Guests at the groundbreaking ceremony for Creekside Park Aug. 23 exit under an event banner attached to construction equipment.
Johns Creek officials mark start of Creekside Park construction
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — After years of anticipation, Johns Creek officials broke ground Aug. 23 on Creekside Park, a 21-acre space behind City Hall set for the city’s future Town Center.
Situated on 192 acres, Town Center will also include Medley, a mixed-use development headed by Avalon’s Mark Toro, and
biomedical engineering giant Boston Scientific.
In his welcoming remarks to a crowd of more than 50, Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry voiced his excitement over the “historic milestone.” State officials, such as Georgia House Rep. Michelle Au, were in attendance along with city staff and other community partners to welcome the largest individual construction in the city’s history.
See CREEKSIDE, Page 20
Service honors fallen troops in Kabul evacuation action
By DAVIS WINKIE newsroom@appenmedia.com
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — More than a hundred people gathered at Newtown Park Aug. 24 to honor the 13 U.S. servicemembers who died during the Afghanistan War’s final days.
The ceremony commemorated the tragic event three years ago when the troops died while supporting civilian evacuations at the Kabul airport.
The Johns Creek Veterans Association and the Fr. Joseph T. O’Callahan Assembly of the Knights of Columbus organized this year’s annual memorial at the park’s Veterans Memorial Walk.
The emotional climax was a roll call led by retired Army Lt. Col. Michael Mizell, who heads the veterans association. Mizell called the name twice of each fallen soldier, Marine and sailor, followed by silence while a designated audience member would answer and deliver a portrait for placement in front of the park’s Afghanistan memorial. Afterward, two buglers played “Taps.”
A Marine Corps private first class hands a memorial placard to retired Army Lt. Col. Michael Mizell, president of the Johns Creek Veterans Association, during an Aug. 24 memorial ceremony at Newtown Park.
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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.
Police probe burglary on Tuckerbrook Lane
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Police were dispatched to a home on Tuckerbrook Lane Aug. 13 after an alarm was triggered.
When police arrived, they found the backyard door and one of the patio doors leading into the residence open, according to the incident report.
Police said a window was also broken and that the glass was shattered into shards and neatly piled to the side along with broken window blinds.
Police cleared the residence and notified detectives.
One of the homeowners reported a $200 Samsung DVR had been stolen. Nothing else of value had been taken, according to the report.
Man reports threats in hospital parking lot
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A Snellville man reported to police Aug. 18 that someone had threatened to shoot him while near the front entrance of Emory Johns Creek Hospital.
The man told police he provided information to a woman, who pulled up in a white minivan asking how to get to the emergency room. After he pointed in the direction of the ER, she allegedly screamed at him saying it was closed and threatened to shoot him, according to the incident report.
The man said the driver also threatened to kill him. He told police the driver walked to the back of the vehicle, opened the hatch and began digging through multiple bags
while two children in the backseat screamed, “Daddy, no,” multiple times.
The man said the male suspect got back in the vehicle, along with the children, drove to the right side of the parking lot, and stopped. The man told police he believed that the suspects were preparing to commit a drive-by shooting, but the vehicle continued toward the ER.
While on the scene, police were notified that someone matching the description of the female suspect had exited the ER. But, they did not find any suspects while conducting a search of the area, the report says.
Police were provided with a New York State learner permit for a possible suspect, a 49-year-old Syracuse woman.
Couple reports theft of handguns from car
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police are investigating the felony theft of two handguns Aug. 13 after residents reported them missing from their vehicle.
An officer said he met with a married couple, a 79-year-old man and 67-year-old woman from Roswell, who said their two firearms were missing after running errands.
The woman she saw her .32-caliber revolver in the glove box earlier in the day while retrieving a nail file. The revolver is valued at $150.
An officer said the couple also kept a 9 mm Glock pistol in the center consol of their silver Lexus ES350. The Glock is valued at $569.
The victims said they went to a Crabapple Road car wash and another appointment in Marietta before they noticed the firearms were missing later in the afternoon.
An officer said the victims provided him with serial numbers and photos of both handguns.
The victims told officers that they
would like to press charges if an investigation identifies a suspect.
The couple also said they were in Carillon Beach, Florida, Aug. 6-9 but their vehicle was locked in a gated parking lot.
Officers said they were unable to follow up with the car wash on Crabapple Road as it was closed.
Suspect removes safe from Roswell restaurant
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police are investigating a second-degree forced burglary at Di Paulo Italian Kitchen off Holcomb Bridge Road Aug. 14 after someone ran off with $4,500.
Officers said they did not locate a suspect at the restaurant when they arrived around 4 a.m.
An officer said the deadbolt on the front door had been pulled through the frame, requiring $5,500 in repairs.
Inside the restaurant, an officer said the hostess stand had been ransacked, but other areas were left untouched.
In the back office, officers said they found receipts and checks scattered across the floor and a damaged file cabinet.
Officers said they contacted the business owners who showed them security footage of the incident.
After reviewing the video, officers said the suspect wore all dark clothes, gloves and backpack with a hood concealing their face.
An officer said footage shows the suspect searching the hostess stand, opening the cash register and walking into the back office.
Shortly after, officers said footage shows the suspect take a safe out of the file cabinet, try to break it on the ground and then leave the premises with it.
The business owners said the $200 safe contained around $4,300 in cash.
Officers said the Criminal Investigations Division responded and took over the investigation.
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Johns Creek to test initiative aimed at growing businesses
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Businesses that can’t afford to move, but are growing out of their space, are set to receive more flexibility.
After months of debating the topic, the Johns Creek City Council agreed to an update of the city’s Zoning Ordinance to allow for outdoor storage units at its Aug. 19 work session. Mayor John Bradberry brought the issue to the table in April, with a memo that outlined the need to be business friendly with appropriate guardrails.
The policy prohibited outdoor storage units in all commercial areas to maintain a clear, pristine appearance. Businesses that underwent a renovation, whose units are tied to a building permit or other accessory use, were unaffected.
Andrew Traub, owner of A&S Culinary Concepts, had previously told the City Council he would likely have to close his business if he had to move elsewhere. Traub would be responsible for a couple of years in rent, as part of his lease.
