Johns Creek Herald - June 20, 2024

June 20, 2024 | AppenMedia.com

Newtown Dream Dog Park vies for USA Today award

By HANNAH FRAZER

hannah@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK Ga.— USA Today’s 10 Best Reader’s Choice Awards nominated Newtown Dream Dog Park as one of the best.

It’s ranked among the top 20 dog parks in the nation.

The park, located off Old Alabama Road, features bridges, tunnels and hoops for dogs to enjoy. It also includes two separate grassy areas to divide dogs by size, ensuring safety for all pets. Additionally, the outdoor area caters to hot weather with a sprinkler system and water

fountains for dogs and their owners.

In order for Newtown Dream Dog Park to win the title as the best dog park in USA Today 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards, residents can vote through the following link through June 24: 10best.usatoday.com/ awards/travel/best-dog-park-2024/

Kimberly-Clark names scholarship recipients

NORTH METRO ATLANTA, Ga. — Kimberly-Clark awards the Bright Future College Scholarship to six local high school students.

The Kimberly-Clark Foundation, based in Roswell, presents college scholarships of up to $20,000 to the children of company employees. The selection process includes academic performance, extracurricular activities, work experience, and community contribution. The following students received scholarships based on the listed criteria:

• Sayhan Alam-Murillo, a senior at East Paulding High School, who plans to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology.

• Lauren Cavin, a senior at Chattahoochee High School, who plans to attend Colorado State University.

• Rohan Dalal, a senior at Johns Creek High School, who plans to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology.

• Isabella Stankiewicz, a senior at Blessed Trinity Catholic High School, who plans to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology.

• Brendan Strickland, a senior at Rome High School, who plans to attend Cornell University.

This year, the Kimberly-Clark Foundation provided 47 scholarships to students in the United States and Canada. The grade point average for this year’s recipients is a 3.97.

Since the program began, it has awarded over $47 million in scholarships to more than 2,300 students.

— Hannah Frazier

PROVIDED

Dogs enjoy the amenities offered in Newtown Dream Dog Park, a fenced, 1-acre area full of amenities.

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Bus driver cited for DUI in crash with kids aboard

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County deputies arrested school bus driver Ginger Katz May 23 for driving while under the influence and endangering 30 middle schoolers from Piney Grove.

The crash occurred around 2 p.m. at Ronald Reagan Boulevard and Brannon Road.

Deputies said none of the students, ranging from ages 11 to 15, were injured.

After an investigation, Forsyth County deputies said Katz was at fault for failure to yield while turning left, driving a commercial vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and 30 counts of child endangerment.

As the school bus approached the intersection northbound on Ronald Reagan Boulevard and attempted to turn left onto Brannon Road, a Chevrolet Equinox attempted to pass through the intersection

POLICE BLOTTER

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

Woman reports theft of jewelry, $300 in cash

ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police are investigating a non-forced burglary at an apartment on Hemingway Lane June 6 after a woman reported stolen jewelry and cash.

Officers said the victim, a 38-yearold female, said she last saw the items June 3 and didn’t notice them missing until that day. She said she suspects someone took her key, which she accidentally left in the lock when she returned from vacation May 30.

The officer said there were no signs of forced entry or damage to the residence.

The victim’s stolen jewelry includes six rings, five chains, six bracelets and

southbound, according to the incident report.

Deputies said both drivers reported the traffic signal was yellow during the incident.

The driver of the SUV, a 62-year-old Cumming woman, complained of injuries after the crash but denied transport to a hospital. Her car sustained extensive frontend damage and was left in the middle of the intersection, deputies said.

While speaking with Katz after the crash, a deputy said he noticed the faint odor of alcohol on her breath, glassy eyes and “thick” speech.

The bus driver said she drank alcohol the night before and agreed to a preliminary breath test.

After deputies conducted the breathalyzer and field sobriety evaluations, they determined Katz was under the

eight watches, valued around $15,000. The stolen cash totals $300.

The victim said most items are 18 karat gold.

Officers said there are no security cameras near the woman’s apartment. Officers did not identify a suspect.

Police investigate claim by fired spa worker

ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police are investigating a spa on Grimes Bridge Road after an ex-employee claimed management wanted her to perform sexual acts on customers.

An officer said he spoke with the business owner and manager June 7 at the establishment.

They said the reason for the incident stemmed from the woman’s request for more money.

The manager said an argument ensued and resulted in a phone call to 911.

The ex-employee, who called 911, said the manager and owner asked her to perform sexual acts on customers.

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influence.

While a lieutenant transported Katz to Forsyth County Jail, a deputy conducted a search of the crash site and bus. He said he found no contraband.

Because deputies read the wrong implied consent notice before taking blood at the jail, they conducted an additional draw around two hours after the crash.

The results are unverified because the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office redacted the information.

After turning Katz over to jail staff, a deputy said he submitted her blood samples to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and obtained warrants for driving a commercial motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, 30 counts of endangering a child and failure to yield to right of way.

Katz is being held on a $55,640 bond.

She said she wanted to work at the spa because she was told it was a legitimate massage parlor.

She also said the manager and owner refused to pay her for refusing to perform the acts.

The Criminal Investigations Division responded and took over the scene, the officer said.

Man says wheels stolen from car parked in lot

ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police responded to The Crossings at Holcomb Bridge apartments June 7 after a man reported stolen rims and tires.

The victim, a 24-year-old Roswell man, said the theft occurred sometime between 9:30 p.m. June 6.

Thieves took the tires and rims for three 18-inch stock wheels, totaling around $1,500 from the owner’s vehicle, a 2009 Infiniti G7.

The officer said there were no security cameras in the area.

Officers did not identify a suspect.

Johns Creek offers free fitness classes at two local parks

By HANNAH FRAZER hannah@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Johns Creek offers the community a selection of free fitness classes at either Newtown Park or Cauley Creek Park.

The classes run from March to October, and the options include: yoga, barre, jazzercise, zumba, fitness 108, cardio strength training, and function strength training.

All fitness sessions are held outside when weather permits. In cases of inclement weather, guests can download the Rainout Line app to stay updated on cancellations.

The city says the free fitness classes have been offered for nearly 10 years, and many local businesses participate. Certified instructors from Elevate Fitness Studio, Lift Yoga, Latin Fit Flow and others collaborate with the city to train nearly 1,000 residents each month.

Yoga and Zumba are the most popular classes, with some sessions attracting more than 100 people.

Johns Creek’s Recreation Manager Cara Prell said the classes provide quality fitness instruction to any level for free. They also give businesses an opportunity to be seen and take pride in the community, she said.

At a recent yoga class, the Newtown Park amphitheater was full, with more than three dozen attendees of all ages and skill level.

Yoga cultivates a mind-body connection that pairs movement with breathing to enhance self-awareness by reducing cortisol and fostering

relaxation of the central nervous system. Performing yoga also helps flexibility, posture and it builds strength.

The class required guests to bring their own yoga mats, but one couple forgot and improvised by using Christmas blankets they had stored in their car to complete the session.

During the class, instructor Megan Makarewicz demonstrated yoga positions for participants to follow and led the group in a breathing practice. The program instructed participants on correct positioning for common yoga poses, such as cobra, downward facing dog, warrior and child's pose.

“I love the community classes because yoga studios can be really intimidating,” Makarewicz said. “It can also be cost prohibitive, so by creating these community classes, we reach a larger population for providing yoga.”

Another benefit to the outdoor setting, guests could enjoy the calming sound of birds chirping as they relaxed their bodies.

After the class, first-time participant Karey Schieman shared her thoughts.

“I loved the open space outdoors, and since the class was for all ages and levels, I felt more comfortable and relaxed participating in yoga which I have never done before,” Schieman said. “I will definitely come back to a yoga session and try other fitness classes in Newtown Park.”

For more information on the outdoor exercise classes visit johnscreekga.gov and select the recreation and parks tab.

PROVIDED

Johns Creek residents engage in a June 9 yoga session, led by Megan Makarewicz, at Newtown Park.

State halts Ga. 9 widening amid fraud investigation

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — Work to widen Ga. 9 through Milton is at a standstill until the Georgia Department of Transportation sorts through a snag in its right-of-way and easement process.

