Milton Herald - January 19, 2023

Milton’s free healthcare service set for upgrade

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — In the year since its launch, Milton’s free CARES program that assists residents with health needs has increased its client base seven-fold.

Milton Fire Community Advocates

for Referral and Education Services rolled out in December 2021 and began with 12 patients. Now, the CARES team, consisting of Milton firefighter/paramedic Derek Hofmann and five part-timers, services more than 80 patients.

The patient-centered program is intended to bridge the gap between

emergency and everyday health needs.

“It’s not all that crazy stuff that you see on the TV,” Hofmann said. “It’s more about, ‘Hey, let’s get you what you need. Let’s really help you become independent and get to the point that you’re able to live by yourself.”

See CARES, Page 24

Firefighter/paramedic Derek Hofmann coordinates Milton Fire CARES, or Community Advocates for Referral and Education Services. The program was launched in December 2021 and has seen a big jump in patient numbers — from a dozen residents at its start to more than 80 enrolled.

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Youth suffers gunshot near IMT Deerfield

By AMBER PERRY alex@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — Milton Police responded to a noise disturbance call around 9:30 p.m. Jan. 7 near Ivy Vine Way involving disorderly juveniles and later discovered that one of them had been shot.

Closer to 10 p.m. that same night, police were dispatched to a welfare check on Aven Court related to a call at an emergency room in Roswell. Police obtained information regarding a juvenile, thought to live on Aven Court,

who came to the emergency room with a grazed gunshot wound.

The boy claimed he was walking in front of IMT Deerfield when he heard a loud pop and then felt pain.

According to Milton Police Capt. C. Barstow, the boy has since been released from the hospital.

Because no one appeared to be at the boy’s residence, police returned to Ivy Vine Way to investigate whether the two calls were related. Police connected with a girl on Ivy Way who said she knew of someone who said the boy had

been shot. Police then called the source, who told officers she saw a “grown man” point a gun at her and her cousin.

The cousin said the suspect was an older, bald Black man, wearing a white T-shirt, and that the incident occurred on Ivy Vine Way near the original call.

In a phone interview, Barstow said detectives are following up on a number of leads and have interviewed several people who provided “actionable information” for the Milton Police Department to use in identifying a potential suspect.

Nursing home resident dies after report of care neglect

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga.— Roswell police responded to an emergency medical technician report of elder abuse and care neglect after an 80-year-old nursing home resident died at North Fulton Hospital Jan. 9.

According to police, two emergency medical technicians had been dispatched to a man at Roswell Nursing and Rehabilitation Center who was unresponsive but breathing with a pulse.

When they began performing lifesaving measures, the medical technicians noticed he showed alarming medical signs

POLICE BLOTTER

All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.

Bank account hacked through stolen ID

MILTON, Ga. — A woman reported to Milton Police Jan. 4 that money was removed from her bank account, using her stolen ID.

The woman said $4,800 was withdrawn from her account Jan. 3, and that an ID was used to withdraw the money. She received a new license the same day of the report.

Her purse was stolen last October, and an active investigation is underway with the Gwinnett County Police Department.

Stolen bank statements provide access to account

MILTON, Ga. — Milton Police spoke with a woman Jan. 4 who reported someone had stolen $200 from her bank account that day.

like hypoxia, low levels of oxygen in body tissue.

The pair of technicians told police the man’s condition pointed to a lack of medical attention for an extended period. By the time they had gotten there, the technicians said the man appeared to already be brain dead.

The man’s wife said her husband was fine before. She had been with him at the nursing home until 12 p.m. the day before, and the medical call came in around 5 p.m. that same day.

His wife told an emergency medical technician her husband had received no attention from his caregiver in that fivehour period, raising concerns of possible

Bank statements for her checking and savings account had been stolen from her mail Dec. 17, she said. When she checked her bank account, she saw the $200 transaction made toward a credit card, the police report said.

The woman also mentioned that there were four deposits made in small amounts to her account, and all were from Stash Capitol.

The woman closed her bank account and opened a fraud case with the bank.

Cash register stolen at Rush Soccer Club

MILTON, Ga. — The owner of Rush Soccer Club on Birmingham Highway reported a burglary to Milton Police Jan. 3.

Police saw that a wooden door had been kicked inward, and the frame broken, the report said. The door led to the concession area, where police saw change on the floor and the room in disarray.

Eight more doors were found to have been kicked in, but the owner advised that nothing appeared to be taken.

Police spoke to the concession area owner, who said the cash register, which contained $400 in bills, was missing. The register itself was valued at $100.

elder abuse.

The emergency medical technicians took the man to the hospital and continued performing life-saving measures, but he was pronounced dead after an hour. The doctors said the man died of natural causes.

One technician told Roswell police he felt the neglect played a significant role in the man’s death, and he plans to file a report with the state and with Adult Protective Services.

Contacted by phone, a representative from Roswell Nursing and Rehabilitation Center had no comment on the incident at this time.

The case is still active.

Animal cruelty

charges

filed against local man

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Police officers have arrested a 46-year-old Alpharetta man on animal cruelty charges for allegedly attacking and injuring a dog at a local hotel.

Alpharetta police said officers responded to an animal cruelty call at the Extended Stay hotel on Rock Mill Road Jan. 2 and found a female dog seriously injured in one of the rooms.

Reports said the dog had multiple injuries on its head and body, and the dog’s owner had multiple cuts on his hands.

The owner allegedly admitted he had hit the dog, because it “wasn’t listening,” but throughout the interview with officers, the dog appeared too scared to approach the man. Officers concluded the animal had been abused by the owner.

Officers contacted an emergency veterinarian in Alpharetta, and once the dog was transported for medical treatment, they discovered it had sustained forced trauma to the eye and skull.

The owner was arrested and charged with cruelty to animals and was transported to the Alpharetta Jail.

American Legion Post 201 marks 75th anniversary

Members share links to local organization

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — American

Legion Post 201 member Mike Roman recounted when a civilian couple walked in and asked if the guys at the Legion liked each other because of the nature of their interaction. The guys like to playfully criticize one another, he said.

“I said, ‘You oughta hear us when we hate somebody,’” Roman said.

Growing up, Roman and his family went to the Legion or a Veterans of Foreign Wars post on the weekends. His grandmother headed the Legion Auxiliary, a separate entity exclusive to women who are affiliated with and who support the American Legion. Roman is a veteran of the Vietnam War.

“There is a sense of community here that is nowhere else,” Roman said.

Roman and three other veterans and Post 201 members — Ralph Jordan, Roger Wise and Harry Hollingsworth — sat at an old poker table in the low light of the Legion’s bar area, each sharing their connection to the organization. Accompanying the conversation Jan. 5 were Styrofoam cups filled with “veterans’ coffee,” or a brew made earlier that morning.

Beginnings

In front of Wise, there was a folder of signed commendations from several north Fulton mayors, including those from Alpharetta, Roswell, Johns Creek and Milton, as well as a commendation from Gov. Brian Kemp regarding Post 201’s 75th anniversary.

The celebration was postponed from its Nov. 26 anniversary date last year.

The official date for the celebration has been rescheduled for Jan. 21 at Carl Black Buick GMC in Roswell. All veterans who attend are eligible for a “We appreciate your service” discount. There will be a cake-cutting at noon followed up by a cookout with hamburgers and hotdogs.

