Milton Herald - March 16, 2023

Milton Economic Engagement Manager Anita Jupin presents plans for a new community farming program at the Milton City Council meeting March 6. If approved, the program would be implemented on the 12-acre Mayfield Farm, consisting of three land lots off Mayfield Road jointly owned by Milton and Alpharetta. The Alpharetta City Council workshopped the item the same night.

Milton, Alpharetta address plans for Mayfield Farm

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — Three land lots off Mayfield Road, a 12-acre former homestead, could be the subject of a “Grow-A-Row” program.

As part of Milton’s goal to hone agritourism, the project would increase food security for local families and expand production at the 2.5-acre Old Rucker

White Columns residents at odds with HOA rules on golf cart use

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — Residents of White Columns in Milton are complaining their homeowners association is using a city ordinance loophole to allow all personal transportation vehicles on their streets. At stake here is whether golf carts on streets, which the HOA covenant bans, are permitted within White Columns. Golf carts and personal transportation vehicles (PTVs) have carried separate definitions for more than 10 years, when Georgia passed legislation to address access to public roadways and paths.

Cities like Roswell generally make no distinction between golf carts and any other motorized, four-wheel vehicle that travels at low speed. Neither does Milton City Attorney Ken Jarrard, who says golf carts are a colloquial term for a PTVs.

Still, the White Columns Community Association, insists that golf carts are different and by covenant, are not permitted on streets within their community.

Farm, a joint program between the cities of Milton and Alpharetta.

The Old Rucker Farm produces 4,000 pounds of food each year, said Anita Jupin, Milton economic engagement manager. From that harvest, she said 2,100 pounds of food were donated to the North Fulton Community Charities food pantry last year.

Jupin presented the program for Mayfield Farm at the Milton City Council

meeting March 6. A central aspect of “Grow-A-Row” is to engage residents on multiple food system issues, she said.

The Mayfield property was acquired in 2017 under an agreement with Alpharetta, splitting the cost of purchase. During that time, the cities identified a need for a future intergovernmental agreement that outlines daily and long-term decisions,

White Columns takes a strict tack on the definition of golf carts and PTVs. State law defines a golf cart as a vehicle used exclusively in an area that includes a golf course.

Other HOA-led communities in the state could face the same issue of addressing golf carts on their streets.

In 2020, the Milton City Council adopted an ordinance that allows

See PLANS, Page 6 See ORDINANCE, Page 13

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

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Woman reports theft of bridle, two saddles

MILTON, Ga. — Milton Police arrived at Fortitude Farm off Wood Road Feb. 28, where a woman reported a bridle and two saddles stolen from the property.

The woman said she last saw the items Feb. 26 and discovered the theft the following day. She said the barn was unlocked overnight, and there were no security cameras. The woman told police the bridle belonged to her and described it as brown with a hump in the middle. She said she was not sure what the make was, and she did not think it had any other identifying information.

The other two items were owned by others. One saddle was Voltaire Palm Beach dark brown saddle in size 17.4, 2AA. The other was a brown Voltaire saddle, with no other detail provided.

The woman told police that she had recently dismissed an employee following an argument, but she let him stay on two more weeks.

Police heard officers get dispatched to a call involving the same man, the police report said. One officer informed police the man said he had just left a pawn shop in Alpharetta after pawning some items.

Man reports imposter issued loan in his name

MILTON, Ga. — A man on Birmingham Walk received a letter March 2, showing a $9,500 loan

withdrawn using his name.

The following day, the man’s son told police he went to talk to the bank about the loan. The teller said that a savings account, debit card and two loans were taken out using his father’s information in the amount of $9,500 on Feb. 17 and $13,000 on Feb. 23. He did a free credit check online, the police report said, which showed the two fraudulent loans.

The teller said the suspect had his father’s exact information on his driver’s license, except the expiration date on his license was off by one year. The teller said the address, date of birth and name were the same.

The teller provided a phone number and email address for the person, the police report said.

Police advised the victim to contact the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office because that is where the loan originated.

Victim files fraud report on phony $150,000 loan

MILTON, Ga. — A man informed Milton Police March 3 that a fraudulent loan taken out three years ago has come back to bite him.

The man said he received a letter in August 2020 stating that he was delinquent on his payments for a business loan totaling $150,000.

The police report said the man noticed that the loan was obtained in the name of a business he does not own, and he contacted financial representatives to straighten out the matter.

The man said he thought the issue was settled until he was contacted by a representative of a an organization stating that the man would need to file a police report in reference to his identity being used fraudulently to obtain the loan.

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.

Alpharetta strengthens powers for non-HOA neighborhoods

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The Alpharetta City Council has amended the Unified Development Code to allow a neighborhood not represented by a homeowners association to set design and building standards if a majority of property owners approve.

City Council voted 5-0 March 6 to approve the amendments. Councilmembers John Hipes and Brian Will were absent. The amendments allow the neighborhood to adopt design standards to prevent incompatible development.

For the city to consider a residential infill overlay district, 30 percent of the property owners must support it, and the percentage increases to 75 percent for the city to adopt the district. Councilman Jason Binder succeeded in a proposal to lower the 75 percent majority to twothirds, which passed unanimously.

Resident Michael Buchanan said he supported an overlay district where a majority of residents agree to maintain consistent architectural styles, and where he currently lives, 25 percent of residents can make

decisions for the rest.

Economic and Community Development Director Kathi Cook said that the 30 percent threshold includes only owners who reside on the property, but the percent to adopt the district can include developers.

Councilman Donald Mitchell said he found that element of the code troublesome.

“You moved into that neighborhood for a reason, because it looks a certain way, and it feels a certain way, and it has trees, and it has architecture that you like, and then all of a sudden you can get a developer that moves in and wants to change everything for all the folks who have been paying taxes on it,” he said. “There’s something about that that doesn’t ring fair to me.”

Councilman Doug DeRito said the property rights of all individuals are important, and the city works hard to balance minority and majority interests.

Mayor Jim Gilvin, however, expressed concerns that the lower number may negatively impact property owners.

“I’ve got to reconcile with myself that I can dictate to your neighbors who may be counting on that investment,” Gilvin said. “Because what you’re trying to do is make sure it’s what you want to remain in your neighborhood. Some of the people in your neighborhoods are counting on that to pay for a nursing home when they can no longer live independently. Those are huge investments to them, and I take that seriously.”

Tourism director recognized

Also at the meeting, the City Council recognized Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau President and CEO Janet Rodgers for her contributions to the community, as well as her receipt of the Tim Kilgore Lifetime Achievement Award at the Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus’ state tourism conference in February.

Rodgers has held the post for more than 20 years, where she has promoted shopping, dining, entertainment and live music in the city. She also created the successful Taste of Alpharetta.

“She really is the backbone to a lot of the things that makes Alpharetta special and has been for a very long time,” Gilvin said. “She really is a special, unique person who loves to serve and embodies that

mantra.”

Councilmembers also unanimously approved a conceptual site plan for Rucker Road Park, which will add parking, a restroom, benches, park pavilions, green space, walking paths and a park operations and maintenance area off the Rucker Road entrance.

The Recreation, Parks and Cultural Services Department said the project cost is $3 million, $378,070 of which has been spent.

Municipal elections

The City Council will discuss whether the city will run its own municipal elections this fall at a March 20 workshop.

City Administrator Chris Lagerbloom said the City of Johns Creek, which had also considered handling its own election, will remain under Fulton County operations due to the higher cost.

While Johns Creek had estimated the cost for roughly 18 polling locations, Lagerbloom said Alpharetta currently has 13 locations. He said city staff can estimate the cost for its current number of locations, as well as the cost for fewer, but more than one, at the workshop.