GDOT notified the city June 11 that it has become aware of fraudulent activity associated in the acquisitions.

Jimmy Song (NMLS#1218336) 770-454-1871 (Duluth Branch)

Sandy Na (NMLS#983548) 770-454-1861 (Norcross Branch)

Trinh Pham (NMLS#1369150) 678-672-3926 (Norcross Branch)

Nearly 23,000 vehicles use the roadway daily, and the city has braced residents for months of construction which had already been poised to commence with orange cones and heavy equipment along the thoroughfare.

Milton officials said their first priority is to strongly urge GDOT to promptly take action to clean up properties damaged and affected by construction. Because the widening is a state project, city officials have little control over its administration and timeline.

“We’re already reaching out to state leaders for answers and expect productive conversations to ensure that Milton citizens and businesses are heard, and their best interests are served,” Milton Mayor Peyton Jamison said. “Highway 9 is vital to our city’s present and future, and it’s important that this project is done right.”

Milton was alerted to the fraudulent activity surrounding the project around 1 p.m. June 11. It involves a now-former Georgia Department of Transportation official associated to the Ga. 9 widening project.

Milton Communications Director Greg Botelho said the city is still looking for answers.

“We are concerned and disappointed by these reports, as well as the resulting impact on our citizens, business leaders and employees and others who travel on this main Milton thoroughfare,” he said.

Scott Higley, director of strategic communications for GDOT, said the department investigated the actions of a former right-of-way acquisition specialist who was involved in the falsification of internal documents which led other officials to believe that right-of-way parcels necessary to advance a total of five infrastructure projects in metro Atlanta had been acquired by GDOT, when in fact they had not.

Higley said GDOT traced the falsified information to a single employee, who was immediately fired

after an initial investigation.

“A subsequent and thorough investigation into all projects verified by the employee over the past decade has since been conducted, and an internal audit of processes and procedures is underway,” Higley wrote in an email. “At this time, it has been confirmed that the extent of fraudulent information traced to the employee is limited to just five projects.”

He said the other four projects are not associated with the Ga. 9 widening and that they are less extensive in their impact.

According to GDOT, there are 139 parcels necessary to advance an active project to widen Ga. 9 in the city of Milton from Windward Parkway in Alpharetta north to the Forsyth County line.

Higley said work had begun on 33 parcels GDOT believed had been acquired for the project.

The Office of the Inspector General and other state officials are conducting further review of the matter.

“The Georgia Department of Transportation will notify any property owner impacted by activity on their property that GDOT will work to properly acquire the necessary rights and easements for the project,” Higley said. “GDOT is also making immediate changes to certain internal processes and procedures to help ensure that the state is protected against any such fraudulent activity in the future.”

Ike Yancy, leader of Milton’s Coalition Against GDOT Havoc, said he and surrounding neighbors are grateful to the city for casting light on this apparent total mismanagement of the widening of Ga. 9.

“This development is extremely disturbing, especially in the light of the cavalier attitude by GDOT towards the wanton destruction of our landscaping and mature trees,” Yancy said. “If I read this correctly, it appears that trees, landscaping and areas along Ga. 9 in Milton that were not legally owned by GDOT were destroyed.”

As for what comes next, Yancy said the news gives a reason for GDOT officials to listen to residents along the corridor.

“All of this casts serious doubt on the management and control of the Ga. 9 widening,” Yancy said. “Now that the widening has been shut down, the whole approach needs to be given a thorough and complete review.”

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Alpharetta Legion post announces new officers

The more than 700 members of Alpharetta’s American Legion Post 201 will see new leadership this month as swearing-in ceremonies put a new post commander, auxiliary president, and Sons of the American Legion commander into office.

Bob Byrd has been named post commander, his fifth time serving in the role. He has also served as adjutant, judge advocate and Executive Committee member. Byrd, a U.S. Army veteran and a twodecade member of the post, is retired from a lengthy career in information systems.

Lee Harrison has been a member

of Unit 201 for over 50 years as she takes on the role of unit president. During her five decades of active and dedicated membership she is a past president, vice president, and chair of several committees.

Derek Garmon will take the oath as commander of the Sons of the American Legion, for the 18th time. He will lead his group of more than 270 members, which is now the second largest in Georgia.

For information about the Post 201 family go to www. legion201.org. To contact the post about membership, email americanlegionalpharetta@gmail.com.

AMERICAN LEGION POST 201/PROVIDED

Newly installed officers for American Legion Post 201 include, from left: Derek Garmon, Sons of the American Legion commander; Lee Harrison, unit president; and Bob Byrd, post commander.

SCHOOLS

North Metro Atlanta’s 2024 valedictorians and salutatorians

By HANNAH FRAZER hannah@appenmedia.com

High Schools commemorate top students each year by highlighting the valedictorian and salutatorian in the graduating class. The valedictorian is awarded to the student with the highest academic rank in their gradating class, based on GPA and academic achievements. The salutatorian is the student with the second highest rank. Congratulations to the following students in area schools.

DeKalb County

Fanta Ndiaye

• Magnet Valedictorian

• Arabia Mountain High School

Rayna Robinson

• Magnet Salutatorian

• Arabia Mountain High School

Jada Bailey

• Resident Valedictorian

• Arabia Mountain High School

Nathan Thwaites

• Resident Salutatorian

• Arabia Mountain High School

Jack Bolte

• Magnet Valedictorian

• Chamblee High School

Joshua Jacks

Magnet Salutatorian

Chamblee High School

Hanna Lin

• Resident Valedictorian

• Chamblee High School

Kai Henderson

• Resident Salutatorian

• Chamblee High School

Adriel Ammah

• Valedictorian

• Cedar Grove High School

Waynijah Kuykendall

• Salutatorian

Cedar Grove High School

Kennedy Edge

• Valedictorian

• Clarkston High School

Rasina Abdulkadir

• Salutatorian

• Clarkston High School

Leah Johnson

• Magnet Valedictorian

• Columbia High School

Christopher Cook

• Magnet Salutatorian

• Columbia High School

Zoe Carter

Resident Valedictorian

• Columbia High School

Sakhari Matthews

• Resident Salutatorian

• Columbia High School

Exahel Castaneda

• Valedictorian

• Cross Keys High School

Floricela Bravo-Avendano

• Salutatorian

• Cross Keys High School

Christalle Bristol

• Valedictorian

• DeKalb Early College Academy

Blain Daniel

• Salutatorian

• DeKalb Early College Academy

Danielle Beaucejour Valedictorian

• DeKalb School of the Arts

Anna Kirk

• Salutatorian

• DeKalb School of the Arts

Terry Crawford

• Valedictorian

• Druid Hills High School

Micah Burton

• Salutatorian

• Druid Hills High School

Neil Shah

Valedictorian

Dunwoody High School

Naomi Kleber

• Salutatorian

• Dunwoody High School

Deandra Smith

• Valedictorian

• Lithonia High School

Shakara Miles

• Salutatorian

• Lithonia High School

Hannah Parks

• Salutatorian

Lithonia High School

Shreya Chatterjee

• Valedictorian

• Lakeside High School

Matthew Phillips

• Salutatorian

• Lakeside High School

Zachary Murphey

• Salutatorian

• Lakeside High School

Danielle Buchanan

• Valedictorian

• McNair High School

Dieynabou Diallo

• Salutatorian

• McNair High School

Zy’Eshia Hudson

• Salutatorian

• McNair High School

Chance Hill

• Valedictorian

• Martin Luther King, Jr. High School

Janea Jackson

• Salutatorian

• Martin Luther King, Jr. High School

Winter Adam’s

• Valedictorian

• Miller Grove High School

Asauni Jones

Salutatorian

Miller Grove High School

Mikiah Jones

• Valedictorian

• Redan High School

Chi Choo

• Salutatorian

• Redan High School

Myra Furlow

• Salutatorian

• Redan High School

Aryel Allen

• Magnet Valedictorian

Southwest DeKalb High School

Autumn Luke

• Magnet Salutatorian

• Southwest DeKalb High School

Austin Akhabue

• Resident Valedictorian

• Southwest DeKalb High School

Keion Jefferies

• Resident Salutatorian

• Southwest DeKalb High School

Journee Love-Gates

• Valedictorian

• Stephenson High School

Morgan Shepperd

• Salutatorian

• Stephenson High School

Matthew Kedir

• Valedictorian

• Stone Mountain High School

Sojat Kedir

• Salutatorian

Stone Mountain High School

Kisha Richard

• Valedictorian

• Towers High School

Trystan Davy

• Salutatorian

• Towers High School

Betelehem Gidey

• Valedictorian

• Tapestry Charter High School

Richard Halloway, Jr.