“We have been there about nine-anda-half years,” Traub said at the July 29 council meeting. “It was very important to me to put it in Johns Creek, but now I need more room and more space, and part of that is I need outside storage.”
In a follow-up interview, Traub said he had been cited for his unit which housed items like disposable platters and party props for his catering business, which grew around 30 percent
from 2022 to 2023.
Out of the 2,100 square feet of space in Jones Bridge Promenade, Traub has been working with a couple of closets covering about a fifth of that.
“As a caterer and also doing classes and stuff like that, we’re getting busier,” Traub said.
Throughout work session discussions, some councilmembers had voiced concerns about the units negatively impacting the quality of life and making a temporary solution permanent. Others were interested in landlords setting the terms.
But on Monday evening, the council settled on allowing business owners the option to permit outdoor storage units annually for two consecutive years with a six-month rest period before applying for additional permits.
City Councilwoman Erin Elwood asked that it be more a “pilot program” and that Community Development Director Ben Song report back with results after a year.
A formal vote will take place at a future regular meeting.
Budget talk
Also at the work session Aug. 19, the City Council worked through its budgeting process for fiscal year 2025. The second hearing, as well as adoption, of the new budget has been scheduled for Sept. 9 as part of the City Council meeting that evening.
Miss Mary’s cranks confection to perfection
Drake House fundraiser celebrates its 20th year
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
ROSWELL, Ga. — Hundreds of visitors walked around the grounds of Roswell United Methodist Church Aug. 25, celebrating the 20th anniversary of Miss Mary’s Ice Cream Crankin’.
Miss Mary’s is one of The Drake House’s signature fundraisers, named after North Fulton humanitarian Mary Drake. The nonprofit’s mission is to empower women and children experiencing homelessness to achieve economic independence and longterm stability.
It featured more than 35 volunteer organizations, or “crankers,” that provided samples of their homemade ice cream, entered into four juried categories: Best Vanilla, Best Chocolate, Best Fruit and Best Other Flavor.
Nesha Mason, president of The Drake House, said $50,000 was the fundraising goal that hot Sunday afternoon. Last year, Miss Mary’s cranked out around $44,000 to support families.
Mason recalled the beginnings of The Drake House, when community leaders fresh out of the Leadership North Fulton program realized there was a problem of homelessness that was disproportionately affecting single mothers and their children.
DEAN HESSE/APPEN MEDIA
Fourth and fifth graders from Atlanta Academy celebrate their first place win in the chocolate-based flavor category during the 20th Miss Mary’s Ice Cream Crankin’ fundraiser Aug. 25 at Roswell United Methodist Church.
“So they thought: how can we raise funds and awareness to be able to provide the housing and resources needed, or even just to start remedying this problem,” Mason said. “And, Miss Mary’s Ice Cream Crankin’ was formed.”
Visitors, with smiles on their faces conversing about the unique flavor they just picked up from a cranker, were from all over North Fulton. Monica Geddis and her 6-year-old daughter Mackenzie had moved outside of Roswell but returned for Miss Mary’s.
GARAGE SALE
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CITY OF JOHNS CREEK PUBLIC NOTICE FY 2025 BUDGET ADOPTION
The proposed FY 2025 Budget was presented to the Council during their Monday, July 8th 5:00 p.m. Work Session. A Public Hearing was held during the July 29th, 2024 City Council Meeting. Council will hold a second Public Hearing and consider adopting the FY2025 Budget at their regularly scheduled meeting on September 9th, 2024 at 7:00 p.m . Council Meetings are held in the Council Chambers at Johns Creek City Hall, located at 11360 Lakefield Drive, in Johns Creek, GA 30097. The proposed budget is available on the City website and a copy is available at City Hall for review.
Allison Tarpley City Clerk
ing up with the flavors.”
Not far from the Atlanta Academy team, the Rotary Club of Roswell members were on a mission.
“We’ve been test-sampling them at our weekly meetings for about a month,” said member Mary Price, who had been a judge at Miss Mary’s since it began. This year was the first time she chose to make the ice cream. “So, everybody would bring their flavor in, and we’d embarrass them or cheer for them.”
The Drake House is one of the main nonprofits the Rotary Club of Roswell supports. It, and more than a dozen others, will benefit from the club’s 2024 Charity Golf and Tennis Tournament at Brookfield Country Club Sept. 9.
In a raised area above the sea of tents and visitors was the group of judges, featuring state Sen. John Albers, members of the Roswell City Council, pastors and other community partners.
“My favorite flavor is mint chocolate chip,” Mackenzie said, in the middle of trying a sample, colorful and filled with M&M’s. “We’re trying to find peppermint.”
Many kids were on the other side of the event, serving up ice cream, like the fourth and fifth grade students at Atlanta Academy, who would later win first place in Best Chocolate.
Felicia Hutt, a fourth grade teacher at Atlanta Academy, said 30 to 40 students were signed up to volunteer throughout the two-hour event. Hutt said the school has participated in Miss Mary’s for about a decade. She, herself, has attended for seven years.
“This is a tradition that we do at our school,” Hutt said. “It’s for such a great cause, and it gets our kids to get a little bit of volunteer work in, and they have so much fun making the ice cream and com-
Karen Faber, who’s been a volunteer at Miss Mary’s for the past 15 years, coordinated the group of judges. She said about every 15 minutes, crankers bring up samples for taste-testing. Using a score sheet, judges rated samples on a scale of one to eight.
“It’s a very competitive situation,” Faber said. “People fight to be a judge.”
Roswell City Councilwoman Sara Beeson, a judge for Best Chocolate, said the crankers “came to win.” Beeson shared her approach to distinguishing the many flavors of chocolate coming her way. She said the trick is to have an “open-minded palate.”
“I feel like I’ve watched a lot of ‘Food Network,’ that has prepared me for this moment,” Beeson said. “Really, this is my time to shine. I have been eating chocolate ice cream and chocolate my entire life, and so I feel like I was prepared for this role.”
Din from water tower repairs draws ire of Roswell residents
County has lodged site safety concerns
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
ROSWELL, Ga. — Repairs to two water towers off Hembree Road have caused issues for nearby residents and Fulton County officials.
The $1.6 million project, which includes work on one 1-million-gallon tank and another 200,000-gallon tank, began in May and is scheduled for completion Nov. 9. The towers, or pressure regulators, serve around 9,500 area residents.
Terry Peters, deputy director of Technical Services in the Fulton County Public Works Department, said the project involves blasting paint off the water towers and making minor repairs, providing cathodic protection and recoating. It is interior and exterior work, he said.
Peters said repairs are recommended around every 10 to 15 years and that the tanks off Hembree Road needed to be coated for some time.
“When you first approached the site, you can just see, from some of the staining over the years, that this thing needed to be addressed immediately,” Peters said.
The noise caused by the blasting has riled up the neighbors.
One neighbor told Appen Media the sound has been “deafening,” bellowing from around 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
“This morning, my husband and I could not hear each other in the driveway talking,” longtime resident Anne Strauss wrote in an Aug. 12 email. Her home is near the site entrance.
Strauss also said she heard what sounded like a “collapse” or “explosion” before 8 a.m. one morning but never discovered its source.
Tower:
Continued from Page 6
“A bunch of us were worried,” Strauss said in a follow-up interview, adding that her neighbor texted her when the sound went off: “Are you up?”
Peters also said he has received a couple of complaints thus far, mostly concerned with the racket, but that the noisy part of the project should be over soon.
“I am hopeful today is the last day of those activities,” Peters said in an Aug. 21 interview.
But, he said one of the complaints has prompted an investigation.
When a neighbor found black material in his pool, Peters said the senior project manager and the engineering administrator over the project conducted a site visit. While he said the material appeared to be leaf debris, a round of soil and wipe samples intended for lab testing is forthcoming.
“We forced upon the contractor a third-party tester,” Peters said, adding that the consultant would ensure soil and water are meeting minimum standards.
Phillip Stearman, president of Tank Pro Inc., the Alabama-based contractor responsible for the project, declined the opportunity to comment.
The company had also performed work on Fulton County’s water tank in Alpharetta, a project Peters said had less challenges because of its location in a more commercial area.
Fulton County’s water system is limited to areas north of the Chattahoochee River.
Two stop work orders had also been issued on Tank Pro for its job on Hembree Road, delaying a project Peters said should already have been completed.
The first was because of a safety concern. He said county officials noticed the contractor had lacked proper tie-off at a height.
“At the beginning of this project, we stressed our expectations as a county,” Peters said. “We have pretty high standards for safety. I’ve been involved in a project where we’ve had issues with safety and has resulted in a fatality. The culture of Fulton County is to make sure that nobody’s in danger. We want everybody to go home safely.”
He said county officials have since demanded the contractor bring a safety supervisor on board.
The second stop work order came from Peters personally, though he rarely gets out in the field anymore. On a July site visit, following up on the first stop work order, Peters said he noticed black smoke leaking out of a containment vessel.
“I have been slightly disappointed in their performance here, to say the least,” he said.
September 1
SEPTEMBER
Free Outdoor Fitness - Yoga
Newtown Park - 10 a.m.
September 2
Labor Day
City offices closed.
September 4
Free Outdoor Fitness - Barre
Newtown Park - 10 a.m.
Free Outdoor Fitness
Zumba
Newtown Park - 6 p.m.
September 5
Free Outdoor Fitness Fitness 108
Newtown Park - 10:30 a.m.
Zoning Public Participation Meeting
City Hall - 7 p.m.
September 7
Summer Concert Series
“Face to Face” Billy Joel & Elton
John Tribute
Newtown Park - 7 p.m.
September 8
Free Outdoor Fitness - Yoga
Newtown Park - 10 a.m.
September 9
City Council Work Session
City Hall - 5 p.m.
City Council Meeting
City Hall - 7 p.m.
Public Hearing for FY2025 Budget
City Hall - 7 p.m.
September 10
Planning Commission Meeting
City Hall - 7 p.m.
September 11
Patriot Day Commemoration
Newtown Park - 8:30 a.m.
Free Outdoor Fitness - Barre
Newtown Park - 10 a.m.
Free Outdoor Fitness Zumba
Newtown Park - 6 p.m.
September 12
Free Outdoor Fitness Fitness 108
Newtown Park - 10:30 a.m.
Arts, Cultural, & Entertainment Committee
City Hall - 6:30 p.m.
September 14
Pup-a-Palooza
Newtown Park - 12 p.m.
September 15
Free Outdoor Fitness - Yoga
Newtown Park - 10 a.m.
September 17
Board of Zoning Appeals
City Hall - 7 p.m.
September 18
Free Outdoor Fitness - Barre
Newtown Park - 10 a.m.
Free Outdoor Fitness Zumba
Newtown Park - 6 p.m.
Recreation and Parks Advisory Meeting
City Hall - 6:30 p.m.
September 19
Free Outdoor Fitness Fitness 108
Newtown Park - 10:30 a.m.
City Calendar & Events!
September 22
Free Outdoor Fitness - Yoga
Newtown Park - 10 a.m.
September 25
Free Outdoor Fitness - Barre
Newtown Park - 10 a.m.
Free Outdoor Fitness Zumba
Newtown Park - 6 p.m.
September 26
Free Outdoor Fitness Fitness 108
Newtown Park - 10:30 a.m.
September 28
Household Hazardous Waste Day City Hall - 9 a.m.
September 29
Free Outdoor Fitness - Yoga Newtown Park - 10 a.m.
Literary Fair
Park - 12 p.m.
September 30 City Council Work Session City Hall - 5 p.m. City Council Meeting City Hall - 7 p.m.
Roswell closes water access at Old Mill Park
State official says dam exempt from inspection
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
ROSWELL, Ga. — The City of Roswell suspended water access at Old Mill Park Aug. 16 and has not announced when that would change.
On its webpage for the Roswell Mill/ Vickery Creek Waterfall, the city says the decision to close water access is to ensure safety and park preservation.
“We encourage all visitors to continue enjoying the scenic beauty of the park from the designated trail system and viewing areas,” the city writes. “Your cooperation is essential in helping us maintain the integrity of this cherished natural site.”
Cautionary signs around the area say trespassers will be prosecuted.
The City of Roswell has not responded to questions from Appen Media asking for more details about the closure. The council was set to discuss the Old Mill Park at its Aug. 27 Community Development and Transportation Committee meeting.
While the city closed its access point,
visitors can continue activity as usual from the other side of Vickery Creek — the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.
James Psillis, U.S. park ranger and law enforcement supervisor, told Appen Media nothing has changed for the National Park Service.
“There are medical calls that come out there from time to time, from people frequenting the area, whether it be slips and falls on rocks or climbing on the dam,
where they’re not supposed to be, things along those lines,” Psillis noted.
In August, Roswell Police conducted drone flights and foot patrols over the area.
According to an Aug. 9 incident report, officers were made aware of someone who appeared to be suffering from dehydration, and an ambulance was called to the scene.
That day, police also “addressed” an individual with two dogs off leash, an-
other person with a vape, but not actively vaping, and three people carrying a grill and charcoal while playing amplified music on a small speaker.
According to an open records request submitted by Appen Media, the City of Roswell has not conducted any inspections of the waterfall dam in the past five years.
Neither has the Environmental Protection Division of the state Department of Natural Resources.
“The dam you referenced is exempt from regulation, so there is no requirement from Safe Dams for inspections of the dam by any party, and EPD has not performed any inspections of it,” said Sara Lips, the agency’s director of communications and community engagement.
Safe Dams is the state program that ensures compliance of all regulated dams.
To meet requirements for state regulation, Lips said a dam must be more than 6 feet tall and store at least 100 acre-feet of water or be more than 25 feet tall and store at least 15 acre-feet of water, in addition to posing a probable loss of life in the event of failure.
She said the Roswell Mill dam, at 27 feet tall, holds back 8.1 acre-feet of water.
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SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Sandy Springs Police Department provided the latest updates on the arrest of a suspect in connection with the fentanyl overdose and death of a 19-year-old female resident June 6.
Officers said they responded to a medical call at an apartment within The Forest at Huntcliff condominiums off Roswell Road around 12:15 p.m.
The department’s statement says that despite efforts from emergency medical services, life-saving measures were unsuccessful.
According to the Sandy Springs Police Department’s report, Criminal Investigation Division detectives took over the investigation.
The Fulton County Medical Exam -
iner’s toxicology report confirmed that the victim died from a fentanyl overdose after ingesting laced pills.
After further investigation, the department says its detectives determined that the victim purchased the fentanyl-laced pills from a 19-year-old Cumming woman, identified as Mallery Clare James.
Detectives then obtained an arrest warrant for James for aggravated involuntary manslaughter by causing a fentanyl overdose death. A piece of new state legislation, Austin’s Law, allows people who allegedly sold or distributed drugs involved in a fatal overdose to be charged.
The report says detectives took James into custody July 25 and transported her to Fulton County Jail.
According to Fulton County Jail records, James was released on a $50,000 bond Aug. 16.
Police discover body at I-285 interchange
DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody police discovered a deceased 33-year-old man Aug. 19 near the I-285 eastbound ramp at Chamblee Dunwoody Road.
Officers said they were initially dispatched to a welfare check around 4 p.m.
The caller said they saw a person on the ground who was not moving in the grassy area of the interchange.
Upon arrival, officers confirmed the man was deceased, and detectives
and the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office arrived on scene and took over the investigation.
The medical examiner took custody of the deceased for an autopsy, a report says.
Dunwoody police said there are currently no indications of foul play, and the investigation remains active.
The department said it will release the name of the victim once the family has been properly notified.
Wednesday
9:30 – 11:00AM
Come prepared with business cards and your 45-second pitch about your business! From these meetings, you will form relationships, create business opportunities, and share information
11695 Johns Creek Parkway, Suite 100
Johns Creek, Georgia 30097
A part of our mission is to help businesses in Johns Creek connect, grow, and thrive. One of the ways we fulfill this mission is by helping business professionals grow their networks. All are welcome to the following networking opportunities for little to no cost, so please join us! The schedule is subject to change so to stay up to date with all the information visit the Calendar on our website or give us a call.
Men’s Happy Hour Networking
4th Thursday of
This event allows male professionals in the Johns Creek area to expand their referral network. So come on join your fellow gentlemen friends – and make new ones- at this monthly event! Chamber membership is not required and there is no admission for this event, just pay your own tab.
Women’s Networking Connection
4th Thursday of the
Our Women’s Networking Connection is a great platform for women in business to come together to build strong connections with other businesswomen. Whether you own, run, or have a women targeted networking, great referrals,
Boarding Pass coffee specialists share experience with Alpharetta
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — There’s no such thing as a regular cup of coffee at Boarding Pass.
“We love when someone comes in to try our coffee and says, ‘I just drink Costco coffee,’” co-owner Christine Santos said. “And then they drink ours. People will say to us, ‘I can’t go back anymore.’”
Since opening their first Boarding Pass in Milton in 2021, Christine and Murilo Santos have offered customers an international tour of coffee. The globetrotting couple’s focus on specialty coffees treats customers to a unique variety of quality beans, roasts and flavors from around the world.
The brew they sell doesn’t taste like your average cup of joe. Lurking in their java is a host of flavors, like raspberry, clove, chamomile, nougat, dried cherry and blueberry muffins.
Murilo says people often don’t realize that coffee, like wine and beer, has different flavor profiles.
Boarding Pass boasts shops in Milton, Alpharetta and Gainesville, but they source beans from a 480acre coffee farm, 3,200 feet above sea level in Brazil. Fazenda Santana is a second-generation plantation about two hours from Sao Paulo run by Murilo’s family.
Mineral spring water feeds the trees there, allowing them to yield an exceptional quality and flavor.
Appreciation for quality coffee is becoming more important to residents, Murilo said. Tastes are becoming more refined, and customers are learning the joy of parsing out subtle flavors.
“Everyone is kind of looking for some sort of connection, especially like nowadays,” Murilo said. “It’s
MURILO SANTOS Co-owner, Boarding Pass Coffee
becoming more common for people to want to know what they’re consuming.”
Although many of the roasts are derived from beans from the farm in Brazil, the couple offers roasts from around the world — Ethiopia, Peru, Kenya, Indonesia, Columbia and Costa Rica, to name a few.
“That coffee travels a long, long, long, long way to get here to us,” Murilo said.
The shop offers a passport book to customers, in which they can place unique logos representing a coffee they’ve tried along with the date it was roasted. Their downtown Alpharetta shop also features a travel-themed decor with seating reminiscent of vintage airlines and an aircraft fuselage hanging above the bar.
The Santoses receive the beans when they are still green. At their Milton location, they spend hours tasting and testing until roasts are perfect. Coffee’s complexity means a whole spectrum of flavors can be found within a single variety, depending on how it is roasted.
See COFFEE, Page 13
Coffee:
Continued from Page 12
“It’s a mix of science, art and experience,” Murilo said.
The five house roasts, which all come from the same kind of bean from the Santos farm, showcase a wide range of flavors, each a delight in its own right.
The lightest offers notes of honey and lemongrass. A darker roast tastes of dark chocolate and smoky caramel.
Boarding Pass invites customers looking for more in their coffee to explore those flavors with an hourand-a-half tasting class.
“You’re letting your tastebuds and senses work … People end up learning a lot,” Murilo said.
But for all the complexity and opportunity for sensory exploration, Christine says coffee also serves a simpler but no less important purpose.
It’s also about sharing an experience with friends and community members, which is why the business donates to local organizations like Alpharetta’s Partners for Care. They also have created a roast specially made and branded for Milton firefighters.
“It brings people together. It’s a connection point,” Christine said.
Alpharetta woman gifts painting to photographer who inspired her
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Something about the barn on the page caught Dianne Williams’ eye.
“That one just looked so different,” said Williams, an Alpharetta painter.
She had been flipping through a copy of “Barns of Old Milton County” after picking up the 263-page book at a Scottsdale curio shop. When she saw a photo of the squat, weathered barn with its wooden-slat walls and sheet-metal roof tinted a rusty red, she knew she had to paint it.
Barns have a way of fueling Williams’ artistic inspiration, she said. And the short, red barn on page 73, along with the dozens of others in the book, captured her imagination. She knew she had to meet the man who had taken its photo.
“Look at that one. You see, the roof line is really nice. And look at the lighting. That just caught my eye …That’s beautiful,” she said.
On Aug. 20, Williams got her wish, visiting the book’s author and photographer Robert Meyers at his Alpharetta home, where she gifted him the painting he had inspired. Meyers said he planned to hang it in his office.
Meyers grew up with barns. He remembers fondly his grandfather’s big barn and the corn cob fights he had in its hay loft. The farmland where the barn once stood is now a golf course in the Lake Windward area.
“Corn cobs are very hard,” Meyers said with a smile. “If one of them hits you, it leaves a mark.”
Meyers spent more than two years crisscrossing what was once Milton County, taking countless photos and interviewing more than 200 people for his book. Some of the barns he visited more than once. For example, he also took a photo of the barn that Williams painted on an icy winter day, capturing the structure when it was blanketed in snow.
A passage in the book ponders the barn’s unique identity: “Good things come in small packages.” It also faithfully recalls the barn’s history from the 1910 purchase of the land to the year it was built to thoughts from a former owner.
“Many people in our community have told us in so many ways how much it means to them by painting and drawing it and by having their Christmas pictures taken in front of it,” former owner Sonya Kennedy said. “As long as we own this
See PAINTING, Page 15
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Painting:
Continued from Page 14
property, we will keep the old barn intact for all to enjoy.”
Since the publication of Meyers’ book, the city of Milton has taken ownership of the barn and plans to keep it intact. The structure sits adjacent to the Milton City Park and Preserve.
“It’s not going anywhere,” Milton Communications Director Greg Botelho said.
Each of the photos in Meyers’ book communicates something special, Williams said.
On page 54, a dilapidated barn peeks from behind overgrown foliage with broken, weatherworn beams. On page 113, a corn crib sits in a lawn of green grass between two metal barns on the Hembree homestead. On page 138, early morning sunshine fills a barn built from cypress planks with an amber glow.
“The light in that is so warm,” Williams said.
The artistry captured in each of those photos convinced Williams to track down Meyers. She contacted the shop she had purchased the book from; talked with Milton’s library, which displays his photos along a hallway wall; and finally found him.
“I kept trying to find him when I decided I wanted to give him this (painting),” she said.
Meyers said he was moved by Williams’ generosity.
“I was overwhelmed,” Meyers said. “I mean, really, the thought that someone would go to all that trouble to paint it, … and she chose to give it to me. I was just so touched.”
Meyers said he is glad Williams appreciates the beauty of barns, but the old buildings represent something else to him. Over the decades, he has watched
the area transform from rural farmland to a bustling suburban community.
Pastures have been replaced by golf courses, shopping centers and neighborhoods. Many of the barns he remembers have been replaced to make way for development.
“The barns that I used to know as a kid are mostly all gone, right? None of them are left,” he said. “And that’s what persuaded me that I needed to document the ones that are still here.”
As times have changed, many barns have lost their original purpose. Some, which were built to house wagons, began holding tractors and then trucks and cars. Others were inherited by farmers’ children, who turned to different occupations and sold the structures and land to developers.
“That’s sad in a way,” Meyers said.
Those that still stand, he said, deserve to be preserved or at the very least remembered.
“It’s a mix of nostalgia and missing them,” Meyers said.
King Hardware stores, gone but not forgotten
Back in the days before Home Depot, Lowe’s and Ace Hardware, most towns had one or more small independent hardware stores.
Occasionally, one of those stores took off and became a large chain of stores. Today, most mom-and-pop operations and even those which expanded beyond their local boundaries are gone and forgotten. In this column I want to bring back one such group of stores and one family whose lives were shaped by the stores.
