Johns Creek Herald - May 23, 2024

Kids explore, learn equipment at city’s annual Touch-A-Truck

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. —Amid a chorus of honking horns from the biggest of its big rigs, families flocked to Johns Creek City Hall for the city’s annual Touch-A-Truck May 18.

The display, which ran from 10 a.m. to noon, featured construction, utility and landscaping equipment, school buses and fire trucks. A DJ and on-site food trucks added sound and smell to the giant visuals that hundreds of visitors enjoyed.

Johns Creek Public Works Director Chris Haggard said the city has hosted Touch-A-Truck since 2010, originally at Newtown Park, and that it’s always scheduled the Saturday before National Public Works Week.

“[Touch-A-Truck] just makes them aware of what we do…,” Haggard said. “They see these types of equipment on the side of the road all the time in their neighborhoods. This gives them a chance to be up close and talk to the actual contractor, touch the trucks, get in them, get photos, feel good about it.”

John Bedingfield, commercial mower specialist with Ag-Pro, and Matt Gerich, branch manager for Yellowstone Landscape, brought a couple of John Deeres. One was a John Deere 5120M series

See TRUCK, Page 18

See more photos from Touch-A-Truck on page 18 and at appenmedia.com

A man shows a young boy the bucket of Vertical Earth’s Komatsu PC138, a longtail swing excavator with rubber tracks used for city road construction, at the Johns Creek annual Touch-A-Truck event May 18. Hundreds of visitors had the opportunity to explore construction, utility and landscape equipment, fire trucks and school buses, and honk horns, at City Hall.

BUSINESS

Perimeter market sees potential recovery ahead ► PAGE 12

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

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POLICE BLOTTER

Fraud suspect arrested after visit to St. Ives club

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Police arrested a 24-year-old Lawrenceville man May 9 after he visited St. Ives Country Club lying to staff about being a member.

An employee told police the suspect had worked at the club five years ago on a part-time basis, but that he was let go due to problems he was causing.

Police later found him at Cauley Creek Park and took him into custody for two active felony warrants, according to the initial incident report.

The warrants were for financial transaction card fraud after he attached a Johns Creek woman’s credit cards to his iPhone, spending hundreds of dollars, according to supplemental reports describing the October incident.

Police transported him to the North Fulton County Jail in Alpharetta.

Police also issued the suspect a criminal trespass warning for St. Ives.

Police question teens for throwing objects

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A Norcross woman reported to police May 11 that teens threw something at her vehicle while driving near the junction of Medlock Bridge and State Bridge roads.

Police located the suspect vehicle, a red Chevrolet Tahoe, and spoke to the 18-year-old Johns Creek driver and his passenger. The passenger admitted to throwing a donut at another vehicle, according to the incident report.

There were five suspects reported, and police could not confirm if anything else had been thrown or if anyone else had been involved.

The woman told police there was

no damage to her vehicle and did not want to press charges.

The vehicle’s occupants were turned over to their parents, the report says.

Officers arrest couple for meth possession

ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police arrested a 45-year-old Panama City man for methamphetamine possession May 7 after McDonald’s employees reported him and a woman for a domestic disturbance.

When officers arrived at the restaurant at 2950 Holcomb Bridge Road, they determined the argument between the two suspects was only verbal.

The incident report did not include information about the female suspect.

Officers said both suspects had drugrelated warrants out of Ohio, which were non-extraditable, but they gave consent to search the vehicle.

After officers found used and clean needles, a rubber tourniquet and burnt spoons in the vehicle, they detained the two and read them their Miranda rights.

The male suspect said he purchased and used meth earlier in the day.

The female told officers she is a heroin addict.

During a search of the vehicle, officers found 2 grams of crystal meth and a needle with liquid inside.

Because neither suspect claimed possession, the male suspect admitted to purchasing meth and the female suspect drove the car, officers arrested them.

Officers transported and booked the male at the North Fulton County Jail.

The jail refused the female suspect who was pregnant and high on drugs, according to a nurse.

Officers transported her to the Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center and released her into their custody.

Phony police scammers target Roswell woman

ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police responded to a report of a theft by deception stemming from a May 6 incident involving a 70-year-old woman and phone calls with scammers.

The victim said she received a phone call around noon while she was working on Hill Street.

She said the caller identification showed “Cobb County,” and told her she had an active federal warrant for failing to appear for jury duty.

The victim said she spoke to “Lt. Murphy” and then “Capt. Adams.”

The caller said the warrant would cost her $60,000, then offered to accept $6,000

The victim said she remained on the phone with the caller, drove to the Kroger on East Crossville Road and deposited $1,900 into the COINME bitcoin machine. She told the caller she could only afford that amount and could not pay the $6,000.

Officers said the victim provided them with the phone number she sent the money to. When the victim told the caller she was on the way to the Roswell Police Department, they disconnected the phone call.

Stone Mountain man arrested for car theft

ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police arrested a 38-year-old Stone Mountain man May 3 for felony theft in the parking lot of a McDonald’s at 591 Holcomb Bridge Road.

An officer said he initially responded to a report of a man acting erratically at the fast-food restaurant.

During a conversation with the suspect outside of the store, officers said the man identified a blue Volkswagen Jetta as his vehicle.

Once a check of the license plate confirmed the vehicle was reported stolen, the officer called for backup.

Officers said they saw the suspect holding the keys to the car, which is valued at $24,000.

When questioned about how he acquired the vehicle, the suspect said someone else had its title and bill of sale. When asked who sold him the vehicle, the suspect said, “the Devil.”

After officers detained the suspect and read him his Miranda rights, he declined to speak.

Officers transported him to the North Fulton County Jail for felony theft by receiving stolen property.

PATRIOTS OF LIBERTY CHAPTER/PROVIDED

From left, Stephanie Endres, state Sen. Shawn Still, Debra Kielly, Linda Absher, Vicki Gardocki and Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry gather around the Revolutionary War Patriots Marker April 27 at Veteran Memorial Walk in Newtown Park. The marker is a part of an effort to spread awareness about the 250th anniversary of the United States of America in 2026.

Female patriots unveil America 250 marker

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The local Patriots of Liberty Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution unveiled its Revolutionary War Patriots Marker April 27.

The marker is at the entrance to the Johns Creek Veteran Memorial Walk in Newtown Park off Old Alabama Road.

Daughters of the American Revolution is the first heritage society to formally partner with America250, the nationwide commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026 led by the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission.

Kielly, the wife of Milton veteran Archibald “Arch” Kielly, is the regent of the Patriots of Liberty Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

She said the chapter includes ladies

CORRECTION

from Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton and Roswell.

Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry, state Sen. Shawn Still and Lt. Governor Burt Jones attended the April 27 dedication along with several community members.

The markers are being placed across the country to highlight the sacrifice of American patriots in the fight for independence and freedom from the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

The United States Semiquincentennial will be the 250th anniversary of the 1776 United States Declaration of Independence.

Festivities will be scheduled to mark various events leading up to the anniversary on July 4, 2026.

A previous Appen Media story reported that the cost estimate for the replacement of North Springs High School and construction of a new campus is $108 million. The figure, updated in April, is around $175 million.

Journalists weigh loss of UGA Law clinic on open government

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

ATHENS, Ga. — Journalists across Georgia are mourning the loss of a crucial service in a new direction taken by the University of Georgia School of Law’s First Amendment Clinic.

Going forward, its staff will no longer provide direct advocacy for open records or open meetings, sources of information that journalists and citizens use to find out what’s going on behind the facades of government.

The First Amendment Clinic was formally launched in August 2020 to “defend and advance the rights of free speech, press, assembly, and petition via regional litigation and advocacy” and to provide law students with real-world experience on First Amendment issues, according to a UGA news release.

In early 2023, the Clinic began reaching out to news organizations around Georgia, ramping up direct advocacy work related to open records after receiving more funding.

The service was free.

“‘Okay, what’s the catch?’” Dan Whisenhunt, publisher and editor of Decaturish, recalled. “I was told, ‘No catch. There’s just money going around. People really care about this sort of thing. So, we’re doing the work.’”

The resource saved Whisenhunt thousands of dollars in legal fees, a big deal for a small business that saw its first full-time employee after seven years of serving residents in Decatur and surrounding areas in Metro Atlanta.

Since Appen Media filed its lawsuit last May against the City of Sandy Springs over access to information on police incident reports, the newspaper has spent more than $35,000 in legal fees.

That figure continues to increase, as Appen Media seeks an appeal to a Fulton County Superior Court judge ruling in December that said it failed to prove it is unlawful for the Sandy Springs Police Department to withhold supplemental information about a crime that police file in a subsequent report, often on the same day and gleaned from the same initial visit to the scene.

The lawyer on the case charges $285 an hour.

Free counsel

Now, Decaturish has three full-time employees, and the business is profitable, punching above its weight, but Whisenhunt said money is sent toward general expenses and personnel.

“Every spare dollar I have I spend on news,” Whisenhunt said. “News costs

money, and it ain’t cheap to produce, especially in this market where we’re in an arms race, where we’re trying to keep people paid well enough so that they can actually live near the communities where they’re covering.”

Whisenhunt said the Clinic had its eyes on two to three Decaturish stories. The Clinic has and continues to offer pre-publication review, giving legal guidance to journalists on stories before they go to press.

He also said the Clinic became involved in his request for open records regarding a fire that targeted a genderaffirming medical clinic in downtown Decatur.

“Decatur has been withholding those records for forever under an exemption in the [Georgia Open Records Act],” Whisenhunt said. “That exemption is pretty broad … that probably should be revisited.”

Ultimately, the City of Decatur did not provide the records to Whisenhunt. But, he said the Clinic continued to fight and advocate on his behalf.

He also said the group had been more accessible than other national organizations that provide the same service and went further than the Office of the Attorney General’s Open Government Mediation Program.

“I don’t know what having an attorney on staff is like, but that’s what it’s felt like to me,” Whisenhunt said.

UGA transfers lawsuit

Remaining an educational resource, University Spokesperson Greg Trevor said the Clinic will “refer open records/open meetings matters that need direct advocacy and representation to qualified legal professionals or agencies.”

The timing of the refocus coincides with UGA’s decision to transfer the lawsuit filed on behalf of nonprofit Atlanta Community Press Collective and Lucy Parsons Labs against the Atlanta Police Foundation.

The Atlanta Police Foundation, a nonprofit that supports the Atlanta Police Department and works closely with the City of Atlanta, is largely responsible for funding the $90 million Atlanta Public Safety Training Center set for 85 acres of the South River region in DeKalb County.

The suit, now under the wings of a new pro bono attorney, alleges that the foundation failed to respond to open records requests related to the project, dubbed “Cop City” by critics who say it will fuel police brutality and contribute to climate change by destroying a vital forest.

See RECORDS, Page 21

School Board members give tentative approval to 2025 spending plan

By BEECHER TUTTLE newsroom@appenmedia.com

NORTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – The Fulton County Board of Education May 15 ten-tatively adopted a proposed budget for fiscal year 2025, one that increases com-pensation for teachers and other staffers despite another projected drop in en-rollment.

The budget, set for final vote June 11, calls for a 4.5 percent raise in compensation for eligible employees in an effort to recruit and retain top talent, according to a detailed recommendation from Schools Superintendent Mike Looney. While the population of Fulton County has increased roughly 10 percent over the past dec-ade, total school enrollment has decreased by 7 percent, or 6,855 students.

The tentative budget passed by a 6-1 vote.

In total, the proposed 2025 spending plan includes an estimate of roughly $2.293 billion in spending from all funds, up from the projected $1.844 billion this year. However, the school allotment guidelines also proposed a property tax rate of 17.13 mills, down from 17.14 mills last year. Property taxes are expected to bring in some $839 million to help fund the 2025 budget.

The final adopted millage rate will depend on the county’s official tax digest – which charts the value of taxable residential and commercial property – due out soon, possibly before the June 11 School Board meeting.

The tentative adoption May 15 will enable staff to post budget figures on the dis-trict’s public website as well as allow staff to work with tax officials to ensure prop-erty tax bills are sent on time.

DOVE

More information

You can find the full FY ‘25 budget recommendation at ful-tonschools. org/budgetservices

Meanwhile, the anticipated highlight of the meeting never quite materialized. Board members were prepared to hear from the public for a second time following the rollout of the initial budget in March and April, but no one raised their hand on Wednesday.

School Board

President Kimberly Dove said the board takes comment from its con-stituents outside of public forums, including email.

One piece missing from the meeting was Superintendent Looney, who was –ironically – representing Fulton County at the White House to discuss the nation-wide issue of chronic absenteeism among students.

County honors its stars

With the end of school fast approaching, each of the seven board members touched on a few highlights from their district. Some of the most noteworthy in-cluded River Trail Middle School Chess Team winning the 2024 State of Georgia Chess Tournament for the second year in a row; Fulton County Schools College & Career Academy Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Pathway finishing first in the statewide High School Aviation Challenge; and John’s Creek High’s boy’s team win-ning the Class 6A tennis championship for an unparalleled sixth consecutive time.

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Town Center’s Medley adds retail, restaurants to roster

Pause, Fogón and Lions, and Clean Your Dirty Face, according to the announcement from Metro Atlanta CEO.

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Toro Development Company announced its next wave of tenants at Medley May 1 to include nine restaurants and retailers. That’s a total of 20 so far set for the Johns Creek Town Center area.

Located at the intersection of Johns Creek Parkway and McGinnis Ferry Road, the 42-acre mixed-use development will encompass 200,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment space, a mix of 900 apartments and townhomes, 110,000 square feet of office space and a 25,000-square-foot plaza.

Medley will be adjacent to medical device manufacturer Boston Scientific in the Town Center, a 192-acre area to be anchored by Creekside Park near City Hall.

New tenants include the Atlanta-based Thai restaurant 26 Thai Kitchen and Bar as well as Five Daughters Bakery, Drybar Shops, Minnie Olivia, Burdlife, Amorino,

Toro Development Company, headed by Avalon developer Mark Toro, previously announced Ford Fry’s Little Rey and Fadó Irish Pub, among other restaurants and retailers slated for Medley.

The company recently purchased land for the development, closing in on the groundbreaking scheduled for later this year.

The first phase, expected to open in the third quarter of 2026, will include around 180,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment space, 108,000 square feet of office space, 340 multifamily residences, 133 townhomes and the activated plaza.

The company plans to host around 200 events each year, like outdoor wellness classes, live music performances, arts festivals and watch parties.

Alpharetta Brew Moon Fest to benefit new Wacky World

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Brew Moon Fest, a bi-annual event featuring beer, food and live music, is returning June 1.

In its 11th year, the Alpharetta Business Association’s “Dancing in the Street” party on Milton Avenue downtown will be from 6 to 10:30 p.m. with live music provided by Chuck Martin and the Line Up.

Proceeds from the fest will go toward the ABA’s multi-year donation to the Wacky World rebuild.

Wacky World was a 1-acre wood playground at Wills Park, built by more than 2,600 volunteers over six days in 1997. A farewell party was held April 28 with hundreds of residents in attendance, ushering in the new.

Scheduled for opening in October, the new Wacky World will be roughly 18,000

square feet. It will include features requested by Alpharetta students, who submitted dream designs on drawing forms.

The playground, to be built by volunteers, will feature a tower, obstacle course, racing slides and zipline. It will also be ADA compliant and feature adaptive equipment.

The Wacky World rebuild is partly funded through the city’s 2021 parks bond referendum, which allocated $4 million for work at Wills Park. It is also receiving help from sponsorships and donations.

Single tickets for Brew Moon Fest are $10. Including admission, a table for six costs $180, and a table for eight costs $240. To purchase tickets or tables, visit alpharettabusinessassociation.com.

B. Benson, MD Johns Creek: Tues., Thurs. Milton: Mon., Fri. Kaavya Chivukula,

Johns Creek Only

This rendering by Play by Design shows plans for the new Wacky World at Wills Park, set to open in October.

Forsyth County casts net to draw in biotech firms

By JAKE DRUKMAN newsroom@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County leaders are taking their efforts to attract new biotechnology industry players crosscountry this June.

Members of Forward Forsyth, an organization that partners the county’s government and private business owners, will be in San Diego June 3-6 to attend the BIO International Convention, working to attract companies in the life science and pharmaceutical industries. Members of the Forsyth County Development Authority approved $5,000 in funding for the trip at a May 16 meeting.

Alex Warner, vice president of economic development at Forward Forsyth and the Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce, said the trip is being undertaken in partnership with the state and there are seven specific life science companies the organization wants to “actively target” for recruitment. While he did not name the companies, he noted they will likely be looking to leave their current locations soon due to leases or workforce concerns.

Warner said the smallest of the targeted companies has an annual revenue of $380 million and generates a minimum of $400 million each year in property taxes “just on the equipment they have on the ground at their current facility.” He said the companies’ employment numbers range from 250 to upwards of 1,800.

The BIO International Convention attracted more than 20,000 people across the biotechnology industries in 2023 and advertises itself as a venue for companies to make connections. Warner said Forward Forsyth will use targeted advertising in the convention’s area that touts Forsyth County as the “highest-educated bio-ready workforce in the Southeast.”

“People know the state of Georgia, they know Metro Atlanta, but they may not know exactly what Forsyth County has to offer,” Warner said.

Upcoming SPLOST Vote

Also at the Development Authority meeting, County Manager David McKee said the county is gearing up to promote its one-cent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax ahead of its referendum this November. Voters approved the county’s most recent SPLOST program in 2018, and it is set to expire in June 2025.

McKee said the county government is planning to put on a “road show” of information sessions about the SPLOST program across the county in June, July and August. He stressed the importance of continued SPLOST funding to the county’s parks, transportation and public safety departments.

At

Alex Warner, vice president of economic development at Forward Forsyth and the Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce, speaks at the May 16 meeting of the County Development Authority at Lanier Technical College.

“If we don’t get it, it’s very simple: we cut services or increase taxes,” McKee said. “A mill is about $19 million, so you can do the math on what $50 million equals here.”

McKee said SPLOST generates more than $50 million per year for the county, and while he did not have specific numbers, he estimated that more than 20 percent of that money comes from nonresidents of the county. He said the county will soon begin discussions with the City of Cumming so that the two governments can agree on how SPLOST money will be divided.

The Gathering

While an update on the mixed-use development The Gathering was on the public agenda for Thursday’s meeting, discussion on the project took place almost exclusively in a closed-door executive session. Members of the Development Authority said the executive session was regarding specific financial and real estate information that had not yet been released to the public.

The Gathering is a proposed $2 billion residential and commercial development planned for South Forsyth.

The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners approved a Memorandum of Understanding with Krause Sports and Entertainment, the project’s developer, on March 26. Stipulations of the agreement include that the developer will privately finance The Gathering’s commercial spaces and housing units, and that the county will invest $225 million in the project through a tax allocation district, but only if the National Hockey League awards the site a franchise.

Development Authority members said another meeting to discuss the development will take place on June 3.

Johns Creek youth tennis team touts win at city championship

From top left, Oxford Mill tennis players Gehrig Kiser, Evan Coyle, Seth Reames, Liam Coyle, Caden King, and coach Brian Coyle, and from bottom left, Mason Johnson, John Geeker, Cole Geeker, Jonah Rubenstein celebrate their win in the

division. Not pictured is Mason Miller, Brendan Woehler and Bryce Kelly

JAKE DRUKMAN/APPEN MEDIA

left,

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Appen Media newsroom staff takes listening tour to Milton

MILTON, Ga. — The newsroom at Appen Media Group stopped at Six Bridges Brewing in Milton May 16 to listen to residents about how to improve local coverage.

This was the fifth stop in the company’s “Listening Tour,” a seven-month series touching base in each of Appen Media’s coverage areas. So far, staff have made rounds in Dunwoody, Roswell, Johns Creek and Forsyth County in an effort to gain valuable insight from residents on how to strengthen reporting.

Publisher Hans Appen opened the forum with questions to staff about what brings them to work every day and how they view the future of journalism. Appen also asked about the kinds of myths and stereotypes they see about journalists.

The floor was turned over to the

crowd of about a dozen, who suggested topics they would like to see covered in the newspaper like health and traffic concerns.

One guest asked about the open records process, wondering how cities can charge for open records that are public information.

Director of Content and Development Carl Appen, who regularly files open records requests on behalf of the newsroom, said state law allows local governments to charge a reasonable fee for time and resources used to gather records, though most do not as a courtesy.

Two more stops are scheduled for the tour, at July Moon Bakery and Café in Alpharetta on June 20 and at Pontoon Brewing Company in Sandy Springs July 18.

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Ray Appen, owner of Appen Media, answers a question posed by Publisher Hans Appen at the newspaper’s “Listening Tour” stop in Milton at Six Bridges Brewing May 16.

Retired major general in Marines to speak at Memorial Day Tribute

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Two-star Maj.

Gen. Julian “Dale” Alford, an Alpharetta resident who retired after 37 years in the U.S. Marines, is scheduled to speak at the city’s Memorial Day Tribute May 27.

In addition to sharing stories, Alford said he plans to remind guests the purpose of Memorial Day, honoring those who died in combat.

The program at City Hall will begin at 9 a.m. and feature an invocation, the national anthem, the Pledge of Allegiance and “Taps.” In its 10th year, the Memorial Day Tribute has seen up to 500 in attendance.

“Memorial Day is about those who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” Alford said. “... It ain’t to go to the lake, even though that’s a good thing that everybody does, but not enough Americans really understand what Memorial Day is for.”

Alford enlisted in the reserves in 1985, becoming skillful at leading men during tough times and accumulating a number of medals.

His first assignment was in Panama as a rifle platoon commander. Alford also led a mortar platoon during Desert Storm.

ALFORD/PROVIDED

Two-star Maj. Gen. Julian “Dale” Alford, guest speaker for the Alpharetta Memorial Day Tribute this year, stands with his son Connor, daughter Alex and wife Jen at his retirement ceremony at Brooke Street Park in fall 2022 after 37 years of service in the U.S. Marines.

In 1996, he served as a captain in Liberia, then went on three tours in Iraq and three tours in Afghanistan.

As a major, Alford led a battalion in the March to Baghdad, “a real fight.” Battalions typically consist of 900 members, he said, and leading them was a career highlight.

See MILTON, Page 21

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Cities turn focus to Perimeter market

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Representatives with KDC Real Estate Development and Investments were all smiles May 13 after the Dunwoody City Council approved a rezoning at 245 Perimeter Center Parkway.

The property, the last undeveloped parcel on the Park Center campus, was already entitled to 729,613 square feet of office, 33,586 square feet of retail, and 2,833 parking spaces for a Building 4, under conditions set in the city’s 2015 Overall Development Plan

But, because the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the appetite for new office development, KDC applied to change zoning conditions that would allow residential units and a hotel while reducing its office and retail allocation.

The new rezoning cuts the office allocation by more than half and allows for 175 hotel rooms, 22,000 square feet of retail space and 300 multi-family residential units.

Dunwoody’s 2023 Edge City 2.0 report, which focuses on Perimeter area planning, details a community-supported vision for Perimeter Center developments and roadmap for the next 20 years.

Dunwoody planners say the Edge City 2.0 report indicates the need for residential development and the proposed mix of uses would be a benefit to the Park Center campus and the surrounding area.

The shift from stand-alone office towers to mixed-use developments with housing, retail, office and recreational spaces is a hot trend.

Unlike the market for commercial office space, which is oversaturated from decades of overbuilding and low interest rates, the

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

Michael Starling, economic development director for the City of Dunwoody, gives the first in a series of quarterly updates on the city’s commercial areas. Starling said public investments in place-making and private investments in redevelopment can revitalize the commercial market.

demand for a low supply of new live-workplay buildings is promising.

Michael Starling, Dunwoody Economic Development director, said public investments in place-making and private investments in redevelopment can revitalize the commercial market.

The Perimeter market is unique with a community improvement district split

between two counties, DeKalb and Fulton, and three cities, Brookhaven, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs.

The Perimeter Community Improvement Districts undertook a rebranding initiative late last year, and with the wrapup of construction at Ga. 400 and I-285, the market is looking to be competitive in the region.

Fulton County side of Perimeter

During a May 7 Sandy Springs City Council work session, real estate consultant Ladson Haddow with Haddow & Company asked officials to focus on the city’s commercial properties in Perimeter.

See PERIMETER, Page 13

Alpharetta officials celebrate Mid Broadwell Park opening

Site offers 4 acres of trails, playground area

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Mid Broadwell Park, Alpharetta’s newest public recreation area, officially opened on May 1 with a ribbon-cutting drawing city officials and residents.

Located at 1480 Mid Broadwell Road, the 4-acre park features a walking trail, a playground equipped with two sets of slides, a sideways rope swing and water play stations.

Mid Broadwell Park is designed as a neighborhood park, which means it is intended primarily to serve residents who live within walking

Perimeter:

Continued from Page 12

Influencing factors on the value of offices include appeals of property values, which can result in a three-year freeze.

An analysis of eight office properties, including the Concourse Office Park, revealed value changes ranging from 3.3 percent to 19 percent, with an average value decline of 14 percent.

While office properties account for roughly 18 percent of the city’s overall property tax revenue, they represent just under 7 percent of all the revenues Sandy Springs receives each year.

Essentially, Haddow said he thinks office building values will continue to fall, but it will not significantly impact the city’s overall revenue.

“You’re pretty much where you were in 2008, you experienced a pretty significant drop in 2013-15, and yet you managed just fine,” he told councilmembers. “What’s looming or to come has been endured by the city before.”

Unlike the Great Recession and its subsequent economic effect on property values, corporate developers are not scooping up office buildings. Interest rates at a 23-year high and changing work habits have reduced the demand for offices and the ability to acquire the capital to purchase them, Haddow said.

The redevelopment of older office buildings can be encouraged through zoning and other incentives. Removing potential blight, reducing office supply and increasing tax revenue through new developments are ways the city can reduce erosion of the office market and increase its revenue, according to the findings of the Haddow & Company report.

Haddow then discussed what is attracting commercial tenants to properties and

distance.

To maximize the amount of land dedicated to fun and enjoyment, there is limited space designated for vehicle parking.

The city’s $29.5 million parks bond funded the $500,000 buildout of Mid Broadwell Park, which is one of the voter-approved projects.

Funds from that bond are helping the city reach its goal of having a park within a 10-minute walk of every resident and bringing improvements to its existing public parks.

what environments have shown the most promise in Metro Atlanta.

The Perimeter office submarket in Sandy Springs contains the highest amount of sublease space and the second highest vacancy rate in Metro Atlanta, behind Buckhead.

The price per square foot for a sublease space is often 33 percent less than rent on a direct lease, Haddow said. Often when tenants come up for a renewal of their lease, they reduce their office footprint.

“It’s hard to say what the future holds,” Haddow said. “In our opinion, it’s not a trend that’s going to reverse itself anytime soon.”

Live, work and play

Haddow & Company identified a postCOVID trend in the market, which shows a potential path forward for the commercial real estate industry.

“Companies are looking for walkability, they’re looking for access to walkable amenities, the Beltline,” Haddow said. “When you look at Sandy Springs’ office stock, it’s older and it’s not nearly as walkable, that’s a negative moving forward and a reality.”

He mentioned Dunwoody’s Campus 244 and High Street as examples of promising redevelopments.

The mixed-use developments mirror others in midtown Atlanta, the Old Fourth Ward and Ponce City Market, which Haddow said sport the lowest vacancy rates in Metro Atlanta. City officials can encourage redevelopments through changes to land use and rezoning regulations.

“If I had to guess in the next couple years, the movement is going to be redevelopment of some of these office buildings that are low density,” he said. “Some people refer to it as a fried egg, when you look at a building that’s in the middle of a site that has surface parking all around it… that’s not going to be an office property moving forward.”

7506 Wilderness Parkway Big Canoe, GA 30143

This is Hazel!

bigcanoeanimalrescue.org 706-268-1346

Facts About Me

Breed: Labrador mix

Color: Chocolate and white (Short haired)

Age: 4 Years old

Weight: (Current) 48 lbs

Fully Grown: Medium size (50 lbs)

Sex: Female

My Info Healthy

All Shots current Good with dogs & children Cats?

Spayed /Good walking on leash

Hi, I’m Hazel!

What a sweet girl. Hazel’s brown eyes say it all, come take me home!

Hazel likes to walk the trails, play in the park, go for a car ride or just be out and about meeting people and enjoying life. All she needs is you to make her life complete. Come make a difference in her life and yours!

All BCAR dogs are placed as indoor family pets. No electric fences, please. Visit pets every Saturday 11:00 am to 2:00 pm (706-268-1346) or visit our website for adoption information at www.bigcanoeanimalrescue.org.

A trio of young ladies help Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin cut the ribbon May 1 on Alpharetta’s Mid Broadwell Park. Alpharetta residents, elected officials and city staff celebrated the opening of Alpharetta’s newest park at 1480 Mid Broadwell Road.

Honored to be Voted: Best Dermatologist and Best Vein Specialist

Insist on the BEST

Dr. Brent Taylor is a Board-Certified Dermatologist, a Fellowship-Trained Mohs Surgeon, and is certified by the Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine in the field of Vein Care.

He is an expert in skin cancer and melanoma treatment, endovenous laser ablation, minimally invasive vein procedures and cosmetics procedures such as Botox and injectables.

Kathryn is a certified physician assistant with over 18 years experience as a Dermatology PA. We are excited to welcome her, as she brings with her experience in general dermatology and cosmetic dermatology.

Her specialties include general dermatology such as acne, eczema, rashes, hair loss, full body skin exams, abnormal growths etc. Kathryn also specializes in cosmetic dermatology including lasers, injectables, micro-needling, PRP, facial peels, sclerotherapy for spider veins and at home skin care.

Kathryn Filipek, PA-C

Benzoyl Peroxide danger – fact or fiction?

Atlanta

Benzoyl peroxide or “BPO” is a dermatologist’s old standby. It is a triedand-true effective ingredient to treat acne including pimples and clogged pores and is found in both over the counter acne washes as well as prescription acne products. Given its extensive use and presence in so many over-the-counter products, it came as a shock to the world and the medical community when a company named Valisure recently argued that BPO too easily breaks down into benzene, a cancercausing chemical known to cause leukemia and other types of cancer. Valisure advocated for the recall of over-the-counter acne products containing BPO. Is Valisure right? What is the truth? The answer is complicated and interesting.

BPO’s potential to cause cancer was suggested in the 1980s when animal studies suggested that it might make skin tumors grow. BPO is a very reactive molecule and works at least in part by reacting with proteins of skin bacteria and killing the bacteria that cause acne. BPO has long been known to be destructive. The question is whether it is only destructive to bacteria or also to humans.

remains unknown. Even if someone could guarantee that their BPO had never been exposed to heat, BPO left on someone’s shelf for long periods might eventually form significant levels of benzene over time.

Is Valisure a white knight rescuing the public from a serious threat?

One concerning conflict of interest is that Valisure’s president, David Light, filed a patent in 2023 for a method to prevent BPO from breaking down into benzene.

Timelines matter. Did Valisure know of BPO’s potential risks but wait to disclose them and request a recall until after they had filed for a patent for the fix?

Valisure’s homepage states that they are a company focused on “transparency,” but Valisure’s mention of its patent application was buried on page 26 of a 34 page “Citizen Petition.” Acknowledgment of this patent application as a conflict of interest was nowhere to be found in that Citizen Petition. Valisure states that their goal is to provide “independent certification” of product safety, but when they stand to profit from finding dangers, then they are not as independent as they should be.

Accepting

In 1991 new concerning animal data caused the FDA to formally declare that additional studies were necessary on BPO safety, but the data was weak, and sales of BPO products continued to be permitted. During the ensuing years, a concerted effort was made through multiple studies to verify BPO’s safety. In 2010, the FDA reviewed available data and voted to label BPO as GRASE (Generally Recognized as Safe and Effective). Recent data had been reassuring. Fast forward to the present day and we have a curveball. A company named Valisure studied the potential of BPO to form benzene at elevated temperatures. Valisure tested benzene levels after exposing BPO products to 98.6, 122, and 158-degrees Fahrenheit for two weeks or more. As the temperature went up, so did the level of benzene. These are temperatures that BPO may be exposed to in real life situations such as being left in a hot car or during shipment from manufacturing sites.

Valisure appears to have proven that BPO has the potential to form benzene, particularly if exposed to high temperatures. How often this happens and how frequently this has caused cancer

No recall has been issued. At least one manufacturer, Clearasil™, has responded by claiming that its products are safe when stored correctly and stated “The findings presented by an independent lab reflect unrealistic scenarios rather than real-world conditions” according to an article in Chemistry World.

And of course, class action lawsuits have already arisen.

One can argue about whether Valisure’s citizen petition for a recall was premature or whether it is motivated by its patent and a desire to force companies to use Valisure’s BPO stabilizer in BPO products to Valisure’s financial gain. The only thing that is certain is that with the filing of a patent, Valisure ceased to be the independent company that we wish it were. What are doctors and patients to do? At the least, throw away expired BPO. Throw away BPO that has been exposed to high temperatures. Talk with your doctor about alternatives to BPO. We are in the fortunate position of having many alternatives to BPO available while the true safety of BPO and potential for benzene formation gets sorted out. Two over the counter alternatives to consider are adapalene or salicylic acid. For more stubborn acne including acne that is causing scarring, see a specialist in dermatology. And stay tuned for future updates on BPO.

Dr. Brent Taylor

Brought to you by – Dr. Brent Taylor, Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of

OPINION

The distinguished Mansell family (Part 1)

BOB MEYERS

The Mansell family has been well known in North Fulton for more than a century. They have been successful farmers employing the latest farming techniques. They have been astute and creative businessmen and were committed to their churches, and in some cases, became quite wealthy yet were always frugal. This column is a tribute to this remarkable family.

I am indebted to several people who have documented various aspects of Mansell history. First, Linda Mansell Martin who wrote “The Great Generation of Mansell’s of N. Georgia,” the definitive history of the Mansell family. Her brother Jody Mansell, deceased, wrote stories about his experiences with his grandfather. Maude Dorris Mansell, (1883-1977) had her granddaughter compile some facts of her life for her descendants. Finally, I appreciate the help of Barry Mansell a retired BellSouth executive, Kathy Beck of the Milton Historical Society and many articles in local newspapers about various members of the family.

The Mansell story begins like that of many local families. The first Mansell’s in America came from England, Ireland and some from Germany in the 18th century. They settled in Virginia and the Carolinas. The first Mansell to settle in Georgia emigrated from South Carolina. Robert Henry Mansell Sr. (1820-1862) and his wife Hanna Maude McCollum (1815-1903) settled in Fields Crossroads in Milton County, at one time a thriving community.

Robert Sr.’s grandson, also named Robert Henry Mansell (1873-1950), was born in Crabapple and was married to Maude Dorris Mansell (1883-1977). People called him Bob. He is noted for the farmhouse he built in 1911 on what is now Mansell Road in Roswell from trees grown on his property. He gradually amassed some 700 acres and lived in the house until 1949 when he retired. In addition to farming, Bob was a successful businessman with an interest in two cotton gins and a sawmill. He also sold his produce from the back of a truck with his grandson Jody every Saturday in Atlanta.

Bob gave each of his five children approximately 60 acres depending on its location and built for each child a house with the understanding that they could never sell their property or take out a mortgage on it. The exception was James

respected and highly successful farmer, land investor and businessman. Here he is shown in 1938 at age 28 in his cornfield.

C.B., and a daughter, Pauline. Bob Mansell’s grandson Jody wrote some short stories about his grandfather who was very close to Jody as he grew up. The stories are included in Linda Mansell Martin’s fascinating book. One story written in 1910 was about Mitch & Madeline, a black tenant farmer and his wife who lived on Bob’s farm. Mitch helped Bob with all his farm work: plowing, planting, harvesting, hog killing – whatever needed to be done. Madeline helped Maude with cooking, cleaning, canning, etcetera. The two couples were good friends.

One day, Jody reported, Bob said to the couple “The two of you deserve a place of your own…lets go see if we can find one.”

Earl Mansell (1910-2002) who received a larger plot because he was the only one of the children interested in farming.

Earl Mansell and his wife Lillian Shirley Mansell [1911-2002] moved into the home. Over the years the Mansells added to the property and raised four sons on the farm: Bob, a retired professor at Florida State University; Marcus, owner of the Mansell Home and Garden Center at Mansell Road and Highway 9 and an extended stay motel in Woodstock (1940-2019); Denny (1948-2013); and Barry. Barry recalls getting up very early every morning to milk the cows before going to school. Before she was married, Lillian Mansell

was a teacher in Crabapple and rented a room in the historic Reese House in the Crabapple crossroads.

Earl sold his 135-acre property to the Herman Miller Company, a manufacturer of office furniture, in 1980 after farming the property for 33 years. The company donated the 10-room Mansell farmhouse to the Alpharetta Historical Society in 1990. The society moved it to its current location on Old Milton Parkway where it serves as a special event facility and headquarters of the Alpharetta and Old Milton County Historical Society. Earl and Lillian retired to a house on Upper Hembree Road. In addition to Earl, Bob had three other sons, Joe, Walter and

Jody recalled that they found a house and that the Martins lived in the house until they passed away years later. After their deaths, their son lived in the house until his death. When Bob died, the Atlanta Journal referred to him as “one of North Fulton county’s most wellknown citizens.”

In the next column I will discuss Bob’s four sons and daughter and some other interesting members of one of the most fascinating families in this area.

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

Columnist

PHOTOS BY MANSELL FAMILY/PROVIDED

Portrait of Robert (Bob) and Maude Dorris Mansell, parents of five children who played an important role in the history of North Fulton. When Bob died in 1950, the Atlanta Journal referred to him as “one of North Fulton county’s most wellknown citizens.”

The Mansell House was built in 1911 by Bob Mansell from trees from his property on today’s Mansell Road. In 1990 the house was donated to the Alpharetta Historical Society. It was moved to its present location on Old Milton Parkway where it was updated and modernized and today serves as a special event facility and headquarters of the Alpharetta and Old Milton County Historical Society.

Earl Mansell, one of four sons of Bob and Maude Dorris Mansell lived in the house built in 1911 by his father. For 33 years Earl was a

For sale: TikTok (to anyone other than China)

Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com

I try to stay current with my news. That is, I try to know at least a little about what is going on in the world. That being said, I can’t keep this idea about forcing TikTok’s U.S. operations to be sold out of my mind.

As most of you know, in the recent legislation for funding support for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, there is a provision included that requires TikTok – which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance –to be sold or, if not sold, banned in the United States. The fear is that the Chinese government is using, or

could use, data generated by TikTok.

That is the point that I don’t get. How does a change in ownership safeguard any data that TikTok generates? Seriously?

At least five companies have expressed interest at one time or another in TikTok – Microsoft, Oracle, Meta (Facebook), Alphabet (Google) and Amazon – all big tech companies with significant interest in data management, data generation, and directly or indirectly, the sale of data/information.

“Data” today is the oil of yesterday. Data is money, pure and simple. It is where the money is and where the money will go.

“Data” is the backbone, foundation, primary component in AI, Artificial Intelligence. Without data, there is no AI. AI is the future.

It’s driving the stock market right now – the prospect of the massive profits that big tech expects to reap from the build-out of AI throughout our economic system. There can be talk about restricting and regulating the use of AI, but that just isn’t going to happen; that train left the station a long time ago. The “talk” is just that – talk.

So here is the rub. Data is a commodity, just like any other commodity. Since data is arguably the most valuable commodity in today’s world, it will, no matter what, be sold directly or indirectly to the highest bidder – just as oil is today. Just look at the U.S. embargo on Russian or Iranian oil that has now been in place for years. That oil is still getting to market despite the sanctions. It always will. Even

the idea of suggesting that the use of economic sanctions in todays interconnected globalized world has much impact at all seems ludicrous.

Changing who the owner of TikTok is and the data that TikTok generates will not change the availability of the data; it will be sold to the highest bidder even if the buyer is the Chinese government. Does anyone think, for another example, that Mr. Zuckerberg does not sell any/all the data that his social media platforms generate to anyone who is willing to write him the check? Don’t think so.

So, I just don’t get it. It just doesn’t make sense if one is looking for rational logic or a legitimate motive to force ByteDance to sell its U.S. operations of TikTok. Something else must be driving this dance.

Wishing for a little more time with Mom

A misguided cynic once opined that Mother’s Day was nothing but a “Hallmark holiday.”

Oh, what I wouldn’t give for one more Mother’s Day Sunday with my mom. She left us way too soon.

Oh, what I wouldn’t give to wake up to the aroma of a bacon and egg breakfast, my sleep ending with her cooking and serenading me with some nonsensical song. It was beautiful, always sung off-key. Fractured lyrics completed the early-morning concert.

Oh, what I wouldn’t give for one more conversation about anything. Trust me, if your mom is alive, quit reading this and get in touch with her.

Oh, what I wouldn’t give to hear her say “Michael, make Mom proud.” Often, those words seemed like a

bother, a nuisance. I didn’t latch on to that nearly enough. I hope and pray she and her angel friends are okay with what I’ve done and written.

Mom was seemingly forever pleading with me to be a good big brother and watch out for Matt and Marty. I took that to heart. I was a good big brother until they both grew up and became less in need of me.

It was cancer that ultimately took her. A lifelong cigarette habit was the catalyst for her demise. She didn’t go without a fight. I have memories of that wicked left hand. No matter the infraction, she couldn’t stay mad for very long. Somehow, I had a gift for always making her laugh.

Punishment at our house involved pulling weeds. It was because of Mom that I detest yardwork. It seemed that we boys could never finish clearing a miniscule patch without there being an epic dirt clod battle, that despite her warnings, never resulted in anyone losing an eye.

She endured the pain of having an alcoholic husband (my father) who was terribly abusive. In a time when divorce was a scourge, she freed herself of that pain and went to work at Thrifty Drug. She worked her way free of having no money, bought her own car and paid for our simple house. She beamed when she saved enough to take her boys to Disneyland.

She remarried in 1970 and I think there were some good times that weren’t so good later on. Bill, my stepdad, had just lost his wife to cancer and he had three kids, who needed a mom. I learned reallife sharing as Mom never became a stepmom. My stepbrother and stepsisters couldn’t have had a better mom for all those years.

She’s been gone for 15 years, and somewhere I have the eulogy I delivered on a cold November morning to a packed house in that Oklahoma church. Mom was a simple woman, never having graduated from high school. Staying

with that theme, I eulogized her by drawing a parallel with her and Winnie The Pooh quotes. She loved that bear, and those Oklahoma folks loved her.

Oh, what I wouldn’t give for a Saturday morning phone conversation after I’d played golf. A recent conversation with a longtime friend turned to his mom and how Alzheimer’s has robbed her of her wit and vitality. He said she has an attention span of about two minutes.

Oh, what I wouldn’t give for two minutes with Mom. Even if she didn’t know who I was, I’d use that two minutes for making sure to say “I love you” as many times as I could. I’d squeeze her hand, hug her neck and make sure to say “Thank you” for all you did.

Mike Tasos has lived in Forsyth County for more than 30 years. He’s an American by birth and considers himself a Southerner by the grace of God. He can be reached at miketasos55@gmail.com.

RAY APPEN

MIKE TASOS Columnist

More from Ireland: Road Less Traveled has own set of rules

Ireland! We’ve been here a week, and we are driving. Yes. Driving. As in a car – a car with the steering wheel on the other side. That wouldn’t be too bad by itself, but it turns out that the cars (including ours) are all on the other side too.

In theory, that’s just a little rightto-left conversion. How hard could it be?

