Community Burger closes
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
MILTON, Ga. —Milton Community Burger off Heritage Walk closed its doors Aug. 5.
A letter from ownership posted on the front door announced the decision.
Community Burger continues to offer its handcrafted burgers, sides and cocktails at its flagship location on Reformation Parkway in Canton.
Chef Todd Hogan’s Single Barrel Hospitality owns Milton Community Burger and the Canton location.
Shane Clements, director of operations at Single Barrel Hospitality, penned a letter explaining the decision to close.
“Unfortunately, we have chosen a strategic realignment within the brand due to economic challenges,” Clements wrote. “Despite our best efforts and
the dedication of our team, continuing operations at this location has become unsustainable.”
Milton Community Burger opened last summer, leasing space on the first floor at 3100 Heritage Walk. While many tenants remain at the mixeduse development, Milton Community Burger is not the first to shut its doors.
The letter goes on to say other locations at The Mill at Etowah in Canton, Branch & Barrel Avalon and Branchwater Vickey Village will remain open and offer the same dining experience synonymous with Community Burger.
For any guests with unexpired gift cards, Clements encourages them to go to the Canton location.
“Since opening the Milton location,
See BURGER, Page 14
City prohibits sales of consumable hemp, unregulated marijuana
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
MILTON, Ga. — The Milton City Council voted unanimously Aug. 5 to ban retail businesses from selling consumable hemp products and unregulated marijuana products citing public safety concerns.
The decision follows a monthslong process that began with a May moratorium to prohibit new retail stores from selling unregulated
marijuana substitutes like Delta-8 and consumable hemp products while staff worked on the code amendment.
No residents spoke for or against the measure during the Aug. 5 public hearing or at two input meetings held over the summer.
City staff said they have worked closely with City Attorney Ken Jarrard and the Milton Police
See HEMP, Page 6
Milton Police Chief Jason Griffin gives a public safety argument for the banning of consumable hemp and unregulated marijuana products. Griffin said the decision allows his department to enforce regulations.
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
Milton Community Burger closed its doors after just over one year of operations at Market District Crabapple. A letter from the owner, Single Barrel Hospitality, says other locations in Alpharetta, Canton and Forsyth County remain open.
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Resident scammed by fake police officer
MILTON, Ga. — A Milton man reported to police July 29 that he had been scammed by someone claiming to be an officer with the Milton Police Department.
The man said he was told that he missed a court date in July, according to the incident report. He said he was provided an image of what appeared to be an official court document, signed by a chief judge and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
The man said the officer gave a deadline to pay the court fines to avoid legal action against him and instructions on how to send money through a Coinme kiosk inside Kroger on State Bridge Road, according to the report.
Using the kiosk, the man said he sent three separate transactions, totaling an undisclosed amount, and was swindled into sending more money later.
Invoice check intercepted, then cashed by fraudster
MILTON, Ga. — A Milton man reported to police Aug. 2 that someone had stolen a check he attempted to mail and cashed it.
The man told police the check was designated to an exterminator for services for an undisclosed amount. About a month later, he said he received a reminder from the company to pay the invoice, according to the incident report.
The company later told the man they never received the check, the report says.
The man said his bank informed him that the check had been cashed for an undisclosed amount by a named suspect, using mobile deposit.
Police said there was no further identifying information for the suspect.
Police seeking suspects in ATM burglary attempt
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell police are investigating an attempted burglary at CVS Pharmacy off Holcomb Bridge Road Aug. 7 after a U-Haul crashed into the building around 3:30 a.m.
A security guard in a nearby subdivision called police after hearing a collision and seeing a U-Haul ramming into the side of the building.
A Roswell officer said he arrived on scene and met with two Sandy Springs officers, who were assisting because of increased call volume.
The Roswell officer said he saw damage to the south side of building, which has an ATM on the other side of the wall inside of the pharmacy. He said it was apparent there was an attempted burglary, but no merchandise or money was stolen.
The security guard who witnessed the incident told officers he first saw a red Toyota sedan pass by his booth, which caught his attention because it was in the middle of the night.
Soon after, the guard said he saw the red sedan and U-Haul leave a nearby parking lot together, shortly before the attempted burglary.
Roswell officers said they used Flock Safety cameras to identify both vehicles.
They said the red sedan is registered to an East Point man with active warrants for violent crimes. The U-Haul is registered to a corporate address.
Roswell Police asked East Point officers to check the suspect’s residence, but they said the vehicles were not there.
Roswell officers said cameras showed both vehicles entering the CVS parking lot at the same time. They said the U-Haul spent about one minute trying to break through the wall before leaving the location.
Police tracked the red sedan and U-Haul through north Metro Atlanta, including Sandy Springs and Dunwoody, until around 4:30 a.m.
A notice to surrounding jurisdictions and Georgia State Patrol yielded no results.
Roswell man defrauded in active warrant scam
ROSWELL, Ga. — A 39-year-old Roswell resident reported two people who impersonated federal agents to defraud him of $27,000 Aug. 6.
The victim said he received a call from two men, identifying themselves as a Border Patrol agent and a U.S. Marshal.