Lagerbloom said councilmembers have until March 27 to make their decision before Fulton County’s March 31 deadline.

Alpharetta City Council recognizes Janet Rodgers for her service to the city and her receipt of the Tom Kilgore Lifetime Achievement Award at its March 6 meeting. Rodgers has served as president and CEO of the Convention and Visitors Bureau for over 20 years.

PHOTOS BY SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Alpharetta resident Michael Buchanan addresses the City Council at its March 6 public hearing. Buchanan said he supports the approved residential infill overlay district for allowing a majority of residents to make decisions for the neighborhood, rather than the current 25 percent requirement for his neighborhood.

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Roswell Woman’s Club sets home, garden tour

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — The Roswell Woman’s Club announced it will host its second annual Spring Home and Garden Tour April 22 in Roswell.

The tour is a signature fundraising event that features historic homes and décor inspiration. Proceeds from ticket sales will support North Fulton education and charities.

“The profits raised from RWC fundraisers are channeled back into the community through scholarships to high school seniors and to non-traditional students, grants to teachers, and grants to nonprofit organizations that serve the North Fulton Community,” Roswell Woman’s Club President Liz Jackson said.

Plans:

Continued from Page 1

maintenance, repair and upkeep, capital improvements and potential programs.

With collaborative efforts among Community Development, Parks and Recreation and Public Works departments, Milton city staff has been working to draft the initial agreement alongside staff from Alpharetta.

Emily Groth, Milton environmental program manager, presented other ideas for Mayfield Farm, like composting and organic waste diversion as well as educational partnerships with local schools, the University of Georgia Agriculture Extension and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Groth said sustainable programs at Mayfield Farm would expand what work the city already does with local schools, like the competitive, city-funded mini-grant offered every fall.

The next couple of months, Milton city staff will look to feedback from the City Council based on agreement terms with Alpharetta. The cities would then begin organizing volunteers to cultivate the land and potentially start “Grow-A-Row” in spring 2024 planting season.

Future budget discussions would include demolitions, preparation, security

Our mission

Investigative journalism is one part of local news. Appen Media will continue to spend money on FOIA requests, comb through police reports and keep an eye on city spending.

The club has awarded over $2.4 million in grants and scholarships since 1997, Jackson said. The club, a nonprofit founded in 1948, seeks to support educational scholarships and grants, human services, cultural arts, historical preservation and urban improvement in Roswell.

In 2022, the club granted 32 organizations nonprofit grants, including The Drake House, the Roswell Historical Society, Sunshine on a Ranney Day and the Foster Care Support Foundation. It also provided 14 scholarships to high school seniors and 34 educator grants to North Fulton teachers.

Ticket sales will begin this month. More information on the tour, the upcoming silent auction and tickets can be found at roswellwomansclub.org.

and accessibility. The city had previously established $35,000 for Mayfield Farm, Groth said.

“This is great. I really like the program,” Milton City Councilman Paul Moore said. “And of course, I look forward to supporting it to make sure that it’s something that we can all enjoy in the community.”

At its March 6 meeting, the Alpharetta City Council also heard a report on Mayfield Farm’s potential “Grow-ARow” program, but members voiced cost concerns.

“There’s value in it, but we’re already investing a lot,” Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin said. “I’m concerned that the cost could become more than the benefit if we’re not very cautious in how we design those programs.”

Gilvin noted the city’s existing stake in the Old Rucker Farm. The program was once volunteer-led, Gilvin said, but since its inception, several Alpharetta staff members have begun managing the project.

Alpharetta City Administrator Chris Lagerbloom said there are nearly a dozen structures on the Mayfield property that should be demolished as soon as possible to prevent nuisance for nearby residents.

“Regardless of whether or not ‘GrowA-Row’ moves forward, I think that parcel is a site that we own that we need to make a little safer than it might be today,” Lagerbloom said.

It’ll also remain dedicated to featuring baseball tournaments, board appointments and everything else that makes up community news.

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8 | Milton Herald | March 16, 2023

DutchCrafters celebrates 20 years of handcrafted perfection

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — When DutchCrafters CEO Jim Miller and his partner Miao Xue first went into business in 2003, they didn’t really know what they wanted to sell.

Normally, that doesn’t bode well for the survival of a business. But Miller and Xue, both former grad students at the University of South Florida, knew that an invention called the internet was starting to show a lot of potential for matching customers with niche products that were hard to find.

DutchCrafters will celebrate its 20th anniversary later this month, marking years of hard work through recessions, a global pandemic and countless other challenges that led them to become an industry leader in selling hand-crafted furniture to customers around the world.

“It’s been a great success story,” Miller said. “But wow, there were challenges along the way. It took a lot of work.”

Today DutchCrafters is known for selling high-end custom furniture made by Amish craftsmen from communities in Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. But initially, Miller didn’t even think it would be possible to sell such an expensive product on the internet, which was seen as “shady” during its infancy.

“People didn’t trust it,” he said. “Consumers weren’t there yet. In 2003, total U.S. sales of eCommerce were something like 1.25 percent.”

Instead, they began selling nifty, but less expensive, Amish-made

craft items like decorative wooden lighthouses and outdoor furniture, which weren’t really being sold anywhere else online.

All that changed when Miller and his wife, Linse, took a trip to

Pennsylvania to scout for vendors, and she convinced him they’d be crazy not to try selling the beautifully crafted furniture they kept seeing.

“I said, that’s never going to

work. There’s too many problems,” he said. “The next year we did about half a million dollars in revenues … So, it was a great time to be wrong.”

See TWENTY, Page 9

It’s an American story. It’s a story that engages a high degree of authenticity. Real hands, real people working in small wood shops.

JIM MILLER, CEO, DutchCrafters

ALEX POPP/APPEN MEDIA

Jim and Linse Miller, center, stand with their staff in the showroom of DutchCrafters in downtown Alpharetta. The Amish-made furniture company opened its Alpharetta location in October 2022.

Twenty:

Continued from Page 8

Like the trust they had to build with customers, Miller said they also had to slowly build relationships in the close-knit Amish craftsman community by convincing suppliers they could sell their products faster, more consistently and for higher prices than traditional brick-andmortar stores.

“It was almost more difficult to break into the vendor community than it was with customers,” he said.

In October 2022 DutchCrafters cut the ribbon on their third location outside of their headquarters in Sarasota, Florida, and quality control warehouse in Indiana, a state-of-the-art product showroom in downtown Alpharetta.

Miller said DutchCrafters has been serving the North Fulton area for years, and he thinks that with the new location, they can boost their business in the region, while also charting a course for showrooms to open in other cities

“We’re really thrilled with the reception that we have had here from the business community and customers in Alpharetta,” he said.

“We’ve felt really welcomed by it. We want to engage in the community and be part of it.”

But customers at the showroom aren’t going to take anything home with them, like they would from an Ikea, Rooms To Go, or other furniture stores. Instead, the showroom allows customers to learn about DutchCrafter’s products and options before their furniture is custom-made by Amish craftsmen.

A custom-made piece of furniture takes much longer to arrive at its final destination, months rather than weeks, but the end product is totally unique for each customer, Miller said.

“I call it slow furniture, like slow food,” he said. “Slow Food takes a little longer, yeah. But it usually tastes pretty good, you experience it in a different way. You sit down and enjoy it together with friends.”

Beyond that uniqueness, Miller said his customers are really buying a story.

“It’s an American story,” he said. “It’s a story that engages a high degree of authenticity. Real hands, real people working in small wood shops.”

For more information about DutchCrafter’s products and story, visit www.dutchcrafters.com.

