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Gladiator boys hold up against Chattahoochee

By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga — The Johns Creek boys lacrosse team improved to 3-10 on the season April 16 with a 17-8 win over Chattahoochee High. Chattahoochee has faced extensive injuries this season. With only three subs on the sideline the game was sure to be an uphill battle.

Cougars senior Luke Priester, who also plays quarterback in football, filled in several gaps in the team’s play. Throughout the duration of the game, the Lenoir-Rhyne commit could be found behind both restraining lines on attack or defense and also took three faceoffs with a 66 percent win rate.

When Priester didn’t have a longpole in his hands, the Cougars offense was flowing through him. He assisted on four goals to go along with the one he scored.

The Cougars struggled at the faceoff with their starter going 25 percent, due to a comeback from injury on the Gladiators.

Johns Creek head coach Chikcizo (CJ) Mucker Jr. complimented sophomore Will Dell’Orto, who in his first game back from a wrist injury, went 15 for 22 at the dot.

Chattahoochee’s Joseph Keever, left, drives against Johns Creek defender David Scruggs at Chattahoochee High School April 16. Scruggs and the Gladiators dominated the Cougars 17-8. See LACROSSE, Page 20

Atlanta mayor Dickens optimistic about future of affordable housing ► PAGE 5

Elected officials seek more funding details for city Arts Center

By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A proposed $71 million Performing Arts Center could provide enormous benefits to Johns Creek, but the City Council wants more details on funding before giving the green light.

After reviewing a cost estimate and conceptual site plan April 14, City Councilman Larry DiBiase joined fellow council members asking city staff to return with funding details.

“The facility is an asset. It’s a big uplift to the city of Johns Creek. It will literally … put us on the map,” DiBase said. “But we as a council are obligated to make sure we look at this from a fiduciary perspective and financially make sure we are really diving into the numbers.”

The council reviewed a report by Sugar Hill firm PBK Architects, which worked with city staff to design the project. The firm reviewed studies, council discussions and interviews with community groups.

The conceptual plan calls for an 800seat performance hall, lobby, back-ofhouse stage and multipurpose room at a price tag of $60 million.

An optional space for art classrooms would cost another $11 million.

Cost assessments include construction, design and contingencies and consider building and supplies needed for the facility for the first 10 years of operations.

ANNABELLE REITER/APPEN MEDIA

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Homes, cars vandalized in apparent student ritual

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Police responded to two calls April 13 regarding vandalism as a result of the Chattahoochee High School junior and senior pranks.

Police responded to the first call at 2:30 p.m. on Eastbourne Court. The owner of the home stated that approximately 10 to 12 teens dressed in dark clothing with face coverings showed up to his home.

Within seconds, the teens threw multiple objects at the home and his vehicle. It is also suspected that the teens threw fireworks at the residence, due to the amount of smoke in the area.

The homeowner’s vehicle sustained a cracked rear taillight on the passenger side of the trunk and on the passenger side of the rear bumper. The man’s home was also vandalized with eggs. He estimates the total damage for the car and home at $1,000.

Police have two possible suspects.

Police also responded to a call the same day at a residence on Willow Crescent Way.

The homeowner called police at 9 p.m. after discovering his daughter attempting to clean up a mess of shattered eggs at the house at 3 p.m.

The owner told police his home and his three vehicles were covered in egg yolks. Toilet paper was also thrown across the walls of the house, driveway, front yard and trees.

His daughter explained to police that the prank was a part of an ongoing game between juniors and seniors during the week leading up to prom. She stated that sometime between 3 to 3:30 p.m. she heard eggs being thrown at the property. By the time she went outside, the suspects had fled in a vehicle.

Both homeowners told police they want to press charges.

— Sarah Coyne

Homeowner’s roof ruined after contractor’s work

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A Johns Creek couple called police April 9 in reference to fraud that occurred at their home on Coleherne Court.

The husband told police that at the end of February their home sustained storm damage from trees. He said he filed a claim with his insurance and received the money.

After searching for a contractor, he hired a remodeling company. A female representative gave him documentation and her professional license that had a man’s name on it, with the company’s name.

An agreement and contract were signed, along with a check for $36,000 written to the woman for construction. The man also paid the woman two separate $2,500 transactions through Zelle.

The homeowner stated that the woman’s efforts atop the house ruined the roof. He told police that nothing had been done properly and that several contractors visited the house to confirm the damage.

The man told police that the woman and her male companion are scammers. He stated that he wanted the money back to hire another contractor.

Police were provided with a large packet containing the contract, a demand letter, background checks, copies of the check, copies of the Zelle transaction, a picture of a receipt showing that the woman had cashed the original $36,000 check and a copy of the man’s general contractor for residential license.

The investigation is ongoing.

—

Sarah Coyne

Speeding motorcyclist eludes police pursuit

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A motorcyclist eluded police on Ga. 120 near North Point Parkway April 3.

Officers ordered a speeding red and black motorcycle to stop after it passed them about 6 p.m., according to an Alpharetta police report.

The motorcycle continued west, making a right turn onto North Point Parkway.

Police soon lost sight of the motorcycle.

Officers reviewed recordings from traffic cameras but failed to identify the motorcycle’s license plate. The bike was last seen on the recording eastbound on Webb Bridge Road past Alpharetta High School.

The driver was wearing a green sweatshirt and matte-black helmet.

The incident was classified as a fleeing or attempting to elude.

Jon Wilcox

Roswell aids Sandy Springs to help wrangle speeder

ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police deployed a tire-deflation device on an Audi S4 at East Crossville and Mansell roads April 4 after Sandy Springs Police notified them of a felony pursuit.

Officers said dispatch notified them that Sandy Springs Police were pursuing a vehicle into the city for traffic offenses, including felony fleeing and eluding around 2:25 a.m.

Roswell officers said no one from the department was involved in the pursuit, but the vehicle was observed ignoring traffic control devices, failing to maintain lanes and speeding, all while placing the public in danger.

Roswell officers positioned themselves at East Crossville and Mansell roads, anticipating the pursuit would head their way and laying down a tire-deflation device.

When the vehicle sped through the intersection, the vehicle’s front right tire hit the “stop sticks” and continued south on Ga. 9.

Eventually, the suspect ditched the vehicle at the Norcross Street intersection.

Officers said a search of the area with K9 units from Alpharetta and Woodstock were unsuccessful.

The suspect is believed to be a 35-yearold Atlanta man, the registered owner of the vehicle, who has allegedly fled from Sandy Springs Police on other occasions.

Because the windows are tinted, officers said they were unable to identify the driver.

Sandy Springs Police towed the vehicle and took over the case.

— Hayden Sumlin

ASK APPEN

Volunteers sought to join in Johns Creek cleanup

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The Autrey Mill Nature Preserve invites residents to join them in a creek cleanup April 26.

From 9 a.m. to noon, the cleanup will focus on a section of Johns Creek along the western border of the Medlock Bridge subdivision, according to the preserve. Participants should consider bringing a pair of water shoes, hat, reusable water bottle, sunscreen and bug repellant.

Water, first aid supplies, trash bags, litter grabbers and gloves will be provided.

After an introduction and overview on the importance of keeping the watershed

clean, participants will team up and walk about half a mile to the creek’s northern end to clean.

Collected debris and litter will be sorted, bagged and weighed at the Groomsbridge parking lot for the city to dispose of.

Those who wish to help but would prefer to stay dry can pull invasive privet plants, carry full trash bags and provide replacement bags.

Participating Johns Creek residents can use a 10 percent stormwater credit to apply toward the fee next year.

— Jon Wilcox

The Autrey Mill Nature Preserve plans to host a creek cleanup April 26 in Johns Creek.

