he was trying to get to his friend’s house.

The suspect was charged with misdemeanor speeding and reckless driving.

North Fulton mayors, officials explore coordinating elections

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — North Fulton County mayors and city officials discussed forming an elections authority that would oversee municipal elections in the future.

Such a move would wrest city election oversight and operations out of the hands of Fulton County, which bills the cities for its work.

The North Fulton Municipal Association meets monthly, except during the summer, and includes elected officials and senior staff from the six North Fulton cities.

The informal luncheon provides city leaders an opportunity to discuss broader issues involving the county and other agencies, like Fulton County Schools, the Georgia Department of Transportation, Atlanta Regional Commission and MARTA.

The March meeting drew five of the six North Fulton mayors. Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul did not attend, but City Manager Eden Freeman and Councilwoman Melissa Mular were in attendance to represent North Fulton’s largest city.

The group raised the question of how North Fulton cities could coordinate

efforts to form an umbrella agency to oversee municipal elections.

Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson said the time is now to discuss hiring a superintendent to set up and manage the local elections process for the six North Fulton cities.

He also said city representatives would meet later in the day to discuss “the desire and political will” for coordinating elections.

“We let Milton take the lead, and there was a lot to it,” Wilson said. “If we were involved with elections on a municipal level, we’d want to do it with our sister cities.”

With local elections returning in 2025, other North Fulton cities are looking to Milton for guidance. The city was the first North Fulton city to break from the county’s long practice of overseeing and operating municipal elections.

“We have a book, in this book we have pages that say how not to do it right and pages about how to do it right,” Milton Mayor Peyton Jamison said. “I’m very confident that I can say Milton will probably never have Fulton County running its municipal elections moving forward.”

See ELECTIONS, Page 21

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

From left, Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson, Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry, Milton Mayor Peyton Jamison and Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin discuss municipal elections March 28 at the Avalon 10000 Building in Alpharetta. City officials are studying whether North Fulton cities can coordinate efforts to run their own municipal elections.

Chopin Society of Atlanta fosters young talent

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — “This is our kingdom,” said Dorota Lato, walking through the door of Musik21, a conservatory for young musicians off State Bridge Road.

Pianos for sale and rent bordered the large, open space. They are the core instrument of the conservatory, though more than a dozen passionate teachers offer individual lessons on a variety of instruments for students in the early years of elementary school up to 12th grade.

Musik21 is under the auspices of the nonprofit Chopin Society of Atlanta, founded by Lato and her husband Piotr Folkert in 2000 to promote the music of Fryderyk Chopin and advance his legacy.

“All pianists — they talk in a specific language,” Lato said. “Most of the young generation play football or soccer or swimming. Those kids who play piano sometimes feel like not many of them, so they love to be with each other because they understand.”

Lato and Folkert are from Chopin’s native Poland and have been playing piano all their lives. An accomplished concert pianist, Folkert performs around the world.

The nonprofit originally began with concerts at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, featuring some of the world’s greatest pianists like Sergei Babayan, Ingrid Fliter and Kevin Kenner. Posters from over the years lined the back room.

Lato said the first-ever concert she presented sold out, which was the 250th anniversary of Chopin’s death. All 600 seats in the center were filled.

The society evolved over time, branching out from solely concertizing. With a desire to introduce Chopin and other classical music to younger kids, Lato said she began hosting art competitions, paintings of Chopin, and competitions on history.

students take virtual and in-person piano lessons, masters classes and attend lectures.

Students also have the opportunity to play at Carnegie Hall in New York City and study abroad on scholarships.

Through the hallway, past classrooms, Lato pointed out dozens of pictures taken with students abroad participating in the nonprofit’s core programs in Vienna and in Paris.

Photos were also from Valldemossa, Majorca, where Chopin wrote some of his most important pieces within piano literature. Majorca was an “unfortunate vacation” for Chopin, Lato said, because he had gone there with his lover and French novelist George Sand as a means to hide the affair.

The Paris International Summer Sessions mostly consists of master classes, through a partnership with another organization, and Lato said the summer program in Vienna is more holistic, having developed it alongside her husband.

This year, students can expect to take lectures on the intersection of music and medicine as well as music and movies. The music for many well-known movies was composed in Vienna, a favorite site of Hans Zimmer, Lato said.

Folkert said he just returned from a trip with one of his students to see the birthplace of Chopin in Želazowa Wola, Poland, and also described a trip last year, where he saw the death place of Hungarian composer Franz Liszt in Bayreuth, Germany.

“It was important that they really open their eyes to knowing who Chopin was, where he was born, what he composed,” Lato said.

Lato opened Musik21 in 2010. Currently, 400 students are enrolled who take multi-level music theory courses, creating their own compositions, in

addition to lessons and recitals throughout the year.

The newest summer program for the society is the Chopin Academy of Atlanta, the result of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the week-long program in June,

“You know what kind of feeling that gives you? You know the man through his music, and then you go, and you just look, stare at the bed where he died,” Folkert said. “It opens your imagination and establishes a totally different connection between you and the music.”

DOROTA LATO/PROVIDED

On left, Dorota Lato and Piotr Folkert, founders of the Chopin Society of Atlanta, stand with students during an award ceremony in Vienna last year. The nonprofit sends students to study abroad every year on scholarships.

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Dorota Lato, founder and president of the Chopin Society of Atlanta, displays paintings from the nonprofit’s art competitions at Musik21, the organization’s conservatory. Student art is used for programs and other promotional material.

Hi, I’m Amber Perry and I report on all things in and around Johns Creek and Roswell. If you have any story tips or ideas please contact me at amber@appenmedia.com

Vietnam War veteran recounts experiences

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Retired Army Col. Carl “Skip” Bell shared the more fond moments of his two tours during the Vietnam War, one on the ground and one in the air.

Bell was the guest speaker at a ceremony in honor of National Vietnam War Veterans Day March 29 at The Wall That Heals at Newtown Park, a monument that memorializes more than 58,000 lost in the Vietnam War.

The event was held through a partnership between the Johns Creek Veterans Association and the Atlanta Vietnam Veterans Business Association, which Bell serves as chairman.

“Like most of y’all, I have some good memories of my tours in Vietnam, and I got bad memories, and what I would like to talk about today is some of the good ones,” Bell told the crowd, many of them, veterans of the war.

On his second day as a cavalry troop commander, Bell said he was assigned to cover a convoy that had been ambushed. A track vehicle in the lead platoon cut out of formation to fetch cases of beer that were in the back of a burning truck, he said, one hit by a rocket propelled grenade.

“This is in a firefight, and I call the lead platoon leader up, and I say, ‘What the hell are you doing?’ And his answer was, ‘Two cases are yours,’”

Bell said. “You gotta love soldiers.”

When looking back at the positive aspects of his Vietnam War experience, Bell said he met people he otherwise wouldn’t have and made lifelong friends because of it.

“I am closer to some of those folks than I am to my own brothers,” he said.

Bell also said the experience has allowed him to connect with other Vietnam War veterans, a group he said he feels the safest around.

“I know who you are and what you’ve done, and I appreciate that,” Bell said.

PHOTOS BY AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA Retired Army Col. Carl “Skip” Bell shares experience from his two tours in Vietnam during a ceremony in honor of National Vietnam War Veterans Day at The Wall That Heals at Newtown Park March 29.

Dozens of people gather at The Wall That Heals at Newtown Park March 29 for a ceremony in honor of National Vietnam War Veterans Day.

The Johns Creek Veterans Association Color Guard prepares to present colors March 29 in honor of National Vietnam War Veterans Day.

Fulton Science Academy expands to South Korea

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Fulton Science Academy announced March 22 its global expansion will include a new school on Jeju Island, South Korea.

Fulton Science Academy Atherton, which will be situated in the Jeju Global Education City, aims to serve around 1,350 students by September 2026.

Jeju Island is one of two special selfgoverning provinces in South Korea. The Korean government created the Global Education City, sporting seven international schools, to retain South Korean students in the early 2000s.

In partnership with Korean investment firm AIS Global and international education experts ISC Research, the Alpharettabased Fulton Science Academy intends to create a leading international school for students from kindergarten to 12th grade.

The curriculum will blend science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics and humanities.

In anticipation of the initiative, Fulton Science Academy established Global Education Management and Services to oversee programs at the new school.

One milestone in the project’s development came March 21 with the Jeju Office of Education’s approval of the school’s plan.

In 2021, the U.S. Department of Education recognized Fulton Science Academy,

an accredited and STEM-certified institution, as a National Blue Ribbon School.

Kenan Sener, CEO and head of school at Fulton Science Academy, shared his enthusiasm about the expansion.

“The international extension of Fulton Science Academy represents our dedication to excellence in education on a global

scale,” Sener said. “In partnership with AIS Global, we are thrilled to launch FSA Atherton, a step towards cultivating internationally minded individuals equipped for the challenges of tomorrow."

Sang Yoon, CEO of AIS Global said he sees this collaboration as a meaningful endeavor to advance education.

“Our partnership with Fulton Science Academy is a reflection of our shared commitment to educational innovation and excellence,” Yoon said. “We are proud to be part of creating a learning environment that promises to shape the educational experiences of future generations.”

more information: www.nfmg.net/garden-faire

FULTON SCIENCE ACADEMY/PROVIDED

A rendering of Fulton Science Academy Atherton, an international school opening on Jeju Island, South Korea, in 2026 shows a glimpse of the future campus. A South Korean governing body approved the school’s education plan March 21.

Soccer league plans Roswell stadium for women’s matches

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — United Soccer League

Deputy CEO Justin Papadakis says a key aspect of his organization’s plan with Roswell is to advance women’s soccer.

Papadakis, a Roswell native, was joined by Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson and others in a press briefing March 26, the day after councilmembers approved the league’s letter of intent to partner with the city for an anticipated stadium and entertainment district.

If negotiations go well, the stadium will house a USL Super League professional women’s team and a USL Championship professional men’s team. The organization would also serve as the “anchor tenant” of the stadium and have the right of first refusal to serve as the stadium operator/ manager.

“There’s been so much investment in men’s sports across the country, and definitely in Georgia and Atlanta, and so to have a stadium that provides an equal platform for the women, just showcase and have a first-class fan experience, is critical,” Papadakis said.

There’s a “strong path” in Roswell to have the largest women-anchored stadium and entertainment district in the world, he said, and the decision to select Roswell for the project in part spawned from Atlanta United proving there was potential for soccer in the area.

“Just as Atlanta United show with the men’s side, [that] this would be a top soccer market in the country, no doubt

we can show that on the women’s side,” Papadakis said.

U.S. Soccer also announced last December that it selected Fayette County for the location of the National Training Center, and Atlanta was chosen as the host city for the FIFA World Cup in 2026.

The league’s letter of intent speaks to a nine-month exclusive negotiation with the city. The site for the stadium has not been selected, though it will seat at least 10,000, and Wilson said costs for the project are too early to project.

“Real estate site selection is a delicate process, and the reality is we have several sites that we are considering,” Wilson said, responding to a question from Appen Media on how residential communities closest to the site would be engaged. “Once one of those sites begins to be consummated, we will work very diligently with the local community who might be impacted by that and say, ‘Hey, this is what’s going on.’”

Comparing the district to other sports venues nearby like The Battery Atlanta in Cobb County, Wilson said the district will be about soccer but also about entertainment where parents can drop their children off to watch a soccer game while they eat or where corporate entities can host an event.

He said The Battery had to pivot once its initial retail focus fell off.

“This is going to be a true multi-purpose thing,” Wilson said. “The envisioning of this is going to be so widespread and so incredible, and there’s going to be so many people coming to enjoy this.”

27th Annual Georgia Cup to feature historic match

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — An unprecedented set of competitors will headline the 27th Annual Georgia Cup April 7.

PGA Tour Winner Nick Dunlap and top world amateur Christo Lamprecht will face off in an 18-hole match at The Golf Club of Georgia just days before their first appearance in The Masters.

Dating back to 1998, The Georgia Cup has featured some of the world’s best up-and-coming golf talents after their triumphs in the U.S. Amateur Championship and British Amateur Championship. Previous competitors in the event include Matt Kuchar, Sergio Garcia, Edoardo Molinari, Matt Fitzpatrick, Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland.

The 27th Annual Georgia Cup is free to watch and open to the public, and all golf fans are encouraged to watch the opening ceremony at 8:30 a.m. before

the 18-hole match, which begins at 9 a.m.

All proceeds from the event will go directly to Folds of Honor, a nonprofit that provides scholarships to the spouses and children of America’s fallen or disabled military as well as to the families of first responders.

The Georgia Cup and The Golf Club of Georgia Cup will announce a record donation of $400,000 in 2024 that brings the total donation in the past four years to $1 million.

“It is imperative that we support the young men and women and their families who have sacrificed to protect our freedoms and our families by serving in the military,” Golf Club of Georgia owner Ben Kenny said. “We are honored to be able to continue our support of the Folds of Honor Foundation and their scholarship recipients.”

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA United Soccer League Deputy CEO Justin Papadakis, center, addresses a small crowd at a press briefing March 25. From left is Peter Sorckoff, founder and CEO of consulting company Seer World, Fulton County Manager Dick Anderson, Roswell City Administrator Randy Knighton, Roswell City Councilmembers Will Morthland and Christine Hall, Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson, and Roswell City Councilmembers Lee Hills, Allen Sells and David Johnson.

The goal continues to be to strike a deal that is beneficial to the county, its residents...and Krause Sports and Entertainment, and present a solid plan to the NHL for consideration as they ponder possible expansion.

VERNON KRAUSE, CEO, Krause Sports and Entertainment

The Gathering hangs in balance as county alters terms

Hockey fans cheer for NHL franchise

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County officials drew cheers from hockey enthusiasts after approving a formal agreement March 26 with The Gathering at South Forsyth, a development that proposes to bring an NHL franchise to its campus.

More than a dozen people donned jerseys and red shirts in a show of support for the $2 billion development off Ronald Reagan Boulevard and Union Hill Road.

The agreement commissioners approved in its 4-1 vote outlines a $225 million commitment from the county — a lot less than an initial proposal it tossed out in January.

The measure outlines terms and allows Gathering staff to begin preconstruction planning, pending amendments to the Ronald Reagan and Union Hill overlay. Commissioner Todd Levent cast the dissenting vote.

The commission vote didn’t draw the same enthusiasm from developers.

While the development has earned a green light from the county, The Gathering staff said commissioners’ last-minute changes to the contract require further legal review before it accepts the terms.

“The goal for the vote last night was to bring a binding [memorandum of understanding] with firm commitments for both financing and planning to the NHL,” project staff said in a statement. “While a majority of the County Commission voted

yes, the MOU that was approved last night did not meet that goal.”

The county has agreed to commit $225 million in revenue backed bonds to finance the 700,000-square-foot hockey arena and a parking deck if The Gathering lands a National Hockey League franchise. The bond would be issued by the County Development Authority.

Revenue bonds are issued by local governments to fund specific projects. Revenue generated from the project is then used to repay the debt. Taxpayers do not fund revenue bonds, unlike general obligation bonds.

In a nonbinding agreement the Board

of Commissioners approved in January, the county’s commitment was a $390 million bond.

The new agreement accounts for a $40 million contribution from the South Forsyth Community Improvement District and possible funds from the state, which developers plan to solicit for an additional $100 million.

The county would receive $1.50 per ticket sale at the arena, and use a third of it to service the debt. The Gathering will also pay the county $100,000 annually in rent, down from $2 million in the previous agreement.

Forsyth County is seeking redevelopment powers to create a tax

allocation district surrounding the property that would devote any rise in property tax revenues to assist paying on the bond debt.

Further, County Manager David McKee said the state granted a 3 percent increase to the county’s hotel motel tax. Revenues from the 8 percent hotel tax would also be tapped for debt service.

Before the March 26 commission meeting, elected officials held a joint meeting with the County Development Authority to discuss the finances behind the bond.

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Supporters of The Gathering at South Forsyth mingle with project staff at a Board of Commissioners meeting March 26. The development team asked people who support the project to wear a jersey or red shirts.

Gathering:

Continued from Page 8

While the project financing is designed to keep the burden off county taxpayers, Roger Murray, who serves as bond counsel for Forsyth County and the Development Authority, said residents could see an increase to their property tax bills.

Murray said in a worst-case scenario where nothing is built, residents could have to pay an additional mill. If only half is built, just less than a half-mill would be levied.

With an average home value of $520,000, Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Vice President Alex Warner said a one-mill increase would likely show up as an additional $208 on tax bills, or $104 for a halfmill increase.

The March 26 agreement divided the buildout of The Gathering into four phases. Each phase would only start after the previous one is completed.

Phase one would include 600 apartments; between 200,000 and 300,000 square feet of office; 300,000 to 400,000 square feet of retail; a Sheriff’s Office precinct and fire station; a 1.2-mile Big Creek Greenway connection; two parking decks; and a hotel with from 120 to 150 rooms.

At the meeting, commissioners added a condition that the county will not issue certificates of occupancy for the apartments until occupancy is

granted for the hotel, office and retail space.

The anticipated arena was moved from phase one to phase two of the development, but if the NHL awards a franchise before then, developers can start construction.

The second phase would also add a practice arena, two hotels, up to 300,000 square feet of retail and up to 350,000 square feet of office.

Further language was added at the meeting that restricts the apartments in phase two until the arena takes off.

Once the county issues a land disturbance permit for the arena, developers are allowed 600 more apartments, but certificates of occupancy would be issued once the arena is halfway completed.

The third phase would add 200,000 to 300,000 square feet of office, and phase four would wrap up the project with 600 apartments.

But, the agreement is subject to change pending legal review and further negotiations.

Krause Sports and Entertainment CEO Vernon Krause, who owns The Gathering, said he was shocked and disappointed over the additional language after months of negotiating.

“The goal continues to be to strike a deal that is beneficial to the county, its residents — of which I am one — and Krause Sports and Entertainment, and present a solid plan to the NHL for consideration as they ponder possible expansion,” he said. “However, the county cannot keep moving the goal line if that is to happen.”

families in need each year at its two facilities in Roswell.

North Fulton charity celebrates 40 years

CUMMING, Ga. – North Fulton Community Charities welcomed close to 200 guests to its “A Night in Tuscany” gala March 23 at Greenfield Farm.

The event celebrated 40 years of the nonprofit’s work in the community while raising funds for its programs that prevent hunger and homelessness and foster financial stability for North Fulton families in need. North Fulton Community Charities (NFCC) serves thousands of local residents each year at two facilities in Roswell.

“This event was a chance to look back on NFCC’s history and celebrate its impact in the community while recognizing that the need in our community for NFCC’s services remains great,” said Executive Director Sandy Holiday, who offered welcoming remarks and a toast at the gala. “We are grateful to all our attendees and everyone who came together

to make this event a success — our sponsors, our volunteers, our committee members, silent and live auction donors, and our special guest speakers, Reva, Millard and Penny Hart, for sharing their story with attendees.”

Penny Hart, former Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks player, and his parents Reva and Millard Hart shared the story of their struggles after relocating to Roswell from Chicago in the 1990s and the role NFCC played in their path to financial stability.

After a Tuscan-themed dinner, Barbara Duffy, who served as NFCC executive director from 1991 to 2019, took to the stage to reflect on the nonprofit’s growth since its founding in 1983 and to introduce a retrospective video that paid homage to the organization's modest beginnings, showcased its growth and recognized the continued need for assistance in the community.

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

From left, The Gathering Senior Project Executive Frank Ferrara and Stafford Sports managing partner Carl Hirsh address the Forsyth County Commission March 26. The developers say they were disappointed when commissioners approved a contract to initiate the project, but added new terms on the rollout of construction.

CLARK SAVAGE PHOTOGRAPHY/PROVIDED Sandy Holiday , executive director of North Fulton Community Charities, raises a toast at the nonprofit’s “Night in Tuscany” fundraiser gala at Greenfield Farm in Cumming March 23. The event celebrated the 40th anniversary of the organization, which serves thousands of North Fulton

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April 4, 2024 | Johns Creek Herald | 11

How to avoid staging faux pas like a pro

Bill Rawlings

and Sherri Conrad

Brought to you by – Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty

When it comes to the art of staging, even the most well-intentioned efforts can fall flat if certain pitfalls aren’t navigated with finesse. The hallmark of successful staging is an environment that appeals to the senses while functioning and flowing well. It involves understanding the unique characteristics of a space and utilizing them to their full potential.

Here are a few ways to avoid common staging pitfalls:

1. Stay on top of kitchen clutter. Crowded countertops and overflowing cabinets are a definite gaffe. As a focal point for socializing and gathering, the appeal of the kitchen is a critical factor in shaping the overall impression of the property. Therefore, staying on top of clutter is paramount. Declutter countertops, streamline pantry contents and tidy up drawers to showcase the kitchen’s full potential.

2. Layer indoor lighting.

A dark room leaves a cramped and creepy impression. Avoid this common error by incorporating multiple light sources—overhead fixtures, table lamps and accent lighting—in rooms where the amount of natural light is limited. This ensures that your home shines in all the right ways.

3. Stick to neutral colors.

Neutral colors reign supreme for their timeless elegance and broad appeal. Soft whites, soothing grays and warm beiges provide a versatile backdrop that effortlessly complements various décor styles and architectural elements. They also create a sense of harmony and

sophistication while enhancing the perceived spaciousness and brightness of each room.

4. Have designated storage for toys.

For families with children, toys can quickly become a source of visual chaos if not properly managed. Sidestep this common mishap by implementing functional, aesthetically pleasing storage solutions—think stylish baskets and bins or built-in cabinets and toy chests—that allow toys to be easily stowed away when not in use.

5. Reclaim garage space.

Often overlooked and relegated to a storage area for miscellaneous items, the garage has the potential to become a valuable extension of your living space. By decluttering and organizing, you unlock its versatility, increase your home’s overall appeal and create room for a dedicated workshop, a home gym or simply a clean and orderly storage area.

Remember, attention to detail is key. Ready to leave a lasting impression that speaks volumes? If you need assistance renovating your home or have any other real estate needs, please contact Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty at 770.442.7300. We would be happy to assist you!

Compiled and edited by Angela Valente, Marketing Copywriter/ Copyeditor

215 OAKHURST LEAF DRIVE MILTON, GA 30004 | $1,400,000

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Monica Parker | 301.706.2787

700

David Patterson Homes introduces

new neighborhoods in Dawson and Forsyth County

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

With over 15 years of experience in home design and construction in Atlanta and the Lake Lanier area, David Patterson Homes is renowned for its commitment to quality, customer service, unique designs, and attention to detail. The company is excited to unveil their latest neighborhoods in Forsyth and Dawson Counties, offering distinctive transitional European farmhouse designs.

Sales have commenced at Maddux Path in Cumming, featuring four homes on 2+ acres starting from the $800s. Construction is underway, with move-in dates expected by late spring. Nearby, Brooks Pond will soon offer four homes

on spacious lots with basement options, all within the excellent Forsyth County School District and close to GA 400 and major shopping centers.

In North Forsyth, Fireside Farms provides easy access to GA 400 and Lake Lanier, with homes starting from the high $600s. The community boasts various home designs, large homesites, and amenities such as a neighborhood green space and playground, ideal for families. Homeowners will appreciate the proximity to acclaimed schools like Silver City Elementary and North Forsyth High School.

For those seeking lakeside living, Long Hollow Landing in Gainesville/ Forsyth County is currently offering luxurious lakeside homesites with a boat slip at the community dock with prices from $1 million plus. Amenities

include a community boat dock and gathering area, enhancing the lakeside lifestyle experience. Long Hollow Landing is conveniently located off Hwy 306 and Hwy 53 close to shopping and dining, GA 400, and Gainesville. Children will attend Chestatee Elementary, Little Mill Middle and the new state-of-the-art East Forsyth High School.

In Dawson County, Downtown Fausett will soon introduce 24 townhomes with European transitional farmhouse-style exteriors, each offering three bedrooms and 2.5 baths priced from the $400s. Conveniently located in downtown Dawsonville, this community provides easy access to GA 400 and the North Georgia Outlet Mall.

David Patterson Homes utilizes a team approach, and their use of

advanced technology to ensure an affordable, quality-built home that your family will enjoy for years to come. Combining the latest in new trends and design options, the design team provides exquisite interior finishes and unique architectural features which help to create timeless homes that feel custom and never go out of style. David Patterson Homes has been the recipient of numerous awards from the Greater Atlanta Professionalism Awards for outstanding achievement in new home building and marketing.

For additional information, please call 404.821.9807 or visit www.

DavidPattersonHomes.com. Sales and marketing by Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Georgia Properties New Homes Division. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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If you have foreign assets, having an estate plan and knowing the rules of the game is doubly important. When you pass away, your foreign asset will fall under the jurisdiction of the country it is located in. Double taxation may come into play and your asset may also be subject to death taxes depending on the country it is located in. If the foreign country has tax treaties with the U.S., you may be entitled to a foreign death tax credit - but you also may not, so it is important that you check with legal and financial professionals in the foreign country to see how you can protect your assets.

Regarding the rules inside the US, while you do not have to report to the IRS that you have purchased a property in a foreign country, you do have to report gains or losses on the property on the Schedule D of your U.S. tax return. Make sure your records related to your investments in the property are complete. In addition:

• If you inherit a foreign home from an individual who was not a U.S. citizen or resident, you must file Form 3520: Reporting Foreign Trusts, Inheritances and Gifts for Americans Abroad.

• If your foreign home was your primary residence and you occupied it during two

of the previous five years, you can exclude up to $250,000 ($500,000 if married) from your taxes.

It is preferable for you to have two Wills - one domestic and one foreign - to streamline the probate process after your death. Make sure the professionals who draft these Wills work with each other to prevent the Wills from nullifying each other. Better yet, you can skip the probate process entirely by setting up a domestic and a foreign Trust, which will allow your beneficiaries to inherit automatically, so long as each Trust is set up according to the rules of each jurisdiction.

Be aware that not all countries recognize trusts. So, if you have real estate located in foreign countries, take the initiative to speak to legal and financial professionals to make sure all your assetsnot just your U.S. ones - are protected.

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Q.A. Wills was an Alpharetta pioneer in many ways

BOB MEYERS Columnist

Quillian Asbury Wills (1900-1986), commonly known as Q.A., or more informally as Quillie, was a human dynamo who was a businessman, politician, cattleman, manufacturer, merchant and real estate developer.

Q.A.’s family came from Midway, a community in Forsyth County a few miles north of downtown Alpharetta. In 1905 when Q.A. was 5 years old, his family moved to a house on Marietta Street, now Old Milton Parkway, in Alpharetta. The house still stands next to the Mansell House.

Q.A. went to school in Alpharetta, then away to either Berry College or Reinhardt University. He married Ollie Mosteller (1903-1990) circa 1920.

As a young man his first job was as a barber, but he soon took advantage of his natural entrepreneurial skills and began to acquire land. He eventually owned most of the acreage from above the Mansell House on Old Milton Parkway down to Main Street in Alpharetta and south to Wills Road. He also owned property on the opposite side of Old Milton Parkway. In 1968 he sold 99 acres to Fulton County at a deep discount with the proviso that it would be used as a park. In 1995 the county sold the property to the City of Alpharetta. The huge Wills Park includes a modern equestrian show facility, baseball fields, several playgrounds, tennis courts, a community pool and many acres of lush greenspace.

In the 1930s, Q.A. operated a cotton brokerage and warehouse in The Cotton House built in 1901 on Milton Avenue in downtown Alpharetta. The building changed hands and names several times, and Q.A. owned the building for a number of years beginning in the late 1920s. He operated a factory there making men’s jeans. He also had an office on 5th Avenue in New York City where he sold cotton “house dresses” he made in the Cotton House.

Around the corner on Main Street, Q.A. owned The Wills Merchandise Store and another building where he made chenille bedspreads and bath robes from chenille fabric he purchased in bulk. He finished the robes and bedspreads in the Cotton House. His manufacturing operations provided flexible jobs for many women during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Local historian Connie Mashburn says “Q.A. allowed working mothers to see their children off to school in the morning, then go to work and leave in time to meet their

Quillian Asbury Wills, known as Q.A. Wills, is shown with his wife, Ollie Mosteller. They were married circa 1920. As a leading businessman, politician and gentleman farmer in the community, Q.A. always wore a shirt and standard necktie or bolo tie. This photo was probably taken in the mid-1960s.

Q.A. Wills owned this house on Milton Avenue near the center of Alpharetta. The City Council officially designated the Wills House as a historic structure in 2019 calling it “an outstanding representative of a Vernacular Style home of that time period.” Wills served as mayor of Alpharetta several times in the 1930s and 1950s. Wills Park is part of his legacy to the community.

children’s school bus after school.”

The historic Cotton House was razed, and the upscale Hamilton Hotel opened in its place in August 2021.

Q.A. owned the entire block of buildings on the corner of Main Street and Milton Avenue, today a trendy area of the city. In one of the buildings, Q.A. operated a Western Auto Store.

He built houses and often advertised homes for sale in the Atlanta Constitution. He had roads cut through his property, Wills Road, Wills Drive and Nathan’s Circle which was named after a trusted employee, according to Laverne Hilder, Q.A.’s granddaughter in law. Q.A. filled the streets with mid-century ranch houses and a few state-of-the-art homes in the late 1950s and early 1960s that still exist. He owned a house dating to 1930 on

nearby Milton Avenue that in 2019 was designated as a historic structure by the City of Alpharetta. An Atlanta Constitution advertisement in 1960 promised “Large Homes at Lowest Cost …located ½ mile west of Alpharetta’s New Municipal Building and known as Q. A. Wills Subdivision.”

It was only natural that a man of Q.A.’s abilities and energy would run for public office. He was first sworn in as Alpharetta Mayor in 1925 for a two-year term and was the youngest mayor in the state. He was re-elected several times in the 1930s and 1950s.

Q.A.’s son, George Sr, (1921-1985) also served as Alpharetta mayor beginning in 1965 and again in 1979 when he was obligated to resign early due to family obligations and his own health. George,

WILLS FAMILY/PROVIDED

Q.A. Webb manufactured chenille bedspreads and bath robes as one of his many business interests. This is a rare surviving example of one of his bedspread designs.

who attended UGA and served in the Marine Corps, was an executive with the Lockheed Aircraft Company. He was married to Doris Martin of Roswell. He played baseball for Milton High School. Later, he coached a girls softball city team, the Alpharetta Angels. He formed a reenactment Civil War calvary unit and performed at the 100th anniversary of the battle of Stone Mountain and battle of Kennesaw Mountain. He cared a lot about other people and delivered groceries to the needy at holidays. He was active in Post 201 of the American Legion.

In the 1950s, Q.A. bred Hereford cattle. He often attended cattle auctions and would buy the No. 1 or No. 2 top-rated animals for his small herd of perhaps a dozen head. He raised them for breeding and sold them as breed cattle. He kept his cattle in a field near his house on Marietta Street. His granddaughter, Jenny Wills DeVan, remembers chasing the cattle around the fields. Q.A.’s brother, Glen (wife Pauline), also raised Herefords on his own property on Mid Broadwell Road where it runs into Wills Road. On the corner, Glen operated a feed store which today is Cronan’s Cabinet Shop, explains great grandson Bobby Wills, a fireman and paramedic in Alpharetta.

Q.A.’s contributions to his community were many and long-lasting. Thank you Quillie for a job well done.

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

WILLS FAMILY/PROVIDED

BOB MEYERS/APPEN MEDIA

Why plant native? An interview with Ellen Honeycutt

The North Fulton Master Gardeners will hold its annual Garden Faire on Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in partnership with the City of Alpharetta at The Grove at Wills Park, 175 Roswell St., Alpharetta. This year, the North Metro Atlanta Chapter of the Georgia Native Plant Society will feature a variety of Georgia’s native plants for sale and provide information to visitors on best practices for planting natives. As a preview, here’s an interview with the Georgia Native Plant Society’s Ellen Honeycutt about frequently asked questions about native plants.

First, what is a native plant?

A native plant is one that was here without direct human intervention. Generally, that means before settlers from Europe arrived, but it also addresses plants that were moved around by indigenous people, such as corn, beans, and squash. These are plants that have been here long enough to have developed a life-sustaining relationship with native insects (usually thousands of years).

Why is it important to plant natives now?

Native plants are a critical part of the life cycle of native insects, as I mentioned. Without their host native plants (milkweed and monarch butterflies is a good example), native insect populations would decline, as would the populations of those that depend on them, such as birds. Hundreds of years of human settlement have reduced the population of native plants, replacing them with non-native ornamentals that native insects usually can’t use for their life cycles. We need to start using them in our landscapes to support the food web. I like to reimagine the food pyramid to illustrate how our gardens might be. (See illustration.)

What should we know about native plants?

Native plants can be just as beautiful in the landscape as exotic plants. Native plants also help give us a sense of place, allowing us to celebrate what makes Georgia unique. For example, our native magnolias – we have seven species native to Georgia – represent our landscapes better than the Colorado blue spruce or the exotic crape myrtle.

What inspired you to become so interested in native plants?

I was introduced to the concept of “native plants” in 2000 when I joined the

Georgia Native Plant Society. Fostering an appreciation for native plants is now a passion of mine, and I love to help other people learn more about the benefits of native plants. I also like to help people figure out which plants might work best in their garden.

Knowing what’s native and what’s not is confusing. How can you tell?

It is easier than ever to use resources on the internet (even at the store, using our smartphones) to determine if something is native. It is best to search by the scientific name when doing so because common names can be misleading. The USDA Plants database at https://plants.usda. gov/ is a good source and easy to use.

Do native plants require less maintenance? Do I still have to water them?

Newly planted native plants should receive the same amount of care that you’d provide to newly planted exotics. That is, water them as needed for the first six months while they get their roots established, protect them from mischievous squirrels that like to dig up any new plant, etc. Be sure to research their preferred growing conditions just as you would for any plant: sun, shade, moist, dry. Once they are established in your garden, they should be fine. I don’t water my plants after they are established unless something unusual happens.

Do you have some recommendations? What’s your favorite native plant? And why?

I am partial to our native woody plants – trees and shrubs – so one of my favorites is the sourwood tree (Oxydendrum arboreum) that blooms in June with tiny white bells. In fall, it has some of the best fall color around. I do like to help people find good ideas for shady areas; we have lots of native ferns and shade-loving perennials like foamflower (Tiarella) and coral bells (Heuchera).

Tell us about the native plants you’ll have for sale at Garden Faire?

We like to provide an assortment of native perennials, shrubs, trees, ferns and vines. Knowing that some folks are new to native plants, we make sure we have some of the most dependable choices but we also like to have a few special things for the experienced native enthusiast. We have plants that are donated by our members as well as plants that we purchase or grow especially for the sale.

What if someone wants to learn more?

The Georgia Native Plant Society’s website (https://gnps.org/) provides downloadable education materials (for our area, look for resources for the Piedmont ecoregion) as well as a link for yearround native plant sources including small nurseries that have the deepest selection of native plants. You may also

About the Author

This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Sandra Shave, a Master Gardener since 2018. Sandy grew up on a dairy farm in northern Wisconsin and learned to garden at her mother’s knee. She is a recent transplant to Roswell, moving from Wisconsin in 2014 after retirement to be nearer to her children and most importantly her grandchildren! Sandy is the chair of NFMG’s 2024 Garden Faire and Speakers Bureau and is excited to share her love of gardening.

In this week’s Garden Buzz column, Sandy interviews Ellen Honeycutt, the current Chair of the State Board of the Georgia Native Plant Society. Ellen has gardened with and appreciated native plants for over 23 years as a member. Helping others to see the beauty, versatility and ecological importance of Georgia’s native plants — whether in the wild or in the garden — is a passion and a compulsion. Just ask her kids! She uses her personal blog, http:// usinggeorgianativeplants.blogspot.com/, to share her love of nature and native plants in Georgia.

want to check out the UGA Extension publications about native plants listed in this column.

I also have a personal blog that has a lot of articles about using Georgia’s native plants in home landscapes. For example, here is an article about shade-loving plants: https:// usinggeorgianativeplants.blogspot. com/2020/12/made-in-shade.html

You can learn more by visiting GNPS at the NFMG Garden Faire at Wills Park on April 20th.

Happy Gardening!

North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization whose purpose is to educate its members and the public in the areas of horticulture and ecology in order to promote and foster community enrichment. Master Gardener

Volunteers are trained and certified by The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Learn more at nfmg.net. Previous Garden Buzz columns are featured at https://appenmedia.com/ opinion/columnists/garden_buzz/.

SANDRA SHAVE Guest Columnist

HONEYCUTT

At left, Monarch on Symphyotrichum; right, Oxydendrum arboreum

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Rudbeckia hirta

Simplifying…and the one that got away

If there’s one thing that’s universally true about fly fishing, it’s that gearing up can be complicated.

But what if gearing up could be made simpler?

It can be, and one way to do just that is to sing the song of tenkara.

That’s what I’m doing on a fine afternoon a week or so ago. I’m getting ready to enjoy a day of tenkara fishing up in the mountains. We’re in the midst of one of those brief warm spells that often characterize the approach of spring, and that’s all it takes to get me into a trouty frame of mine. Fishing is in my future!

But where – and how?

The “where” is easy. For the last few weeks I’ve had a hankering to fish the upper reaches of the Chattahoochee River. To get there, I’ll drive from Helen, turning off Alt. 75 at the little white church and then following Poplar Stump Road (paved) until it morphs into gravel and follows the river up into the Chattahoochee WMA. I’ll keep driving until things just look right, and then I’ll stop and grab the rod and see what happens next.

And the “how?”

Lately, in the interest of that “simplicity” thing, it seems as if I’ve been picking up a tenkara rod as much as anything.

Tenkara is a centuries-old Japanese approach to fishing with flies. It uses a fixed line about the same length of the rod, plus about 4 feet of 5X (or so) tippet. And that is all. The line attaches directly to the tip of the rod. There is no reel, and as a result life is suddenly simpler for sure.

I’ve talked about tenkara before here. Does it sound interesting to you?

On this day, I pick up a Tiny Ten 2 rod from Tiny Tenkara, a rod company based in Colorado. This is a delightful little rod for use on small mountain waters like the one I have in mind. It has a fully extended length of about 8 feet, making it an ideal rod for small, tight mountain streams. I’m using it with a level fluorocarbon monofilament line, to which I’ve added the obligatory 4 ft. of tippet. On the end of the tippet I’ve tied a small reverse-hackle fly (a traditional sabaka kebari) to the end of my leader.

And with that, I’m ready to go.

After a while, I come to a section of creek that’s to my liking. I pull off the road and park. Then I put on the waders (it’s kind of chilly outside) and pick up the rod and turn toward the water.

Five minutes later I stand beside the stream. The flow here is small –just a few yards across – and there’s

not a lot of room for casting. But the little 8-foot Tiny Ten 2, which weighs only 2 ounces and collapses to a length of 13 inches, is right at home in the tight quarters of this beautiful mountain stream. In some areas, there’s room to make an actual cast, and the Tiny Ten 2 proves precise and accurate in its ability to put the fly

where I want it to go.

In other places, streamside vegetation closes in and regular casting is impossible. That’s when I turn to the “bow-and-arrow” cast, a technique which allows me to almost slingshot the fly toward chosen targets. It’s a great technique for fishing small mountain streams, and the little rod does a great job there too.

How are the trout reacting to all of this? Well, several wild rainbows vote in favor of the small soft-hackled sakasa kebari (which is, at the risk of oversimplifying things, Japanese for “a fly with a reversed hackle”).

I fish the fly subsurface through several promising runs, watching the junction of the line and the tippet for subtle signs of a strike. Sure enough, there are several. I get lucky and bring a few of them to the net, where I admire them and quickly release them back into the water. Sometimes I’ll even see a fish move to the fly, but when that happens I often strike too soon and miss the fish completely.

After a while I switch to a surface fly. I am concerned that it might be too cold for such imitations of adult aquatic insects, but it’s warmed a bit and I’ve seen some bugs (maybe stoneflies) flying over the water. I rummage in my fly box and find something that looks about right for imitating them, then cut off the subsurface fly and tie on the surface imitation instead. Fishing is slower with the dry fly, but even so I manage to coax two trout (a brown and a rainbow) come to the surface and strike.

Though there’s always the possibility of a minor trophy in stretch of water, I encounter no big fish on this day. Most of the ones I tangle with are in the 4- to 6-inch range, a size which fits the water (and the Tiny Ten 2 rod) perfectly. But I do manage to lose one that seems a little bit larger. Was it eight inches long? Maybe ten?

Of course, if a fish gets away, it can be as big as I want it to be.

You understand that, don’t you?

Of course you do.

So I figure that the one I lost went about five pounds!

STEVE HUDSON Columnist

PROVIDED

A wild rainbow trout from the upper Chattahoochee near Helen.

Steve Hudson’s new book, TENKARA 101, is a perfect introduction to the art of tenkara-style fishing. It’s available from local outfitters or direct from the author at FlyBooks.net.

The simple key to success in business

RAY APPEN

Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com

I took the leaf blower back to the big box store. It stopped working. I bought it five months ago – paid like $275 for it. I was not happy, but since my big box always accepts returns, I was not worried.

Yet, when I got to the returns desk, the clerk saw my leaf blower and pointed to the sign behind her that gave the number to call for returns for the brand.

“We don’t take returns for Craftsman products without an ‘AR’ or some sort of code from Craftsman,” the clerk said.

“No bueno” I thought. You guys sell their brand, along with hundreds of other brands. I have never not been able to return something I have bought from you, but, with Craftsman, there is an exception?

You probably know the rest of this story. I call the 888 number which is answered by a machine. The machine prompts me multiple times. It wants my name, address and my first-born great grandchild. In huge letters it informs me that all this information they can use as they please, more or less. Then, after about

15 minutes of this, it informs me that I can call another 888 number to contact a service company somewhere which is contracted out to repair Craftsman leaf blowers. Right.

At this point, I fold. They win. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, shame on you. No, Craftsman, you cannot have another single minute of my personal time to fix the problem you created and which I paid good money for.

I have driven to the big box twice. I have spent by now about an hour on the phone and on my computer trying to jump through their hoops. Plus, I think the probability of there actually being a service company that is willing to fix a $275 leaf blower is slim. Check and mate.

This is wrong on so many levels.

The first level of wrong is the fact that Craftsman was the main Sears brand of tools. For decades. The Craftsman brand meant that you could return a craftsman tool forever, no questions asked. Then Sears essentially went into bankruptcy and some hedge fund bought the Craftsman “brand” and relaunched it through the big box store. The reason they were able to do this was because the brand, to consumers, meant you could trust it, that it was reliable and well-made, and the warranty was there to back it up.

Until it was not.

To make matters worse, Craftsman still markets itself as having the best warranty in the business – like it used to have. Yes, they have a warranty. My leaf blower had a two-year limited warranty that was included free with the purchase of the product. Good luck using it.

The cost of using that warranty is high, really high. The cost is your time, something the company behind Craftsman obviously does not appear to value. The reason that I have never been able to talk to a human being so far in the warranty process is that people are expensive. The company has to pay those employees for their time, no? Their solution? AI. They can field all the warranty calls with automated systems, so they don’t have to pay people to do it. But they are not compensating you for your time. In effect, you are voluntarily stepping in for an employee – for free – by allowing a company to use your own time so they can save their own (payroll) time. It seems that “time” actually s valuable when they have to pay for it.

But Craftsman is not the only one out there using people’s time or resources and not compensating them. Most companies do that now. Google’s entire business is based on searching online content that

Google does not pay a red cent for and makes billions. Same deal with all the social media companies. Any company that uses AI/ auto-services for things like billing, banking, warranties, reservations, etc., is consuming your time and not paying for it.

Time, however, is a double-edged sword. If you don’t like being forced to donate your time or your resources to a corporate bottom line, don’t do business with them when you can. Reward those who do value your time, like a local restaurant that actually answers the phone with a person, or a local service company that shows up when they say they will.

One of the biggest companies in the world gets it and values your time more than almost any other company. Using that business model, they have won and will continue to win. When there is a problem, one call or one email fixes it almost every time. No BS. No unnecessary routing. No “prove that you are in the right.” No donating your time for free to fix a problem not of your doing.

The customer – and the customer’s time is the absolute priority – the core business model of this company. It ain’t rocket science. They respect their customers and their customer’s time.

The company? Amazon, of course.

Cozy and calm, except for the murders

KATHY MANOS PENN Columnist

By now, you know mysteries are my favorite reads, and, yes, I prefer those set in England. For a slight shake-up, this week’s selections include one set in France, and another in a coastal town in the U.S. Never fear, you’ll also get a taste of a third cozy mystery set in England.

“The Armstrong Assignment” by Diana

Xarissa

One of my Facebook followers recommended this author, and I’m so glad she did. I loved Janet and Edward, the newly married couple who are the main characters.

There are a few indicators that they’re a “mature” couple. She retired from teaching and opened a B&B with her sister, and he’s retired from a government job.

know it, they’re both involved in trying to prevent a murder. The dialogue is witty, and the mystery requires understanding the potential suspects and what their likely motives could be.

I’m delighted to know that this is No. 1 in the series and that there’s a series that precedes it – involving Janet and her sister opening their B&B. I may have to find that one and read it before proceeding to book No. 2 in the Janet Markham Bennett cozy thriller series.

“Boardwalk Betrayal” by Wendy Ledger

I discovered this cozy mystery through my subscription to Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program, which allows readers to download a vast selection of books for a monthly fee. If you’re an avid reader, you may want to check it out. Because so many of the books that interest me are not available in my local library, I read quite a few mysteries this way.

line in the blurb, I had to give it a try. How could I resist, “A chatty feline and a tragic murder. Can this loyal wife solve a heartbreaking crime?” This is the first in Ledger’s Black Cat Cozy Mystery series set in Harmony Beach.

Maggie is a journalist, and Pepper is her cute cat, and together they solve murder mysteries. Having a smart cat as a sidekick is an asset to any amateur sleuth. (Admittedly, I may be a bit biased in my opinion.) As a cat lover, I agreed with this review: “I really enjoyed the talking cat. Sometimes I wish my pets could talk to me; it would make things a lot easier!“ If you’re an animal lover who enjoys mysteries that don’t give you nightmares, give this one a try.

“Murder by Candlelight” by Faith Martin

favorite spot in England and the setting for my mystery series. The setting for Martin’s latest series is the 1920s.

Its two main characters are younger than those in Faith Martin’s earlier series. Arbuthnot ‘Arbie’ Swift is a bit of a dilettante, though he has written a surprisingly popular book, “The Gentleman’s Guide to Ghost-Hunting.” That activity was great fun for him. His sleuthing partner, Val, is the daughter of the local vicar and much more actionoriented than he is. Their relationship forms an entertaining subplot.

Together, they solve a locked room mystery, uncovering plenty of suspects, motives and puzzles. If you’re looking for a light, entertaining read, complete with a visit to the picturesque Cotswolds, this is the book for you.

On their honeymoon in Paris, he suddenly disappears, called back to an assignment in his old world. Before you

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

The black cat on the cover of “Boardwalk Betrayal” caught my eye. After all, there’s a black cat on the cover of my books, too. When I read the first

And now, back to England. When I saw that Faith Martin had started a new series, I was eager to read it. I enjoyed both her Hillary Greene and Ryder & Loveday series, though I’ve not read either all the way through. I was especially interested in this new series because it’s set in the Cotswolds, my

Police:

After quickly leaving the victim’s home, police say the burglars then hit up nearby jurisdictions to do the job all over again.

Of the active investigations in Johns Creek, Mitchell said the MO also involves targeting mostly Asian families, thought to have a lot of money.

Under the section on South American theft groups, the Multi-Year Plan cited an incident in 2018 in which an officer stopped a group of individuals with bogus IDs, a stop that has allegedly become a model to other police agencies in the area on how to locate and handle these crews.

But, Mitchell said the suspects were charged for providing a falsified name, not burglary, though he said one suspect was connected to a burglary in another state.

South American theft groups are also the focus of an FBI task force, most recently covered by the New York Post, and are addressed by neighboring agencies, such as the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, which set up extra duty to target them.

Police say Johns Creek could emulate what’s being done in Forsyth County if they have the budget.

For now, Mitchell said officers conduct patrols based on burglary data provided in monthly reports. He said if personnel is added, as recommended in the plan, the department will continue its focus on these

theft groups with investments in real-time crime intelligence and special operations.

At the March 25 work session, Mitchell highlighted the staffing issues within the Police Department, preventing officers from being able to take time off or attend career development training.

“Sometimes our officers have to work overtime to make sure that we have the minimum staffing average on shifts,” Mitchell said.

Data provided in the Multi-Year Plan shows that Johns Creek’s officer-toresident ratio is lower than surrounding jurisdictions at fewer than one officer per 1,000 residents.

According to data compiled by Appen Media, that number persists in 2024 but the gap is widening between Johns Creek and other cities like Alpharetta and Roswell

which have recently expanded their police forces.

With more than 67,000 residents, Alpharetta has 2.19 officers per 1,000 residents, and Roswell with a population of nearly 93,000 has 2.26 officers per 1,000 residents. The officer-to-resident ratio in Sandy Springs, Milton and Dunwoody also exceed numbers in Johns Creek.

Mitchell said the number of applications for police officers has significantly decreased. On testing days, when candidates come in for an interview and perform a physical assessment, the number of applications has dwindled from hundreds to around a dozen.

“If we have five or six show up, that’s pretty good,” Mitchell said. “That’s a good day.”

After more than a year of planning, Milton ran its own election with an estimated actual cost of $115,000. The city saved at least $100,000 in its decision to bring in-house operations of its municipal election.

But, city staff spent a significant amount of time on the project, creating standard operating procedures from scratch with state code as a guide; buying and setting up equipment; interviewing and hiring more than 50 poll workers; all while coordinating work between three teams of volunteers to help pull it off.

Appen Media calculated staff time, in terms of salaries and hours, against an already-busy schedule for Milton’s top city officials. That

Elections: Is Your Company Hiring?

cost was more than $190,000, and it caused several city projects to fall to the wayside.

“Still, we saved a lot of money,” Jamison said. “We are absolutely open to working and sharing resources with the other municipalities in the authority manner, but we need to see exactly what the cost to taxpayers is going to be.”

Following the luncheon, he said nailing down the cost will be crucial.

“I just had a conversation with my fellow mayors,” Gilvin said. “They still don’t know how much they gotta pay for the November elections.”

He said the delays are frustrating for local governments currently in the budgeting process.

we need to have those parameters, so I can take it to the City Council and the public.”

Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry and Mountain Park Mayor Bill Kolbrener also said they are committed to looking at locally run elections. Continued from Page 3

Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin said city officials do not think they have had the time to do it in the past.

“From my perspective, now is the time we need to resolve this one way or the other,” Gilvin said. “As communities, we need to decide, are we going to be able to do this in an effective, efficient way or not.”

Because Alpharetta, with no challengers to incumbents, did not hold local elections last fall, Gilvin said the city did not face a decision about running its own polling.

“I think our council will be willing to have that conversation based on those parameters,” Gilvin said. “But

Roswell Mayor Wilson said he agreed with Gilvin, and he would not like city staff to be overwhelmed with an area-wide elections authority.

Aviso Público de Audiencia Pública y Solicitud de Comentarios Públicos con Respecto al Borrador del Reporte de Evaluación del Desempeño del Plan Consolidado Anual 2024-2025 Del Estado de Georgia

El estado de Georgia, de conformidad con las normas aplicables del Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano (HUD) de EE. UU., ha preparado una versión preliminar del Plan de acción anual consolidado del estado para el año fiscal federal 2024-2025. El estado de Georgia organizará una audiencia pública y un seminario web para presentar el Plan de acción anual de 2024. Este Plan de acción anual (FFY2024/SFY2024) es el quinto año del período de planificación consolidada de cinco años 2023-2027. El Plan de acción anual describe las actividades que se llevarán a cabo en el año del programa (1 de julio de 2024 al 30 de junio de 2025). Los seis programas de HUD financiados con fondos federales cubiertos por el Plan de acción son Subsidio en bloque para el desarrollo comunitario (CDBG), Subsidio en bloque para el desarrollo comunitario - Recuperación ante desastres (CDBG-DR), Asociación de inversión HOME (HOME), Subsidio para soluciones de emergencia (ESG), Oportunidades de vivienda para Personas con SIDA (HOPWA), y el Fondo Fiduciario Nacional de Vivienda (NHTF). El estado de Georgia alienta a los ciudadanos, las agencias públicas y otras partes interesadas a revisar el contenido de su borrador del Plan de acción anual y enviar sus comentarios por escrito.

Un borrador del Plan de acción anual estará disponible para su revisión el 1 de abril 2024 a las 5 PM visitando nuestro sitio web: https://www.dca.ga.gov/ node/4566 o por favor envíe un correo electrónico a HUDPlanning@dca.ga.gov

El seminario web de la audiencia publica será el 17 de abril de 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM. Para participar en seminario web, utilice el enlace para registrarse para asistir: https://tinyurl.com/496a7mbm

o envíe un correo electrónico a HUDPlanning@dca.ga.gov

Comentario público debe ser entregado por email o correo postal a más tardar a las 5:00pm de 1 de mayo 2024.

Georgia Department of Community Affairs Housing Finance and Development

Attn: Office of Community Housing Development 60 Executive Park South, NE, Atlanta, GA 30329-2231

Notice of Trade Name Registration

Notice is hereby given that Analia Benedetti, residing at 515 Harbour Gate Circle, Johns Creek, GA 30022 has registered the trade name of Paws Pet Love with the Georgia Secretary of State's office . The trade name registration was filed on 03/20/2024 with the Reservation Number 26928918.

Any inquiries regarding this trade name registration should be directed to Analia Benedetti, analia@pawspetlove.com

Analia Benedetti

Pets and More LLC

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HI-REZ STUDIOS, INC. SEEKS GAMEPLAY PROGRAMMER IN ALPHARETTA, GA to develop & integrate developer-facing sw dvlpmt kits & debug tools. Reqs BS in Comp Sci or rel. field + 1 yr exp in game dvlpmt. Hybrid-remote. To apply, resume to Talent@hirezstudios.com.

Argos USA, LLC is seeking a Technical Services Planner for its Alpharetta, GA location to support the design, standardization, and continuous improvement of the company project management methodology and maintenance model, aligned with good practices and lessons learned. Must have a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related field plus 5 years of experience in Cement operations, projects execution and PMO (Projects Management). Telecommute work arrangement is allowed within commuting distance to Alpharetta, GA and Argos’ office. 30-40% domestic travel required. Send cover letter and resume to Mark Prybylski, Argos USA, LLC, 3015 Windward Plaza, Suite 300, Alpharetta, GA 30005 or email resume to mprybylski@argos-us.com. Reference Job # CEM40004144.

Part-time

REAL ESTATE ASSISTING

Healthy, hard-working, very tech-savvy lady, good organizing skills. 1-5 or 6pm. 2-3 days/week. My Johns Creek home. Also willing to help with home organization. Salary approx. $15+/hour based on performance & work accomplished. Have own reliable transportation. 678-524-3881 & send resume: realestatetreasure@msn.com

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