The callers told the victim that they intercepted a package en route to his Roswell address that contained drugs and identification documents. They said the only way to resolve the warrant would be to send them $27,000 in Bitcoin or come to Texas.
The victim said he fell for the scheme, withdrew the funds from his bank and deposited it in an Athena Bitcoin kiosk at a nearby gas station in Gwinnett County.
Officers said the victim realized he was scammed after being unable to contact the two callers afterward.
The victim filed police reports in Gwinnett County and in Rowell and gave officers the suspects’ phone numbers.
Officers said they received the wallet address of where the Bitcoin was sent, but no suspects were identified.
Police investigate fraud involving rifle scope sales
ROSWELL, Ga. — A 65-year-old resident reported two fraudulent credit card transactions in late July that sent packages to a Marietta address.
The victim said he noticed two charges from EBay on his card that he did not make July 24 and 27.
First, a suspect purchased a Trijicon ACOG Duel III Red Crosshair rifle scope, valued at $1,300, July 24 at 9:50 a.m.
Three days later, another purchase went through for a $2,500 rifle scope with green ballistic, commonly used by special operations forces.
Officers said both items were shipped to a Marietta address off Favor Street in the victim’s name.
The proof of delivery slip includes the signature of a possible suspect, officers said.
THE PICTURE FRAMER
CITY OF MILTON/PROVIDED
The Friends of Mayfield Park, mostly from the Lakeside at Crabapple neighborhood, receive a city proclamation for their Adopt-a-Trail effort at the Aug. 5 Milton City Council meeting. The citizen-led group installed a mulched trail and other aesthetic improvements at Mayfield Park near downtown Crabapple.
Milton to set property taxes
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
MILTON, Ga. — Milton officials were set to vote on the 2024 millage rate this week after three public hearings to discuss a potential increase to Milton’s property tax levy.
While the city issued public notices in July capping the rate at 4.389 mills, the official vote occurred after press time. In accordance with state-mandated deadlines, the city has already “tentatively adopted” the same millage rate as last year.
Because of Fulton County’s reassessment and the increase in property values, keeping rates flat results in a 5.23 percent increase in property taxes.
At the Aug. 5 City Council meeting, Assistant City Manager
Bernadette Harvill discussed impacts of the 2024 millage rate or property tax levy.
The city deliberated whether to adopt a rollback rate of 4.171 mills, the advertised rate of 4.389 mills or something in-between. The rollback rate would essentially bring in the same amount of property tax revenue as last year.
Assuming the current rate of 4.389 mills is adopted, a home with a fair market value of $700,000 with a $15,000 basic homestead exemption would have around $1,163 due in taxes. The rollback rate would save the same homeowner around $157.
Harvill said the greenspace bond is projected to add about 0.356 mills to residents’ tax bills.
See TAXES, Page 6
Retired Milton High principal Ron Tesch passes away at 80
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
MILTON, Ga. — Former Milton High School Principal Ron Tesch died July 31 at his home in Denison, Texas. He was 80.
“He was pretty much a legend,” Milton Principal Brian Jones said.
Tesch retired from Milton High School as principal in 2010 after 12 years at the post. In 2017, he was called out of retirement to serve as interim principal at Johns Creek High School.
Born in Aurora, Illinois, he attended Northern Illinois University to pursue a career in education, according to an obituary published by Fisher Funeral Home in Denison.
He leaves behind his wife, two sons and five grandchildren.
Tesch began his career in education in 1966 and served as a teacher, coach and principal.
At Milton High School, Tesch was instrumental in the school’s move from Alpharetta to its current building in Milton, Jones said. He believed in creating a well-rounded school with an emphasis on not only academics but other activities, like the Cirque program, which was inspired by the Cirque du Soleil show.
Jones, who worked alongside Tesch for three months, said he inherited much of Tesch’s hard work and success. He also said the former principal was “very much a mentor” to him.
Tesch, Jones said, was serious about his job but also approachable. He was “there for the right reasons”
PROVIDED
Former Milton High School Principal Ron Tesch is remembered for his impact and legacy at the school. Tesch died at his Denison, Texas, home on July 31.
There will be a service honoring Principal Ron Tesch at Milton High School Sunday Aug. 18 at 3.
and a positive role model, Jones said. “The reality is a lot of people have so many positive and fond memories of him that his legacy is entrenched in the school’s community,” Jones said. “It was very difficult hearing of his passing.”
Hi, Milton neighbors!
I often get asked how the market is doing, and the good news is—it’s normal! While there’s talk of a rough economy, high rates and slower markets, Milton is still thriving. North Metro Atlanta, especially Milton and Downtown Alpharetta, remains a top choice for home buyers. Many of my friends say, “I’m not sure how I ended up in Milton, but I love it here.”
Though sales have slowed over the past year due to higher mortgage rates and prices, we’re seeing more resale inventory and fewer bidding wars, easing home price growth. Mortgage rates have also dropped by almost a full percent, attracting new buyers who may have been waiting on the sidelines. Builders are even offering incentives again—a sign that the market is normalizing.