• Salutatorian

• Tapestry Charter High School

Bram Rosenblatt

Salutatorian

Tapestry Charter High School

Violett Todd

• Salutatorian

• Tapestry Charter High School

Epherata Zeleke

• Valedictorian

• Tucker High School

Ava-Elizabeth Jacoby

• Salutatorian

• Tucker High School

Forsyth County

Advaith Nidumukkala

• Valedictorian

• Alliance Academy for Innovation

Eshan Jaffar

• Salutatorian

• Alliance Academy for Innovation

Sheil Dharan

• Valedictorian

Denmark High School

Pranav Potluri

• Salutatorian

• Denmark High School

Madison Lee Malone

• Valedictorian

• East Forsyth High School

Rebecca Ann Wade

• Salutatorian

• East Forsyth High School

Suyash (Vasu) Dwivedi

• Valedictorian

• Forsyth Central High School

Phillip Porter

• Salutatorian

• Forsyth Central High School

Anish Madireddy

• Valedictorian

• Lambert High School

Justin Wang

• Salutatorian

• Lambert High School

Coleton Thomas

• Valedictorian

North Forsyth High School

Arianna Hagen

• Salutatorian

• North Forsyth High School

Kavin Kalicheti

• Valedictorian

• South Forsyth High School

Pravallika Nayak

• Salutatorian

• South Forsyth High School

Anirudh Naveen

• Valedictorian

• West Forsyth High School

Maya Zhang

• Salutatorian

West Forsyth High School

Fulton County

Malavika Niverthi

• Valedictorian

• Alpharetta High School

Faye Lu

• Salutatorian

• Alpharetta High School

Ruqaiyah Njie

• Valedictorian

• Banneker High School

Jameiyah Sparks Salutatorian

• Banneker High School

Mitchell Landis

• Valedictorian

• Cambridge High School

Ayan Agarwal

• Salutatorian

• Cambridge High School

Cindy Zheng

• Valedictorian

• Centennial High School

Amrita Puri

Salutatorian

Centennial High School

Sahil Hemrajani

• Valedictorian

• Chattahoochee High School

Alif Misha Antony Selvin

Raj

• Salutatorian

• Chattahoochee High School

Demi Jones

• Valedictorian

Creekside High School

Ngone Seye

• Salutatorian

• Creekside High School

Lakshana Ramanan

• Valedictorian

• FCS Innovation Academy

Tanish Potula

• Salutatorian

• FCS Innovation Academy

Vihaan Narvekar

• Salutatorians

• FCS Innovation Academy

Andy Qu

Valedictorian

• Fulton Academy of Virtual Excellence

Brea Butler

• Salutatorian

• Fulton Academy of Virtual Excellence

Cyr Kamga

• Valedictorian

• Global Impact Academy

Isabela Damian

• Salutatorian

• Global Impact Academy

Myles Estime

• Valedictorian

Independence High School

Jasmine Valle

• Salutatorian

• Independence High School

Daniel Bao

• Valedictorian

• Johns Creek High School

Annika Joshi

• Salutatorian

• Johns Creek High School

Mattison Downs

• Valedictorian Langston Hughes High School

Yazmina Holness

• Salutatorian

• Langston Hughes High School

Joseph Petkash

• Valedictorian

• Milton High School

Kiran Bardakjy-

• Salutatorian

• Milton High School

Christopher Yamamoto Valedictorian North Springs High School

Aoi Chiara Misawa

• Salutatorian

• North Springs High School

Vaishali Prahalad

• Valedictorian

• Northview High School

Kevin Xiang

• Salutatorian

• Northview High School

Leah Perlman

• Valedictorian

• Riverwood High School

Ava Satisky

• Salutatorian

• Riverwood High School

Christian Jimenez

• Valedictorian

• Roswell High School

Nori Liang

• Salutatorian

• Roswell High School

Dana Lopez Lopez

Valedictorian

• Tri•Cities High School

Jennifer Bojorge-Arredondo

• Salutatorian

• Tri•Cities High School

Mi’Cai Haywood

• Valedictorian

• Westlake High School

Sayantan Das

• Salutatorian

• Westlake High School

I’m just trying to do right by the customer. That’s why I was always successful, not just as a wine educator but successful as a salesperson.”

ANITA LARAIA, founder, Anita LaRaia Wine School/Winegroceries.com

8 | Johns Creek Herald | June 20, 2024

Wine educator shares fruits of her experience

World-renowned expert keys customers to value

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga. — When students at Anita LaRaia’s Wine School wrap up their first class, they’re likely struck with the extensive knowledge and infectious energy of their instructor.

Whether they took her series of 2-hour in-person classes decades ago or stumbled across her new videos on YouTube, LaRaia’s students remember her empowering personality and wine expertise.

In her 33 years, LaRaia has graduated more than 2,000 people from her classes – young adults in the hospitality industry, trade professionals and anyone interested in understanding the process of selecting a quality wine.

So, what did students walk out the door with? LaRaia says they carried confidence and a bottle of wine with some of five noble grapes of Bordeaux: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

If the mention of Red Bordeaux and blended wine makes your head spin, LaRaia’s new venture in 2024 can get you up to speed in no time.

LaRaia, a 30-year resident of Dunwoody, kicked off 2024 with the rollout of her YouTube channel, Winegroceries.com, including six videos around 10 minutes each.

See LARAIA, Page 9

in early January.

Anita LaRaia sits ready to record the “Latin Lovers” video on her YouTube channel, Winegroceries.com,

The third educational video in a six-part series dives into LaRaia’s grocery-shopping advice for patrons.

BUSINESSPOSTS

LaRaia:

Continued from Page 8

She said her goal is to give viewers the information they need to be able to walk into a grocery store or distributor and select a cost-effective wine that pairs with an occasion and its food.

Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for six two-hour classes with the wine expert, you can access them for free on YouTube. Viewers won’t get a nice bottle of wine, but they will be able to find one on their own.

In her six videos available on YouTube, viewers are first introduced to the different processes used to make Champagne in France and different varieties of sparkling wine from around the world.

One video explores Australian wines, which LaRaia helped popularize in the United States. Other topics include South American and Latin wines, “Big Spenders,” or expensive bottles and which American wines give you the best bang for your buck.

LaRaia says her decision to roll out her wine classes online was sparked when her channel’s producers, Nancy and Murph Ivey from South Carolina, began sending her photos of wine bottles on grocery store shelves.

“I was sitting there thinking, well my goodness, I’m back in the business,” LaRaia said.

The 77-year-old wine expert, unafraid to discuss her recent foot surgery and time in a wheelchair, told the Iveys to drive down to Dunwoody and film some videos at her dining room table.

“I set it all up and decided to think long and hard, what could I cover in these short videos?” LaRaia said. “I did write scripts, although people think I do this extemporaneously; Yes, I do because it’s real, more exciting and I have that personality.”

Winegroceries.com on You Tube combines LaRaia’s six years studying in London, her time answering questions posed from around the world for CNN.com and 33 years of teaching in Atlanta – all in an easily digestible one-hour series.

“I wanted to do this as a service to grocery shoppers,” LaRaia said.

WineGroceries.com creates videos designed to make viewers savvy buyers of wine in their local grocery store wine department, with entertaining instruction from one of America’s top independent wine educators.

Pairing the correct wine bottle with a meal, occasion or partner is what it’s all about. If complicated grape varieties, sommeliers and “wine snobs” have soured your wine education, LaRaia’s sweet and energetic personality make the process more

More information

Anita LaRaia’s Wine School established Feb. 1978

• WineGroceries.com

• @WineGroceries on YouTube

• “Pick a Perfect Wine in No Time” on Amazon

palatable.

The daughter of Italian immigrants to New York City after World War I, LaRaia’s story is an inspiration.