Constituted in 1947, the American Legion Post 201 stands as a place of community for more than 700 veterans and their family members across the Northern Arc. It’s one of the largest in the country, Wise said.

According to a historical record written by Melvin B. Coalson, Post 201 began when Abijah B. Adams, a World War I veteran and longtime Alpharetta resident, called a meeting in February 1946 with nearly 60 military veterans at the Old Milton County Courthouse in Alpharetta. District American Legion officers attended, and action was taken to establish the post.

Post 201 relocated from across the street to where it is today on Wills Road. The building was dedicated in 1968, said Scott Childress, a Son of the American Legion (SAL). Childress’ property adjoins Post 201 — he goes to and from the Legion via a gate he made in his fence.

Old Soldiers Day

The American Legion Post 201 sponsors Old Soldiers Day, held annually on the first Saturday in August. The event dates to 1920 and parallels some of the Legion’s history. At the time, Childress said wars were “fresh.”

“People were proud of being Americans,” Childress said. “Some

UGA alumna Shelby Israel joins Appen Media staff

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Appen Media Group announced Jan. 19 that Shelby Israel will join its staff as a reporter. Israel will cover local government and public safety in Forsyth County and the City of Alpharetta. She will report to Carl Appen, director of content and development, and be based in Alpharetta.

“Shelby is a magnificent addition to our newsroom,” Appen said in a statement. “She has sharp news judgement and experience leading a quick-moving staff. She’ll bring a lot of fuel for the fire of our developing team.”

Israel graduated from the University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication in December 2022 with a minor area

of study in English. During her time at UGA, Israel served as a contributor, campus news editor and editor-inchief at The Red & Black, as well as news intern at Flagpole Magazine.

“I have always wanted to write,” Israel said. “Before, it was a creative pursuit, but through experimentation with my major at UGA, I found that I could still write while contributing to something important. I love local news and community-driven stories, and I am excited to cover the news scenes of Forsyth and Alpharetta.”

Israel takes the position as Appen reporter Alex Popp moves to cover the Perimeter.

To contact Israel with news tips or story ideas, email shelby@ appenmedia.com.

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

American Legion Post 201 members and veterans Ralph Jordan, Roger Wise, Harry Hollingsworth and Mike Roman gather inside of the Legion’s bar area Jan.

5. While Post 201 passed its 75th anniversary last November, members will celebrate it in the coming weeks.

Roswell Rotary member leads fight against human trafficking

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — In 2017, Dave McCleary organized a survivor-led candlelight vigil for victims of human trafficking during the Rotary International Convention in Atlanta, and 12,000 people attended.

The event had a panel consisting of actor Ashton Kutcher, who started an anti-human trafficking organization called Thorn, former Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, International Justice Mission CEO Gary Haugen and survivor advocate Rebecca Bender.

“The idea of [Rotary’s concept] ‘Power of One’ is that you do for one what you wish you could do for all,”

McCleary said. “As Rotarians, we can really make a big impact. There's thousands of stories out there, where Rotarians in their community did what they could in their sphere of influence. It really made a difference.”

Speaking at the Roswell Rotary Jan. 5 meeting, McCleary said he envisioned the 2017 event while at the Passion 2012 Conference where 60,000 people participated in a candlelight vigil for the same cause.

While there, McCleary heard from a trafficking survivor named Melissa, who hails from Roswell. Hearing her story jump-started his campaign to end modern slavery. With Mark Little, McCleary helped form the Rotary Action Group Against Slavery (RAGAS) in

2013 and held the position of global chair for three years.

As part of RAGAS, McCleary served on the White House roundtable under the last administration, organized and chaired a world summit with former President Jimmy Carter and has spoken to Rotary Clubs in five continents.

Before Passion 2012, McCleary never thought trafficking was an issue that affected his hometown. But when he invited Melissa to speak at Roswell Rotary, he found that she babysat the children of a fellow Roswell Rotary member. She dropped out of high school at 16 years old and was trafficked for several years in Atlanta.

“It wasn’t somebody else’s problem,” McCleary said. “It was happening in our own community.”

Last year, 146 counties in Georgia reported human trafficking, McCleary said.

‘Shine a light’

McCleary is on the steering committee for an upcoming Human Trafficking Summit at the Fulton County Schools Innovation Academy, hosted by Alpharetta Rotary. He said the idea for the summit is to have a local focus.

Roswell

trafficking at the club’s Jan. 5 meeting with trafficking statistics behind him on screen. McCleary is the immediate past global chair and founding member of the Rotary Action Group Against Slavery, an anti-human trafficking organization.

“It's estimated that 47 percent of the men buying girls, for instance, live in the Northern Arc, which is Johns Creek, Roswell and Alpharetta,” Mc -

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA Dave McCleary, former president of

Rotary, speaks against human

North Fulton chamber earns state certification

FULTON COUNTY, Ga.— The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce has been named a Georgia Certified Chamber by the Georgia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.

GACCE, a professional society of Chamber of Commerce executives and staff in Georgia runs the certified chamber program as a peer review process of generally accepted standards for chambers of commerce throughout the state.

The standards include service intent and capacity, administration, organization, financial management, communications and advocacy.

Out of over 150 chambers in Georgia, about 50 have received the designation.

Two members of the Greater North Fulton Chamber accepted the award during a November 2022 conference.

The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, a nonprofit that serves Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park, Roswell and Sandy Springs includes more than 1,300 businesses, individuals, organizations and educational institutions.

The chamber focuses on economic development, business growth and “regional prosperity.”

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce also gave the Greater North Fulton Chamber its highest honor, a five-star accreditation, for procedures, policies and community impact.

Rotary:

Continued from Page 4

Cleary said. “We just want to make the community aware of that.”

The Jan. 21 summit will have keynote speakers, including Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp, former Ambassador to the State Department for Trafficking in Persons Susan Coppedge, FBI Special Agent Renee Green, survivor Rachel Fischer and Alia El-Sawi from Homeland Security Investigations.

There will also be a representative from Wellstar to talk about training that helps health care professionals

spot signs of trafficking. It’s estimated that a survivor goes to the emergency room 15 times before they realize they have been trafficked, McCleary said.

At the summit, students from Innovation Academy will also present an app they have created, related to human trafficking.

Summit organizers discussed the idea of “shining a light” on the community and integrated the concept into the summit’s stand-alone slogan and logo.

“This does happen here,” McCleary said.

The event is free, but space is limited. Those interested can register online by Jan. 20.

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Dave McCleary, former president of Roswell Rotary, speaks against human trafficking at the club’s Jan. 5 meeting. McCleary is the immediate past global chair and founding member of the Rotary Action Group Against Slavery, an anti-human trafficking organization.

Market keeps downtown Alpharetta bustling in winter

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Michelle Walters never intended to expand LNB Candles beyond the immediate orbit of her daughter and her friends, but it’s success outgrew expectations.

Her small business has grown out of her home and into its own physical location, onto the shelves at Walmart and a booth at Alpharetta farmers markets.

Walters was one of the vendors at the Jan. 11 North Main Street Market at Alpharetta, a new winter farmers market that began in November. The various vendors, ranging from hot sauce shops to gluten-free tamales, set up at Henderson Commons.

Walters’ business began with a personal goal in mind. Her daughter was diagnosed with a health condition.

“We noticed she was starting to break out and get cystic acne, get very tired at night, get sleepy, and say, ‘I have headaches,’” Walters said. “And we figured out it was the candles she was burning.”

