Johns Creek Herald - September 26, 2024

Johns Creek proffers stricter contract on struggling Chamber of Commerce

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Under a proposed binding contract, the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce would have to work harder to maintain its partnership with the city — the equivalent of a $20,000 check each year.

The nonprofit, acting as a hub for small businesses, needs the money now more than ever because of revenue declines since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Johns Creek Economic Development Director Kim Allonce introduced the new contract at the Sept. 9 City Council work session. It includes more stringent conditions than what had been in place the past three years.

The new contract would require the nonprofit to explain how it met about a dozen performance standards each quarter, standards that were characterized as a “high level.”

One new standard would require its Small Business Resource Center to provide technical assistance, host training and workshops, and disseminate information to a minimum of 10 businesses each quarter.

Another requires data collection on the center, such as the number of business walk-ins, businesses assisted and business programs offered.

While the previous agreement, which expired in June, required quarterly reports and annual performance metric goals, they were more loosely defined.

See CHAMBER, Page 21

it would require the nonprofit to meet about a dozen performance standards, or face termination and lose out on its $20,000 annual check from the city.

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS

CREEK,

Ga. — Author Martha

“Marti” Peterson said she had to push for a “real” assignment in the CIA, one on par with her male counterparts.

Speaking to a crowd of more than two dozen at Johns Creek Books Sept. 17, Peterson recalled it was the early ’70s, and she had just lost her husband John while they were on a tour in Laos. She wanted to do what he intended to do before his death — assess and recruit foreign spies who would give the U.S. government secrets from their country.

“I was a piss poor secretary,” Peterson said.

The 79-year-old Wilmington, North Carolina, resident was at the store promoting her autobiography “Widow Spy,” published in 2012. Peterson assured visitors that she ran the book

See PETERSON, Page 14

Check your status, update your address or find your polling location on the Secretary of State’s “My Voter Page” at https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s

The webpage also provides the option to register.

For the Nov. 5 general election, the deadline to register is Oct. 7.

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Johns Creek Economic Development Director Kim Allonce introduces a new “binding” contract with the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce at the Sept. 9 City Council work session. If approved,

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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.

Teen arrested for threats aimed at middle school

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Police arrested a 13-year-old student Sept. 10 who allegedly made threats to a student from another local middle school.

Police said the teen, a student at Autrey Mill Middle, threatened another student who attends Haynes Bridge Middle on Snapchat. The suspect had also threatened to shoot up her school if she did not keep quiet, according to the incident report.

Administrators told police that sometime at night on Sept. 6 the suspect threatened the student and that the suspect was pulled from class once they discovered the news. They suspended him Sept. 10, according to the report.

The Haynes Bridge student had taken the threat and reposted it to her Snapchat story, warning her friends, which resulted in many students staying home Sept. 9 out of fear, the report says.

The suspect was charged with felony terroristic threats and disrupting operation of public school, according to the arrest report.

Middle school student cited for making threat

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Police arrested a 13-year-old student Sept. 10 who allegedly threatened a student from another local middle school.

Police said the teen, a student at Autrey Mill Middle, used Snapchat to threaten another student who attends Haynes Bridge Middle.

Administrators told police that sometime at night on Sept. 6 the suspect threatened the student and that the suspect was pulled from class once they discovered the news. They suspended him Sept. 10, according to the incident report.

The Haynes Bridge student had taken

A

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Job Description: Corporate office located in Milton, GA has an opening in the Accounting Department. Entry level position with opportunity to advance. Starting pay is $20.00 per hour/approximately 30 hours per week. Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel is a plus. How To Apply: Email response to conglomeratedhost@gmail.com or fax to 770-521-0809.

the threat and reposted it to her Snapchat story, warning her friends, which resulted in many students staying home Sept. 9 out of fear, the report says.

The suspect was charged with felony terroristic threats and disrupting operation of public school, according to the arrest report.

Spa staff threatened by potential shooter

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Staff at a local spa reported to police Sept. 11 that someone had called the business and said that he was on his way to “shoot up” the office.

Staff told police there were two calls where the same male voice called in and made a threat to drive to a location, not specifying which one, according to the incident report. There are five locations for the business in Metro Atlanta.

Police said they attempted to call the suspect’s number, but no one answered, nor were police able to identify or associate anyone with the phone numbers provided.

Police informed staff on how they could set up additional patrols.

Man charged with stealing sunglasses from retailer

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A 37-year-old Alpharetta man was arrested on a shoplifting charge Aug. 31.

Police were dispatched to a department store at North Point Mall after a shoplifting was reported, according to an Alpharetta police report.

After arriving at the store’s security office, police viewed camera footage of the alleged theft.

In the video, a man placed a pair of sunglasses on his collar and walked toward the door, according to the report. Loss prevention staff stopped the man.

The man allegedly attempted to steal two pairs of B-POP brand sunglasses, which were found by employees. They were valued at a total of $314.

Police charged the man with misdemeanor theft by shoplifting under $500.

Officers arrest suspect after reported shoplifting

ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police arrested a 44-year-old Alpharetta man Sept. 8 after a CVS employee texted officers about a shoplifting in progress.

The employe said he saw the man exit the store on Holcomb Bridge Road with three large tote bags full of merchandise.

During the text exchange with officers, the employee said the man returned to the store.

An officer said he contacted the suspect while additional personnel were en route.

The officer said the suspect admitted to stealing the merchandise, stating “I have the stuff and will show you.”

After seeing the merchandise in the suspect’s black Hyundai SUV, officers placed him under arrest.

The CVS scanned all the merchandise in the three bags, totaling $2,494.

Officers said the employee showed security footage of the suspect leaving the store with the bags and then returning.

Officers said they secured a warrant for felony theft by shoplifting and transported the suspect to the North Fulton County Jail.

Store reports 3 men stole $1,000 in clothing

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A shoplifting by three men was reported at a North Point Parkway store Aug. 22.

An employee told police three men stole items by hiding them in clothes hampers sold at the store, according to an Alpharetta police report.

The men placed the hampers in shopping carts, walked around the store selecting clothing items and left without paying, according to the report.

Two hampers, 18 women’s apparel items, one sweater, three jackets and 13 shirts and pants were reported stolen. The clothing was valued at a total of $1,009.69.

The employee said one of the men worked at a nearby restaurant. She recognized the other two from previous unreported thefts.

No one was arrested or charged, according to the report.

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

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

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Students and parents pack “fall fun bags” Sept. 18 in Crabapple Crossing Elementary’s cafeteria, intended for 130 local foster families served by Fostering Together, a local foster care ministry.

Elementary school students offer up ‘Acts

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — More than 100 students from all grades at Crabapple Crossing Elementary lined up in the cafeteria Sept. 18 to pack bags full of donations.

The bags were to be delivered to two local nonprofits — Fostering Together, a local foster care ministry, and the STAR House Foundation, a Roswell-based organization that provides after-school tutoring and mentoring to at-risk youth.

The PTO-led initiative is part of “Raise Craze,” an online fundraising platform that enables participants to complete “Acts of Kindness,” rather than by selling items.

