June 6, 2024 | AppenMedia.com
Johns Creek Fire Chief Chris Coons addresses a City Council work session May 28 regarding a contract between American Medical Response and North Fulton cities. The five municipalities will provide a combined $2 million subsidy for the service in the first year.
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Cities in North Fulton are partnering up in a contract with American Medical Response for subsidized ambulance services.
Johns Creek Fire Chief Chris Coons told the City Council at its May 28 work session the negotiations between AMR and the cities of Johns Creek, Roswell (which also represents Mountain Park), Sandy Springs, Alpharetta and Milton have been longstanding.
Coons said the cities have studied the current
service delivery model under AMR with the intent of providing “top-shelf” service in the future, resulting in a one-year agreement with four successive oneyear terms.
The contract will require a $2 million subsidy in the first year, split among the cities based on a three-year average of population and number of service calls. Subsidy increases will be negotiated but capped at no more than 3 percent.
Johns Creek’s monthly share in the first year will be around $28,400.
See AMBULANCE, Page 21
► PAGE 3
OPINION Fulton County Jail is at a crossroads ► PAGE 19
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The City of Johns Creek will host a Juneteenth celebration June 15 from 3 to 9 p.m. at Newtown Park.
Juneteenth, dated as June 19, honors the end of slavery in the United States. In 2021, Juneteenth became an official federal holiday. Other common names for Juneteenth are Freedom Day and Emancipation Day.
In its second year, the free event will include more than a dozen food vendors from primarily local and Black-owned businesses, and two entertainment headliners. Local poet Ashlee Haze will perform as well as jazz musician and saxophone player Richard Shaw Jr. and his band.
The celebration will also introduce a new feature — a series of informational banners showcasing the origin of Juneteenth and its national celebrations.
Olivia Gazda, Johns Creek assistant to the city manager, and members of the Event Planning Committee are leading the city’s effort to organize the celebration.
Gazda said she thinks it is important for Johns Creek to host a Juneteenth event due to the city’s cultural diversity and emphasized that celebrating the many different cultures in Johns Creek is essential to its identity.
A saxophone player performs at the Johns Creek Juneteenth celebration last year. The 2024 event has been scheduled for June 15 from 3 to 9 p.m. at Newtown Park.
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JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A Norcross man reported to police May 20 that a woman sent him a message through Instagram, offering to pay him $1,000 to paint a portrait of himself.
The man told police the check was emailed to him and that he was asked to deposit the check into his bank account but to send back $500.
The man said he realized it could have been a scam and had not spent any of the money in his account, according to the incident report.
He said he received a text message from someone threatening to kill him if he did not send the money back, the report says. The message contained violent images and threats of the acts pictured happening if the man did not comply, according to the report.
The suspect has not yet been identified.
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A Johns Creek woman reported to police May 22 that someone she met on a dating app threatened her into sending him thousands of dollars.
The woman told police the man pressured her into sending personal information, like her name, address and Social Security number. The woman said the suspect then began making threats to kill her and her family unless she also gives him her banking information, and she complied, according to the incident report.
The woman said she was pressured
through fear to transfer $20,000 from her savings account to her checking account, which also had $22,000, the report says. The woman told police she discovered $42,000 was missing from her checking account, which she reported to the bank.
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A Johns Creek teenager reported to police May 25 that he was blackmailed for $200 after sending explicit photos of himself to a woman he met online.
The teen told police that after he’d sent the photos, the suspect began to ask him to send over money or she would distribute the photo to his friends on social media.
The teen said the suspect asked for $1,700 but that his Cash App account had a limit, the report says. But, he sent $200 through Zelle to the suspect, the report says.
The teen named the suspect but told police the social media account no longer exists.
Police have not identified the suspect.
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police responded to a report from a female resident May 22 about the theft of a replacement debit card from her mailbox.
The victim said her mailbox had been damaged May 16 and she notified the leasing office at her residence on Chattahoochee Circle.
When the victim tried using her debit card the next day, she could not complete a transaction.
Eventually, the victim said she was alerted that her account was locked. Because the victim attempted to use her card Friday evening, she had to wait until Monday to contact her credit union.
A Family Credit Union
representative said the victim had been sent a replacement card because her old one expired.
The representative said someone activated her card and used it at several locations.
The total amount charged was just under $3,200.
The victim said she learned the mailboxes had been burglarized from the rear after speaking with the leasing office May 21.
Police said the victim needed to file a report to seek a refund for the card charges.
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police responded to the Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center May 20 after a 36-year-old Roswell man was admitted with a stab wound.
The victim said he was drinking at La Parranda the evening of May 19 and returned to his home around 4 a.m. at the Roswell Creek apartment homes off Warsaw Road.
Officers later spoke with staff from the apartment complex who said the victim’s alleged residence is a vacant apartment unit. Staff also said they were not aware of the victim and many of the surrounding apartments are also vacant.
The victim said he was standing in the parking lot outside of the apartment, where other people were also located, when someone attacked him from behind.
Officers said the victim had swelling and scratches on the left side of his face and “an obvious stab wound,” about a half-inch wide and 1-inch deep, to his lower back.
The victim said he did not know who assaulted him. He also said he was not in any kind of altercation with another person.
Officers said they notified the Criminal Investigations Division, which responded to the hospital for a follow-up.
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Dozens of vintage trucks and cars filled the parking lot at City Hall June 1 for the annual Cars for Causes to benefit local children.
The event, which ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Johns Creek North Fulton as a fundraiser to send kids to summer camps.
Rotary Club members said the aim is to sponsor 16 or more deserving children to weeklong summer camps at the Johns Creek Arts Center or the Autry Mill Nature Center.
The fundraiser featured some 60 vehicles, including vintage automobiles and custom-made transportation. Visitors got a glimpse under the hoods of many of the vehicles.
In addition to the car show, there was a 50/50 raffle, music and food.
Rotary is one of the largest nonprofit organizations with a global net -
work of around 1.4 million members.
Those interested in joining Rotary Club of Johns Creek North Fulton can visit: rotary.org/en/get-involved/join
Vintage cars line the lot at Johns Creek City Hall June 1 for the Rotary Club of Johns Creek North Fulton’s annual Cars for Causes. Car enthusiasts glimpsed some 60 classic vehicles at the event that raised money for summer camp scholarships for children.
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by HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The last of the three bridges over Ga. 400 was set to reopen to traffic May 31 in preparation for the Georgia Department of Transportation’s Express Lanes project.
The GDOT pulled forward the Ga. 400 Bridge Replacements project as a part of the phased delivery of the planned Express Lanes project, which will add two lanes in each direction from the North Springs MARTA Station to McGinnis Ferry Road.
One express lane is also planned in each direction from McGinnis Ferry Road to McFarland Parkway, or exit 12, in Forsyth County.
Because the three bridges were more than 50 years old, the state needed to replace them with taller, wider structures to fit the planned expansion of Ga. 400.
Metro Atlanta commuters may have noticed the construction of three bridges over Ga. 400, starting in early 2023, at Kimball Bridge Road, Pitts Road and Roberts Drive.
The Ga. 400 overpass on Kimball Bridge Road opened to traffic May 8 after a 365-day closure.
Contractors with C.W. Matthews Contracting Company added two lanes with a raised median, a multi-use
path on the north side and a sidewalk on the south side of the Alpharetta bridge.
A May 1 statement from Alpharetta said some additional work is required for installation of decorative fencing and pavers, as well as general cleanup.
A part of the GDOT’s project includes local agreements with municipalities for bridge aesthetics.
The Pitts Road overpass features a 12-foot-wide path on the south side and a sidewalk on the north side, which are separated from vehicular lanes with barrier walls.
The other Ga. 400 overpass in Sandy Springs, the Roberts Drive bridge, remained open as a new structure was built adjacent to the old bridge.
The new bridge, with the same design as the Pitts Road overpass, opened to traffic last December.
A statement from the GDOT’s project page said motorists and pedestrians may see some construction crews as punch list work concludes on the three bridges.
Kyle Collins, a communications and marketing strategist for the GDOT, said all work on the bridges should be finished by late August.
Collins said work also continues on the Mount Vernon Highway bridge over I-285, specifically opening the pedestrian components.
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MILTON, Ga. — For Milton Historical Society President Jeff Dufresne, storytelling is an essential component of any community. He has one of his own to tell.
That’s why he decided to interview around 90 residents during the first several months of the COVID-19 pandemic to track the city’s sense of community through an upending and emotional time.
Dufresne, born on a dairy farm in Massachusetts, moved to Atlanta with his wife, Josephine, after graduate school in the 1980s.
Dufresne served as executive director of the Urban Land Institute in Atlanta before moving to Milton around 2017. He now serves as principal for Dufresne Projects as a real estate investor and consultant specializing in placemaking.
He’s a former member of the city’s Design Review Board, highlighting his commitment to his community.
“When I moved to Milton, I liked the
A map of 28 historical markers, which provides information about each site, is available on the city’s website, miltonga.gov
buildings,” Dufresne said. “I saw there was a need for recognizing the places of historical value.”
His favorite is the Reese House at 12680 Crabapple Road, a Queen Anne style home built in 1912. He said it’s a beautiful gateway and something all travelers can spot entering the city.
The president of a city’s historical society is sometimes expected to have deep ties to the community. While Dufresne grew up a thousand miles from Milton, he has spent the past four years leading the effort to promote its past through education, preservation and exploration.
“I’ve always had a passion for preserving the past,” Dufresne said. “Learning from it and appreciating what went on at the time.”
ATLANTA
— It was Gen Z’s night on Georgia’s May 21 Election Day: All but one of the youngest cohort of statehouse candidates cruised to victories in metroAtlanta.
One big upset stood out in particular, sending shockwaves through the political establishment. That was Gabriel Sanchez’s victory over State Rep. Teri Anulewicz in the Democratic primary for her Cobb County legislative district, which covers parts of Smyrna and Marietta. Sanchez won with 56.8 percent or 2,249 votes – compared with 43.2 percent or 1,711 votes for Anulewicz.
Anulewicz, who has represented District 42 since 2017, rose through party ranks to become deputy whip for Georgia’s House Democrats, while serving on key House committees, such as Appropriations and Transportation. Her reputation for working across the aisle earned her a broad base of support, even among Republicans. She won endorsements from a long list of state and local officials, including U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath and the AFL-CIO of Georgia.
Her unexpected loss to a 27-year-old waiter and member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) may signal a shift in local politics — one where young, organized progressives running to the left of the establishment can win elections.
By all accounts, Sanchez ran an impressive campaign. Anulewicz outraised him more than two-to-one, bringing in $123,648 in donations, compared with Sanchez’s $50,097, according to campaign finance disclosures. But nearly half the contributions to Anulewicz came from political action committees, while Sanchez’s contributions were overwhelmingly smaller-dollar, individual donations.
That reflects the grassroots get-outthe-vote mobilization that Sanchez’s campaign has undertaken since last
November to win. About 100 volunteers knocked on 17,000 doors, with the target of swaying 2,500 voters to defeat Anulewicz, according to Sanchez campaign manager and DSA-Atlanta co-chair Kelsea Bond.
“Our main takeaway from this campaign — and it’s something that we already knew in our gut — is that there’s a huge disconnect between what the average voter or American actually believes in, and what politicians are doing,” Bond said.
Consequently, the Sanchez campaign’s approach was to go out and talk to constituents about their topline issues — housing, healthcare, a green economy — and connect them to DSA ideals. “This win just really validates what we’ve been saying all along, which is that our ideas are actually popular. It’s just that a lot of politicians are afraid to champion them,” Bond said.
Anulewicz did not respond to a request
for comment.
Even for Cobb Republicans, her loss is a wake-up call. Skylar Akins, the Atlanta Young Republicans’ executive vice president and a resident of District 42, said it was completely unexpected.
If anyone had foreseen it, he added, a number of Republican voters in Anulewicz’s district would have chosen a Democratic primary ballot just so they could vote for her. “They definitely would have [picked a Democratic ballot]. The only thing we were deciding on the Republican side in Cobb County was the sheriff’s race,” he said.
Akins acknowledged the “sweat equity”
Sanchez’s campaign put in. “I know they flooded this district with people because I was personally canvassed by his campaign three or four times,” he said.
Sanchez will face off against Republican Diane Jackson for the House legislative seat in November. Jackson ran unopposed in the Republican primary.
The other Gen Z candidates to win Democratic primaries for state legislative seats include Bryce Berry and Ashwin Ramaswami in Metro Atlanta and Madeline Ryan Smith in a Middle Georgia district.
Berry bested a crowded field to win the Democratic primary for House District 56, which runs from Ansley Park, through Midtown, all the way southwest to Beecher Hills. The district’s two-term incumbent, Rep. Mesha Mainor, caused a stir last July when she switched from the Democratic to the Republican Party – attracting Berry and four other Democratic challengers.
If Berry wins against Mainor in November, he could be the first public school teacher in the Georgia House of Representatives. The 2023 Morehouse College graduate teaches 7th grade math for Atlanta Public Schools. He told Atlanta Civic Circle last month that education reform, including greater teacher pay, along with affordable housing and accessible healthcare are his top issues.
Ramaswami ran unopposed to win the Democratic primary for Senate District 48 in Johns Creek, where he grew up. Ramaswami, a software engineer who just graduated from Georgetown Law School, will face off against Republican incumbent Sen. Shawn Still in
See PRIMARY, Page 20
CUMMING, Ga. — Shannon Williams probably fits in with other mushroom enthusiasts, wearing one of several mushroom T-shirts and advocating for a holistic healthy lifestyle, skeptical of silver bullets.
He’s the type to notice a kinship with all things around us.
“Mushrooms are very close to us, not too far from us in the genetic pool,” he said.
Before news of the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, Williams said he came down with a sickness that resulted in a stick up his nose and hushed tones from medical professionals in the hall of the hospital, keeping away from whatever he had.
During his recovery, his son Shannon, the second, turned him onto turkey tail mushrooms. It was off to the races from there, carrying over some of the same equipment he used to brew his own ale.
“I remember I still was in pain when I decided I wanted to sell mushrooms to the public, so I decided I want to feed and heal my public,” Williams said.
Out of the basement in his Cumming home, he grows more than a dozen varieties of (legal) mushrooms. The 10-by-20 Gorilla tent is the last of three size upgrades for his burgeoning business Noble Fungi Farm.
“I don’t know if you’ve ever been born again, but it felt like that but without the politics,” Williams said. “It was my choice, right? It was like, ‘Hey, this is a good thing, and I benefited from it personally, like I am
a witness. Have you ever met Mushroom Jesus?’”
Williams fetched a box of mushrooms from his car — pink and blue oysters, which he identified by their Latin names. He said they were the backbone to his farm as well as elm oysters and lion’s mane, though he also grows chestnuts, reishi, shitake. Cordyceps get their own room, and so would hen-of-the-wood if he chooses to add it to the bunch.
“Hen-of-the-wood, I believe, knows the difference between its spores and other spores,” Williams said. “If there’s too many other spores in the environment, it’ll grow, but it’ll be underwhelmed. It won’t be like, ‘Life!’ It’ll be like, ‘Life…’”
He sells whole mushrooms, mushroom jerky and mushroom tinctures at local markets, also listing mushroom-based recipes on his website like one concocted by his eldest daughter Rena for vegan rainbow mushroom stroganoff.
Soon, Williams will introduce chaga soap. Chaga is sclerotia, a byproduct of birch trees attacking the locale of a fungal parasite, similar to a mold. Like reishi, Williams said it is an immunomodulator and an adaptogen, nourishing organs to provide chemical stability.
“It’s taking all the good stuff that the tree is throwing at it and making it grow,” Williams said.
Products or “value-adds,” as he likes to call them, are a third of his business. Another third is education, and another is having fun.
See MUSHROOM, Page 9
Continued from Page 8
Williams said his wife Valerie gives his mind direction, one that sometimes takes him down into the grow room at 3 a.m., still finding it miraculous to see his mushrooms grow.
“I bring the purpose, and I bring the dreams, and she helps me make it make sense,” Williams said.
Valerie, responsible for marketing Noble Fungi Farm, chuckled every now and then from across the outside breezeway at Starbucks as Williams’ excitableness over mushrooms pulled him into tangents.
He dove into the weeds of mycology, a meticulous process helped by a skillset he developed working in finance and accounting for UPS before he retired.
“My grandmother used to say, ‘There’s a place for everything, and everything has its place,’ and that’s kind of my vibe,” Williams said.
He also shared insights he accrued while taking his health into his own hands, with a hope that people do the same.
“We shouldn’t lean so much on other things,” Williams said. “They all have their place, but people don’t know how to grow anything. They don’t know how to fix anything. Like it breaks, they just go buy a new one.”
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. —The City of Johns Creek announced May 28 that it recently hired Economic Development Director Kim Allonce, responsible for overseeing activities like business retention, entrepreneurship and community placemaking.
“I am pleased to welcome Kim to the City of Johns Creek as our new Economic Development director,” Interim City Manager Kimberly Greer said. “We are excited about the fresh perspectives and energy he brings to our community and look forward to his contributions to our ongoing growth and success.”
Allonce will lead Johns Creek’s efforts to promote economic growth and create job opportunities through a comprehensive development approach.
“I am thrilled to be joining the City of Johns Creek as its Economic Development director,” Allonce said. “The Town Center project is a prime example of the city’s dedication to creating innovative development that brings a strong sense of place with smart business development. I am
proud to be a part of the continued enhancement to the quality of life for the city’s residents, students, businesses and visitors through purposeful and sustainable economic development.”
Allonce brings nearly a decade of experience in community and economic development, most recently as the director of Economic Development for the City of Stockbridge. He holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Georgia and a doctorate in public affairs from the University of Central Florida.
Allonce received the Economic Development Leadership Award by the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, the General Professional Development Scholarship award by the Southern Economic Development Council, and the Michal P. Hickey Scholarship award by the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute.
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FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Sports Turf Company announced competition of phase one of the athletic facility renovations May 29 at high schools in the Fulton County district.
Phase one includes the renovation of high school practice fields at Alpharetta, Milton, Westlake in Atlanta and Langston Hughes and Creekside in Fairburn.
Sports Turf turned the existing natural grass practice fields at all five high schools into an artificial turf system, providing more durability and better shock absorbency.
The school district awarded a $13.6 million contract last November to the sports construction and surfacing company to renovate 11 practice fields, one stadium field and two shot put and discus sectors.
Phase two, already scheduled to be underway, calls for a new practice field,
stadium field replacement and track resurface at Cambridge High School.
The second slate of projects also includes construction of a track surface at Langston Hughes and Johns Creek high schools, a practice field at Tri-Cities High School in East Point and a practice field with shot put and discus sector at Banneker High School in unincorporated Fulton County.
The third phase will install new practice fields at Roswell, Centennial and Chattahoochee high schools.
Todd Higgins, president of Sports Turf, said his team is excited to see phase one completed.
“It is a privilege to work for a school system that places such a high importance on their athletic facilities,” Higgins said. “We’re excited to keep working on the next two phases to give them the facilities their athletes deserve.”
Brought to you by - Bath and Kitchen Galleria
Throughout America major changes are happening in the bathroom, especially in the shower. North Atlanta expanded rapidly from 1980 to 2005, and this is the era of jetted tubs dominating the bathroom, claustrophobic gold framed showers, poor lighting and the use of materials that promoted mold and mildew (grout).
“We see this every day”, says John Hogan, owner of Bath and Kitchen Galleria in Alpharetta, “Homeowners are tired of recurring grout issues, and they want their bathrooms to be a soothing pleasant experience.” Bath and Kitchen Galleria just completed their 1000th project and bathrooms are their primary type of project. “We have a formula that works for homeowners that balances bathroom aesthetics, function and price.”
In the bathroom, America has realigned its preferences, and the bathroom has taken a new shape in terms of products and appearance. At the center of “America’s New Bathroom” is a larger, open shower. We take more showers than baths, so the emphasis has shifted to the shower. Larger showers are more inviting and in most cases the shower does not have a ceiling.
The openness of the shower is the mold solution.
In concert with the openness is the abundant use of shower glass. Not just any glass but specially coated glass that makes cleaning far less frequent.
“We remodel just about every shower to be a maximum of 2 tiled walls: the remaining walls are always glass,” Mr. Hogan continued, “abundant glass and strategically located lighting, promotes that spa feeling.” Bathrooms are now engineered to be cleaner, both in design and materials; grout no longer promotes mold, non-porous tile remains clean, and humidity sensing fans automatically exhaust unwanted humidity.
Americans are taking shorter showers, but an abundance of water is also desired, so multiple shower heads especially incorporating a handheld wand is preferred. Especially when a bench is included, the water needs to be accessible from a seated position.
The 5 Absolute Must-Haves in a Bathroom: Bigger Showers, Brighter Bathrooms, Designs that Promote Cleanliness, Abundant Water experiences and Soothing Colors. For more information visit Bath and Kitchen Galleria’s showroom at 10591 Old Alabama Rd Connector in Alpharetta (no appointment needed) or call them at 678-459-2292.
Brought to you by – Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties’ New Homes Division
John Wieland and his JW Collection team, with more than 50 years of experience, present Lakeside at River Green, a gated, active-adult neighborhood in Canton, GA, just north of Atlanta in Cherokee County. The JW Collection is John’s legacy business and represents his half century commitment to building better homes.
Lakeside at River Green is a neighborhood without comparison. An elevated experience that has no equal. And homes as unique as you are because you help design them. Our luxury single-family homes range from 1,800 to 3,600+ sq. ft. and over one to three stories of spacious living, finished terrace levels with media rooms, sky terraces, luxury owner’s suites with spa-inspired
baths, and elevator capability, along with spacious rear and bonus yards.
It’s what’s next in active adult home design – there is no need to be tied to one-level living or compromise on space for entertaining or the luxury upgrades you desire. Once you’ve chosen from a spectrum of home styles and plans that only a John Wieland neighborhood can over, you join our design team at our new home design studio. Collaborating with the team, you’ll help curate a home that becomes the very image of your personal sense of style and taste.
Lakeside is redefining what an active adult neighborhood is all about. As part of the overall master-planned River Green community, you’ll enjoy a country-club atmosphere rich with resort-style activities and amenities – all just steps away from your front door. Soak in the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Take your furry best
friend on a scenic stroll. Make new friends lakeside, poolside or at Evermore, Lakeside’s brand-new 10,000+ sq. ft. clubhouse featuring an elegant club room, veranda, fitness center, yoga room, lounge, meeting rooms and boardroom, covered outdoor terrace with lake views, pickleball courts, fire pit and lake pier. Other amenities in River Green include a resort and lap pool, waterpark, tennis courts, playground, miles of walking/ biking/nature trails, and more than 200 acres of green space.
Lakeside is as far away from expected as possible, yet it’s close to everything you want, need and love. Here you’ll experience a setting of true privacy woven into the fabric of a flourishing master-planned community. Plus, you’ll get to enjoy the arts, culture, and charm of the historic town of Canton, GA. Canton and the surrounding scenic area have become a mecca for wineries,
golf, gourmet dining, and eclectic shops and art studios. If that weren’t enough, everything from cheering on your hometown heroes like the Braves and Falcons to world class music and art is nearby in Atlanta.
Every John Wieland home is built with purpose, and everyone on the JW Collection team is committed to the company’s mission: To conceive and build homes and neighborhoods that will stand the test of time in value and beauty and enhance the lives of their owners. Come experience the John Wieland difference at Lakeside at River Green.
To schedule a tour, please contact Carla or Calvin at 678-321-4211 or visit us online at lakesideatrivergreen.com.
Lakeside is represented by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties New Homes Division. An equal housing opportunity.
Brought to you by – Bill Rawlings and Sherri Conrad, Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty
As 2024 opens with limited inventory in high demand coupled with investors who have become accustomed to new interest rates, the luxury market can safely be termed ‘healthy.’ However, sellers need to stay informed about evolving buyer trends. According to a new Luxury Outlook Report from Sotheby’s International Realty, the market is experiencing a shift toward properties that integrate a few key elements well.
Here are a few highlights of what’s next in luxury homes. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your current residence or invest in a new property, these features are set to reshape not only homes themselves but the lifestyles they represent.
1. Sustainable features.
The demand for renewable energy and a reduction in carbon footprint has generated an unprecedented market for eco-conscious building and development practices. In addition, many governments offer tax credits for sustainable construction. E-vehicle charging points, solar energy, eco materials and eco amenities are becoming important considerations for buyers. Sustainability is extending into community development as well, with walkability, electric-vehicle charging station availability and LEED-certified designs factoring largely in planned neighborhoods.
2. Hospitality elements.
In Hotel-Style, At Home, Jim Tinson, AIA, says that his clientele “…no longer draws a distinction between their vacation accommodations, private clubs, or primary residences…. ‘There’s a focus on elevated amenities and hospitality experiences baked into private homes.’” Some examples of this trend are:
• hotel-style suites that incorporate en suite bathrooms, closets and blackout shades into secondary bedrooms,
• in-room kitchenettes,
• spa-inspired bathrooms,
• family entertainment destinations,
• high-end mudrooms that mimic the boot rooms of five-star ski resorts (complete with headed lockers, boot warmers and full equipment storage), and
• hotel-worthy cocktail bars
3. Resort-like attributes.
The seamless integration of indoor and outdoor living spaces has become a hallmark of luxury design. This feature emphasizes a harmonious connection with nature and blurs the boundaries between the interior and exterior through expansive glass walls, retractable doors and covered outdoor rooms.
As we navigate through 2024, the landscape of luxury real estate continues to transform, marked by amenities that offer a comprehensive, elevated living experience. For sellers and developers, staying attuned to these trends is crucial in catering to the sophisticated tastes of today’s market. If you need assistance renovating your home or have any other real estate needs, please contact Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty at 770.442.7300. We would be happy to assist you!
Compiled and edited by Angela Valente, Marketing Copywriter/ Copyeditor
Scan to view this month’s collection of featured properties exclusively represented by our firm.
Brought to you by – Estates Law Center USA
Estate planning is essential if you don’t want your property to end up in the costly probate court, but how do you make sure your beneficiaries can inherit without the headache of additional costs? You can put “right of survivorship” language on the deed, which ensures that the remaining joint owner of the property inherits 100% upon your death, but that’s only a temporary stop-gap measure as the property will still end up going into the probate court upon the remaining owner’s death. You can’t sign the property over to your children during your lifetime, since that triggers capital gains tax, and you certainly can’t just leave the property be, as the right of survivorship isn’t automatic in the state of Georgia - not even a spouse would be able to inherit your interest in a property.
be inherited by non-spouse beneficiaries two or more generations younger than you, which is perfect if you want your great-grandchildren to inherit. This trust can also be drafted so assets are transferred without incurring generation-skipping tax. Then there’s the 2503(c) trust, which is a special trust created specifically for children under the age of 21. It allows you to control the trust assets and properties until the child reaches maturity. Or you can always go with a basic or enhanced revocable trust, which protects the properties after your death and ensures the beneficiaries inherit without capital gains tax - thanks to something called the “step-up basis,” they would only need to pay taxes based on the current value of the property, not on the value that the property has accumulated over the years.
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That’s where trusts come in, and there are a variety of trusts that you can choose to set up depending on your situation. For instance, a generationskipping trust allows trust assets to
Regardless of your situation, there is likely a trust that is perfect for you. So don’t wait to begin protecting your property. Start today by contacting a local estate planning attorney and start your estate plan now.
I upgrade my Will to a Trust? • What do I need to know about Revocable Living Trusts? • How do Irrevocable Trusts work?
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Recently, my daughter celebrated her birthday at the beach with five of her closest friends, while I stayed at her place in Ellijay, babysitting her husky. Although I don’t mind housesitting, taking care of that husky was another story.
I was struck by the diversity among my daughter’s friends – their eclectic nature —so unlike the typical groups from my generation. These friends are difficult to categorize or stereotype, and their varied backgrounds made me wonder just how typical they are of their generation, many of whom are now in their mid to late 30s.
All except one friend met my daughter while she lived in California in a big house over a decade ago on the corner of Haight and Ashbury. The outlier is a friend she met in Berlin. Despite geographical distances and time, these friendships have remained strong and vital.
The friend from NYC, a computer programmer from India who grew up in Dubai, recently quit her job in the Bay Area to move to and experience New York City – by herself. When I asked her how the birthday party was at the beach, she replied that it was like a “five-day slumber
party,” which brought a smile to my face and made my heart flutter.
The friend from upstate New York is originally from a small village in Bangladesh. He moved to the United States at 5 and became a successful computer programmer. While living at the house on Haight, he began developing Crowdcast, a website for video conferencing, just before COVID-19, which eventually became a popular app and platform used worldwide. Talk about timing.
Two of my daughter’s friends still live in the Bay Area. One is an architect. I would call her an “art connoisseur/entrepreneur.”
When I first met her, she was running a converted warehouse in Oakland that she had converted into a live/work art collective to address affordable housing and work space for Bay Area artists. Think consignment store, except instead of booths for stuff to sell, there were spaces for artists to create their work. Wandering through the warehouse was mystical, almost like exploring some far-away land. You never knew what you would run into around any corner you turned.
The other friend still living in the Bay Area is much of the time, literally living “in the bay.” His story is remarkable. He is from the Midwest and dropped out of college and that traditional career track thing, and moved to California where he started
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The history of the Shirley family can be traced back to the 11th century in Europe. Since I am related to the Shirley family and was vaguely aware of my Irish and English roots and have a fondness for Irish pubs, I tracked down the Shirley Pub in the small Irish town of Kells near Kilkenny a few years back. I spent a delightful time with the owners in their nearby home.
The Shirley Arms boutique hotel in the heart of Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, is another worthwhile location to visit. The Shirley estate just outside Carrickmacross was the largest estate in the county in the 17th century, covering some 26,000 acres, about the size of Disneyworld. At the end of the 19th century the lands had to be sold due to the Irish Land Acts. The estate now has fewer than 1,000 acres.
English Protestant migration to Ireland took place over several centuries. Ireland was a very Catholic country dating back to St. Patrick’s trip to Ireland in the 5th century to convert the population to Christianity. In 1649 the English Parliament sent General Oliver Cromwell to quell a Catholic uprising in Ireland. Cromwell devastated several Irish cities and was preparing to attack Kilkenny when the city capitulated. One of the Kilkenny residents was Thomas Shirley who had immigrated to Northumberland County, Virginia in 1643. DNA tests have shown that the Kilkenny DNA matches the DNA of at least some of the Shirleys of North Fulton, so it is safe to conclude that at least some local Shirleys are descendants of both Ireland and England.
The Shirley family history is detailed in an 1841 book “Stemmata Shirleiana” by Evelyn Phillip Shirley. It records the lineage of the Shirleys through the oldest sons from 1066 to the late 1800s. It dates the Shirley lineage to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 by William, Duke of Normandy, who invaded England with his army from Northern France, an attack which earned him the name William the Conqueror. After becoming King of England, William seized the estates of families who did not support him and gave them to those who did support him. Among those who came with William from Normandy was Sir Henry de Ferrières (1036-1101).
According to a book written by Fred Shirley of Alpharetta (1935-2017) “The Shirleys of Northumberland, VA,” King William rewarded Ferrières with vast
lands seized from six landowners who had opposed the king.
The Shirley lineage began as the surname of several parishes, the first being in Derbyshire in the English midlands. There are several other Shirley towns in England. Shirley is a Saxon word, signifying “a clear place or pasture.” The charming Shirley village and civil parish still exist today in Derbyshire which had a population of 270 in 2011. In the 14th century the Church of St. Michaels was built in the town and the local Saracen's Head pub built in 1791.
Fred Shirley’s book is a great resource about the history of the Shirleys in America. Fred tells the story of Thomas Shirley, who was probably the first, or certainly among the first, Shirley immigrants in 1643 as a very young man. He became a successful tobacco farmer and was a leader in his community. He passed on to future generations of Shirleys his qualities of “wisdom, ambition and an adventurous spirit,” wrote Fred Shirley. Thomas married Francis Snatt Shirley (1633-1690) in 1665. He died in 1696.
In 1784 descendants of Thomas,
John and Elizabeth Shirley, loaded their wagon with their seven children and, together with their six horses and 13 cattle, left Northumberland and traveled to Abbeville County, South Carolina, where John purchased 200 acres on the Savannah River. John constructed a sawmill and grain mill, and the family grew and prospered. Other relatives followed them to Abbeville or settled in Honea Path about 19 miles from Abbeville.
In the mid-1800s, some Shirley families left South Carolina and moved to north Georgia, attracted by reports of good land available at cheap prices. They were also aware of newspaper reports of the Gold Land Lottery of 1832 and that some owners of the 40-acre land lots were selling their lots at low prices since anything they received represented a profit.
John Franklin Shirley (1841-1906) was born in South Carolina and moved with his wife Mary Catherine Shirley (1846-1915) and children to North Fulton in 1846. He enlisted in the Confederate Army, 56th Infantry Regiment, Company 1, 3rd Regiment GA State Troops. After the Civil War, John became
a successful farmer with more than 1,000 acres with two sawmills and several houses in the Union Hill, Ocee and Stono communities about 3 miles from Alpharetta.
John and Mary’s son, James Wright Shirley (1868-1960), and his wife Dora Josephine Strickland (1870-1931), lived on a farm that includes what is today Lake Windward in Alpharetta. Just below the house was a large building housing the Stono Post Office, store and grain mill owned by Mr. Shirley. He also owned a general store in Ocee, the Farm Merchandise Store in downtown Alpharetta and a 500-acre farm with five tenant houses. James and Dora had 10 children most of whom were farmers. Fred Shirley and his sister Sally David, who lives in Hiawassee, were grandchildren of James Wright.
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.
What are you in the mood to read?
Genteel mysteries set in 1920s England or a fastpaced modern-day mystery set in small-town Maine? These three books are equally entertaining, but the third is quite different from the first two.
“Murder at Millar’s Hotel”
By Kelly MasonI'm hooked. This cozy mystery set in 1920s England has an inspirational main character. Lady Ellen of Ashcombe Hall is staying at Millar's Hotel in a seaside town while her family home is being refurbished.
A war widow, she turned her home into a convalescent home for WWI vets, and now in 1924, is ready to move forward. This is a cozy mystery, so of course, her plans are disrupted when she runs into an unpleasant character from her past.
But she also runs into a charming man who spent time convalescing at Ashcombe Hall, and the game is soon afoot. Lady Ellen is a caring main character who looks out for others. Some might label her a rescuer, but that's part of her charm. I can't wait to dive into book II to see what develops next for her.
“Murder at Archly Manor”
By Sara RosettI enjoy the author's contemporary Murder on Location series set in a Cotswolds village, so I wanted to try this historical cozy series set in 1920s England. What a delight. Olive Belgrave is just my kind of heroine--down-to-earth, able to fend for herself and not terribly impressed by the moneyed upper class.
She holds her own no matter the surroundings, and the witty dialogue grabs your attention. It's the first in the 8-book High Society Lady Detective series, and I highly recommend you pick it up.
Now, hold on to your hats, fast forward 100 years, and skip across the pond to the U.S.
“The Busy Body”
By Kemper DonovanWhat fun! Two smart women are on the trail of a killer. One is a ghostwriter
who pens memoirs and autobiographies for celebrities and politicians, and the other is a losing candidate in a recent presidential election. One is accustomed to being front and center. The other is a woman who makes a living being invisible.
You're bound to note the similarities to Hilary Clinton in former Senator Dorothy Gibson, who has sequestered herself in her Maine home to lick her wounds.
It occurred to me only as I sat down to write this review that I couldn’t recall the ghostwriter's name. I'm betting it was never mentioned, which is in keeping with her occupation. How clever!
When a neighbor dies, the two "involve" themselves in the investigation, and as befits a mystery with amateur sleuths, solve the case. Other than the cursing, this is very much a cozy mystery. Plenty of clever clues, red herrings, and twists and turns abound. The phrase "Musk adjacent" to describe an entrepreneur is an example of the author's way with words. A few times, I had to stop and think before I got the meaning.
The ghostwriter's life story is never fully revealed, though there are hints. That means there's more to come. Plus the subtitle is "A Ghostwriter Mystery," which is a clue that this will be a series.
The witty dialogue, complete with plenty of snark, will keep you entertained, and you'll be tempted to read nonstop, much as you would with an Agatha Christie story. It's no surprise to learn that the author hosts an Agatha Christie podcast. I await the announcement that book 2 is on the way.
I enjoy having a variety of books on my nightstand so that I’m sure of finding one that fits my mood. After the calm ones set in England, “The Busybody” was a nice change.
Award-winning author Kathy Manos Penn is a two-time Georgia Author of the Year nominee and a Sandy Springs resident. Find her cozy mysteries on Amazon or locally at The Enchanted Forest, Bookmiser, and Johns Creek Books. Contact her at inkpenn119@gmail.com, and follow her on Facebook, www.facebook. com/KathyManosPennAuthor/.
Something needs to be done about the Fulton County Jail. It’s a critical part of the public safety ecosystem and its failing. We’ve seen horrific deaths and conditions so shocking that the Department of Justice has launched an investigation which is still ongoing. What you might not know is that a cycle of incidents, investigations and Band-Aid repairs has been going on for decades.
In 2015, the AJC reported on the county’s successful response to a lawsuit after 11 years that included addressing issues of jail overcrowding that had inmates sleeping on the floor, and conditions “so unsafe that inmates could wander about because of faulty locks.”
The article noted that “conditions would improve and then deteriorate again” over the 11-year period but were now fixed and that the “cost to taxpayers [had been] about $1 billion in renovations, repairs and ongoing programs.”
I don’t know how long those fixes lasted but I do know that by 2021, the Board of Commissioners were acknowledging that the same problems were occurring and started looking for solutions.
We spent almost a billion dollars between 2004 and 2015 and it bought us a few years, at best.
In January, 2023, shortly after I took office as a Fulton County Commissioner, I toured the jail at 901 Rice Street and saw firsthand how deteriorated and overcrowded it is. I saw pallets on the floor where men were bunking because there weren’t enough beds, and I saw how small the cells built for one man looked with two men living in them. I saw the handmade weapons the inmates were able to make with pieces of the building they could pull apart with their bare hands, and I talked with the sheriff about how challenging it is to hire and retain frontline law enforcement folks to work there. This year the stories of broken locks and doors sounded like a repeat of the 2015 story.
It was clear to me that something had to be done, and I was glad to learn that a year before I took office, the Board of Commissioners had contracted with a group of industry experts to conduct a Jail Feasibility Study for $1.2 million so that they could address the issues in a more holistic way than had been done in the past.
The study, presented to the board on
Feb. 1, 2024, concluded that the “existing jail is obsolete,” “creates public safety concerns” and is “adversely affecting employee retention.” It also stated that the “current buildings are deteriorated” and that the Fulton County Jail, which opened in 1989, exceeded the 30 year “average useful life of comparable jails.” The study came with a data analysis of the projected inmate population growth for the next 25 years, and a recommendation for a new jail at the 901 Rice Street location, with the lowest cost option estimated at $1.68 billion. After much debate that day and over the weeks and months that followed, it was clear all six of the district commissioners agreed that a new building was necessary. Only the chairman felt otherwise.
For the six of us, the debate was not about whether we should build a jail, but about how big it should be, how much we should spend, and where we would get the money. While that debate continued, we agreed that moving forward with at least the next two phases would not preclude us from working to improve inefficiencies in the justice system which might allow us to build a smaller building, or pursuing the option of a sales tax to help cover the cost and reduce the burden on property taxpayers.
With that in mind, we went ahead with Phase 2 of the Jail Feasibility Study at a cost of approximately $800,000, and approved bond funding and the issuance of a request for proposals (RFP) for the next phase of planning.
But now, the project is at a standstill. At the May 15 Board of Commissioners meeting, an unexpected vote was called to rescind the RFP for the next phase. It passed.
So, what changed? We were not able to get help from the state on the sales tax front, we were able to make improvements to the justice system, make more use of ankle monitoring which has lowered our current jail population, and the idea of renovation has re-emerged for some as a viable solution.
To be clear we spent $2 million on experts who gave us their best advice and we didn’t like the advice.
Something has to be done about the Fulton County Jail. But what? Will we spend another decade in a cycle of incident, investigation and Band-Aid response to the tune of $1 billion+ or will we invest in a long-term strategy that is humane, safe and improves public safety countywide?
Dana Barrett is the Fulton County Commissioner representing District 3.
Continued from Page 7
November. The Democrat has said he decided to challenge Still after the latter’s indictment in the sprawling Fulton RICO case against former president Donald Trump.
In Middle Georgia, Smith also ran unopposed to win the Democratic primary for House District 158, located between Macon and Savannah. Smith is challenging longtime incumbent Rep. Larry “Butch” Parrish, who just completed his 20th term. This will be her second bid for the seat, after losing to Parrish in 2022.
A Gen Z challenger in Albany, Joshua Anthony, wasn’t able to unseat first-term Rep. David Sampson in the Democratic primary for House District 153. Sampson won a resounding 58 percent of the vote.
Incumbents fare well
Outside of Sanchez’s upset, incumbents fared well in the primary.
Georgia Supreme Court Justice Andrew Pinson staved off a competitive challenge from former Democratic Congressman John Barrow, winning 55 percent of the vote in the closely watched nonpartisan primary. Pinson was appointed to the state
Here’s a rundown of run-off elections expected for the five-county, metroAtlanta area based on preliminary election returns:
Fulton County
• Democratic primary for Fulton County Commissioner, District 4: Incumbent Natalie Hall v. Mo Ivory. Clayton County
• Democratic primary for Clayton Sheriff: Incumbent Levon Allen v. Jeffrey E. Turner.
• Democratic primary for Clayton County Commission Chair: Alieka Anderson v. Terry L. Baskin
• Democratic primary for Clayton County Commissioner, District 3: Tashe’ Allen v. Attania Jean-Funny.
DeKalb County
• Democratic primary for DeKalb CEO: Larry Johnson v. Lorraine Cochran Johnson.
• Democratic primary for DeKalb County Commissioner, District 4:
Supreme Court in 2022 by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, so now he’ll serve a 6-year term.
The McConnell-Chadwick Homestead, built in the late 1830s on Arnold Mill Road, predates the creation of Milton County.
Lance Hammonds v. Chakira Johnson.
• Judicial runoff for State Court Judge Division A-3: Yolanda Mack v. Dionne McGee.
Gwinnett County
• School Board District 1: Karen Watkins v. Rachel Stone
• School Board District 3: Steve Gasper v. Shana White State Legislature
• Democratic primary for State Senate District 55: Iris Knight-Hamilton v Randal Mangham (DeKalb and Gwinnett Counties)
• Democratic primary for State Senate District 38: RaShaun Kemp v. Ralph Long III. (Fulton County)
• Democratic primary for State Senate District 34: Valencia Stovall v. Kenya Wicks. (Clayton and Valencia Counties)
• Democratic primary for State House District 96: Arlene Beckles v. Sonia Lopez (Gwinnett County)
manding 83 percent of the vote. McAfee is overseeing the historic case alleging election interference against Trump and 14 co-conspirators.
Fulton Sheriff Pat Labat and District Attorney Fani Willis, the prosecutor for the Trump election-interference case, both cruised to victory in their Democratic primaries. Another Democratic incumbent, Clerk of Courts Che’ Alexander, also attracted primary challengers, but won 52 percent of the vote to narrowly avoid a runoff. These primary victories all but assure their wins in November in the heavily Democratic county.
Gwinnett County Sheriff Keybo Taylor trounced three fellow Democrats, winning 67.8 percent of the vote in their primary. He’ll face off against Republican primary winner Mike Baker, a former Gwinnett deputy, in the Nov. 5 general election.
Run-offs to watch
Several other elections will head to a runoff on June 18. In contests with more than two candidates, if no candidate secures over 50 percent of the vote, a runoff election between the top two vote-getters is held within four weeks.
He credited former Milton City Councilman Bill Lusk, one of the 35 founding members of the nonprofit, for his support getting the organization off the ground.