ALEX POPP/APPEN MEDIA

Each piece of furniture sold by DutchCrafters is lovingly hand-made by Amish craftsmen in Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Customers can now see examples of many DutchCrafters pieces at their showroom off North Main Street in Alpharetta.

Wills and probate court

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The most important takeaway is that so long as you only have a Will, then your heirs must go to court. The probate court is in charge of executing Wills, and a Will that doesn’t go through probate court doesn’t have legal authority. If you want to avoid court, we recommend speaking to an estate planning attorney about setting up a trust.

Alpharetta police introduce agency’s first therapy dog

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The Alpharetta Police Department is instating its first therapy dog to provide victim and witness support and departmental therapy.

Lt. Andrew Splawn said Det. Caitlin Lawrence pitched Scout, a 14-monthold beagle mix, to Director of Public Safety John Robison in 2022. He said Scout was approved, and Lawrence attended a 40-hour basic training school with Scout in December.

Splawn said Scout came from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office’s Paws and Stripes College in Florida, a program where select jail inmates train shelter dogs in obedience to determine whether they would be a good fit as a therapy or a comfort dog.

“They have to do a mock therapy dog interview where they’re interviewing a victim or a witness and the dog is in the room,” Splawn said. “They have a really nice program down there at Brevard County, and then after the one-week certification, then the handler gets to come back and start to do work with the dog.”

Scout’s training did not end with Paws and Stripes, Splawn said. Scout will continue to learn and improve his skills for the rest of his time at the department.

Splawn said standard K9 dogs are used as tools in the field for scent detection, tracking and apprehension, but Scout will be used to bring comfort for those who have had traumatic experiences.

“Because whenever somebody’s been a victim of a traumatic crime, especially like a person-on-person crime, being able to help them recall the details and speak about them, it’s very challenging,” Splawn said. “And if we can use therapy dogs to help them out, we’re helping the victim, but then we’re also helping to identify suspects.”

He said Scout’s primary purpose is a therapy dog for victims and witnesses, but the dog will also provide therapy for the Public Safety Department’s employees, such as firefighters and 911 dispatchers, who can witness traumatic events in the course of their duties.

Since February, Splawn said Scout has already made rounds around the department to cheer up employees, but Scout has not yet been employed in direct response to a traumatic

event.

Splawn said a study conducted by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office found that in 24 cases, 83 percent of child abuse victims made active disclosures when comforted by a therapy dog, compared to the national average 30-40 percent disclosure rate.

“It really helps victims and witnesses [who are] anxious in an interview room,” Splawn said. “It really helps calm them down, and as they get more calm, they’re able to recall more instances and details to be able to give to the police.”

Splawn said the department will review Scout’s success rate in the future to determine if more therapy dogs would be worthwhile, but the department is open to having more.

ALPHARETTA POLICE DEPARTMENT/PROVIDED

The Alpharetta Police Department’s new therapy dog Scout is a 14-month-old beagle mix. Scout was trained alongside Police Det. Caitlin Lawrence at the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Paws and Stripes College in Florida.

Ordinance: Correction

Continued from Page 1

personal transportation vehicles on public streets with a posted 25 mph speed limit. Two years later, it passed the Personal Transportation Vehicle Plan which proposes multi-use golf cart paths around the city in addition to a registration process for residents who wish to drive PTVs.

But the city code does not tend to “golf carts.”

Echoing statements made in December, the White Columns Homeowners Association sent a letter March 6 to its residents, maintaining the legal distinction of golf carts and PTVs. The White Columns covenants state that “golf carts” are not permitted but does not explicitly use the term “PTVs.”

The White Columns covenants were recorded in 1994 before PTV nomenclature was established and before the community’s golf course was opened.

While the covenants pertain to gated and non-gated residents, the HOA considers non-gated streets to fall under the jurisdiction of city code and has referred those residents back to the city on PTV-related matters.

For gated residents, the HOA will soon release a set of registration and operator guidelines for resident PTV drivers.

Melissa Dicks, White Columns property manager, could not be reached for comment.

Residents take issue

Dan Pike, a White Columns resident, provided public comment at the Feb. 22 Milton City Council meeting, claiming to represent a large group of residents concerned that the city’s PTV ordinance conflicts with the White Columns HOA covenants.

Pike said there have been multiple sightings of carts driven by unlicensed minors with young children onboard.

“So why are we here?” Pike asked. “We’re here to ask for the council’s help exploring how we can assure the city’s PTV ordinance doesn’t interfere with our HOA golf cart restriction we all agreed to when we bought our homes.”

Two other residents provided public comment at the same meeting, advocating against PTVs in their neighborhood.

At the March 6 City Council meeting, another White Columns resident criticized her HOA.

Julie DeCredico, who lives just inside the entrance of the community, said she has noticed cars speed at around 45 mph and observed multiple car accidents.

“A speeding car colliding with a golf cart on our street could obviously be deadly,” DeCredico said.

DeCredico took issue with the association’s assertion that golf carts and PTVs are not one in the same.

“As our U.S. Supreme Court has told

The online version of this story was updated to clarify the White Columns HOA position on its ban of “golf carts” on roadways in its community. The HOA cites state law for its definition of golf carts as distinguished from personal transportation vehicles.

us several times lately, rules need to be understood in terms of the framer’s intent,” she said. “To me, and to the HOA board who passed the no golf carts rule, if it looks like a golf cart and drives and operates and quacks like a golf cart, then it is a golf cart.”

DeCredico said the HOA needs 51 percent of the community to change its by-laws. But with the HOA’s keen eye on vehicle type, covenants may not need to be changed.

City attorney weighs in Milton City Attorney Jarrard released a legal memo saying, “It was not the intention of the City Council to invalidate or render unenforceable private covenants pertaining to PTV usage.”

In the memo, Jarrard cites case law that allows private covenants to be more restrictive than local government regulation.

Brad Dell, White Columns HOA modifications chair, submitted an emailed public comment for the March 6 City Council meeting referencing Jarrard’s memo.

Dell said the memo was “initiated not in the interest of clarity but in an effort to sow deeper confusion and frustration.”

Adam Hollingsworth, White Columns HOA secretary, questioned city efforts to gain insight and perspective from HOAs across Milton. In an email, Hollingsworth said the city is creating a “patchwork of contradictory and confusing rules and regulations” for city-owned streets, citing the city’s action to remove a provision allowing HOAs to act on behalf of neighborhoods for traffic calming measures.

While Jarrard does not mention golf carts in his written opinion, he did articulate them in an email. Jarrard confirmed that PTVs and golf carts are not synonymous terms. However, he said the definition of PTV captures more than just golf carts.

“The overwhelming number of PTVs that will be implicated by the Milton PTV ordinance are going to be, colloquially speaking, golf carts,” Jarrard said.

In an interview, Pike said he and 20 to 30 other White Columns residents plan to lobby the city to amend the PTV ordinance to “enable, without interpretation, that HOA covenants be respected, protected, preserved.”

When asked if the ordinance could be updated in this way, Jarrard said it’s a possibility.

Big Creek Greenway project receives $2 million in grants

ROSWELL, Ga. — The Big Creek Greenway Community Connectivity Planning Project is getting a shot in the arm, thanks to $2 million in federal grants announced Feb. 28 by U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

The project aims to design a multi-use path to unite disadvantaged residents to jobs, health care, education and other civic life. It will be built on a 20-foot easement in Roswell underneath Ga. 400, land owned by the Georgia Department of Transportation.

The path will connect Roswell’s town center, Alpharetta, the historically disadvantaged Liberty Square neighborhood

and Metro Atlanta through the Big Creek Greenway.