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Possible federal grant cuts sparks county to refine focus

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

ATLANTA — Fulton County anticipates it will receive nearly $92.8 million in federal grants this year to help fund the salaries of 70 employees across several departments.

The county is set to receive around $71 million directly from the federal government this year and $21.3 million indirectly through other agencies.

Chief Financial Officer Sharon Whitmore told county commissioners April 16 that she wanted to share the county’s exposure to federal funding cuts and their impacts on staffing and grants.

Whitmore said one of the things her department is doing to mitigate the impact of potential federal funding cuts is to track grant reimbursements monthly. Past policy was to request grant reimbursements quarterly.

In March, the county received $3.17 million for the Ryan White Program to fight HIV, just over $77,000 for community development and $484,000 in state passthrough grants that originate in Washington. So far, the county’s budget has not been hit by federal funding cuts, but it has significant exposure, officials say.

The most significant grants this year are $36.8 million for the Ryan White Program, which covers 19 employees; $11.5 million for the District Attorney’s Office, which pays for 17 employees; and $12.4 million for the Behavioral Health Network and its five staff members.

“Overall, our exposure is that $92.8 million, if we were to assume that the county would try to step in and continue to provide whatever programs and resources that are being provided to county residents through these current federally funded grant programs,” Whitmore said.

Last year, the county spent around $867 million for its day-to-day operations.

County External Affairs Director Jessica Corbitt is coordinating with federal lobbyists to monitor the status of any changes to federal grants.

Impact of losing federal aid

County Commission Chair Robb Pitts confirmed with Whitmore that without federal assistance, the county’s property tax rate would increase “about a mill and a half or so.”

The Board of Commissioners set the 2024 tax rate on property at 8.87 mills, the same as the prior year. The addition of 1.5 mills would represent about a $350 higher tax bill for a home with a fair market value of $600,000.

Commissioner Bob Ellis said he wants to know which grants are more at risk than others.

“This is a great thing for you to have captured,” Ellis told Whitmore. “I think it’s great we’ve started inventory, and we’ve got a process in place where we’re doing the monthly reimbursements.”

County Manager Dick Anderson said he wanted to address overall financials.

“We have not taken any extraordinary actions, in terms of cost reductions or constraints,” Anderson said. “Our thought right now, absent different direction from the board, is to move toward a mid-year review and closer to June than August.”

After talking with DeKalb County Chief Operating Officer Zach Williams, Anderson said Fulton’s neighbor to the east is more reliant on federal grants and has taken basic steps, although he provided no specifics.

See FULTON, Page 23

GARAGE SALES

See more garage sales in the classifieds

JOHNS CREEK, DoubleGate Subdivision Community Sale (enter into Twingate Dr). Saturday 4/26 8am-2pm

JOHNS CREEK, Bargains! Multi-Family in Lexington Woods Neighborhood, Sargent Road, April 26 from 8am-3pm.

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Owner John Hogan & Designer Bobbie Kohm

Atlanta Housing hosts inaugural State of Atlanta Housing

By SARAH COYNE sarah@appenmedia.com

ATLANTA — Atlanta city officials and housing advocates met at the first-ever State of Atlanta Housing on April 15.

Mayor Andre Dickens and Atlanta Housing CEO Terri Lee say they’re optimistic about the future of affordable housing in the city.

As one of the largest housing authorities in the nation, the agency provides affordable housing resources for low-income residents in the city.

“We are working very hard to make sure that people transitioning out of homelessness have safe, dignified homes to build their lives in,” Lee said.

In 2024, approximately 2,867 individuals were experiencing homelessness in the city, a 7 percent increase from the previous year.

As part of a 2022 strategic plan, the authority is working to create or preserve 10,000 affordable units by 2027. This month, the authority has reached 67 percent of its commitment. In efforts with Dickens, the authority hopes to reach 20,000 units by 2030.

“This has never been just about hitting targets,” Dickens said. “It has always been about people, families in Atlanta just trying

to gain their foot trying to find their place in the promise of the American dream.”

Right now, the Atlanta Housing Authority provides help to some 27,000 low-income households – 45,000 individuals.

The mayor also addressed the potential impacts that cuts to federal funding could have on the projects.

“The economy shifts, market moves, prices go up, tariffs affect the cost of goods, but our focus cannot change,” Dickens said.

Housing Authority CEO Lee called for more support from the private sector.

Approximately 98 percent of the Housing Authority’s funding comes from federal sources.

“By the end of this year, we would have committed more than $270 million from our precious federal funding,” Lee said.

Lee said that a few months ago, the agency received a memo about potential funding cutbacks. The memo was later rescinded.

“It exposed a vulnerability, but it also showed us an opportunity,” Lee said. “Now more than ever, we need strategic, committed, local and national partnerships ready

to lock arms with us and invest in Atlanta's future.”

The CEO said the Housing Authority needs the private sector to invest in historically left-behind communities to help develop additional affordable housing units.

“Every person in this room has a role, a responsibility and unique power to shape the future of affordable housing,” Lee said.

During the address, Lee also highlighted the work they had done in the past year and what they are doing now to assist low-income residents.

“In 2024, we closed 12 real estate transactions more than the previous three years combined,” Lee said. “Our investments last year supported the delivery of more than 3,200 affordable housing units.”

Atlanta Housing is moving forward with 21 projects either in the construction or lease-up phases. In the next quarter, the authority expects to close financing for six projects, which will lead to more than 600 units of affordable housing with a $180 million investment from Atlanta Housing.

The projects include renovating the Atlanta Civic Center property into a mixeduse neighborhood, as well as new developments in Mechanicsville, Vine City and the city’s Westside.

The Civic Center will feature rental housing, senior housing, a hotel, office

space and retail space, which hopes to breathe new life to Downtown, Midtown and the Old Fourth Ward. Parts of the project are expected to be finished by summer 2026.

As of mid-April, the Housing Authority has begun activating over 248 acres of formerly vacant public housing sites. The sites include the full-scale redevelopment of Bowen Homes in the Carey Park neighborhood. The full redevelopment will bring 2,000 homes across a mixed-income, mixed-use community.

Atlanta Housing is in the second phase of Englewood South in southeast Atlanta. The development will feature 200 units in a multi-family development. Alongside 22,000 square feet of retail space, the site will feature 100 Atlanta Housing-assisted units.

In fiscal year 2026, the authority plans to emphasize expanding resident services through financial education and coaching, providing aging-in-place for seniors and expanding youth programs with educational institutions for the more than 17,000 children in Atlanta Housing communities.

Officials stressed that the fight for affordable housing in Atlanta remains a group project.

“We want your home to help to prepare you for the future,” Dickens said.

DICKENS

FIFA President Gianni Infantino celebrates World Cup in Atlanta

By SARAH COYNE sarah@appenmedia.com

ATLANTA — FIFA President Gianni Infantino joined Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens to celebrate the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on April 14, ahead of its summer kickoff.

The first of its kind, the tournament will feature 32 clubs from across the globe, taking place between June 14 and July 14.

“We can say Atlanta unites the world this year and unites the world as well next year,” Infantino said.

Atlanta will be one of 12 venues across the United States, with the final match at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Six matches will be played in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium between June16 and July 5.

Dickens said Atlanta is one of the few cities to have this opportunity.

“We've been growing and growing as a soccer town as you've seen throughout the history of Atlanta,” Dickens said.

During the tournament, eight groups of four teams will compete in a single-game roundrobin format. The top two teams from each group will advance to the round of 16. A direct single knockout stage will take place for the remaining games.

“We will finally know, after almost 100 years, which club team is the best in the world,” Infantino said.

Atlanta will also be one of 16 cities across three countries to host the FIFA World Cup 26. Eight matches, including one semifinal, will be played in the MercedesBenz Stadium from June 15 to July 15, 2026.