George Edward King (1851-1934) was born in Butts County in central Georgia about 45 miles from Atlanta. His father, the Rev. James Lawrence King (1819-1901), was born in Charleston, South Carolina, and was a classmate of poet Sidney Lanier.
Following two economic recessions after the Civil War and a year after federal troops were withdrawn from Atlanta, King began traveling for a Baltimore metal factory calling on hardware and house furnishing companies. In 1882 he used that experience to buy a struggling grocery store at 49 Peachtree St. in Atlanta near Wheat Street –today Auburn Avenue – and converted it to a small hardware store. Next door was Asa Candler’s drug store. He later invented Coca-Cola initially using a 50-gallon kettle purchased from King. At the time, Atlanta had a population of 47,000 and 10 competing hardware stores.
The first year, King’s store lost $1,839, or about 20% of its capital. Nonetheless, George was determined to succeed and was at the store every day from 7 in the morning until 11 at night. The store gradually became successful. By the time of its gala 50th anniversary celebration in 1932, the company had grown to 13 stores. Eventually, it had 19 stores; however, the growth of big box competitors such as Home Depot eventually led to the demise of the business.
Elbert Herschel Foster (1911-1989) joined King Hardware right after graduating from high school in Sandy Springs circa 1927. His first jobs were driving a delivery truck and waiting on customers. Possessing great intelligence and a strong work ethic, he steadily moved up the corporate ladder.
In the 1960s, Herschel left King Hardware where he was assistant vice president, to open his own hardware store, Sandy Springs Hardware. Three years later, King Hardware was experiencing challenging times and asked Herschel to return as president of the company. King Hardware remained open for several years before succumbing to competition from the big box stores, and Herschel returned to his store in Sandy Springs. Eventually, it also closed due to the same pressures that had forced King Hardware to close.
Herschel married Willie Mae Pearson Foster (1910-2012) in 1931, and in 1934 they built a house on Belle Isle Road in Sandy Springs. Willie Mae was raised on a 185-acre farm on Westbrook Road in today’s Milton. Herschel and Willie Mae’s brother Henry Pearson purchased the farm from
Reproduction of King Hardware’s first store on the corner of Auburn Avenue, then known as Wheat Street. The image was reproduced from an old engraving found in the company’s files. The store sold hardware, cutlery, guns, tin and woodenware and agricultural equipment. In subsequent years it greatly expanded its range of products. By 1957, King had 19 stores.
Willie Mae’s family circa 1946 and divided the property between the two families.
Neither Herschel nor Henry were farmers. Sharecroppers raised chickens, cattle, pigs, corn and vegetables on the land while the two owners worked on the farm as time permitted. Herschel was also very involved in the community as a charter member of the Sandy Springs Rotary Club and as member of the Sandy Springs Masonic Lodge.
Herschel and Willie Mae’s son Byron Foster, a retired structural engineer who worked with NASA, and his sister Shirley Morgan inherited their parents’ property after Herschel’s death. Each built a house on the property. Byron raised Santa Gertrudis cattle for many years until he was seriously injured by the horns of a bull. He then changed to Black Angus cattle which are polled, i.e. without horns. Today, Byron has about 20 head of cattle on the property.
Three years ago, Byron and his wife Laura made their property Wildberry Creek Farm available for the Milton Historical Society’s annual fall Shindig
which honors Milton’s agricultural past with a host of fun activities for adults and children. This year’s Shindig will be Sunday, Sept. 22 from 3:30 to 7:30p.m. Byron says that he and Laura host the event every year because “We want the local community to experience the rural heritage I grew up in.”
For further information on the Shindig go online to Milton Historical Society 2024 Autumn Shindig.
When asked to explain why his father was so successful at King Hardware, Byron says “My dad loved hardware and gave his all. He was a hardworking dedicated employee, and the company saw potential in him from the start and sent him to school to develop his business skills. I am very proud of his accomplishments.”
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.
Getting a chill means football season is nigh
It was a feeling that could best be described as “foreign,” especially with all this “suckthe-life-right-out-ofyou” humidity that has turned sitting outside on the deck with friends into a real life Sweatin’ to the Oldies.
This was a feeling that caused me to rub my hands together. It seemed like years ago since I’d had any sliver of a shiver.
I was on an early evening Harley ride and I was chilly. In an instant of self-realization, I soon discovered that a T-shirt and vest was a woeful riding wardrobe choice.
Cruising past the Dairy Queen in Dahlonega, the promo for a Blizzard gave me a welcomed chill.
Could it be? Were we moving to the pleasant autumn that means nice weather. In reality, the temperature that doesn’t induce buckets of perspiration is a spot-on indication that college football is once again upon us.
Ahhhhhh! What a great feeling!
Back to the riding. It’s been a regular 7 p.m. occurrence with good friend Jerry Nix and whoever else we can entice to a trek that will take us on a variety of routes that both relax and give us a gorgeous glimpse of a breathtaking pinkhued sunset.
These early evening rides seem to be a perfect ending to a summer day.
*
Despite all the controversy about the opening ceremonies, the Paris Olympics provided some compelling moments. The closing ceremonies with Tom Cruise jumping off a cliff and out of an airplane set the table for what will be a Hollywood-themed Olympiad in four
years.
While I found the sacrilegious, offensive portion of the opening presentation something that gave Paris a black eye to start the Games, the rest of the 16 days seemed to pretty go without a major hitch.
The athletic performance was a testimony to teams and individuals striving for and (in many cases) achieving excellence in their respective events.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to develop a greater appreciation for anyone who is able to call themselves an Olympian. And despite what others wrote, I still believe Atlanta did a darned fine job in 1996, despite a lunatic’s bomb spoiling what was a celebration of Atlanta and its people.
I found the nightly dose of athletics (track and field), swimming, gymnastics and basketball entertainment that is sorely missed. My prevalent reaction to what I viewed was “How did they do that?”
With that said, I believe having events like surfing in Tahiti, skateboarding, breaking (as in “break dancing,”) or rock wall climbing served to taint what I believe is a sport.
I know, I know there are many who will disagree.
I guess I’m just getting older and crankier.