“Transportation should connect, not divide, people and communities,” Buttigieg said.

The Reconnecting Communities Program, established by President Joe Biden provides technical assistance and funding for community planning and construction projects that aim to reconnect neighborhoods split by transportation barriers.

The grants, totaling $185 million, were awarded to 39 planning projects and six capital construction projects.

Plans for new Tim Hortons location alarm residents, business owners

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Plans for a Tim Hortons coffee shop on the corner of State Bridge Road and Abberley Lane have disquieted residents of the subdivision next door, who are worried about noise and traffic congestion.

Contract purchaser Abid Khutliwala intends to use a .84-acre parcel for the location, which sits only a few feet away from the Abberley Township gate. The property holds a joint-access easement, connecting Abberley’s private drive through a strip mall to the Goodwill parking lot, that would be used in the business’ drive-thru.

Khutliwala owns commercial businesses in other cities, like Popeyes, Checkers and Moe’s Southwest Grill, but if the zoning application is approved, Tim Hortons would be Khutliwala’s first business in Johns Creek. He hopes to own more.

“There’s only two good cities in the area: Peachtree City and Johns Creek,” Khutliwala said. “And I’m already living in one.”

Khutliwala is in the process of buying the property to begin development, a project with a price tag of at least $2 million. The Johns Creek Planning Commission has yet to give feedback on project plans.

Following a deferral, Khutliwala requested the group meet April 10.

Other locations have been considered, but Khutliwala said, “The price points are so heavy that you can’t even touch it.”

Public outcry

A public input meeting took place in January, where over 20 Abberley Towneship residents voiced their concerns over the use of the easement. Khutliwala’s lawyer, Shaun Adams, confirmed another meeting around early March for residents who couldn’t attend the meeting at Johns Creek City Hall.

“That little area is going to turn into a cluster of traffic,” said Rebecca Sanna, president of the Abberley Towneship Homeowners Association. Emergency vehicles and school buses would have a more difficult time accessing Abberley, Sanna said.

Pedestrian safety is another issue. Beatriz Aziz, secretary of the HOA, said kids who live in the neighborhood walk to State Bridge Road to be picked up for school at the same time as Tim Hortons’ peak hours of early morning and early afternoon.

Small established businesses also stand to see impacts from Khutliwala’s plans. Cafe Landmark, a Ukrainian specialty coffee shop, is in the Goodwill shopping center, and Cloudland Coffee Company is about a mile down State Bridge Road.

Kristina Madh, owner of Cloudland and a Johns Creek resident, said her business already struggles in retail and competes with Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks and PJ’s in the same area.

Most profit comes from wholesale, Madh said, and much of it is spent on advertising and promotion.

Signage has been an issue for Madh, who said she has gone back and forth with the City of Johns Creek. Cloudland Coffee Company is tucked away into a strip mall, which makes it difficult for potential customers to see the business.

“If they do approve [the rezoning], it isn’t really reflecting how [the city] tries to portray themselves as a small town, a small city,” Madh said.

Ben Song, Johns Creek community development director, said when it comes to zoning, the city is in the business of land use, guided by its Comprehensive Plan and zoning ordinance.

“We’re totally about the free market, right?” Song asked.

Potential businesses should perform due diligence, Song said, and determine who their competitors are and if they have a sustainable business model.

Tim Hortons is permitted in the C-1, or community business, zoning

district, which holds the .84-acre parcel. Song said the rezoning process is necessary to remove the site’s old zoning conditions attached to a retail

space, and new conditions would be added as the development goes

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

A .84-acre parcel at the corner of State Bridge Road and Abberley Lane is under examination as part of its rezoning process for a new Tim Hortons location. Residents in the nearby Abberley Township voiced their concerns about the traffic and noise the business might create.

MAP BY CARL APPEN/APPEN MEDIA This map shows the proposed location for a new Tim Hortons at the corner of State Bridge Road and Abberley Lane. Residents in the nearby Abberley Township have raised issues about increased traffic and pedestrian safety. See LOCATION, Page 19

Northern Ridge lists February Eagle Scouts

The Northern Ridge Boy Scout District (Cities of Roswell, Alpharetta, John’s Creek, Milton) is proud to announce its newest Eagle Scouts, who completed their Eagle Board of Review on February 23,2023, at Johns Creek Presbyterian Church.

Eagle Scouts are, from left: Sean Sternot, Troop 51, sponsored by American Legion Post 201, whose project was the design and construction

of an outdoor communal library and three benches to sit and read at Vickery Mills Elementary School.

Chase Brown, Troop 51, sponsored by American Legion Post 201, whose project was the design and construction of a communal library as well as beautifying the surrounding area by clearing overgrowth and removing the worn out ground tiles and staining the concrete below the tiles at Sweet Apple Elementary School.

Sadie Brinser, of Troop 1857, sponsored by Christ the Shepard Lutheran Church, whose project was the design and construction of 10 ready to assemble wooden bed kits for local children in need of a bed. The kits were given to Sleep in Heavenly Peace Organization for distribution.

Andrew Jackson, of Troop 629, sponsored by Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church, whose project was the design and construction of a GAGA pit at Ocee Park.

Yash Choudhury, of Troop 2000, sponsored by Johns Creek Presbyterian Church, whose project was the design and construction of four wooden shoe holders and two raised garden beds for the Chinmaya Mission Alpharetta.

Brendan Latorre-Murrin, of Troop 69, sponsored by Alpharetta First United Methodist Church, whose project was the design and construction of a large semicircular bench around a large oak tree at Chattahoochee Nature Center.

Street art course registration underway at Spruill Center

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Spruill Center for the Arts and Brave Nu Ventures announced open registration for “Exploring Street Art in Atlanta,” a sixweek course that explores the art form transforming the city. Exploring Street Art in Atlanta, one of a handful offered in the United States, will run April 15-May 20. Classes will be held on Saturdays from 2:30-4:30 p.m. at the Spruill Center and at key street art locations in Atlanta. Full scholarships are available to young adults who qualify. The link to the scholarship application is spruillarts.

org/scholarships.

Exploring Street Art is open to the public and includes talks, mixed media projects and field trips:

• Week 1: Intro to Street Art Lecture

– overview of Atlanta’s evolving cityscape from an urban art scholar.

• Week 2: ATL Street Art Tour – twohour trek through Castleberry Hill & Downtown to learn the stories behind iconic works.

• Week 3: Is Graffiti Art? Workshop

– a closer look at graffiti and arguments for and against its merits.

• Week 4: Graffiti Painting – a hands-on, and legal, workshop to create a piece with a graffiti teaching artist.

• Week 5: Artist Studio – an opportunity to meet the muralist behind several works and learn about their creative process.

• Week 6: Public Art Installation –a rare chance to work on a public mural with a local artist.

Brave Nu Ventures designed the course over 12 months, working with local artists, creatives and street art insiders.

The course features a team of facilitators who will lead individual sessions. Students will learn about the cultural significance of street art in Atlanta. They will see and discuss the iconic murals, the contributions of edgier, and even anonymous artists, and the issues being addressed. By making art and touring the city, students will develop an aesthetic sensitivity to street art forms and techniques – from graffiti styles to how murals are made.

To enroll in Exploring Atlanta Street Art, go to spruillarts.org/classes.

Location:

Continued from Page 16

through the rezoning process.

Bob Mullen, Johns Creek communications director, said the city wants thriving small businesses, as well as thriving large businesses.

“I don’t think there’s a reason that they wouldn’t want all sorts of allowable businesses to come into Johns Creek,” Mullen said.