“You're going to have the best countries from around the world who are passionate about the game of soccer, come to this great state, come to this great city, to enjoy their game unlike any other opportunity they've ever had, and in 2025 the best clubs will get the opportunity to do so,” AMB Sports and Entertainment President Tim Zulawski said.

To buy tickets, visit fifa.com/ en/tickets

LEADING GENERATION Z

DR. TIM ELMORE FOUNDER AND CEO OF GROWING LEADERS

Tuesday, April 29 , 2025 th 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Johns Creek Chamber

SARAH COYNE/APPEN MEDIA

From left, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens discuss the design of the official FIFA Club World Cup 2025 match ball at an April 14 press conference at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Plant lovers share kinship at Wills Park Garden Faire

By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — By the time the gates opened at 9 a.m. sharp April 12, more than 120 green thumbs had lined up at The Grove at Wills Park for first dibs at the annual Garden Faire.

Having arrived almost an hour earlier, Roswell couple Julie Burroughs and Michael Joseph stood at the head of the line. Expecting stiff competition from fellow botany buffs, they were strategizing a game plan to maximize their haul in a minimum amount of time.

“We have a system,” Burroughs said. “We’ve been doing this for years and years and years.”

Burroughs and Joseph were the first of thousands to visit the expo at The Grove behind the Alpharetta Community Center, 175 Roswell St. in Alpharetta.

Sponsored by the North Fulton Master Gardeners, the 24th annual event offered hundreds of flowers, vegetables, herbs and other plants.

Funds went to the Master Gardeners’ community education and growing efforts.

For residents serious about gardening, the sale marks one of the best opportunities to find growing things, particularly ones adapted to growing in the area, Burroughs said.

“This is the best day of the year,” she said. “I love native plants, and this is the best sale in Georgia.”

Rows of potted plants lay waiting on tables throughout the lush lawn. Customers thoughtfully perused the offerings with dogs and wagons in tow as Master Gardeners stood by eager to offer advice.

A perfect selection

Master Gardeners cultivated many of the plants on sale. Their leaves, free of

well worth it.

“You'll cut those and put them in a vase, and when you walk in your house, it’s ‘Oh, my God,’” she said.

Across the lawn, Marietta resident Ariel Roberts was pushing her cart of finds when she was stopped by Master Gardener Jeanette England.

One of her plants, a succulent with hanging, jagged leaves, was hiding a secret, England said.

“Look up orchid cactus,” England said, showing a photo on her phone of an enormous blossom with long, feather-like fuchsia petals.

O’Neill was delighted.

“I literally love it,” she said. “I’m so excited.”

maple saplings from Jim Sidon, a nearby vendor.

The friends, who live down the street from one another, bonded over their shared love for gardens.

Nordby hoped to plant the tree in her yard where she is planning a Japanese garden.

Parris, a self-described “plant fool,” said she became “addicted” to gardening while working in her grandfather’s garden when she was young.

“I just followed him around, and I learned to love it all,” she said.

After putting in the work, there’s something wonderful about relaxing with plants, she said.

blemishes, glowed with vitality in the warm spring sunshine.

Standing amid rows of fragrant roses for sale, Chris Callahan and his wife Kathy Watson were considering whether to take one home.

Volunteer Susan O’Neill said the nonprofit had raised the flowers since January in a greenhouse to ensure their perfection.

“If you go in the greenhouse, especially on a hot afternoon, the aroma is just out of this world,” O’Neill said.

Callahan said roses hold a special place in his heart. When his mother was bedridden with an illness, his father planted a rose garden outside her window.

“It really lifted her spirits,” Callahan said. “And that was just Dad. He wanted to make it as sweet and comfortable as he could for her.”

Watson said she was raised around roses on a farm where her mother, a “reluctant gardener,” planted them everywhere. While Watson said she has yet to get over the work they can require, she is nevertheless drawn to the flowers.

O’Neill advised the couple the work is

‘Nature nerds’ and ‘plant fools’

O’Neill, whose home is filled with aquascaping aquariums and more than 60 plants, said she loves attending plant sales in part because of people like England. The sales are the perfect place to get advice, learn something new and make friends with fellow “nature nerds,” she said.

“Every year I come here, I meet someone like that, and it's awesome,” she said.

Acworth neighbors Carol Parris and Katherine Nordby, were sharing a similar moment while buying a pair of Japanese

“I sit in an easy chair, and I look at a window, and I watch the breeze blow and the flowers bloom,” Parris said. “It makes my heart sing. It thrills my soul.”

Sidon, who is raising thousands of seedlings at his home, said he understands Parris’ obsession.

Although Sidon’s primary source of income is a landscaping company, he spends his free time grafting, cultivating and collecting hundreds of varieties of trees. He said he finds it fascinating that the trees have ancestors that once came from East Asia.

“It’s kind of a hobby gone berserk,” he said.

JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA

Visitors browse a wide selection of plants laid out on tables at the 24th Garden Faire at The Grove in Alpharetta’s Wills Park April 12.

Doraville-based banks sign merger agreement

DORAVILLE, Ga. — The holding company for Metro City Bank announced the acquisition of First IC Bank and its parent company March 17 with the signing of a definitive merger agreement.

The merger, expected close in the fourth quarter of 2025, brings together two Doraville-based banks and former competitors.

Metro City Bank operates 20 banking offices across seven states, including Alabama, Georgia, New York and Texas, finishing last year with $3.6 billion in assets. Its holding company, MetroCity Bankshares Inc., is publicly traded on the Nasdaq stock exchange.

First IC Bank maintains 10 banking locations and two loan production offices across six states, including California, Georgia, Texas and Washington, with $1.2 billion in assets at the end of last year. Its holding company, First IC Corporation, is also publicly traded. Under the terms of the agreement, First IC shareholders will receive more than 3.38 million shares of MetroCity common stock and just under $112 million in cash, subject to adjustment.

Based on price of the stock at the time of the deal, MetroCity is paying $22.17 for each share of First IC, bringing the cost of the deal to around $206 million.

First IC Corporation Chairman Chong Chun said the bank is thrilled to announce the merger with MetroCity.

“I am proud of our strong team, the bank and legacy we have built together, and the positive impact we’ve made in our communities,” Chun said. “By combining with MetroCity, we ensure our shared values to create a better bank, offering enhanced services and opportunities for our employees, customers, key partnerships and the communities we serve will be our legacy.”

The deal isn’t fully locked in yet. The announcement says it is “subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals and approval by the shareholders of First IC.”

The combined company is expected to have around $4.8 billion in assets, $3.7 billion in deposits and $4.1 billion in loans.

In a pitch to prospective investors, the announcement says the merger will temporarily lower MetroCity’s “real” value per share, but thanks to the extra profits it brings, they expect to recover that loss in about two and half years.

MetroCity also expects its profit per share to jump by around 25 percent in the first year after the merger because combining companies will drive down costs.

Chairman and CEO Nack Peck said his team has long competed with and admired the First IC franchise and are excited about combining the two organizations.

“The combined bank will have the capacity to service our customers better, offer enhanced opportunities for our employees and continue offering excellent returns to our shareholders,” Peck said.

— Hayden Sumlin

HELP IS HERE

If you live in Georgia, you can still get help with recovery from Helene or Debby through housing assistance, loans, resources and more. Stay in touch and check your application for updates.

Ways FEMA Can Help

Housing: FEMA may call for more information from an unfamiliar number. Be sure to answer, as FEMA may be able to help with immediate housing, additional support and information on housing opportunities.

Home Inspection: Inspectors will make an appointment before they visit and will show your application number and their photo ID.