The great news? Everyone loves Milton! Despite the narrative around an election craziness slowdown, we predict the remainder of this year will be just fine. We see positive growth for years to come at a more normalized 5-6 percent rate of appreciation yearly. The commercial development in our area shows just how much faith people have in this wonderful area.
THE JENNY DOYLE GROUP
$750M+ Total Sales, $68M+ Sold in 2024
No. 1 Large Team, Volume and Units Sold, North Atlanta Office
Voted No. 1 Real Estate Team in North Atlanta, Appen Media c. 404.840.7354 | o. 770.442.7300 | jennydoyle@atlantafinehomes.com thejennydoylegroup.com | atlantafinehomes.com
Taxes:
Outside of the county’s opportunity for tax savings, the city has senior and disability exemptions available.
Just three years ago, Milton was operating at its cap of 4.731 mills.
If the city goes with last year’s rate of 4.389 mills, it expects to collect an additional $800,000 in revenue this year.
Harvill also discussed impacts of the $28 million acquisition and buildout of the Deerfield Athletic Complex on other parks and recreation projects.
CITY OF MILTON/PROVIDED
The Cambridge High School girls lacrosse team celebrates their spring 2024 state championship with an official proclamation recognizing their achievement at the Aug. 5 City Council meeting. The girls knocked off three-time defending champions Blessed Trinity to take the Class 5A-6A trophy. Continued from Page 3
“With the current millage rate, we can begin to fund these projects,” Harvill said. “But there may be areas that can be reviewed at midyear once we see the audited fund balance for fiscal year 2024.”
The 2024 millage rate hearings and the 2025 budget process are significantly intertwined as city staff must ensure the property tax levy funds the city’s spending plan.
In fiscal year 2024 ending Sept. 30, staff anticipates general fund expenditures, or operating costs, to be around $33.2 million.
General fund expenditures in the proposed 2025 budget sit around $37.5 million.
City Councilman Phil Cranmer asked Harvill if it’s sustainable to have revenues increasing 3 percent and expenses increasing 13 percent in the operational budget.
Harvill said the city maintains the required 25 percent of its
operating costs in reserves and one-time spending in 2025 drives up expenditures, which even out around 5 percent annually in the five-year forecast.
In other business, the City Council recognized two groups for their contributions to the community, the Cambridge High School girls lacrosse team and Friends of Mayfield Park.
In the 12th season of girls lacrosse at Cambridge, the Bears unseated the three-time defending Class 5A-6A champions, Blessed Trinity Titans.
The 18-4 Bears took momentum from their regional success to the state tournament, bringing home the school’s first championship in the sport.
At halftime of the championship,
the Bears trailed the Titans 5-6. Cambridge then outscored the Titans 6-1 in the second half to win the trophy.
Head coach Pam Masinko, with assistants Caroline Kramer, Maria Hansen and Mark Smith, run the nationally ranked program at Cambridge.
Mayor Peyton Jamison thanked players, coaches and parents for their sacrifices and touted the city’s investment in parks and athletic facilities.
“It is fantastic I can give a proclamation to the Cambridge girls lacrosse team because, over the years, we’ve had to give it to the other team in our city,” Jamison said. “Maybe we can do a pay-perview matchup and see Cambridge versus Milton.”
During the proclamation, the mayor emphasized the 21 students’ bonding, perseverance and selflessness on their way to team success.
Impressively, the team sports a grade point average of 93 percent.
“Not only are y’all great athletes, you are great human beings,” Jamison said. “I know y’all are going to be very successful in everything you do.”
The mayor also recognized the Friends of Mayfield Park and their contributions.
Shannon Anderson leads a group of residents from the Lakeside at Crabapple neighborhood and surrounding neighbors just north of Milton Library.
The citizen-led group manages walking paths at the park through the city’s Adopt-a-Trail program, committing to regular inspections and clean ups.
The Friends of Mayfield Park have mulched walking trails with other aesthetic improvements around the park.
“They have gone above and beyond benefiting the community,” Jamison said. “They have come out of pocket to provide trails, seeds and making Mayfield Park a beautiful place for our residents to enjoy.”
The subdivision’s developer, Taylor Morrison, donated the park land and existing detention pond to the city in 2020. Milton unveiled the park in 2022.
Today, the 5-acre property sports a fishing pier, pavilion and seating area just a couple blocks from downtown Crabapple.
Continued from Page 1
Department to ensure the Unified Development Code amendment provides the ability to enforce and prosecute offenders.
First, staff and the Planning Commission approved new definitions of consumable hemp and unregulated marijuana products.
The new definitions are a sweeping ban against any product derived from the Cannabis sativa plant, whether it violates state law or not.
The Aug. 5 vote prohibits retail sales in all zoning districts, including the Crabapple and Deerfield form-based codes.
Interim Community Development Director Diane Wheeler said it’s a
staff-generated initiative, and she invited Police Chief Jason Griffin to explain the reasoning.
“In the past, the Police Department and our Municipal Court have had some issues with prosecution under the original city ordinance, specifically for Delta-8 products with elevated THC levels,” Griffin said. “Mostly due to the 2018 Farm Bill that was passed that legalized most of these products.” THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the compound that gives marijuana users their high. Griffin said some manufacturers do not correctly label
products and misrepresent THC concentration.
