Johns Creek Herald - August 17, 2023

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Johns Creek City Councilman Bob Erramilli advocates to keep the 2023 millage rate steady at the Aug. 8 council meeting. But in a 6-1 vote, councilmembers decided to roll back the millage rate to 3.646 mills.

City reduces property tax millage rate

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — In the next fiscal year, Johns Creek residents will see property tax bills based on the rollback millage rate of 3.646 mills.

The Johns Creek City Council passed the new rate in a 6-1 vote at the Aug. 8 regular meeting, the last of three public hearings on the millage rate. Councilman Bob Erramilli cast the dissenting vote, preferring to keep the millage rate steady at 3.986 mills so the city could fund more projects in fiscal year 2024, which begins Oct. 1.

Erramilli argued the lower rate would result in minimal savings for residents on their tax bills, whereas the city would lose nearly $2 million in extra revenue.

See RATE, Page 7

Johns Creek resident inducted into Basketball Hall of Fame

DETROIT — Johns Creek resident and former Harlem Globetrotter Tyrone Brown has been inducted into the American Basketball Hall of Fame.

Brown was honored alongside 25 other basketball legends including, ESPN Basketball Analyst Dick Vitale, Detroit Pistons legends Earl Lloyd, Isiah Thomas, Earl Cureton, Terry Mills and John Long at a ceremony held for the American Basketball Hall of Fame 2022 and 2023 classes in Detroit, Mich., June 25.

“I am deeply grateful to LaMont Robinson, CEO-Founder of the American Basketball Hall of Fame and the Harlem Globetrotters organization for the opportunity to stand alongside so many legends who love basketball,” Brown said.

Brown, a native of Savannah, is recognized as one of the greats in Harlem Globetrotters history with a social impact that extended well beyond the bounds of the court, officials said.

The former Globetrotter currently serves as a literacy and character educational speaker at school districts, corporations and nonprofits across the United States and Canada. He also founded the Ambassadors of Responsibility Foundation to enable former teammates to better serve elementary and middle school students across the country.

“I am honored, thankful and humbled by this recognition and dedicate it to the children I’ve entertained and talked to at schools across the country about the importance of reading, goal setting and hard work,” he said.

— Alexander Popp

PROVIDED

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Homeowners report theft of purses, ashes of dog

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Police were dispatched to a home on Weathervane Drive July 31, where a burglary was reported.

When police entered the residence, they observed items strewn over several areas of the home as well as pry marks on a living room window. One of the residents said her mother, who also lives at the home, is a business owner who is known to bring cash home at the end of the day.

The woman also reported the suspect took ashes of her dog, which were in an urn located upstairs. She also reported eight to 10 Louis Vuitton bags, priced at $8,000 each, missing from her closet.

Police canvassed the neighborhood and checked ring cameras, but they yielded no additional information. Detectives also responded to the scene.

Woman reports assault during neighborhood walk

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A Johns Creek woman reported to police Aug. 4 that while she was walking in her neighborhood on Mount Katahdin Trail, a man sexually assaulted her from behind.

The victim told police the suspect grabbed the left side of her sports bra from under her shirt while simultaneously grabbing her right then left butt cheek. The victim said the suspect quietly said, “I just had to do this.”

The victim said she screamed and started running up the street, then chased the suspect to where he had parked his car. The victim said the suspect got in his vehicle and drove away.

The victim described the suspect as a thin Black male with a medium to dark complexion, 5-foot-9, with closely cut hair. She also said he drove a silver SUV, possibly a Ford or Acura, with what appeared to be an “applied for tag.”

Detectives arrived at the scene for further investigation. While checking the neighborhood for cameras, a neighbor allowed police to look into his ring camera footage which showed a vehicle matching the victim’s description.

Suspect confronts woman following bank withdrawal

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A Johns Creek woman reported Aug. 2 that a man followed her from a bank where she had withdrawn $9,000 and later attempted to break into her vehicle while she was parked.

The victim said that after her visit to the bank, she pulled into the Goodwill parking lot on Jones Bridge Road, and the unidentified man, who she remembered had stood behind her in line at the bank, began striking her front passenger window with what appeared to be a large screwdriver. She said her purse, where she’d placed the money, was in the front passenger seat.

The victim said the suspect failed to break into the car and that she exited the vehicle, running into Goodwill. The store’s employees reported seeing a car speed through the parking lot toward Aldi’s, according to the police report.

Damage to the victim’s vehicle was estimated to be more than $1,400.

Detectives arrived at the scene for further investigation.

Driver cited for speeding on State Bridge Road

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Police reported observing a Dodge Charger and a white Audi sedan driving close to 100 mph in a posted 45 mph zone on State Bridge Road Aug. 5.

While the Audi failed to stop, police successfully stopped the Charger and noticed alcoholic beverages in the pocket of the driver’s seat. The driver , an 18-year-old Alpharetta resident, was placed under arrest for reckless driving. They also charged the driver with minor in possession of alcohol and transported him to the North Fulton County Jail in Alpharetta.

The driver’s parents arrived at the scene and took possession of the vehicle.

Shoplifting suspects flee with $1,860 in candles

MILTON, Ga. — An employee at the Bath & Body Works on Ga. 9 reported that three women stole nearly 70 candles from the store Aug. 2.

The employee said suspects entered the store and grabbed blue mesh shopping bags, proceeding to fill them with candles valued at around $1,860. She reported the suspects ran out of the store to a waiting silver vehicle, passing all points of sale.

The employee described all the suspects as Black women in their early 20s, around 5-foot-7, and weighing between 200 and 250 pounds. She said each wore a blue face mask. She also said one suspect wore a black tank top; another wore a gray hoodie; and the last suspect wore a white T-shirt.

A member of the store’s asset protection team informed police she may have surveillance video. She also said the suspects may be responsible for thefts at other Bath & Body Works locations in Camp Creek and the Atlantic Station.

CITY OF JOHNS CREEK/PROVIDED

The Forsyth County Recycling Center on Old Atlanta Road in Suwanee is the county’s nearest location to Johns Creek. City residents can use the county’s three recycling facilities starting Sept. 1 as part of a partnership between the communities.

Johns Creek expands recycling through Forsyth County pact

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Johns Creek has entered a pilot program with its northern neighbor to expand services to three Forsyth County recycling centers.

The 90-day pilot program begins Sept. 1.

Johns Creek residents currently bring recyclable items to Keep North Fulton Beautiful’s Sandy Springs Recycling Center on Morgan Falls Road. Johns Creek officials said the program will provide a northern option for drop-offs.

The partnership will use Forsyth County’s Coal Mountain Center at 3560 Settingdown Road, the Old Atlanta Center at 3678 Old Atlanta Road and the Tolbert Street Center at 351 Tolbert

Street. The Old Atlanta location is the closest of the three to Johns Creek.

Officials said the program is part of an ongoing effort to expand recycling services. The city launched a glass recycling drop-off container at Ocee Park in October 2022, which received positive feedback and was heavily used.

Both jurisdictions will review the pilot program’s results after three months to consider the possibility of a long-term partnership.

A list of acceptable items at the Forsyth County centers can be found online at forsythco.com/DepartmentsOffices/Recycling-Solid-Waste/ Recycling-Centers.

— Shelby Israel

‘Doggy Daze of Summer’ set for East Roswell Park

ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell-area canines can rejoice because the City of Roswell will host its “Doggy Daze of Summer” event this September.

Held at East Roswell Park from 4 to 9 p.m. Sept. 9, the event will offer our four-legged friends and their owners an outdoor extravaganza of free fun activities.