SBA Centers: FEMA staff is available to assist at Small Business Administration centers in Coffee, Jeff Davis, Lowndes, Richmond, Screven, Telfair and Toombs counties.

Center for Rural Entrepreneurship:

208 E. 1st St., Vidalia, GA 30474

Jeff Davis Rec Dept: 83 Buford Rd., Hazlehurst, GA 31539

McDuffie Woods CC: 3431 Old McDuffie Rd., Augusta, GA 30906

Satilla Library:

200 S. Madison Ave., Douglas, GA 31533

Screven County Library:

106 South Community Dr., Sylvania, GA 30467

Screven County Library: 106 South Community Dr., Sylvania, GA 30467

Telfair CSC: 91 Telfair Ave., #D, McRae-Helena, GA 31055

VSU Foundation: 901 N. Patterson St., Valdosta, GA 31601

Keep Your Recovery On Track

Read your FEMA letter carefully. If you’ve applied for FEMA disaster assistance and were not approved, you may need to send additional documentation.

Scan the QR code or go to fema.gov/HelpIsHere and select “check your status” to upload documents, track your application, update contact information, get directions or get help.

fema.gov/HelpIsHere

Stay in Touch

ONLINE: fema.gov/HelpIsHere

DOWNLOAD: The FEMA App

DOWNLOAD: The FEMA App CALL: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362)

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Seniors swing at Alpharetta Rotary’s Golden Gala

By SARAH COYNE sarah@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The Alpharetta Rotary Club invited the golden residents of the community for dancing and music at the first annual Golden Gala.

From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. April 11, seniors and caretakers danced the afternoon away at the American Legion Post 201.

More than 200 seniors dressed in their best party attire to take part. Laughs and smiles brightened the room as attendees danced and sang to classic songs.

“They were anxious to get this party going,” Golden Gala Chair Sue McCormick said.

McCormick created the gala to help senior citizens socialize with others.

While all seniors were invited, McCormick’s main goal was to help get residents out of the house.

“I see a lot of people in their homes, socially isolated, depressed, sitting in front of the TV, doing nothing, not having anything to look forward to,” McCormick said.

As a Rotary member, she began to realize that the organization needed to do more for seniors living in the community.

Through her work with her company, Synergy HomeCare, McCormick has seen many seniors who live at home develop depression and loneliness. She said she hopes the Golden Gala carries on for years.

“We decided to try this and get it out there and see if there was a need, and it’s just amazing,” McCormick said.

The free party featured live performances, raffles, line dancing, food and drinks. Those in attendance were also able to take pictures with a 1941 Classic Convertible.

Gail Lafleche worked with McCormick to create the event, with her main job coordinating the line dancing lessons.

Her favorite part of the gala was

seeing members of the community who may not have opportunities to mingle regularly get out and celebrate with others.

“It’s community, because people get a chance to get out and socialize and enjoy an afternoon,” Lafleche said.

For more than 40 years, the Alpharetta Rotary Club has worked to foster the community and improve the quality of life. The club is a volunteer service organization with around 150 members who represent a broad area of businesses and professional activities in the community.

To learn more visit www. alpharettarotary.com.

SARAH COYNE/APPEN MEDIA

Partiers at the Golden Gala dance at the American Legion Post 201 in Alpharetta April 11.

A couple slow dances at the April 11 Golden Gala at the American Legion Post 201 in Alpharetta.

Ranch offers unique care to assist special campers

By SARAH COYNE sarah@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — Every morning, Nehemiah Lamb unlocks the doors at Waller Park Recreation Center to begin the day at his non-profit’s spring break camp, but this camp is no ordinary one, it is unique.

Lamb founded the Unique Individuals Ranch, a program dedicated to children and young adults with neurodivergence or developmental disabilities including, Autism, ADD, ADHD, Behavioral Disorder and Down syndrome.

Coming up on its 10th anniversary in October, Lamb founded the program after realizing that there is a gap in certain kinds of care.

During his time as a camp and childcare director at another organization, Lamb began wanting to offer neurodivergent populations with a tailored service to be able to truly support them.

“I felt it wasn’t enough, so I resigned and created Unique Individual Ranch,” Lamb said. “Every kid deserves the same opportunity [and] experience, regardless of how it looks.”

Staff welcome the campers with open arms, ready to take on the day. From 8 a.m. until the very last camper leaves at 3 p.m., participants are given engaging activities that they may not have otherwise.

Like their name, each day is unique, filled with gym time, reading, hikes and sensory activities. Throughout the spring break camp, attendees are get opportunities like bowling and field trips.

The spring break camp allows campers to have fun and relax, just like their other peers do on their break.

“I love it, just because it gives the community an opportunity to grow, but then it gives the kids [the opportunity] to experience something different,” Lamb said.

Each participant gets individual care tailored to their own needs, while prioritizing a safe environment to create opportunities for socialization.

The main goal is to allow campers to feel comfortable and find a sense of belonging. Lamb said that the mission is to “create an experience for each child to grow in their own unique way, because growth looks different [for] different kids.”

“We want them to have a place that feels like home, but also for them to grow, and then also to give parents the ease of mind,” Lamb said.

Full time employee and Fulton County Schools special education teacher Lipika Ghosh encourages the campers to embrace their disabilities and to get out of their comfort zones.

“I don’t look at it as a disability. They are very capable of doing a lot of things, which is why I feel more connected with these kids,” Ghosh said.

Not only does Unique Individuals Ranch offer an annual spring break camp, but also after-school enrichment, soccer, basketball and summer camp.

“It’s the most fun time of the year,”

Lamb said.

Registration is now open for summer camp, as well as volunteer opportunities. Summer camp will take place between May 27 and July 25 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Waller Park 250 Oak St. Roswell, Ga. 30075. Parents are encouraged to sign children up as soon as possible as spots are limited. The camp will cost $450 per week.

Scholarships are available through the Roswell Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs Department for families who need assistance. Awards range from $50 to $450 per week but are not guaranteed.

To learn more about Unique Individual Ranch, visit www.uiranch. org.

UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS RANCH/PROVIDED

Unique Individuals Ranch provides specialized care for those with intellectual disabilities at their yearly spring break camp. During the camp, campers will go on hikes and even field trips.

Just opened?

12 | Johns Creek Herald | April 24, 2025

Gallery provides safe space for women

By SARAH COYNE Sarah@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — Judie Raiford’s jewelry is more than just wearable art, it’s a symbol.

Her art is a symbol for love, survivors and even for sad memories like death.

For more than 55 years as a master metalsmith, Raiford has created unique pieces through her business, Judie Raiford Inc. at 1159 Canton St. in Roswell. She began her career after she got tired of school.

“I finished 10th grade, got a little more under my belt, and decided it was time to start living,” Raiford said.

After leaving high school, Raiford decided to see what the world had to offer, but quickly realized she needed to find a career.

“The ’60s were ending, and I realized that sex, drugs and rock and roll was not a career choice,” Raiford said.

In 1970, she began her metalsmith journey, apprenticing under jeweler Ben Douglas.

She created her business at 19 and never looked back.

Since 1996, Raiford has created functional art in her studio on Canton Street. Originally based in a 9,000-square-foot, three-level timber frame barn she and friends built in 1995, her gallery now resides in the historic Fowler House. The building stands only a few yards away from the original barn.

In 2018, Raiford renovated the 195-year-old building into a Roswell staple. The building serves not only as a studio, but also as a gallery space for other artists. Guests can visit the shop to buy their next favorite art piece or watch Raiford create her next masterpiece alongside her dogs, Nelly Grace and Louise.

SARAH COYNE/ APPEN MEDIA

Judie Raiford

Gallery:

Continued from Page 12

Raiford Gallery features work from more than 200 artists across North America, in all different art forms.