After earning the valedictorian title at her high school, LaRaia received two degrees from Cornell University before heading to London for her wine education.

If the American Dream is a myth, try telling LaRaia.

She still carries the first payment her father received in the United States, a 1908 Golden Eagle coin.

“My Osage friend from Oklahoma worked on the necklace for a year,” LaRaia said. “I wear it sometimes with that gold coin.”

Equality among all Americans is important to LaRaia, and her decision to start her YouTube channel represents that philosophy.

LaRaia’s resume also includes 10 years at the retail, wholesale and importer levels, including as Banfi Vintner’s sales manager in Georgia.

Her deluxe tours have taken her everywhere from the vineyards of Tuscany, Italy and France to Jack Nicklaus Bear’s Club in Jupiter, Florida.

Despite her luxurious experiences in the wine industry, LaRaia remains down-to-earth.

Her inspiring story as the daughter of American immigrants approaches legendary status as the wine expert now wants to make her lifetime of knowledge available to the public.

If someone picks up a wine bottle in the grocery store and checks out the label, odds are they won’t recognize the region of origin and grape varieties.

One of LaRaia’s goals with her YouTube channel is to give patrons the knowledge to select the cheaper bottle with the same grapes grown in the same region as the bottle worth hundreds of dollars on the top shelf.

“I’m just trying to do right by the customer,” she said. “That’s why I was always successful, not just as a wine educator but successful as a salesperson.”

LaRaia’s next series, shot from the Kroger off Dunwoody Club Drive in Sandy Springs, will be available shortly on the Winegroceries channel.

LaRaia said trips to other local stores, like Costco, may be in the cards for future installments.

7506 Wilderness Parkway Big Canoe, GA 30143

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Color: Tan/Black & White(Shorthair)

Age: 1 year old

Weight: (Current) 28 lbs

Fully Grown: Medium Build (35-40 lbs)

Sex: Male

My Info Healthy

All Shots current Neutered & Chipped Good with dogs & children Cats? Loves car rides

My Name is Lucky!

bigcanoeanimalrescue.org

706-268-1346

Looking for a best friend? Some lucky family will hit the jackpot with this wonderful little boy! He is a little shy at first but will quicky warm up once he knows you care.

Kisses, food, love and toys would rock his world. Adopting him would be his best day ever. Come meet him and see for yourself.

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.

NEW BUSINESS SPOTLIGHTS

10 | Johns Creek Herald | June 20, 2024

Name of Business: The Slime Factory

Owners: Ryan Scott, Priscila Diep

Business description:

The Slime Factory is a 5,000-square-foot. colorful and fun laboratory where you learn how to make different types of slimes and decorate them with a wide variety of toppings and scents. You get a sensory experience at their gooey slime pool, take awesome pictures in their Slime Wall and Photo Booth and go home with your slime creations and an official Slime Factory certificate proving your expertise as a “Master Slime Maker!”

Opened: April 2024

Address: 1000 North Point Drive, Alpharetta, Ga. 30022

Phone: 786-757-7090

Web: Theslimefactory.com

Name of Business: The Luxe Dream Experience

Owner: Dominique Jacobs

Business description: Atlanta’s No. 1

Natural Hair Care providers and Luxury Beauty Factory. Silk Press & Extension Specialists. Raw Vietnamese & Burmese

Just opened?

Business description: As the inaugural fine art gallery in Dunwoody, we are honored to present a captivating fusion of established and emerging talent, curated with meticulous care and a

discerning eye for beauty. Join us on a journey of exploration and inspiration as we celebrate the boundless possibilities of fine art.

Opened: April 2024

Address: 5496 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, GA 30338 Website: dunwoodygallery.com

Extension Retailer & Distributor.

Opened: February 2024

Phone: 470-518-6515

Address: 10955 Jones Bridge Road, Unit 126, Suite 30, Johns Creek, Ga. 30022

Website: dominiqueleshay.com/theluxe-dream-experience

Appen Media publishes New Business Spotlights to highlight local businesses as they get started. Submit yours for free at appenmedia.com/newbusiness.

Business Name: FYZICAL Therapy and Balance Centers of Alpharetta

Owners: Irfan Mandani and Vikash Sharma

Business description: FYZICAL Alpharetta is unlike any physical therapy clinic you've been to before. Our highly skilled, compassionate team of physical therapists, who work one-on-one

with you, are 100% focused on achieving optimal health and wellness for you so you can get back to living the life you love!

Opened: December 2023

Phone: 770-881-8100

Address: 3400-C, Suite 390, Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta GA 30005 Website: fyzical.com/alpharetta-ga

Business Name: Dunwoody Gallery Owners: Dawn Tresh and Linda Pozzobon

Sponsored Section June 20, 2024 | Johns Creek Herald | 11

Questions after you pop the question

Brought to you by – Estates Law

Center USA

Whether you’re getting married or entering a new partnership, it’s important for you to lay down some ground rules to make sure there are no misunderstandings going forward. Although the conversation may be difficult, it’s best to have the talk early with your new spouse or partner to make sure you are on the same page. The goal of any type of estate planning is to avoid probate and here are several important questions you should ask when setting up your estate plan:

Are the estates of both parties equal? If not, a prenuptial/ postnuptial agreement or an agreement to keep your estates separate should be considered. Whose name is on the deed to the house? Rights of survivorship

aren’t always automatic depending on the state, so you must specify what will happen in case of death if the surviving partner’s name is not on the deed. You may want to consider giving your partner or new spouse the right to occupy your property. In addition, after the death of surviving partner or spouse, do you want the property or asset to be split among your children?

Do you have powers of attorney and healthcare directives? POA gives the person you name legal and financial authority to act on your behalf if you become incapacitated or incompetent. Healthcare Directive appoints an agent for medical and life support decisions in the event you are incapacitated or incompetent. Depending onyour situation, each of you need separate financial and Healthcare Directives. You should also consider if you want your

children involved in these decisions with your partner or new spouse. Will beneficiary designations on your accounts change upon remarriage or new partner? Make sure the beneficiary designations on your bank, investment, life insurance and retirement accounts are updated so the proceeds are handled according to your new relationship and prevent disinheriting your children accidentally. If you’re entering a new relationship with a home, assets, and family members, creating a new estate plan is essential to balance the expectations of your new spouse/ partner with the needs of the loved ones who have been with you for years. Consult a local estate planning attorney familiar with the inheritance laws in your state to make the best estate plan as you start the next phase of your journey.

HOLLY GEERDES ESTATE LAW CENTER USA TOP 5% SUPER LAWYER IN GEORGIA

Forecasting experts evaluate prospects for housing market

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

ATLANTA — More than 1,200 professionals from the housing industry tuned into a two-hour zoom call June 13 from John Hunt, chief analyst, principal and cofounder of MarketNsights.

Hunt’s presentation, “Higher for Longer May Be Here to Stay,” covered markets from Dallas to Richmond, and he spoke from a vantage point of someone with more than 30 years of experience and a track record of accurate modeling to the discussion.

In 2006, Hunt was on the team that first predicted the Great Recession.

Hunt briefly mentioned the U.S. is still recovering from the “irrational exuberance” in the housing market.

Quoting former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan’s famed comment about market bubbles, he traces the current housing availability crisis back to December 2007.

Hunt said housing starts had reflected increases in population before the crash, but they have not recovered since.

During a discussion with the North Fulton Improvement Network in February, Hunt said housing attainability or affordability is the defining issue of our time.

Hunt reaffirmed the significance of housing June 13. He said the barriers to

“missing middle housing” stem from the emergence of zoning regulations 100 years ago from politicians during Jim Crow.

“Their goal for doing zoning was to circumvent Civil Rights laws and to keep neighborhoods White,” Hunt said. “Don’t trust me, look it up and read the book, ‘The Color of Law.’”

Georgia State University economist Rajeev Dhawan also spoke in the June 13 presentation.

Georgians can expect “practical” cuts from the Federal Reserve totaling 175 basis points by the end of 2025, he said.

Dhawan is the holder of the Zwerner Chair of Economic Forecasting and director at the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at GSU.

The questions are whether interest rate cuts will help bring down mortgage rates, and whether homebuyers should wait on the cuts, Dhawan said.