“Pet owners and dog enthusiasts alike are invited to join us for a ‘pawsome’ day of fun, love, and wagging tails,” officials said.

The event will feature interactive agility courses and competitions, a pet

vendor village with carefully curated canine vendors, a pet adoption drive from Angels Among Us Pet Rescue, a K9 Officer meet and greet with Roswell Police Department K9 Officer Goose, human and dog-friendly food trucks and a live DJ.

The event is free. Participants must make sure their doggy friends are fully vaccinated and leashed at all times.

For more information visit www. roswell365.com/event/doggy-daze-ofsummer.

— Alexander Popp

Lanier Tech students win gold at national health conference

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Three Lanier Technical College students won first place in the career pathways for health science competition at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta.

Ashley Watson, Lillian Phillips and Janet Penaloza participate in the college’s health information management technology program. The team collaborated with Northside Hospital Forsyth and the County Healthcare Association to study Avive Solutions’ 4 Minute City.

The students chose health care data analysis as the career pathway for their project, and they researched the data behind how 4 Minute City aims to lower the sudden cardiac arrest mortality rate from 94 percent to 30 percent.

The 4 Minute City program seeks to raise the survival rate of sudden cardiac arrests by providing AEDs that have a GPS system to locate the equipment before first responders arrive. The initiative is a partnership between the County Fire Department, Northside Hospital Forsyth, Central EMS, the Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Management and the Chamber of Commerce’s Healthcare Association.

Forsyth County became the third partner community in the program in February.

Watson, Phillips and Penaloza observed in their project that of the 514 sudden cardiac arrests in the county between 2019 and 2022, an AED was used 67 times.

Shelby Israel

—

HEALTHCARE ASSOCIATION OF FORSYTH COUNTY/PROVIDED

The Lanier Technical College health information management technology program won first place in the career pathways for health science competition at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta.

The lazy days of summer are almost over but you can still save big on your outdoor fabric projects!

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Funding group forms ahead of Milton city elections

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — Adam Hollingsworth, Milton resident and former chief of staff for Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott, calls his independent expenditure committee Milton Families First a “grassroots movement” he hopes will last for “years and years and years.”

Different from political action committees (PAC), an independent committee is a group that does not coordinate with individual candidates, according to the State Ethics Commission. It expends funds to affect the outcome of an election.

An independent expenditure committee can spend as much as it likes so long as it is completely divorced from any one candidate.

Milton Families First is the only active, independent committee registered in Milton and one of just a few in North Fulton.

Hollingsworth, president of Milton Families First, said he formed the group because some of the city’s leaders “have put their self-interests above those who they were elected to serve.” The committee boasts three

founding principles — government transparency and accountability, public safety and responsible growth.

“We hope to build Milton Families First as a place to give the citizenry a seat at a really important table,” he said.

When asked how his background in politics informs Milton Families First, Hollingsworth said his background as a citizen is what’s most important.

“I’ve served in government. I’ve been a citizen who has interacted with government at every level, just like every citizen in Milton, and what’s most important to me is the functionality and responsiveness of government,” he said.

Committee focus

The Milton City Council’s three Post 2 seats are up for election in November. Two residents have announced their candidacy on the council — Doug Hene to replace Councilman Paul Moore in District 2 and Phil Cramer to replace Councilman Rick Mohrig in District 3. Both seats are ones Hollingsworth said his committee is “focusing” on.

Neither Moore or Mohrig have announced whether they will run

for re-election. Moore has filed a declaration of intent to accept campaign contributions, however. No one has announced for the District 1, Post 2 seat now held by Councilwoman Carol Cookerly.

“Unfortunately, what we know is that in the case of Paul Moore, he was unanimously found to have violated multiple sections of the Milton Ethics Code, and then two appeals courts refused to even take up his appeal,” Hollingsworth said.

Last August, Moore was charged with three ethics violations when he voted to defer a council decision related to White Columns — a subdivision of about 440 homes, where he lives. Hollingsworth serves as the White Columns Community Association secretary. Milton Families First Treasurer Tony Palazzo is the White Columns president.

“In the case of Rick Mohrig, we’ve read your reporting, we’ve read the reporting from others in the community that make it clear that he crossed a line in engaging in the way in which Milton’s city elections could and should be administered,” Hollingsworth said.

In recent months, records surfaced showing Mohrig made several personal requests to Milton City Manager Steve Krokoff to interview Vernetta Nuriddin for a position as an elections consultant. Nuriddin was hired in late May.

Reporting requirements

While Milton Families First does not coordinate with candidates, Hollingworth admits he and Hene’s kids attend Kings Ridge Christian School and that he and Hene are in the same men’s prayer group. On the other hand, Hollingsworth said he met Cramer for the first time when he first considered running about a month ago.

Hene has a campaign war chest

of $77,000, according to a July Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report.

Hollingsworth and Palazzo would not disclose how much money their committee has raised since its July 19 registration. Attorney R. Mansell McCord, former treasurer of the Georgia GOP, registered the committee.

“You’ll see on the Sept. 1 filing,” Palazzo said.

The State Ethics Commission requires an independent committee to file reports on the first day of each of the two months preceding an election. It also requires the committee to file a report two weeks before the election, then a final report before Dec. 31 of the election year. The committee also must file supplemental reports on June 30 and Dec. 31 of each year that it continues to accept contributions or make expenditures.

Trouble in White Columns

The White Columns HOA Board has seen major criticism in recent months. Some residents in the subdivision have said the board has lacked transparency — one of the cornerstones of Milton Families First’s founding.

One issue cited by residents who contacted Appen Media, was a “secret” personal transportation vehicle path project no longer in the works after a negative response from the community. The path would have connected the gated section to the White Columns Country Club.

Responding to the complaint, Hollingsworth said it is part of his job as a neighborhood leader to address issues raised by residents.

“[The project is] a great example of where leaders have to adjust and adapt and be responsive to the community, even if the leader’s opinion and desire is inconsistent with that of

See GROUP, Page 14

Rate:

Continued from Page 1

“By depriving ourselves of these capital projects, we are losing in the long run,” Erramilli said.

While Councilwoman Stacy Skinner voted to roll back the rate because “every little bit helps,” she voiced a promise to have better policies going forward when allocating surplus for capital projects.

“We currently have our strategic priorities set at the beginning of the year, and we never have had the discussion of where the funding is coming from or if we can accomplish that,” Skinner said. “Meanwhile, there’s some members of the community that think we’re doing these things ... I want to make sure the message we send is that we’re doing what we tell you we’re doing, and we will have it funded.”

Mayor John Bradberry responded by saying the City Council casts a vision for where it wants the city to go and that he’s confident it is heading toward those objectives.

“We might have to pace ourselves, so we stay within a finite range of resources,” Bradberry said.

Also at the regular meeting, Finance Director Ronnie Campbell

held the first hearing of the fiscal year 2024 budget, totaling $78.5 million. However, the new budget may see some adjustments based on discussion from the earlier council work session.

At the work session, the council agreed to recommit $1 million to property tax stabilization and $400,000 to the infrastructure maintenance accrual fund for land acquisition. One Johns Creek, a coalition that aims to reduce substance abuse among youth, and city efforts to conduct its own municipal election in 2025 will also now see some level of funding in fiscal year 2024.

The council also deliberated how the city should allocate leftover money from the current year. While the city was unable to verify the surplus amount, Bradberry estimated it would be around $9 million.

There was consensus among the council to cede surplus money to Creekside Park, which has an $8 million funding gap, and to the replacement of Fire Station 63.