While renovating the building, for Raiford said creating an environment was important.

“I wanted a place where art could be respected, and women could be safe,” Raiford said.

An advocate for women who are survivors of domestic violence, Raiford quickly realized that her space was going to be a safe place for women after one of her employees became a survivor of the abuse.

“We've been pretty successful in that,” Raiford said.

Raiford and her all-female staff take measures to ensure a safe place at all times.

Her favorite part of the job is not the final product, but the process. In her studio, you can find all sorts of gemstones, pearls and her favorite materials to work with, silver and gold.

“I love to reinvent the wheel,” Raiford said.

Alongside her two assistants, the team creates new family heirlooms and new staple wardrobe pieces.

Due to the high price of gold, she has noticed more customers requesting her to melt down the gold they already own.

“You may not want to wear what your parents or your favorite aunt wore, but I can make it into something that you'll wear, and you get to wear the metal that they wore,” Raiford said.

Each February, Raiford and her assistants head to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show to collect materials for their pieces. Sellers and artists from across the world gather at the show.

Assistant Berlin Randall has been with Raiford for almost two decades. Her favorite part about working in the studio is the

freedom to be herself.

“When I come here, I get to interact with other women, which is just the best part about it,” Randall said.

Randall also displays her own work in the gallery.

Throughout her career journey, Raiford said the most important thing she has learned is how important it is to do what she loves and not take shortcuts.

“I had to learn how to make things that people wanted to buy and were wearable,” Raiford said.

Chapel of Reflections

Our chapel mausoleum offers timeless options of both cremation and traditional burial. Contact us for further information on the Chapel of Reflections and our many other offerings.

SARAH COYNE/ APPEN MEDIA

Raiford Gallery, 1159 Canton St. in Roswell, features works from more than 200 artists across North America.

Honored to be Voted: Best Dermatologist and Best Vein Specialist

Insist on the

BEST

Dr. Brent Taylor is a Board-Certified Dermatologist, a Fellowship-Trained Mohs Surgeon, and is certified by the Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine in the field of Vein Care.

He is an expert in skin cancer and melanoma treatment, endovenous laser ablation, minimally invasive vein procedures and cosmetics procedures such as Botox and injectables.

Kathryn is a certified physician assistant with over 22 years experience as a Dermatology PA and cosmetic dermatology.

Her specialties include general dermatology such as acne, eczema, rashes, hair loss, full body skin exams, abnormal growths etc. Kathryn also specializes in cosmetic dermatology including lasers, injectables, micro-needling, PRP, facial peels, sclerotherapy for spider veins and at home skin care.

Is Lidocaine a secret weapon against cancer?

Accepting new patients. We accept Medicare. Schedule your appointment with Premier Dermatology today.

We always worry about the negative side-effects that a medicine might have. At the end of a pharmaceutical company’s commercials, an auctioneer very quickly states the twenty terrible things that might happen if you take the advertised medicine. Side effects range from your ear falling off when you sneeze to the belief that you are Elvis. Side-effects make almost any medicine sound scary. But occasionally, a positive side effect emerges. Sometimes, we discover something wonderful about a medicine that is wholly unexpected. Examples of positive side-effects are not hard to find. The medicine finasteride was first being used to help decrease the size of the prostate in men who were having difficulty urinating. An unexpected positive side-effect was discovered when it

was noticed that many of the men were re-growing their scalp hair. With finasteride, male pattern baldness was often partially reversed or stopped in its tracks.

One of the most recent medications discovered to have a possible positive side effect is lidocaine, which has been around since 1943. Lidocaine is an injectable anesthetic. We use lidocaine for skin biopsies, excisions, Mohs surgeries and countless other procedures every day in the dermatology office. Amazingly, lidocaine may be more than an anesthetic. It may also have anti-cancer effects.

A team of surgeons in India operating on breast cancer divided patients into two groups. One group had standard breast cancer surgery. The other group received a lidocaine injection around the tumor 7-10 minutes prior to surgery. During the 5 years after surgery, the group

Dr. Brent Taylor

Kathryn Filipek, PA-C

Brought to you by – Dr. Brent Taylor, Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta

Lidocaine:

Continued from Page 14

that received the lidocaine injection had an 8.5% rate of the cancer recurring (popping up again) at a distant site versus an 11.6% rate of distant recurrence in the surgeryonly (no lidocaine) group. The study has some limitations including not being a double-blind trial and being a single-center study, but it is intriguing enough to warrant further investigation. The authors reported that injecting lidocaine around breast cancer before removing it increased survival in their study.

What made the surgeons perform this study in the first place? Why lidocaine? Over the last few years, researchers have discovered that electrical gradients maintained across the membranes of cancer cells are important to their ability to metastasize or spread. Our cells have pumps in them called “ion channels.” They allow certain ions to pass across the cell membrane. The resulting ion concentration gradient creates an electrical charge across a cell. This gradient affects the way other proteins in the cell function. Importantly, some of the proteins affected by the charge across a cell

membrane are important for healthy cells’ growth and development as well as for cancers’ ability to grow and spread.

Lidocaine works by blocking sodium channels in cell membranes. Disrupting the electric charge across a cancer cell membrane was suspected to have the potential to weaken the cancer itself. Pre-clinical studies supported this hypothesis, and the breast cancer surgeons took the next step of performing a trial with breast cancer patients and peritumoral lidocaine injections.

I don’t know if breast cancer surgeons in the United States consider these results valid, are awaiting confirmatory studies or are already injecting lidocaine. However, in dermatology, these results are exciting because, for now, we do not need to change anything that we are already doing. Every day that I perform Mohs surgery, we inject the area around a tumor with lidocaine prior to surgically removing the cancer. If lidocaine is more than an anesthetic, then our patients are likely already benefiting from any anticancer properties that lidocaine has.

Mohs surgery is the gold standard for treating most skin cancers and has a cure rate that is usually at or above 99%. Perhaps lidocaine is one of the secrets to this success.

Church bells ring, and the people listen

Church bells ring, and people listen

One might say that I have a thing about bells. I have written a column about farm bells and another about cow bells. The subject this week is church bells. So, maybe I do have a thing about them.

This week I will explore the history of church bells and illustrate the challenges of installing a bell weighing several hundred pounds in the top of a church tower using as an example the Birmingham United Methodist Church in Milton. In a recent column I described the history of that church.

History

Nearly everyone in North Fulton lives near a church, and most have heard a church bell ring to announce church service, a wedding or other important event.

Historically, the first bell used in church is often credited to Bishop Paulinus of Nola, Italy, around 400 AD. It was used primarily to call monks to prayer and was probably a handbell.

In 604 AD, Pope Sabinian sanctioned the used of bells by churches.

Benedictine monks, a monastic order dating back to the fifth century, used larger bells mounted in towers in the 7th and 8th centuries. Bells helped them manage their daily routines, marking prayer time, meals, study time and sleep time.

According to National Bell Festival, a non-profit organization dedicated to the celebration and restoration of bells, bell-making originated in China some 5,000 years ago. Sheets of metal were hammered into bell shapes with a bead, rock or metal bit suspended inside the bell to make a clapper.

Ancient Greek sentries used bells as warning devices. The book of Exodus 28:33-35 describes golden bells as part of the high priest’s robe. Early Romans hung bells around livestock to locate strays. Gradually, bells were adopted by Western religions.

The first church bells in the United States were in the San Miguel Mission, Santa Fe, New Mexico, built circa 1610. It is still in use.

Bells have been featured in numerous films. To name a few: “For Whom the Bell Tolls” (1943), starring Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman, based on Ernest Hemingway’s novel; “A

Christmas Carol” (1938), starring Gene Lockhart and Reginal Owen, based on Charles Dickens’ story; and “The Bells of St. Mary’s” (1945,) starring Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman, a musicalcomedy-drama.