Walters said through research she discovered that some candles contain dangerous chemicals, which led her to make her own candles out of simple ingredients.

LNB has expanded beyond candles to room sprays and car fresheners. Walters said she has recently started expanding into body lotions and body sprays.

LNB Candles can be found at 6778 Jamestown Dr. in south Forsyth County, at the Halcyon Farmers Market, on Amazon and at some Walmart locations.

Noemi Espinoza, owner of Noemi’s Tamales, also started her business through a love for family. Espinoza — who makes tamales that are organic and gluten-free, sauces and salsas — said her mother and tradition are what inspired her to the business.

Espinoza founded Noemi’s Tamales in 2009 but eventually left the business behind after the birth of her grandson in 2017. However, Espinoza said, she wasn’t able to stay away for long, and she resumed tamale sales after a five-year recess.

“I would make my kids, I would make them make tamales,” Espinoza said. “Like, you just don’t have life without making tamales for Christmas.”

Other vendors at the event included Boarding Pass Coffee, Mighty Greens GA, Southern Local Nuts and B&A Bees.

Businesses like Gone Bananas, owned by Eric Luidens and his wife,

began because of COVID-19, and has hung around since.

Luidens’ booth featured Caribbean banana bread, which Luidens said differs from typical Georgia banana bread in ingredients, spices and flavors. Luidens, who travels to markets as far as Macon, also sells his bread on Instagram.

“Everything is natural,” Luidens said. “We source everything as local as possible, so we know what we’re putting in it.”

For those without the taste for ba -

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Customers walk by the Dancin’ Salmon and Southern Comfort Foods booths at the North Main Street Market Jan. 11. Organized by Joern Seigies, the Wednesday event serves as a farmers market in the winter months.

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA Eric Luidens’ Gone Bananas sells Caribbean banana bread at the North Main Street Market and on its Instagram page @gonebananasatl. Luidens runs the business with his wife.

Golf cart dealer keys in on Milton’s slow, simple lifestyle

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — If you’ve ever been out on the road in any of the dozens of golf cart friendly cities, you might have asked, “Why would anyone chose to drive around in one on the street?”

They’re slower than a car and are almost always open to the breeze. Worse, your range while using one is about 50 miles before they’ll need another charge or fill up.

But according to Robert Copenhaver, a partner with Low Speed Vehicles of Alpharetta, those are all the reasons you should consider a leisurely open-air ride in the Milton community.

Copenhaver opened LSV of Alpharetta as a licensed golf cart dealership with three partners in May 2022, out of a building off Mayfield Road in downtown Milton. The 24-year-old entrepreneur recalls that the idea goes back to his parents’ garage and a side hustle during college.

Growing up in Roswell, Copenhaver started and ran a successful landscaping company for several years until his business was acquired by a larger company in 2019.

“But while I was doing that, I was kind of hustling on the side and selling golf carts out of my parents’ garage,” he said. “It was like super random, I would buy one and then fix it up, make it look nice and then sell it.”

Copenhaver graduated from Kennesaw State University at about the same time his landscaping company sold, and he was left with a big question, ‘What would he do next?’

For about a year and a half he

worked for a developer in Florida, and while there he made a connection with his initial partner, John Gaston, who owned a building in downtown Milton. Before long, he was introduced to two other partners with existing connections to the golf cart manufacturer EZ-GO, who saw a viable business in him that could thrive in Milton

“It was three local partners in the Milton area,” he said. “They said, ‘We’ve got a connection to EZ-GO, you know how to sell the carts … and here we are today.”

With those opportunities and connections, they quickly set up shop in Gaston’s Milton building. Copenhaver said Milton is one of the most golf cart friendly cities they could

have picked for the business.

When they opened, Copenhaver said it was like the floodgates had opened and demand went off the charts. He thinks that’s due mostly to the golf cart ordinance Milton city officials passed in 2020 and the fact that there really isn’t another golf cart dealer nearby.

“It sounds super cheesy, but you’re selling a lifestyle,”

ROBERT COPENHAVER, co-founder of Low Speed Vehicles of Alpharetta

ALEX POPP/APPEN MEDIA

Robert Copenhaver, a partner with Low Speed Vehicles of Alpharetta, sits at the wheel of a brand-new golf cart at the company headquarters in downtown Milton Dec. 9. Copenhaver started the business with a group of partners in May 2022.

“It just made sense to kind of make our home base here,” he said. “Milton’s golf cart friendly, they passed the ordinance about a year before we got here. So, we jumped into that.”

Word has spread about LSV mostly through word of mouth and social media, he said. But it also doesn’t hurt that they’re located on Mayfield Road where traffic backs up near the roundabout at Heritage Walk in the afternoon, providing them a valuable place to advertise their vehicles.

“We put golf carts out front, and everybody sees them,” he said. “It’s funny because when they come out of the roundabout, they’re going like 5 miles an hour, so everybody slows down and they’ll look at our carts.”

To handle local demand for carts and the price of real estate space in the community, he said they opened with a “Tesla model” — putting their show room at a prominent location in Milton and opening a 5,000 square foot offsite service department on McFarland Parkway in Alpharetta.

Copenhaver said that if you asked him 10 years ago, he would have never expected to go into this line of business, but he has been

At Low Speed Vehicles of Alpharetta, located off Mayfield Road, people can buy a method of transportation that’s simple, flexible and perfect for trips in the community, business Co-Founder Robert Copenhaver says.

continuously surprised at how fun and interesting the golf cart business has been.

“It sounds super cheesy, but you’re selling a lifestyle,” he said. “It’s a high-ticket item, but there’s so much you can do with it, and you can go anywhere.”

That lifestyle is one of LSV’s main selling points to those interested in

buying a golf cart, but for Copenhaver, the draw of low-speed vehicles boils down to having a simple, convenient method of getting around town that doesn’t require maintenance or attention.

“Our whole society, I feel like, is moving towards the live-work-play model,” he said. “Everybody wants to live where they work and play … a

lot of people don’t want to take their cars out, they don’t want to struggle with parking, they don’t want to drive around a parking deck at Avalon, they don’t want to fight traffic.”

To see LSV of Alpharetta’s inventory and learn more about street-legal golf carts, visit them at their headquarters in Milton at 850 Mayfield Road or online at lsvofalpharetta.com.

ALEX POPP/APPEN MEDIA

MANSIONS

Alpharetta

3675 Old Milton Parkway Alpharetta, GA 30005 (470) 287-5290

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Sandy Springs 7300 Spalding Drive Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 (678) 498-1121

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Know your rights with estate planning

Estate planning isn’t about how much money you have. It’s about protecting what you have for you and your loved ones. Whether your estate plan includes just a Will and Power of Attorney, or if you’ve set up a trust, estate plans go a long way in making sure that what you leave behind goes to the people you care about.

So, what is an estate plan and why should you create one? To answer the second question first, Georgia is a state in which the right of survivorship is not automaticmeaning that you could lose control of your house if your spouse passes away while owning the property jointly. Not to mention, if you don’t prepare an estate plan that avoids probate court, you could lose a significant amount of your assets, as probate court is the only way to reclaim an estate - even if you have a will. In probate court,

anyone can go after the assets of your loved ones, but some notable contenders include Medicaid, creditors, debtors, and of course, the government.