The council is set to refine the fiscal year 2024 budget at its Aug. 22 work session. The second and final public hearing for the budget is scheduled for the Sept. 12 City Council meeting, where it is also expected to be adopted.

JOHNS CREEK MUNICIPAL ELECTION

Qualification dates for Nov. 7, 2023, city elections

• 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Aug. 21

•

•

a.m.-4:30 p.m. Aug. 22

a.m.-4:30 p.m. Aug. 23

City Council Posts 2, 4 and 6 are up for election.

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry provides a breakdown of unfunded capital projects in the fiscal year 2024 budget at the City Council work session Aug. 8.

The Splatter Studio sparks joy, creativity

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — What makes art, art? Is art just paint on a canvas, clay on a wheel, or a moment in time frozen by an expertly snapped picture?

For the folks at The Splatter Studio in Sandy Springs, art goes beyond any form or medium, becoming a full-body experience that can inspire talent, emotion and creativity in even the least artistic of us.

Opened in 2020 by Howard Krinsky, owner of the Atlanta-based art supply store Binders, The Splatter Studio offers customers a chance to become Jackson Pollock for an hour or two by creating personal artworks in a riotous frenzy of paint.

Jenna Rees, chief brand officer for The Splatter Studio, said the business’s mission of being a “contemporary action painting experience” pays tribute to the Abstract Expressionism period in art history, where artists like Pollock, Willem De Kooning, Lee Krasner and others started experimenting with non-objective paintings, made through new techniques.

“Instead of just a traditional

brush, they were using sticks and brooms, and whatever they could find,” Rees said. “It was a full body experience, experimental, and the paintings were totally non-objective.”

Today, customers at The Splatter Studio are encouraged to immerse themselves fully in the process of making art, in whatever way feels right to them.

“It’s very therapeutic for people, a lot of people say that it’s kind of like unofficial art therapy,” Rees said. “Action painting is all about experiencing the process of art making and not really being too attached to like the end result. It’s not about coming in here and being an exceptional artist or creating a work of art that is necessarily going to make you famous.”

With admission to a “splatter session,” customers are given a protective poncho or Tyvek suit, goggles, paint sticks, brushes, paint blasters (squirt guns made from a foam material) and squirt bottles, along with a colorful panoply of paints, then set loose on a 16- by 20inch canvas.

The reckless abandon and heights that past customers have gone to create their art, can be seen in the layers of paint coating nearly every wall in The Splatter Studio, all the See SPLATTER, Page 9

It’s very therapeutic for people, a lot of people say that it’s kind of like unofficial art therapy.’

JENNA REES, Chief brand officer, The Splatter Studio

Business encourages patrons to immerse themselves in art

BOTTOM SPLATTER STUDIO/PROVIDED

At The Splatter Studio, a Contemporary Action Painting Experience in Sandy Springs, customers are given the opportunity to create one painting, or many, by flinging, shooting and throwing paint.

Splatter:

Continued from Page 8

way up to its lofty rafters.

Some customers, even people who have never shown any interest in the arts, find something inside them that has to come out when they step up to the canvas. And Rees said they are glad to be the ones sparking that creation.

“It’s typically the people that say, ‘Oh, I’ve never even done anything like this before’ that come out with something really interesting,” she said.

Beyond the basic session, which costs $45 on weekdays and $65 on the weekends, The Splatter Studio offers a host of other classes, parties and experiences at their locations in Sandy Springs and Virginia Highlands.

“We just recently launched some new products at our Virginia Highlands location that are coming soon to Sandy Springs, one of which is a collaborative splatter session,” Rees said. “So rather than coming with your friend, each do your own painting, you’re now coming together to create one larger painting.”

The business has attached itself to the idea of making sessions a bonding, teambuilding, or dating activity, with a new “date and create” session for couples, an adults-only session

held each Friday night in Sandy Springs, and sessions held specifically for teambuilding within families, companies and other groups.

The Splatter Studio co-owner Fabrice Werner said over the past year, the Sandy Springs location has shown them how well the action painting experience works for business and corporate groups.

“We want to bring together two worlds, the art and the business world,” he said. “So, for instance, if you have a challenge around change management, that’s one of the things we can work on together.”

But no matter what group or individual is in their studio, the joy they witness firsthand each session shows them they are on the right path.

“I think the word fun is also something that is on top of my mind,” Werner said. “Over the weekend, we were quite busy, and I could hear people laughing, having a great time … it’s not usually something you see too often, different ages, different people, from the youngest to the oldest, they are having a great time. This is really what I love about it.”

The Splatter Studio is in the Parkside Shops shopping center at 5920 Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. To learn more about The Splatter Studio and how to book a session, visit thesplatterstudio.com.

PHOTOS BY ALEXANDER POPP/APPEN MEDIA Splatter Studios on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs offers customers a place to unleash their inner Jackson Pollock, by making creative and personal action paintings using a variety of tools and paints.

ADVERTISE IN OUR banking & finance Report

Why can’t I add my trust as beneficiary of my joint checking account?

Recently a couple asked Bank of America to add their trust as the beneficiary or Pay-On-Death (POD) Payee of their joint checking account at the bank. They were denied. Bank of America is not the first bank to do this. It seems several banks believe that a POD Payee can only be added to a checking account after a joint owner dies. What if both owners die together such as in a car accident? Now we have a checking account with no living beneficiary requiring an executor to be approved after paying for and going through the probate process – a process which we are trying to avoid by creating a revocable trust for the couple in the first place. Our Georgia Code states in O.C.G.A. Section 7-1-812(b) that a POD account belongs to the original payees (whether there are 1 or more)) during

their lifetimes. This means that our code anticipates the probability that more than one person may own a checking account jointly or together with equal rights to access the money and that they can have a beneficiary (such as their trust) named as the POD payee on the account. Later in Section 7/1/818 our Georgia Code states that a POD payee may receive payment upon proof that all the original payees have died.

So why is Bank of America stopping my clients from protecting themselves from probate by naming their trust as the POD payee or beneficiary on their joint checking account? I called to find out, but they wouldn’t answer their phone. I’ll be stopping in for a chat next week. Stay tuned for the answer.

If you have questions about whether your trust is named as POD payee or beneficiary correctly on your accounts, call for one of our paid strategy sessions and bring your statements and any other printout that shows who your beneficiaries are. A law firm, like Wilson Legal, can help you make sure you are getting all the advantages of your trust.

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Sponsored Section August 17, 2023 | Johns Creek Herald | 10

Protect Your Assets

Many people think having a Will is enough to protect their assets, but a Will is best used as a last resort rather than your primary plan.

probate case had to be closed out and missed the deadline to file those reports, so the Probate Court removed her as Executor.

GEERDES

Over our two decades of helping people create their estate plans, we’ve seen a lot of probate cases that sadly resulted in the heirs losing control over their beloved family member’s assets.

For instance, Mr. Jackson owned multiple properties in Georgia. He wrote in his Will that his properties were to go to his beloved daughter and she should also be his Executor. After Mr. Jackson passed, his daughter filed his Will with the Probate Court and was named as the Executor. She was then able to transfer his properties to herself, per his wishes.

However, the daughter didn’t know that once the assets were distributed, her job wasn’t done. Depending on the type of Will filed, the court requires the Executor to file reports on the assets - and those reports have to be filed annually until the probate is closed out. The daughter was not aware that the

The new Executor was not a relative of the family and, as he was paid based on the length of time he worked on the case, he was happy to keep Mr. Jackson’s case open. He took control over the assets, meaning daughter could not do anything with those properties. What’s worse, the new Executor’s pay came directly from Mr. Jackson’s estate. This meant that the longer the case is open, the more of Mr. Jackson’s estate went to the new Executor.