“It grew out of a group of history lovers in Milton,” Dufresne said. “Not all of us are from this town, but just people who have an appreciation for the history of where they live.”
Dufresne identified one hurdle with preserving and sharing the multifaceted story of Milton: its little-known history.
As more Americans began settling the interior of Georgia in the early 19th century, tensions increased between the Cherokee Nation and White farmers. The state took over Cherokee lands in 1830 and divided it during the 1832 land lottery.
A couple decades later in 1857, the state established Milton County from parts of Cherokee, Forsyth and Cobb counties.
Former state senator and Brig. Gen. Eli McConnell was authorized to mediate conflict between Native Americans and White settlers in the area and to sell property after the Cherokee removal in 1938.
Without the effort from the Milton Historical Society to work with the city and property owner, the historical site would have likely been destroyed.
“The building was in disrepair, and the owner didn’t really have the money to restore it,” Dufresne said. “Ultimately, we got the owner to donate the building to the city, and the city will preserve it.”
The primarily cotton-producing county merged into Fulton County during the Great Depression amid boll weevil infestations and droughts that upended its one-crop economy.
Dufresne identified 1932 as his favorite moment in the history of Milton, as a community, county and city.
The collapse of the national economy,
In another nonpartisan judicial race, incumbent Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee also won with a com-
coupled with the destruction of the county’s mainstay crop, could have spelled decades of disaster for Milton.
“That old saying, ‘when one door closes, another one opens, but it can be hell in the hallway,’” Dufresne said. “It went from worst to on the road to what it is today.”
Instead, the area continued to grow and prosper throughout the 20th century as paved roads bridges and new buildings began to urbanize North Fulton County.
“We have two seasonal events because Milton was an agricultural town and community 100 years ago,” Dufresne said. “You’d plant seeds in the spring and harvest in the fall.”
The Historical Society’s Spring Fling May 18 at the Roberts Barn on Freemanville Road drew around 130, the organization’s highest attended event to date. Dufresne said many who attended were not members of the Milton Historical Society and some were new residents. The nonprofit, with more than 100 members less than seven years into its existence, shows promise for the growing city, he said.
Claire Becknell contributed to this story. This article was originally published on atlantaciviccircle.org.
The Historical Society’s slate of fall programs includes two lectures at the Milton Public Library Aug. 13 and Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m.
The Autumn Shindig at Wildberry Creek Farm Sept. 22 wraps up the organization’s list of upcoming programs and events for the year.
To get involved with the Milton Historical Society, visit miltonhistoricalsociety-georgia.org.
Continued from Page 1
There had been no cost to Johns Creek for ambulance services in previous years, based on a North Fulton-wide agreement in place from 2013 to 2018. Coon said this was because participating cities, excluding Sandy Springs, were not receiving the level of service they had asked for from the provider.
In January, Appen Media reported that Sandy Springs was looking at a price hike with AMR from $260,000 a year for 8-minute response times to $3.6 million, an 850 percent increase.
“Government subsidizing a private ambulance service to ensure response time parameters are achieved, appropriate standards of care are followed, and the number of ambulances and service at any moment in time, is not a novel approach,” Coons said.
The City of Dunwoody recently agreed to pay a $600,000 yearly subsidy to ensure one ambulance is posted within its city limits during peak hours.
Forsyth County also pays a subsidy for its negotiated standard of care with its service provider, and DeKalb County is in negotiations on the amount of the subsidy for its service provider.
The $2 million combined subsidy will buy a system-wide 12-minute response time for critical, emergency calls and a 20-minute response time for minor or uncertain issues.
The contract also will implement a system-wide priority posting plan, using data analytics, and establish an avenue for seeking liquidated damages if there’s noncompliance with performance standards. Penalties range from $5,000 to $30,000 a month.
City Councilman Larry DiBiase raised concern about potential liability associated with not buying down the best response time.
But, Coons said he felt the response time set in the contract is reasonable based on the Fire Department’s ability to place a paramedic at the scene in around six minutes, its average response time.
The contract, currently under legal review by American Medical Response and the attorneys for each of the North Fulton cities, is set to come back before
the council at its work session June 17.
In other matters at the work session, the City Council debated whether to maintain its property tax millage rate stabilization fund or add new parameters for use as part of the city’s Budget Policy.
The fund was initially implemented to offset property tax increases, which City Councilman Chris Coughlin likened to a floating homestead exemption.
Over the course of several work sessions, some councilmembers cautioned against using it to automatically roll back the millage rate each year, without consideration for other city priorities like capital projects.
At the work session May 28, the council voiced support for a proposal from City Councilwoman Stacy Skinner which advised considering the fund as part of the adoption of the millage rate for the closeout of the current fiscal year, rather than during budget preparation that looks ahead at future fiscal year projections.
Skinner also said use of the fund is only appropriate if there’s an increase to the millage rate, not when it is held steady or rolled back.
Restoration project
At the formal meeting following the work session, Public Works Director Chris Haggard described the Town Center Stream Restoration and Trail Project in relation to a $2.9 million construction contract intended to restore and stabilize an eroded streambank.
The project will also add a 10-footwide trail connecting McGinnis Ferry Road to Creekside Park, which will anchor the Town Center.
The item was originally on the consent agenda, a slate of typically noncontroversial items approved by the council in bulk. But, Councilman DiBiase singled it out for attention as it exemplifies major work the city is doing to address stormwater issues.
“[The project] is such a strategic importance to this council…” DiBiase told Haggard.
Groundbreaking for the project has been tentatively scheduled for June 19 at 12 p.m. on East Johns Crossing adjacent to the glass recycling dumpster.
Eugene Langston, 78, of Cumming passed away on Monday, May 27, 2024. Arrangements by Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory.
Continued from Page 17
working as a computer coder – selftaught. He found his place in one or several of the Silicon Valley tech companies and lives with his long-time partner who was one of the first, say 20, employees of one of the huge tech companies – think like a Google or similar. Most of his time today is split between his new job at yet another tech company and working on the large sailboat he bought and learned to sail in San Francisco Bay – hence “living literally in the Bay.”
The odd-man-out, the one she did not meet in California, is probably the most interesting of them all. Think a modern-day Indiana Jones or similar. Whether it was hiking across much of eastern Europe and the Middle East, to moving to Israel to learn Hebrew (just because), to moving to Indonesia to live in a orangutang-rescue preserve camp for six months to who knows how many other adventures, he is the poster-child Peter-Pan. He is German and, like the others, a coder/tech guy. Think crazy smart, tech guy. His last “formal” job was rewriting the code for the French unemployment system –seriously. My daughter met him a week or two after she had moved herself to Germany to audition for ballet companies in Europe. She needed a place to live, and through a distant Appen cousin, connected with Stef who held the lease on a large multi-bedroom apartment on the fourth floor above the German headquarters of the Hells
James R. Sanders, 90, passed away on Saturday, May 25, 2024.
Visitation was held on Thursday, May 30, 2024, from 12:00 p.m. until 1:15
Angels in Berlin. Amelia lived there for the better part of two years. Stephen flew in from Berlin for my daughter’s birthday. That alone touches me deeply, that my kid would have a friend who cared enough to do that. But on top of that, he recently raised money to buy an aging, rundown German resort “in the country” – think like a small Grove Park Inn – so he took the time out from his start-up hotel and resort business to spend time with my daughter and celebrate her birthday. And note to self, he had zero experience in running a business, or managing lots of people, or operating something, like a resort, that had to make a profit yet wrote a business plan that impressed a German bank and a few other investors enough to lend him the money (millions of euros). Who would-a thought!
