Johns Creek Herald - April 6, 2023

Johns Creek, Roswell laud Vietnam vets

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Georgia veterans packed into Newtown Park in Johns Creek March 30 for a National Vietnam War Veterans Day ceremony at the “Wall That Heals.”

The ceremony, sponsored by the Johns Creek Veterans Association and the Atlanta Vietnam Veterans Business Association honored those who served in the Vietnam War. It was held at the “Wall That Heals,” a half-scale size version of the permanent Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The 254-foot wall displays

names of the tens of thousands of U.S. military members who died in the war. It was originally part of a traveling exhibit, before Johns Creek bought the wall to display permanently in 2017.

The hour-long ceremony with remarks from various veterans took place in front of the wall.

“This was about recognizing the service of Vietnam veterans during a time when that service was not appreciated by many of their fellow citizens,” Vietnam veteran Col. Skip Bell said.

Bell, president of the See VETERANS, Page 12

Craft leaves legacy in Fulton County Schools athletics

By MCCLAIN BAXLEY newsroom@appenmedia.com

FULTON COUNTY, Ga — After more than 100 state championships, one national championship, countless college signees and 11 years of building a foundation, Fulton County Schools Athletic

Director Steven Craft is stepping away.

“I think it’s time for someone else to have an opportunity,” he said. “It excites me to have a new challenge. I feel like we have accomplished so much in Fulton County in the last 11 years.”

Craft has held the post since 2012 and is set to begin April 10 as assistant superintendent for

Dalton County Public Schools. He’ll go from overseeing 16 athletic departments to a school system that has two high schools. But it’ll be an exciting change for someone whose life has been ingrained in high school athletics for more than 20 years.

CRAFT See CRAFT, Page 22

DELANEY TARR/APPEN MEDIA

A veteran stops to salute during a recording of the National Anthem at a March 30 National Vietnam War Veterans Day ceremony at Newtown Park in Johns Creek.

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Man receives threats over gambling losses

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Johns Creek Police spoke with a man March 23, who said he had received numerous texts from someone intimidating him for money.

The man reported the sender had threatened to send men after him and his family and that he is not one to mess with because he had "done time for seven years.”

The victim suspects the person making the threats to be someone who used to work for him at a casino. The victim showed police texts that demanded $4,000 after having lost $30,000 to the casino. But the victim said nobody had placed that much money, so he knows the story is false.

While police were on the scene, the victim’s wife received several calls from a private number. When she answered the phone, the individual on the other line stayed silent. She then showed texts stating that the unidentified suspect would come after her and her daughter, who lives in Alpharetta. The suspect sent pictures from her daughter’s Instagram page to the victim’s phone.

Man reports items stolen from wallet in gym locker

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A Johns Creek resident reported to police March 24 that someone stole contents from his wallet at Lifetime Fitness off Johns Creek Parkway.

The victim said he entered the gym around 5:20 p.m. March 23, locked his belongings in the men’s locker room and then went to work out.. When he returned to the locker room at 6:10

p.m., he discovered his locker had been opened.

His credit card and $150 in cash was missing from his wallet, but the wallet had been left behind.

The victim was not sure who took his belongings, but he said there was a male with red shoes that was nearby. No further description was available, the police report said.

The gym manager said video outside the locker room is available through corporate for detectives, but there is no camera inside the locker room.

Woman reports card charge from online dating service

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A woman reported fraudulent activity on her American Express card to Johns Creek Police March 24.

She said she recently signed up for a dating service, It’s Just Lunch Corporation. When she signed up, she provided the last four numbers of her credit card. The company stated they would not charge her card until services were rendered.

But on March 13, the company charged the card for $2,400 without providing services.

The victim’s card has since been deactivated, the police report said.

Police arrest suspect after crudity report

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Johns Creek Police were dispatched to Nesbit Ferry Road March 25 in reference to a man who exposed himself.

The 30-year-old victim said the suspect pulled down his shorts, looked at her directly and began performing a sexual act.

The victim said she started yelling at him to stop. He did so before walking closer to her, the police report said, but when he was closer, he repeated the act.

A witness to the incident confirmed the identity of the suspect, who police lo-

cated walking on the sidewalk along Old Alabama Road near Nesbit Ferry Road.

The suspect said he did drop his pants because he needed to pee but denied the sexual activity.

The suspect was arrested and charged with public indecency and taken to the Alpharetta jail.

Cumming man arrested for ‘stunt’ driving in lot

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A Cumming man allegedly caught doing burnouts in the parking lot of a business on Westside Parkway in Alpharetta March 14 has been arrested for reckless “stunt” driving. Officers responded to 2900 Westside Parkway at about 6 p.m. after they heard tires screeching from a vehicle doing burnouts and saw a cloud of smoke coming from the area.

At the scene, they located a crowd of people around a silver sedan and identified the vehicle’s driver as a 19-year-old Cumming Man.

The man was placed under arrest and charged with reckless stunt driving. He was transported to the North Fulton County Jail in Alpharetta.

Lilburn man arrested for speeding 100 mph

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alpharetta police arrested a 21-year-old Lilburn man March 16 after he was allegedly clocked traveling more than 100 miles per hour on Ga. 400.

Police officers stopped a Chevy Cruz at about 10:30 p.m. after it was seen passing vehicles on Ga. 400 traveling at about 101 miles per hour.

The suspect driver said he was racing home to complete an assignment that was due.

Due to the heavy traffic, limited nighttime visibility and the speed of the driver’s vehicle, officers placed the man under arrest for reckless driving and speeding and transported him to the North Fulton County Jail in Alpharetta.

All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.

City commits $1 million to Recreation and Parks

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Johns Creek sent $1 million dollars toward Recreation and Parks projects, and millions more in construction costs are on the horizon.

Councilmembers also provided some direction on use of the four multipurpose fields at Cauley Creek Park at their work session March 28. Community sports programs, like football, are vying for the space. Set to open this summer, Cauley Creek will be the city’s largest park at 203 acres.

Given a $1 million budget, the City Council prioritized additional development of Cauley Creek by designating $200,000 for engineering a destination playground, disc golf course and/or additional parking at the park.

The council also agreed to set aside $150,000 for either infrastructure or renovations to create an event space on an outparcel at Cauley Creek Park.

Johns Creek Assistant City Manager Kimberly Greer suggested that final decisions on the outparcel could come later, after city staff touches base with the Johns Creek Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Recreation and

Johns Creek City Councilman Larry DiBiase emphasizes the need for football space in the city at the Johns Creek City Council work session March 28. With a $1 million budget, councilmembers also prioritized several Recreation and Parks projects.

Parks Advisory Committee (RPAC).

Also park-related, councilmembers approved $300,000 to further develop the Chattahoochee Greenway by connecting Cauley Creek Park to the McGinnis Ferry section of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation

Area. The Atlanta Regional Commission recently awarded a $1.2 million grant for the project.

The City Council also agreed to budget $250,000 for lights at Newtown Park’s lacrosse fields, allowing more play time for all sports that use the

multi-purpose field.

Meanwhile, at Autrey Mill Nature Preserve, city officials listed parking, grading and drainage upgrades as priorities. Councilmembers assigned $100,000 in engineering for the project, despite Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry’s wish to reroute the funds into another item that he said could provide more benefit to residents.

Councilman Larry DiBiase brought football to the forefront of conversation at the work session, highlighting that goalposts were not planned for the four multipurpose fields at Cauley Creek Park.

“The real fundamental question that I’m asking for us here at this table is, ‘Do we want to fundamentally support football in Johns Creek?” DiBiase said.

He recommended the city fund an H-pattern field goal, which can be used for both football and soccer. He estimated the city would spend $10,000 to $15,000 per field for the posts.

Because Johns Creek does not have any public football fields, football programs in the city have been

See CITY, Page 22

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Gasthaus Tirol

Law limits medical treatments doctors are allowed to perform on Georgia transgender youth

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

ATLANTA — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has signed a bill co-sponsored by state senators in Alpharetta and Roswell that will limit medical care for transgender minors.

Senate Bill 140, signed into law March 23, was co-sponsored by 23 Republican state senators. The law bans medical procedures for transgender minors including genital reassignment surgeries and hormone replacement therapies. Transgender youth will still have access to puberty blockers prior to turning 18.

The law will take effect July 1. Minors already receiving hormone therapy will be allowed to continue treatment.

The bill passed the Senate 31-21.

State Sens. John Albers (R-Roswell) and Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta) cosponsored and voted for the bill. Sen. Greg Dolezal (R-Cumming) voted for the bill.

Sen. Josh McLaurin (D-Sandy Springs) voted against the legislation.

Beach said he co-sponsored and voted for the bill because people should be 18 or older to make certain medical decisions.

“Before the age of 18, I don’t think a child is ready to make decisions that are permanent, and that’s what would happen if we hadn’t passed this bill,” Beach said.

A press representative for Senator Albers said he was unavailable for comment.

The law is based on a “significant rise in diagnoses of gender dysphoria in children” in the past decade, which the bill said often does not last into adulthood. According to the American Psychiatric Association, gender dysphoria refers to psychological distress that comes when someone’s gender identity and assigned sex at birth do not align.

Opponents of the law said the ban will have negative impacts on transgender youth.

Anna Baxter, an owner, supervisor and licensed counselor at Roswell-based Love Positive Counseling, has worked with transgender people of all ages for the past eight years. The counselor said many of their clients “wouldn’t be alive today” without hormones.

“Gender dysphoria is such a complex situation, but the treatment for most folks is very simple,” Baxter said, adding

that teenagers often struggle to understand that options will be available past the age of 18.

The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ+ youth said in a 2022 report that 55 percent of transgender and nonbinary youth in Georgia seriously considered suicide in the past year and 16 percent attempted suicide.

“It’s really easy for someone struggling with such crippling emotional pain to decide it’s not worth it,” Baxter said. Beyond worries about mental health, Baxter said the state should not get involved in medical care.

“Parents and doctors need to be the ones in charge of these decisions,” Baxter said.

Senator Beach said he is “all for” parents and doctors having say in medical procedures, “but when you make those dramatic changes at a young age you may end up regretting it.”

An amendment to the law said that doctors who do provide surgeries or hormone replacement therapies will be held “administratively accountable.” Hospitals that break the law could also lose their permits.

Baxter worries the law sets a precedent in deciding who is involved in people’s health decisions.

Other opponents to the law said it goes against accepted medical standards.

Johns Creek resident Ann Miller is the mother of a transgender man and the regional director for PFLAG, a national organization focused on education and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community. She said hormone therapy is “standard and accepted care” for transgender teenagers.

Major medical organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics state their standard of care is to provide “developmentally appropriate” gender-affirming care.

“We need to understand that care is very individualized and it’s not experimental,” Miller said. “We know exactly the best way to help these folks.”

The law allows exceptions for youth with “a medically verifiable disorder of sex development” or medically necessary reason for treatment not related to gender dysphoria.

Miller said the law creates a “collective worry” about how far things could go, and that it feels like the transgender community is being legislated against.

“I am greatly saddened that the general American public doesn’t really understand what these bills are saying and how they will hurt transgender youth and teens,” Miller said.

Criminal justice takes center stage at Fulton County town hall

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Two North Fulton County commissioners led a town hall meeting at the county tag office in Alpharetta March 30, addressing a slew of questions from a packed house.

District 1 Commissioner Bob Ellis and District 2 Commissioner Bridgett Thorne were joined at the information session by Sheriff Patrick Labat, Chief Appraiser Roderick Conley, Public Works Director David Clark and other county officials. Ellis began the forum by providing a brief history of county initiatives and investments that have been made in North Fulton, like the new tag office on Maxwell Road in Alpharetta, where the meeting was held.

“One of the things that’s unique about this building is it's the only facility in the state that has a joint tag office and driver’s license office, so, this particular facility gets a tremendous amount of traffic,” Ellis said. “And I'm super proud that it sits right here in North Fulton.”

Ellis said that similarly, over the past few years, Fulton County has spent the better part of $1 billion on water infrastructure projects in North Fulton.

“The county does a lot of things that the state or the cities don't want to do,” he said. “Some of the stuff is not particularly sexy. I mean, we're touching everything from grease traps, STD testing, to wastewater treatment.”

ALEX POPP/APPEN MEDIA

District 1 Fulton County Commissioner Bob Ellis speaks to a crowd of North Fulton County residents at a joint town hall meeting with District 2 Commissioner Bridgett Thorne held at the Fulton County Tag Office in Alpharetta March 30.

See FULTON, Page 28

Family rescues animals, provides therapy at Joyous Acres

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — Sitting on their backyard patio, a family described their surrounding small rescue farm — Joyous Acres, a place seniors frequent to visit with about a dozen of its animals.

Teresita Lim King, who gives warm, hardy hugs upon meeting for the first time, realized her lifelong dream in 2021 when she moved from Boston with her husband Andrew Nakrin and daughter Joy Lim Nakrin. When Joy was young, Andrew promised Teresita that they would have a farm when they retire.

“I didn’t realize when you retire, you’re decrepit,” Teresita said, wearing shorts, a T-shirt and rain jacket for the anticipated rain.

Teresita, 71, had knee surgery, and can’t stand for long periods of time. But she still manages to do much of the work, alongside her family. An early feminist, Teresita is blunt and independently minded.

Betty Lim King, 73, emphasized the condition of her sister’s hands, dirtied from a daily routine that begins at 3 a.m. with exercise. Andrew, who wasn’t feeling well on this particular day, joins Teresita in the barn to greet the horses in song a few hours later.

“My sister is very inspirational,” Betty said. “But she’s a pain in the [butt].”

Over time, the family accumulated 20-plus acres off Brittle Road in Milton to house animals left behind and rejected, using savings from Teresita’s career as a gynecologist and Andrew’s in anesthesiology.

They also rescued historic barns from development in the process, featured in Appen Media columnist Bob Meyers’ book, “Barns of Old Milton County.”

‘Seniors for Seniors’

A retired sociology professor, Betty spoke in broad, philosophical terms. Every so often, she dropped insight into what a fulfilled existence looks like, using Joyous Acres as a touchstone.

“We share a universe of meanings. So [Joyous Acres] will transcend all the human barriers of race, class, gender, politics, religion,” Betty said. “We share our humanity with one another through the power of animals — love, love...”

Wearing a sundress and sun hat, Betty described herself as a “pie in the sky.” She thinks of the ideas, while the rest of the family puts them in motion. It was her idea that the family share the farm with other seniors. The program started up in December.

But Betty said she’s realistic enough to know that humans have a “disorderly soul.”

“We want to get rid of whatever is inconvenient — disposable animals … the

American society has become too materialistic, even in the horse industry,” Betty said. “It’s all about making money.”

With heavy consideration, Betty left city life to follow Teresita last July. After 44 years of marriage, Betty’s husband died in 2018, and she fell into a deep depression, struggling to find purpose. First, she looked to her role in the Asian American Commission. But the farm became Betty’s resolve.

“It’s such a happy place. The animals make me happy. I used to be so scared of the horses. Now, I scold them,” Betty said, gesturing and making noises. “Then, along the way you meet people … gives you purpose, you know.”

Around twice a month, the “Senior for Seniors” program invites residents from the Village Park Alpharetta retirement community to spend time with the animals.

While most of the seniors have significant memory loss, the family described moments when they return and recognize the animals. If some of the seniors are angry upon arrival, the family said the anger dissipates.

Teresita and Betty also meet the seniors where they’re at. They plan to visit again soon with the dogs, and they bought a trailer to transport their horse, Prince.

“[The seniors] become our friends, and we think about them,” Teresita said.

Second chances

The animals at Joyous Acres are well cared for with healthy diets, natural medicine, the freedom to roam and massages.

“What’s good for us — it’s got to be good for them,” Teresita said.

Teresita puts hyaluronic acid in her drink every day — a supplement horses take for their joints. She also swears by milk thistle. The plant has helped Bella, the herd leader and the family’s first rescued horse, who has Cushing’s disease. It has also helped one 27-year-old dog.

Before Teresita migrated from the Philippines with Betty, she did rural medicine on horseback. That’s when she fell in love with horses. She later instilled that love into Joy, who grew up riding and returned to the sport when she moved to Milton.

There’s six horses — Bella, Prince, Geronimo, Onaqui, Johnny and Honor. There’s also a pig named Humphrey, who obliged Joy with tricks, a few small dogs and a couple of cats.

Most of the horses arrived at Joyous Acres with severe post-traumatic stress disorder. Onaqui, named after his suspected mountain home in Utah, had the worst case. He was born in the wild, rounded up then taken to an abusive home where his pasture mates starved to death.

But the family described a total transformation, from a horse with alarming behavioral quirks to one with a more even temperament. Onaqui, the “Lieutenant Stallion,” now acts as shepherd to the other horses. He also knows how to kiss — in the pasture, Teresita demonstrated with a piece of granola between her teeth.

Honor, Joy’s $2,500 rescue, began competing against imported warmbloods in under two years. He was adopted from Blue Bloods Thoroughbred Adoption and Placement, which pulls race industry rejects out of the slaughter pipeline. More than 7,500 former racing thoroughbreds are sent to slaughter from the United States each year, Joy said.

“One of the things I’ve been trying to do is kind of bridge the gap between the show world and the rescue world,” Joy said.

Last year, Honor won as the overall champion in the Green Hunter division at the Georgia Hunter Jumper Association Finals & Grand Finale.

Geronimo and Prince were hovering around the patio table, Prince sometimes warding off Geronimo — he’s known to be a bully. Prince is the first owner-surrendered horse, given away because he refused jumps and bucked a child off his back.

“They say he’s a very bad boy, but look, is that a bad boy?” Betty asked, pointing to Prince innocently sniffing around in the grass.

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Teresita Lim King kisses her rescue horse Onaqui, one of a host of animals she has on the Milton farm she operates with her family.

Joy Lim Nakrin performs tricks with pet pig Humphrey. Humphrey is one of about a dozen animals at Joyous Acres.

Roswell adds restrictions on open records requests

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — The Roswell City Council passed a resolution March 27 requiring people applying for public records to provide “verifiable” names and addresses along with their requests.

Those who wish to remain anonymous will have to go to Roswell City Hall to view requested records in person.

Officials say the move is to address a large volume of requests, some made by “fraudulent” people who do not pay for the records.

All but one councilmember, Sarah Beeson, voted in favor of the resolution. Beeson left the dais and took the podium to speak against the resolution saying the measure adds barriers to accessing public records.

Under the resolution, the city will not send requested records to “unverifiable” names and addresses. The definition of “verified” is not given, but Roswell City Attorney David Davidson said you should be able to “Google” a name and address or provide a form of identification at City Hall.

In an email to Davidson, Georgia Senior Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Colangelo stated that anyone who wishes to remain anonymous can view records and pay for them in person. She also offered a second option.

“If people want the records mailed or emailed anonymously, the agency will mail them after the requester sends a money order or something,” Colangelo wrote.

City Councilwoman Beeson asked if the money order option could be added to the resolution.

“That’s going to be a policy decision for the mayor and council to decide legally,” City Attorney Davidson said.

Councilman Mike Palermo said he was not comfortable “taking on the risk” of money orders at that time. He said he could support the measure in the future if the risk of impersonation was mitigated. The money order option was not added into the final resolution.

Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson said the decision to verify names has been spurred by people requesting records under other

residents’ names. He cited one example, in which Roswell resident and former mayoral candidate Jason Yowell’s name was used to file an open records request.

Beeson argued that Yowell was a “public figure” who had publicly engaged on the issue of anonymous access to public records, and the request was a “quibble” between Yowell and the anonymous resident.

Yowell took to the podium to confirm that his name was used to file an open records request. He said he favored the resolution.

“If we’re going to have information available freely and open to the public, we’re also entitled to know who is seeking to obtain that information,” Yowell said.

Another resident, Eric Schumacher, suggested that open records requests become anonymous after they move from the clerk’s office to the rest of city staff. Schumacher said that in past years, he had issues with people not granting him certain records requests, and a level of anonymity could “protect privacy” among

people filing requests.

The mayor said he “likes that idea” as a way of preventing bias from city staff. The suggestion was not added to the final resolution.

Beeson, a proponent of anonymity in public records requests, said anybody who wants to remain anonymous can use her name when filing open records requests.

While the open records resolution was formally approved at the March 27 City Council meeting, Appen Media found the policy was implemented in February.

Documents obtained by the news organization show that in response to an open records request regarding the city’s February retreat to Opelika, City Attorney Davidson told the applicant that the directive had been implemented on Feb. 28.

Davidson said the city administrator, who leads day-to-day operations, “instructed the city clerk and city attorney” to follow the same procedures presented in the open records resolution.

When asked about the change, City Administrator Randy Knighton said the question would need to be answered by the mayor, who is the city’s spokesperson. Appen Media is awaiting comment from the city.

In other matters at the March 27 meeting, the council moved forward on an agreement with Fulton County to have the county run municipal elections in 2023 at a cost no higher than $814,420. The agreement was brought to the floor for a first reading, which the council unanimously approved.

Councilwoman Lee Hills, an avid supporter of Roswell-run municipal elections, said the city is not ready to run elections this year. The mayor and council said they will pursue self-run elections for the 2025 election cycle.

The councilmembers agreed to propose an addition to the Fulton County agreement that would provide two advance voting locations in Roswell, rather than the single voting location that the county proposed.

Milton television personality schedules May 6 book signing

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The Secret Gardens of the Johns Creek Community tour will feature a book signing and presentation by Milton resident and TV host Joe Lamp'l at the Autrey

Mill Nature Preserve May 6.

Lamp'l, the host and executive producer of PBS’s “Growing a Greener World,” will offer a signing for his new book “The Vegetable Gardening Book” at 9:30 a.m., as well as a presentation on vegetable gardening in Georgia.

The tour hosted by Johns Creek

Beautification features six home gardens at the Autrey Mill Nature Preserve. Each garden includes a musical ensemble or solo performer and visual artists, and volunteers will be available to provide information about the gardens.

Proceeds from the tour support public art in the city, as well as a citywide

daffodil planting that will raise awareness of cancer survivors. Proceeds will also honor veterans by planting daffodils in Newtown Park.

The tour will run from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. May 6. Passes can be purchased for $35 at johnscreekbeautification.org/secretgarden-tour.html.

DELANEY TARR/APPEN MEDIA

Roswell City Councilwoman Sarah Beeson takes the floor March 27 to argue against a resolution that requires “verifiable” names and addresses with open records requests. The resolution passed 5-1, with Beeson in opposition.

Alpharetta unveils initial design for new Wacky World playground

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Children, parents and staff gathered at Alpharetta Elementary School March 28 for a glimpse of the initial playground design for one of Wills Park’s biggest attractions.

Wacky World’s original wood playground at Wills Park was built by more than 2,600 volunteers over six days in 1997. The 1-acre playground will be replaced in 2024 with a new structure designed by children and built by volunteers.

Project Manager Laura Sehn of Play by Design, the playground design firm handling the project, presented the new concept, which features a dragon tower, an obstacle course, a wheelchair accessible merry-go-round, a pirate ship, a zipline

and other amenities.

Sehn said the new playground will be roughly 18,000 square feet, and the different features were requested by students, who submitted their dream designs on drawing forms.

“They have fantastic ideas,” Sehn said. “They thought of things not only for themselves, but they thought of things for other kids who were younger, or who maybe have, like, a mobility problem so they can play on the playground with them.”

Sehn said the next stages of the project are securing volunteers and materials; returning to Alpharetta for a second visit and the building; and an opening day celebration.

Recreation Commissioner and Wacky

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Play by Design Project Manager Laura Sehn presents the initial design of the new Wacky World playground during a visit to Alpharetta Elementary School March 28. The 26-year-old playground at Wills Park will be rebuilt by volunteers using design elements submitted by Alpharetta students.

See WACKY, Page 25

Samad Grill elevates food with love and a little garlic

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Jamal Samad prides himself on the simplicity of the food at his restaurant, Samad Mediterranean Grill and Market. But simple isn’t easy, he said, like most people think.

“The harder thing is to keep things simple and tasty, and make it healthy,” said Jamal, with a thick Lebanese accent.

Jamal said the kitchen staff, including himself, doesn’t compromise or cut corners. Everything at Samad Grill is made with fresh ingredients. And, everything – except the gyro meat, which is Halal, and pita bread – is made from scratch.

His wife of 28 years, Lesley Samad, sitting beside him in a small, cozy booth by the door, interjected to say the food is still rather complex and layered.

“I will tell you, I’ve never met a stranger,” Lesley said at one point, laughing. “He’s much more quiet than I am.”

See SAMAD, Page 11

Samad Mediterranean Grill and Market

Address: 8897 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs

Phone: 770-807-3700

Website: samadgrill.com/

Hours: Monday-Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

There’s a lot of love in the food. Love is an important ingredient.

JAMAL SAMAD, Co-owner of Samad Mediterranean Grill and Market

Lesley Samad provides a plate filled with a variety of salads, falafel, lentil soup and fried cauliflower. Lebanese food is known for its use of fresh herbs and garlic, she said.

PHOTOS BY AMBER PERRY/AMBER PERRY

Jamal and Lesley Samad, owners of Samad Mediterranean Grill and Market, sit at a booth inside their restaurant March 29. Opened in 2012, Samad Grill is located in a shopping center on Roswell Road.

Samad:

Continued from Page 10

Lesley offered an American perspective on the Lebanon way of Mediterranean cuisine. She said it tends to be more “elevated,” and it has more attitude, anchored in pride. She also said Lebanese food is more herb- and garlic-heavy.

“There’s a lot of love in the food,” Jamal added. “Love is an important ingredient.”

The touch

Jamal opened the restaurant in 2012. After receiving his master’s degree in France, he came to the states to get his Ph.D. in physics in 1992, but marriage and family happened.

“I use a formula here and there,” he said jokingly.

He spent years working in kitchens before turning to the hard sciences. But he also grew up with his mother’s and grandmother’s cooking in Lebanon. While he has tried to duplicate it, he said it’s not possible.

Lesley said the same goes for Jamal’s cooking.

“I will make things, and it will still taste really, really good — still not his,” she said. “It’s a touch.”

People ask Jamal all the time for his recipes and the ingredients he uses. He

freely gives them away, knowing the real secret is balance.

Those queries are partly the reason for the market. In the back corner of the restaurant, Jamal sells items he uses in his own cooking. There’s a couple of aisles stocked with mostly exported goods with labels in other languages — herbs and spices, jams, desserts, coffee, other items.

Many countries are represented in the market, Lesley said. In addition to foods from Lebanon, the shelves boast products from Croatia, Turkey, Greece and Egypt.

“A lot of people comment — they’ll say, ‘I haven’t seen this since I was a little kid,’” she said.

An ethos

Food is the star of the show at Samad Grill. Jamal once spent thousands on renovations, but the space remains unpretentious like the Styrofoam foodware.

Diner-style tables are spread throughout on unpolished floors, eaten away with time. Ketchup bottles along with salt and pepper shakers are at the ends.

Regular customers have advised Jamal not to change anything, lending to a down-to-earth personality and a certain ambience that restaurant hidden gems tend to have.

“When it’s busy, it has a life of its own,” Lesley said. “The energy is great in here. Some of our customers have become friends with each other.”

Underneath chalk board menus, several potted pothos plants sit on the ordering counter, their tendrils hanging off the side. Lesley said Lebanon is rich with gorgeous fruit trees, making the greenery an appropriate touch.

Other decorations are minimal, save around 10 quirky clocks on the back wall with the customer-created chalk designs on the bottom half. The black paint was a contentious design element, Lesley said, but it grew on her husband.

“It’s the small victories in marriage,” she said, on her way to wipe down tables.

Lesley handles the front of the house, and Jamal stays in the kitchen with other staff. Their daughters help at the business, too. Once the doors opened and customers began trickling in March 29, their daughter Maya arrived.

Community-based eats

Spread out on several Styrofoam plates, Lesley provided a bit of everything. On one, there was an array of salads — chickpea, spinach, cabbage, beet and pasta salads with various bases seasoned with fresh herbs and garlic. There was also a thick lentil soup.

The falafel, each ball with a crisp coating and soft center, came with pita bread and an assortment of dips, including tahini and garlic sauce. While Jamal said the whole menu is his favorite, he highlighted the falafel as a top tier pick

along with the kafta kabob.

Lesley brought over one of her favorites, too — the flash-fried cauliflower, seasoned with salt and coated in tahini dressing.

“People will say, ‘We got off the plane and came straight here,’” Lesley said. “And that is a huge compliment because there are only two places in the world I do that to.”

The Samads know most customers by name and still see some that have been coming since day 1. While the customer base in the first few years was primarily repeat patrons, the dynamic shifted with strong community support and word of mouth.

The restaurant also saw more light during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many restaurants, the pandemic impacted Samad Grill. Most of the money rolling in came in the form of take-out orders. But the space changed in a more exceptional way — it became a pop-up food pantry for Sandy Springs schools.

In March 2020, Lesley received a message from a PTO president who said all the subsidized school breakfasts and lunches would be closed, even for those facing food insecurity. Samad Grill saw up to 400 families a day over the course of 18 months, a line wrapping around the corner of the building.

“This area is the haves and the havenots,” Lesley said.

Veterans:

Continued from Page 1

Atlanta Vietnam Veterans Business Association, said veterans came far and wide to attend the Johns Creek ceremony.

“We’re very enthusiastic about this place and to hold a ceremony like this (here) because it’s such a special place,” Bell said.

The ceremony opened with remarks from Bell, a presentation of the colors by the Johns Creek Veterans Association Color Guard and the National Anthem.

Vietnam Army veteran Capt. Thomas Yearian then read excerpts of former President Barack Obama’s 2012 speech on the Vietnam War, which reflected on the negative treatment Vietnam veterans received from the public after the war.

Army veteran Roger Wise, Jr. said Vietnam veterans were discouraged from even displaying their military service.

“Many came back from Vietnam and were told to not wear their uniforms at the airport,” Wise said. “If you do wear your uniform in the airport, you’re going to be harassed.”

Vietnam Army veteran Col. Doug Middleton reminisced on his time in Vietnam. He talked about his time in battle as well as the mundane moments of military service.

“This is my Vietnam story, and I expect in many ways it was similar to most of our Vietnam veterans,” Middleton said. “Days and hours of sheer boredom interspersed with moments of sheer terror.”

After remarks, the Atlanta Vietnam Veterans Business Association laid a wreath at the wall. Attendees then placed poppies on the wall, a symbol of respect and remembrance for those who died in the war.

Meanwhile, in Roswell, the city held a brief morning ceremony to honor Vietnam veterans at the Faces of War Memorial on Roswell City Hall Grounds.

The Roswell ceremony opened with a brass performance of the National Anthem by the Roswell High School Jazz Ensemble and the Pledge of Allegiance led by local Boy Scout Oakley Barker.

Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson delivered brief remarks to honor Vietnam veterans.

“Service for our country means they deserve nothing but the best support possible, from access to medical care and disability benefits to opportunities for education and employment,” Wilson said.

The mayor said it was a “small amend” to show gratitude for Viet -

nam veterans, because they were not thanked and celebrated when they came home from their service.

Mayor Wilson and the Roswell City Council then laid a wreath at the memorial and had a moment of silence.

The ceremony ended with a performance of “Taps” from Roswell High School student Harris Newbold.

PHOTOS BY DELANEY TARR/APPEN MEDIA

Representatives of the Atlanta Vietnam Veterans Business Association lay a wreath in honor of Vietnam veterans at a March 30 ceremony in Newtown Park in Johns Creek.

Veterans from cities across Georgia gather for the Johns Creek National Vietnam War Veterans Day ceremony at “The Wall that Heals” on March 30 at Newtown Park in Johns Creek.

The Medicaid estate claim – how Medicaid can take YOUR house

Brought to you by - Michelle Wilson, Attorney, Wilson Legal

Did you know that Medicaid can take your house? Section 2398 of the Georgia Medicaid Manual states that Medicaid can demand reimbursement for benefits received from any estate worth $25,000 or more and any estate that contains a home. The average amount of time someone needs skilled nursing level care – the highest level of care and the level that requires the most caregiver hours is three (3) years. The average cost for that care monthly is $11,000 to $15,000 per month. Medicaid pays a lower rate of $9,036 per month. If you have Medicaid benefits and spend your last three years in a nursing home, then Medicaid can demand that

your estate pay them $325,296 (36 months times 9,036 dollars per month) after you die. That could be all the equity you had in your home.

WILSON

That means your kids would get nothing from you if your primary or only asset was your home. Yikes! If you have a will, you still have to go through probate and would be subject to this estate recovery policy. If you have a life estate deed, your home may still be subject to estate recovery.

We can help you protect your home from Medicaid Estate Recovery. If you or your parents are at least 60 years old or even into their 70s and 80s, it’s time to ask about your options. Call us at 770-205-7861 to ask about setting up a strategy session to save your home today.

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Five tips for managing house hunting stress

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Often compared to dating, shopping for the right house involves investing time and energy with no guarantee of return, putting yourself out there to “try on” options that don’t fit, getting stood up a time or two and showing up to do it all over again until you meet “the one.” Also, it’s often paired with other stressful events—getting a mortgage, relocating or starting a new job.

No surprise, then, that it ranks so high on the life stress inventory; however, there are ways to soften the impact. Here are a few strategies that take the pressure from intense down to manageable:

1. Acknowledge the overwhelm. You aren’t crazy. You’re buying a house. This comes with a lot of decisions, details and perhaps a few

tough conversations. It’s going to involve some waiting. You’re going to feel heightened emotions and secondguess yourself. All of the above is extremely normal.

2. Work with the right agent. Do yourself a favor and make the complexities of lending, negotiating and buying as easy as possible by working with experienced, qualified professionals who are worthy of your trust. A good agent will anticipate your needs, listen to your concerns, offer vetted resources and make the process seamless.

3. Only view a few houses at a time.

An easy way to get overwhelmed?

Pack a lot of showings into a small time frame, and not allow yourself time to process your impressions and responses. It’s easy for all those options to blend together. Whenever possible, take your time.

4. Face facts from the beginning. Being upfront and disclosing everything at the outset might mean you have a few tough conversations ahead of you regarding financing or timing, but those conversations are always preferable to realizing too late that a negotiation fell through because you didn’t have them.

5. Act without regret.

When it’s time to make an offer, don’t act from fear or take the easy way out. Make an offer you won’t regret later.

Stress always accompanies change and transition, but it doesn’t need to be the only thing you remember about the experience. The best way to handle the overwhelm is to ask for help. If you need assistance staging your home or have any other real estate needs, please contact Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty at 770.442.7300. We would be happy to assist you! Compiled

Bill Rawlings and Sherri Conrad

How to protect your property

Brought to you by - Geerdes & Associates

The first thing you should do after buying a property is to protect it. This sounds like common sense, but we are not talking about insurance - we’re talking about protecting your house after your death. People don’t usually think about what happens after they pass away, which is unfortunate, because oftentimes their property ends up in court and at the mercy of creditors. Especially in Georgia, where properties aren’t protected by an automatic right of survivorship, many end up losing their homes after the homeowner passes away or are forced to pay exorbitant court fees to keep it.

GEERDES

trust. Unlike a Will, assets in a trust never have to go through probate. There are two types of trust: Revocable and Irrevocable. A Revocable Trust, if set up correctly, can ensure that your property passes to your beneficiary right after your death. An Irrevocable Trust provides more protection as assets. However, there are different types of Irrevocable Trust depending on the level of asset protection and estate tax planning. An advanced estate planning attorney is important to set up any trusts, especially the more advanced Irrevocable Trusts.

How can you make sure your hard work doesn’t go to waste? The best way to protect your property is to place it in a

It’s best to consult an estate planning attorney to see your options for protecting your home and life savings. Time is of the essence, and don’t wait to protect what’s important to you, for those important to you before it is too late. Contact us today at 770.209.2346.

Move-in ready Charleston inspired homes available now at Hillandale in Historic Downtown Roswell

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

For a limited time, Patrick Malloy Communities is offering a 4.99% 30-Year Fixed interest rate on available homes at Hillandale, a charming Charleston inspired neighborhood located just minutes from the heart of Historic Roswell. Hillandale offers elegant interior finishes and unique designs and features sophisticated four-and five-bedroom thoughtfully curated homes with an abundance of entertaining spaces both indoors and out. Luxury features can include a unique moving wall of glass doors that lead to outdoor living areas, primary suites, 10 ft ceilings and hardwoods on the main level, as well as high-end stainless-steel appliances.

In addition to amazing interior details, the impressive homes at Hillandale include a variety of features including an irrigation system, tankless water heater, free-standing tub, gas lanterns per plan on front patios, pebbled driveways, and community sidewalks. Front and year lawn maintenance are also included in the HOA.

There are several move-in ready homes available including the popular Windham situated on lot 9 which offers a lavish owners retreat on main level. The grand 2-story entry foyer gives glimpse to the wonderful flow and functionality of this home. The dining area with butler’s pantry has room for seating 10+ guests. The chef’s kitchen with oversized island and breakfast bar opens to the fireside family room with beamed ceilings. This four-bedroom and four and one-half bathroom home is offered at $1,049,395.

On Lot 10, the Galway plan does not disappoint with its spacious open concept living and guest suite on the main level. The impressive kitchen boasts upgraded finishes, center island, stainless steel appliances and double ovens. The covered patio off the kitchen is ideal for large scale entertaining. Upstairs find an impeccable owner's suite with sitting room, a loft, and generous secondary bedrooms for a total of four-bedrooms and three-and-one half baths. Offered for $1,126,060. Looking for a basement? There is also a Galway situated on Lot 23 with a full unfinished basement for $1,209,965.

The Tierney situated on homesite 11 is a striking two-story home featuring four bedrooms, three and one-half baths and is perfect for entertaining with open living spaces and a chef’s kitchen with the latest in design. There are three large secondary bedrooms and a large loft. Priced at $1,128,955, this discerning home includes hardwoods on the main level and an extensive list of designer upgrades.

Homeowners at Hillandale enjoy a convenient and central location with easy access to local dining and shopping in historic downtown Roswell. The Chattahoochee River and pristine parks envelop the area creating a

wide array of recreational activities. The Chattahoochee River Nature Preserve is just a short drive away with kayaking, biking, and walking trials, and a summer music series. Districted in Roswell's highly acclaimed school system, Hillandale is a neighborhood suited for any lifestyle.

Patrick Malloy communities, founded in 1994 by Patrick Malloy, builds new homes in Metro Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. To date, the company has developed over 11,000 homesites and built 7,000 homes with a total of more than $4 billion in sales. Accolades include multiple mentions in the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s top 20 Homebuilders and

PROVIDED

numerous professionalism awards, including community of the year awards. Patrick Malloy communities also received a 2022 Guildmaster Award from GuildQuality for demonstrating exceptional customer service within the residential construction industry.

For more details on Hillandale, visit PMCommunities.com, call 770/254-5372 or visit the sales center at 3025 Barnes Mill Ct. Roswell, 30075. Patrick Malloy Communities is represented by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties’ New Homes Division. BHHSgaNewHomes. com. An Equal Housing Opportunity.

Newly opened Roswell museum tells history of city, residents

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — On the second floor of the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, centuries of the city’s history from Native American artifacts to the stories of mill workers are on display.

The Roswell History Museum, operated by the Roswell Historical Society, opened in January and allows visitors Wednesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. with free admission.

Archivist and head curator Elaine DeNiro said the destination looks at history from all aspects of the city.

“Our purpose was to make sure we were inclusive of all groups that would be involved in the history of Roswell,” DeNiro said.

The museum was a long-term goal for the Roswell Historical Society. DeNiro said when the Cultural Arts Center was designed, there was an idea for a heritage center with a museum inside. That plan didn’t come to fruition, though.

Until 2021 the second floor of the Cultural Arts Center was a shared office space between the Georgia Ensemble Theater and the Roswell Historical Society. When Georgia Ensemble Theater moved out, the Historical Society jumped at the opportunity to expand.

“We went to the city, and we petitioned to have the whole space to create a museum,” DeNiro said.

“We were granted that, and the city renovated the space.”

The city spent $150,000 to paint, add new floors, new ceiling tiles and lighting.

The Historical Society raised $120,000 through fundraisers and a capital campaign to hire design group Building Four Fabrication to design the museum.

The museum has a permanent installation that lines the perimeter of the space and a temporary exhibit in the center, which will change about twice a year.

DeNiro said the museum has plenty of artifacts to fill the space. Three rooms on the floor are packed with textiles,

furniture, metal goods and paper pieces.

“We had the artifacts locked and loaded, which was one of the reasons we were trying to petition the city,” DeNiro said.

The Historical Society did have a few history gaps — DeNiro said she had to put out a call on Facebook for Indigenous artifacts, which she took to the University of Georgia Archeology Department to identify. The effort was part of the museum’s focus on inclusivity.

“Our history is complex, and we want to make sure we get the whole story out,” DeNiro said.

She made sure the museum included the stories of Native American women, Black women, wives, mothers and working-class women across Roswell’s history.

“They’ve been present from the very beginning, whether they were workers or maybe the wives of farmers,” DeNiro said. “They were maybe in the background, but they were strong.”

The curator said the Historical Society looked outside of its volunteers to ensure they told Roswell’s “complex” history well.

“The thing we’re very proud about is that a professor for Morehouse College vetted the exhibit text,” DeNiro said.

The Africana studies professor and public historian Dr. Clarissa Myrick-

Northern Ridge District announces March Eagle Scouts

NORTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — The Northern Ridge Boy Scout District (Cities of Roswell, Alpharetta, John’s Creek, Milton) is proud to announce its newest Eagle Scouts, who completed their Eagle Board of Review on March 23, at Johns Creek Presbyterian Church.

Pictured, from left:

Nolan Sims , of Troop 1459, sponsored by St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, whose project was removing a set of lockers that are currently in the boys locker room at Milton High School and building an 18-foot-long shelving system with 6 feet of shelves separated by 6 feet of a double hanging racks for uniforms, and then another 6 feet of shelves to line the wall.

Timothy Schindler , of Troop 3000, sponsored by Birmingham United Methodist Church whose project was design and construction of a Gaga Pit for Crabapple Crossing Elementary School.

Joshua Justifus , of Troop 2000, sponsored by Johns Creek Presbyte -

rian Church whose project was the design and Construction of three wooden picnic tables for the parking lot of Johns Creek High School.

Nathaniel Sonmez , of Troop 429, sponsored by Alpharetta Presbyterian Church, whose project was the design and creation of Hammock areas, with mulching, for the Brookwood Elementary School’s Victory Garden.

Jack McCammon , of Troop 3000, sponsored by Birmingham United Methodist Church whose project was design and construction of a community garden for the East DeKalb Boys and Girls Club and the Redan Recreation Center. This project included the design and construction of six raised garden beds and a storage shed.

Siddhartha Sai Yalavarthi , of Troop 27, sponsored by the Johns Creek Christian Church, whose project was the design and construction of a retention wall behind the outdoor pavilion at Johns Creek Christian Church.

DELANEY TARR/APPEN MEDIA

The Roswell History Museum at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center takes an “inclusive” approach to the city’s history and, is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

See MUSEUM, Page 27

Craft:

Continued from Page 1

During his time heading Fulton County athletics, there have been new schools founded, championships won and hiring changes — and Craft has been on hand for it all.

“I think Fulton County has become the standard,” Craft said. “When you look at what we’ve done top to bottom, north to south, there isn’t a sport that we’ve not been at the top of the mountain. It shows that we have a true commitment to being great — academically and athletically.”

In a last tune-up before the 2013 season, the Creekside High School football team played at Banneker for a preseason scrimmage two weeks before the Seminoles’ season opener. It was August 16.

During the scrimmage between the two South Fulton schools, star cornerback De’Antre Turman, a 16-year-old junior for Creekside made a play on the ball, forced a fumble and fell to the ground. Paramedics were called and he was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead following a fractured third vertebrae, the Fulton County Coroner’s Office later confirmed.

Tragedy and heartbreak to the highest degree. A child’s life was suddenly taken away while doing what he loved. The impact of Turman’s loss swept throughout the Fulton County community.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of this student,” then Fulton County Schools spokeswoman Samantha Evans said to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “This is a truly horrific way to begin a school year.”

Two weeks after that scrimmage, Creekside played its season opener against Langston Hughes with the memory of Turman still heavy on their minds. Craft was on the sideline as the 2013 high school football season began.

“That could have torn apart that

City:

Continued from Page 3

scrambling to find space.

“We've heard it for many, many years — people having to jump fences to play football at the high school after hours,” DiBiase said.

He also said the city should look into striping the fields. Citing an aerial view on Google Maps, DiBiase said there’s currently no indication that the city supports football.

When Mayor Bradberry asked what

community, but it banded them together,” Craft said. “On the opening kickoff, one of Creekside’s players took it all the way to the 1-yard line, and they punched it in on the next play. It was the perfect tribute to Deuce, and I think it was just incredible to see that team come together and win a state championship.”

The Seminoles posted a 15-0 season, ending with the program’s first state championship — capped with a dominant 52-28 outing against Tucker.

That was the first football state championship Craft saw during his time in Fulton.

Most recently, Langston Hughes went 15-0 and finished the 2022 season as 6A state champions and the No. 15 high school football team in the country, per MaxPreps.

Asked about moments he’s most proud of and Craft was able to list off a champion-by-champion — the 202122 Tri-Cities’ boys basketball team taking over Macon Coliseum, Westlake girls basketball winning four-straight state championships before winning a national title, Milton girls lacrosse’s 18-year-long dynasty.

And as he was gleaming with pride seeing another program reach the pinnacle of high school football as the Langston Hughes Panthers won state, he was also proud of the support within the county.

“There’s seven other head coaches from around our county cheering on Langston Hughes,” Craft said. “If it wasn’t them, they wanted it to be someone from the county.”

Craft said its part of the culture now, unique to Fulton County.

“I think that’s what separates us from anywhere else is we have some great rivalries, but we’re going to support each other,” he said. “Our kids support each other, our coaches, ADs. It’s the secret sauce, whatever you want to call it.”

Support and working to help peers is something that became a staple in Craft’s repertoire. Jasper Jewell witnessed it first-hand.

Jewell, Director of Athletics for At -

day 1 at Cauley Creek would look like for football, Johns Creek City Manager Ed Densmore cited a previous conversation that entailed forming an association for Cauley Creek and what field uses would be assigned.

Johns Creek maintains the city’s fields but uses park associations, like Ocee and Newtown, to manage its sports programs. To get a program up and running would take around six months, Johns Creek City Engineer Erica Madsen said.

Because the goals and field striping for Cauley Creek Park would be a “minimal” expense, Councilman Chris

lanta Public Schools, has been friends with Craft since he took the job in Fulton County.

“A lot of our schools mirror each other in socioeconomic status, diversity and background, so it makes it an easy sell for us to mesh and work together,” Jewell said. “At the end of the day, we just want to be the best athletic directors we can for our student athletes.”

While they’ve known each other for a decade, their relationship — personally and professionally — got a boost in March 2019.

The two were at the annual Georgia Athletic Directors Association conference, sitting in seminars and going through training sessions to improve as athletic directors. One night, Jewell, Craft and several other ADs from around Metro Atlanta got together and formed the “Metro Mafia.” The group included ADs from Fulton County, City of Atlanta, Clayton County, Forsyth County, Paulding County and Gwinnett County.

“We all just formalized this group because we bounce so many ideas off of one another, whether it’s school closings, weather, issues, how we handle different issues in our district to see if it can be implemented in a neighboring district,” Jewell said. “We’re all so close to one another so we tend to lean on one another a lot. We talk a lot and develop things that we can take back to our superintendents that can make our districts better for the betterment of our kids and the betterment of teachers and coaches.”

One of the other group developments Craft was crucial in founding was the Aspiring AD Cohort in Fulton County.

With open athletic director positions at several high schools, Craft sifted through resumes and realized how many qualified candidates came from within the district. So, Craft and other ADs and administrators founded the cohort to help train coaches, teachers and prospective athletic directors in Fulton County.

“It used to be: sit behind a desk and figure it out,” he said. “Now we have a training program that can be replicated

Coughlin said it should not be a council decision.

But park associations own their own sports equipment, Johns Creek Public Works Director Chris Haggard said. He proposed the city could buy the sports equipment, and an association repay the city through their $25,000 standard contribution.

“I just want, between RPAC and staff, to come up with a plan that is most flexible to encourage all participation,” Bradberry said.

In other action at the work session, Johns Creek City Clerk Allison Tarpley recommended that each councilmem -

and shared with other districts,” Craft said.

The initiative has essentially created a labor pool to fill positions with a sense of continuity and consistency, he said. Today, six of the 16 ADs have come from the cohort.

“I think Fulton County has become a state perennial power when you look at school systems in athletics,” said former Johns Creek AD Jason Holcombe, who is set to become the Gwinnett County Public Schools Athletic Director in April. “That all starts with what Steven started 11 years ago. He made me a better athletic director, a better coach and a better mentor.”

It was late on a Wednesday night, maybe early Thursday morning, in late May 2017, but Craft picked up the phone.

Holcombe was down in Lee County where his Johns Creek baseball team had just suffered a heartbreaking 5-3 loss in Game 2 of the GHSA state semifinal series, ending their season. The loss was extra painful because they thought they had won the game. The Gladiators won on a walk-off run, but after further review the umpire reversed the call, the game went to extra innings, and the Trojans won.

“(I) called Dr. Craft and told him that it wasn’t right, and we needed to do something,” Holcombe said. “We explained everything, he saw everything, and he was right there. We took it to GHSA, they agreed with us and the original decision was upheld so we got the opportunity to play a Game 3.”

The Game 3 was played the following week, and Johns Creek lost, but Holcombe said that the players were grateful for Craft’s involvement, allowing them a fair opportunity to extend their season.

Doing what’s right for students has always been at the center of Craft’s mission and his work. No one expects that to change.

“To say that Fulton County is losing a giant is an understatement,” Jewell said. “He’s a man of high character, a great leader and I can’t say enough about him.”

ber select two to three residents to act as watchdogs in this year’s municipal elections run by Fulton County. Feedback from those residents would then be used to inform a communitywide survey, she said. In a second phase, Tarpley recommended moving to the election task force that will study plans for the city to run its own municipal elections in 2025.

The City Council asked that a council-led elections task force be seated sooner rather than later and recommended that a consultant be hired as a first step in the process to help the group navigate elections.

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A Centenarian’s story of World War II (Part 1)

Americans owe a great debt to WW ll veterans, especially those very few who reach a major milestone, celebration of their 100th birthday. While the debt can never be repaid, we can recognize those who came home and those who did not by telling their stories to current and future generations. This is the story of one centenarian, Henry Cockerill of Sandy Springs. who will celebrate his 100th birthday in May. His life reads like a book with many chapters, each one worth telling.

Henry (Hank) Cockerill (1923) was born and raised in Detroit. His father worked in a machine shop and then became a superintendent at Kermath Marine Industries, maker of marine engines from the 1910s until the 1950s including engines for Liberty Ships built to carry men and supplies to Europe during WW ll. Hank also worked in the Detroit commercial district at one of the two gas stations his father owned.

In March 1943, Hank joined the Army with a friend. They stayed together until the June 6, 1944, D-Day invasion. Hank was inducted into the Army at Fort Custer, Michigan, a facility that dates back to WW l and where 300,000 troops were trained during WW ll. The fort is still used as a training facility by the Michigan National Guard. Hank did his basic training at Camp White, Oregon, a large WW ll training camp that was deactivated in 1946.

Hank was trained in bridge building as well as installation of anti-tank mines and their removal using bayonets as prods. In combat, mines were also dismantled using tanks fitted with flails, rapidly rotating rollers mounted in front of a tank with heavy chains attached. The chains would whip around and strike the ground with such force that the mines would detonate without damage to the tanks.

His first assignment was Normandy, France. On June 11, five days after the D-Day invasion by Allied Forces, Hank landed on Utah Beach, one of five beaches invaded on D-Day. Hank’s group of engineers had to construct floating docks to get the heavy equipment to shore. Tanks, tank destroyers, other artillery and a company of machine gun specialists were all pushed to shore on these floating docks by use of a boat with an outboard motor.

Although D-Day (code named Operation Overlord) had successfully established a beachhead at tremendous cost

in lives, the Germans still occupied most of Normandy and Western Europe, and American troops continued to suffer significant loses. Allied Forces knew they had to capture major ports and towns to force the Nazi troops to retreat.

Hank spent a few days on Utah Beach and then convoyed for about three days to the port of Cherbourg. The objective was to surround the port so the German soldiers there could not leave. Hanks group, the 990th Combat Engineers Battalion, then moved on

toward the town of Saint-Lô.

The fighting was intense in the hedgerows around Saint-Lô in July, 1944. The town was a major transportation hub used by the Germans to carry men and equipment to the French coast. Hedgerows in Normandy date back to Roman times and were used by farmers to surround fields. Each hedge consists of an earth wall up to six feet wide at its base with shrubs and trees on the wall up to 15 feet high and nearly impenetrable by tanks or soldiers. The Germans had dug fortifications within the hedgerows, making forward progress very slow and dangerous for American troops.

Following the capture of Saint-Lô in July 1944, Hank’s group went by convoy to the large German submarine base in the town of Lorient on the west coast, formerly the site of a French naval base. Prior to converting the French base to a submarine facility, German U-boats had to travel from ports in Germany. Hank’s group attempted to get the Germans to surrender, but they would not, and the fighting continued. Later, after U.S. forces heavily shelled all above-ground structures, the Germans surrendered when they ran out of provisions. After the war, the base reverted to the French Navy until it was converted to civilian use in 1995.

Hank’s group then left Lorient and joined up with the 7th Armored Division in Malmedy, Belgium, for what became known as the Battle of the Bulge.

Battle of the Bulge

One of the most important battles in the war was the Battle of the Bulge in December and January 1944-45 in the Ardennes Forest in Belgium. It represented the last major offensive campaign by Germany in Europe and opened the way for American troops to enter Germany. The U.S. Army Center of Military History quotes Winston Churchill as stating, “This is undoubtedly the greatest American battle of the war and will, I believe, be regarded as an ever-famous American victory.”

In a future column we will continue the wartime story of Henry Cockerill with details of the Battle of the Bulge as seen through Henry’s eyes, the famous Battle of the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen, Germany, and his highly successful post-war business career.

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.

BOB MEYERS Columnist

FAMILY/PROVIDED PHOTOS

Henry (Hank) Cockerill joined the Army in March 1943 at age 19. This photo was taken later that same year.

Hank Cockerill and his wife Jean Malmborg ride a carriage on their honeymoon in St Moritz in 1953.

Veterans Hospital was on Peachtree Road in Brookhaven

placed in charge of the hospital.

VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF

Before the current Atlanta Veterans Administration Hospital was built in 1966 on Clairmont Road, Atlanta’s veteran hospital stood at the corner of Peachtree Road and Osborne Road in Brookhaven. This is now the location of DeKalb Services Center and Brookhaven Park.

Known as Veterans Hospital #48, the hospital was established in 1919 to take care of veterans of World War I and the Spanish American War. The buildings of Cheston King Sanitarium were purchased for $90,000. An additional $100,000 was spent to remodel the hospital and increase the bed capacity to 85. Nurses’ quarters were built on hospital property. (Atlanta Constitution, Dec. 24, 1919, “King Sanitarium, beyond Buckhead, purchased by U.S.”)

Charles Lindbergh stopped by on October 11, 1927, “Lindbergh Day” in Atlanta. He was escorted by the American Legion, Legion Auxiliary and commander of the Georgia Department of the Legion, Asa Warren Candler. Lindbergh took a tour and visited patients, along with Candler and Col. George L. Johnson, commander of the hospital. (Atlanta Constitution, Oct. 11, 1927, “Official Lindbergh program for today”)

The hospital closed from July 1929

THE INK PENN

until July 1930 to construct a new facility. A recreation building, nurses’ quarters, officer’s quarters, and administration building were also built. The campus was dedicated as a Veterans Administration Hospital in September of 1930 with John M. Slaton, Jr. as the first manager.

As World War II came to an end, the conditions of the hospital came into question, along with other veterans facilities across the nation. Albert Maisel, investigator and author, received a letter from a patient claiming neglect. The hospital quickly denied the charges. (Atlanta Constitution, April 1, 1945, “What are

PROVIDED

the true conditions of Atlanta’s Veterans Hospital?”)

Maisel pointed out that although the hospital reported an increase of beds from 317 to 415, these were emergency beds added to existing rooms. There was no expansion during this time. The Veterans Hospital had a lengthy waiting list.

He adds that while Grady, St. Josephs and Emory University Hospital had residents and interns, Atlanta’s Veterans Hospital had none. The number of nurses, doctors and ward attendants did not compare with these hospitals when the patient load was considered. Maisel also speculated on why a doctor was not

By 1953, Dr. W.H. Thiele was manager and recognized 200 volunteers with certificates for their service during the previous year. Volunteers were recognized for between 100 and 1,000 hours. Operating at capacity with more patient applications than they could accommodate was still an issue for the hospital. (Atlanta Constitution, April 29, 1953, “Volunteer Workers Receive VA Hospital Service Awards”)

From 1947 until 1951 the hospital changed its purpose two times, once to a tuberculosis hospital and the second time returning to a general medical and surgical hospital. In 1955, the hospital’s history was written by Dr. Thiele to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The Silver anniversary recognized 25 years since the 1930 hospital was built. (DeKalb History Center Archives)

Veteran’s Hospital #48 was demolished in 1969, according to Franklin Garrett’s “Atlanta and Environs Volume II.” Between 1966 and 1969 the hospital sat empty. A Dunwoody Crier reader remembers the building was opened as a haunted house during this time. If you remember this bit of history, please share those memories with me.

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

Hitting the book jackpot at the local library

Receiving emails that say, “Materials you have on hold are now available at your pick-up library” brings a huge smile to my face. The message informs me I have seven days to pick up my book(s), and if I already have a few on my nightstand, I often delay pick up until the last possible moment.

The other time I delay is when I see the little truck icon on my “Hold” list on the library website. That means my selection is in transit, and I can anticipate it arriving in a few days. It’s a rare occasion when I have plenty of books on my nightstand, several waiting for me at the library, and suddenly, several more in

transit.

Imagine me humming Carly Simon’s “Anticipation” as I finally made my trip to the library to pick up—wait for it—five books! I told the librarian I felt as though I’d hit the jackpot, and she wished me happy reading. I often pick up several at a time, but I think five may be a record.

Three were part of some of the series that I return to time and time again—the latest and, hopefully, not last book in the Clare Ferguson / Russ Van Alstyne series, another from The Chronicles of St. Mary’s, and one Ruth Galloway mystery. I suspect I’ve written about all of these before, but chances are you’ll get an update soon.

Which book did I immediately dive into? It was “Killers of a Certain Age” because it was a two-week checkout. The others were good for a month. Who knows where I read about this book?

Maybe I stumbled across it on Amazon where it’s labeled an Editor’s Pick and one of the Best Books of 2022. Maybe there was a review in the AJC or the WSJ. Buzzfeed’s one-liner says it all: “This Golden Girls meets James Bond thriller is a journey you want to be part of.” As I write this, I’m halfway through after one night and loving it.

The final book in the stack was recommended to me by one of my newsletter subscribers when I asked what everyone’s favorite Christmas read was. She wrote me that she rereads Rosamunde Pilcher’s “A Winter Solstice” every December. That seemed to be quite a testament to the book, so I added it to my library hold list. I read Pilcher’s “The Shell Seekers” years ago and I recall enjoying it, but somehow never picked up any of her other books. The blurb inside the cover has me eagerly anticipating this one. “Once again, Rosa-

mund Pilcher reminds us all that friendship, compassion, loyalty, and love can come together and renew us all—even when the days seem darkest.”

If you’re an avid reader like I am, you won’t have any difficulty with the idea of me finishing five books in a month. If you’re not, you may think I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. Either way, I’ll be smiling as I work my way through the stack night after night. Oh! Did I mention I have many more books on hold at the library? I hope to hit the jackpot again soon!

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

Columnist

A postcard image of U.S. Veteran’s Hospital # 48 at the corner of Peachtree Road and Osborne Road in Brookhaven.

KATHY MANOS PENN Columnist

Growing dwarf heirloom tomatoes in Georgia

Late September sees the last of homegrown tomatoes and the beginning of reliance on grocery store product. We have all winter to think about flavorful summer tomatoes. By June it becomes a craving.

In Metro Atlanta, mid-April is the time to plant tomatoes and begin the countdown to ripe tomatoes from the backyard or patio. April 15th is typically the last day of freezing here. Some gardeners plant earlier with success, but a late frost can kill a tomato plant. In my experience, planting earlier or later seems to make little difference in first fruit. Tomato plants grow little until they get enough sun and the soil warms.

Tomatoes need at least 6 hours of full sun and 8 hours for best success. A limitation to growing tomatoes is finding a spot with enough sun and the space for mature plants, which can top out at 6 feet. Some people grow tomatoes in containers or bales of hay, even putting them on their driveway to get enough sun. One solution to the space require-

Wacky:

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ment is to plant dwarf tomato varieties.

Heirloom tomatoes are varieties that have been grown without crossbreeding for 40 or more years. This contrasts with typical supermarket tomatoes, which are hybrids that have been carefully crossbred to have particular characteristics like color and size. Flavor is often not at the top of the list of characteristics for hybrids planted commercially. Heirlooms are not resistance to disease, which is important in commercial gardens, and they do not have the shelf life of hybrid tomatoes. These factors are often less important to home gardeners seeking taste.

Dwarf tomatoes have been bred to have fruit similar in size and flavor to full-sized plants but on compact plants topping out at 5 feet or less. They can be grown in 5-gallon containers placed on a sunny patio or apartment balcony. A larger container provides more space for root development and requires less attention to watering. Staking or caging may be needed as fruit becomes heavy. Tomatoes are heavy feeders, require fertilization and need water.

The Dwarf Tomato Project came into being when tomato enthusiast, author and educator Craig LeHoullier

of Raleigh, North Carolina and Patrina Nuske Small of Australia discussed a frequent request from people wanting to grow tomatoes in small spaces. Over 120 varieties have been developed including varieties bred from heirloom tomatoes known for their excellent taste and variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. Dwarf tomato plants have become more available in the last couple of years but are still difficult to find in big-box stores. That’s why I start mine from seed. For a complete list of dwarf tomato varieties and more information about the Dwarf Tomato Project, check out www.dwarftomatoproject.net.

Heirloom tomato seeds and plants can be found at big-box stores and online. It may be a few years before dwarf tomatoes are as widely available as hybrid tomatoes.

The North Fulton Master Gardeners will offer heirloom and dwarf tomatoes for sale at our 22nd annual Garden Faire at Wills Park in Alpharetta on Saturday, April 29 from 9 AM to 3 PM. More details are available on the NFMG website at https://nfmg.net/gardenfaire.html.

Happy gardening!

About the Author

This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest Master Gardener columnist is Ben Whitley. Ben, a Sandy Springs resident, has been a Master Gardener since 2017. Along with being a manufacturer’s representative, Ben enjoys growing heirloom tomatoes from seed. Ben will share his knowledge of tomatoes at the North Fulton Master Gardeners’ annual Garden Faire at Wills Park in Alpharetta on April 29th from 9 AM to 3 PM.

To learn more about growing dwarf tomatoes, you can check out several of my favorite resources:

World Committee Member Jeremy Scott said the project funding was kickstarted by the city’s bond referendum, but the project will not be possible without donations.

“What we have is a tremendous opportunity as a community to come together once again into a community build where we can bring together volunteers and build another iconic playground that generations, including the children in here and probably their children, will be able to enjoy for another quarter century to come,” Scott said.

Alpharetta city officials also attended the event, including Recreation and Parks Director Morgan Rodgers, who said rebuilding Wacky World is a testament to the city’s commitment to creating fun and safe outdoor spaces for all children.

“By involving our community in the design process, we’re making sure that this playground meets the needs and interests of children and provides for a great degree of ‘funability’ at the new and improved Wacky World,” Rodgers said.

City Councilman John Hipes said he looks forward to the grand opening of the new and reimagined playground designed by the children of Alpharetta.

For more information on donating and volunteering for the project, visit wackyworld.org/.

• Georgia Homegrown Tomatoes, Georgia Extension Publication Bulletin 1271.

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.

• Epic Tomatoes: How to Select and Grow the Best Varieties of All Time, Craig LeHoullier, 2014.

BEN WHITLEY

Guest Columnist

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Various playground designs drawn by students hang at the Wacky World design day at Alpharetta Elementary School March 28. Elements from the students’ dream playgrounds will be used in the rebuilt Wacky World that opens in Wills Park spring 2024.

Retirement here I come.

GET OUTSIDE GEORGIA

RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus

So, I am closing in on 70 – 68 to be exact. That is old, or at least it sounds really old – seventy years old. Huh? No way, no? Yep. Of course, that is in chronological years. In no way, shape, or form do

I actually relate to that. I can still play tennis relatively well – singles of course. With a little more practice, my serve would still be maybe 80 percent of what it was almost 50 years ago. I can still get in the pool and swim a mile. I can still run. I still shoot a decent game of pool although my bridge is no longer possible because of the arthritis in my hands and I can still fit into my 32 x 32 size Levis – same as high school – although at times that button is a bit difficult to get into the hole, I must admit.

And I will say that I know – 100 percent for sure – that I still have another Appalachian Trail hike in me still (the whole enchilada) – were I to get the time off to entertain that project!

While I have noticed that I seem to be a bit more distracted these days and maybe forget things more frequently, I have not panicked about that and feel like I can probably attribute that to my ADD or perhaps to a lack of “brain exercise” – stuff like learning, problem solving, and intentional reading. That is, I feel like I can improve on my mental state to some degree – still. And I do try to do this.

With “older age” I have discovered many things that make me thankful, and which frequently do surprise me in a good way. In fact, thankfulness, may be one of the highlights of getting older.

I am especially and increasingly thankful for those few good friends I have kept – priceless.

I think I understand people better now – all people. I have more empathy I think, probably because I know more, and I have seen more. I see context better these days. And that generally is a positive thing, but not always.

Having more experiences and context to process what I see these days allows me to also see how and why we collectively stumble and struggle with life all too often. People die. People get sick. Bad things happen to good people. Children get hurt; that one is the hardest.

Life doesn’t always end well and that fact, as I age, becomes all too obvious and in my face. “My life didn’t turn out how I thought it would,” was something that a complete stranger commented to my wife Christina a long time ago while she was sitting outside a theater

in Columbus, GA as a chaperone for the Milton HS theater program. I wasn’t there, but I will probably remember that comment forever, and I can so visualize that brief exchange.

“Just let me end well,” is probably the only thing on my bucket list I think and it’s not a morbid thought; it is a task – a proactive life goal – and not an unreasonable one. But that is something for tomorrow and not something I worry about generally.

Time, ah yes, time becomes more and more something more concrete and less ephemeral as I age. It is something – time – when you are young that almost doesn’t exist. Life just feels like a downhill ski run or a day at a amusement park or a spring day out in the deep woods exploring with a friend. Yes, we still do those things now – or similar things – but they are colored now by the knowledge that you graduated from high school over 50 years ago, or that 15% of your senior class are not alive, or that girlfriend or boyfriend that so attracted you so long ago, has changed – a lot. That, is “time” and it becomes more impossible to not see or to ignore as one ages.

Part of getting old – and it is a hard part – is realizing that life all too often isn’t very “fair” – that it isn’t and never was nor will it ever be. But, at the same time, there is a constant that is akin to “free will” – that we do control how we react to “unfair life.” The unfairness is that huge boulder that we must push up the hill every day and it either makes us or breaks us.

With age we start seeing the cycles in all walks of life. Everything has its own season and – over time – we see and experience the changes and revolutions.

I have noticed with age, I am almost never in a hurry anymore; I take my time – no matter how much in a hurry the person is behind me. I just don’t care – or care enough – to change how fast I go anymore. In hindsight, I think I realize that very little in life merits being in a hurry and that being in a hurry all too often has a cost or costs.

In my “old age” I find I crave great books even more. I appreciate art more. I appreciate just being alive more. And I know that if in my mind I still believe that I have plenty of time left to learn how to play the piano and play it well, then I am still young.

And, one of the most endearing aspects of growing old I have found is that each day I find that I am more in love with my wife than I was the day before.

So, that’s my story and I am sticking to it – another character flaw that I have discovered in myself in my old age – stubbornness!

Why do trout jump out of the water?

I’ve lived here most all my life, but I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the switch from winter to spring. A couple of days ago it was in the 20s when I went out to start the car. But today it’s pushing 80 degrees. I guess spring really has arrived. Flowers are blooming. Birds are singing. Somewhere, fish are probably jumping too.

I love to see fish jumping. Don’t you?

Yeah, I thought so. So, let’s talk about jumping trout.

One of my favorite places to see jumping fish this time of year is the Jones Bridge Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation area. You’ll be standing there on the riverside trail, looking out across the river, when there it is – a flash of silver as some previously unseen trout takes to the air.

On this afternoon, I’m watching the river (and its trout) from the fishing platform at Jones Bridge. There’s a family there, too – a mom and a dad and two kids, a boy of about 8 and a little girl of about 6.

“Why are they jumping, Daddy?” asks the little girl.

“I don’t know,” the dad says. “Maybe they’re just happy.”

Maybe so!

The Jones Bridge Unit of CRNRA is right off Barnwell Road. ¬All you have to do is to turn onto the access road and follow it to the parking area at road’s end. There’s a bit of parking along the way, but be mindful of spots reserved for vehicles towing boat trailers. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Anyway, at the end of the road, there’s a paved parking area and even a restroom. There are also trails leading off upstream and downstream. The hiking is great, especially if you hike downstream and explore the network of trails in the unit’s southern portion. It’s one of my favorites, and I recommend it highly.

Directly opposite the parking area, there’s a step ramp – that is, a series of steps leading down to the water – which provides a good place from which to launch a kayak or ease into the river if you’re wading. In front of the ramp, and upstream and downstream for quite a ways too, the water is wide and smooth. It’s a great place to look for jumping trout.

But the question remains. Why do

trout jump out of perfectly good water, where they live, and into the air where lives the likes of us?

Why indeed? Only the trout knows for sure.

One explanation is that small trout jump into the air to get away from bigger trout who might want to eat them. That makes sense. If you’ve ever seen schools of baitfish blasting out of the water, you’ve probably seen just that kind of thing happening.

There’s another (and maybe more likely) explanation too. Those who know about such things say that, in this particular case, this jumping behavior is really just part of the process of chasing down dinner.

Here’s what seems to be going on. At this time of year, there’s typically what’s known as a “hatch” of aquatic insects on many parts of the Chattahoochee. During a hatch, and at the risk of oversimplifying things, the immature forms of aquatic insects metamorphose into adult forms that take to the air to mate and lay eggs and continue the cycle of life. These insects reach adulthood only after living underwater as nymphs or larva for some period of time. But eventually, the larva undergo a series of physical changes that ultimately results in adult insects.

And that’s where it gets interesting. In order to “emerge” as an adult, the developing bug must make its way from the bottom to the surface. During that transition, those “emergers” (as they’re known) offer easy pickings for hungry trout, which often chase the emergers to the surface. As they dash to try to grab the bug before it escapes, those fish sometimes gain so much momentum that they blast through the surface and into the air. That seems to be what you are seeing when you spot a trout jumping clear of the water.

But there’s also that third possibility. As the dad on the platform suggested, maybe the trout simply think it’s fun. No one knows what trout consider entertaining, of course, but who’s to say? It’s really kind of neat to think of a river filled with exuberant trout, each expressing its inner happiness by leaping from the water and then splashing back into the cold, clear flow where it belongs. I kind of like that notion. In fact, I like it a lot.

The kids are still looking. No jumping trout have appeared yet. Then…

“There!” I say, pointing. The two kids follow my gaze. We watch intently, and

See HUDSON, Page 27

STEVE HUDSON Columnist

Hudson:

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after a minute or two –

As if on cue, a small trout zooms out of the water, goes airborne for an instant, and then splashes back home.

“There’s one!” the children say almost in unison.

And then it’s like somebody flipped a switch. Within 30 seconds, the river becomes alive with jumping trout. Lots of attacking predators? Lots of emerging bugs? Or just lots and lots of subsurface happiness that can’t help but break through?

The aerobatics continue for a while, then gradually taper off.

“That was cool!” says the oldest, and the mom answers, “Yes, it was.”

For trout fishing enthusiasts, all of this is a signal to get out the fly rod.

But even if you’re not a flyfisher, it’s great fun to look for the jumping trout.

“And they looked so happy!” offers the little girl as the family turns to walk back to their car, leaving me alone on the platform once again.

The afternoon is warm, and the world is right, and I decide to linger a few more minutes. I look over the water one more time, and I see another trout jump into the air. Its eye catches mine – and I’d swear that trout gave me a wink.

Yes, the child is right. The trout does look happy, so happy that the feeling just has to come out, so happy that it just can’t be contained.

And you know what? That’s something I understand these days¬. I really do.

Museum:

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Harris told organizers she wanted to read the museum’s whole text, not just the materials about enslaved people. DeNiro said the museum implemented the professor’s changes and included additional information she suggested.

In the months since the museum opened, DeNiro said the feedback has been positive. The city has been a major supporter of the project.

“Part of what makes Roswell is its history, good or bad,” Roswell City Councilwoman Christine Hall said, adding she has been a longtime advocate and fan

of the Roswell Historical Society. She hopes in the coming years the city will continue to support its preservation efforts through things like a historic assets plan.

The councilwoman called the museum a “hidden treasure,” but she hopes in the future it will find a more “front-and-center” home. In the meantime, curator DeNiro is looking to expand audiences by bringing in student field trips and new residents.

“There are a lot of newcomers to Roswell, and we want to make sure they have an understanding of the history of the adopted home,” DeNiro said.

Councilwoman Hall said Roswell history includes its residents.

“If we didn’t have our history, we would be just another town with a river and some parks,” Hall said.

Fulton:

Continued from Page 5

Thorne, who took office in January, told residents she “hit the ground running” during her first months in office, working hard to learn everything needed to represent District 2 correctly.

“I didn't realize it was gonna be a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week process,” Thorne said. “It's supposed to be a part-time job and it's been far from that.”

Thorne said she was immediately “shocked” by the spending habits and attitude on spending, displayed by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. She also applauded Ellis for his stance on lowering the county budget and fighting overspending.

“One of the first things I had to do, right out of the gate as a new commissioner was vote on the budget, a $1.3 billion budget, which at the meeting increased by 30 million,” she said. “Some commissioners think that we can just pull money out anywhere, there's no ceiling on the millage rate. So, I really appreciate the battle that [Ellis’s] been in and he's been fighting for a really long time.”

After presentations from commissioners and other county officials, the event launched into an hour-long question-and-answer session with the audience.

Questions of decorum

Community question topics varied wildly, from the performance of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office and how mental health issues are being handled in North Fulton, to budget concerns and the closing of local hospitals.

But most attendees who raised questions at the meeting, appeared to have come specifically to support

Thorne, and question Ellis on certain alleged mistreatment of her by other members of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners.

A Milton resident who spoke first asked Ellis about the rules governing commissioners’ meetings and the “hate speech” Thorne has faced at certain meetings.

“That woman (Thorne) has been attacked three times by county commissioners talking about white privilege and race issues,” the resident said. “And no one has raised a hand, not even you.”

Ellis said he is limited in what he can do about the actions of other commissioners, beyond arguing with facts and logic, and trusting the guidance of officials like Fulton County Manager Dick Anderson.

“The Fulton County Commission is not a place for the faint of heart,” he said. “But you’ve got to figure out a way to go back, use your logic, use words and fight back for your citizens, so you are able to get things done and not turn it into a personal battle.”

Criminal justice concerns

Another big topic raised at the forum dealt with the county’s continuing struggle with criminal justice in -

frastructure and procedures. Officials, including Sheriff Lebat, said Fulton County is dealing with an enormous backlog of court cases, overcrowding at the jail in downtown Atlanta, and jail infrastructure on the edge of collapse.

Estimates are that it will cost billions of dollars to make the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta feasible once again, Thorne said.

“The jail is at the end of its useful life,” Ellis said.

One resident asked how the commission can look back at failures to ensure that history doesn’t repeat itself, like the situation they face with the county jail and court system.

Ellis pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic as a “flashpoint” for many of the problems the county’s criminal justice system is facing, like the increase in inmates and backlog of court cases. He said the county just didn’t have adequate data to prepare for the problems until they reached emergency levels.

“I am not comfortable that we've had the best mechanisms in place to be able to not only show our elected officials, but certainly our citizens, whether or not our justice system is working as it should,” he said.

Thorne said the County Commission is also tasked with working with other elected officials in the field of criminal justice, like the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, and they don’t always share their ideas and opinions on how things should be done.

“We're working with elected officials, with the DA, who’s elected and makes it clear to us we can't tell her how to manage her caseload,” Thorne said.

Sales Controller (Roswell, GA): The Sales Controller will be involved with conducting quantitative analyses of information involving sales and financial data.

Resumes to: HR, B&R Industrial Automation Corp, 1250 Northmeadow Pkwy, Ste. 100, Roswell, GA, 30076.

SVK Systems, Inc. (Duluth, GA) seeks Software

Developers to analyze user requirements, design, develop, test and deploy various client-servers, software applications. Requirements: BS or foreign equivalent in Comp. Sci./IT/Engg. /Tech/Mathematics/ Commerce/BBA or related plus 2 years of relevant IT experience using Java, Microsoft SQL Server, .Net, and DevOps. Position involves travel to client locations all over the USA. Please submit resume to: HR Manager –SVK Systems, Inc., 3057 Peachtree Ind. Blvd., Suite 100, Duluth, GA 30097 or Email: hr@svksytems.com

EXPERIENCED PASTRY CHEF Downtown Alpharetta. Apply online at www.2bwhole.net.

Now Hiring: Office Coordinator

Local commercial real estate company is hiring an Office Coordinator. The role includes coordinating administrative tasks between our property management, leasing and accounting departments. The position requires exceptional communication and organizational skills, knowledge of MS Office, a strong work ethic, internal drive, and a positive attitude. This is an office only (not remote work) position. Please contact us Employment@mpshoppingcenters.com for more information.

Part-time

SERVICE DIRECTORY

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• Private office suite within Appen Media Group’s building

• Easily accommodates up to 5 people

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

• Smaller office space also available in same building

• Short or longer term lease. Reasonable $

Workforce Development Coordinator

Develop programs and services for clients and students who are seeking employment, post-secondary education, or other career options. The coordinator collaborates with employers in the community who are hiring. The role also includes working one-on-one on job applications, resumes, interview preparations and offers tips for successfully securing and improving employment. Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services or related field required.

For full job description see: https://nfcchelp.org/wpcontent/uploads/2023/02/Workforce-DevelopmentCoordinator-2023.pdf. To apply, send resume to cswan@nfcchelp.org.

Accounting Specialist – PART TIME

Responsible for the day-to-day transactions within the accounting department. The specialist is accountable for preparing financial transactions, processing invoices, and entering general ledger data which will assist in balancing the income statement, managing budgets, and preparing financial reports. Role works closely with the Finance Manager and Director of Finance and Administration. Bachelor’s Degree in Finance or related field required.

For full job description see: https://nfcchelp. org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/AccountingSpecialist-02.21.23-1.pdf. To apply, send resume to jrice@nfcchelp.org.

Plumbers

All major credit cards accepted. Best Price guaranteed!

40 or 50 Gallon Gas or Electric Water Heater Installed Includes thermal tank, new cut-off. Additional $25 off; mention this ad! $1295

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Administrative Assistant for Youth and Children

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

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

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

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

Send resumes to alpharettajobopening@gmail.com.

Deadline to place a classified ad is Thursdays by 5 pm

Contact Ray Appen via Text (770-527-4042) or email me at RayAppen@Gmail.com – or just call me but best to text and I will return your call.

Gutters

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www.gutterdoneamerica.com

Bargins – Miscellaneous

Landscaping Full Service LANDSCAPING Company Retaining walls (brick or wood), grading, sod, tree services, hauling, topsoil & more. Ralph Rucker 678-898-7237 Concrete/ Asphalt Retaining Walls Brick or Wood Contact Ralph Rucker. Many local references. Honest, punctual, professional and reasonable prices! 678-898-7237 Is Your Company Hiring? Submit your opening at appenmedia.com/hire Solution CR OW E CRU PA CT S LA MA TH OR RE LI C ADEN C AVA AG AM A WI ND SH IE LD WI PE R SO S WE N EN S HI D AI MS TO W AM BE R UN TO DA LI DO UB LE ST AN DA RD S AL OE PEE L ER ASE KE Y TO SS UL T SI D AP T AC T RO OM TE MP ER AT UR E AT RI A EU RO ADAR ST ER N AR IA RI MS HO OK S LE ER NO PE

SERVICE DIRECTORY

Roofing

ROOF LEAKING?

Call us for roof repair or roof replacement. FREE quotes. $200 OFF Leak Repairs or 10% off New Roof. Affordable, quality roofing. Based in Roswell. Serving North Atlanta since 1983. Call to schedule FREE Quote: 770-284-3123. Christian Brothers Roofing

Driveway

$250 OFF NEW DRIVEWAY!

Flooring

PHILLIPS FLOORING

Hardwood, laminate, carpet & tile installation and repairs. We do tile floors, showers, tub surrounds and kitchen back-splashes. Regrouting is also available. Call 678-887-1868 for free estimate.

Home

Mention this ad. Concrete driveway specialists. Driveways, Pool Decks, Patios, Walkways, Slabs.  A+ BBB rating. FREE ESTIMATE. Call Rachael at 678-250-4546 to schedule a FREE Estimate. 30 years of experience. ARBOR HILLS CONSTRUCTION INC. Please note we do have a minimum charge on accepted jobs of $4,500.

Tree Services

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

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

COMPLETE TREE SERVICES

Appen-Rated 98 Text or Call us for a FREE quote appointment.

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

Emergency 24/7 770-450-8188

Haulers

Bush

Many local referencesCall Ralph Rucker 678-898-7237

carpentry, plumbing and electrical. Basements finished, kitchen and bath rehabs. All types flooring. Also total home rehab for those who have a rental house or one to sell. Call 678-887-1868 for a free estimate.

DECKS BUILT & REPAIRED-PAINT

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

DISH TV $64.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. Promo Expires 1/31/24.

1-866-479-1516

The Generac PWRcell solar plus battery storage system. Save money, reduce reliance on grid, prepare for outages & power your home. Full installation services. $0 down financing option. Request free no obligation quote.

1-877-539-0299

Unlimited wireless 4G LTE or 5G internet. Only $50/month. 15day trial. No contract. Includes hardware. Fast & reliable. 888996-6799. https://broadbandq.com

Diagnosed with lung cancer? You may qualify for a substantial cash award - even with smoking history. No obligation! We’ve recovered millions. Let us help!! Call

#6258

Attention oxygen therapy users! Inogen One G4 is capable of full 24/7 oxygen delivery. Only 2.8 pounds. Free info kit. Call 877-929-9587

Safe Step. North America’s #1 Walk-in tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-theline installation and service. Now featuring our free shower package & $1600 off - limited time! Financing available.

1-855-417-1306

Prepare for power outages today with a GENERAC home standby generator $0 Down + Low Monthly Pmt Request a free Quote. Call before the next power outage: 1-855-948-6176

Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule free LeafFilter estimate today.

20% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-833-610-1936

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

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

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

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

Become a published author. We want to read your book! Dorrance Publishing trusted since 1920. Consultation, production, promotion & distribution. Call for free author’s guide 1-877-729-4998 or visit dorranceinfo.com/ads

Switch and save up to $250/yr on talk, text & data. No contract or hidden fees. Unlimited talk & text with flexible data plans. Premium nationwide coverage. 100% U.S. based customer service. Limited time get $50 off any new account. Use code GIFT50.

1-855-903-3048

MobileHelp, America’s premier mobile medical alert system. Whether you’re home or away. For safety & peace of mind. No long term contracts! Free brochure! 1-888-489-3936

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

1-833-758-3892

Inflation is at 40 year highs. Interest rates are way up. Credit Cards. Medical Bills. Car Loans. Do you have $10k or more in debt? Call National Debt Relief to find out how to pay off your debt for significantly less than what you owe! Free quote:

1-877-592-3616

Wesley Financial Group, LLC Timeshare Cancellation ExpertsOver $50,000,000 in timeshare debt & fees cancelled in 2019. Get free info package & learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. 833-308-1971