It’s important to protect your assets for your legacy - and it’s equally important to make sure that your loved ones aren’t subjected to the long and complicated administrative procedures of the court. After being informed about the Probate process with a Will that has to be probated at your death, then at least you will have sufficient knowledge to start with a Will or have a Trust instead to avoid Probate and additional asset protection measures that Trust can provide. As always, we recommend that you look for a local estate planning attorney and start your planning sooner rather than later.

August’s many book events spur back-to-school shuffle

By KATHY DES JARDINS CIOFFI newsroom@appenmedia. com

Author events could have everyone hitting the books this month, and not just students. August’s abundance of literary happenings include Forsyth County Public Library’s monthlong series supporting local writers, as well as a week of anniversary celebrations at Milton’s Poe & Company Bookstore. Add in appearances by a host of notable

Literary Events Around North Atlanta

Wednesday, Aug. 16. Wild Woman Who Write Writing Workshop Series. Kathy Nichols, one of five members of the author-support podcast group, will lead a writing class emphasizing individual attention and encouragement. 7 p.m. $20. Poe & Company Bookstore, 1890 Heritage Walk, Suite P101, Milton. 770-797-5566. Poeandcompanybookstore.com

Thursday, Aug. 17. Kay Paschal. The author of “Insert Giggle Giggle: Laughing Your Way Through Raising Kids and Running a Business” will share lighthearted parenting advice. 5 p.m. Free. Poe & Company Bookstore, 1890 Heritage Walk, Suite P101, Milton. 770-797-5566. Poeandcompanybookstore.com

Saturday, Aug. 19, Dr. Martha Boone. The·North Atlanta Author Series will host the launch of “The Unfettered Urologist: What I Never Had Time to Tell You in a Fifteen Minute Office Visit.” Boone, a local urologist and author, will be in conversation with Mary Ann Walser, an attorney and realtor. 2 p.m. Free. Milton Branch Library, 855 Mayfield Road, Milton. 770-509-5611. bookmiser.net/bookevents.html

Sunday, Aug. 20, Forsyth County Public Library’s Local Authors Showcase. Keynote speaker George Weinstein, author and executive director of the Atlanta Writers Club, will kick off Forsyth’s second annual event with “We’re All in this Together: The Importance of Finding a Writing Family.” Multiple local authors will also be featured. 2 p.m. Free. Sharon Forks Library, 2820 Old Atlanta Road, Cumming. 678-513-9364. forsythpl.org/event/8717909

Sunday, Aug. 20, Book Fair for Grown Ups. Read

wordsmiths like much-honored Chika Unigwe and Becky Albertalli, whose debut novel was adapted into the feel-good film “Love, Simon,” and avid readers would do well to have any back-to-school shopping finished early.

Details about these and other author activities in August are below:

More information

The mother-daughter duo of Rosalind and Maggie Bunn will read and sign their children’s picture books Aug. 12 in Alpharetta.

No. 1 bestselling author Becky Albertalli will chat about her new novel, “Imogen, Obviously,” Aug. 26 in Milton.

It Again Bookstore will partner with a Milton winery on a book fair featuring carefully curated books and local wine. 2 p.m. Free. Painted Horse Winery and Vineyards, 13762 Hopewell Road, Milton. 770-232-9331. read-it-again.com/event/ painted-horse-winery-vineyards-book-fair-grown-ups

Tuesday, Aug. 22, Christopher Swann, Mike Shaw, T.M. Brown and Kate Hallock. A Novel Idea Author Showcase presents “A Night of History, Mystery, Mayhem and Music” featuring four authors and musical interludes. Bookmiser will have the writers’ books for sale. 7 p.m. Free. Brimstone Restaurant & Tavern, 10595 Old Alabama Road, Alpharetta. 770-509-5611. anovelidea.us

Saturday, Aug 26, Marilyn Baron and Kathy Des Jardins. Award-winning novelists Marilyn Baron and Kathy Des Jardins will headline a double author event featuring Baron’s latest cozy mystery, “The Case of the Forgotten Fragonard,” and Des Jardins’ debut release, “Mama Tried,” along with book-themed snacks. Noon. Free. Read It Again Bookstore, 3630 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 314, Suwanee. 770-232.9331. read-it-again.com/ event/kathy-des-jardins-marilyn-baron-author-event

Saturday, Aug. 26, Becky Albertalli. The North Atlanta Author Series continues with the former psychologist chatting about her most recent young adult bestseller, “Imogen, Obviously.” 2 p.m. Free. Milton Branch Library, 855 Mayfield Road, Milton. 770-509-5611. bookmiser.net/book-events.html

Sunday, Aug. 27, Andrew Diaz Winkelmann. Bookmiser presents an intimate afternoon with the Cuban-American author of the debut novel, “The Guava Tree.” 4:30 p.m. Free. 3822 Roswell Road, Marietta. 770-509-5611. bookmiser.net/ book-events.html

R. AND M. BUNN

ALBERTALLI

HEATHER MURPHY/PROVIDED

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Stretch of Wills Road closed for Ga. 9 work

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The Georgia Department of Transportation is closing Wills Road near its intersection with Main Street for the next six months as part of its ongoing State Route 9 Improvement Project.

The closure will affect motorists who use Wills Road to travel between Ga. 9 and Old Milton Parkway. Detour signs will be placed to guide drivers to alternate routes.

Assistant City Administrator James Drinkard said Alpharetta has not recorded daily traffic numbers on that

stretch of Wills Road in recent years. But, GDOT estimated annual average daily traffic near the intersection at 21,800 in 2022.

GDOT officials said the temporary closure will ensure the safety of workers and drivers during the reconstruction of the western side of Wills Road, and it will allow the work to be completed on time. Motorists are asked to reduce speed, drive cautiously and prepare for changing traffic patterns.

— Shelby Israel

Antisemitic flyers distributed in Alpharetta neighborhoods

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — City officials reported Aug. 6 antisemitic flyers were distributed throughout Alpharetta neighborhoods overnight, following similar incidents in other Metro Atlanta communities earlier this year.

Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin issued a statement condemning the flyers, a sentiment shared by other Metro Atlanta and state officials whose communities saw the flyers dispersed.

“As a city, we fully support the freedoms provided by the First Amendment, but denounce antisemitism in all its forms,” Gilvin said. “Alpharetta is a diverse, welcoming and inviting community, one that values and supports

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the community,” Hollingsworth said.

Residents of the non-gated section of White Columns were not aware of the path project until March, nor its $47,000 estimated cost. But Hollingsworth said the project was exclusively funded by gated residents, who had been informed about the plan since it began more than a year ago.

Residents have also criticized the way the HOA Board’s fall 2022 elections were handled. Hollingsworth, who was on the ballot, received cast proxies as the secretary, but he said this was in line with the community’s

our differences. Hate has no place in Alpharetta, and it is not who we are.”

In February, antisemitic flyers were distributed throughout several Dunwoody and Sandy Springs neighborhoods. Residents in Roswell and Milton reported a wave of flyers in May.

Dunwoody police identified suspects in February, but Police Chief Billy Grogan said no charges could be pressed, citing the incident as a free speech issue.

The Alpharetta Police Department is investigating the incident alongside neighboring agencies.

Police officials ask anyone with information on the incident to contact the Public Safety Department at 678297-6300 or use the department’s online tip reporter at tipsubmit.com/WebTips. aspx?AgencyID=1013.

governing documents.

There were other ways White Columns residents could participate in the election, Hollingsworth said, including sending proxies to the property manager.

Questions also surround the proxies themselves. Hollingsworth ran in a slate with other candidates, and pre-filled DocuSign proxies were circulated throughout the community, but he said residents had the option to vote for individual candidates.

“We have made the bold and courageous decision to be public about advocating for important principles in government, which certainly makes us ripe for those who want to throw stones,” Hollingsworth said.

They finally fired the cannon at my old newsroom

My first newspaper job was at the Marion County Record, a small weekly in central Kansas.

equipment and electron-ics.

for her age up till last Friday. That night, she was crying. Follow-ing the police raid, she couldn’t eat or sleep.

The next day, she collapsed and died.

PAT FOX Managing Editor pat@appenmedia.com

The late editor and publisher Bill Meyer taught me everything I know about community journalism. Bill’s wisdom and his command of writing for his small-town audience was an acquired taste for a young college graduate with aspirations for the New York Times or Chicago Tribune. It took months, but I finally came around.

The first thing Bill told me was to focus primarily on the massive historic courthouse directly across the street where all county government business took place. An annex, just off to the side, was home to the City of Marion Police Department.

Bill told me that at one time, the courthouse had an old Civil War cannon on its front lawn. It was aimed straight at the newspaper. The antique had been

removed by the time I arrived in 1980.

But last Friday, they lit the fuse anyway.

City police, acting on a warrant signed by a magistrate judge, raided the newspaper office, confis-cating equipment, computers and other materials necessary for publishing The Record. They didn’t stop there.

Police also raided the home of the publisher, Bill’s son Eric Meyer, seizing

The raid sought information on a confidential source the newspaper had used to investigate a DUI conviction of a local business owner applying for a liquor license. The news staff never intended to publish the story because they surmised it was planted to discredit the business owner. Neverthe-less, they did check out the lead by combing through government records.

During the process of the home and newsroom search, police snatched a reporter’s cell phone, aggravating an earlier injury she’d sustained to a finger.

Eric’s 98-year-old mother, Joan, who shared ownership of the paper, also lived at the house with Eric. Police took her computer, the router that gave her access to Alexa smart speakers she used to call for assistance and to stream television. Joan watched as police pored over her son’s bank rec-ords and investment papers.

Joan was the paper’s community editor, and had been when I worked there, so I knew her well. She was always laughing, smiling about something.

Her son said she was in good health

The Marion County Record was my professional nursery. Now, it’s ability to publish has been seized. I know of no other instance in my lifetime in which police shut down a newspaper in the United States. There are countless cases of it happening in Turkey, China and Russia.

I spoke with Eric on Monday, and, like his father, he was focused on getting the paper out this week. He said he was in the middle of untangling the mess left in the wake of the police raid.

“Even if I have to scribble something out on a notebook and deliver it door to door, we’re going to have something published this week,” he said.

So, this is where I should write some lofty platitudes about freedom of the press, about guarding our constitutional rights – maybe quote Jefferson. I should write that the press is the only profession specifically cited for protections in the U.S. Constitution.

I should write all that.

But, I’m too angry. I’m furious.

Newsrooms, reporters never forget

EDITORS NOTE

CARL APPEN Director of Content and Development carl@appenmedia.com

As a company executive, I have the pleasure of attending conferences about the media industry. We network, train and problem-solve. One of my least favorite parts about the events, though, is the amount of time spent talking about the work. In recent years, there seems to be a trend of less editorial boards and more media columnists. Greater resources spent on analyzing local news and less on producing it. The people talking about local news are often those I want to listen to least. I would much prefer visiting other newsrooms and sitting quietly in the corner, observing the work they’re doing.

Over the weekend, news broke about a Kansas police department raiding a small weekly newspaper.

Officers armed with a signed warrant stormed the office of the Marion County Record and the home of its publisher. They seized equipment, notes and other newsroom materials.

The operation’s cover was a search for information about a confidential source who had tipped the newspaper off to a

This week’s editions of the Herald and Crier newspapers are dedicated to Joan Meyer and staff, past and present, of the Marion County Record.

local liquor license applicant’s buried DUI conviction.

I knew Appen Media Managing Editor Pat Fox cut his teeth in Kansas newsrooms, so I sent him an article about the incident. As it turns out, Pat spent his first few years out of school at that very paper, working alongside the same family that was raided.

In a letter to Editor Eric Meyer, Pat wrote about an issue he had with the City of Marion Police Department some 40 years ago. He was not surprised to see more problems with the department, he wrote. More concerning was the fact that a district judge had signed a search warrant that was so likely illegal.

Pat’s letter never made it to the Record publisher because email service was

disabled when police seized the paper’s equipment.

Unfortunately the disaster turned into a tragedy. Over the weekend, co-owner of the paper Joan Meyer, 98, passed away.

She was in the house with her son Eric as police officers and sheriff’s deputies executed the warrant.

She had been in good health, the Record reported, but was unable to eat or sleep following the raid.

Pat later told me he knew Joan. She had worked in the newsroom alongside him. Her husband Bill Meyer was Pat’s first editor.

If I had to bet, the Meyer family did not attend many industry conferences.

The Marion County Record is probably one of those newsrooms where I’d rather visit and shadow, where operators are too busy doing the work to spend time talking about the work.

Pat signed his letter to the Record as the managing editor of a news media group in Alpharetta, Georgia. I’m sure he is almost as proud of that as I am. Pat Fox’s byline leaving the pages of the Marion County Record as a reporter, only to reappear as one running a newsroom 1,000 miles and many years away.

I know Bill and Joan had an impact on the people of Marion County. I also know they had an impact on the people of Metro Atlanta. The Meyers coached Pat, who in

turn has fostered a group of reporters at Appen Media.

I’d like to imagine some Appen reporters will end up teaching the next generation of journalists, too.

I don’t know much about Joan Meyer, but I know she contributed to Pat’s experience, which trickled down into my knowledge and the skills of my peers in the Appen Media newsroom. By that one fact I know she has had more of an impact than any conference I’ve attended.

One problem for the Marion County Police Department, Chief Cody and Judge Viar is that the U.S. Constitution protects the press, and the Department of Justice follows that lead.

Another is that journalists have a long, collective memory. News of the raid has been on the cover of The New York Times, the Washington Post and USA Today. It ran on ABC Sunday night and in Britain’s Guardian.

Those companies sent a condemnation letter to the Police Department, alongside the signatures of Bloomberg, the Associated Press, McClatchy, Pro Publica, the Wall Street Journal and the LA Times.

I know one Atlanta journalist who spent his Saturday morning reading up on the Kansas Open Records Act.

We already knew the Meyers and the Marion County Record were paying attention. Now everyone else is, too.

MEYER

“Even if I have to scribble something out on a notebook and deliver it door to door, we’re going to have something published this week.”

ERIC MEYER Marion County Record publisher

Lesser-known facts about the Roswell Railroad

I have shared the history of the Roswell Railroad in this column at least 10 times over the years. In case you missed it, the railroad traveled from Chamblee through Dunwoody and on toward Roswell twice a day from 1881 until 1921. Ike Roberts was engineer of the railroad for the entire 40 years.

Dinky was not the only Dinky

Stories of the Roswell Railroad tell of an engine that went by the name Buck or Old Buck and another engine called Dinky. However, Dinky is not a unique name for an engine. There have been Dinkys across the U.S., and as the name would suggest, they were small engines.