“It was decided the best path to combat the issue was through zoning,” he said. “The city currently has two main stores that sell consumable hemp products.”
One is off Ga. 9 and the other on Windward Parkway.
City Councilman Phil Cranmer confirmed that the two existing stores are grandfathered in as legal but nonconforming uses.
No new businesses will be allowed to sell the two product types.
Georgia Senate Bill 494, requiring every retail location to be licensed, goes into effect Oct. 1 and includes more regulations for such establishments like packaging guidelines and Department of Agriculture inspections.
Send
“We believe zoning is the best way to combat the issue of these stores popping up everywhere,” Griffin said.
Settling an estate
to you by - Estates Law Center USA
What if you didn’t have a Trust and now the executors are settling an estate — but the decedent owes money. What can the creditors take and what is reserved for the inheritors? There is no easy answer, and a variety of federal and state laws apply.
To start with, retirement accounts that qualify under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act are generally protected from creditors, bankruptcy and civil lawsuits. But they’re vulnerable to ex-spouses and the IRS — in the form of child support, federal income tax debts, criminal fines and penalties, or civil or criminal judgments. Some states shield IRAs in nearly all instances, while others offer only limited protection.
IRAs and 401(k) plans may be protected from creditors in bankruptcy proceedings. If you declare bankruptcy, your IRA assets are usually safeguarded and cannot be seized. Depending on state law, your IRA assets may be protected from other creditors, but rules vary.
Beneficiaries of IRAs aren’t always afforded the same creditor protection as the original account owner. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that an inherited IRA for a non-spouse beneficiary is no longer protected from creditors’ claims when the
beneficiary files for bankruptcy. Spouses can roll over inherited IRA assets into their own accounts, but non-spouse beneficiaries cannot commingle inherited IRA assets with their own retirement assets.
The Supreme Court’s decision highlights the importance of beneficiary designations for each of your retirement accounts. For situations where creditor protection is a primary concern and ERISA protection isn’t available, using trusts as beneficiaries is a popular option. If your children are listed as beneficiaries and have financial issues, divorce, disability or face debt collectors, you can go the route of a trust, which may offer more protection. Talk to a professional about trusts that can protect loved ones.
There are many complex rules and regulations, and only a professional can help you decide what is right for you. The point is that whether you are planning your Trust, Will, planning to inherit or serving as an executor or Trustee, you can’t assume anything — work with an Expert attorney!
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ISTOCK
Funeral home remains fixture after nearly century of service
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
CUMMING, Ga. — Jack Allen, director of operations and former owner of Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory, said his neighbors used to give him a hard time about his line of work.
Until someone they knew suddenly died of a heart attack.
“Once they come here and see what you do, then they go, ‘Whoa. Thank you so much. We had no clue what all you do,’” said Allen, sitting across from Joey Wallace, Ingram’s office manager. Allen endearingly referred to the more soft-spoken Wallace as his “second wife” because of his aptitude in keeping him organized, like finding a contract from four years ago at the drop of a hat. The pair have been working together for two decades.
“You don’t know what the funeral business is like until you deal with one,” Allen said.
Allen took ownership of Ingram in 2004, after its founders ran it for nearly 80 years. Royston Ingram founded the business in 1928, and his three sons took it over in the ’70s.
Allen said the Ingram brothers, George and Robert, mulled over the decision to sell for quite a while. They wanted to sell to an individual, rather than a corporation.
The negotiation with Allen lasted two years.
“We paid it off, and we did pretty well,” Allen said.
Ingram, one of three funeral businesses in Forsyth County, handles about 800
services a year. Sixty percent of those are cremations, a more affordable, convenient option than a burial.
“I’d be surprised if someone doesn’t have a [crematory] now,” Allen said.
When he got started in the funeral business, there were only two crematories in the state.
History in the walls
The building, some 18,000 square feet, has a life of its own, housing both the Ingram’s former home and funeral business. Walking in, living quarters were on the left, a fireplace still there, separated by the main hall which was once a driveway. To the right was the funeral home, the old brick painted white.
The A-frame of the Ingram home can still be seen at a certain angle from outside.
In a tour, Wallace said the founder would walk through a tunnel under the building to go to work, bypassing visitations. Royston’s children would also use it as a place to roller skate.
Today, the basement, what Allen refers to as the “bowels,” serves as storage space, filled with items like caskets and embalming machines.
The crematory is down there, too, open to the outside. It was being repaired — a machine that burns bodies at around 1,700 degrees, over an average of three hours, requires regular maintenance.
Wallace, a Forsyth County native, recalled his grandmother passing away in the ’90s and the showroom, a state
See INGRAM, Page 9
JACK ALLEN, director of operations/former owner, Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory
PHOTOS BY: AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA
From left, Joey Wallace, office manager, and Jack Allen, director of operations and former owner, stand outside Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory in Cumming. Royston Ingram founded the funeral home in 1928.