However, a recent column about starting the school in early August struck a nerve with readers who agreed. And it’s apparent that some teachers aren’t all that thrilled with everyone having to go to summer school whether they like it or not.
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.
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Is your soil healthy? Most home gardeners don’t know!
How do you get healthy gardens and yards? It all starts with healthy soil! How do we know if we have healthy soil? Just bring some soil to The University of Georgia (UGA) Extension office. They will have your soil tested to provide a report on the nutrients and pH of your soil and a detailed recommendation to improve the soil as needed. This report is an essential guide to maintaining healthy soil for whatever we want to grow.
Our yards and gardens need an annual or semiannual soil checkup. Our bodies deserve an annual checkup to make sure our organs are functioning as they should. Our swimming pools deserve a weekly checkup to make sure the chemical levels are balanced, and microbiological organisms are in check. In the same way, our yards and gardens deserve the benefit of a soil check for optimal maintenance. Our plants will gather nutrients from the soil and produce color, fruits, strength, and structure that cannot be obtained from weak or deficient soil.
What is healthy soil? First, healthy soil delivers structural support for the roots to grow and sustain the plant. Second, soil provides water and nutrients for your plants. The soil holds water and acts like a purification system as water passes through it. Healthy soil helps break down organic waste and recycles nutrients back to the environment. The soil also provides a habitat for beneficial microbes and animals. Finally, the soil is good for our ecology as it stores and releases beneficial gases like oxygen and nitrogen.
What do you get with a soil test from UGA Extension? You will get a professional analysis of your soil, which will indicate the pH (a measurement of acidity and alkalinity) and the measurement of key elements in your soil. Macronutrients are those that are required in larger amounts such as: Nitrogen(N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn). Grass (sod) and garden areas should be sampled separately. You will get a professional recommendation of what
your soil needs and how to achieve it.
How do you collect soil samples?
Note: You only need about 1 pint (2 cups) of soil for each area!
• For each turf area (example: tall fescue or bermudagrass) you will collect 8 to 12 samples of soil. The samples should be taken from random locations in the yard using a zig-zag pattern. Collect a small “slice” of dirt from ground level to a depth of 4 inches. Put all the soil from the area being tested into a plastic (not metal) bucket, pulverize the soil, and mix thoroughly, and lay your sample on newspaper or a trash bag to air dry thoroughly. After your soil is dry, put this sample into a plastic zip lock bag.
• For each ornamental area (trees, roses, blueberries, etc.) gather several samples from inside the drip line (leaf/branch edge). Again, you will pulverize and mix the soil in a plastic bucket, let it air dry, and place it in a plastic zip lock bag. Note: Mark each bag clearly as you want an individual report for each desired location.
• Use this website for a more detailed explanation of “how to” soil collection instructions: https:// extension.uga.edu/publications/
About the author
This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Rock Reed, a master gardener intern. Rock is a resident of Alpharetta, GA and recently retired. He has a bachelor’s degree in Economics from UCLA and a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Walden University. Rock enjoys teaching, running, and (of course) gardening. He has experience with farming in Iowa, where large gardens are the norm. He has volunteered on Habitat for Humanity projects and leading children’s clubs and organizations.
detail.html?number=C896&title=soiltesting-for-home-lawns-gardens-andwildlife-food-plots
How do you submit a soil sample to UGA Extension? It’s easy! You can bring collected soil from important areas of your yard and garden to your local UGA Extension office. If you collected soil from multiple locations, please remember to have each sample clearly identified with the different
TABLE BY ROCK REED/PROVIDED Most of us rarely consider how each mineral in our soil makes a difference in how healthy our plants are! Different plants use and need specific nutrients and soil acidity (pH). As an example, above are some common plants and their pH requirements. Note: Expanded tests are available for more detailed testing and are usually used for commercial industrial applications. Please contact your local UGA Extension agent for more information.
locations in a zip lock bag. Bring your samples to your Fulton County Extension office (address and contact information below), and you will get a report back in 10-14 days at a cost of $12 per soil sample for a Routine Test. The analysis is a bit technical—it will give a detailed breakdown of current pH (soil acidity), minerals, and nutrients. However, the recommendations are easy to follow and implement. In laymen’s terms, they give specific nutrients to add and suggested amounts.
The test is easy, and the results will help bring you gardening success. Take out the speculation and become a garden guru without guessing what your garden needs.
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. Previous Garden Buzz columns are featured at https:// appenmedia.com/opinion/columnists/ garden_buzz/.
Memorial:
Continued from Page 1
“It’s said that if we don’t say their names, they’re forgotten,” Mizell said. “And four years ago … [we] made a promise to the parents of the 13 — their children’s sacrifice will never ever, ever be forgotten.”
Mizell said the fallen troops “were there to help people.”
The 13 killed by a suicide bomber Aug. 26, 2021, at the airport’s chaotic Abbey Gate, were:
• Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David Espinoza, 20
• Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole Gee, 23
• Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31
• Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss, 23
• Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22
• Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum, 20
• Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20
• Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, 20
• Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan William-Tyeler Page, 23
• Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario, 25
• Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, 22
• Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, 20
• Navy Hospital Corpsman Max Soviak, 22
The former head of the O’Callahan Assembly, Mitchell Touart, declared the annual event will continue “as long as we are physically able.” Representatives from the Marine Corps and the Georgia National Guard played ceremonial roles in the memorial.
Retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Arnold Fields delivered the ceremony’s keynote remarks. Fields, a Vietnam veteran who retired from the military in 2004, was the first presidentially appointed watchdog protecting more than $61 billion in Afghanistan reconstruction funds. The former two-star general hails from South Carolina’s Lowcountry and now lives in the Atlanta area.
Fields and the other speakers reflected on the twofold courage of those killed at Abbey Gate: They volunteered to join a military mired in a decades-long war, and they tirelessly worked to evacuate civilians in Kabul at great personal risk.
“Those 13 could have been any one of our children, or any one of our neighbors [or] anyone that we may have loved,” Fields said.
In an interview after the ceremony, Fields emphasized the youth of those who died in Kabul — the average age of the Kabul 13 was slightly less than the reported average age of those killed in Vietnam, the retired general said.