In 1942 a photo was taken of another nearby Dinky which ran from a rock quarry at Stone Mountain to the town of Stone Mountain. The train had a V for victory painted across it and was about to be cut up and contributed to the metal drive of World War II. (The DeKalb News Sun, July 22, 1981)

There is a Dinky on display in Conyers, Georgia, across from the original train depot. According to georgiaencyclopedia.org, the 1905 Rogers steam locomotive model is one of three remaining in the world. There was a group several years ago that gathered at Heritage Sandy Springs to see if Roswell Railroad’s Dinky or Buck could be located. The group did not locate the original engines.

Roswell Railroad went to Roswell

The Roswell Railroad never crossed the Chattahoochee River and never went into Roswell. The original plan for the railroad would have taken it into the town of Roswell where Oxbo Road and Atlanta Street meet, according to historian Michael Hitt.

Stone embankments built along Vickery Creek were intended to accommodate the tracks. However, the cost of building a bridge across the Chattahoochee River was so great, it never happened. The Roswell Depot was built on the Sandy Springs side of the river, up on a hill across from engineer Ike Roberts’ house. The depot burned down in the 1950s. (Atlanta Constitution, June 1, 1994, “Historian tracks Roswell Railroad”)

A Roswell Railroad dog story

In 1961, 74-year-old Carl Wallace of Chamblee shared memories of the Roswell Railroad with The Neighbor Newspaper. He remembered how the sound of the train whistle would send his dog Bob running toward the engine to catch the evening paper as it was tossed to him.

Chamblee was Roswell Junction

According to “Ghost Trains and Depots of Georgia,” by Les H. Winn, it was the officials of the Richmond and Danville Railroad, owners of the Roswell Railroad at the time, who changed the name of the depot from Roswell Junction to Chamblee around 1887.

Winn says, “As the community around the depot grew and prospered, the name Chamblee stuck.”

When the Southern Railway was

formed in 1894, the stock of Richmond and Danville Railroad became part of the assets of Southern Railway.

The Roswell Railroad carried mail

Lizzie Newhard recalled that her father Joberry Cheek had to drive a wagon to pick up Dunwoody mail before the Roswell Railroad was in operation. The Roswell Railroad’s Dinky, “replaced the mail wagon in

PROVIDED

bringing postal service to the area.” Once the railroad stopped running, mail was again delivered by wagon and later by automobile.

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.

VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist

The Roswell Depot was located on the Sandy Springs side of the Chattahoochee River. This 1912 photo appears in Les R. Winn’s “Ghost Trains & Depots of Georgia.”

This 1887 image of a Roswell Railroad schedule was shared by Douglas van Veelen, who studied and treasured railroad history.

PRESERVING THE PAST

The rise and fall of train travel

The Roswell Railroad and other considerations

The rise and fall of train travel, The Roswell Railroad and other considerations

Railroads played a vital role as the United States expanded westward in the 19th century.

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first railroad chartered in the United States, and 14 miles of track were opened in 1830.

It operated under horsepower until the following year when an American-made steam locomotive was put into service. The South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company completed a 136 mile railroad in 1833, making it the longest steam railroad in the world. New railroads came quickly, almost haphazardly, most of which were short-distance passenger lines that were not profitable. They could not compete with canals and stagecoach operators, and some railroads were abandoned before they were completed. Railroads gradually proved their worth, however, and in 1869 the Intercontinental Railroad joining the east and west coasts of America was completed.

In Georgia, in response to anticipated competition from the South Carolina railroad, a group of Savannah businessmen established the Central Railroad and Canal Company which became the Central of Georgia Railway. After receiving a charter from the state Legislature in 1833, the company started construction in 1835, and a 190mile line from Savannah to Macon was built.

The following years witnessed a frenzy of construction. The Georgia Railroad and Banking Company built a line from Augusta to Marthasville (later Atlanta) in 1845. In 1851, the Georgia stateowned Western and Atlantic Railroad connected Chattanooga with Terminus (also later Atlanta). By 1855, Georgia’s major cities and towns were linked by railroad.

After the Civil War, new railroads were built and existing lines were consolidated into larger systems. In 1892, Southern Railway was created by financier J. P. Morgan out of the financial ruin of two failed railroads. Southern became one of the leading systems in Georgia in the 20th century.

The golden age of railroading lasted from the 1880s to the 1920s when alternative modes of transportation eroded the railroads’ dominant position. Passenger service declined steadily beginning in 1920 due to the growing popularity of automobiles, which stimulated construction of new roads which facilitated the rise of truck freight hauling. Then came the airplane. In the 1960s and 1970s, railroad stations in many cities and towns were demolished or put to other uses.

Today in Georgia, rail freight is transported by two lines, CSX and Norfolk Southern. Passenger service is available on three Amtrack routes.

Roswell Railroad

The Roswell Railroad ran from south of Roswell to Chamblee. It was in operation from 1881 until 1921, independently at first. Beginning in 1894 the line was operated by the Southern Railway.

Roswell Railroad was one of many short-line railroads in north Georgia, and like most similar railroads, it suffered economic challenges which were amply covered by the Atlanta Constitution newspaper. According to Michael Hitt, author of the book “History of the Roswell Railroad,” 1994, the railroad was originally going to go from Roswell to Atlanta. Work stopped during the Civil War near Roswell Junction (now Chamblee). It began operations almost 28 years after the idea for a railroad was first put forward.

The railroad was narrow gauge (3 foot) which cost about one fourth the amount of a standard gauge line (4 foot, 9 inches) to build and operate. The narrow gauge tracks were broadened in 1903 to standard gauge. The line was 9.8 miles long and had a rolling stock consisting of one locomotive nicknamed Buck, one passenger/baggage car, two box cars, and four flat cars. One of its primary purposes was to support the work of the fabric mills of the Roswell Manufacturing Company which until then required five wagons and 10 mules to deliver its products to market. With the railroad, one wagon and two mules

were sufficient.

In 1894 Southern Railway Company took over operation of the Roswell Rail line. This was also the first year the name Chamblee was used instead of Roswell Junction. The people living around Roswell Junction wanted to have their own post office. Postal officials would not grant the request because its postmark could be confused with Roswell’s. So, the town’s name was changed to Chamblee which is still used to this day.

In 1920 the Southern Company began efforts to discontinue the Roswell Railroad because it was a consistent money loser. Southern Company maintained that the increasing cost of operating a small line due to the development of a good road system and automobile and truck transportation had destroyed most of the line’s passenger and freight business. The line ceased service in 1921.

Today, only hardy explorers can find any traces of the old railroad, but it earned an important place in the history of north Fulton.

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.

BOB MEYERS Columnist

ROSWELL HISTORICAL SOCIETY/PROVIDED

This postcard dates from circa 1900. The Roswell Railroad ran for 9.8 miles from a terminus south of Roswell to Chamblee, making four stops en route. It was in operation from 1881 until 1921 at first independently. Beginning in 1894 the Southern Railway took over operations. Note the pile of lumber in the foreground. Short line railroads often transported lumber on flatcars. The train was powered by a steam locomotive named “Buck.

Escape into nature on the Big Creek Greenway

I am a nature lover, and every morning I begin my day by observing what bushes and perennials are flowering and what has finished flowering in my backyard garden. If time permits, especially on weekends, I hike with a friend and my golden retriever, Snowball, in the north Georgia mountains or load up my bike and head to the Big Creek Greenway.