For the week of June 9-15, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. is 7.33 percent.

The Federal Reserve voted to hold rates steady at the end of its two-day meeting June 12, pushing back the start of rate cuts and relief from high borrowing costs.

Dhawan’s prediction came during an explanation for what spurred the growth of the national economy in the second half of last year.

Dhawan pointed to pent up travel demand, changes with consumer spending, a government hiring spree and a superb stock market rally.

Another factor stimulating the economy is the lack of mortgage rate shocks, as seen in other countries like the United Kingdom and Canada.

“Fed rate cuts are going to happen, the speed is different and it’s going to come in,” Dhawan said. “The issue is what is going to happen after that.”

Hunt said the shortage of affordable homes in the region is here to stay, keeping many younger buyers from owning while pushing others farther from downtown Atlanta.

Dhawan and Hunt were clear about the role homeownership plays in building wealth for Americans.

Hunt is skeptical about the effect of decreasing mortgage rates on housing attainability, but he also doesn’t think it should dissuade new buyers.

Pointing to data from the second half of the 20th century, Hunt showed waiting for rates may hurt prospective buyers.

One of the topics debated between the two forecasters is whether mortgage rates will fall when the Fed cuts rates on a ratio of 1-to-1.

Dhawan said increasingly restrictive trade policies, which take dollars chasing

Treasury bonds out of the market, prevents rates from dropping together.

MarketNsights also brought along some of its clients and sponsors to discuss how they view the housing industry.

Lori Lane, director of Berkshire Hathaway’s New Homes Division, discussed the new regulations surrounding real estate commissions and their effect on sellers, buyers and agents. The rules take effect in July.

The changes remove the assumption that sellers will pay the buyer’s agent and require buyers’ agents to secure written agreements with clients. Up till now, the average real estate commission in the United States is around 5.5 percent, divided between the listing agent and the buyer’s agent. The new law eliminates that arrangement.

Representatives from Jackson EMC and BankSouth Mortgage discussed the mortgage industry, affordability and their companies’ initiatives.

Mac Kregger, senior vice president at BankSouth, promoted the Georgia Dream Homeownership program, which provides affordable financing options, down payment assistance and education to first-time and low-income buyers.

More information is available on the Georgia Community Affairs Department’s website, dca.ga.gov.

Roswell Cultural Arts Center opens summer puppet series

By LUKE GARDNER newsroom@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — Kids, their teachers, and families gathered at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center June 11 for All Hands Productions’ performance of “Three Billy Goats Gruff and Other Stuff,” the first show in this year’s Summer Puppet Series.

“It's such an infusion of energy when kids come for the first puppet show of the summer,” Cultural Arts Manager David Crowe said. “The building responds to that excitement, and it ushers in a sunny warm pleasant feeling for the rest of summer.”

“Three Billy Goats Gruff and Other Stuff” included five performances running through June 15. The show retells the story of several traditional fairytales interpreted through the lens of puppeteer David Stephens.

“There are five different stories in this show,” Stephens said. “I tell the story of ‘Little Red Riding Hood,’ a version of ‘Three Little Pigs,’ ‘Three Billy Goats Gruff,’ and a takeoff on ‘Stone Soup,’ which is about a couple of farmers in my show. There's also a bit with a couple of chickens.”

The stories contain slight deviations from the original fairytales, like Little Red

Riding Hood’s real name being Julie, and the Big Bad Wolf developing a blueberry allergy. These retellings are performed through a colorful variety of puppets that Stephens constructs himself. He also makes brief appearances as a narrator.

“This is the show’s 25th anniversary,” Stephens said. “I created this show after I had been doing tours through summer reading programs at libraries. I had already done a show of Aesop’s fables and I was looking to select a group of classic fairytales I could do in one show.”

As a creator of several shows, Stephens has learned how to craft puppets, characters, storylines and jokes over his decades-long career.

“Shows start out as an outline,” Stephens said. “I begin mapping out characters and figuring out the dynamics between them. There’s an outline of the major plot points, but there’s no set script when I start. It’s dictated by the audience, born out of improv, and after several years the show locks itself in, with subtle changes over time.”

Stephens can’t always see his audience while he’s on stage, so he relies on audible cues, like the sounds of children’s reactions and laughter. Sometimes the show includes calls and responses to

“I was obsessed with ‘Sesame Street’ and ‘The Muppet Show;’ glued to the TV,” Stephens said. “I started to make puppets as a teen, and in college, I was already getting paid to do shows. I’ve been doing this for 25 years, and for about two years I didn’t do any shows because of the pandemic. This is my first year back on my feet again. It’s been a very rewarding experience seeing that the shows still have resonance.”

The Cultural Arts Center features an entire lineup of productions throughout the year, including theater performances, music, dance, puppet shows, pageants, exhibits and special events.

engage young audience members.

However, it's not just the children who enjoy themselves at his puppet shows.

“Sometimes the adults bring in something else to do, like a book to read,” Stephens said. “Teachers might bring papers to grade. By the end of the show, the adults are paying attention like the kids.”

Stephens has been performing at the Cultural Arts Center for more than a decade, but his career has lasted over twice as long, and his passion for puppets stretches back to his youth.

“Immediately the puppet shows were popular,” Cultural Arts Manager Crowe said. “People are looking for a fun experience with the little ones. At these shows, they can spend 45 minutes to an hour laughing in a comfortable environment.”

The next installment in the puppet series will be the Tanglewood Marionettes’ performance of “Sleeping Beauty” from June 18-22.

For more information about the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, its schedule of performances and ticket packages, visit roswellcac.showare.com/.

LUKE GARDNER/APPEN MEDIA

Puppeteer David Stephens interacts on stage with Julie, the “Little Red Riding Hood” puppet.

So many hills, so many views to block

RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com

I drive this stretch of road every day, usually multiple times a day. It is the road I take leaving or heading to my home in Crabapple just inside the Alpharetta city limits. Every day when I travel this road, it is the same. I pass the same buildings, the same school, the same lawns and trees; it rarely changes. I know, because I look; I am always looking.

This past week when I was driving the road, Milton Avenue, however, I noticed something I have never seen before. This happens to me when I reread a book; I notice things I missed the first time through – details, names, plot twists, descriptions. My rereads of any of JD

THE INK PENN

Salinger’s books are notorious for this. Those I have reread at least a half dozen times each, and still, I spot things I missed the previous five times.

So, I spotted a sign on Milton Avenue that I had never noticed. Part of me wants to believe it is a new sign, but another part of me suspects it has been there all along, and I just wasn’t watching close enough to see it. When you are traveling east on Milton Avenue almost in front of the old Milton High School – now called Innovation Academy – you go up a hill. Just before the crest of the hill, on the right, is that yellow regulatory sign I just noticed. The sign says, “Hill blocks view.”

And it does – somewhat.

I am sure I have never seen quite that specific message on a street sign before. It struck me as odd. On one hand, the hill really doesn’t obstruct your vision, not really. On the other hand, a “view” as I think of “views” does not really exist

there; it is just a street a couple blocks from downtown Alpharetta that runs past a cemetery and a school at the top of a very slight grade, barely what one might call a “hill.” It certainly wasn’t as linear a message, such as “blind curve use caution” that immediately precedes a dangerous curve on the side of a mountain or something. That is, the sign just didn’t seem very necessary to me or have that much utility. But, I have a hunch as to why it is really there.

Anyway, the sign struck some kind of nerve in me. I have stewed about it – a lot. Yea, I know that sounds weird, a little bit off. I just started thinking about the idea, about things blocking views. Lots of things block our views these days besides hills. And there are lots of “views” that really aren’t “views.”

Right now, the most obvious “hill” that is “obstructing” many “views” is that trial we have all just watched for the past month

or so – the so-called “hush-money” trial. The “hill” is one’s belief about what that was all about. The “view” is how our beliefs determine what we think we just witnessed – our interpretation. The “street” is both the trial itself and the sum total of all our past experiences, values and beliefs.

While there is great divergence among us in our views, the one aspect that we all hold in common is how our bias determines what we think – or say – we witnessed. This is in spite of the fact that there is an actual objective, straight-forward reality here, a paved asphalt street that slopes upward perhaps 5 degrees – enough to partially obstruct a driver’s vision of the street ahead – an objective reality not subject to opinion, no matter how much one desires to see something different.