Anyway, my daughters’ friends teach me lots of worthy life lessons by example. They do not bind themselves to accepted norms and expectations. They live lives that are driven to a significant degree by curiosity, by a desire to experience and explore. They embrace the unknown which I am sure produces just as much anxiety for them as it does for you and me, but they seem to thrive on it instead of fearing it. They don’t let “you can’t do this or that” stop them from trying. They are loyal friends, the kind you can count on. They are the kind of companions you strive for. Those kinds of friends are priceless.
And the last lesson? Well, it might be to “never own a husky,” but don’t get me started on that one.
at Thomas McAfee Funeral Home, Downtown followed by the funeral service at 1:30 p.m. To view the full obituary, please visit www.thomasmcafee.com
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The City of Johns Creek extends an Invitation to Bid (ITB) to qualified construction firms for the construction of a multi-use trail along Buice Road between Spruill Road and Haverhill Lane 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 27, 2024 . Questions are accepted and answered online only via BidNet. Deadline for questions is June 20, 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://johnscreekga.gov/departments/finance/bids-rfps/ . 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.
Notice of Public Internet Auction
Johns Creek Police Department
The following is a list of property located at the Johns Creek Police Dept. If you believe that you are the owner of this property, please call 678-474-1586 Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM. Proof of ownership and a valid ID will be required to claim any property. A public internet auction of the following items will begin the week of June 20th, 2024. The auction’s website is www.propertyroom.com.
Items:
Blue Abyss Bicycle
Motorola Cellphone
White Diamondback Bicycle
Green/Brown Suitcase
Girls Roadmaster Bicycle
Genesis Bicycle, Bike Lock and keys
Michael Kors Purse
Black Huffy Bicycle, Blue Huffy Bike Bicycle Car Racks, Ratchet Strap
Charging Cable
Red Head Covering
Beats EarPods
Drying Racks, Tents, Blankets
Thermal Insulation, Grow Lights
Air Scrubbers
LG Cellphone
Red Cellphone
Star Cutout from American Flag
Apple iPhone
Signal Iduna Card
Gray Bag with ammunition
Four Bank Cards
QLink tablet, key, keycard
I, Montay-Desmond, of the family Humphrey, a living-breathing man, Declare I am alive, and over the age of 18 years old, fully competent to handle my own Trust Estate without the United States. Trustee/Secured Party, Montay-Desmond: Humphrey, is living flesh and blood sojourning upon the soil of the land known as Georgia, and not within Fictional boundaries, territories nor jurisdiction of any fictional entity including fictional Federal geometric plane(s). Trespass by any agent(s) foreign or domestic, by such in any scheme or artifice to defraud. Full reverence by ALL AGENTS and CORPORATIONS is ambiguously demanded and required. Culpa est immiscere se rel ad se non pertienti. All property currently held or outstanding belongs to the Trust administered by Trust/Secured Party, Title 46 USC 31343 and Article 1 and 5 of the International Convention on Maritime Liens and Mortgages 1993, Held at the Palis Des Nations, Geneva, From April 19 to May 5, 1992, United Nations UN. This Maritime Lien is under safe harbor and sinking funds provisions through the prescription of Law necessity with Applicable Law, Cardinal Orders, Ordinal Orders, and Commercial Standards. (Ends Here). This is the collateral by the Secured Party/ Entitlement Holder/ Trust Interest Holder on behalf of the Estates known as MONT AY DESMOND HUMPHREY and SHONTE RENEE MAPP conjoined together in indebtedness to NATION OF NETERUS TRUST. In the Commercial Chamber under necessity to secure the rights, titles, interest, and value therefrom, in and of the root of title from inception, all property known and unknown, as well as property held in trust, including but not limited to DNA, cDNA, cell lines, retina scans, fingerprints and all debenture, Indenture acconnts, and all the pledges represented by the same including but not limited to, pings, hypotheca, bereditameuts, res, all energy and all products derived therefrom NUNCPRO TUNCT, contracts, agreements and signatures and or endorsements, facsimiles, printed typed or photocopied of owner's corporate name predicated on the transmitting utility/ trust/ estate described as debtor and all property is accepted for value and is exempt from levy-lien. This lien placed on debtors entities is for all outstanding property still owed but not yet returned to trust from entities such as municipalities, governments and the like, not on trust entity itself. Trustee is not surety to any account by explicit reservation / indemnification. Both of the transmitting utilities (MONTAY DESMOND HUMPHREY and SHONTE RENEE MAPP) have been gone under contract with the trust known as NATION OF NETERUS TRUST and the following documents are found within: Certificate of Trust, Abstract of Trust, Declaration of Trust (NON-12Mar2022DOT), Durable Power of Attorney (NON-12Mar2022-DPOA) , Revocation of Power of Attorney (NON-12Mar2022-RPOA), Security Agreement (NON-12Mar2022-SA), Indemnity Agreement (NON-12Mar2022-HHIA), Common Law Copyright (NON-12Mar2022-CLCR), Reservation of Rights, Letter of Good Faith and Credit, Charge Schedule, Legal Notice, Public Official Questionnaire, and Promissory Note given to the secured party for indebtedness of MONTAY DESMOND HUMPHREY and SHONTE RENEE MAPP for $300,000,000,000.00. Future proceeds tracking assignment numbers 5992550001 thru 6000000001. Indemnity Bond MDH12041978 for setoff. All property belonging to the Estates are protected under the NATION OF NETERUS TRUST. Live Blrth Claim (110-78-073297) and received by the STATE OF GEORGIA Vital Records Department, the pledge represented by same Including the Bond Issued and sold by the UNITED STATES Department or the Treasury and commerce bought by the Federal Reserve Bank and held In Trust al 55 Water Street New York, NY 10041 by the Depository Trust company (DTC) and traded on the circle 750 Stock Exchange for the Settlement of ALL DEBT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE predicated on the United States and the Vessel described above as the debtor. Including, but not limited to, the BAILEE all cap name MONTAY DESMOND HUMPHREY and Montay Desmond Humphrey, or and any variatlon/derivation thereof.
ATLANTA HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING, INC. 678 605-91592 TON $5500 INSTALLED 3 TON $6000 INSTALLED COMPLETE SYSTEM INCLUDES CONDENSER 410A, FURNACE 80% AFUE, HIGH EFFICIENCY EVAPORATOR, WIFI THERMOSTAT, PAD, OVERFLOW PAN, FILTER RACK. CALL 678 605-9159
Preschool is hiring lead and assistant teachers for the 2024-2025 school year. Please call Beth @ 770-752-0440 or email beth@midwayumc.org
Senior Solution Engineer (position in Alpharetta, GA 30022): Design and develop engineering systems for presale of dynamic business IT orchestration and automation solutions, products, and applications; perform cloud systems programming; design, document, and implement PoCs leveraging open source frameworks and tools; manage testing activities, utilizing testing automation frameworks, platforms, and tools; serve as Product Owner, ensuring User Story understanding and timely implemented by the development team.
Must have a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics or a related field (or its foreign degree equivalent) and five years of experience in: automation systems engineering and testing, including cloud architectural development, programming, and network integration of cloud services.
Please submit in duplicate your resume and cover letter referencing position #0730 to: Stonebranch, Inc., Attn. Anabelle Aybar, Human Resources Generalist, 4550 North Point Parkway, Suite 400, Alpharetta, GA 30022. Stonebranch, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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