The Big Creek Greenway is a north Atlanta treasure! The path runs through Fulton and Forsyth Counties providing free access to 26 miles of walking, running, skating and biking. The Greenway paths are 12 feet wide and are constructed of concrete and wooden boardwalks. The path meanders through woodlands, with views of the Big Creek and the wetlands created by the Big Creek floodplain. Another benefit of this off-road trail is that it provides safe passage because you can ride your bike or walk without worrying about or dodging vehicular traffic!

The Alpharetta section of the Big Creek Greenway extends from the Union Hill Road Skate Park south to Mansell Road, near the North Point Mall. Future plans are to complete the last phase of the Greenway from Union Hill Road in Alpharetta to Union Hill in Forsyth County. The Greenway is currently 26 miles long, with 16 miles in Forsyth County and 10 miles in Alpharetta. For more outdoor adventures you can take the 7.6-mile trail from Roswell to Mansell Road or mountain bike in Roswell on the 6.8mile cross country, mountain bike path with opportunities for dirt jumping and pump tracking.

Parts of this popular escape have been closed, but I am happy to report the two closed areas in Forsyth County are now open. The Greenway from Halcyon to Union Hill Road was closed for reconstruction from late 2020 to March 22, 2022. The 1 mile from Union Hill to Fowler Park was closed from May 20, 2020 and just opened three months ago, on April 1. Both of these sections of the trail were totally reconstructed with all new wooden boardwalks and railings and bridges, one of which crosses under Ga. 400. In my opinion, the section from Union Hill to Fowler Park is the most scenic portion of the trail because is not impacted by residential or commercial

buildings. The 16-mile Forsyth Big Creek Greenway has parking and restrooms available at the following locations: Halcyon, 6265 Cortland Walk; Union Hill, 5259 Union Hill Road; Fowler Park, 4110 Carolene Way; Bethelview, 5120 Bethelview Road; and Sawnee Mountain Preserve, 4075 Spot Road.

The Greenway is open from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. March through October and from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. November through February.

The recent improvements were essential because much of the Greenway is in a Big Creek floodplain, and the standing water creates a swamp-like environment in some areas. These conditions contributed to the decay of much of the Greenway’s boardwalks in Forsyth County. The trail also was and is currently impacted by the construction of a new McGinnis Ferry Road exit/entrance off of Ga. 400. The construction of the new McGinnis Ferry ramps began on Oct. 4, 2021. The highway project is expected to be completed by the spring of 2024.

This construction introduced additional surface water and several trees that were long-term residents of the forest and were contently growing on dry land could not adapt to newly created wetlands. When the roots of trees are surrounded by water, the roots can no longer obtain oxygen needed for cellular respiration and in a short time, the tree dies from the inability to metabolize the nutrients needed for survival. Sadly, the result was many dead trees, often breaking at the soil line. As they fell to their death, some careened into the newly constructed Greenway, thus requiring yet another reconstruction project and a delay in the opening of the Halcyon to Union Hill portion of the Greenway.

If you are looking for nature therapy and an opportunity to enjoy the sights and sounds of birds, the rustle of trees, wildflowers and an occasional deer, I recommend a trip to the newly improved Big Creek Greenway.

Happy Gardening!

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

Volunteers are trained and certified by The University of Georgia Cooperative. Extension. Learn more at nfmg.net.

Learn more

• Big Creek Greenway Maphttps://www.bigcreekgreenway.com/index.php/maps/

• General Information on Big Creek Greenwayhttps://www.traillink.com/trail/big-creek-greenway/

• Information on Big Creek Greenway in Alpharettahttps://www.alpharetta.ga.us/government/departments/recreationparks/facilities/big-creek-greenway

• Information on Big Creek Greenway through Forsyth Countyhttps://parks.forsythco.com/Parks/Big-Creek-Greenway

• Mountain Biking Informationhttps://www.mtbproject.com/trail/4683982/big-creek-park

• Big Creek Greenway Section and Trailhead Reopen After Renovationshttps://www.forsythco.com/News/big-creek-greenway-trailhead-reopensafter-renovations

About the author

This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Carole MacMullan, a Master Gardener since 2012 and a Milton resident. Carole describes herself as a born biologist. Since childhood, she loved to explore the out-of-doors and garden with her mother. When she entered college, she selected biology as her major and made teaching high school biology her career for 35 years. In 2012, Carole completed the Master Gardener training program and joined the North Fulton Master Gardeners (NFMG) and the Milton Garden Club. Carole uses her teaching skills to create a variety of presentations on gardening topics for the NFMG Lecture Series and Speakers Bureau. She also volunteers weekly at the Assistance League of Atlanta (ALA) thrift store and acts as chair of their Links to Education scholarship program. Her favorite hobbies are gardening, hiking, biking, and reading.

CAROLE MACMULLAN Guest Columnist

CAROLE MACMULLAN/PROVIDED

us help you accomplish your business goals with advertising that reaches the area’s most desirable demographics with news and information that no other publication can deliver — and all at an affordable price. Contact one of our account executives today for more information and ideas on how to take your business to the next level. 770-442-3278 advertising@appenmedia.com

CITY OF JOHNS CREEK

PUBLIC NOTICE

An Alcoholic Beverage License Application was submitted to the City on on July 26, 2023 for Consumption on Premises of Malt Beverage

BUSINESS NAME

Taco Macho at Jones Bridge Inc. 950 Jones Bridge Rd Suite 10000 Johns Creek, GA 30022

OWNER/OFFICERS

Dba

Taco Macho at Jones Bridge 950 Jones Bridge Rd Suite 10000 Johns Creek, GA 30022

Owner, Ruben Camacho

CITY OF

JOHNS CREEK

NOTICE

An Alcoholic Beverage License Application was submitted to the City on August 8, 2023 for Consumption on Premises of Malt Beverage, Wine, and Distilled Spirits

BUSINESS NAME

Gayatri Dhun LLC

11950 Jones Bridge Suite 103 Johns Creek, GA 30005

OWNER/OFFICERS

Dba

Dave’s Kitchen 11950 Jones Bridge Suite 103 Johns Creek, GA 30005

Owner, Brijeshkumar Dave

The City of Johns Creek Purchasing Division sells surplus vehicles and equipment as they become available per the City’s Vehicle and Other Assets Replacement Policy. City surplus vehicles and equipment are sold on-line, in open competitive auctions, and always open to the public.

Online auctions will include an optional inspection day, a day designated by appointment only to allow bidders to inspect vehicles and equipment to be auctioned. All vehicles and equipment are sold “AS IS, WHERE IS” and with all faults. The City of Johns Creek provides no warranty or refunds on surplus items sold through auctions.

Interested individuals and firms may visit the online auction at www.govdeals. com advance search for zip code 30097. Questions and answers are to only be submitted though Govdeals.com. Auction shall close two weeks from the date of publishing.

Workforce Development Coordinator is responsible for developing programs and services for NFCC clients and students seeking employment, post-secondary education, or other career options. The workforce development coordinator collaborates with local employers to help match job seekers to open positions. They work directly with clients on the job application, resumes, and interview preparations and provide tips for successfully securing and improving employment to foster financial stability.  Bachelor’s degree in a human services, human resources, or other related field required and 2 years of professional experience in human services, human resources or career counseling preferred.

To view the entire listing visit https://nfcchelp.org/ work-at-nfcc/. To apply, please submit resume to Carol Swan at cswan@nfcchelp.org.