The last thing anyone wants to do is to have to fight for the assets of their loved ones right after losing someone precious. That’s why an estate plan is essential if you want to leave your family with a peace of mind. An estate plan is an asset protection plan that focuses specifically on ensuring that what you own goes to the people you want it to go to. Simple estate plans generally include establishing a trust, which is one of the few ways to avoid probate court. More advanced plans will include not just a trust, but also a healthcare directive, Power of Attorney, will, and many more documents to prepare for every scenario.

If you pass away tomorrow, are you certain that everything will be in good hands? If not, then it’s time to start strategizing to make sure no court battles or obscure law will take what you own from you.

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Saint Francis School is a SACS/SAIS accredited, independent, non-profit, nonsectarian college preparatory school founded in 1976. The mission of Saint Francis School is to provide a college preparatory program to students with diverse academic ability in a structured environment that is challenging and supportive. Kindergarten – 8th grades are located on the 24-acre Roswell Campus while the High School is located on the 47-acre Alpharetta campus. The school’s commitment to small class sizes, low pupil-to-teacher ratio, and a strong emphasis on structure and organization allows students to enjoy success in academic areas and develop the self-confidence necessary to be successful in college. Curriculum offerings include AP, Honors, Traditional and Support classes.

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There is no place like High Meadows School. Since 1973, High Meadows students in Pre-K through 8th grade have learned through experiential, immersive educational opportunities offered both in the school’s spacious, lightfilled classrooms and across 42 acres of grassy fields and scenic woodlands. High Meadows School’s progressive curriculum is focused on developing future global citizens and innovative leaders who embrace challenge and think for themselves.

High Meadows lower years classrooms offer low student-teacher ratios in which instruction emphasizes academic excellence, love of learning, critical thinking, and environmental and social responsibility. As a nationally recognized and award-winning leader in progressive education, High Meadows is an

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High Meadows School’s accomplished and experienced faculty lead each student on this journey. Through interactive, inquiry-based instruction, supported by of-the-moment technology and our nature-based campus, High Meadows teachers are unequaled in their intellect, passion, and compassion for these kids. Every day they inspire authentic learning opportunities that are engaging and sticky (literally and figuratively!).

When children graduate from High Meadows, they are empowered with a deep respect for international perspectives, an intuitive understanding of life’s interconnectedness, and an exceedingly strong sense of self. Education is an expedition that starts from the moment we are born. When we teach children to be curious and inquiring at an early age,

we create within them a love of learning that lasts an entire lifetime. What is more important than that?

Come see how all this comes to life. Join us for our Winter Open House,

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Upper school counseling services – an intentional balancing act

At times students can become singleminded, focusing only on academics. While good grades are certainly an important goal for every student and a key to college admissions, grade point averages should not define students nor consume every waking hour. A life filled only with textbooks, essays, and standardized tests is not spiritually meaningful, socially purposeful, or physically healthy. As a college preparatory school, King’s Ridge Christian School strives to provide students with rigorous academic preparation as well as social, spiritual, and physical fulfillment, which are all necessary for college and life beyond.

Research supports this call for students to live a balanced life. According to the Johns Hopkins Student Assistance Program, “Students often prioritize academics at the expense of personal factors, including relationships and exercise. This can lead to a decline in academic performance, as general health and well-being are critical to optimal academic functioning.” (2020). Perhaps most surprising is that college admissions departments tell counsel-

ors that a high school resume filled only with academic accolades is not what they seek in applicants.

The Upper School counseling department at KRCS intentionally focuses on developing the whole child; one who successfully balances academics, extra-curricular interests, the arts, athletic pursuits, and a spiritual relationship with Christ. Through one-on-one meetings, small group advisement lessons, large group presentations, family conferences, and daily informal settings, counselors seek to know each of the students as individuals through their unique talents, aspirations, struggles, and strengths. Counselors act as guides, encouraging students to build resiliency, self-confidence, and independencequalities that are crucial for success in college and beyond.

The KRCS counseling team truly believes that the well-balanced student is best prepared to live out the King’s Ridge mission: “equipping students to know, to serve, and to believe”.

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A letter to students

Woodward Academy

1. You are awesome. Be confident in who you are. I promise you’ll meet peoplewho are smarter than you, and that’s OK. You don’t have to be the smartestperson—oddly enough, sometimes being the smartest person is difficult. I alsopromise that you will be smarter than most. Enjoy that; while being smart isn’teverything, it is definitely something. Be confident in your intelligence, but notarrogant. I’ve found that, most of the time, being arrogant backfires on you. That leads into point two…

2. Sometimes it takes more courage and intelligence to be silent than to speak. It took me a long time to understand and respect silence. I’m still learning that it’s a mark of maturity and, most of the time, intelligence. Also, respect everyone’s differences and challenge yourself to learn about them.

3. Never stop learning. I don’t mean that in a teacher way, I mean it in a learning life sort of way. You are constantly growing, maturing, and developing, so enjoy it. Life is a condition to which no one is immune. We learn something every day. Our taste in music, food, TV, and the people we surround ourselves with evolves. It’s natural for these preferences to change. I wasted a lot of time trying to be someone I wasn’t because I thought I was supposed to be someone else. To complete number three, you need to invest in number four…

4. Spend time with yourself. Since you’ve been in my class, I’ve learned how amazing you are each in your own way. If you sit and spend time with you, I think you’ll feel the same way. I’m such a people person, but sometimes the best thing is time alone with great music, a book, TV, or whatever. As cheesy as this sounds, be your own best friend. The sooner you learn that all of your faults and idiosyncrasies are what make you awesome, the sooner you will be a better person and enjoy life so much more. That leads to number five…

5. Everyone has faults. With the advent of social media, I sometimes find myself comparing my faults with everyone else’s highlights. Scrolling through

your Twitter feed (or Snapchat or TikTok), you see people lauding their accomplishments, great times, and great friends. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this, as long as you understand that what you see on social media is an incomplete picture. If you compare all of your faults to those highlights, you may feel a bit inadequate. Everyone has faults, so embrace yours. Grow from them and know that they add to what makes you, you. And remember, you’re awesome.

6. Surround yourself with people who love you and think you’re great (but also who know and accept your faults). You need this. If someone won’t accept you for who you are, ask yourself if you really need that relationship (be it friends or more).

7. Smile. Every day. I’m not getting into the psychology of it all, but it could possibly make you happier and healthier. It works. Trust me.

8. Don’t trust people just because they say, “trust me.” Still...

9. Trust people. It’s endearing. I know this is very contradictory, but it’s true. Even though “trust me” should raise flags, trusting people means you are human and we all need people we can trust.

10. I’ve saved one of the most important tips for last: Be happy. Genuinely happy. Choose a profession that pays the bills and makes you want to go to work most days. You won’t be happy every day. You will have bad days, weeks and maybe even months, but you’ll be generally happy. Money will not, in the end, make you happy.

One of the greatest pieces of advice my dad ever gave me was to make great memories. Good and bad, and all kinds in between, they are all part of our life.

So, make them good ones and remember that you are part of other’s memories so make sure they are positive, too.

I have to end this the way my mother ended most of our conversations when I was in high school and college. Make good choices. (I repeat this often to my own kids.)

Lori Fenzl, Upper School social studies teacher

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Mount Pisgah Christian School is educating with intention

School

Mount Pisgah Christian School is a top-rated independent Preschool-12th grade school located in north Atlanta. Known for providing an outstanding college preparatory education grounded in Christian faith and values, 100% of students are accepted into a four-year college or university.