Birmingham UMC

Birmingham United Methodist Church is fortunate to own a bell

made by the C.S. Bell Company of Hillsborough Ohio, possibly the largest manufacturer of church bells in the United States for more than 100 years. The company ceased to make bells in 1974. The BUMC bell was cast circa 1892, has a diameter of 28 inches and weighs in at 294 pounds. Including the accessories required to suspend and operate the bell, total weight is 450

pounds.

It is not known exactly when or how the church acquired the bell or who may have owned it previously. The best guess is that it was acquired in the 1940s or earlier.

In May 2009, eight church volunteers, who became known as the “The Bell Bunch,” opened a panel in the side of the rooftop steeple to inspect the bell to see how it was mounted and to plan its descent for eventual installation in a recently installed new bell tower. It is difficult to imagine the challenges involved in taking a nearly 450-pound bell from a steeple rooftop to the ground.

The volunteers asked the Milton Fire Department to assist. The firefighters extended their long ladder to the chapel roof and placed lumber skids on the ladder. Four firefighters slowly slid the bell to the ground where it was placed in a truck and moved to the barn owned by parishioner Byron Foster. Volunteers disassembled, repaired and restored the bell over the summer.

Next, a mounting structure for the bell had to be designed, built and tested. Fortunately, parishioner Jeff Johnson and his father George Johnson, a retired Lockheed engineer who had worked in elevator design, were able to spearhead the task.

Finally, on Nov. 14, 2009, a large crowd watched as the bell was raised by a rope to its new home. The bell was installed and tolled for the first time in many years.

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: JEFF JOHNSON/PROVIDED

Milton firefighters climb their ladder to remove the 294-pound bell from its home on the chapel roof. Including its auxiliary equipment, the bell weighs 450 pounds. Fire crews had to slowly slide the bell down the ladder.

The church bell tower where the bell is now housed.

The bell after it was repaired, restored and repainted. It is ready to be lifted by ropes to its new home in the church bell tower.

OPINION

Tolleson Kirby carried mail from Dunwoody to Sandy Springs

Tolleson Kirby carried the mail from Dunwoody through Sandy Springs and back to Dunwoody from around 1915 through the 1920s. It was a 26-mile trip he completed six days a week. It took 10 to 12 hours to complete the mail route. This history comes from his daughter Sue Kirby Jameson’s memoir, “As I Recall.”

Kirby lived next door to New Hope Church on Chamblee Dunwoody Road, just south of Chamblee Dunwoody Road and Roberts Drive fork. His family moved to this location from Pitts Road, which was called Little Kirby Road at the time.

Each day, Kirby hitched one of his mules to the wagon, either Kate or Bill, and began his postal route. The first stop came after a short ride to the Dunwoody Post Office to pick up the mail for delivery and place in the wagon. The post office was next door to Joberry Cheek’s home, and Cheek’s daughter Columbia operated the post office.

On a warm and dry day, the trip would be pleasant. After a hard rain, the dirt roads became muddy and difficult to navigate. On chilly days, Kirby put a warmed brick under a blanket to drive the mail route.

A right turn from the post office took Kirby and his mule north on Chamblee Dunwoody Road all the way to what is now Spalding Drive to Little Kirby Road. At Roswell Road, he turned right to reach John Sullivan’s Store where Roswell Road meets Northridge Road today.

Next, Kirby and his mule-drawn wagon would turn south on Roswell Road heading toward Morgan Falls Road, leading to the Morgan Falls Power Plant. Some days, the children of Morgan Falls School on Roswell Road were in the school yard playing games.

A bit farther south on Roswell Road, Kirby would pass the John Ball farm and other smaller farms along both sides of the road.

At Burdett Grocery Store, Kirby dropped off mail for residents nearby. From 1925 until 1929, the Burdal Post Office was at Burdett Grocery. Burdal was a combination of the names Burdett and Dalrymple.

Continuing south on Roswell Road, Kirby would pass the home of Belle Spruell Ezzard in the area known as Pole Town. Ezzard describes Pole Town as stretching along Roswell Road from

Spruell Springs Road to House Road (Windsor Parkway today). The Ezzard family had a dairy on Ezzard Road, now Northland Drive. (“Sandy Springs Past Tense,” Lois Coogle)

Mack Dobbins owned a wagon yard just past this point, including three small shacks for travelers when the road was washed out. When local farmers needed to name the area to obtain a permit to sell their produce in Atlanta, they chose Pole Town because of all the logs used in construction of the wagon yard. (“More of Sandy Springs Past Tense,” Lois Coogle)

At Mt. Paran Road, Kirby turned right toward the Crossroads Church and school. Then Kirby made his way back to Roswell Road and Mt. Vernon Road to end his route back in Dunwoody.

According to Sue Kirby Jameson, “Papa was very punctual, keeping his route on a strict time schedule. People along the way would say ‘We can set our clocks by Mr. Kirby.’”

Toward the end of his years delivering mail, Kirby replaced his mules with a Model T Ford and later a Model A.

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

VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist

“IMAGES OF AMERICA: SANDY SPRINGS” BY KIMBERLY M. BRIGANCE AND MORRIS V. MOORE

The Ezzard home place near the intersection of Roswell Road and Belle Isle Road around 1905. Belle Spruell Ezzard is pictured on the far left and her mother on the far right. In the middle are Belle’s two sisters and their children.

A simple set of rules one should live by

Dear Grandchildren, I wanted to make a few notes for you about being wise, caring and a good friend. You are already very good children and already you treat others –most of the time – with respect and caring.

I have been reading books lately about how to be good. The book that I borrowed the rules listed below from is called “The Serviceberry,” by Robin Wall Kimmerer. It’s a little book with lots of wisdom. I think one of its main messages is that we are all connected – people with other people, people with plants and animals, people with everything in the environment in which we all live.

You are so very important. What you do and say and how you treat others is a big deal.

So here are some of the lessons from that “Serviceberry” book.

No. 1: Know the ways of the ones who take care of you, so that you can take care of them. That means pay attention to how your parents treat you and other people and things. Learn from your parents.

No. 2: Introduce yourself. Recently I heard that Annie Moon (4) introduced herself at a party to an adult.

“So, do you have any siblings?”

Adult: “Why yes I do.”

Annie Moon: “Do they live close by?”

That was so great Annie Moon. It made that woman feel important that you were interested in her and her family. By being curious, you will learn many things.

No. 3: Ask permission before taking, and abide by the answer. You

know what that means, right? You know about asking permission and not fussing if you don’t get it. That is just a way to be respectful of others Annie.

No. 4: Share. We know about sharing.

No. 5: Say “thank you” when someone gives you something. When someone helps you or is kind to you, you should try to help them and be kind to them back.

No. 6: Never take the first one. Never take the last. A lot of adults never learn this one, Annie. Be patient. Wait in line. Let parents or grandparents or very young children go ahead of you. This is being respectful of others.

No. 7: Only take what you need. This is another one that many adults never learn, sweetie. Do you know why? You can show them this lesson by your example. Adults have so very much to learn from children.

No. 8: Never take more than half. Leave some for others. Yet another one that many adult’s parents never taught them. If you take more than half, is there much left for others – for your friends and their friends?

No. 9: Harvest in a way that minimizes harm. And what you harvest, use respectfully. Never waste what you have taken. Boy, that is a lot to understand. Do you think it might mean not to be selfish or greedy? And do you think that if everyone always tried to take the most they could take, that many people would have nothing while some people would have so much more than they need?