During the fundraiser, customers of the

of Kindness’

nearby Starbucks are due to receive acts of kindness as well. The shop donated 700 coffee sleeves for students to decorate with kindness messages and artwork.

Christina Lea, PTO vice president of operations and lead of the Acts of Kindness Committee, said she felt honored to be a part of a PTO team full of talented and kind individuals. She also shared remarks about the school’s staff and students.

“Crabapple Crossing is very lucky to have such amazing staff and such fantastic students,” she said, with her own family nearby participating.

Since the fundraiser started four years ago, Lea said students have been rewarded

GARAGE SALES

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To place garage sale ads: Thursday by 4 p.m. Call 770-442-3278 or email classifieds@appenmediagroup.com

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Keynote Author Rick Bragg Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist & acclaimed author

Sunday, Sept. 29 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

In conversation with Brian Panowich

Attention: Book Clubs! Reserve your table now for Lunch with 20 Local Authors

Listen to a renowned panel of lawyers-turned-authors “Legal Eagles with Scribe Vibes”

• Engage with a diverse lineup of bestselling & local authors Sign up!

• Ten children’s authors & kids activities

• Food & beverages available for purchase

Lo Patrick Michael L. Thurmond Deepa Varadarajan

C. Matthew Smith

Award-winning writer Ron Rash to headline Roswell Reads events

By KATHY DES JARDINS CIOFFI newsroom@appenmedia.com

October is the month for treats, and Roswell Reads is doubling up on delights. Ron Rash, the acclaimed 2024 Roswell Reads Author Selection, will headline two events Oct. 18 and 19. Called “one of the best living American writers” by Janet Maslin of The New York Times, Rash has penned 20 books of poetry and fiction, including his most recent novel, “The Caretaker.”

On Oct. 18, the two-time PEN/Faulkner finalist, three-time O. Henry Short Story Prize winner, and Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award winner will lead a Writer to Writer talk with Atlanta Writers Club Executive Director George Weinstein.

Then, on Oct. 19, Rash will discuss “The Caretaker” in conversation with award-winning author Robert Gwaltney.

Details about the Roswell Reads events and other October book happenings are below.

Thursday, Oct. 3, Boozy Book Fair at Pontoon Brewing. Shop a selection of books curated by Read It Again Bookstore while enjoying a locally brewed beverage. Free. 6 p.m. Pontoon Brewing, 8601 Dunwoody Place, Sandy Springs. 770-674-1075 pontoonbrewing.com/ Saturday, Oct. 5, Kelly Elizabeth Huston signing her romance, "See Sadie Jane Run.” Free. Noon. Read It Again Bookstore, 3630 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 314, Suwanee. 770-232-9331. read-it-again.com

Monday, Oct. 7, Tracey Enerson Wood launching “Katherine, the Wright Sister,” alongside author Karen Spears Zacharias and hosted by Poe & Company Bookstore. 5 p.m. Free. Alpharetta Library, 10 Park Plaza. Poeandcompanybookstore.com

Tuesday, Oct. 15, Pamela Terry, Pat Terry, Matt Jolley and McPatti Langston. A Novel Idea and Bookmiser present Langston’s book launch and a mashup of the husband-wife, author-musician Terrys, in conversation with Georgia Radio’s Jolley. 7 p.m. Free. Brimstone Restaurant & Tavern, 10595 Old Alabama Road Connector. 770-509-5611. https:// www.bookmiser.net/events.html

Wednesday, Oct. 16, Kimberly Brock examines “The Fabled Earth” with author Emily Carpenter. Presented by Poe & Company Bookstore, with drinks and appetizers. 5 p.m. Brookfield Country Club, 100 Willow Run Road, Roswell. 770-797-5566. Poeandcompanybookstore.com

Friday, Oct. 18, Ron Rash Writer to

Writer event presented by Roswell Reads, in partnership with the city of Roswell and Bookmiser. Refreshments will be served. $15. 6.p.m. Roswell Adult Recreation Center, 830 Grimes Bridge Road. RoswellReads. com

Friday, Oct. 18, Poetry Open Mic Night. To sign up, call 770-232-9331. Free. 7 p.m. Read It Again Bookstore, 3630 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 314, Suwanee. read-it-again.com

Saturday, Oct. 19, Ron Rash, 2024 Roswell Reads Author Selection. A special book club offer and VIP seating are available. Presented by Roswell Reads, in partnership with the city of Roswell and Bookmiser, with refreshments. Ticket prices vary. 10:30 a.m. Roswell Adult Recreation Center, 830 Grimes Bridge Road. RoswellReads.com

Saturday, Oct. 26, Deann Benedict, signing her new children’s book, “Escape from the Mutt Motel.” A local animal rescue will be on-site with adoptable pets, collecting donations of pet food and supplies. 11 a.m. Free. Johns Creek Books, 6000 Medlock Bridge Road. 770-696-9999. johnscreekbooks.com

Wednesday, Oct. 30, Mary McMyne signing “A Rose by Any Other Name.” Free. 5 p.m. Poe & Company Bookstore, 1890 Heritage Walk, Suite P101, Milton. 770-797-5566. Poeandcompanybookstore.com

To submit an author event for the upcoming month, email Kathy Des Jardins Cioffi at kathydesjardins3@ gmail.com by the 15th.

MARYAN HARRINGTON/PROVIDED Ron Rash

Groups call on officials to help save Spalding Drive Elementary

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Spurred by a Sept. 10 Fulton County Schools announcement, a Sandy Springs citizens group is mounting a campaign to save Spalding Drive Elementary School.

More than 100 parents and supporters of the elementary school attended a community meeting hosted by Fulton County School Board member Michelle Morancie Sept. 18 at Woodland Elementary in Sandy Springs.

Fulton County Schools Chief Operating Officer Noel Maloof told the citizen-led Save Spalding Drive Elementary School Committee that no decision has been made about the closure.

“We have made a primary recommendation to the board,” Maloof said. “That goes through a process that is driven by your input as a community, then we make a final recommendation.”

Students’ parents and alumni also turned out Sept. 17 to lobby the Sandy Springs City Council for help in fighting a school district staff proposal to shutter the building, which opened in 1966.

Fulton County Schools staff has recommended its closure due to an aging building and declining enrollment. Since the proposal was announced to the Board of Education earlier this month, the Save Spalding Drive Elementary School Committee has hired a professional public relations firm, created a website and reached out to local officials.

Speaking at the Sept. 17 City Council meeting, resident Paul Evangelista stressed how important high performing schools are to communities.

“I have had three kids go through it, so I’m a step away from being actively involved and engaged and as emotionally invested as others that are here,” Evangelista told the council. “Goods schools are really critical to a thriving community and city.”

He also noted that, coincidentally, four members of Boy Scout Troop 463 attending the council meeting in pursuit of a merit badge are Spalding Drive alumni.

Nicole Motahari, a Spalding Drive graduate who now teaches at North Springs High School, said her experiences at the elementary school created a lifelong passion for education.

Another four parents of current Spalding Drive students advocated for the city to do everything in its power to stop the school from closing.