MPCS is educating with intention through personalized, studentcentered learning with small class sizes brought to life in academics, athletics and spiritual life. A purposeful education prepares students to be critical thinkers, ready to succeed in an increasingly competitive world.

Mount Pisgah fosters innovation by valuing the opportunities students have to create, explore, and ask questions.

MPCS is a place where students encounter foundational truth in the Word of God and experience God’s love and grace in the classroom, on the field, and beyond.

Extracurricular offerings include 46 competitive athletic programs, music and visual arts programs,

as well as the Mount Pisgah Arts Academy. The after-school Arts Academy classes and lessons including drama, art, music and dance are available to all students in the community.

New Preschool Facility

The new, state-of-the-art Stuart

and Eulene Murray Academy is set to open at the start of the 2023 school year. The Academy will be home to the Mount Pisgah Christian School Preschool program for PK3 and PK4 students, and will be located on South Campus in the same building as the Lower School.

The new facility includes many

wonderful and exciting educational opportunities, including new classrooms, theatre, innovation center, interactive play spaces, and an outdoor nature-inspired playscape unlike anything offered by schools in our area.

To learn more, visit mountpisgahschool.org

Brought to you by - Mount Pisgah Christian

Education solutions for every mind, every age

Eaton Academy offers multiple programs, both in person and online, since a “one size fits all” approach to education is not effective in today’s world.

Academic Programs

The full-day K-12 school, with its 5:1 student-to-teacher ratio, allows instructors to address students’ individual learning styles, while maintaining social distancing. Students achieve significant academic and personal success resulting from STEAMrelated activities and multisensory instruction. The challenging collegeprep curriculum is delivered in a safe, nurturing environment.

For students with more significant academic and social needs, the Pace Program helps students develop life skills and independent living strategies. Pace students follow the traditional school day and work to develop greater self-sufficiency and independence, on their way to earning a high school diploma.

The Independent Study Program (ISP), tailored to students’ schedules and academic needs, permits individuals to work at their own pace. The tutorial setting enables aspiring athletes and

performers to work toward graduation while following their dreams. Some students enroll in ISP to accelerate their scholastic work; others seek academic remediation. ISP arranges the oneto-one sessions on a schedule that accommodates the students’ needs for flexibility.

Post-Graduate Programs

LEAP is designed to help individuals strengthen their life skills in order to achieve greater independence.

Participants benefit from job readiness training, life skill development, and scholastic support.

The LIFE program places young adults into their own apartments.

Participants meet with a LIFE coach several times each week for support with topics such as budgeting, hygiene, roommate relations, and housekeeping.

Supported Employment prepares young adults for the workplace.

Assistance is given with resume writing, applying for positions, and keeping a job.

College Exploratory offers individuals college level, non-credit courses so they can gauge their readiness for university life.

Eaton Academy is the ideal place for families to discover education options and independent living solutions.

EATON ACADEMY NOW

ENROLLING

Brought to you by - Eaton Academy

Great minds think differently

by - The Cottage School

Since 1985, The Cottage School (TCS) has provided a comprehensive program for students with learning differences grades 3-12. TCS offers a business-based model that promotes self-advocacy and fosters self-confidence, preparing them for life after graduation to pursue post-secondary educational paths or vocational opportunities. Our accredited college preparatory curriculum meets Georgia graduation standards and HOPE scholarship requirements to take students to graduation and beyond.

Our students, in all grades, enjoy unique experiential learning with electives based on their interests and clubs including archery, drama, forensics, robotics, horticulture and amazing off-campus experiences throughout the year.

The school’s beautiful 23-acre Roswell campus is a hidden gem in North Fulton, with small class sizes our students develop meaningful connections to our teaching staff. Our cottages are unique and warm learning environments that include computer and science labs, art studios, a multi-purpose athletic and performing arts facility, indoor and outdoor classrooms, and trails for mountain biking and cross-country. TCS encourages students of all abilities to participate in athletics by

PROVIDED

offering sports such as soccer, basketball, baseball, cross-country, tennis, and golf.

The Cottage School has built a one-ofa-kind learning environment perfect for students who learn differently. TCS offers 12-month rolling admissions for all grade levels. Visit our website or call for a campus tour today.

The Cottage School

700 Grimes Bridge Road Roswell, Georgia 30075 770-641-8688 www.cottageschool.org

Brought to you by - Mill Springs Academy

Those are the words of Mill Springs Academy’s founder, Tweetie L. Moore, and the words that Mill Springs administration, faculty, and staff continue to live by today. Founded in 1981, Mill Springs provides a values-based college preparatory program for students with ADHD and learning differences. Mill Springs’ school-wide Community Structure encourages students to participate in their own education by teaching self-advocacy, social problem-solving skills, and how to forge their own path. Our small class sizes allow teachers to provide each student with individualized instruction. Our highly skilled faculty and counselors provide academic rigor on all levels, from kindergarten through 12, in a supportive, nurturing environment.

Mill Springs Academy also offers students a wide variety of opportunities outside the core curriculum. Mill Springs’ fine arts program encourages students to explore their creativity through painting, sculpture, set design, music, performance, and more. Our robust athletic programs allow students to play at a competitive level while building teamwork and confidence.

visual and performing arts facilities. We serve students from over 50 different zip codes in the Metro Atlanta area and provide four bus routes with ten stops in the morning and afternoon. To learn more about Mill Springs Academy, visit us at www. millsprings.org/visit.

Brought to you

Mill Springs’ 85-acre Alpharetta campus includes indoor and outdoor classroom space, athletic facilities, and

“If a student can’t learn the way we teach… we should teach the way a student can learn.”

Forming Christian leaders who will transform

Pinecrest Academy is an independent PreK3-12 college preparatory Catholic school, located in North Atlanta, GA. We provide an atmosphere of academic rigor and critical thinking in a Christcentered environment, implementing the educational philosophy of Integral Formation. Rooted in Catholic tradition and inspired by the goodness, beauty, and truth of the Christian worldview, our whole-person educational method helps children discover their God-given gifts so they can fulfill their potential in academics and all areas of life.

Pinecrest has been a Cardinal Newman Society Catholic School of Excellence since 2007 and was ranked #1 Catholic High School in Georgia for the third consecutive year by Niche.com The high school maintains a one hundred percent high school graduation rate, with graduates gaining acceptance into top colleges across the globe. The average class size is 15 students, allowing for more teacher-child interaction. Lower, Middle and High School students give of their time each year to service projects, as part of Pinecrest’s mission to form Christian leaders who will transform society.

society

Pinecrest is located at 955 Peachtree Parkway in Cumming, serving Forsyth County, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Milton, Suwanee, Duluth, and other North Atlanta areas. To learn more, visit www.pinecrestacademy.org or call (770) 888-4477.

Brought to you by - Pinecrest Academy

JOHN HUYNH/PROVIDED

Legion:

reach outside of Alpharetta for support of the parade. Any expense incurred is a tax-deductible contribution to the foundation, Wise said.

folks came home, some folks didn’t. And they wanted to remember the service of folks who defended our country.”

According to the Post 201 website, an elderly Confederate soldier invited young World War I soldiers, who had just returned home, to assemble to the rear and parade with them down Alpharetta’s Main Street.

The parade dissolved in 1924 but was revived nearly 30 years later by a group of men “vitally concerned with veterans and their loved ones.”

