August 22, 2024 | AppenMedia. com
SCREENSHOT
Frank Patterson, CEO of Fayetteville-based Trilith Studios, speaks to the state Senate Study Committee on Artificial Intelligence on Aug. 14.
Senate committee hears testimony about possibilities, pitfalls of AI tech
By JAKE DRUKMAN newsroom@appenmedia.com
FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — While computer-generated actors and selfdriving cars aren’t common in Georgia yet, a state Senate committee is at work to evaluate the benefits and risks such technologies may pose.
The Senate Study Committee on Artificial Intelligence, headed by Roswell Sen. John Albers, met at Trilith film studios in Fayetteville on Aug. 14. Committee members
discussed the possible applications of AI with stakeholders in Georgia’s film industry and public infrastructure.
Trilith Studios CEO Frank Patterson was the first speaker to address the committee. The studio has produced some of the highest-grossing films of all time, such as “Avengers: Endgame” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
Patterson discussed ways that artificial intelligence could potentially
See TESTIMONY, Page 16
► PAGE 7
BUDGET AND TAXES
City approves property tax rate, talks spending
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
MILTON, Ga. — The property tax rate remains the same as last year after city officials cited increasing project costs and community investment at the Aug. 12 special-called meeting and work session.
Before elected officials voted to keep Milton’s maintenance and operations rate at 4.389 mills, Deputy City Manager Bernadette Harvill discussed the fiscal year 2025 budget.
For the acquisition and buildout of the $28 million athletic complex off Deerfield Parkway, the city plans to use funds from the seven-year Capital Improvement Plan.
It sacrifices some projects anticipated in fiscal year 2025 and beyond. Milton’s fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2025.
Because Milton uses the pay-asyou-go budgeting system, city officials are encouraged to offset spending with tax increases or cuts elsewhere.
In the city’s process, a budget workshop is held prior to the millage rate vote, so councilmembers have a better idea of what initiatives and projects require funding.
Harvill emphasized the importance of going line-by-line through the budget before the final vote. She said anticipated revenues are down
$121,218 and projected expenditures are $34,263 less than they were after the July 22 City Council meeting.
Most of Harvill’s Aug. 12 presentation compares revenue and expenditure variances from fiscal year 2024 to the draft 2025 budget. It includes a 5 percent market adjustment to staff salaries as a placeholder, which will be allocated based on the city’s ongoing compensation and classification study.
“This 5 percent market adjustment also impacts salary-related benefits, including employer matches to social security replacement accounts and voluntary retirement plans,” Harvill said. “There’s also a per employee average cost for health insurance benefits included at approximately 3 percent increase from the 2024 budget as benefit costs came in lower than anticipated.”
Municipal election costs drop more than 90 percent in fiscal year 2025, with the city setting aside $5,000 for training during its off-cycle year. Harvill said the one-time election costs in fiscal year 2023 will not recur.
Also, legal expenditures are anticipated to drop 23 percent after higher than expected fees last fiscal year.
Harvill previewed potential capital
See BUDGET, Page 16
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POLICE BLOTTER
All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.
Man reports burglary during renovation
MILTON, Ga. — A Milton man reported to police Aug. 8 that someone stole a Bosch jackhammer from his home undergoing renovation on Bethany Bend.
The estimated cost of the tool was redacted on the incident report.
The man told police he left the jackhammer inside the house the day before and when he returned Aug. 8 it was no longer there, according to the report.
He noted his subcontractors sometimes reach through the windows for tools while they are working but told police no one should have been there while he was gone, according to the report.
The investigation is ongoing.
Woman duped out of coop in Facebook scam
MILTON, Ga. — A Milton woman reported to police Aug. 11 that she was scammed after attempting to buy a chicken coop on Facebook Marketplace.
The cost of the chicken coop was redacted on the incident report.
The woman said she had also agreed to pay an extra fee for delivery and sent money to a Venmo account belonging to an individual with a name that differed from the seller, according to the report. The woman told police she was told the individual was the seller’s sister.
The woman said the seller was supposed to deliver the coop an hour after the payment. Once the deadline passed, the woman said she attempted to message the seller several times without a response, according to the report.
She then found the Facebook profile no longer available, the report says.
The woman told police she was in the process of getting her money back with Venmo and that she was willing to press charges if the suspects were identified.
Woman suspects firm of burglarizing jewelry
MILTON, Ga. — A Milton woman reported to police Aug. 12 that jewelry had been stolen from her home.
The woman said when she went to put on her earrings her husband had purchased for her, they were not in the box where she usually left them, according to the incident report.
She told police that workers had been in the home earlier and suggested they could be at fault.
The value of the earrings was redacted in the report.
The woman told police she wished to press charges if the suspects were identified.
Police locate driver after hit and run crash reported
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Police investigated a report of a hit-and-run crash Aug. 5, locating a driver who had allegedly left the location of the crash.
Officers were dispatched to Westside Parkway and Cumming Street where the crash was reported, according to an Alpharetta police report.
A driver at the location of the crash told police a vehicle had side swiped his car while changing lanes. The Johns Creek man said the alleged atfault driver had asked him not to call police because she was from out of the country and did not have insurance.
Police saw damage to the bumper and tire of the car that remained at the location of the crash.
Police identified the license of the alleged at-fault vehicle and visited the driver’s residence.
During the second visit, police located the vehicle that had allegedly
left the crash and spoke with the driver, who allegedly admitted to driving the vehicle involved.
Alpharetta resident sends $15K to alleged scammer
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — An Alpharetta resident reported she was deceived into sending $15,000 to an online scammer on Aug. 5.
The resident said she received a Microsoft warning telling her computer was corrupted, according to an Alpharetta police report. After following the online prompts to visit a website and call a phone number, she was convinced to make withdrawals from her bank, according to the report.
The resident withdrew the money from a local bank and converted it into the digital currency Bitcoin at a local kiosk. She then deposited the money into the alleged scammer’s account.
The resident reported the alleged scam to police on Aug. 6 and froze her bank accounts.
The investigation is ongoing.
Couple’s home burglarized of jewelry, cash
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Police were dispatched to a home off Easthaven Place July 29, where jewelry and $500 in cash had reportedly been stolen.
The homeowner told police she had left that day at around 12:45 p.m. and returned about an hour later to a shattered kitchen door.
In the incident report, police wrote they believed someone rummaged through the woman’s bedroom dresser and closet. They also reported signs that a safe had been broken into.
The woman said that cash had been taken from her purse, left behind on the steps of the living room, the report says.
The woman’s husband told police a weed wacker left at the back of the house was not his. Police suspected that it had been used to enter the home.
THE PICTURE FRAMER
Church gift lets Family Promise offer new housing
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
ROSWELL, