Johns Creek Herald - November 17, 2022

We Treat Peripheral Neuropathy

Johns Creek honors police for bravery

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The Johns Creek City Council honored five police officers Nov. 7 for their efforts in an August homicide investigation that resulted in murder charges against a man accused of killing his wife.

Council Chambers were packed with the officers’ families as city officials ap plauded Johns Creek Police Sgt. George Hodge and officers Troy Morgan, Domi nique Nguyen, Bradley Rosenquist and Shafaa Sammander.

Johns Creek City Manager Ed Dens more introduced the award presentation.

“There’s moments that you’re faced with,” Densmore said. “When those moments come, you can either let that moment define you or you can choose to define that moment. And that call came in, those officers that responded chose to define that moment.”

Densmore, with a shaky, emotional voice, praised Hodge for his leadership. He said Hodge’s guidance allowed those officers, along with training, to handle the incident in an “outstanding manner.”

Johns Creek Police Chief Mark Mitch ell presented the Police Cross awards, worn on Class-A uniforms. He said none of the police officers sought special recog

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Awards sit atop a desk in Johns Creek Council Chambers. The Johns Creek City Council recognized several Johns Creek Police officers at the Nov. 7 City Council meeting. Five were awarded for their bravery in an August homicide investigation.

nition for their work.

“They serve this city with a purpose, and they definitely had a purpose that day,” Mitchell said, “in serving the citi

zens

See BRAVERY, Page 4

Family Promise celebrates move to new location

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — After years of hard work serving families out of donated church basement space in Dunwoody, Family Promise of North Fulton/DeKalb finally has a perma nent home.

At a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Grove Way Community Center in Roswell Nov. 9, North Fulton com munity members officially welcomed Family Promise into its new space, where members will work to serve families in the community experienc ing homelessness.

With a base of operations so cen trally located to all of their partner church congregations, the organiza tion now has greater ability to serve the community, Family Promise Ex ecutive Director Andrea Brantley said.

“I’m just really excited about this new relationship that we’re going to have,” Brantley said. “I think it’s go ing to help us really grow and get the word out about what Family Promise does.”

Family Promise is a nationwide non-profit group that fights homeless ness by providing resources, transi

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that were involved in that incident, in the community and each other.”

Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra performs first Veterans Day theme

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra, now in its 16th season, performed its first Veterans Daythemed event Nov. 12.

For “A Veterans Day Salute,” nearly 80 professional musicians under the direction of J. Wayne Baughman, played an assortment of patriotic songs in the Johns Creek Methodist Church sanctu ary, beginning with the national anthem.

Other compositions in Saturday night’s program were “Liberty Fanfare,” “Comrades of the Legion March,” “Cohan Medley,” “Hands Across the Sea March,” selections from “Victory at Sea,” “Armed Forces Salute,” “American Salute” and “God Bless America.”

Morton Gould’s “American Salute” is a personal favorite for Baughman, who has been the JCSO conductor since the organization’s founding. Following the performance, sitting in the first pew with a water bottle in hand, he described how the piece increases tempo at the end and the exciting moment when its familiar tune returns.

“They like to be challenged tempowise,” he said. “So, I like to challenge.”

United States Air Force Tech. Sgt. Stacey Holliday enriched the Saturday night performance as a vocal soloist. Holliday, whose career in the Air Force began in 2016, is a member of the Sing ing Sergeants, the official chorus of the military branch.

Wearing a long red velvet dress, Holli day periodically stood beside Baughman throughout “A Veterans Day Salute,” lay ering a few of the musical arrangements with her alto range.

While musicians only had one 3-hour rehearsal before the big night — surpris ing considering the smoothness of play — planning for the concert took around a year and half from start to finish.

Preceding the music, veteran Roger Wise of the U.S. Army Medical Corps introduced the Johns Creek Veterans Association Color Guard, whose mem bers performed a presentation of colors, and led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Wise, who was inducted into the Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame in 2019, said the JCVA is one of the largest veteran associations in the coun try.

The association sponsored the 5-acre Veterans Memorial Walk at Newtown Park, where a service was held for vet erans that same morning. And in 2020, the association installed The Wall That Heals, a 250-foot replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Near the end of the orchestra’s performance, co-presenter Michelle Hanchey recognized veterans in the crowd of around 250 people by mili tary branch. After stating the branch’s founding date, individuals who served in the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Air Force stood to the applause of others in the crowd.

Linda Brill, JSCO executive director and lifelong clarinet player, said it was important for the orchestra to honor veterans, alluding to the vast number of veterans in North Georgia. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are more than 42,000 veterans in Fulton County.

“It’s only appropriate for the sacri fices that they made,” Brill said.

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Members of the Johns Creek Veterans Association Color Guard perform a presen tation of colors at the Nov. 12 orchestra concert at Johns Creek Methodist Church.

Bravery:

The incident

Police records say Officer Morgan re sponded to a shooting on Bramshill Drive in Johns Creek Aug. 23. En route to the scene, radio dispatch informed him that a female caller was in possible danger after she called to say her husband made threats to shoot her and himself.

When he arrived, Morgan noticed the front door was open. Officer Rosenquist was already at the scene attempting to pull the suspect, later identified as JC Rayo-Mancilla, outside to make contact. While Rosenquist commanded Rayo-Man cilla to exit, Morgan heard a “single bang” inferred to have been a gunshot.

Rayo-Mancilla fell to the ground, face covered in blood. After Rosenquist removed Rayo-Mancilla from the home into the roadway to receive medical atten tion, Rosenquist along with Morgan and Nguyen approached the residence. They cleared the first floor, forming the “single stack method” which uses a shield as the primary cover from oncoming threats, then proceeded to the second floor.

At the top of the stairway, Morgan noticed a woman lying on her back, later identified as Tania Rivera. Rivera, wife of Rayo-Mancilla, was pronounced dead on scene. Police also found a family member of Rayo-Mancilla in the home, but he was not injured in the shooting.

Rayo-Mancilla was charged with mur der and two counts of aggravated assault. A preliminary hearing occurred on Sept. 30. As of press time, no further informa tion could be obtained.

In other action Nov. 7, the City Council recognized Johns Creek Police Sgt. Ronnie Young as the Gold Medal Winner at the 2022 World Police Fire Games in the CrossFit Event. Densmore said he’s known Young for 25 years and he is “one of the most humble people,” one time nicknaming him “Hollywood” as the antithesis of the idea.

“True to his nature, he sought no recognition,” Densmore said. “I felt it was very, very important to recognize

him not only from [the City Council] and the community, but his peers.”

Cauley Creek Park update

At the City Council’s work session, city staff provided an update on Cauley Creek Park plans. City Engineer Erica Madsen discussed a 10-acre property along the Chattahoochee River, acquired after the conceptual master plan for the park was created.

The property includes five buildings, which would all require renovation before reuse. The City Council discussed four types of development set for the property — special event space; dining additions (restaurant and café); restrooms, bike rentals, pickup/parking; and an elevated walkway.

Councilmembers also discussed additional amenities for the area, including outdoor games, a demonstration garden, a colonnade space, nature engagement, and a spray and mist pad.

Direction from the City Council will eventually be integrated into the Recreation and Parks Strategic Plan update, which will involve community feedback. While there were some questions and concerns about intended uses, councilmembers agreed the plan is moving in a positive direction.

Assistant City Manager Kimberly Greer led discussion on the water reclamation plant, previously marked for two main uses — a makerspace and a space for robotics. Greer said she wants to lean into the robotics community.

“It’s one of the strongest groups without a home that we have right now,” Greer said.

Councilman Larry DiBiase voiced a need to have a balance among all potential uses to satisfy multiple community needs.

But Mayor John Bradberry said the council needs to be realistic.

“I don’t think we’re going to be able to be everything to everybody, at least not immediately,” Bradberry said.

For next steps, Greer plans to meet with a robotics team as well as host broader focus groups.

Ribbon:

tional housing and support to struggling families. Brantley said this threepronged approach is what has made the group so successful over the years.

At any given time, Family Promise is likely serving about 14 people – families, parents and kids – with its rotational shelter system, where people are tempo rarily housed at local church congrega tions on a weekly basis.

In addition to that, Brantley said the organization served more than 1,000 people in 2021 with its Emergency Response Program, providing gift cards, toiletries, groceries and gas cards to people at risk of becoming homeless. The charity also served 33 individuals in 2021 who were able to graduate from the Family Promise system, she said.

The organization faces more need than ever in the North Fulton commu nity, which makes the move to the area

so much more important, she said.

“We’re definitely seeing more families who have never experienced homelessness before,” she said. “I think COVID put us in a desperate situation for many folks.”

The COVID-19 pandemic made many families choose between working and keeping kids at home when schools closed, which was especially hard for their clients, many of them single parents, she said.

But with the help of their community partnerships, like the churches that house their families, business partner ships like they have with the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, the volunteers who keep the organization running, that need was filled.

“Our congregations are very invested in our success not only do they house a lot of our families, but most of them also support us financially,” she said. “Our ministers spend the night with our fami lies, our ministers cook, it’s just a great community that we have.”

To learn more about Family Prom ise of North Fulton/DeKalb, volunteer opportunities and more, visit familypro misenfd.org.

ALEX POPP/APPEN MEDIA

Members of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and Family Promise cut the ribbon on the charity’s new headquarters in Roswell Nov. 9. Group leaders said the new building will improve their efforts to fight homelessness and engage with the North Fulton community.

Republicans maintain presence in north metro legislative races

NORTH METRO ATLANTA — In the state’s first legislative election since re districting, Republicans and Democrats laid claim to new territory.

Here’s a look at results from some of the contested races affecting north metro counties.

State Senate District 14

Democrat Josh McLaurin defeated Republican Liz Hausmann by garner ing 54.68 percent of the vote. Legislative redistricting moved the seat from rural Bartow County to now include parts of North Fulton and Buckhead. McLaurin is the current District 51 representative in the House. Hausmann is complet ing her final term as District 1 Fulton County Commissioner, a post she has held for 11 years.