For the past three years, festivities have been held without the parade at the Legion post. The parade was canceled in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2021, plans were derailed again after negotiations between the Legion and City of Alpharetta over costs for police and other services.

For years, the city partnered to help sponsor the parade, but it withdrew in 2019 after litigation over which groups could be represented in a governmentsponsored event.

Turning inward, Legion members established the Northern Arc Old Soldiers Day Foundation to extend its

“Many friends … plan their visits back home to visit with their kids and grandkids around the Old Soldiers Day weekend,” Wise said. “They were in the parade. They enjoyed the parade. They enjoyed the festivities we had here. And they were devastated when the parade stopped.”

Youth education

One pride and joy of the American Legion Post 201 is its natural turf, professionally kept baseball field. People come from all over to play the field, as part of a pay-to-play program. The Legion hosts around 300 games a year.

“The baseball field is a natural gateway to the community,” said Jordan, finance officer for Post 201.

The Legion engages youth in other ways. Education is a dominant value among its members, centering around the Walk of Memories. The path, which leads out from a back entrance, passes several informational plaques. Some describe the history of the ground’s tank, helicopter, Navy gun and Air Force T-33 trainer.

“We’re very, very proud of this memorial,” Wise said as he began walking down the path.

Along the path, there’s also bricks that represent veterans in the community who were killed in action or died of wounds, prisoners of war, sons of the Legion as well as friends and family.

Jordan said the Legion also funds competitive college scholarships for high school seniors, one designated to a student in the JROTC program.

The bedrock of American democracy is civil society, Jordan said. Engagement is less about war itself and more about the important lessons that spawn from war, like learning how to prevent war or in the words of Teddy Roosevelt — “carry a big stick but walk softly.”

“We have to teach and pass on those values that — quite frankly, it’s playground diplomacy,” Jordan said. “I had to tell some young brains one time off the coast of Beirut. ‘Why are we here?’”

A service to veterans

The Legion does veteran outreach and gives back to its members through financial assistance, funded through business partnerships and fundraising events, and job fairs. The Legion also has an attorney for veterans who need one.

But service extends beyond the material. The Legion provides a space for veterans and family members to

come together and gives them an opportunity to give back.

“I saw a civic organization to reengage into certain things that need to be engaged,” Jordan said. “We have a lot of veterans — who we call ‘forever young’ — to honor them is how you live and engage the community, make the community better, make your world better here.”

Wise, a 14-year Post 201 member, said he also saw the good things the Legion did for veterans and wanted to be a part of the process.

“I have the pleasure of being the brother of these individuals, and many more,” Wise said. “And it makes me proud every day to be part of Post 201.” What it means to be a veteran entered the conversation.

Recently, Hollingsworth poked around online to include something in the Legion’s newsletter, and found a quote on Quora written by a retired Navy senior chief radioman who served for 23 years, including time in Vietnam.

The quote was a response to the question, “How do you think about military members being called ‘veterans?’”

Hollingsworth read the quote aloud, ending with, “A veteran is someone who has written a check, payable to the country, up to an amount up to and including his life.”

Hofmann said house visits can range from 30 minutes to three hours, depending on the case.

The city estimated in 2021 that 40 percent of EMS calls in Milton were from residents 65 and older, which became the main target group for CARES. But Hofmann said the program has since widened its scope.

“We’re really focusing on the patients that do get discharged because we want to make sure that [they] don’t end up costing [themselves] more money,” Hofmann said.

Community education

CARES developed a concept called the “triangle effect,” which entails response, prevention and community education.

In his CARES SUV, Hofmann responds to a patient call and begins patient assessment. Because Hofmann doesn’t have to drive a fire engine, response times are naturally quicker for “high acuity” calls, or calls that

require immediate care.

Prevention might take the form of ensuring patients fill their prescriptions, take their medication and have a primary care provider.

But prevention also blends into the community education side of the triangle. Education is a preventative measure, said Mark Haskins, the medical services adviser for Milton Fire. And, it’s a CARES feature that’s underutilized, he said.

The program has offered free CPR/ AED classes to all Milton homeowners associations and schools. The training can include first aid education.

The team also provides Stop the Bleed classes, usually taught at places where a mass shooting can occur. There, residents learn how to apply a tourniquet and other means to stop blood flow from a deep wound.

Those interested in CARES classes can register online on the city’s website.

Looking to the future

Haskins said CARES is scaling up right now and has looked to other counties that have implemented nurses into its structure. While CARES is a Milton-specific program,

nominated for awards, including a 2021 Flavor of Georgia finalist and the winner of the 2022 International Fiery Flave Awards.

the model is nationwide.

CARES already assists with telehealth visits, taking vital signs and addressing other medical needs for physicians. But CARES telehealth assistance is on tap for a major upgrade with the Knock platform.

Knock is the brainchild of Harsh Suri, whose purpose is to prioritize preventative health care. Suri said 60 percent of the U.S. population has a chronic disease, but 80 percent of those cases could be prevented.

There are three key pieces to Knock, Suri said. One is to incentivize residents to build healthy habits by forming partnerships with local brick and mortars. For example, if residents floss their teeth for three consecutive weeks, they might win a free ice cream.

Knock will also facilitate the relationship between residents, CARES and health care specialists willing to donate their time.

The third piece tackles clinical efficiency, or using data to predict best practices for providers.

While Knock hasn’t gone live in Milton, Suri has already begun enrolling health care specialists on the platform and is working to nail down

the platform’s legal framework.

“A lot of times, our biggest shot in the foot as healthcare professionals is — we don’t communicate well with each other,” Hofmann said. “We’re hoping that this Knock platform will bring that a little bit more together.”

nana, another vendor, Phil Patisserie, boasted various pastries, both sweet and savory, with a croissant base, as well as macarons. Owner Philippe Monnerie said he has baked for 20 years and finally decided to share the treats last year.

A stone’s throw away, Point Blank Pepper Co. founder Rich Newton said he launched his business four years ago as a sideline. But, when he was furloughed from his job in 2020 due to COVID, he committed fully to selling his table sauces and peppers in brine.

Newton said Point Blank has been

Joern Seigies, who manages the North Main Street Market, got into the act, too.

His Bramberi Farm booth offered berries and lamb for sale.

Seigies, who frequents farmers markets to sell his berries, said he wanted to start the North Main Street event to fill the traditional off-season.

“If it picks up and it’s a good winter market, we will keep it all yearround, maybe, if we get all the approvals for it, even into the summer,” Seigies said.

The market runs through March on Wednesdays 3:30-6:30 p.m. and is located at 735 N. Main St.

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA Noemi’s Tamales owner Noemi Espinoza holds up a package of frozen chicken tamales Jan. 11 at the North Main Street Market. Espinoza makes organic and gluten-free tamales, sauces and salsas.

Variety is the spice of life

‘Tis the season for relaxing by a roaring fire with a good book or two or three. Yes, a stack of books to choose from is a must for me. Believe it or not, I do read books that aren’t set in England, though that is my preferred location. This week I bring you my perspective on three novels. One, of course, set in England, another in Boston, and the third in Africa.

“Darling Girl” by Liz Michalski

The author “brings all the magic of the classic Peter Pan story to the present, while also exploring the dark underpinnings of fairy tales . . .” As someone who fondly remembers Mary Martin’s Broadway portrayal of Peter Pan and the Disney animated version, reading this novel was at times disturbing.