And the reason for that sign? I think it might have something to do with law enforcement, radar guns, and tickets for speeding. But what do I know?

Branching out beyond mystery books

My TBR list is filled with mystery titles as is my Kindle. If you were to glance at my hold list or the books that fill my “For Later” shelf at the East Roswell Library, that’s pretty much all you would see. Still, from time to time, I branch out. I see a novel described in the paper or online and think, “that’s one I need to read.” The selections for this week are two that I stumbled across. Both were absorbing reads.

“The Soulmate” by Sally Hepworth

After reading this book, I understand why its reviews label it so many different things. Is it a crime novel, a thriller, a novel of domestic suspense, or a psychological study? Whatever it is, it packs a punch. Each time I thought I had it figured out, the author threw a new twist my

way. The story is told in first person by two women in alternating chapters and in alternating time frames. The time frames are now, before, after, and then. Chapter one is Pippa (now) and we meet the other woman in chapter 4, Amanda (after).

It opens in a seaside town in Australia in a cottage on a cliff. What’s special about this cliff is that it is a popular spot for people to end their lives. Since the current family has lived there, Gabe, the husband, has successfully talked every despondent soul out of jumping off the cliff. “Until one day he doesn’t.” Therein lies the story. Why was he unsuccessful? Was it inevitable there would be a first time?

Unputdownable is a common descriptor for books these days. Add page-turner, and you’ve described “The Soulmate,” a book I highly recommend.

“The Seven Year Slip” by Ashley Poston

This book was not only named a New York Public Library Best Book of 2023, but also a most anticipated book by “Entertainment Weekly,” “Harper’s

Bazaar,” and “Real Simple” magazines. Could it possibly be that good? Trust me. It is.

It’s a story of grief, of love, of loss, and friendship. Clementine is dealing with the death of her beloved aunt, the charming adventurer who took her on trips to faraway lands and enriched her life in so many ways.

Bit by bit, we learn about Clementine’s relationship with her aunt, who lived every moment to its fullest. When she died suddenly, a devastated Clementine inherited her NYC apartment and attempted to pack away her grief along with her aunt’s belongings.

Despite the changes, she pictures her every time she walks in the door after a long day at her publishing job. An overachieving career woman, she has long-time friends, but no romantic partner. Those come and go.

Until, one day, she “finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment. A man with kind eyes and a Southern drawl and a taste for

lemon pies.” The problem is that he exists seven years in the past in an apartment filled with her aunt’s belongings, as though she never left.

Yes, this book is a romance with a bit of fantasy thrown in. It’s whimsical yet serious and portrays Clementine’s grief in a way that makes you feel it. Dealing with romance and grief makes her reflect on her life and question what she wants from it. What she learns about herself and the decisions she makes are at the heart of this book. Pick it up. I predict you won’t be able to put it down.

Happy reading.

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/.

KATHY MANOS PENN Columnist

OPINION

Remarkable stories of the Ann Jackson Gallery, Part 1

BOB MEYERS

Most readers will be familiar with the iconic Ann Jackson Gallery, purveyors of outstanding fine art and custom framing, a mainstay of downtown Roswell for more than 50 years. Now, as the saying goes, it is time for the rest of the story — in two parts.

The Gallery and disaster

Ann Marie Moir Jackson (19322012) was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She loved to paint and majored in home economics and art at Ursuline College, founded in 1871 and one of the oldest colleges for women in the United States.

She met her husband Basil George Jackson (1923 –2013) on a blind date when he and some fraternity brothers from North Carolina University traveled to Cleveland. The couple courted and married in 1952 and lived in Cleveland until 1958 when they moved to Sandy Springs where Basil’s family resided. Basil was born in Scotland and had dual citizenship. He had moved to Massachusetts with his family and then to the Atlanta area.

Ann started to paint after her eight children were old enough to have a degree of independence. She participated in Piedmont Park art festivals, and she and Basil studied how to frame paintings since framing was so expensive. The couple started the Ann Jackson Gallery on the Roswell Square in 1971, the first gallery in Roswell. The population of the city was 5,000, and the Square was being restored after a period of neglect. The gallery featured some wellknown artists, local artists and Ann’s work. Their oldest daughter Valerie was studying to be a nurse and dropped out of Dekalb College to help her parents in the gallery. Valerie had no training in business or art and had to teach herself.

She says “the gallery became my work and my passion. I worked in the gallery by day and waited on tables at night. Fifteen years later, I bought the gallery from my parents.”

One day, Ed’s Gun and Tackle Store caught fire and bullets were flying out into Canton Street. The police evacuated the area and let the building blow up. The roof blew completely off.

Valerie says that “by then the Square was going downhill. Rents were going up, and I was looking for another place for the gallery. When I looked up through where the roof was supposed to be and saw the sky, I knew that the time had come to leave the Square.”

She saw the potential of Canton Steet. It had charm, adequate parking and room for growth. The city had spruced it up for the 1996 Summer Olympics with sidewalks, landscaping and old fashioned street lights. So, after 15 years, the gallery moved.

Prisoner of war

When World War ll began, 19-year Basil was determined to join the fray. The United States had not yet entered the war, so Basil went to Canada, lied about his age and enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Desperate for pilots, the RCAF taught Basil to fly. He flew a Lancaster heavy bomber, was a squadron leader and flew 30 missions over Germany. He was one of the youngest pilots in the war. The 7,377 Lancasters produced during the war were primarily used for nighttime strategic bombing of German cities. The Lancaster had the largest payload of any bomber in the war. It was used by the RAF, RCAF and air forces of other allied countries.

PROVIDED

Ann Jackson Gallery owner Valerie Jackson stands in front of a painting done by her mother Ann Jackson in 1995 while she was in France. Valerie, the oldest of their eight children, eventually took over the gallery from her mother. Today she operates the gallery at her home on Bowen Road in Roswell. Call her at 770 6865613 to make an appointment to visit the gallery.

On Feb. 24, 1944, Basil was flying over Schweinfurt in Bavaria, Germany, on a night mission involving 734 bombers to destroy vital ball bearing factories, when his plane was hit by intense flack and attacked by German Luftwaffe fighters. He was blown out of the top of the plane and his boots were blasted off his feet. Only Basil and one other crew member survived the attack. Basil landed in snow and, due to frostbite, later lost many of his toes and was permanently blinded in one eye due to shrapnel. Equipped with civilian clothes, he caught a train but was spotted by German soldiers and taken to the notorious prison Stalag Luft lll, one of nine POW camps run by the Luftwaffe to house captured Allied airmen. He remained there until the camp was liberated by Soviet forces in January 1945. The camp was manned by 800 Luftwaffe guards who ranged from cruel to sympathetic.

The prison was made famous by the 1963 movie “The Great Escape,” starring Steve McQueen, James Garner and Richard Attenborough. The film was an exaggerated version of a famous mass escape of 76 British airmen from the prison the night of March 24, 1944. Seventy-three escaped prisoners were recaptured within a matter of days and under direct orders from Hitler, 50 of them were executed by the Gestapo. Many

ATLANTA CONSTITUTION/PROVIDED Ann and Basil Jackson opened the Ann Jackson Gallery in Roswell Square in 1971. In this photo Ann points to one of the many works of art in her gallery.

Before the U.S. entered World War ll, 19 year old Basil Jackson, future husband of the founder of the Ann Jackson Gallery in Roswell, went to Canada to join the Royal Canadian Air Force. He piloted 30 missions over Germany before his bomber was shot down. This portrait was taken shortly after he enlisted in the RCAF. FAMILY PROVIDED

of the Gestapo killers were identified and executed or imprisoned after the war.

The escape was meticulously planned. Six hundred prisoners were engaged in the digging of three tunnels, 30 feet below the surface. Newly captured airmen had to pass rigorous inspections by the prisoners before they could be trusted in order to avoid German spies infiltrating the project.

Basil helped dig tunnels and worked on plans for the escape, but fortunately he was not one of the escapees.

After the war, Basil returned to North Carolina University and became an electrical engineer. He worked for General Motors and for Lockheed Corporation in addition to helping with the art gallery.