Yeah.

When we picked up the rental car, it was all fun and adventure till we started across the rental car lot and suddenly realized that, yes, it was gonna be up to us to make an Irish car go where we wanted it to go. Actually, it was going to be up to the not-me part of us. We had decided early on that she would be the driver, and now it was time.

We found our car, settled in, and decided to start out with a little practice.

“Let’s drive around the parking lot a few times,” I offered helpfully. So we did. It was harrowing.

We drove around a few more times. Harrowing still.

After about a half hour, we got to the point where we could drive in a big rectangle without having a heart attack every 30 seconds.

“There!” I said helpfully. “That wasn’t too bad! And may I say that you have a very firm grip on the wheel!”

So lesson one of driving where the wheel isn’t where you think it should be is to practice a bit in a place where the odds of rending metal are. Heed that, Grasshopper, for wiser words were never writ.

But eventually, we knew, we would have to leave the safety of the car park (a bit of Irish for you there) and take to the open road. Our task was to drive from the city of Cork across 69 miles of right-is-left-is-right roadway to our cottage by the waters of Coulagh Bay.

“You’ve got this,” I said, ever helpful.

We set the GPS (lesson two of driving where they drive on the other side of the road is to have, and use, a GPS

– it means you’ll have one less thing to worry about) and slowly made our way to the exit. It was not on the expected side. We panicked for a minute but adjusted and then…and then…

Into the traffic we went.

You think driving mirror-imagestyle in a parking lot is exciting? Wait till you try it on an actual road.

What’s it like? Well…

“It’s like you’re in a video game,” she said. “You’re driving along and suddenly HEART ATTACK! A car or something just pops into view, and you’ve got to dodge it!”

It’s one heart attack after another for the passenger, too, only their magnitude is compounded by the stackedstone wall zipping by not 6 inches from your left ear. Fortunately, you’re usually warned of impending wall encounters by the sound of branches scraping down the side of the car. That doesn’t really help things, but it does provide a nice conversation starter. In fact, one time when I gently commented on it, she replied (fairly directly) that whatever they were, those [insert descriptive adjective] branches were probably softer than the front corner of the [insert another descriptive adjective] construction truck which had just zoomed by not 6 inches from HER ear.

Which brings us to lesson three: No matter how strong the urge, while sitting in the passenger seat, try if possible to avoid screaming “WALL!” All that does is upset things, including any nearby sheep who may be within earshot. You do not want upset sheep.

And speaking of sheep, here’s lesson four: Sheep do not have any concept of boundaries, at least the kind between pasture and highway, so when it comes to the open road they hold all the cards. It was not at all unusual to round a corner and find the road suddenly blocked by one or two or 200 sheep, all standing there cool as can be and saying “Ba-ha-ha-ha-ha!” That’s Sheep for “So you enjoyed that roast leg of lamb last night, did ya? Well, who’s in charge of things now, buddy boy?”

Usually, about that time, the nearest sheep will get what I swear is a menacing look in its otherwise friendly eyes and begin to ease inexorably to -

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OUTSIDE, GEORGIA!

Truck:

Continued from Page 1

tractor used for roadside cutting, pulling bush hogs, and the other was a John Deere 50 P-Tier excavator used for digging trenches and installing fixtures like light poles.

This was Bedingfield’s third time participating in the city’s Touch-ATruck.

for Georgia 811 gives a young boy a high five at the Johns

Touch-A-Truck event May 18. Georgia 811 is a nonprofit that connects utility companies with professional excavators and homeowners to prevent damage to underground utilities.

Staff with Jacobs Engineering, contractors for the Johns Creek Public Works Department, hand out orange vests to a family entering the Johns Creek TouchA-Truck event at City Hall May 18. The city has hosted Touch-A-Truck since 2010, scheduling the event on the Saturday before National Public Works Week.

“It’s a great event,” Bedingfield said. “It’s fun to watch all the kids play on the machines. We think of them as a tool to do a job for the public, and the kids see it as a big toy.”

Sang Lee’s family waited in line to hop aboard the 5120M tractor. The Johns Creek resident, a second-time Touch-A-Truck attendee, said the event allows his 1-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son the experience of riding in big vehicles.

Walking through the rows of

trucks, young children, swallowed by earmuffs, scrambled up the tall cabs, looked down and felt around the controls. Many wore orange vests, assuming the role of a construction worker for the day.

One man appeared to show his young son, wearing a plastic firefighter hat, the bucket of a Komatsu PC138.

Jarrod Stanley with Vertical Earth described the PC138 as a long-tail swing excavator used for city road construction. He highlighted its rubber tracks

that prevent damage to asphalt.

Last year, Stanley said Vertical Earth brought a dump truck and wanted to change it up. This was the company’s fifth year showcasing its equipment at the Johns Creek event.

“We’re not just the guys on the side of the highway, tearing up the road, you know,” Stanley said about the importance of community outreach.

Stanley also brought along his 3-year-old son.

“He loves it,” Stanley said.

PHOTOS BY AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Matt Gerich, branch manager for Yellowstone Landscape, and John Bedingfield, commercial mower specialist for Ag-Pro, stand next to the John Deere 5120M series tractor used for roadside cutting. This was Bedingfield’s third year participating in the Johns Creek Touch-A-Truck event.

The mascot

Creek

Johns Creek resident Sang Lee, right, and his family wait in line to hop aboard a John Deere tractor at the Johns Creek Touch-A-Truck event May 18.

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ward your car. Or maybe that’s just my imagination? Or maybe not…

Anyway, passing cars and sheep eventually got a little easier too. Eventually we got to where hearts did not completely stop every time another vehicle passed.

But then came that horrible, awful, terrifying realization: Sooner or later we were going to have to TURN!

Pulling off a right turn

Oh no. You think driving on the other side is hard? Wait till you have to turn from one other side to the other other side. Just wait.

The first time this happened, we just stopped and looked.

“Where do I go?” she asked.

I looked left, and I looked right, and there were cars and trucks and various farm machines coming and going, and sheep, and they were all looking our way...

My brain said “No way” and went back to thinking about escape routes should the sheep attack.

I glanced in the side mirror and saw the face of the driver in the car behind us. He was apparently familiar with drivers trying to drive on the other side of the road, for he smiled a big smile and gave a jaunty wave.

I appreciated that. I really did. But we still had to do something.

“Which way?” she asked again, and my brain kicked back into gear.

“We’re going right, so go to the far lane,” I think I said, or at least I should have. “But look right, then left, then right, or something like that. And watch for sheep, for I’m told they have long memories. And be sure to –"

But she was already in motion. She turned right, rolling smoothly into the far lane.

“There!” I said.

There were a few more turns,

and with each one it got easier. We learned to talk through each turn, watching the road and the traffic and whatever sheep were within range and trying against all odds to get our brains to think in upside-down mirror images. Two really are better than one when it comes to driving like this, and that brings us to lesson five: When driving someplace where you drive on the other side, be sure you have a wingman, at least at first. That lets you, the driver, concentrate on driving while your partner concentrates on where exactly that driving should take place.

Try it, and you’ll understand exactly what I mean.

Why are we here?

So now we’ve been in Ireland for close to a week. We have learned to drive, mostly. Yeah, Ireland changes your life.

But back home, I recalled, we had met some who did not understand how that could be or even why we would want to give it a chance to do so.