I didn’t really want to give up the innocent fairy tale image of Peter Pan, but I was hooked on the book from the get-go. Nor did I want to set aside my image of the man who wrote Peter Pan. Having made J.M. Barrie’s reallife visits to the Cotswolds a plot point in my modern-day cozy mystery series, I plan to retain my view of him as a generous, quirky, fun-loving man. Still, the darker portrayal of him is intriguing.

The descriptions and the references to characters like Tinker Bell and Captain Hook bring the story alive. What really happened to the Darling children after they returned home? Where did J.M. Barrie get the idea for this tale? You’ll find tantalizing hints sprinkled throughout the book.

“Blood Feud” by Mike Lupica

Does anyone else miss Robert B. Parker? I was hooked on his three series set in Boston: Spenser, Jesse Stone, and Sunny Randall. And I was always disappointed that he didn’t write more Sunny Randall books. She’s a female version of Spenser with all of his wit and pithy comebacks.

So, I was delighted when I found that Mike Lupica had picked up the Sunny Randall series with the blessings of the Parker estate. I loved this book and have already ordered the next one.

Sunny is a PI with a retired policeman for a father and gangster’s son as a significant other. Her

relationships are complex and play a central part in this book as they do in the Parker versions. What’s different is the inclusion of more cursing and a bit more sex (though not graphic)--a sign of the times, I suspect.

If you like Spenser’s other series, you’ll get a kick out of Susan Silverman – Spenser’s girlfriend – showing up as Sunny’s therapist. And Jesse Stone gets his mention, too. I don’t want to be Sunny Randall, but I envy her way with words. I hope Mike Lupica continues this series for many years to come.

“The

Lioness” by Chris Bohjalian

While I haven’t read every book by Bohjalian, I’ve been a fan since I read “The Double Bind” with its references to Fitzgerald. “The Lioness” is similar in its references to Hemingway and his novels set in Africa. Yes, most of the characters are Hollywood stars and players, but among them are likable people you can root for. They’re not all arrogant, demanding prima donnas.

The story unfolds in alternating chapters told by the various characters as the reader experiences the immediate danger but also bits of each one’s back story. The descriptions of the Serengeti’s breathtaking beauty stand in stark contrast to the perils that await the travelers from both animal and human predators.

The comparisons to Hemingway and Agatha Christie are well-deserved. I couldn’t put the book down, and the interlocking clues kept me guessing until the end. Well done all the way around.

As I glimpse the glowing embers in our woodburning stove, I realize it’s time to choose a new book and put another log on the fire. ‘Tis the season, after all.

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

Opinions

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Visit www.ymcaatlanta.org/join to sign up or to find your nearest location.

Be a part of a community organization that is so much more than a gym!

*Joining fees will be waived until 1/23/23. Membership dues will be required at sign up.

KATHY MANOS PENN

The Ink Penn, inkpenn119@gmail.com

OPINION

Local U.S. Marine stood watch for presidents

BOB MEYERS Columnist bobmey@bellsouth.net

It is an understatement to say that entrance into the U.S. Marine Ceremonial Guard Company is a major accomplishment. Strict standards have to be met, and few volunteers make the cut.

When Alpharetta resident Egil (Gil) Leines accepted the invitation to try out for the Guard Company’s elite Silent Drill Platoon in 1958, 600 to 700 Marines gave it their best, but only 36 were accepted. This is the story of this historic organization and the experiences of one of its members some 60 years ago. Many things have changed since Gil served under presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy, but the spirit and significance of the Company carries on.

The U.S. Marine Ceremonial Guard Company lived and worked in the celebrated Marine Barracks, a group of buildings also known by its location at 8th & I streets in Washington D.C. Founded in 1801 by President Thomas Jefferson and Lt. Col. William Ward Burrows, the second commandant of the Marine Corps, 8th & I is today the oldest post in the Marine Corps. Although the Barracks is historic, the building where Gil lived was very cramped.

The Barracks housed both Marine ceremonial and security units, such as the three Silent Drill Platoons, Color Guard, Body Bearers, Drum and Bugle Corps, Marine Band and the Marine Corps Institute. John Philip Sousa was director of the Marine Band from 1880 to 1892 and composed many of his famous marches during his tenure. The Barracks is also where the top generals in the Marine Corps reside. The Commandant’s home is the oldest public building in continuous use in Washington.

Gil was a member of the Silent Drill Platoon for 12 months. Rigorous training was constant for the 36-member platoon. Long hours of practice built teamwork and precision so the unit could move as one. The platoon gave frequent public demonstrations at major sporting and other events in the U.S. and abroad.

The silent drill team went to Camp David for from two to three weeks every three months for guard duty on the perimeter or at the gate.

“That took us away from

constantly shining all our equipment,” Gil says.

Following his year with the Silent Drill Platoon, Gil was appointed to the Marine Corps Color Guard unit at the Barracks. The Color Guard carries the American Flag and the Marine Corps Battle Color. Each team consists of four Marines, the flag bearers in the middle plus two Marines with rifles. The Battle Color weighs 35 pounds because the pole is metal with 55 rings around it and 55 streamers hanging from it representing more than 400 campaigns in which Marines have participated from the American Revolution to the present.

Before modern warfare, soldiers tried to keep in formation and were often separated from their units. The color guard carried flags so soldiers could locate their units. Today the color guard is largely traditional and ceremonial.

“We did not have to purchase our dress blues because they were part of our work uniform,” recalls Gill. The uniforms were tailor made. If buttons stretched at all, we went on the H&I diet of spinach and carrots until our bellies were flat again.”

“We were always with the president when he went to Camp David.” Gil says. “I was assigned to the front gate where my job was to know what military people were allowed on the property. A Secret Service agent was responsible for non-military persons.”

While the work at Camp David was deadly serious, there were some

GIL LEINES/PROVIDED

The Marine Color Guard Platoon stands in front of the Marine Barracks in Washington DC. In 1961. On the left holding an M-1 rifle is Gil Leines of Alpharetta. Next is the National Flag and the Marine Corps Battle Color. The fourth member on the right holds an M-1 rifle. The Battle Color weighs 35 pounds because the pole is metal and carries streamers representing more than 400 U.S. and foreign campaigns and awards from the Revolutionary War to the present.

GIL LEINES/PROVIDED

An official portrait was made of Egil (Gil) Leines when he was a member of the elite US Marine Color Guard in 1961.

UNKNOWN PHOTOGRAPHER/LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

John Philip Sousa was director of the Marine Corps Band from 1880 to 1892. He wrote many of his famous marches while there.

GARDEN BUZZ

Introducing ‘Garden Buzz’ and the North Fulton Master Gardeners

Garden Buzz is a new gardening column coming to the Appen Media Group newspapers and social media.

Guest columnists will be certified Master Gardener Extension volunteers and members of the North Fulton Master Gardeners. Master gardeners will write about their diverse areas of expertise, including roses, daylilies, fig trees, fairy gardens, herbs, insects, and plants for water gardens, just to name a few of the many possibilities. Future columns may also address several ways to certify your garden as a wildlife habitat, how to conduct a proper soil sample, how to create a no-dig garden and other information.

We North Fulton Master Gardeners are very excited to partner with Appen Media group on Garden Buzz, another opportunity for us to provide horticultural education to the North Fulton community and beyond. If you have suggestions for future columns, please email us at northfultonmastergardeners@gmail.com.