In next week’s column I will tell a sad tale about the Jackson “farm” and a story about Dr Seuss, whose works played and still play an important role in the Ann Jackson Gallery.

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

FAMILY

1994 reunion of 395th Signal Company

The headline on the front page of the Sept. 29, 1994, Dunwoody Crier read, “Veterans of Normandy Invasion Remember Their Duty and Their Friends at National Social Gatherings.”

Men from the 395th Signal Company, U.S. Army Air Corps began meeting every two years, usually in one of the veteran’s hometowns in 1984. The 1994 reunion was held at the home of Erle “Buck” and LaVerne Newsom in Fontainebleau Forest, which had a Doraville address at the time. (Dunwoody Crier newspaper archives, Dunwoody Preservation Trust)

Twenty-three members of the 395th gathered to remember their part in the Normandy invasion and the end of World War II. They came from all parts of the U.S. In addition to sharing memories, the group usually included light-hearted activities, such as golf, dancing and dinners.

Erle Newsom was first sergeant of the communications unit. Fay Hart, who initiated the reunions, came to the Newsom home for the 1994 gathering. Bob Lommatzschi came from Fort Wayne, Indiana, and James F. Scholes was also at the reunion. He was the unit’s captain and commanding officer.

When the 395th Signal Company was activated in Fresno, California, in 1943, there were 200 men on the roster. The 395th Signal Company supplied communication services to units of the 9th Air Force.

When the World War II memorial opened in 2004, Erle and LaVerne Newsom’s daughters, Liz Green and Laurie Fishel, took their parents to Washington, D.C.

“It was so important to him to be there,” recalls Green. “It was a wonderful experience, an honor to be there.”

Erle’s friend Fay Hart from the 395th joined them for the event.

Erle Newsom was born in 1915 in Camilla, Georgia. He graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in forestry. He worked with Inland Container and later Georgia Kraft Company. Then, after retirement he continued to work another 15 years for Sherwin Williams Company. LaVerne was from Tifton, Georgia.

The couple was married 65 years and had two children. Their daughters are Laurie Fishel of Winchester,

Virginia and Liz Green of Dunwoody. Green has worked at Dunwoody Baptist Preschool 36 years and is their weekday preschool associate director.

Erle and LaVerne Newsom’s family now includes three grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

In 1970, the couple moved to their Fleur de Lis Court home in Fontainebleau Forest. When the tornado hit Dunwoody in 1998, Erle and LaVerne lost 56 trees. One fell on their house. They remained in their home through the cleanup, demolition and repairs of their property.

Prior to the tornado, their home was scheduled to be on the Dunwoody Garden Tour. The damage to the beautiful gardens they had worked so hard to prepare meant they were not able to be part of the tour. Many of their plants originated from cuttings gathered at the home of LaVerne’s grandmother in Tifton.

Members of the 395th company were awarded five battle stars for their participation in battles at Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe. They were also awarded the Meritorious Service plaque in 1945.

At the 1994 reunion, Newsom took note of the group and their reduced number. “This is a small group. We’re losing them fast.”

As I have read about and watched

of the veterans of D-Day and World War II who returned there for the 80th reunion, there have been many emotional moments. Especially as the veterans remind us to not forget what happened. It reminded me of the 1994 article, Erle Newsom and the 395th Signal Company who participated at Normandy.

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

video

Erle Newsom died in 2007, and his beloved wife LaVerne died in 2013.

VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist

SPECIAL FROM 1994 DUNWOODY CRIER

Erle Newsom and Fay Hart of the 395th Signal Company share memories in 1994.

NEWSOM FAMILY/PROVIDED

Laverne and World War II veteran Erle Newsom were married for 65 years.

OPINION

GET OUTSIDE, GEORGIA!

Stone circles, wool socks and fish stew

If there’s one thing that’s true about exploring the great out-of-doors, it’s the fact that it’ll make you hungry. It’s hard work climbing mountains and fording creeks, even low ones and narrow ones, and one must have sustenance if one is to reach the summit or come out of the water safely on the other side.

I have learned that that’s just as true in Ireland as it is anywhere else.

One Tuesday, for instance, we get an early start with the idea of driving to the town of Kenmare to see the stone circle which sat just outside of town. It’s a well-known early Bronze-Age site within walking distance of the little town.

We know we have to see it (after first doing a little shopping for wool socks). And then we will continue the day with what had turned into a genuine quest –specifically, to find the very best fish stew in the land.

To understand the importance of this quest, you must first know that I absolutely love any kind of seafood-based soup. I make a mean crab and clam bisque, and she makes a shrimp and corn chowder that’s even better.

In Ireland, we discovered right away, they make what they all call fish stew. Rich, thick, warm, flavorful – the adjectives could go on and on, but none adequately describe it. I’d fallen into the pleasant habit of ordering fish stew everywhere we went, and I was beginning to learn to differentiate the various recipes. All were good. Which was best? Maybe the next one…and today the next one would most likely come from a pub somewhere in Kenmare.

It’s all in the name of research, and I do it all for you.

The drive over from our cottage is a little less harrowing than before (maybe we are getting the hang of it?), and we arrive with plenty of time for socks shopping. She purchased a pair a few days before and immediately pronounced them one of the crowning achievements of humankind. We need more, she says, and Kenmare seems as good a place as any to fine ‘em.

So sock shopping we go. We find some for us and for family back home too. The day is off to a grand start!

And then, socks secured, we walk up a small street and follow a sign pointing down a little lane. “Kenmare Stone Circle,” it says. We are almost there.

“Two of ye?” asks the gatekeeper. I pay the small admission and turn to follow the path to the stones. But he stops me and hands me two small pieces of

paper, each with a string attached – one for me and one for her.

I look at them, puzzled.

“For the tree,” the gatekeeper says. “For the hawthorn tree.”

Taking hers, she walks on ahead of me toward the ancient stones. But I linger for a moment. I want to know more about the hawthorn trees.

Hawthorns, I learn, are considered magical and sacred, symbolizing love and protection. They’re said to bring blessings and good luck, and so for ages they have been revered and treated with great respect by one and all. In fact, roads in Ireland have been rerouted to avoid having to take one down.

Usually, it seems, that common knowledge is enough to keep the trees safe. But to deal with the occasional chainsaw-wielding ne’er-do-well who hasn’t gotten the word, further protection for hawthorn trees is said to come from the fairies who live under them. The fairies’ job is to protect the trees from harm, a task which they apparently embrace with gusto. The fairies don’t seem to mind if you respectfully collect hawthorn twigs and flowers, especially for a bride who might wear the blossoms in her hair or carry them in her bouquet as a symbol of love. But if your motives are not so good as that, be forewarned!

As it turns out, hawthorn trees are commonly found at ancient sites like this one.

“There are several hawthorn trees near

the stones, and visitors often leave notes with handwritten wishes attached to the trees’ branches,” our host tells me. “Maybe you’ll want to do that too.”

We chat a minute more, and then I start down the short path to the stones. She is already ahead of me, and as I round a bend in the path I see her standing by one of the hawthorns and affixing something to one of its branches.

I stroll toward her, suddenly aware of the notecard I hold in my hand. I need to leave a note too, a decide, a word or a wish or something too.

But what?

That one’s easy.

We writer types usually carry a pen in case we ever need to write something down. So, I retrieve my pen and stop mid-path and write some words on the card. Then I walk up to the biggest of the hawthorns (which is already decorated with dozens and dozens of words and wishes from others before me) and begin to look for just the right branch. Which one…that one? Yes! Then, carefully, I tie my note to the tree.

By this time, she has moved from the trees to the stones themselves. Ancient and weathered but strong and enduring, they have been there for perhaps 3,000 years, silent and solid as the earth itself. There are 15 stones arranged in a circle about 17 meters (roughly 55 feet) in diameter, plus a center stoner. The rock used to make them came from a site several miles away. Only

someone who really wanted to build this would go to the trouble of moving those stones so far.

Why are they there? No one is completely sure. Some say it was a ritual site used by Druids. Others believe it is some sort of calendar or perhaps a memorial site. The fact is that no one knows for sure.