Site revisions

So far, Khutliwala has submitted two site plans for the development in the rezoning process. Khutliwala prepared the second plan in hopes of mitigating resident concern.

The first site plan for Tim Hortons included a 1,610-square foot building with one drive-thru lane, connected to Abberley’s private road using the easement.

While the drive-thru still uses the easement in the new plan, Khutliwala and the engineering team has decreased the size of the building to 888 square feet to allow for two drivethru lanes, intended to reduce traffic.

With the revision, the number of trips per day have decreased from a projected 859 trips to 238. Khutliwala said he is going further to conduct

a traffic study, using a nearby Starbucks.

In the original site plan, the board was set to be posted at the back of the building, adjacent to the Abberley townhomes.

To mitigate noise, the new draft moves the menu board to the side of the building. It also calls for a brick wall, situated in front of the townhomes to act as a noise barrier. Currently, a wooden fence and a line of large trees separate the homes and the parcel.

In discussions with his lawyer, Khutliwala said the idea of blocking the easement at Abberley Lane had come up as a potential solution, but because the easement is used by many businesses, he would not have the right to block the entry point.

The easement is part of a private agreement that dates to 2001, Song said, which was updated two years later to include access to Abberley Lane. Without the easement access on Abberley Lane, Song said drivers cannot make a left turn onto State Bridge Road.

Nick Griffiths, the principal engineer for the project, said the plan updates are evidence of Khutliwala’s attention to resident concern.

“Those are all things that he’s trying to do to be a good neighbor,” Griffiths said.

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Stand-Alone Gloss

ARTISTIC AFFAIR

What: Building off the success of last year’s groundbreaking fundraising event, Spruill Center for the Arts presents “Artistic Affair: An Arts Experience” at Factory Atlanta. The fundraiser and auction will include a DJ, magician and fortune tellers, live art painting, open bar, hors d’oeuvres and more.

When: Friday, March 24, 7-10 p.m.

Where: Factory Atlanta, 5616 Peachtree Road, Chamblee

Cost: $75

More info: spruillarts.org/artistic-affair

‘THE NICETIES’ AT STAGE DOOR THEATRE

What: Zoe is a young Black student at a liberal arts college. What begins as a polite clash in perspectives of the founding fathers between her and her liberal, tenured professor explodes into a tightrope of what it means to hear and what it means to listen.

When: March 17-April 2, 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Where: Stage Door Theatre, 5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody Cost: $35 for adults, $20 for students, $15 for children

More info: stagedoortheatrega.org/ the-niceties/

DUNWOODY FARMERS MARKET

What: The Dunwoody Farmers Market brings together a variety of vendors selling local and organic fruits, veggies and produce, coffee, breakfast, baked goods, prepared meals, frozen treats, eggs, grass-fed meat and fresh seafood.

When: Saturday, March 18, 10 a.m.12 p.m.

Where: Brook Run Park, 4770 North Peachtree Road, Dunwoody

More info: dunwoodyga.gov

FOOD DRIVE - ALL SAINTS ST. VINCENT DE PAUL

What: All food items are essential and appreciated, however the greatest need is canned meat, peanut butter and diapers. Please no glass containers which can break in transport.

When: Saturday, March 18, 2-6:30 p.m. & Sunday, March 19, 8 a.m.6:30 p.m.

Where: All Saints Catholic Church, 2443 Mount Vernon Road, Dunwoody More info: allsaintsdunwoody.org/ ministries/st-vincent-de-paul/

NORTHSIDE SAINT PATRICK’S DAY PARADE & FESTIVAL

What: The inaugural Northside St. Patrick’s Parade & Festival will commence with the parade honoring St. Patrick and the Irish community in Georgia and will include Irish Societ -

ies, businesses and social groups, local school units, bands, families, and some pipes and drums. The parade will complete its route at the City Green where the festival will be in full swing. Local and Celtic vendors will be selling wares, and there will be Irish sports demonstrations, music, Irish dancing and more. The evening will culminate with a concert, ages 21 and over, by Kate Curran at nearby Thos. O’Reilly’s Public House.

When: Saturday, March 18, 10 a.m.

Where: City Green, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs

More info: visitsandysprings.org

MOONSHINE IN SANDY SPRINGS

What: Busting up moonshine operations was not unheard of in Sandy Springs during the 1940s, and rumor has it that one remains hidden under Lost Corners trails. Join Melissa Swindell, director of Historic Resources and Education Programs at Heritage Sandy Springs, to learn more about the fascinating and scandalous history of moonshine and prohibition in Sandy Springs. The event is free, but registration is required. Donations are welcome.

When: Tuesday, March 21, 7 p.m. Where: Lost Corner Preserve, 7300 Brandon Mill Road, Sandy Springs More info: sandyspringsga.gov

STUDIO SERIES: MICHELLE MALONE

What: Closing the Studio Series, songwriter and modern-day guitar hero Michelle Malone brings her unique mix of roadhouse rock ’n roll, blues, gospel, country-soul and folk to the stage.

When: Thursday, March 23, 8 p.m. Where: Studio Theatre, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs

Cost: $20-30

More info: sandyspringsga.gov

HEALTHY FOREST LECTURE WITH INTERPRETATIVE HIKE

What: If we understand the soil of today, then we can better understand the forest of tomorrow.This program will cover seed bank, soil science, soil

horizon, soil testing, limiting factors, mycorrhizae, richness, biodiversity, urban forestry, fungal network (mycelium), nutrient uptake, nutrient fixing and root grafts. Participants can submit soil samples to the University of Georgia and begin a soil composition index.

When: Friday, March 24, 12:30 p.m.

Where: Lost Corner Preserve, 7300 Brandon Mill Road, Sandy Springs

More info: sandyspringsga.gov

SNAP!DRAGON’S GARDEN OPENING RECEPTION

What: Spring has sprung at the Dunwoody Community Garden. Visit the event for an afternoon of Instagramworthy selfies, free popcorn and garden-themed goodies for kids. Moondog Growlers will be on site with beverages available for purchase. Exhibit runs until April 1.

Where: Brook Run Park, 4770 North Peachtree Road, Dunwoody

When: Saturday, March 25, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

More info: dunwoodyga.gov

SANDY SPRING THEATRE COMPANY’S ‘SPAMALOT’

What: Join King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table and the glamorous Lady of the Lake as they turn the Arthurian legend on its ear in their quest for the Holy Grail. Along the way they encounter dancing showgirls, flying cows, killer rabbits and assorted French people. The production is the winner of the 2005 Tony Award for Best Musical.

When: Up to March 26, times vary

Where: Byers Theatre, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs

Cost: $37-100

More info: sandyspringsga.gov

FEATURE YOUR EVENT ONLINE AND IN PRINT!

It’s even easier now than ever to promote your event to hundreds of thousands of people, whether online, through our newsletters or in the Crier and Herald newspapers.

To promote your event, follow these easy steps:

1. Visit AppenMedia.com/Calendar;

2. Provide the details for your event including title, description, location and date;

3. Click the red button that reads “Create event”

4. That’s it! Submissions are free, though there are paid opportunities to promote your event in print and online.

PRESERVING THE PAST

Jimmy Carter and the Dolvin Elementary School

just become president. The principal was Betty O’Quinn. We invited Emily Dolvin for lunch to get to know her. She liked our proposal, and she said she would call Jimmy. We moved into Dolvin School Dec. 7, 1979 and hoped to get the president to come out soon, but it was Sept. 15, 1980 before he could schedule his visit.”

BOB MEYERS

At a time when many Americans are contemplating the life and legacy of former President Jimmy Carter, it is appropriate to recall the history of the Dolvin Elementary School in Johns Creek, which Carter was on hand to dedicate in September 1980. This column is the story of that event and the story of one unique woman, his Aunt Sissy Dolvin, who helped make Jimmy Carter the person he became.

Dolvin Elementary School is the oldest operating school in Johns Creek. It is known for its academic excellence and for the active interest students’ parents take in education. School Principal Karen Cooke says, “We live our school mission: inspire, challenge, achieve.”

As part of the Fulton County Charter School system which emphasizes local school autonomy, Dolvin School has an active School Governance Council whose membership is 50 percent staff and 50 percent parents, an energetic PTA and the effective Dolvin Foundation. The foundation is a nonprofit charitable organization that raises funds to support educational programs, new technology and other equipment that would not otherwise be available through the school’s annual budget. For the past two years the Foundation has focused its efforts on a Science Discovery Lab. Cooke states that the Foundation has raised more than a million dollars over the years.

The school is named after William Jasper Dolvin (1908-1974), a celebrated educator who was principal of Roswell School on Mimosa Boulevard. He was married to Emily Gordy Dolvin (1912-2006), President Carter’s beloved “Aunt Sissy.” Emily subsequently married Hubert Visscher (1914-2005), a meteorologist. Emily was a well-known community leader in Roswell for more than 50 years. She played a key role in Carter’s political success, especially in 1976 when the then relatively unknown Georgia governor ran for president. The Dolvins’ home on Bulloch Avenue, built in the 1880s, became known as the Carter Roswell White House.

June Gay, retired assistant principal at Dolvin Elementary School, remembers the dedication ceremony. “It started off in a wonderful way,” she says. “Jimmy had

June taught school the day of the dedication and had three Secret Service agents in her classroom.

“We thought we would have a lot of students attend since it was a school event, but there were so many politicians and reporters that we had to cut way back the number of students,” she recalls.

To control the crowd, the school instituted a ticket system for students and teachers.

“A Secret Service agent was assigned to me, and we had to move all the teachers into one room so the Secret Service could search the school,” June says. “When the president arrived, the agent and I stood at the door to be sure everyone who entered had a ticket. I said ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to our people who wanted to come in, and the Secret Service agent checked out the VIPs.”

June remembers that Aunt Sissy was very excited. She was raised in the Dolvin house in Roswell and was excited to show her deceased husband’s namesake, the school, to her nephew, the president.

Carter spoke to the crowd in the auditorium/cafeteria and told them how proud he was to see his Uncle Dolvin’s name on the school. He noted that he had visited the Dolvin home often “because Sissy was my favorite aunt and helped to guide me through my formative years. And as I got into politics and government, Sissy and Dolvin’s house was a good place for me to come, not only to receive love and friendship and support but also to learn. . . because he knew that I was eager to learn and to improve the educational system of our state. He taught me just as he taught his students in elementary school.”

Following the dedication, Aunt Sissy hosted a reception for about 100 people at the Dolvin residence including Mrs. Lillian Carter, the president’ mother, Governor Busbee, Senator Talmadge and Representative Fowler.

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.

Columnist

ROSWELL HISTORICAL SOCIETY/PROVIDED

President Jimmy Carter speaks at the dedication of the Dolvin Elementary School in Johns Creek on Sept. 15, 1980. Standing next to him is his Aunt Sissy Dolvin, widow of William Jasper Dolvin, for whom the school is named. Aunt Sissy was a community leader for more than 50 years in Roswell and had a major influence on President Carter as a youth and adult.

FULTON COUNTY SCHOOLS ARCHIVES/PROVIDED

President Jimmy Carter and his Aunt Sissy Dolvin unveil a portrait of her deceased husband William Jasper Dolvin for whom the Dolvin Elementary School is named. Aunt Sissy, whose real name was Emily Gordy Dolvin, devoted more than 50 years to volunteer and civic activities in Roswell.

ROSWELL HISTORICAL SOCIETY/PROVIDED

President Jimmy Carter addresses a crowd during the dedication of Dolvin Elementary School in Johns Creek on Sept. 15, 1980. His favorite Aunt Sissy Dolvin is seated on to right of the empty chair. The Dolvin home in Roswell was known as the Carter Roswell White House because he visited his aunt frequently during his formative years.

GARDEN BUZZ

Top Gardening Jobs for March

Our above-ground low and freezing temperatures this winter may have caused damage, injury and possibly death to some of your foundation plants.

Look for signs of life

by scraping a twig or stem with your fingernail. If you see green just inside the exterior, the plant has probably survived. Refrain from cutting back any plant material until you see new shoots or buds. Be cautious with pruning too early this season; we may continue to have unpredictable cold snaps. If new shoots or buds are developing, that is a positive sign. Most established bulbs should not be affected.

Spring blooming shrubs, such as loropetalums, azaleas, and forsythias will not likely have as dramatic a show as in years past. When (and if) you get flowers, you may prune lightly after the shrubs have completed their bloom cycles. Refrain from fertilizing shrubs or trees until after they begin to leaf out.

On the ground

Flip over the compost pile as your muscles can tolerate this exercise. Add moisture if needed and continue to add leaf matter that you have raked from the yard.

Clean up those plant beds. Remove excess leaves, branches, cones, and those aggravating sweetgum balls, and remove new emerging weeds underneath the leaf matter.

Amending your soil around the bases

of foundation plants is important: 1) remove the old mulch; 2) add a mixture of soil conditioners and decomposed compost; 3) hand-till it in and around the established plant roots, then tamp the soil; 4) replace with 2 inches of fresh mulch. Adding in a small amount of 1010-10 granular fertilizer (slower release) with the new soil is advisable. This is a labor-intensive activity that will pay off in the long run. A soil test through your local UGA Extension office will tell you exactly how to amend your soil for what you want to plant.

Divide and transplant perennials (including ground covers, such as sedum, pachysandra, ajuga, liriope, and creeping jenny) as they emerge from the ground. Use your amended soil to give them a healthy start. Chrysanthemums should be firmly tamped into the soil; they may have heaved or pushed themselves out of the ground during the coldest months.

It’s not too late to plant new ornamental shrubs; if you still want to plant new trees, they will require extra attention from you throughout the warm months. Your ‘optimal window of opportunity’ with tree planting has passed. Be mindful of watering new foundation plants regularly.

Bulbs

Make room and plan (but don’t yet PLANT) summer bulbs, such as cannas, dahlias, gladiolus, caladiums and colocasia. When the soil temperatures reach at least 60 degrees, you may plant. These items perform well in containers and will mix well with summer annuals.

When spring bulbs have completed their bloom cycle, cut off the flowers and stems completely but not the leaves. Don’t forget to work fertilizer into the soil for next year’s blooms, after the leaves begin to die back naturally. The location of spring bulbs may be a good spot for planting your new summer annuals.

Pruning

Prune to remove dead, broken or diseased branches. At any time of the year, always prune out branches that are crossing unnaturally or rubbing together. Selectively thinning branches is encouraged for providing proper air circulation throughout the plant. This prevents future disease and pest problems. Some deciduous trees may have “water sprouts”— these are clusters of very vertical branches growing straight up. They can eventually weaken a tree and are often used by an old pruning wound. Also, prune back the “suckers” found at the bases of trunks, such as crape myrtles, maples and cherry trees. Never prune river birches or maples at this time of the year; they will produce excess sap. You can also prune needled evergreens, such as junipers, hemlocks, pines and cedars. Severely pruning Rose of Sharon shrubs now will offer stronger blooms in the summertime.

Other Tips

Apply pre-emergent herbicides and lime to your turf as needed. Make sure that mower blades are sharpened and lawn equipment is serviced. Remember that the timing of lawn tasks is often determined by soil temperature.