Steven Guy, who wrote the Fulton County Board of Education on behalf

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

Members of the Save Spalding Drive Elementary Committee don orange and blue at the Sept. 17 Sandy Springs City Council meeting to garner city support for their campaign to keep the school open. After Fulton County Schools floated the closure proposal during a Sept. 10 work session, the Spalding Drive community has mobilized to save the school.

of the Save Spalding Drive Elementary School Committee, said he wants to know how parents and advocates can best work with the city to accomplish their goals.

Mayor Rusty Paul said it’s important the committee get all the facts it can in support of keeping the elementary school open.

“This is a very passionate community [and] we’re all concerned,” Paul said. “One policy decision not to improve the building leads to another policy result that they now use to justify closing the school.”

See SCHOOL, Page 22

Orchestra schedules free concert at Newtown Park amphitheater

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra will add a new genre to its symphonic arsenal with “Classical K-pop” in a free performance Oct. 5.

The performance, serving as the finale to the City of Johns Creek’s “Summer Concert Series,” will be presented by Henry Cheng, guest conductor and music director finalist.

It will be held at the Mark Burkhalter Amphitheater in Newtown Park. Gates open at 6 p.m., and the concert will begin at 7 p.m. Food and drink vendors will be on-site.

The concert will feature symphonic versions of K-pop hits from renowned artists including BTS, PSY, TWICE and Black Pink and serves as the season opener to “Three Maestros, One Podium.” The new season consists of a series of concerts conducted by finalists in the orchestra’s music director search.

Cheng aims to deliver a K-pop concert that embodies the power of love, community and human connection as he connects with the Johns Creek community for the first time.

“K-pop music has a unique way of

speaking about love, and I want to use the music in this concert as a bridge to connect the community and present a message that love conquers all,” Cheng said.

Executive Director Linda Brill said Cheng is a “vibrant” conductor who has curated a “must-see” setlist for the show.

“The Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra is honored to be the finale concert in the city of Johns Creek’s summer concert series, and we are looking forward to engaging new audiences in our community with a night of ‘Classical K-pop,’” Brill said.

For more information about the music director finalists and the nonprofit’s 2024-2025 season, visit https://johnscreeksymphony.org/themusic-director-finalists.

Samantha B. Benson, MD Johns Creek:

Wednesday

9:30 – 11:00AM

11695 Johns Creek Pkwy 1st Floor Meeting Area

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 with Johns Creek Business professionals.

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 the month. Check calendar on website for all details.

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 month. Check calendar on website for all details.

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 business you’ll enjoy great networking, great referrals, and great conversations!

Alpharetta wine shop celebrates natural process

By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Adam Danielson, owner of Fermented, thinks the wine industry may have lost its way, but he wants to help customers get back to its roots.

At Fermented, Danielson has stocked his shelves with wines sourced from vineyards that embrace the natural growing process, rather than fighting against it.

“They follow the cycles of the moon for their pruning, for their planting,” Danielson said. “It's a holistic vineyard approach, where they don't bring in anything from the outside world.”

Danielson created Fermented with the idea that Alpharetta and north Metro Atlanta residents care how their wines are made. His philosophy is about purchasing a sustainably made product that simply tastes better.

Fermented prides itself in offering customers an opportunity to purchase superior wine without having to make a lengthy drive into central Atlanta.

“We’ve realized how incredible the community is,” he said.

On top of selling holistically made wines, the shop offers tastings and classes to teach their unique stories.

Danielson, 45, began his love affair with wine waiting tables as an 18-yearold and then managing a restaurant when he was 20. Eventually, he began working as a cellar manager and living in Santa Barbara, California, a region known as the “American Riviera.”

There, he realized all of his favorite wines had something in common. They were made naturally.

“What I began to discover was the wines that I was drawn to were less alcohol, less oak, and less manipulations,” he said.

After meeting with vintners, he learned some dirty little secrets about the trade, he said. Mass production vineyards were growing with an eye on profit margins and little regard for flavor. They were mixing in additives, artificially

More Information: To learn more about Feremented’s philopshy, visit fermentedatl.com or call 470-361-2091. The shop is located in downtown Alpharetta at 50 Canton St., #106.

inflating flavor profiles and somehow getting overrated scores from critics, he said.

“A lot of these just tasted like spiked

grape juice,” he said. “It was so much fruit, so much alcohol. It wasn't what I initially learned wine was in my early career.”

All wines at Fermented are either biodynamic or organic. Farms that are biodynamic grow grapes in an environment that replicates the natural environment as closely as possible. They are sustainable and “heal the land” as they farm.

Grapes, like people, do best when they

experience adversity, Danielson said.

“There's a lot of similarities that I've found between people and wine,” he said.

Vines planted in poor soil and struggle for water produce more complex flavors. The plants, which are capable of incredible things, can dig as deep as 80 feet in search of moisture.

See WINE, Page 11

JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA

Adam Danielson, owner of Fermented, explains the grape-growing process while holding a naturally made wine at his shop Sept. 19.

JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA

Some of Fermented’s naturally made wines sit on a table inside the Alpharetta shop. The business only carries wines that are produced naturally.

Wine:

Continued from Page 10

When wine is made naturally, it also produces less of a hangover, said Danielson, who bragged he hasn’t had one in years. Fermented also includes a room Danielson dubs the “Flight Club.” There, he and his staff teach patrons about the winemaking process and individual stories each bottle has to tell.

“You’re going to learn a lot,” Danielson said.

Every wine has a story to tell, he said.

The Avino Cava reserve brew was made by a family who has been making wine since 1597. The champagne-like drink is fermented from grapes indigenous to northern Italy. It combines delicate bubbles and a beautiful froth with notes of bright citrus and apple.

Danielson said he is especially proud to sell Foradori wines, which are made by a groundbreaking woman. After taking over her family’s estate, she converted their operation into a biodynamic farming model and became a leader in the industry.

“Her wines are uber limited, uber delicious,” he said.

Danielson said he is blessed to be based in Alpharetta for several reasons.

“They love to support good people and good products,” he said.

Fermented’s customers said they keep coming back to partake in Danielson’s selection and knowledge.

Matt Keeter, of Woodstock, stopped by to find a California red his wife could enjoy without getting a headache.

“His memory is unbelievable,” Keeter said. “I guarantee he will remember what I like personally.”

Jay and Courtney Waggoner, of Roswell, said they also appreciate Danielson’s knowledge. But they keep coming back because the natural wines don’t give them much of a hangover.

“It’s good, clean wine,” Jay Waggoner said.

OCTOBER

City Calendar & Events!

India Festival draws crowds to celebrate culture

ROSWELL, Ga. — Crowds gathered at St. Mary’s Orthodox Church in Roswell Sept. 21 for the sixth annual Atlanta India Festival.

The festival celebrates Indian culture and local Atlanta communities, according to event spokesman Cherian Chacko.

Organizers called this year’s festival a rousing success, with vendors, traditional and fusion Indian cuisine, music and merchandise.

Last year’s festival drew almost 1,500 visitors.

— Photos by Dean Hesse

Shalini Gupta from Gayatri Collections boutique in Cumming shows some women’s wear available at their booth during the annual Atlanta India Festival.