Project Manager IV (Alpharetta, GA): Manage all aspects of large scale and complex IT projects or initiatives from initiation to delivery. Design, communicate, and implement operational plan for completing a project, and monitor progress and performance against it. Identify, resolve, or escalate issues to minimize delays. Facilitate and manage analysis of project requirements, identify and understand cost estimates, resources, and time required to complete project(s), and ensure project goals and requirements are met within time, cost, and quality parameters. Remote work permitted within the US. Resumes to: Total System Services LLC, Brian Simons, Associate Director, HR Risk and Compliance, One TSYS Way, Columbus GA 31901. Job #AM622461.

Software Engineer Specialist (Alpharetta, GA): Work throughout the s/w dvlpmt life cycle & performs in a utility capacity to create, dsgn, code, debug, maintain, test, implmnt & validate apps w/ a broad understanding of a variety of langs & architectures. Analyze existing apps or form logic for new apps, procdrs, flowcharting, coding & debugging programs. Maintain & utilize application & prgmng docs in the dvlpmt of code. Remote work permitted within the US. Resumes to: Total System Services LLC, Brian Simons, Associate Director, HR Risk and Compliance, One TSYS Way, Columbus GA 31901. Job #JM631968.

SERVICE DIRECTORY

Software Engineer II (Alpharetta, GA): Work throughout the software development life cycle and perform in a utility capacity to create, design, code, debug, maintain, test, implement and validate applications with a broad understanding of a variety of languages and architectures. Analyze exiting applications or formulate logic for new applications, procedures, flowcharting, coding and debugging programs. Resumes to: Total System Services LLC, Brian Simons, Associate Director, HR Risk and Compliance, One TSYS Way, Columbus GA 31901. Job #AH708147.

Software Engineer Senior (Alpharetta, GA): Dvlp, create, & modify general comp apps software or specialized utility programs. Analyze user needs & dvlp software solutions. Work throughout the software dvlpmt life cycle & prfrm in a utility capacity to create, dsgn, code, debug, maintain, test, implmnt & validate apps w/ a broad understanding of a variety of languages and architectures. Resumes to: Total System Services LLC, Brian Simons, Associate Director, HR Risk and Compliance, One TSYS Way, Columbus GA 31901. Job #SN601512

Software Engineer Specialist (Alpharetta, GA): Collab w/ engrs across the Platform & Product Engg team to create tech dsgns, dvlp, test, & solve cmplx prblms that drive the solution from initial concept to prod. Contribute to our automated build, deploy, & test processes for each solution. Work w/ a wide range of systms, processes, & techs to own & solve prblms from end-to-end. Resumes to: Total System Services LLC, Brian Simons, Associate Director, HR Risk and Compliance, One TSYS Way, Columbus GA 31901.

Optum Services, Inc. Sr. Software Engineer III (Full Stack). Alpharetta, GA. Design, develop, implement, test, and maintain business and computer applications software or specialized utility programs including mainframe and client/server applications, and major enhancement of existing systems. Can work remotely. Mail resume to GMI Recruitment at 9900 Bren Road East MN008 R120, Minnetonka, MN 55343 and indicate applying for #23-GA 5876.

Tree Services

Optum Services, Inc. Sr. Software Engineer. Alpharetta, GA. Design, modify, develop, write and implement software programming applications to automate, manage, and maintain cloud based infrastructure and development tools for new cloudbased big data healthcare analytics platform. Can work remotely. Mail resume to GMI Recruitment at 9900 Bren Road East MN008 R120, Minnetonka, MN 55343 and indicate applying for #23-MN-6065.

Part-time

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

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

COMPLETE TREE SERVICES

Appen-Rated 98

Text or Call us for a FREE quote appointment.

Tree removal, Prun ng, Stump grinding, Free mulch. Fully insured. Emergency 24/7. 770-450-8188

Home Improvement

DECKS BUILT & REPAIRED-DRYBELOW SYSTEMS INSTALLED – Affordable hardwood flooring-engineered flooring. Heritage Home Maintenance, 678-906-7100 HOMEREPAIRGA@GMAIL.COM, (HERITAGECONSTRUCTIONGA.COM)

Job #RS708168 Gutters

Donor Operations Associate

Software Engineer Specialist (Alpharetta, GA): Create, and modify general computer applications software or specialized utility programs. Analyze user needs and develop software solutions. Work throughout the software development life cycle and perform in a utility capacity to create, design, code, debug, maintain, test, implement and validate applications with a broad understanding of a variety of languages and architectures. Resumes to: Total System Services LLC, Brian Simons, Associate Director, HR Risk and Compliance, One TSYS Way, Columbus GA 31901. #AN489124

The Donor Operations Associate greets and removes donations from vehicles and sorts merchandise in a designated area.  They are responsible for keeping the merchandise secure, all areas free of debris and the donor door area neat and clean.  This position is the face of NFCC so they are expected to provide excellent customer service and treat each donor with a professional and friendly demeanor.  High school diploma or equivalent preferred. Ability to perform low to moderate facility maintenance tasks.  To view entire listing visit: https://nfcchelp.org/work-atnfcc/  To apply, please complete an application for employment and email to Marten Jallad,  mjallad@nfcchelp.org.

AARON’S ALL-TYPE GUTTERS Installed. Covers, siding, soffit, facia. www.aaronsgutters.com. Senior citizen discount! 678-508-2432

Pinestraw

PINESTRAW, MULCH

Delivery/installation available. Firewood available. Licensed, insured. Angels of Earth Pinestraw and Mulch. 770-831-3612

Bargains/Antiques

ANTIQUE TABLE, large. No scratches, looks new. $50/Negotiable. 678-663-5953, 253-293-6508.

Roofing

ROOF LEAKING?

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

Christian Brothers Roofing

Driveway

$250 OFF NEW DRIVEWAY!

Flooring

PHILLIPS FLOORING

Hardwood,

Health & Fitness

VIAGRA and CIALIS USERS! 50 Generic Pills SPECIAL $99.00. 100% guaranteed. 24/7 CALL NOW! 888-445-5928 Hablamos Español

Dental Insurance - Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Covers 350 procedures. Real insurance - not a discount plan. Get your free dental info kit! 1-855-526-1060 www. dental50plus.com/ads #6258

Attention oxygen therapy users!

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

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

NATIONAL ADVERTISING

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

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

1-800-245-0398

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

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

Become a published author.

Miscellaneous

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

Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule free LeafFilter estimate today. 20% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-833-610-1936

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

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

1-866-479-1516

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

1-855-417-1306

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

1-888-489-3936

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

1-833-758-3892

Inflation is at 40 year highs. Interest rates are way up. Credit Cards. Medical Bills. Car Loans. Do you have $10k or more in debt? Call National Debt Relief to find out how to pay off your debt for significantly less than what you owe! Free quote: 1-877-592-3616

Wesley Financial Group, LLC Timeshare Cancellation

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

DIRECTV Stream - Carries the most local MLB Games! Choice Package $89.99/mo for 12 mos Stream on 20 devices at once. HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/ Choice Package or higher.) No contract or hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS

1-866-859-0405

Are you a pet owner? Do you want to get up to 100% back on vet bills? Physicians Mutual Insurance Company has pet coverage that can help! Call 1-844-774-0206 to get a free quote or visit insurebarkmeow.com/ads

Diagnosed with lung cancer & 65+? You may qualify for a substantial cash award. No obligation! We’ve recovered millions. Let us help! Call 24/7 1-877-707-5707

My Caring Plan’s local advisors have helped thousands of families with unique needs find senior living. Can you afford 2k a month in rent? We can help for free! 866-511-1799

Deadline to place a Classified ad is Thursday at

4 pm