“Why would you want to do that?” someone said to me before we left for Ireland. “Why would you want to go some place where they don’t even drive on the right side of the road? Why not just stay here in America where we do it like God ordained it, like it’s ‘sposed to be done?”

What an odd thing to say.

It occurs to me this morning, as we drive comfortably and relaxed through the Irish countryside, that the right side of the road is simply a matter of what side of the road is right. I drive on the right side of the road at home. My new fishing buddy Derek, who I met in the past week, is dyed-in-the-wool Irish and drives on the right side of the road too.

We are much more alike, and much less different, than we sometimes think. You know? This world of ours could do well to remember that right about now, don’t you think?

Yeah, it sure could. Maybe it’ll help.

But I’m still gonna let her drive.

ALPHARETTA-ROSWELL

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Records:

Continued from Page 4

Sam Barnes, researcher with the Atlanta Community Press Collective, said plaintiffs were told about the transfer and that the Clinic would “refine its purview” in an early April meeting, and it was at the request of Bo Rutledge, dean of the UGA School of Law.

“I personally have some of my own suspicions on the matter,” Barnes said.

Barnes first requested assistance from the Clinic in fall 2022 after the collective received a “nonparty request” for documents from former Blackhall Studios CEO Ryan Millsap’s attorney, regarding a lawsuit filed by environmental groups that challenged DeKalb County’s swap of parkland with the developer.

With the Clinic’s legal representation, the collective prevailed in the freepress battle.

Necessary step

Barnes continued to seek support from the Clinic in 2023, with calls at least once a week for assistance on open records and open meetings.

It provided guidance to Barnes on entrance to the Capitol when SB63 was being weighed, which has since been signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp to broaden the scope of offenses requiring cash bail and to prohibit individuals and organizations from posting cash bail more than three times a year, with an exception for bail bondsmen.

Barnes, who uses they/them pronouns, said officials would not grant them a one-day media pass, though it was an open meeting.

Milton:

Continued from Page 11

Alford eventually returned to Iraq and Afghanistan, increasing his rank to colonel. As colonel, he commanded the Basic School at Quantico, one of three locations Marines are “made.” Alford said the other two locations are Parris Island and San Diego.

He was reminded of how tough it was for his family, a wife and two children — 22 moves in 37 years. Alford said it is a “family business,” though not a good one. His son was in the Marines for five years.

“Every senior officer I know has a kid that was in the Marine Corps,” Alford said.

He endearingly called the Marines the “best brainwashers in the world,” acknowledging how often it is that he sees American flags and Marine Corps flags waving around in front yards.

“The clinic was very helpful in making sure that happened, and helping me understand what my rights were,” Barnes said.

While the collective is in a better financial position now, Barnes said there was no way for the news organization to afford the level of support the Clinic provided early on, which enabled its work to be what it is today.

Barnes said they have become a better reporter, learning how to negotiate, asserting new knowledge. They began to lean on the group less.

But, Barnes described the unfortunate and often necessary step of leveraging a lawyer’s letterhead on a document to government agencies that provides details of the law they already know.

“And, then it’s like, ‘Oh, shucks, I guess we have to comply with the law now,’” Barnes said.

The Clinic’s decision to move away from direct advocacy has affected Atlanta Community Press’ publishing schedule. Barnes is sitting on a story that has been ready to go for months, but an open records request dating to November has not been filled after back-andforth with a government agency.

Now, Barnes is figuring out how much it will cost to get legal support, scheduling meetings with attorneys.

“I’m more than happy to pay an open records lawyer an equitable rate, the rate they deserve for the work,” Barnes said. “But, it’s basically going to come down to can we afford to publish this story that is a story that absolutely deserves to be told.”

Empowering citizens

Without the First Amendment Clinic, the McIntosh County Commission may

“We build a culture like no other service does,” he said.

The inception of an annual Memorial Day Tribute in Alpharetta was the idea of City Councilman John Hipes. The inaugural ceremony was held in 2015.

William Perkins, longtime Rotary Club of Alpharetta member and Hipes’ No. 2 on the project, recalled the impact of stories he heard from a World War II veteran as a kid.

Perkins, alongside Councilman Donald Mitchell, also came up with the idea in 2012 to install the Veterans Memorial at Brooke Street Park.

“He never talked about it as a sacrifice that he made, but the stories that he told about being in combat and that kind of thing — it just stuck with me my whole life,” Perkins said. “… He went out, and all these other people went out, and … took the risk. Every day, somebody’s out there on the firing line in a cold, dark place to make it where we can have our regular life.”

have continued to hold open meetings in the county courthouse — a location that had become an issue because access is under the discretion of the sheriff.

The Current, a nonprofit news organization that covers counties in Coastal Georgia, sought legal assistance from the Clinic when the sheriff barred the public from taking purses and recording devices into McIntosh County Commission meetings. The meetings concerned rezoning Hogg Hummock on Sapelo Island, the final intact Gullah Geechee community on the Atlantic Coast.

The County Commission would go on to approve larger dwelling sizes up to 3,000 square feet, double previous sizes allowed, posing a threat toward generations-old families who could be taxed off their land.

“You have, you know, about 150 people there representing Sapelo Island, basically saying, ‘We don’t want this to happen,’ … and there was no way to record it except with a pen and paper, and that’s against the law,” said Susan Catron, managing editor for The Current.

Prohibition on recording devices

continued through two meetings, lifted on the third, after the Clinic wrote a letter to the county attorney, the County Commission and the Attorney General’s Office.

Commission meetings have been permanently moved to Darien City Hall because of the combined effort of The Current and the Clinic, though the public must be a paid subscriber to the local cable provider to watch meeting recordings.

“We’re working on that part,” Catron said.

Catron said the Clinic had to step into a number of open records situations for the three-and-half-year-old startup, preceding the Sapelo Island zoning case.

“It’s not good for the citizens,” Catron said of the Clinic’s decision to quit direct advocacy. “It’s not good for the journalists, but it’s mostly not good for the citizens.”

The issue is bigger than journalism, she said.

“It’s ensuring everyone’s rights to transparency and documents and the work that their government is doing.”

INVITATION TO BID CITY OF JOHNS CREEK

ITB #24-158

JONES BRIDGE ROAD AT SARGENT ROAD AND DOUGLAS ROAD INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS

The City of Johns Creek extends an Invitation to Bid (ITB) to qualified construction firms for the operational improvements project at the intersection of Jones Bridge Road with Sargent Road and Douglas Road in the City of Johns Creek. ITB’s will be received electronically via the City’s bid platform, BidNet no later than 2:00PM on June 6, 2024 . Questions are accepted and answered online only via BidNet. Deadline for questions is May 30, 2024 at 5:00 PM.

Quotes, bids, and RFP’s are electronically managed through the Georgia Purchasing Group by BidNet , our online bidding/vendor registration system, on the City website: https://www.johnscreekga.gov/Residents/Purchasing . To access the ITB document you must register with BidNet. Go to the City website above and click the link “register and view quote/bid/RFP opportunities”.

The City of Johns Creek, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 78 Stat. 252, 42 USC 2000d—42 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, Subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, part 21, Nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs of the Department of Transportation issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, minority business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, sex, or national origin in consideration for an award .

All offerors must comply with all general and special requirements of the ITB information and instructions.

Additional information may be obtained by contacting Neil Trust at the City of Johns Creek Procurement Division at purchasing@johnscreekga.gov or (678) 512-3233. The City of Johns Creek reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to wave technicalities and informalities, and to make award in the best interest of the City of Johns Creek.

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