“To the extent that we can accomplish our national objectives without physical combat, we should always strive for that,” he said.
Continued from Page 1
“Creekside Park is going to be our civic hub for our community here in Johns Creek,” Bradberry said. “I think it’s going to be a place of great relaxation, entertainment and just coming together as a community.”
During
Recreation and Parks Director Erica Madsen described the near-$36 million project, which includes a 15-foot-wide elevated boardwalk, a trail encircling the pond and an amphitheater that can be positioned according to event size.
“It’s really going to be a wonderful place,” Madsen said.
Construction is scheduled for completion in 18 months.
Zoning:
Continued from Page 3
Some budget items received more airtime during the council’s discussion, like how to set revenue projections.
Council members weighed two options: project revenue growth at $70 million, which only considers new growth and ignores reassessments from the 2024 tax digest, or at $200 million, which considers both.
While the city has historically moved with the more conservative approach, council members had opted for the alternative last year due to a budget surplus of $8.5 million. The leftover cash resulted in concern over transparency in the city’s budgeting process.
With a $200 million assumption, the city projects $1.3 million more in property tax revenue.
City Councilwoman Stacy Skinner said the less conservative projection would ensure that the council allocates the budget on the front end, rather than waiting to spend money later with the surplus.
Mayor John Bradberry called the issue “gimmicky.” He said that it made the most sense that the city move with a projection that had been used in the past.
But, Finance Director Ronnie Campbell said the $200 million figure, which
AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA
Johns Creek Finance Director Ronnie Campbell answers questions about the city’s budgeting process at the Aug. 19 City Council work session. A second hearing and adoption of the fiscal year 2025 budget has been scheduled for Sept. 9.
had been calculated based on a five-year trend, was his recommendation — primarily because of the council’s recent decision to hold the millage rate steady, rather than to roll it back.
“I’m trying to make the assumptions equal with the previous action of the council,” Campbell said.
Special events
The council also reevaluated its calendar of special events, with a lastminute proposal from City Councilman Bob Erramilli. He suggested the Diwali
and Lunar New Year celebrations be consolidated into the city’s International Festival.
Questions were posed to City Manager Kimberly Greer whether the newest city events have been a financial issue. Because of the success in sponsorships, Greer said her concerns stem in crowd and traffic control.
Councilwoman Elwood argued that the city should keep the events.
“I think that they’re really valuable contributions to our community that we as the city provide to our residents,” she said.
Referencing a conversation she had, Elwood said that because the city doesn’t have a downtown area, special events are a way for the community to gather.
“My family goes to all of these, and we find that we are celebrating Johns Creek,” she said.
After Greer implored the council to decide whether to cancel the Diwali event in October during the work session because of time constraints, councilmembers agreed to move forward with the event as planned.
According to the city’s website, the Diwali Festival will be held at City Hall Oct. 26 and 27, from noon to 5 p.m.
At the regular meeting following the work session, the City Council unanimously approved plans that would allow for a 1,982-square foot Dunkin’ coffee shop with a drive-thru in the Abbotts Village at Ocee shopping center on Jones Bridge Road.
Plans call for demolishing a 7,105-square-foot commercial building on the .75-acre subject parcel to construct the business.
CITY OF JOHNS CREEK PUBLIC NOTICE PURPOSE
An Alcoholic Beverage License Application was submitted to City on August 2, 2024, for Package of Malt Beverage, Wine and Distilled Spirits. BUSINESS NAME Heezy FP Inc. Dba Fairway Package 9730 Medlock Bridge Rd. Johns Creek, GA 30097
OWNER/OFFICERS
Heezy FP Inc. Dba
Fairway Package 9730 Medlock Bridge Rd. Johns Creek, GA 30097
SERVICE DIRECTORY
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Full-time
Landis+Gyr Technology, Inc.
Business Integration Analyst
Alpharetta, GA
Remote position
Responsibilities: Provide integration consulting & business process definition. Responsible for implementing Landis+Gyr’s proprietary GridStream Meter Data Management Systems (“MDMS”) & Advance Metering Infrastructure (“AMI”) solutions. Configure MDMS for internal processing to prepare data for CIS (Customer Information System) & data warehouses or data lakes. Up to 20% domestic travel to unanticipated client sites.
Salary: $122,500 - $124,000/year
Requirements: Master’s in Comp Sci, Comp Engg or related field & 3 yrs exp in job offered or 3 yrs exp quality assurance testing.* Exp must include 3 yrs each of following: integration & functional testing; MDMS; XML; work with Multiple CIS & business architectures; Oracle RDBMS & SQL; IEC-CIM 61968 Part 9 & Multispeak standards; SOA enabled integration using web-services & JMS; & conducting methodical root cause analysis & troubleshooting technical issues. Experience may be gained concurrently.
*In alternative employer will accept Bachelor’s in Comp Sci, Comp Engg or related field & 5 yrs exp in job offered or 5 yrs exp quality assurance testing.
Send resume & cover letter to: Landis+Gyr c/o Lisa Hudson, Talent Acquisition, 30000 Mill Creek Ave, Suite 100, Alpharetta, GA 30022 or via email to: lisa.hudson@landisgyr.com
Landis+Gyr Technology, Inc.
Software Engineer
Alpharetta GA
Responsibilities: Communicate & collaborate with Software Architects, Systems Engineering, & Product Management to understand & implement requirements. Work with teams in an Agile Scrum environment to build software rapidly and iteratively for Landis+Gyr’s Smart Grid operations.
Salary range: $83,325 - $90,400/year
Requirements: Bachelor’s in Comp Sci, Engg or related field & 1 yr exp in job offered or 1 yr software engg exp. Exp must include 1 yr each of following: C#; Oracle/ SQL Server; TFS 2017; Visual Studio 2017; Git. Experience may be gained concurrently. Send resume & cover letter to: Landis+Gyr c/o Lisa Hudson, Talent Acquisition, 30000 Mill Creek Ave, Suite 100, Alpharetta, GA 30022 or via email to: lisa.hudson@landisgyr.com