The chapel in Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory can seat around 230 people. The business also has three visitation rooms, two that can be partitioned in half.
BUSINESSPOSTS
Ingram:
requirement for funeral homes, as being downstairs.
Now, it’s closer to the main entrance.
A casket made of premier mahogany with a champagne velvet interior, priced at nearly $10,000, lays against the back wall under a sign that read, “Tell the Story. Remember the Life.” A wall of urns, vault samples and flag cases are on display in the showroom as well.
Funeral homes must also have a chapel. Ingram’s has a capacity of around 230 people, with more space across the business’ three visitation rooms, two that can be partitioned in half.
While more than half the business is cremations, there are still several full-time embalmers. One wheels a body into the “catch-all” room from the embalming room that houses his workstation. Bodies in the catch-all area are ready to be placed in the casket, then transported for visitation.
Wallace said embalmers must go through 18 months of training and serve at a funeral home under an apprenticeship.
In another room, bodies are prepared by beauticians and hairdressers. Ingram keeps a list of recommendations in case families don’t have their own.
Lifelong career
Allen has as much experience in the funeral business as one could have, coming from his own family’s firm which serviced 1,700 funerals a year across four locations in Atlanta.
His great-grandfather Hyatt M. Patterson started the business in 1880, eventually passing it down to Allen’s grandfather, then his father Dan Allen, and after he died, Allen’s mother, Lee Patterson Allen.
A refurbished horse-drawn hearse, at the end of the main hall, is said to have been in Allen’s family. Black-and-white photos and illustrations of the Patterson business hang nearby.
A May 1945 issue of The Southern Funeral Director details the funeral arrangements of former President Franklin D. Roosevelt, whose embalming was performed by Fred Patterson, Allen’s grandfather. Roosevelt died in Warm Springs.
hoops the company has to jump through. The bureaucracy.
But, much of the stress has been lifted, from retaining increasingly expensive health insurance for employees to navigating legal issues.
“I knew that they would have more stability with a corporation in the long run,” Allen said.
Park Lawn has an on-call legal department when Allen is having trouble determining who has the legal authority over a deceased person. He said he deals with attorneys more than he’d like.
“[The body is] just like the property of an estate, who has the legal right to it” Allen said. “If we don’t do it right, we get sued.”
at home in Atlanta smoking a leisurely after-dinner cigar when his phone rang at 7:40 p.m.,” Managing Editor Beth J. Herzog writes. “It was THE CALL, probably the biggest and most important ever experienced by a contemporary funeral director.”
Allen recalled seeing his first dead body at 12 years old.
“My dad didn’t want me to sit at home, not have anything to do, so he sent me down there to work,” Allen said.
Death became less of a shock for Allen. But, he has never really been “spooked,” though he said being in any funeral home at night can be strange, with creaks and pops and the sounds of doors closing. Allen said the sounds are usually explainable.
“You know people talk about ghosts and all this stuff,” he said. “I haven’t seen one in 40 years.”
Allen said he did not intend to go into the family business, with a dream to do advertising work for Coca-Cola. He described the strained dynamics of the family affair and the little money his three brothers were making with their embalming license.
But he stayed, with not much of a choice because of the few jobs available in the early ’80s. When his father died, he helped his mother grow H.M. Patterson & Son dramatically.
“I was 26 years old, in charge of four funeral homes with 80 employees, doing $3 million a year revenue,” Allen said.
Big growth
Before Allen bought Ingram, it had serviced around 300 funerals a year — a respectable number considering most mom ’n’ pops average about a third of that.
The increase can be attributed to the county’s population growth, of more than 100,000 people since the early 2000s. Allen said many transplants are older, folks who didn’t want to leave after visiting their kids and grandkids.
“To me, it ended up being more like a retirement community, which, because of that, probably added to our growth,” Allen said. “We got so big so fast that it was hard to handle some days.”
It was especially hard to handle during the COVID-19 pandemic, which added around 100 funerals a year at Ingram. It became too much for Allen, leading him to sell off to Park Lawn Corporation in 2021, which owns nearly 170 funeral homes across the country.
“It was killing me, and it was killing all of us actually,” Allen said. “...Some of the firms had so many deaths that they had to rent refrigerator trucks just to keep the bodies in until they could do something with them.”
During that time, the Ingram staff had to adapt to ever-changing guidelines, from no funerals at all to conducting them with a 20-person maximum.
“Those parts made it very unusual, having the supplies dealing with the huge volume,” Allen said. “It was very trying times.”
New owner
“Fred W. Patterson, owner and manager of H.M. Patterson & Son, was
Allen’s family sold the business and began consulting work with funeral homes that were struggling. Tired of constant travel, they sought Ingram.
Allen said he sometimes wishes he would have kept Ingram, with all the extra
Legal issues have led to Ingram holding bodies for months. But bodies aren’t like stacking wood, he said.
“It’s a body that is deteriorating,” Allen said. “You have to do something with it.” Allen said he has had to get court orders, usually a quick procedure because the issue at hand is “cut and dried” — often a fight between exes.
A caring staff
Wallace, who started his career in insurance, said he finds his job of two decades rewarding.
“Joey knows a lot more of the families than I do, being born and raised here,” Allen chimed in. “So, it’s somebody at his church. It’s a preacher he knew. It’s one of his best friend’s parents. There’s a connection, always, with these guys, and so to them, it’s personal.”
Most of the staff are local to Forsyth County. One funeral director has been with Ingram for nearly 40 years.
Allen attributes the success of Ingram Funeral Home & Crematory to the staff’s level of care, which involves customizing services.
“If somebody wants to bring their Harley-Davidson motorcycle in here … they bring it in,” Allen said.
He said if it’s not illegal, staff will do it — except for drinking because it’s a liability, though he’ll allow a toast behind closed doors.
Customization also means being mindful of religious tradition.
“We can have a Greek Orthodox — which sounds funny in Forsyth County, but there’s quite a few Greek Orthodox people here — a Muslim, Indian, Asian and a Baptist [service] in the same week,” Allen said. Continued from Page 8
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Pivotal
Scolding syllable 54 Watered down
Magazine worker
First world problems on pickleball court
RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com
From the bubble.
Late morning. The Alpharetta mom walks out onto the tennis courts with her pickleball machine. She puts her stuff down on the bench, then grabs something out of her bag – a tape measure – and walks over to the net and spends the next 10 minutes measuring and adjusting its height. She sets up her pickleball machine and watches a couple of balls go over the net, then adjusts the angle twice more. Then she walks next to the adjoining court and asks the Indian couple (who were out there way before she showed up) to move off their court to another court so her pickleballs won’t get mixed up with their pickleballs. She could have just pointed her machine a different angle instead. Of course, these two Indians – so respectful and polite – move to another court and the Alpharetta mom starts practicing her pickleball with her machine. The Indian couple – like a grandpa and his adult daughter, both in long pants – kind of just stare at her and her pickleball machine for a few moments and then return to their game.
I had a few more snarky observations of the incident that were in the original column that I sent to my son Hans for a sign-off so it could get into the papers. When he reviewed the column, he emailed this to me:
“Be curious, not judgmental.”
For context, that idea, “be curious, not judgmental,” is borrowed from a Ted Lasso episode that I have watched maybe a thousand times. I just love the scene. I have sent a link to it to all my kids and everyone I know, including Hans.
I loved the scene because if was so well scripted, so well-acted, and is simply some of the finest story telling I have ever encountered. Plus, the good guy wins! But, it took Hans to make me realize that I totally missed the point. What was so extraordinay about the scene was not the acting or the story; it was the actual message: “be curious, not judgmental.”
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Hans’ reply made me stop and think. It made me think about my attitude – an attitude that seems to get worse as I age. It also made me realize that that idea could be applied to so much more than a situation on a tennis court – like to this whole polarization thing we all find ourselves today. Instead of being curious, we judge. Instead of maybe learning something, we learn nothing.
Instead of taking advantage of an opportunity to interact in a positive way with someone who is different from us or thinks differently than we do, we judge, and in so doing, build walls and barriers that make life smaller, less meaningful, and, in the case of the Ted Lasso episode, cause folks to lose bets on dart games!
Everything important in life that I know, I have learned from my children – or my wife – everything.
Switching from judging people to being curious instead is not easy; it requires breaking a habit and replacing it with a different one. It requires will, and it requires a desire to change.
Be curious Ray, not judgmental. You’ll be a better person, learn more, and probably be happier too.
In case you want to view the scene for yourself, the link is below. If the link does not work, just Google “ Ted lasso darts” and the YouTube of the scene should pull up. https://youtu. be/CDRXv80F3Us?feature=shared (https://youtubeCDRXv80F3Us?feat ure=shared)
The Great Southeast Pollinator Census needs your help
Pollinators play important roles in biodiversity, crop production, and even the economy.
A 2014 economic impact study by University of Georgia experts determined that the annual value of pollination to Georgia is over $360 million. What’s even better is that the services pollinators provide are free.
Pollination is key to seed production, and without pollinators like hummingbirds, bees, ants, butterflies, wasps, and many others, our favorite fruits and vegetables would never make it to our tables.
Pollinators are also key to the survival of wild plant species, help to control pests that destroy agricultural crops, and help in decomposition, which is extremely important in crop production.
Although wasps, ants, and bees don’t yield warm and fuzzy feelings for most people, that doesn’t mean they should be ignored. Pollinator populations are decreasing. Not only in population, but also in diversity. Research from UGA is helping to identify not only the reasons behind the decline, but also what homeowners can do to help them.
Back in 2019 Becky Griffin, Community & School Garden Coordinator for Center for Urban Agriculture created the Great Georgia Pollinator Census a citizens Science initiative. According to Becky there were three goals for the project.
1. To create sustainable pollinator habitat by educating gardeners about using plants that provide nutrition for our pollinators while handling our summer droughts and do not have disease or pest insect pressure.
2. To increase the entomological literacy of our citizens. As I mentioned to one teacher, we want students to go from “oooo, it’s a bug” to “look at the tarsal claw on that bee!”