Remember, we all need each other. We also need the plants around us because they help us, too. We need the clean water and air that we drink and breath, but it is not clean and safe if we don’t respect it and take care of it at the same time.

Sneezing our way through all this pollen

Lots of records being set these days. At this writing, the Braves can’t buy a win.

The stock market is acting squirrely.

There are recordsetting tariffs being imposed, leading to unrest despite promises that things will eventually get better.

No, the record that comes to mind involves that yellow, eye-watering yellow menace known as pollen. Fox 5’s David Chandley (my favorite weather guy) keeps giving viewers the number each night, imparting that the day’s pollen count.

It is amazing me that there is a poor soul who is really taking one for the team. I can visualize the poor sap surrounded by that irritating yellow powder, faced with the unenviable task of tallying every granule.

“Yep, there’s about 4,000 times

more than yesterday. By golly, we set another record!”

I visited the Bagel Hole recently where the owner was waving a white flag, surrendering to the reality that cleaning off his patio table was a futile endeavor.

“I just cleaned them off two hours ago,” he said, showing that his white flag of capitulation was stained yellow.

It’s so relatable, having a deck that looks like it’s made out of true “Yella Wood,” and not the stuff that’s advertised on TV that provides a good meal for pesky beavers.

I’m all for a wintertime treat, going outside and glimpsing a cushy blanket of soft snow on the deck. After all, there’s no question that, since we don’t live in Minnesota, eventually the white stuff will dissipate.

But this year, maybe it’s because the Braves opened the 2025 season with seven consecutive losses, the pollen just seems more menacing.

That’s right: A snowfall is a thing

of beauty while a pollen storm spurs thoughts of “How the heck can I get rid of this stuff and get it out of my clothes.?”

If I’ve heard it once this year, I’ve heard a veritable litany of folks saying: “I’m usually not bothered by pollen, but this year…”

That proclamation is inevitably punctuated by a nose-blowing fit and two or three uproarious, earthshattering sneezes.

It must be a boon for any car wash owner. Trying to keep a car free from the stuff is an impossible dream. My first car was a 1971 yellow Volkswagen Super Beetle. It would have fit right in here. Too bad I never saw a morsel of pollen in Bakersfield. But don’t get me started about the dusty, polluted air.

It’s also a great time for anyone selling air filters. The other day, while getting my Acura serviced, the tech wheezed and sniffled as he showed me filters that needed to be replaced.

I guess all this yellow dust is good

for the plants. I know the bees sure like it, based on the squadron that have descended on the yard. I’m good with the bees. Just no more massive yellowjacket colonies this summer. Riding my Harley, there’s definitely enough pollen in the air to make me use a bandana to act as a filter to assist my not having to ingest any of the stuff. The other day, sure enough, there was a smattering of the yellow dust on my Lynyrd Skynyrd bandana, forcing an unheard of trip to the laundry basket. I sure hope it doesn’t shrink.

We’ll get through all this and have a nice sultry summer. Now, fixing the Braves? Not so sure that’s a quick task that is both doable and realistic.

Mike Tasos has lived in Forsyth County for more than 30 years. He’s an American by birth and considers himself a Southerner by the grace of God. He can be reached at miketasos55@gmail.com.

MIKE TASOS Columnist

Council:

The facade was inspired by designs at The Boardwalk at Town Center, renderings of Medley, Town Center Vision and Plan and the city’s development regulations for building materials. It features a curtain wall of glass panels in the main lobby and a combination of brick and aluminum composite material paneling in less prominent areas.

PBK has designed more than 100 performing arts centers, including the 1,800-seat FoCAL auditorium in Forsyth County and the 2,062-seat Columbia County Performing Arts Center auditorium.

“I believe the Performing Arts Center is that game changer for changing the quality of life,” Mayor John Bradberry said.

Council members said they liked PBK’s vision for the center but acknowledged the project’s significant costs.

“We all want this, but we can’t let our enthusiasm overshadow what the numbers look like,” DiBiase said.

Councilman Bob Erramilli said if a bond is needed, a voter referendum could provide the council insight on where the community stands. He cited the voter referendum for a bond to fund Cauley Creek Park as an example. The park’s bond was approved by more than 60 percent.

“When somebody approves with that kind of mandate, irrespective of who is on the council, that project will continue to march forward, relentlessly,” Erramilli said.

City Manager Kimberly Greer said a bond for the center could appear on the ballot in November, but the council would need to decide whether to pursue a referendum by summer.

Councilman Chris Coughlin said the center’s staffing model is an important piece of the puzzle in considering its financial burden.

Greer said the city could decide between obtain-

ing staff from insourced, outsourced or private-public models.

Coughling said he “vastly” preferred a private-public model.

Although the city forecasts an almost $3-million general fund surplus in fiscal year 2026, it already has numerous capital projects underway, Councilwoman Stacy Skinner said.

She noted the Parks Department has requested more than $60 million in updates and enhancements over the next five years.

“When we are talking about bringing on another asset, we have to make sure that we are able to maintain what we already have and that we already have so

much on the horizon,” Skinner said.

She said she would like to see a series of town hall meetings to hear whether residents support the project.

“I love the idea,” she said. “I just want to make sure the community is aware of the financial situation and the cost associated.”

Councilwoman Erin Elwood agreed, saying she was excited for the project, but many details need to be ironed out.

“It depends on how we are financing it, how much private money we can raise in private fundraising, private-public partnerships, whether we do a bond, what the interest rate is going to be,” she said. “We literally have no clue.”

CITY OF JOHNS CREEK PUBLIC NOTICE

PURPOSE

An Alcoholic Beverage License Application was submitted to City on April 16, 2025, for Package of Malt Beverage, Wine and Distilled Spirits.

BUSINESS NAME

Tipsy Town LLC.

Dba Tipsy Town 11705 Jones Bridge Rd Suite D101. Johns Creek, GA 30005

OWNER/OFFICERS

Tipsy Town LLC.

Dba Tipsy Town 11705 Jones Bridge Rd Suite D101. Johns Creek, GA 30005

OWNER, Mitalben Patel

CITY OF JOHNS CREEK PUBLIC NOTICE

PURPOSE

An Alcoholic Beverage License Application was submitted to the City April 2, 2025, for Consumption on Premises of Malt Beverage, Wine and Distilled Spirits

BUSINESS NAME

Cornejo Restaurants LLC

Dba

Papi’s Cuban Grill

11600 Medlock Bridge Rd Suite180 Johns Creek, GA 30097

OWNER/OFFICERS

Cornejo Restaurants LLC

Dba

Papi’s Cuban Grill 11600 Medlock Bridge Rd Suite180 Johns Creek, GA 30097

Owner, Ney Cornejo

CITY OF JOHNS CREEK/PROVIDED

Conceptual renderings of a $71 million Performing Arts Center were inspired by designs at The Boardwalk at Town Center and Medley.

Lacrosse:

Continued from Page 1

“In previous games we’ve needed to get defense to be more aggressive and that’s what they showed tonight,” Mucker said. “Communication on and off the field was great today. I can’t ask for much more, because the more you talk to everybody, the easier the game is to play.”

The Gladiators held strong with a lead that only grew after the first buzzer sounded. Freshman Brayden Ko kicked off the game with the first goal only 30 seconds into the match.

Chattahoochee managed to find their offense at times, going on two separate three-goal runs in the third and fourth quarters. Junior Joseph Keever took care of one of the two by himself with three straight in less than three minutes in the final period.

However, Johns Creek’s defense was able to derail the Cougars’ offensive momentum by disrupting the passing lane to shut down the runs while continuing to have success on offense.

Junior Tyler Hampson was the Gladiators’ leading scorer with five goals and one assist against the Cougars.