Make a design for including specific annuals that you want in landscape beds and containers before visiting your nurseries or big box stores. Select plants based on site and maintenance requirements.

Happy Gardening!

North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose purpose is to educate its members and the public in the areas of horticulture and ecology in order to promote and foster community enrichment. Master Gardener Volunteers are trained and certified by The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Learn more at nfmg.net.

About the Author

This week’s guest Master Gardener “Garden Buzz” columnist is Marlysa Raye-Jacobus. Raised on the coast of southern New Jersey, Marlysa arrived in the Atlanta area in 1997 after five corporate moves. Initially, she became a Master Gardener through Ohio State University’s program in 1996 and interned in 1997-98 in North Fulton County. She is an active member of several horticultural organizations in addition to NFMG. Marlysa is the current co-chair of the Plant! Milton gardening classes presented by the North Fulton Master Gardeners in partnership with the City of Milton. Her passions are: six wonderful grandchildren, traveling, playing tennis, reading, and attending cultural events in the ATL area with her husband and friends.

Dunwoody Diorama records city’s history on discarded tree trunk

Dunwoody Preservation Trust will unveil a stunning piece of public art this spring which will tell the community’s history, the Dunwoody Diorama. The Diorama is a 19-foot-long wood sculpture carved in relief from the trunk of a red oak tree. Jim and Melanie Williams, past presidents of DPT and long-time residents of Dunwoody, have led the concept and funding of the project. The 100-year-old tree was once part of the landscape of Donaldson-Bannister

Farm, located in front of the circa 1870 home at 4831 Chamblee Dunwoody Road. When the city determined the tree was dead and needed to be cut down, Melanie Williams had the idea to have the base of the tree carved where it was. However, an arborist determined the oak tree was not stable and had to be removed.

Chamblee sculptor Tom Williams suggested the tree be cut into thick slabs which could be cured and used to create a linear carving. In January 2020, the process began with the slabs drying outside and then in a kiln. The COVID pandemic slowed the progress of the project but planning continued.

MARLYSA RAYE-JACOBUS

Guest Columnist

VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF

Columnist PROVIDED

Tools of the trade, used by sculptor Tom Williams, sit on a portion of the carving in progress. See DIORAMA, Page 25

THE INVESTMENT COACH

The real lowdown on a meaningful life and retirement

ages 42, 52, 62, 72, 82, and 92. Why count in multiples of 10? Long-range planning is always wise, but if you think too far out, the “fog of the future” can cloud your thinking. Just focus on the next 10 years. Why 10 years?

LEWIS J. WALKER, CFP

There’s a hot new company advertising on television, The RealReal. Based in San Francisco, TheRealReal is an online resale marketplace for staffauthenticated luxury goods. If you are going to buy used Prada, Gucci, Chanel, Louis Vuitton or other upscale item, you want certainty it’s the genuine article. Anyone who has traveled and seen the guys selling “luxury handbags” on European or Asian streets, aggressive salesmen who run like rabbits at the first sign of the police, has cause to be suspicious of deals and illusions that too often are too good to be true.

Illusions portraying a happy and perpetually idyllic retirement are peddled constantly. We know that the process of growing older is not one long day at the beach, so to speak. Money worries, physical aches and pains, responsibilities in caring for oneself and others and myriad other challenges can upset the best of plans. Have you thought about your game plan?

In reality, your plan for a happy and well-adjusted life should be crafted long before retirement, ideally when you are young and just starting out. But since life is a process of learning that should not end until the day you die, you will think differently at age 22 than you will at 32, and so on at

Diorama:

Continued from Page 24

Members of Dunwoody Preservation Trust along with Tom Williams met to discuss the details of the carving, working to incorporate as many aspects of the history as possible. Williams sketched several versions of the planned carving, working with local historians, non-profit organizations, the City of Dunwoody and other experts. He began carving soon after the final sketch was approved in early 2022.

The Diorama begins with the indigenous people who lived in the area 8,000 years ago and continues through every stage of the community’s growth, including Dunwoody today. The carving includes iconic Dunwoody history. Images of the Roswell Railroad engine Buck, Carey

Anyone beyond age 70 will tell you that 10 years will slide past you faster than you think. You don’t want 2023 to 2033 to be your lost decade. It will be if you just drift through it. Craft a plan. Then monitor your plan and modify it as you go. Change it as you learn and life lessons force growth in wisdom and understanding. A financial plan is best couched within an overall life plan. Ask yourself, “Who am I and why am I here?”

People have a wide range of religious and non-religious beliefs as to why they are on this planet and of what is expected of them in terms of how one relates to others. Those who are not anchored by strong beliefs encompassing responsibility to self and others often are adrift, lacking purpose. That does not make for a happy life at any age. Answering key questions, knowing who you are and where you are going, can be the path to an energizing, purposeful, and happy existence, regardless of where you are in “the circle of life.”

From your early 20s up until you retire from your primary work life, you are busy. You’re often tired, and a twoweek vacation, if you can afford the time and expense, is welcome. Spousal responsibilities, raising children, maintaining a home, managing your career or running your own business, continuing education, caring for elderly

Spruill and his mule Shorty, the early Dunwoody school, Thompson’s store, Cheek-Spruill House and DonaldsonBannister Farm are included, just to name a few.

The Dunwoody Diorama will be completed, mounted and secured under the roof of the new barn, on the Chamblee Dunwoody Road-side of DonaldsonBannister Farm. It will be available for viewing whenever the city park and farm is open, 7 a.m. until sundown each day.

DPT is planning guided tours, brochures and a series of children’s books to tell the stories of the Dunwoody Diorama. They also plan to incorporate QR codes for self-guided tours and the use of augmented reality software to bring elements of the Diorama to life. DPT is planning a regional history museum, and the Diorama is an important component of the plan.

Jim and Melanie Williams have

loved ones, can be energy draining and time consuming. But what happens when you’ve made it to retirement?

Once you retire, every day is a weekend day. You’re not even working from home. You are home, 24 hours a day, 168 hours a week, 8,760 hours a year. Suppose you sleep 8 hours a day and spend two hours daily on personal grooming and other necessities of life. That leaves you with another 5,110 hours to fill over the course of a year. Now what, pilgrim? What does your major life transition called retirement look like?

If you can answer the question as to why you are on this planet, that helps to bring meaning and purpose to your retirement journey. Megachurch pastor Rick Warren in 2002 wrote “The Purpose Driven Life” to help you answer the quintessential question, “What on earth am I here for?” Whether you are a religious person, a religious humanist, spiritual but not religious, a secular humanist, agnostic, an atheist, many retirees find energy and mentaland physical-health bolstering purpose in helping and serving others.

Writer Mitch Anthony, author of “The New Retirementality,” now in its fifth edition, asserts that in retirement you have to have enough money to sleep soundly at night, but you need a purpose to wake up to in the morning. Many retirees who are financially secure have a fear of being bored in retirement.

That bromide may help you answer the question, “Where am I going?” Aging is not one long vacation. There are everyday aches and pains, health

dedicated countless hours to their vision of the Dunwoody Diorama. “This extraordinary and unique work of art will be an important educational tool and will be enjoyed by all for generations.”

The craftsmanship of wood sculptor Tom Williams has made that vision come to life.

Private donations from members of the community and local non-profits have funded the Dunwoody Diorama project. Contact Noelle Ross, executive director DPT to contribute to this project at noelle@ dunwoodypt.org or 770-668-0401 or visit the website, dunwoodypreservationtrust. org/dunwoody-diorama/.

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.

challenges, losses of loved ones and friends, caregiving and other responsibilities. But a purpose-driven life stems from the satisfaction of knowing that you loved others, you met their needs and did the right thing no matter the challenges. You ran a good race, fought a good fight. Remorse is a sad thing. It’s comforting to know that when your soul shuffles off this mortal coil, to paraphrase Shakespeare, an eternal reward awaits.

A sense of hope, of purpose, of meaning right up until the day you die, is the foundation for a happy life and rewarding retirement. It’s not the “secret to life” because it’s not a secret. Read the teachings of the Old Testament prophets contained in the books of Sirach and Wisdom. Authored thousands of years ago, some advice is timeless.

Happy and fulfilling retirement is far, far away from anything that the RealReal or more spurious sellers promise. In fact, most retirees quickly realize that they have too much stuff. Garage sale, anyone?

Lewis Walker, CFP®, is a life centered financial planning strategist with Capital Insight Group; 770441-3553; lewis@capitalinsightgrp. com. Securities & advisory services offered through The Strategic Financial Alliance, Inc. (SFA). Lewis is a registered representative and investment adviser representative of SFA, otherwise unaffiliated with Capital Insight Group. He’s a Gallup Certified Clifton Strengths Coach and Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA).

The trunk of this 100 year old red oak tree at Donaldson-Bannister Farm was cut and preserved to become the Dunwoody Diorama.

A new series and an old favorite

I’ve been waiting for the most recent book in The Thursday Murder Club series to become available at my library. Only in Atlanta could a parking issue keep you from getting a library book. Seriously! I put the book on hold when it was first published in 2022, and I was delighted to get the email in October that said I could pick it up. I never would have imagined that early voting at the library would mean that the parking lot was destined to be full on the last day I could pick it up.

I have on a few occasions called the library to ask if they could hold a book for an extra day, and they’ve always been happy to oblige. This time, however, I couldn’t even get through on the phone. That meant I had to re-up my hold request, and I didn’t make it to the top of

GET OUTSIDE GEORGIA

the list until February. The good news is that it was well worth the wait.

In the meantime, I indulged in a newto-me series that was easy to get. Heaven forbid I do without reading material.

“Death in the Off-Season” by Francine Matthews

I love it when I discover a new mystery series. I read a review of the seventh book in the Merry Folger series and immediately picked up the first one, “Death in the OffSeason.” What a treat. Publishers Weekly said it well: “Spunky but inexperienced, third-generation Nantucket cop Meredith Folger investigates murder in this spare, atmospheric debut.”

She’s the daughter of the local police chief and has recently been promoted to Detective when she’s assigned her first murder case. Not only does she need to solve the case, Merry has to deal with an all-male department that questions her competence.

This mystery checked all my boxes. A strong female lead, a well-plotted story

and writing that brings the setting to life. I’ve always wanted to visit Nantucket, and this series may do the trick for me.

It’s September on the island, and the fog and the chill provide an eerie setting for a murder that has its roots in the family dynamics of one of Nantucket’s oldest and wealthiest families. The extra treat was learning about cranberry harvesting. I’d never heard of a cranberry bog.

“The Bullet that Missed” by Richard Osman

This may only be the third book in The Thursday Murder Club series, but the characters already feel like old friends. The four amateur sleuths return to solve another murder. All in their 70s, the four friends are as different as can be, but they get along famously.

They live in the luxurious Coopers Chase Retirement Village in Kent, England, and meet every Thursday to work on murder cases, most often cold cases. It’s appropriate that they meet in

the Jigsaw room in the clubhouse. Aren’t all mysteries puzzles where you have to move pieces around to make sense of them? One way or another, the cold cases wind up involving the friends in a more recent murder. Sometimes, they stir up something that results in yet another murder, and of course, puts one or several of the friends in danger. The plot is filled with twists and turns, even a Russian spy.

I am happy to report that book four in the series is due out in September 2023.

Next up, I have the second Merry Folger book and countless other mysteries to keep me entertained. When you read at least two books a week, it’s critical to keep your hold shelf at the library well stocked.

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/.

It’s astounding the places trout can take you

Spring’s here. I know that for sure. The pear trees are starting to bloom, and the nose is starting to itch. Pear trees and pollen are the sure harbingers of spring.

and wide with plastic milk jugs and even big glass mayonnaise jars to take some of that water home. The water eventually flows into the park’s swimming lake, an understandably popular spot, especially as the days grow warmer. The temperatures are not there yet, but it won’t be long.

like that they all somehow congregated in the water near where we stood.

“Watch this,” I said, and tossed a half dozen of the trout chow pellets into the water. The fish were on ‘em in a flash.

“Well!” she said.

“Now it’s your turn!” I said.

happened to the light and how it was all bright and clear and crystalline blue all of a sudden. And then the lady looked at us – at her, at me – and then pointed at the two of us –

-- and said, “You two are perfect together” –

STEVE HUDSON

Trout are a sure harbinger of spring too. It’s fun to fish for them, and it’s fun to just go see them too.

There are some neat places to see trout in northern Georgia, too, and one that’s near and dear to my heart is Rolater Park in the town of Cave Spring. You may remember Cave Spring as the site of Southern Flavor, that wonderful restaurant with the all-you-can-eat catfish. We’ve talked about that before, and thinking about it is making me hungry again. How long till lunchtime?

The cave part of Cave Spring, which is the centerpiece of Rolater Park, is not large as caves go. You can explore it in just a few minutes. But the spring part makes up for it. A flowing spring yields about 2 million gallons of cold, cold water a day. It’s been described as “the purest, best-tasting water you’re likely to find anywhere,” and folks come from far

But today we’re looking at what happens between the cave and the swimming lake. After exiting the cave, the water flows into a nice little reflecting pond.

And said pond is usually the home to trout.

“Do people catch them?” she asked. We were waiting to go across the street to lunch, so we had a little time.

“No,” I said, “but we can feed them. Would you like to?”

“Yes,” she said. “That sounds like fun!”

I moseyed over to the cave entrance, where trout chow is for sale. For the cost of a cup of coffee, I bought three or four little plastic bags of food-for-trout – enough, I figured, to keep us and the trout entertained for a while.

I walked back to where she waited for me, there on the little walkway by the pond. The trout seemed to know that something good was about to happen. It was like the word had gone out, and just

I poured some of the trout chow into her hand, and she tossed it into the water, and the trout were all over it, and water was flying everywhere, and she laughed out loud.

“This is neat!” she said.

The feeding continued, and the splashing and the laughter did too. We used up one bag of food, and then started on a second, stopping to show two young children how to feed the fish too.

“I think I need more trout food,” she said, laughing, and again I poured some into her hand.

More laughter. More splashes. Smiles all around.

She was having fun. I was too.

And then…

You know that feeling you get sometimes when someone is looking at you? I got it then.

For some reason I turned around, and looked, and I saw a lady standing there near the two of us. I remember how in that instant something funny

-- and then turned and walked away. And then everything kind of stopped. It does that, sometimes, when something really significant is happening.

In that instant out-of-time moment, in that moment by the cool, clear water with the trout and the sky, there we were. Just the two of us, it seemed, there on the little walkway near the pond at Rolater Park in Cave Spring, Ga., zip code 30124. Nearby, the children were still feeding trout. But the scene had refocused. The center of the image had changed.

There was silence, hushed, expectant. “Did you hear that?” she asked, her voice a little low.

“I did,” replied. We stood there for a moment. She leaned on the railing. I looked at her, and she looked at me.

Time out of time -

And then time returned to normal. And we went and had catfish for lunch. You never know where trout are going to take you.

KATHY MANOS PENN

Columnist

Columnist

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