3. To generate useful data about our pollinator populations, so we can begin to spot trends and see how pollinator populations are affected by weather and how honeybees influence native bee populations.
The first pollinator census held in 2019 had over 4,000 participants in
Gulf fritillary butterflies hover on bee balm.
134 of Georgia’s 159 counties. From that impressive beginning it has grown to become The Great Southeast Pollinator Census covering the states of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Florida.
The 2024 Great Southeast Pollinator Census will be held this year on August 23rd and 24th. The actual census only takes 15 minutes. This is a wonderful way to help the pollinators and to help ourselves, who depend on pollinators to help produce our food. If you would like to participate, please go to the website at https://gsepc.org/.
There you will find everything
you need to know about counting, insect identification and all the forms for the count. Invite your friends, children, grandchildren and make it a party!
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.
About the author
This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Judy Peacock, a master gardener for fourteen years. Judy is a member of the North Fulton County Master Gardeners. Judy graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Art Education. She is an avid gardener and is developing a pollinator garden, a stumpery, a perennial garden, and a vegetable garden on her seven and a half acres in Ellijay.
JUDY PEACOCK Guest Columnist
JUDY PEACOCK/APPEN MEDIA
GET OUTSIDE, GEORGIA!
At Moccasin Creek, age has its privileges
STEVE HUDSON Columnist
This time last week, you’ll recall, we were in the midst of grandkids. It was much fun! We even took them fishing, she and I did, leading our entourage down to a nearby stream.
Fish were caught – many fish. Snakes were spotted too.
The kids, it turns out, are much more adept at spotting water snakes than are those of us of more advanced age. They have sharper eyes, perhaps?
Anyway, how did that go? Well, I kind of like seeing the snakes, but she is less enthusiastic. As in:
“Mimi! Look at that snake!”
And she replies, “I think it’s time we move.”
Anyway, we fished and skipped rocks and looked for snakes and climbed in and out of the creek, oh, about 150 times the kiddos made all that in-andouting look easy, hopping without misstep or pause from rock to rock and flying through the air as they did so.
She and I moved a little bit more deliberately and maybe, as the afternoon progressed, a little bit more slowly too?
Later, back home, the kids were still all energy and excitement. We, however, were (as my granddad used to say) feeling it in the knees.
Yeah. It must be that age thing I keep hearing about.
But aging isn’t all bad. For example, they say that wisdom comes with it. It has seemed to me that I’m a little wiser lately. Don’t you think?
Mostly, though (and as someone near and dear to me once put it) aging sure as heck beats the alternative.
Another eventual advantage of aging is the senior discount at the Golden Corral. I do dearly love their bourbon chicken, and now and then I just have to go get some. When I do, thanks to my maturity and wisdom, it costs me less to do so than it used to. Yay for me.
I get the same kind of age…uh, wisdom-based special treatment at the local thrift store.
At the thrift store? You bet. She got me hooked on “thrifting,” as she calls it, not long after we met. Now I can hardly pass one up, especially when it happens to be Senior Discount Day. I think I’m secretly hoping I’ll walk in and there will be a box of classic handmade English bamboo fly rods labelled “Fishing Poles $1 Each.” I shall buy them all…but since it’ll be Senior Discount Day I won’t pay nearly what I would have if I was still a young whippersnapper and less
wise. See? All you have to do is look for the silver linings.
One of the best things about this age thing, though, awaits those of a fishing bent just a few miles up the road at Moccasin Creek State Park. It’s the seniors-and-kiddos section of Moccasin Creek, a trout stream which flows through the park next to the park’s campground.
It’s a stream where age (I mean WISDOM!) is a plus!
Moccasin Creek State Park is a 32-acre park is located in northeast Georgia’s Rabun County on Georgia 197. It nestles up next to Lake Burton, and it is right across the creek from the Burton Fish Hatchery. The park offers a range of things to do too. Right there at the park is a playground where the kids can work off some energy. If you’re feeling more ambitious, you’ll find some good hiking, too, including a good trail that takes you to Hemlock Falls. The trailhead is marked by a prominent inscribed boulder. With a total in-andout length of about 2 miles, it’s a great hike to do with the kids.
Or maybe you prefer the water. Moccasin Creek State Park offers easy access to the lake, thanks to a boat ramp and dock. Don’t have a boat? Kayaks, paddleboards and canoes can be rented at the park during the warmer parts of the year.
There’s camping, too, with more than 50 tent, trailer and RV campsites. All have water and 30-amp electrical service – and (yes!) the camping is discounted for those 62 years old or older. See? Age is looking better all the time. But make your reservations early as this park is often completely booked.
During your visit, you’ll want to
cross the creek and visit the Lake Burton Trout Hatchery. It’s open from 8 till 4:30 weekdays and from 10 till 3 on weekends and holidays.
But what about that fishing?
The section of Moccasin Creek through the state park is open only to seniors age 65 or older and to kids age 11 or younger, as well as to those with disabilities. This special-regulation water starts on the downstream end near the lake at a sign marking the “approximate normal pool level of Lake Burton” on the downstream end. From there, it extends upstream under Georgia Highway 197 to the diversion dam which feeds water into the Burton Trout Hatchery.