“Winning this game that could send us to the playoffs is probably the biggest game of the year, so it’s good to win that one,” he said. “That was the lowest number of turnovers we’ve had all year. We played a buttoned-up game.”

Locally Owned and Operated

DEATH NOTICES

Ishwarasa Basawa, 85, of Roswell, passed away on March 29, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Walter Bator, 90, of Roswell, passed away on March 26, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Selina Faulkner, 83, of Roswell, passed away on March 31, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

William Dudley Garrett, 89, of Alpharetta, passed away on April 10, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Sarah Harman, 75, of Alpharetta, passed away on April 14, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Angelo Noto, 81, of Alpharetta, passed away on April 12, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

ANNABELLE REITER/APPEN MEDIA

The Cougars defense collapses on a shot attempt from Johns Creek sophomore Chase Mckee at Chattahoochee High School April 16.

and so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 4, 4 and 6 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, with each number containing 3 clues for the 3 answers on the line. But here’s the catch! The clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually be for the second or third answer in that line. Got it? Good luck!

A DAY IN COURT

1. Suds stop. Red ink amount. It can be brought in court.

2. Beige. Important court figure. Wedding party member.

3. Eastern discipline. Chess piece. Court verdict.

4. Quagmire. It can be entered in court. Chubby.

5. One who represents a client in court. Figure skater’s jump. Gumbo pod.

6. Biting. Large-eyed promate. Court’s get out of jail money.

7. Very, in music. Court panel. Busybody.

1 Suds stop. Red ink amount. It can be brought in court

2. Beige. Important court figure. Wedding party member.

How to Solve: Each line in the puzzle above has three clues and three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is the first letter of the second answer, and so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 4, 5 and 5 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, which each number containing 3 clues for the 3 answers on the line. But here’s the catch! The clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually be for the second or third answer in that line. Got it? Good luck!

3. Eastern discipline Chess piece. Court verdict.

4. Quagmire. It can be entered in court. Chubby.

5. One who represents a client in court. Figure skater’s jump Gumbo pod.

6. Biting. Large-eyed promate. Court’s get out of jail money

7. Very, in music. Court panel. Busybody

Vice President of Client Programs

NFCC is seeking a qualified candidate to fill the fulltime Vice President of Client Programs position. The Vice President of Client Programs (VPCP) is a senior leader responsible for creating and implementing the Client Services department strategy for NFCC. This includes creating programs and services, monitoring their effectiveness and ensuring funds are distributed appropriately. The VPCP also leads a team of 13 client services staff who handle client intake, case management, impact and outcomes data, education (GED/English classes) and workforce development programs.

If this sounds like the role for you, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your resume to jobs@nfcchelp.org

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Sawnee EMC is seeking a Billing Clerk to audit the billing process by ensuring accuracy in accordance with Sawnee EMC rate schedules and fee policies. Requires: high school diploma or equivalency, two-year certificate or degree and a minimum of two years of related accounting experience demonstrating proficiency in mathematics, and general office skills. Position is full-time; must be flexible to work irregular hours, to include evenings and weekends.

Applicants must complete an application prior to 5 PM, April 25, 2025. Apply online: www.sawnee. coop/careers. If you require a paper application or an alternate format, please contact us at 770-8872363 extension 7568.

Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer including Disabled and Protected Veterans. Sawnee EMC is VEVRAA Federal Contractor. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Drug Free Workplace.

Sawnee EMC is seeking a General Clerk III –Customer Service to assist in a high-volume call center. Requires high school diploma or equivalency, computer, communication, and general office skills. Requires one (1) year experience in a customer service call center or service-type organization, utility, finance, banking, or equivalent industry. Bilingual is preferred, fluent in English and Spanish (written and verbal).

Position is full-time; must be flexible to work irregular hours, to include evenings, weekends and holidays.

Applicants must complete an application prior to 5PM, May 2, 2025. Apply online: www.sawnee. coop/careers. If you require a paper application or an alternate format, please contact us at 770-8872363, extension 7568.

Infor (US), LLC has an opening for a Software Engineer, Principal in Alpharetta, GA. Oversee the deployment processes across various stages, including development, QA, integration testing, production support and perform infrastructure automation. Telecommuting permitted up to 20%. How to apply: E-mail resume, referencing IN1047, including job history, to careers@infor.com. EOE.

Infor (US), LLC has an opening for a Senior Consultant in Alpharetta, GA. Responsible for delivering business process and application consulting services which include process design, application configuration, testing, client training on software, technologies and tools. Domestic (U.S.) travel is required up to 50%. 100% Telecommuting permitted. How to apply: E-mail resume, referencing IN1053, including job history, to careers@infor.com. EOE.

Emory Healthcare, Inc. in Johns Creek, GA seeks a Clinical Dietitian III to provide Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) to patients with complex medical conditions in inpatient and outpatient hospital settings. Requires: Registration with the Commission on Dietetic Registration, Specialty Certification from an approval nutrition area or Master’s degree in Food and Nutrition, Dietetics, Nutritional Science or related field of study, and Licensure as a Dietitian in the state of GA. Apply online at https://www.emoryhealthcare.org/careers/ or send resume to careers@emoryhealthcare.org. Please reference job title and location.

Software Engineer Senior (Alpharetta, GA): Prfrm tstng & valdtn reqs for moderately cmplx code changes; prfrm corrective measures for moderately cmplx code deficiencies & escalates alt proposals; participate in client facing meetings, joint venture discussions, vendor partnership teams to dtrmne solution approaches. Resumes to: Total System Services, LLC, Brian Simons, Associate Director, HR Risk and Compliance, One TSYS Way, Columbus, GA 31901. #SK493733

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Fulton:

“[The mid-year review will] give us the best perspective on emerging expenses from the consent decree, as well as perhaps from these federal government grants,” Anderson said. “[The plan is] to seek your direction then, but right now, it’s business as usual.”

Jail upgrades continue

There are long-standing problems at the Rice Street jail requiring a lengthy and costly process spanning at least two years with a consent decree monitor reviewing facilities to ensure the county is not violating the rights of incarcerated citizens.

The probe into the county’s Rice Street facility and three annexes, including one in Alpharetta, began in 2023 after the murder of an unindicted inmate who had been in custody for eight months.

of Commissioners have come under fire for the management of the jail facilities, backlogs in the judicial system and a lack of funding for a solution.

In other business at the meeting, commissioners received an update on the $13 million “jail blitz” repair program, which moves inmates to other areas of the jail so damage can be addressed. The work at Rice Street is 64 percent complete with seven out its 11 housing units finished, according to staff, and includes fixing cell doors and locks, repairing plumbing and sealing concrete walls.

Rice Street population has increased 6 percent to 1,707 inmates, which is down from the more than 3,200 incarcerated people there in summer 2023. Because 575 beds out of a total of 2,644 beds are currently unavailable during the repair work, the county is using programs like its new diversion center to reduce the jail population as work continues.

“It looks like the bookings are increasing on a monthly basis,” he said. “Are we going to use it or are we not going to use it?” Continued from Page 4

Anderson is referencing the legally binding agreement between Fulton and the Department of Justice to ensure its jail system is no longer violating the constitutional rights of inmates, specifically the Eighth and 14th Amendments.

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There were 25 inmate deaths from 2022-23, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The Fulton County Jail ended a previous consent decree less than 10 years ago after spending $1 billion to comply.

Fulton County Sherrif Pat Labat, District Attorney Fani Willis and the Board

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The blitz project is expected to wrap up this summer after a couple years of work, but the consent decree monitor is set to remain until minimum requirements are met.

Since the beginning of the year, the

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Pitts said the county has invested around $2.5 million on policing alternatives and diversion initiatives. He said money is tight, referencing the county’s operational budget, and asked if countyfunded diversion programs are working.