BEHIND THE PHOTOS: Dean Hesse is an award-winning photojournalist. Following Appen Media’s acquisition of Decaturish, Hesse is now part of the Crier’s newsroom. See more of his photos from the Atlanta India Festival at appenmedia.com. Support the work of protecting and strengthening local news in Sandy Springs by becoming a member of the Appen Press Club at appenmedia.com/join.

Kasi from Kakatiya Indian Kitchen in Alpharetta makes Indian crepes during the annual Atlanta India Festival presented by St. Mary’s Orthodox Church in Roswell on Sept. 21.

Jaya Balan with her mural and Tanjore paintings during the annual Atlanta India Festival presented by St. Mary’s Orthodox Church in Roswell on Sept. 21.

Angela Sanju Alex performs during the annual Atlanta India Festival presented by St. Mary’s Orthodox Church in Roswell on Saturday, Sept. 21

Mehfil dancers perform during the annual Atlanta India Festival presented by St. Mary’s Orthodox Church in Roswell on Sept. 21.

Atlanta restaurateur plans new steakhouse in Dunwoody Village

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Atlanta restaurateur Barry Mills is putting a modern spin on the steakhouse dining experience with Steak & Grace in Dunwoody Village at the former location of First Watch. The restaurant is scheduled to open later this year.

Mills’ other restaurant ventures include FLIP Burger Boutique, HD1 and Big B’s Fish Joint in Sandy Springs.

Mills describes the restaurant as authentic and approachable, with the elements of fine dining in a relaxed, family-friendly and neighborhood-focused setting.

“We’re envisioning a neighborhood restaurant with broad appeal that’s welcoming to everybody,” Mills said. “At Big B’s, we have regulars of all ages who come in every week, and that’s what we are excited to do in Dunwoody.”

Fire-cooked steaks highlight a menu featuring seafood, chicken, large salads, sandwiches and gluten-free, keto and dairy-free options.

Fresh steaks will be delivered daily, and all sides, sauces and desserts will be made in-house.

Executive chef Conor O’Reilly, formerly with Fifth Group Restaurants, will create the a la carte side approach common in many steak restaurants.

The interior at Steak & Grace will have lighter hues, lots of windows, a large patio and outdoor fireplace.

Mills says they are also skipping the complicated wine menu with plenty of by-the-glass options.

“I prefer restaurants that deliver on service, food quality, interesting design and other things that go into a dining experience but with a little more casual approach,” he said. “There are several traditional steakhouses in the Perimeter area, so we want to differentiate ourselves with the atmosphere and diverse menu.”

BRANDON AMATO/PROVIDED

Steak & Grace is a new neighborhood steakhouse slated to open in Dunwoody Village later this year. The concept comes from restauranteur Barry Mills, known for his creative Metro Atlanta dining ventures.

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Continued from Page 1

script by the CIA, but that the story had already been out “in a vague way.”

The CIA’s training had been intense. Peterson said it was nine months of learning all the necessary skills, including “sneaky photography” and how to detect whether you were being followed.

After pushing back on a couple of offers, Peterson was given a job in Moscow, becoming one of the first women operations officers assigned there. She went through 44 weeks of Russian.

In November 1975, she landed, and reality hit her, when she noticed the plowed snow by the runway.

“I went from Fort Lauderdale to Moscow, and I tied my belt around my camel hair with a pile lining coat, and thought, ‘Oh, Martha, this is the beginning. What have you done?’” Peterson recalled. “In a moment there, I realized this was a big thing to take on.”

In Moscow, she became the handler to Trigon, a Soviet recruit out of Bogotá, Colombia, whose real name is Aleksandr Ogorodnik. Peterson said he had been aggressive at bringing documents out of the Soviet embassy for the CIA, adding that he would take pictures of them, tuck them in his pants and place them back where they were found.

Trigon’s aptitude for the work landed him in Moscow, what Peterson

said was referred to as the “Lion’s Den.” His condition, that he be given the means to commit suicide, had been met.

“I was a young officer. I was 30 years old. I didn’t have a lot of experience, and this horrified me,” Peterson said. “I also realized that it’s like sending someone to war without bullets.”

She was responsible for keeping in contact with Trigon via dead drops. She showed the small crowd the sorts of packages she would leave for him — a limb, a slab of concrete. These would be hollowed out.

During one of the timed exchanges, Peterson was caught by the KGB and taken to Lubyanka, “Stalin’s very favorite prison in the center of Moscow.”

“People say, ‘Were you afraid?’ No, I was angry,” she said. “Something had happened to Trigon, and I knew it.”

Trigon had already been compromised, using his poison pen to kill himself while being forced to write a confession, though Peterson didn’t find that out until years later.

Russian officers grabbed her by the arms and restrained her.

“I don’t know how you would react, but I got angry, and I started kicking people,” Peterson said. “One guy showed me the bruise on his shin, and there is word — it’s a legend that I kicked a man, and he was hospitalized and had no sex for a few days.”

Because of diplomatic immunity, Peterson was released.

She retired from the CIA in 2003.

When a visitor asked about the rest of her career, she said, “No, that remains.”

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Martha “Marti” Peterson begins detailing her autobiography “Widow Spy” to more than two dozen visitors at Johns Creek Books Sept. 17.

Knotted DNA

and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta

DNA is more knotted than you’d think. DNA can literally develop knots like a rope develops knots. DNA can also form knots like a string forms knots when you overtwist it. But those are not the type of knot we are focusing on in this article. Instead, a newly mapped type of “knot” called an i-motif turns out to be extremely common in the human genome. And i-motifs might prove to be the key to the development of new anti-cancer drugs.

When most of us picture DNA, we envision a beautiful spiraling structure consisting of two endlessly twisting strands. This structure is called a “double helix” and was first famously described as the structure of DNA by Watson and Crick in 1953. However, ten years later, Dr. Karst Hoogsteen described a DNA structure that did not exhibit the classic DNA shape.

Dr. Hoogsteen observed that DNA base pairs could bind together in a manner that would not cause DNA to assume its more linear, double helical shape. Instead, Hoogsteen base pairing causes DNA strands to assume strange shapes including three and four stranded structures called triplexes and quadruplexes that can fold back upon themselves. These structures were predicted in the 1960s but their biological relevance is only now being identified and explored.

One of the structures that exhibits Hoogsteen base pairing is called an “i-motif. I-motifs look like knots, and they can behave like knots too. Like a knot in a shoelace, i-motifs can trip up our cell’s machinery and keep genes from being turned “on.” I-motifs are concentrated in parts of our genes that control growth. As you might predict, genes that control growth are also extremely important in the development of cancer.

I-Motifs’ importance in cancer may be tremendous. They turn out to be concentrated in certain cancer-causing genes that have so far been very difficult to treat. One example is the cancer gene c-myc. Melanomas that metastasize are more likely to have extra copies of the c-myc gene. Approximately 70% of uveal melanomas (melanoma of the pigmented

inner layer of the eyeball) have extra copies of this gene.

To target a bad gene, we usually target the protein that the gene makes because the protein is like the physical object one makes from an instruction manual whereas the DNA is the manual itself. It’s easier to spot an apple pie than it is a page of text containing the recipe for an apple pie.

Unfortunately, the c-myc protein is so hard to target with drugs that an article in The Lancet Discovery Science even called the gene “undruggable.” In contrast, an “easy” drug target is a cancer-causing protein that is relatively ordered, stable and has a predictably consistent shape such that a medication or antibody can be relied upon to nearly always bind to the cancercausing protein and inactivate it.

An example of an “easy” target is the kinase class of proteins which often have a predictable pocket called the “active site” responsible for the protein’s activity. Medicines that fit this pocket like a key to a lock have helped us treat many cancers in which kinases are culprits. In contrast, c-myc is believed to be “disordered” or “transiently ordered” with regions that only briefly take on the shape needed for the protein to perform its activity. C-myc’s unstable shape and disorder make it difficult to design a drug that can always recognize and bind it.

The c-myc protein may be hard to target, but the i-motifs at the beginning of c-myc’s DNA sequence could be a sitting duck. Small molecules that target i-motifs have already been developed. If these molecules are found to be specific enough to target cancer cells, then i-motifs may be a way of zeroing in on c-myc DNA at a time when we cannot target the c-myc protein itself. In essence, discovering knots in DNA is like discovering that cookbooks have thick stickers before critical passages of text. We can quicky spot a sticker. We can also easily eliminate books that are so thick with stickers that they can’t even be closed. It might be a way to close the book on cancer.

I still like to imagine DNA as a beautiful spiral staircase of two endlessly winding coils of DNA, but biology is always messier than we imagine. And so often, it’s in the mess that we find new opportunities. DNA is knotty, and from those knots we may unravel a cure.

Insist

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Georgia faithful flock to Holbrook camp meetings

Since the early 1800s camp meeting grounds have played an important role in rural Georgia. These campgrounds host outdoor religious revival meetings that are held in structures called “arbors” for a few days every year. While not unique to Georgia, they continue to play a significant role in the state. Today, at least 30 campgrounds remain active in Georgia including Holbrook Campground in the Alpharetta postal area of Cherokee County. Many campgrounds predate the Civil War. Here is the history.

Camp meetings and the historic sites they created began with the Second Great Awakening, a religious movement from about 1790 to 1835 initially in frontier towns throughout the United States. As Protestant settlers moved westward, they often stopped in small towns that had no churches and held revival meetings in tents. The revivals nurtured the development of Methodist, Baptist and to a lesser extent Presbyterian churches particularly in what became known as the Bible Belt.

According to the New Georgia Encyclopedia the first camp meeting in Georgia occurred in 1803 when 3,000 people attended a revival meeting on Shoulderbone Creek in Hancock County. The movement grew rapidly, particularly among Methodists.

A typical campground features a large, often rectangular, open-air building called an “arbor,” surrounded by cabins known as “tents” which are owned by individual families and which are often passed down through generations.

Historically, visiting preachers sermonized for several days and nights. Typically, all religions and races were welcome and repentant sinners were called upon to come to the alter to accept Christ. Meetings were a time of spiritual rebirth but also places where families and friends could gather for a brief respite from the rigors of farming.

Holbrook Campground

The first annual Holbrook Campground meeting was held in 1838, probably when a group of people from various local churches gathered to worship under the trees. In 1839, Jesse C. Holbrook, a local blacksmith, received 40 acres for shoeing a man’s horse. He donated the land to the Methodist Conference to be used as a campground.

The current arbor was built in 1890. The structure is surrounded by a full

Rows of cabins, called “tents” surround the large open-air “arbor,” each with a porch overlooking the center. Many of the tents go back multiple generations. Original tents had sawdust floors. More modern tents have wood floors, more than one bedroom and even air conditioning.

circle of 53 cabins, or tents as they are called, plus an additional 19 cabins outside the full circle. Cabins range from simple structures with sawdust floors and one bedroom to wood floors and several bedrooms with air-conditioning. They have front porches looking out at the arbor. Some are owned by ancestors of original owners.

Each year, the campground holds a non-denominational revival where everyone is invited to participate in 10 days of “prayer, preaching, hymn singing, and fellowship.” Several hundred people participate during the week and weekends.

There is a youth building available for teenagers to attend the camp meeting for a week. The building has recently been renovated.

Directly across the street from the campground on Holbrook Campground Road is the Macedonia Church founded circa 1870 in response to the campground activity. Although independent of the campground, the church is closely associated with it. The church pastor David Laycock serves as Host Pastor for the campground. He explains that each year two pastors, one Methodist and one Baptist, are selected to preach at the revival. They rotate every day with each preaching at nine worship services.

Pastor Laycock says that during the recent renovation of the church it was

The centerpiece of the rustic Holbrook Campground is this open-air sanctuary built more than a century ago. Each summer people gather from Cherokee, Fulton, Forsyth and other counties for 10 days of “prayer, preaching, hymn singing, and fellowship.”

discovered that the entire floor sat on rocks. The church just reopened Sept. 1.

I spoke with one of the owners of a tent built in the late 1800s. Three years ago, she put a floor in the tent which until then had a sawdust floor. The tent has been handed down through successive generations of the Grady Wilson family. “Once you experience a week of meetings you realize that the campground is a holy place,” says the owner. “You can visit any time of year and feel the spirit of God.”

On the first camp weekend every July as many as 15-20 people fill the tent ‘’like a family reunion of people you know from the campground.”

The Holbrook Campground Cemetery is on the grounds of the campground. According to Find a Grave there are 672 memorials in the cemetery.

Alpharetta’s city limits do not extend past the Fulton County line, however, the campground has an Alpharetta mailing address, even though it is outside the city limits and outside Fulton County.

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

PHOTOS BY: BOB MEYERS/APPEN MEDIA

OPINION

‘Here Comes the Sun’ on the lending front

This week’s “pop” hit is the 1969 song “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles. The lyrics start out “Little darlin’, it’s been a long, cold, lonely winter. Little darlin’, it feels like years since it’s been here.”

It has been over four years since the FED had made a rate cut, but they stepped up to the plate today and cut rates by .50 percent. The bigger news is that they could make an additional .50 percent cut by the end of the year (I predicted a total of .75 percent total this year…so…could be close). The “plot” graph shows that FED funds could be at 3.375 percent from its current level of 5 percent by the end of 2025. This could push mortgage rates into the high 4 percent range by the end of 2025. I applaud the FED for making the right move… .50 percent (for those of you who follow Aikenomics, I am not a fan of our current FED but had to give them credit here for making the hard choice). This move was long overdue as the “signs” of recession were right in front of us. Housing prices were up again last month and continued a string of consecutive monthly rises for over 10 years (so much for those of you who are waiting for prices to fall). Unemployment continues to rise, and while inflation has come down notably, it’s still hard to buy something when you don’t have a job or are worried that your job might be eliminated.

This cut in rates should help overall prices slide down further as commercial

loan rates, based on Prime, should move down and those lower cost should filter down as lower prices for consumer goods. As I have noted before and reflected in the stats this week that refinances accounted for 24 percent of all mortgage applications, and this is not because they were trying to get a better mortgage rate. For the most part, this was done to lower their overall payments by paying off over extended consumer debt even if it meant a higher mortgage payment.

I am not convinced yet that we are not heading into a prolonged recession, but the FED action was a step in the right direction, and hopefully they will continue to be vigilant in their upcoming moves to avoid a prolonged recession.

The “Long Cold Lonely Winters” for real estate sales for the past several years may be over as rates begin to move below the 6 percent mark over the next several weeks and have their eyes on probably a mid to low 5 percent mark by the end of the year (my prediction earlier this year was low 5 percent by yearend). The “Sun” may be truly coming out for those purchasing new homes and refinancing.

Wednesday was a good day for the U.S. economy regardless of what side of the aisle you sit on. Here Comes The Sun…

D.C. Aiken is vice president, producing production manager for BankSouth Mortgage, NMLS # 658790. For more insights, you can subscribe to his newsletter at dcaiken.com.

The opinions expressed within this article may not reflect the opinions or views of BankSouth Mortgage or its affiliates.

D.C. AIKEN Guest Columnist dcaiken.com

Merging of two schools created Liberty Guinn School in 1932

R. J. Guinn School was built in 1900 when A.A. Jones and Will Sentell each donated an acre of land on the west side of Roswell Road and Franklin Road. The school was named for a former Fulton County school superintendent and former president of the city and county boards of education.

Liberty Hall School opened in the early 1900s at Garmon Road and Mount Paran Road. The school was large enough for about 40 students and one teacher. (“Sandy Springs Past Tense,” by Lois Coogle)

Representatives of R.J. Guinn school appeared before the Fulton County School Board on May 1, 1928, to request that lights be installed at the school as soon as possible. (Fulton County School Archives)

Like many Georgia schools of the day, water was a problem. The R.J. Guinn School’s well had gone dry and had to be dug deeper.

By 1932, the school was still in use but considered unsafe. A window was boarded up to keep out the cold, and the stove had scorched the wall. Outside, a tree stump and log were being used as makeshift playground equipment. The school had three teachers for its 100 students. R.J. Guinn “requested that we either rebuild the school or take his name off of the building,” according to Jere A. Wells, county school superintendent. (Atlanta Constitution, March 3, 1932, “Antiquated housing, recreation facilities reveal necessity for county school bonds.”

A $700,000 bond for school buildings and equipment throughout Fulton County was approved by voters in March 1932. By December of that same year, a cornerstone was being laid for a new school called Liberty Guinn on Long Island Drive, the consolidation of R.J. Guinn and Liberty Hall School.

Members of the Sardis Lodge and Judge E. D. Thomas performed the cornerstone ceremony. The Liberty Guinn PTA served a luncheon. Reverend Burdette read a history of Liberty Hall School and C. C. House read the history of R.J. Guinn School at the ceremony. The building was scheduled to be completed by Jan. 3 with Emma Burnett as principal. (Atlanta Journal, Dec. 18, 1932, “Liberty-Guinn School Lays Corner Stone”)

In the mid-1950s the simple clapboard frame school was replaced with a brick school. Martha Phifer, who had taught at Liberty Guinn for six years, was Fulton County Teacher of the Year in 1956 and 1957. She was also named to the McCall’s magazine “Honor Roll of Teachers” in 1957. (Atlanta Journal, Nov. 5, 1957, “Fulton County Schools Honors Two Teachers”)

Liberty Guinn School closed in 1975. Today the former Liberty Guinn School is the Lower School Campus for Holy Spirit Preparatory School at 4820 Long Island Drive.

In her book, Lois Coogle says two rooms of the R.J. school were incorporated into a home. Whether that still exists, I do not know.

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.

In

VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist

This 1900 photo of R.J. Guinn School, which was located on the west side of Roswell Road at Franklin Road is held in the Fulton County School Archives.

PHOTO FROM IMAGES OF AMERICA: SANDY SPRINGS, BY KIMBERLY M. BRIGANCE AND MORRIS V. MOORE

the 1950s, a new brick building was constructed for students of Liberty Guinn School.

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The perks of being an avid reader

I’ve been an avid reader my whole life. In grammar school, I lived for the book fairs, and I was the girl in high school who always had a novel tucked inside her textbook.

I learned all I needed to know about the Kings and Queens of England from historical novels by Phillipa Gregory, Anya Seton, Jean Plaidy, and goodness knows who else. Of course, I majored in English in college. What else was a girl to do?

The number one perk is the pure joy I get from reading a good book, which is why I read every night, often two-three books a week. Next is what I learn. It was the Maisie Dobbs series that introduced me to the impact of the first World War on England— beyond the actual bombs and devastation to a generation of young men. A dry history book is not for me. It’s novels I crave. What I never imagined is that later in life, I would become a world-famous columnist writing about books. Do you see my tongue firmly planted in my cheek? I’m certainly not famous, but a bit of attention has come my way because of my book columns in the Dunwoody Crier.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with book clubs to discuss my books,

Students:

Continued from Page 4

my path to writing, and books I recommend. When a member of Sisters in Crime Atlanta read my columns, she invited me to attend a monthly Reader Rendezvous meeting. What fun to chat with a group of mystery readers about the latest books we’ve enjoyed.

That invitation led to my joining SINC Atlanta and participating in lots of book festivals. And yes, on occasion, someone reads the byline for my columns and picks up one of my books.

The latest perk came my way when the communications manager for a major publisher noticed my columns. She wrote to ask if I’d care to read any of the mysteries and thrillers the firm planned to release this year and sent me a list to consider. The first thing that caught my eye was an October release by Colleen Cambridge, so that went on the list. But I also found several new to me authors. This week’s review is about a debut novel described as “Maisie Dobbs meets James Bond.” How could I resist?

“A Jewel in the Crown” by David Lewis Set in England during WWII, it features Caitrin Colline, a strong, talented female protagonist. Charged by Winston Churchill with removing the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London and driving them north to Scotland, an unlikely pair of secret agents sets out under the cover of darkness. They are

by the silly antics of the school’s principal Tresa Cheatham and assistant principal Emory Johnson.

“Mr. Johnson kissed a pig one year, and Dr. Cheatham has eaten worms on camera,” Lea said, laughing. “...It’s really an amazing fundraiser.”

That day, students and their parents stuffed “fall fun bags” for 130 local foster families in Fostering Together’s program in addition to meal bags for 216 students with STAR House.

One table also held donations that would stock STAR House pantries across its three Title I school locations, at Esther Jackson, Mimosa and Vickery Hill elementary schools.

Stephanie Christiansen Butler, executive director of the STAR House, said the nonprofit is celebrating its 31st year. It was founded by Junior League chapters and the Roswell Police Department after realizing the number of unattended kids at a local apartment complex, whose parents were working two to three jobs.

“They sat down to figure out how they could tackle the issue of keeping these kids safe and out of trouble,” Butler said. “They rented an apartment in the complex, and they put stars in the window, and it was just going to be a safe place.”

From there, she said it expanded to include academic support.

Butler commented on the impact of that day’s event, how it

to safeguard the jewels at all costs so that they don’t fall into the hands of the Nazis. It’s not long, of course, before the plan goes awry.

Is there any doubt that Caitrin Colline, a Welsh coalminer’s daughter, will save the day? Author David Lewis has given us a well-researched, actionpacked caper filled with witty dialogue. I wasn’t surprised to read that he was an award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker. That background shines through in this tale that kept me turning pages well past my bedtime several nights in a row.

Trust me when I tell you that there is not a boring moment in this novel. Lewis tells us he has more Caitrin Colline stories to share, so I’m eagerly awaiting Book II. The series may be dubbed “The Secret Churchill Files”, but like the Maisie Dobbs series I so love, I’ll read it to learn more about Caitrin Colline.

This book ticks all my boxes—set in England, strong female lead, well plotted mystery, and more. I highly recommend you grab it now. Happy reading!

Award-winning author Kathy Manos Penn is a Sandy Springs resident. Find her cozy mysteries on Amazon or locally at The Enchanted Forest, Bookmiser, Tall Tales, and Johns Creek Books. Contact her at inkpenn119@gmail.com, and follow her on Facebook, www.facebook. com/KathyManosPennAuthor/.

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Tresa Cheatham, principal of Crabapple Crossing Elementary, helps a student Sept. 18 stuff a “fall fun bag” for one of 130 families supported by Fostering Together, a local foster care ministry.

brings awareness to kids living only five miles away but who are in great need. She said kids who live in a silo don’t see the need like they would if they were in a different school. Operations and Finance Manager Stephanie Mitra said the awareness goes two ways.

“We want these kids to see our kids, but we want our kids to feel seen, because a lot of times they don’t,” Mitra said. “Because we’ve heard people say, ‘Well, you know, we don’t have lowincome people in Roswell.’”

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Provide a little context to paint clear picture

I read the recent DC Aiken opinion pieces about the economy. If I followed the tone and implications of the article, I would be fearful of our nation’s economic future and think recession is imminent. But then I remembered I have heard this same song for a few years. Each time the collapse was forecast, the outcome was an encouraging “well, maybe not.” While there are continuing impacts from the most devastating pandemic in a century, the U.S. economy emerged as the strongest in the world. It remains so, yet no mention or credit for this is in the articles.

One article mentions the GDP dropping for several quarters. I’m sure many folks see that as a shrinking economy. The GDP, however, is still growing, just not at the bold rate it had been previously.

McDonald’s traffic did have a recent 1% drop. The pandemic and resulting inflation led many lower income families to eat more at home to save money. Isn’t that a good thing? Inflation is dropping and investors believe enough in McDonald’s latest initiatives, stock prices are up.

Is unemployment the highest in almost three years? Yep. But in January of 2023, it was the lowest in 54 years. So, if it rises a bit, that should probably be expected and not indicative of a pending crisis. Job openings are the lowest since 2021. People are working.

Another indicator raised was lower house sales. Well, interest rates are still up and inventory is lower than pre-Covid times. With the rate decrease, that should change.

My easily researched information shows the importance of context for data. Many times, if you look for a pre-determined outcome, then you find a way to support it. If you want to see a moose bad enough, eventually a cow becomes a moose. That’s not how it should work. Since the doomsday predictors of economic ruin have been wrong the last few years, I tend to believe that our country will be okay. Fear works for some people, but not most. As we have seen in recent politics, if you tell people enough that the sky is falling, eventually they look up instead of ahead. Being a former teacher, I tend to hope for, and believe in, a brighter future, and not one that is ill-fated.

Michael Buchanan Alpharetta

KATHY MANOS PENN Columnist

Chamber:

Continued from Page 1

Noting the organization’s loss of revenue and membership, City Councilman Bob Erramilli raised concerns about the Chamber’s three-member staff having the bandwidth to generate the necessary reports on top of meeting the standards themselves.

Even so, the matter advanced for a vote to a future City Council meeting.

Mayor John Bradberry said chambers across the nations are facing pressure.

“We want to hopefully help make this a better environment for our business community, for the Chamber, for all concerned,” Bradberry said.

City Manager Kimberly Greer told Appen Media the documentation required in the contract is “not intended to be onerous.” She said as Allonce learned more about the Chamber and how it works with the city to support Johns Creek businesses, they agreed the contract would be an opportunity to “set the next chapter of the relationship.”

“We believe it is important to measure the efforts so we can all be clear about the progress that is being made,” Greer said.

Unique relationship

The contract underscores an exception among city and chamber relationships in north Metro Atlanta, which offer financial support without the same level of accountability.

The City of Alpharetta, for example, maintains memberships with the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, Alpharetta Chamber of Commerce and the Alpharetta Business Association.

Assistant City Administrator James Drinkard said Alpharetta opts for direct financial support, like a $10,000 check to the Alpharetta Chamber of Commerce for its Alpharetta Business Summit.

What the city receives in return is negotiated, Drinkard said, but the benefits typically include a certain number of seats, a vendor table and advertising.

The sister North Fulton city also partners with the Alpharetta Business Association for its Downtown Farmers Market, providing trash collection and traffic control.

Drinkard said terms for sponsorships and partnerships are decided on an annual basis.

While the Johns Creek Chamber website lists the city as a platinum member in its Chairman’s Circle, the new contract doesn’t stipulate the city’s membership. An earlier draft of the new contract did, though, according to open records obtained by Appen Media.

The agreement in place the last three years outlined the city’s membership as well, with $10,000 serving as annual

membership fees and the other $10,000 going toward the Small Business Resource Center.

The City of Johns Creek’s membership status might look good for the Chamber, but President and CEO Robin Buckley said it benefits both.

“It’s hard for people to support their business community if the city is not technically a member per the new agreement as presented at the work session,” she said.

Tickets without membership

Yet, the nonprofit will be required to provide Johns Creek with at least two complimentary tickets each quarter, and they aren’t cheap. Buckley said out-of-pocket costs for event tickets, like for its annual Golf Classic, can be up to $150.

Not long after the City Council’s discussion of the proposed contract, council members took issue with a separate, but related, item under review — the city’s expenditure policy.

One concern that had been raised was the city manager’s ability to reimburse professional memberships. Bradberry, with a puzzled look, was the first to address the expense, asking Greer whether the city is paying for any of the council members to join the Chamber.

The city is not, she said, however it has paid for entry into Rotary Clubs.

City Councilman Chris Coughlin also wanted to amend the loophole that would allow council members reimbursements for non-travel meals with constituents. The policy had no monetary cap and stipulated that meals could be reimbursed so long as it was on city business.

“You get paid $15k, pay for your own damn lunch,” he said, advocating that all expenses be taken off the table, with an exception for office supplies.

“I kind of view this philosophically, that you are in a volunteer role to a degree, and we should not necessarily be collecting fringe benefits,” Coughlin added.

While the contract doesn’t ensure the city’s membership to the Chamber, the Greater North Fulton Chamber continues to receive membership fees from all six North Fulton cities, including Johns Creek.

But, President and CEO Kali Boatwright said it doesn’t receive “funding” through a contract.

Some of the cities, like Milton, sponsor programs or events if they are in line with their marketing strategy, she said.

Milton Economic Development Manager Anita Jupin said that strategy includes collaborative publications, events, and other regional efforts. Milton is also the only city with a Business Council housed under the Great North Fulton Chamber. Milton has no traditional chamber of commerce.

Like Alpharetta and Milton, the City of Dunwoody also doesn’t have any contracts in place with its area chamber. Instead, Communications Director Jennifer Boettcher said it pays $2,500 a year to be a member of the Perimeter Chamber’s Chairman’s Circle.

Skeleton crew

Buckley echoed the concerns Erramilli raised at the Sept. 9 work session.

“With the specific items that they’re asking for, that’s going to take a lot of documentation,” Buckley said. “Being very specific of what activities we will hold during a year is another issue.” She called attention to the impact of an unforeseen pandemic.

“The documentation and all of that is very concerning, not that we’re not doing it — not that,” Buckley said. “It’s the time it will take. We only have three staff. We had to let one person go because we couldn’t afford them.”

The Johns Creek Chamber’s marketing person, who served a necessary role, was let go in late June.

Buckley, who has been with the Chamber for 12 years, said a four-member staff is a comfortable place, and at its height, the Chamber had five employees.

She added that it has lost about 100 memberships since the pandemic hit. Now, it has close to 350.

The Chamber’s signature events also aren’t raking in as much money as before because there are more individual donations than there are company sponsorships. For example, the Golf Classic in April brought in $5,900. At its peak, Buckley said the fundraiser netted about $22,000.

“It’s really hard right now to get sponsorships, and that’s industry wide,” Buckley said. “People just aren’t putting out that extra money.”

She mentioned Emory Johns Creek recently reevaluated their policy, shifting gears to focus within the healthcare field. Government funding can make or break an organization like the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce. If the city pulled the plug on funding, Buckley said it would be “pretty painful.”

But, a new threat of termination looms.

The former agreement didn’t include a termination clause. Neither did a previous iteration of the new contract, according to open records obtained by Appen Media. The contract presented at the Sept. 9 work session does.

While the original draft includes a section on cutting ties, the newest iteration includes more heavy-handed language allowing the city to terminate the agreement “immediately” upon the city determining that the nonprofit is not actively working toward achieving the standards.

A previous draft only stated “any party” could terminate the contract if its terms weren’t upheld.

Creating leverage

The Johns Creek contract calls into question how much power a city can have over an independent nonprofit, like a chamber of commerce.

But, Forsyth County Chamber President and CEO James McCoy said in his 20 years with the organization, the Board of Commissioners has never leveraged its

funding.

Because Forsyth County doesn’t have an economic development department, the Forsyth Chamber of Commerce fills that role.

Forsyth County Communications Director Russell Brown said an internal economic development team existed before a restructuring earlier this year, when former Economic Development Director Vivian Vakili resigned.

In their fiscal year 2025 budget, commissioners allocated $480,000 to the Forsyth Chamber of Commerce, which has 11 members with two open sales seats.

“The Chamber has been the entity in the community that has been the champion of getting SPLOST passed and reviewed because of all the economic benefits, as well as just quality of life benefits,” McCoy said.

He said the County Commission has never pulled funding because of that advocacy, despite any lack of enthusiasm from commissioners about special purpose local option sales tax, or more broadly, growth. Most recently, McCoy argued against higher impact fees for commercial development to fund transportation improvements that the county has proposed. McCoy said the Chamber prefers a lower fee schedule. Impact fees are assessed on new construction to compensate local governments for the wear and tear on its services, like more traffic and larger public safety coverage.

“Those impact fees would have a very serious negative impact on our ability to get more commercial growth,” McCoy said.

He told Appen Media that county commissioners thanked him for speaking up and for sharing data. McCoy emphasized that a lot of the Chamber’s work is sharing facts and data with commissioners.

He said there’s a positive benefit to a formalized relationship between a chamber, specifically outcome-driven ones like his, and a public entity.

“By some, the perception was that [metrics were] sort of like a strong arm,” he said. “But, what we found was, as we shared it, it helps tell the story of some really incredible things that were going on that, to be candid, weren’t being paid much attention to previously.”

School:

Continued from Page 7

Earlier that same day, the mayor alluded to the school closure in his State of the City address saying Sandy Springs residents should not be punished for the school district’s lack of investment in the Spalding Drive school building.

Paul said he feels the city is being picked on after the news broke about the potential closure just weeks after Fulton County Schools broke ground on the new North Springs High School.

“When you lose those kinds of assets in your community, it’s devastating to the kids, parents and our community at large,” Paul said. “We need to organize, just like North Springs did, we need to step up and fight to maintain that school.”

State Rep. Deborah Silcox penned a letter to the School Board Sept. 15, citing her experiences reading to children at Spalding Drive during Georgia Pre-K Week.

“I have heard from a number of my constituents that they moved to this neighborhood specifically to at -

Paul Evangelista, parent of three Spalding Drive Elementary School alumni, points to four Troop 463 Boy Scouts in the audience who also graduated from the school. Speaking at the Sept. 17 Sandy Springs City Council meeting, Evangelista advocated for preserving the school in the face of plans by the Fulton County School District to shutter the building.

tend this school,” she wrote. “As I am sure you are aware, it is very disruptive to children and parents to switch

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schools.”

Silcox cited the school’s pre-K lottery applications with 34 Fulton County elementary schoolers and more than 100 families on the out-ofdistrict waitlist.

This year, Spalding Drive Elementary School has 349 students and is predicted to have seven fewer next year. The district says the school building needs extensive repairs based on a condition assessment.

Because its enrollment is projected to continually decline past the 450-student threshold the school district identifies as “operationally inefficient,” it is considering consolidating Sandy Springs elementary students.

“I know and respect that these decisions are hard to make in your position,” Wilcox wrote in her email.

Donald Nelson, 83, of Roswell, passed away on September 15, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Elizabeth Varner, 99, of Alpharetta, passed away on September 12, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Roy Waggoner, Jr., 92, of Milton, passed away on September 7, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

“I certainly hope that you will give all the families and alums of Spalding Drive Elementary thoughtful attention to preserve the culture and success of a wonderful neighborhood school.”

The school district says neighboring elementary schools, like Ison Springs, Woodland and Lake Forest, have capacity to accommodate Spalding Drive’s students, according to the staff presentation.

Between now and any official board vote, Fulton County Schools will host three community meetings in October, November and December.

Fulton County Schools’ enrollment has dropped roughly 10 percent over the past seven years.

The district estimates enrollment of 87,272 this year, down 600 students from 2023-24.

The Sandy Springs region, including all feeders to Riverwood and North Springs high schools, forecasts 207 fewer students this year. That’s on top of a decline of roughly 2.2 percent —mostly among elementary school students — last year.

There are older elementary schools in North Fulton County, like Alpharetta, Roswell North and High Point. Several have lower facility assessment scores than the Spalding Drive building.

For updates on this developing story, visit www.appenmedia.com/.

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

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