Aha! So we who are steeped in wisdom (as well as those who are still too young to worry about such things) have our own special piece of trout stream heaven? You bet we do!
Access to this stretch of the creek is easy, even though no wading is allowed. Fishing platforms put you in good positions to cast to some of the best holding water. Creekside access is good away from the platforms, too, and a trail on the state park side provide additional fairly easy bank access to further expand the possibilities.
What swims in the creek? The big draw is the trout, of course, and the folks at the adjoining Burton Trout Hatchery regularly stock catchable-sized trout there. You’ll probably see some of these fish holding in the current near the fishing platforms…but remember that if you can see them, they can see you too. They may be harder to fool than you’d think!
What should you use when fishing the special section of Moccasin Creek?
One good bet is worms – nightcrawlers or super jumpers or whatever your favorite flavor happens to be. Another is eggs (the kind you find in jars in the fishing department of your favorite bigbox retailer, those so-called “fish eggs” of various colors). Regular-style pink or orange fish eggs are the choice of many, but others swear by different colors (you hear chartreuse mentioned quite often) or by those which are seasoned with a hint of garlic.
Another good bet can be a flashy inline spinning lure such as a Roostertail or Mepps Spinner. Fish these on a light line. If you’re fly fishing, try a Y2K, a 3-D Sucker Spawn, or a San Juan Worm. A bright streamer (that is, some sort of minnow imitation) may work for fly fishers too.
In addition to trout, you’ll see sunfish in the creek. You may catch a few of those too. All are fun!
If you don’t fall into the age brackets that let you fish the special regulations water, there’s still fishing awaiting you at Moccasin Creek State Park. You can fish the nearby lake, for example, or you can go upstream above the diversion dam and fish for trout there. Just remember that within the special regs section, you’ve got to be 65 or older, 11 or younger, or disabled.
The next time you’re looking for something to do with the grandkids, or the next time you want to really convince yourself that the aging thing isn’t all bad, take a look at Moccasin Creek State Park. It’s made to order for making memories – and you just might take home a nice trout or two as well.
We had a good time at Moccasin Creek. And (despite the name) we didn’t see a single snake!
PHOTOS BY: STEVE HUDSON/APPEN MEDIA
Fishing takes place from the creek’s bank at Moccasin Creek. In the background, across the creek, is the Burton Trout Hatchery.
An inscribed boulder marks the start of the Hemlock Falls Trail.
City of Milton Notice of Public Hearing Board of Zoning Appeals
Date & Time: September 17, 2024
6:00 P.M.
Location: City of Milton 2006 Heritage Walk Council Chambers Milton, Georgia 30004-6119
678-242-2500
Consideration of Secondary variance
V24-16
Applicant: James Napier
Request(s):
Secondary Variance request challenging the interpretations of the Community Development Director regarding:
• Retaining walls to be constructed on property located at 2335 Bethany Bend. Unified Development Code Sec.9.3.7, Retaining Walls
• Public notification requirements for subdivisions as applied to property located at 2335 Bethany Bend. Unified Development Code Sec.13.1, Defined Terms; Sec. 12.6.2 H, Subdivision, General Requirements, Compliance with City Procedures
• Demolition permit notice requirements for property located at 2335 Bethany Bend. Unified Development Code Sec. 12.8.6.A, Demolition Permits, Findings and Purpose
• Public notification requirements for demolition permits reviewed by the City of Milton Design Review Board as applied to property located at 2335 Bethany Bend. Unified Development Code Sec.12.8.6.E, Demolition Permits, Public Hearing.
Burger:
Continued from Page 1
Community Burger Milton has been proud to serve the community with our fast casual dining experience,” he wrote. “We are immensely grateful to out loyal customers, dedicated staff and supportive community for their unwavering patronage and enthusiasm
during this time.”
Greg Swayne, co-owner of Market District Crabapple, told Appen Media that his team was surprised by the announcement. Moving forward, Swayne said he expects ebbs and flows at Market District Crabapple with a dynamic market affecting restaurants across Metro Atlanta.
Single Barrel Hospitality’s Hogan said they’re simply consolidating brands in a challenging economy.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR TEXT AMENDMENTS TO THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE (UDC) FOR THE CITY OF MILTON, GEORGIA
RZ24-03 – A text amendment to Article 8 Use Provisions of the Unified Development Code for the City of Milton, Georgia to prohibit automobile and light truck sales/leasing and auto broker with or without administrative office only/ used car dealer uses within the City of Milton.
RZ24-04 – A text amendment to Article 7A Crabapple Form-Based Code, Sec. 7A.1.6. Density Calculations of the Unified Development Code for the City of Milton, Georgia as it relates to the number of building units and parking structures.
Public Hearings/ Meetings:
Community Zoning Information Meeting (CZIM)
Tuesday, August 27, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.
Planning Commission Meeting Wednesday, September 25, 2024 at 6:00 p.m
Mayor & City Council Meeting Monday, November 4, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.
Location:
Milton City Hall - Council Chambers 2006 Heritage Walk Milton, Georgia 30004 678-242-2540
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