So, what is a Master Gardener?

The Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteer (MGEV) Program connects the University of Georgia Extension, plant enthusiasts and communities across the state. MGEVs share UGA Extension consumer horticultural programming about

PAST TENSE

selection and care of plants for ornamental value, recreation and home food production. A Master Gardener is a volunteer educator who is trained and supervised by UGA Extension, representing the university in educational events, activities and programs. Master Gardeners teach community members how to use plants and gardening to improve their environment, personal health, and quality of life. More information about how to become a Master Gardener can be found at nfmg.net/becomeMG.html.

We are a small group of people (about 105 or so!) living primarily throughout North Fulton County who enjoy plants and people. North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc (NFMG) is a Georgia nonprofit organization whose purpose is to educate its members and the public in the areas of horticulture and ecology to promote and foster community enrichment.

Over the years, the North Fulton Master Gardeners have provided gardening community education classes in Alpharetta, Roswell, Sandy Springs, and Farm Chastain (now transitioned to a virtual learning format due to the pandemic); gardening education for young children; university and college scholarships for horticulture students; and local demonstration gardens maintained by the North Fulton Master Gardeners and Garden Faire, which will return April 29, 2023, to a new venue at Wills Park in Alpharetta.

In response to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the North Fulton Master Gardeners went virtual with our pre-recorded Fall 2020 Gardening Lecture

Series. The 2021 David Gibby International Master Gardener Search for Excellence (IMGSFE) Awards have recognized the North Fulton Master Gardeners for our efforts in the face of a global pandemic in successfully providing horticultural education to the North Fulton community and beyond through virtual webinar technology. The First Place Award in the Workshops/Presentations Category was made on September 15, 2021, during the virtual International Master Gardener Conference. View our video at https:// youtu.be/_1hSJfpsFS0.

More than 5,800 people have attended one or more of the 43 free NFMG Garden Lectures live-streamed on Zoom or Facebook since May 2020. An additional 25,000 people have viewed the videos on www.youtube.com/ northfultonmastergardeners. Please check out our YouTube video library.

The North Fulton Master Gardeners in collaboration with the UGA Extension in Fulton County are continuing to provide horticultural education to the North Fulton community and beyond through free virtual gardening education programming. The Spring 2023 Gardening Lecture Series begins Sunday, March 5, 2023, and will be available through live Zoom webinars and Facebook Live.

Each class emphasizes practical gardening activities at the time of year that is best suited for that activity. You may register for all five classes or just pick specific classes. Please register in advance at https://bit.ly/Spring2023NFMG-

GardeningLectureSeries to assure your place. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about how to join the webinar. If you cannot attend the live webinar, you can register anyway so you will receive a recorded link to the class. Don’t miss these incredible opportunities to learn more about gardening in metro Atlanta.

We hope you will become a Garden Buzz reader!

Happy New Year 2023 and happy gardening!

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About the Author

The first “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Lee Tanenbaum, a master gardener since 2011. Lee is NFMG’s Communications Co-Chair for Publicity and Marketing as well as the current Interim Chair of the NFMG Gardening Education Team. Lee is a retired speech-language pathologist and public health professional, a mother of three, and a grandmother of nine. Lee loves to garden and travel, especially with her grandchildren.

Families of Cheek Spruill House through the years

Joberry Sr. also built a house across Mount Vernon Road where Panera is today, and some of the family lived in that home in the late 1800s and into the 1900s. Lizzie Cheek Newhard lived there until her death in 1978.

VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF

The historic Cheek Spruill House at the crossroads of Chamblee Dunwoody Road and Mount Vernon Road in Dunwoody was home to three families before it was saved from demolition by the community of Dunwoody and purchased by Dunwoody Preservation Trust in 1998.

“The Story of Dunwoody,” by Elizabeth L. Davis and Ethel W. Spruill indicates a one-level home was first constructed on the site in the 1880s by Joberry Cheek. Cheek was married to Laura Eidson and the couple had six children: Myra, William Joberry Jr., John, Bunyan, Houston and Lizzie.

History indicates that the CheekSpruill home was modified to become two stories in 1906. Myra Cheek and husband William Martin were living there with their children Hiram and Gladys. When Dunwoody Preservation Trust rehabilitated the home, it was discovered that the second story was once the bottom floor of the home. The one-story home had been raised up and the new section built underneath.

William Martin died that same year and Myra married John W. Crook in 1908. Tragedy struck when Gladys died from an accident where a mill wall collapsed on her in Roswell.

A view of the back of the Cheek-Spruill House with the barn in the background.

Hiram drowned while trying to save a young boy who also drowned.

Myra and John W. Crook lived in the home until 1933. Between the years 1931 to 1933, they took in boarder Dorcas Moulders, a teacher at

Dunwoody School.

The next owner was William J. Church and second wife Margaret Church, who moved into the home

LEE TANENBAUM

DUNWOODY PRESERVATION TRUST

House:

in 1934. Church was ready to retire and looking for a country home after a career operating different stores around Atlanta. One of his requirements was that the home be near a church. The couple decided on the old home at the crossroads of Dunwoody and became members of Dunwoody Methodist Church.

William Church’s grandson J. Edwin Dilbeck visited the farm in 1998. Dilbeck was excited to have

OPINION

his grandchildren see the home and share his memories of visiting there. He recalled scuppernongs growing on an arbor in the backyard and his grandfather keeping a Ford Model T in the barn. William Church never bought a newer car.

After Margaret Church died in 1943, the house and property were sold to Carey and Florence Warnock Spruill. Both Carey and Florence grew up in Dunwoody. They married on June 10, 1923. Their children were Hugh, Edwin and Mary Gladys.

The property included the barn, smokehouse, and corn crib in addition to the house. The Spruill’s farmed the

land around the old home. In the early 1970s, Carey Spruill was still plowing fields with his mule Shorty. Those who were living in Dunwoody at the time recall how Mr. Spruill would come out on Mt. Vernon Road when he turned Shorty around.

Dunwoody Crier writer Arden Skrabanek visited the Spruill home in 1978. Florence Spruill invited her to come in and visit for a while. Carey Spruill was busy planting two rows of tomato seedlings in the garden. Shorty, 40 years old at the time, was unhitched for the day. He said the best mules came from Missouri where alfalfa was plentiful. On a second

Marine:

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lighter moments. One morning the officer in charge asked who among the Ceremonial Guard Company had lifeguard experience. No one responded. Then he asked who would like to be a lifeguard. Again no one responded. He then asked who could be a lifeguard.

“I said I earned a swimming merit badge when I was a Boy Scout. I spent four hours that day lifeguarding for President Eisenhower’s daughter in law and her young son,” says Gil. The favorite time for Gil was the

visit, Skrabanek was offered a slice of Florence Spruill’s caramel cake.

Carey Spruill died in 1983 and Florence Spruill died in 1994 after 50 years in the home. Efforts to save the home from demolition and from being replaced by commercial development began that year. Learn more at “How the Cheek/Spruill House was saved” on the Appen Media website.

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

summer of 1960 when President Eisenhower spent six weeks in Newport, Rhode Island, at the Summer White House on Fort Adams.

“The locals treated us very well because we were among the few who wore presidential badges.” On Sundays the unit accompanied the president and his family to church. Some unit members stood guard in the church and others stood outside the church.

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.