State Senate District 48

Republican Shawn Still beat Demo crat Josh Uddin in a race for District 48. A Johns Creek business owner, Still serves as chairman of the Georgia Republican Party Finance Committee. Uddin, an insurance business owner, previously ran for State Senate in 2020. District 48 includes portions of Johns Creek and western Gwinnett County.

State House District 48

Republican Scott Hilton toppled incumbent Democrat Mary Robichaux for the State House District 48 seat. Robichaux, a healthcare consultant from Roswell, was seeking her third term.

Hilton, of Peachtree Corners, served one term in the House from 2017-19. He

Election winners

• U.S. House, District 4: Hank Johnson U.S. House, District 5: Nikema Williams

• U.S. House, District 6: Rich McCormick

• State Senate, District 6: Jason Esteves

• State Senate, District 14: Josh McLaurin

• State House, District 48: Scott Hilton

• State House, District 49: Chuck Martin

• State House, District 50: Michelle Au

• State House, District 53: Deborah Silcox

is senior vice president of Commercial Banking at SouthState Bank.

House District 48 includes portions of Peachtree Corners, Johns Creek, Al pharetta and Roswell. State House District 49

Incumbent Republican Chuck Martin held onto his seat, securing a 10th term representing the district, which includes most of Alpharetta. Martin is former mayor of Alpharetta. He faced Democrat Peggy Gillen, a small business owner and resident of Alpharetta.

Thorne secures District 1 seat on Fulton County Commission

NORTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — While portions of north Metro Atlanta have swung Democratic in recent years, it appears much of North Fulton County will remain under Republican leader ship on the County Commission.

Republican Bridget Thorne, a professional software designer who bills herself as a fiscal conservative, defeated Democrat Maggie Goldman,

a Realtor and business owner, for the District 1 seat left vacant by longtime Commissioner Liz Hausmann.The district includes all of Johns Creek and eastern portions of Alpharetta, Roswell and Sandy Springs.

Thorne garnered 50.28 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s General Elec tion. Goldman received 49.72 of the vote.

Republican office holders run the table in statewide races

By JILL NOLIN Georgia Recorder

ATLANTA — Georgia’s U.S. Senate race may be headed for a runoff, but Repub licans swept all other statewide races Tuesday and dashed Georgia Democrats’ hopes of building on recent electoral wins to loosen the GOP’s grip on state government.

In addition to sending Gov. Brian Kemp back for another term, voters reelected Secretary of State Brad Raffens perger, Attorney General Chris Carr and state School Superintendent Richard Woods to four-year terms. They also gave Kemp-appointed Insurance Com missioner John King his first elected term.

Georgians promoted a trio of Repub lican state senators – Burt Jones, Tyler Harper and Bruce Thompson – to higher office.

State Sen. Burt Jones overcame con cerns about the role he played as a fake elector in the 2020 presidential election to become lieutenant governor. He was one of the two GOP candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump who survived the primary election.

Jones won with the narrowest mar gin with 51.42 percent of the vote to Democrat Charlie Bailey’s 46.4 percent, giving him enough to avoid a runoff. In Georgia, the top vote-getter must reach 50 percent to win without going into overtime.

“Our campaign was successful be cause we ran a positive, truthful cam paign focused on the issues that Geor gians truly care about,” Jones said in a statement, referring to economic mes saging like a pledge to continue cutting

the state’s income tax rate.

Bailey, a former prosecutor who put democracy at the center of his cam paign, conceded Wednesday.

“Last night, across the entire coun try, voters stood up and fought back against attacks on our Democracy,” Bailey said in a statement the day fol lowing the election. “Although we came up short, the fight to defend our Democ racy must continue. The survival of our nation depends on it. I will never give up on that fight, and I will never give up on the fight to ensure every Georgian has an equal shot and an equal opportunity.

“Now we must focus all of our efforts on re-electing Senator Warnock to the United States Senate,” Bailey said.

Warnock will face Republican Her schel Walker in a Dec. 6 runoff after neither candidate reached 50 percent.

State Sen. Jen Jordan, who ran for attorney general and put reproductive rights at the center of her campaign, racked up more votes than any other Democrat other than Warnock. She finished with nearly 13,000 more votes than the Democratic nominee for gover nor, Stacey Abrams, even though Jordan was farther down the ballot.

But it wasn’t enough. Carr ended up with 51.9 percent of the vote. Jor dan conceded Wednesday morning, and Carr posted a message on social media shortly afterward saying he had won another term.

“Over the next four years, I look forward to building on the progress we have made attacking gangs, human trafficking, elder abuse and more,” Carr posted to Facebook.

Jordan, who flipped a Cobb County Senate seat in 2017 and made national

news in 2019 for her dissent during the debate on Georgia’s abortion law, hinted of more to come.

“Although this chapter has come to an end, the fight for a safer, more equi table Georgia continues,” Jordan said in a statement Wednesday. “We may not have received the results we were hoping for last night, but the work is far from over. It is now more important than ever that we continue to support and elect leaders who will prioritize the health and safety of Georgia families. Leaders who will stand up for women and defend our right to make the most personal deci sions about our own bodies. Leaders who will reject partisan political agendas and put people first.”

In the race for agriculture commis sioner, Harper will take the reins from Republican Gary Black who unsuccess fully ran for the U.S. Senate. Harper beat Democrat Nakita Hemingway by 8 points.

State Sen. Bruce Thompson was elected labor commissioner, succeeding outgoing Commissioner Mark Butler. Thompson beat Democratic state Rep. William Boddie by nearly 7 points.

And Raffensperger, who benefited from Democratic crossover voting in the primary, beat Democratic state Rep. Bee Nguyen by about 9 points. Raffensperger was one of Trump’s top targets following the 2020 presidential election and had already survived an intense intraparty challenge earlier in the year.

This story comes to Appen Media through a reporting partnership with Georgia Recorder, a nonprofit newsroom that covers statewide issues.

JILL NOLIN/GEORGIA RECORDER

Georgia Republicans running for state offices had a good night Nov. 8. Most of them campaigned together Monday, but sena torial candidate Herschel Walker has largely campaigned separately.

Longtime House leader will not seek another term as speaker

By JILL NOLIN Georgia Recorder

ATLANTA — The longtime leader of the Georgia House of Representatives an nounced Nov. 4 that he will not seek another term as speaker.

House Speaker David Ralston, who has led the chamber since 2010, said in a statement that he needs to focus on a “health challenge which has arisen recently.”

The Blue Ridge Republican said he plans to finish serving as speaker until January to “ensure a smooth transition for my successor.” A new speaker will be elected on the first day of the new legisla tive session set for Monday, Jan. 9, which means the Legislature will now convene with new leadership in both chambers.

Ralston, who ran unopposed in the Nov. 8 General Election, said he plans to continue to serve as a state representa tive, making him one of 180 lawmakers in the chamber. He was first elected to the seat two decades ago.

“Serving as Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives has been the honor of a lifetime, and I owe a heart felt thank you to my colleagues for the trust and confidence they placed in me thirteen years ago,” Ralston said in a

statement.

“I need to take time to address a health challenge which has arisen re cently, and the House needs a speaker who can devote the necessary time and energy to the office. I love the House and want to see the honorable men and women who serve in it succeed.”

The north Georgia lawmaker has been a moderating influence in the Re publican-controlled Legislature who has preferred tax policies over some of the more extreme hot-button social issues

his Republican colleagues to the right of him have floated.

In a chamber with tightening mar gins, Ralston managed to attract bipar tisan support for his continued leader ship. And news of his decision to step down as speaker was met with respect on both sides of the aisle.

“It is a sad day for Georgia,” said House Minority Leader James Beverly, a Macon Democrat. “My friend, Speaker Ralston, is the only speaker I know. He taught me so much about governing and

working across the aisle. His leadership will be missed in the House Chamber.”

Stacey Abrams, a former House minority leader and the Democratic nominee for governor, said she learned from Ralston’s example.

“As Minority Leader, I worked closely and well with him as speaker,” she tweeted. “Our politics differ, but my respect is deep + absolute. God bless my friend as he faces this new challenge.”

Ralston is one of the most powerful elected officials in Georgia, and when he called a proposal a “non-starter,” that was usually the end of the conversation because the speaker is charged with bringing bills to the floor for debate. He also jealously guarded the House’s in dependence from the Executive Branch and at times, butted heads with Republi can Gov. Brian Kemp.

“The Speaker of the House is not elect ed to be the best friend of the governor,” Ralston said at the close of this year’s leg islative session. “That’s just the way it is. We’re an independent body over here, and I value that, and I try to protect that.”

Kemp and Ralston were allies in more recent times, though. And the gov ernor said in a statement that he in

JILL NOLIN/GEORGIA RECORDER

House Speaker David Ralston celebrates passage of his sweeping mental health bill during the 2022 legislative session. Ralston announced Nov. 4 that he will not seek another term as speaker.

Fuel Coffee expands to Halcyon in Forsyth County

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Finding a coffee shop these days is almost too easy. Turn a corner or throw a stone and you’re bound to find a new pop-up shop or break a window at Starbucks.

But finding a truly local coffee house that makes every customer feel like a regular is something special.

For more than a year, Angela and Dave Thompson of Fuel Coffee in Alpharetta have been serving thousands of customers with that feeling as their main mission.

“We are your community coffee shop,” Dave Thompson said. “We just love being a part of the community. And we want you to have that feeling.”

The Thompsons started Fuel Coffee off North Main Street in Alpharetta in March 2021 and have expanded to open their own coffee roasting operation, and now a brand-new location at Halcyon, which opened just weeks ago.

Dave, a longtime veteran of the corporate restaurant world, and Angela, a former director of procurement, started their business during one of the worst times of the COVID-19 pandemic, when businesses were closing their doors and laying off workers to stay afloat.

As manager responsible for multiple restaurants in the Atlanta area, Dave said the breaking point came when he was forced to lay off nearly 300 people on a single day, closing some restaurants and saving others.

“I was renting refrigerated trucks,

taking them around from one restaurant to another,” he said. “Every single place we went to, coffee shops were thriving in the pandemic, where everyone else was struggling to figure

out how to survive.”

When the couple finally knew it was time for a change in October 2021, the idea of opening a coffee shop together came up and the rest was

history.

But they didn’t want to open just any coffee shop, Angela said, they wanted to open a coffee shop for

“Every single place we went to, coffee shops were thriving in the pandemic, where everyone else was struggling to figure out how to survive.”

DAVE THOMPSON, co-owner, Fuel Coffee

ALEX POPP/APPEN MEDIA

Angela and Dave Thompson, owners of Fuel Coffee in Alpharetta and Cumming, stand outside their location on North Main Street in Alpharetta.

Halcyon:

people like them, people who asked questions and didn’t know everything about coffee. A community coffee shop, where anyone was welcome.

“When we were thinking of doing the coffee thing, we toured 1,000 coffee shops around Atlanta,” Angela said. “One thing that we found was missing is we felt out of place if you walked into certain coffee shops, and you didn’t know exactly what certain orders or drinks were.”

In just a few months from that decision, they opened their first location off North Main Steet in Alpharetta.

Beyond being coffee lovers, Angela and Dave Thompson had no experience in the coffee industry or roasting coffee beans, so they relied on help of other industry professionals and family to learn and become professionals in quick order.

Dave said he and his son-in-law, who now works as the company’s head roaster, worked side by side for months to learn the trade.

“He and I learned kind of shoulder to shoulder, so he’s roasting for us

right now,” he said.

The couple has also put their daughter and sons to work, making the operation a true family business. With the help of their family, they were able to launch the Halcyon location this October in the development’s Market Hall, which is a huge step for their business, Dave said.

With a foothold in Alpharetta and south Forsyth County, Dave said that he can see the coffee shops expanding into areas like Roswell, Johns Creek, Woodstock and Canton. With their roaster churning out beans by the barrelful, they might even try starting a bean subscription plan in certain areas.

“In a previous life, I did run 10 restaurants for a while, and I feel like I could get it to 10,” he said.

But no matter how many locations they start, Dave and Angela said they won’t lose sight of the community feeling that started their business in the first place.

“If we have, two locations, or 222 locations, I always want to make you want to feel that small-town feeling,” Dave Thompson said.

Visit Fuel Coffee in Alpharetta at 800 N Main St, Alpharetta, GA 30009, or at the Forsyth County location 6330 Halcyon Way, Alpharetta, GA 30005. Learn more at www.fuelatl.com.

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ALEX POPP/APPEN MEDIA

A Fuel coffee barista prepares drinks at the business’ new location in Forsyth County’s Halcyon Development on Nov. 3.

Johns Creek honors veterans with Newtown Park service

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The sound of bagpipes greeted more than 100 people who gathered in front of Veterans Memo rial Walk at Newtown Park to honor those who have served in the U.S. military.

Newtown Park houses the country’s second largest privately funded veterans memorial, said Roger Wise, a U.S. Army vet and Johns Creek Veterans Associa tion (JCVA) member. In 2020, the JCVA installed The Wall That Heals, a 250-foot replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Wash

ington D.C.

“Freedom is not free,” Wise said, repeat ing the phrase throughout his time at the podium early Saturday morning, Nov. 12.

Following a presentation of colors by the JCVA Color Guard, Johns Creek Mayor and former U.S. Marine John Bradberry also made remarks.

“Whether a veteran served in a time of war or during a time of peace, we owe them all that debt of gratitude,” Bradberry said.

After Bradberry and Wise carried a memorial wreath up the steps by Daven port Plaza, the Georgia Sensation Chorus closed out with “Georgia On My Mind.”

PHOTOS BY AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA Veterans say the Pledge of Allegiance by the Veterans Memorial Walk in Newtown Park Nov. 12 during an early morning service honoring veterans.

Johns Creek Mayor and U.S. Marine veteran John Bradberry and U.S. Army vet eran Roger Wise, both members of the Johns Creek Veterans Association, carry a memorial wreath up steps.

tended to continue to call on his “friend” for advice and counsel.

“David Ralston has been a steadfast leader for Georgia throughout his time as speaker, and our state is better off thanks to his wisdom and commitment to all Georgians while guiding the House through challenging times,” Kemp said.

Ralston was an effective political leader who campaigned statewide for his caucus and squelched a minor GOP uprising that challenged his leadership a few years ago. But he led with tender ness when the moment called for it and could be poignant in challenging times.

He also used his influence to el evate issues that can often fade into the background. During the 2022 session, Ralston put all his might behind a com prehensive behavioral health measure that passed even after far-right activists tried to sabotage it.

“He has earned a legacy of love and respect from the millions of Georgians and our families who have been impact ed by behavioral health issues, mental health and substance use disorder,” said Jeff Breedlove, chief of communications and policy with the Georgia Council on

Substance Abuse. “He is a forever cham pion, and that is going to be his legacy – is a forever champion. He has actually saved lives.”

In 2018, Ralston used his influence to push through major changes to the state’s adoption system, and under his leadership, bipartisan-led pushes like the overhaul of the citizen’s arrest law cited initially in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery and a long-stalled hate crimes law were passed.

In an advisory announcing his plan to step down as speaker, Ralston also touted the passage of a long-term tax plan to fund Georgia’s roads and bridges in 2015, a proposal to gradually lower the state income tax rate in 2022, and a paid parental leave policy for state employees and teachers that passed in 2021.

But Ralston also presided over some of the more controversial votes in recent years, including the six-week abortion ban that passed in 2019 and took effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. He also allowed a last-min ute change this year that enabled the Georgia High School Association to ban transgender athletes in girls sports after a similar proposal had appeared to stall in the House.

This story comes to Appen Media through a reporting partnership with Georgia Recorder, a nonprofit newsroom that covers statewide issues.

The holidays are just around the corner!

We invite you to join us for a morning of holiday cheer at our

2nd Annual Jingle Jog & newly-added Nutcracker Brunch

on Sunday, December 4th benefiting The Summit.

Kicking off with a family-friendly, interactive stroll down the Boulevard at Avalon, the Jingle Jog will begin at 8:00 AM. Starting and stopping at the Hotel at Avalon, enjoy holiday-themed fitness stations, face painting, kids’ obstacles, and special appearances from our favorite holiday characters along your stroll. Afterward, the Nutcracker Brunch will be held at the Hotel at Avalon at 10:00 AM, where families can enjoy a brunch buffet, a mini Nutcracker performance by the Atlanta Dance Theatre, and interactive holiday activities!

Tickets can be sold separately or be purchased to attend both the Jingle Jog and Nutcracker Brunch at tinyurl.com/avalonjingle.

The funds raised from both of these events will benefit The Summit Counseling Center to further our mission - providing professional counseling, psychological services, school-based mental health, and community education services utilizing an integrated approach to care for individuals and families – Body, Mind, Spirit, and Relationships. Learn more about Summit at summitcounseling.org

For more information contact Rachel Newcomer,Director of Development, via email at rnewcomer@summitcounseling.org or by phone at (770) 605-4504.

Thank You!

Our local news is free to read but not to produce. Johns Creek Herald relies on advertisers to keep the lights on, pay our reporters and publish your news. That’s why we want to say thank you to all the advertisers, large and small, who have stuck by us through thick and thin. Consider giving them your business, just as they have done with us.

Buy local, eat local, read local.

David Cox: Writing tomorrow’s history today

BOB MEYERS Columnist bobmey@bellsouth.net

We are used to thinking of history as past events, accomplishments of individuals who have gone to their heavenly rewards, structures of unique styles or places where important events occurred.

But what about tomorrow’s history? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could see it today?

Well, we can because tomorrow’s history is being written as we speak. We just need to look for it. Today we will look at two beautiful barns and the man who built them in North Fulton County that are sure to be viewed as historic by future generations.

The Scottsdale Farms main building in the Birmingham community and the barn until recently called the Yellow House Barn, now the 7th Hand Barn, in Alpharetta were built by David Cox, a talented builder who retired about a year ago following a career of 51 years. He erected an estimated 100 barns, a similar number of houses and

The landmark Scottsdale Farms garden center is a timber framed structure built of eastern white pine

tenon joints to create an exceptionally strong building. Evidence of mortise and tenon dates back 7000 years. The

about 60 feet high to the top of the cupola.

innumerable renovations during his career, all within a 50-mile radius in North Fulton and Cherokee County. Both barns are very large structures

built for different purposes. Scottsdale Farms was made to be a retail garden and home decor center with a sales floor and a café and bistro housed in a

towering central hall of exposed beams. Thanks to the commitment of owner

BOB MEYERS/APPEN MEDIA

using mortise and

barn is

Meyers:

Luca Gianturco, Scottsdale Farms is a timber framed building with mortise and tenon joinery (more about that later), while 7th Hand Barn was built as an equine facility. With a luxurious upstairs living area, it was a precursor to today’s popular special event or party barns.

When David Cox was 10 or 12, he worked with his grandfather Troy Cox, a carpenter and farmer where the Blue Valley development in Cherokee County is today. David also worked with George Garner “my other grandpa” who was a part-time carpenter and farmer on Taylor Road in Milton.

As a teenager in the 1960s and ’70s David broadened his carpentry skills working summers for “Doc” Allen Myers, a homebuilder who moved to Alpharetta from Florida in 1962. He built many of the houses on Dania Drive in Alpharetta, among others in North Fulton County, and according to his daughter Sharon Myers Mauldin, he was the first builder of subdivisions in Alpharetta.

Doc was a small, quiet man who liked to laugh, says David.

“He was very talented, good as gold. Most of his tools were ancient. When I met him, he was building whatever people wanted, a house, outhouse or

shed. As he got older, he did trim work.”

He eventually started working for David.

Timber framing is a method of creating structures using very heavy

timbers joined together with mortise and tenon joints where the end of one piece of wood, the tenon, is inserted into a hole, the mortise, cut in the other piece, usually at a right angle. Once the pieces are connected, a hole is drilled through the two parts and a peg is driven through the hole to firmly and permanently join the pieces of wood. No nails or bolts are used. A diagonal brace is often added where horizontal and vertical beams meet for additional stability.

David Cox was one of the first to build a mortise and tenon barn in Georgia. Because of the complexities involved, Luca hired Jerry Hopkins, a local structural engineer, to assure conformity of the building’s systems to Fulton County codes.

Luca says: “I am a fanatic about history. I wanted Scottsdale Farms to be a unique tribute to the artisan builders who paved the way centuries ago.”

About a year ago, local businessman Mac Plummer and his wife Megan purchased the Yellow House Barn, a premier equestrian facility which they recently renamed 7th Hand Farm, a Biblical reference to the Hand of God. The barn is notched post and beam construction, a method that creates strong joints between vertical posts and cross beams. A post is notched at its end or wherever a beam joins it. The beam rests in the notch and is bolted to the post. The method is less complicated to build than mortise and tenon, but very strong nonetheless.

The elegant barn has 38 12x12-foot stalls in two wings, 8 wash racks and an attached giant indoor riding arena. Mac

and Megan are updating and making improvements in the barn and in several other buildings on the 30-acre property including a historic 19th century house. The barn incorporates many special features including beautiful interior stone archways separating the two wings and a double fence line surrounding the property so riders can safely navigate their horses around periphery.

It is a busy place owned and managed by a committed couple. It will be interesting to see what innovations they have in store for the operation.

Bob is director emeritus of the Milton Historical Society and a Member of the City of Alpharetta Historic Preserva tion Commission. You can email him at bobmey@bellsouth.net.You can email Bob at bobmey@bellsouth.net. To learn more about the Milton Historical Society, go to miltonhistoricalsociety-georgia.org.Com mission. He lives in Alpharetta.

BOB MEYERS/APPEN MEDIA

The Scottsdale Farms barn is built in the manner of European barns of the middle ages and is a rarity in Georgia. Eastern white pine was the wood of choice for the project because it is softer and lighter than hard woods and warps less. Suitable specimens of the wood were found in Maine, milled and shipped by truck to Georgia. Some of the vertical posts are 40 feet long by 14 inches square.

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Alpharetta

MEMBER

Al Merrill

Electricity arrives north of Atlanta

Spalding Drive known as Kenstone, Ken for Kennesaw Mountain and Stone for Stone Mountain. She remembers that her family used kerosene lamps before elec tricity was available, also in 1941.

Richard Adams grew up along what is now Dunwoody Club Drive in the 1930s in a home without electricity or running water. Their home was on the county line between DeKalb and Milton (now Fulton).

BIGGERSTAFF

Electricity first came to Atlanta in 1884 through the Georgia Electric Light Company. The first use of electric power was for street lighting and street railways. Morgan Falls Dam on the Chat tahoochee River was built in 1904 to supply hydroelectric power. That hydroelectric power was for Atlanta. It would be over three decades before electric ity came to the area around Morgan Falls.

S. Morgan Smith, inventor of the S wa ter turbine found the site along the Chat tahoochee River in 1897. He started the Atlanta Water and Electric Power Com pany and prepared to develop the site.

During these same years, the Georgia Railway and Electric Company was hav ing difficulty meeting the power demands of the growing city of Atlanta, so Smith contracted to provide power from Morgan Falls. (georgiaencyclopedia.org)

People from Dunwoody and Sandy Springs who have shared history with me remember 1941 as the year that electricity was available. Fred Donaldson, who was born at what is now Donaldson-Bannister Farm, later moved down the road to a smaller home with his parents. The road was known as Donaldson Road, rather than Vermack Road. He recalled electricity in the home in 1941.

Carlton Renfroe and Jeff Porter, who both lived along Tilly Mill Road, also remembered electricity becoming avail able in 1941. L. C. Orr, who lived in a farmhouse between 1943 and 1948 where Peachtree Middle School is today, said his family never had electricity at their home.

Over in the Sandy Springs corridor, Kathryne Geffcken lived in a home on

According to the Fulton County School Archives, a request was made in 1925 for electricity at Hammond School in Sandy Springs. The Board of Education agreed to wire the school for electric lights if the community agreed to “carry the power lines and pay the light bill in the future.” The record does not reflect what year the school had the benefit of electricity.

When Margaret and Z. W. Jones bought a home in Brookhaven Heights in 1922, they decided to start a school for their own children and other children in the neighborhood. They also had to work through the years to get electricity, gas, city water, and roads.

Wright Dairy was located along Briar wood Road, between today’s North Druid Hills Road and Buford Highway. In the 1930s, Paul Wright recalled getting up at 4:00 a.m. to wash and milk the cows. The bottles of milk were placed in a sterilizer, heated by a wood boiler. The family did not have electricity.

As winter approaches, we might get a short sample of that life with a power outage, but it is no comparison. I can still make coffee with my gas stove and read a book by candle or flashlight. It’s an op portunity to literally unplug.

Award-winning author Valerie Bigger staff is a longtime columnist for Appen Me dia. She lives in Sandy Springs. You can email Valerie at pasttensega@gmail.com or visit her website at pasttensega.com

VALERIE

CITY OF JOHNS CREEK PUBLIC INPUT MEETING

November 17, 2022 6pm

The City of Johns Creek Public Works Department will hold a Public Input Session regarding the following project:

Sargent Road at Ashwick Place Intersection Improvement (TSPLOST II PROJECT)

This project aims to address the high speeds and high risk of vehicle collision at the intersection of Sargent Road at Ashwick Place. This public meeting will be held on Thursday, November 17, 2022 at City Hall located at 11360 Lakefield Drive, Johns Creek, GA 30097 at 6:00 p.m. Please contact City Hall at 678-512-3308 should you have any questions.

Allison Tarpley, City Clerk

CITY OF JOHNS CREEK PUBLIC NOTICE

PURPOSE

An Alcoholic Beverage License Application was submitted to the City on November 7, 2022 for consumption of Malt Beverage.

BUSINESS NAME

ASC Food Enterprises LLC

Dba Joy Pizza & Joy Chicken 10820 Abbotts Bridge Rd Suite 350 Johns Creek, GA 30095

OWNER/OFFICERS

ASC Food Enterprises LLC

Dba Joy Pizza & Joy Chicken 10820 Abbotts Bridge Rd Suite 350 Johns Creek, GA 30095

Owner, Anthony Cuccia Jr

POOL TECHNICIANS

WANTED

Full-time

Part-time

Landis+Gyr Technology, Inc. Solutions Implementation Manager Alpharetta, GA

Part-time & Full-time positions available. Pay is $12-$14 per hour. Hours starting at 6:30AM, Monday-Friday. Pick-up truck not required but must have your own reliable transportation. Gas allowance provided. Looking for people who enjoy working outside and are enthusiastic, dependable & punctual. Able to contribute independently or on a crew with consistently friendly attitude.

Well-established commercial pool maintenance company providing service in the North Atlanta Metro area.

Call Bill: 404-245-9396

FRONT OFFICE RECEPTIONISTS AND MEDICAL ASSISTANTS

for busy Dermatology Practice; Cumming, Roswell and Alpharetta locations. Email resume to wmark@atlcenterforderm.com or Fax 770-751-7410.

Supportive Service Coordinator:

The Supportive Service Coordinator (“SSC”) will be responsible for managing the social/supportive services for a portfolio of properties, under the supervision of the Company Asset Manager. This position will serve as a liaison between the Asset Manager and the property management company. This individual will primarily be responsible for managing compliance and reporting for supportive services and, secondarily, procuring grant funding to supplement the property service budget, and identifying local service providers to augment property offerings.

Full time hours. Requires a Bachelor’s degree in social work or education and a minimum of 5 years’ experience.

For a full job description and to submit a resume, please reach out to:

Samit Patel, spatel@rhgroup.org

Resource Housing Group, Inc.

Responsibilities: Create relevant Distribution Automation use case scenarios & appropriate solutions to demonstrate how the GridStream system operates & supports improvements to the customer-facing test suite. Lead creation of standard operating procedures & solutions for technical elements of the system that are effective and repeatable. Ability to travel domestically to unanticipated client sites up to 50%.

Requirements: Master’s degree in IT, Info Systems or related field* & 3 years in job offered or 3 years hardware & software solutions. (*Employer will accept Bachelor’s degree & 5 yrs exp in job offered or 5 yrs exp hardware & software solutions.) Exp must include 3 years of the following: process definition & design to meet business objectives; managing cross-functional project teams; .NET framework & Web Services; one or any combination of Oracle 10g, SQL*Plus, PL or SQL. 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

ASSISTANT TEACHERS

Reliable, confident, dedicated; support the Lead Instructor in providing an excellent learning environment for young children.

• Flexible Hours

• Competitive salary

• Safe, clean, CDC-recommended environment

• Opportunities for tuition reimbursement for family members

Johns Creek Montessori School JCMSOG.org 770-814-8001 • Info@jcmsog.org

ASSIST PARTIALLY DISABLED EXECUTIVE

Onsite at his place of employment. Perfect for retired nurse. Helping with meal prep, drive to doctors appointments, some shopping. Salary negotiable. English speaking non-smoker. Charlotte 678-208-0774

Building/Facilities Assistant Manager

Seeking part-time Building/Facilities Assistant Manager for Alpharetta Presbyterian Church from about 12-4 Monday – Friday. Candidate needs basic knowledge/competency in building maintenance and grounds keeping as well as strong interpersonal skills. Computer skills are desired.

Requires successful completion of a criminal record and child abuse background check, a valid driver’s license and the ability to perform physical tasks. Full job description can be seen at https://alpharettapres. com/about-us/jobs/.

Qualified candidates please send resume to office@alpharettapres.com

Retaining walls (brick or wood), grading, sod, tree services, hauling, topsoil & more.

Ralph Rucker 678-898-7237

Walls

Brick or Wood

Contact Ralph Rucker. Many local references. Honest, punctual, professional and reasonable prices! 678-898-7237

Roofing

ROOF LEAKING?

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

Christian Brothers Roofing

Flooring

PHILLIPS FLOORING

Handyman

Handyman Services

Roofing, siding, chimney repair, gutter cleaning, painting, drywall repair, plumbing, power washing, laminated flooring. 30 yrs. experience. 470-841-2799