But whatever its purpose, the stone circle is captivating. We wander there for a while, walking among the stones, touching them, wondering…

After a while, I realize, I am getting hungry.

“Fish chowder time?” I ask her, and we turn back to the path to walk back into Kenmare.

We do find a pub with fish stew, and it is good.

“Is that the best one?” she asks.

“I’m still not sure,” I answer. “Further research is in order, I think.”

She smiles at me and squeezes my hand across the table. A moment passes.

“That was a neat place,” she says at last. “The stones. And the hawthorn trees. Did you leave a note?”

“I did,” I say, and I feel the beginnings of a smile.

What did I wish for in my note on the hawthorn tree?

Did I wish for the perfect bowl of fish stew? Did I offer a word of thanks that I had already found it?

Maybe.

But maybe not.

STEVE HUDSON Columnist

STEVE HUDSON/APPEN MEDIA

The stone circle in Kenmare, Ireland, dates back some 3,000 years and includes a center stone surrounded by 15 others. The purpose for the arrangement remains a mystery.

‘Summer blockbuster’ has become an oxymoron

There was a time when going to the movies was an event to be cherished. Dinner and a movie was the standard for a Friday or Saturday night. Going on a date in high school often entailed seeing a movie. Theaters were packed and I couldn’t wait to see the latest Hollywood offering.

Today, not so much. The last movie I saw in a theater was “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Before that, I went to see “Oppenheimer” with my sons. And while both films were welldone and entertaining, I haven’t gone back.

I recently queried Abigail from AMC at The Collection about what I should be looking forward to this summer. How many “summer blockbusters” will inspire me to fork over nearly $20 just to get a ticket?

DEATH NOTICES

Bradley Bromelow, 54, of Alpharetta, passed away on June 9, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

During

Are you ready? “Despicable Me 4” (We all need more Minions, don’t we?), “Deadpool vs. Wolverine” (I guess there’ll be a fight, but I don’t care who wins), and some type of “Mad Max” offering. Oh, and there’s also plans for a “Lord of The Rings” marathon.

Maybe I’m a movie snob, but there really doesn’t appear to be anything worth seeing right now. And worse yet for those in Hollywood wanting to get some of my money, there’s nothing on the horizon that gets me to say: “I really want to see that!”

I guess there’s the possibility that going to the movies is not what it used to be. The experience is somewhat lacking. However, I love a good IMAX offering with that vivid picture or a Dolby theater with audiophile sound and reclining seats.

I have the fondest California memories of DeeDee, my godmother, taking me to the Warner Theater in downtown San Pedro. Whenever there was a new Disney movie showing, she was a great sport, and we had

Wesley Goswick, 60, of Alpharetta, passed away on June 8, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Owned and Operated

popcorn and drinks while watching upstairs in balcony seats. DeeDee always paid extra to have us sit upstairs, which made the experience feel that much more special.

I had an early crush on Hayley Mills in “The Parent Trap.” I believed Fred MacMurray had ditched his three sons to become “The AbsentMinded Professor,” and his Flubber could help me become a better basketball player and might make our old Plymouth fly. I remember being mesmerized by “Swiss Family Robinson” and how that clan fought the elements and some jabbering pirates, vanquishing the marauders by employing coconut bombs.

Mom was wise to my ways when I asked her to pick me up a few coconuts next time she bought groceries, “and by the way, where do we keep our gunpowder around the house?”

Admittedly, I thought the last “Mission Impossible” offering rocked. I’ll probably pony up for a ticket to watch Tom Cruise perform his own

Angela Pruett, 96, of Roswell, passed away on June 3, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

“how does he do that?” stunts. I think there’s a new Western starring Kevin Costner on the horizon, and that seems to be worthwhile. Aside from that, there’s nothing that excites me.

Maybe we’ve exhausted all the possibilities for new material, and all that’s left are sequels and remakes. I can’t help but think that Hollywood is hurting, and its once “sure thing” audience may have become more discerning and, worse yet, aloof.

Looking at all the entertainment alternatives, the prospect of driving to a movie house and paying ridiculous admission prices, coupled with food that can be purchased for at lease half-price at Publix, I’ve concluded I still like movies, but going to the movies just isn’t worth the hassle.

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.

MIKE TASOS Columnist

CITY OF JOHNS CREEK PLANNING COMMISSION, PUBLIC HEARING:

TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024, AT 7:00 P.M.

CITY OF JOHNS CREEK MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, PUBLIC HEARING:

MONDAY, JULY 29, 2024 AT 7:00 P.M.

CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS

11360 LAKEFIELD DRIVE, JOHNS CREEK, GEORGIA 30097

The following Land Use Petitions are scheduled for public hearings:

LAND USE PETITION: SUP-24-0001

PETITIONER: Mount Pisgah Christian School

LOCATION: 9725 and 9855 Nesbit Ferry Road

CURRENT ZONING: AG-1 (Agricultural District)

PROPOSED ZONING: AG-1 (Agricultural District)

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT: 123,662 square-foot expansion of the Mt. Pisgah Christian School campus, to include two academic buildings, curriculum enhancement building, performing arts theater, natatorium, and six tennis courts.

LAND USE PETITION: RZ-24-0004 and VC-24-0003

PETITIONER: Partners Development Group LLC

LOCATION: 2950 Old Alabama Road and 2950 Ivey Ridge Land #Rear

CURRENT ZONING: O-I (Office Institutional District) Conditional

PROPOSED ZONING: A-L (Apartment Limited Dwelling District)

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT: To convert existing assisted living facility into an age-restricted, active-adult apartment building with one concurrent variance to reduce the required parking from 164 to 61 spaces.

**PUBLIC NOTICE: Nation Of Neterus Trust**

**Notice of Termination of Financial Support Upon Reaching Age of Majority**

This notice serves to inform all beneficiaries of the Nation Of Neterus Trust, established by MontayDesmond: Humphrey on March 12, 2022, that in accordance with the terms set forth in the trust agreement, financial support provided to beneficiaries will cease upon reaching the age of 18 years.

The termination of support is consistent with the trust’s guiding principles, which encourage personal responsibility and independence in alignment with our foundational religious beliefs. This transition reflects our commitment to fostering maturity and self-sufficiency among beneficiaries as they step into adulthood.

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

**Effective Termination Date:** Financial support will end on the 18th birthday of each beneficiary. All affected individuals are encouraged to prepare for this transition and are welcome to contact the trust administrators for guidance or further information.

For questions or additional details, please contact:

Montay-Desmond: Humphrey Trustee

djmontay@protonmail.com Nation Of Neterus Trust

We thank our beneficiaries for their understanding and wish them success and growth as they embark on this new life chapter.

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.

Newspaper Delivery Route Openings with

Appen Media Group

We are looking for one person or couple interested in delivering weekly newspapers in South Forsyth, Alpharetta and the Johns Creek areas.

Requirements: Must have a perfect driving record and background check, reliable transportation, honest, hard-working and positive attitude.

For more information or to apply, email heidi@appenmedia.com and include a paragraph or two about who you are and any relevant background/experience. In the subject line of the email please put “Delivery Route Application.”

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

CITY OF JOHNS CREEK

RFP 24-194

UTILITY LOCATING AND MARKING SERVICES

The City of Johns Creek is requesting proposals from qualified Offerors for the Recreation and Parks Strategic Plan Update Project. Proposals will be received electronically via the City’s bid platform, BidNet, with required hard copies delivered to City Hall no later than 2:00PM on Friday July 12, 2024 . Questions are accepted and answered online only via BidNet. Deadline for questions is June 27, 2024 5:00 PM, electronically through BidNet.

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 RFP bid packet 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 RFP 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.

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

While covering Milton election operations, Appen Media analyzed historical voter data and identified possible disenfranchisement.

This reporting caused a statewide watchdog to get involved and, eventually, the city moved to add a polling place to the area. Later in the year, Appen discovered that the feasibility report the City Council used when voting to run their own elections was not the original document. Two residents on a working committee had altered it after city staff had completed it and before its presentation to council. Appen Media reporters identified all of the differences between the two documents and then created an interactive digital document. Readers and officials were able to scroll through the materials and read notes from the newsroom explaining the differences. You can find this document at appenmedia.com/electionsreport.

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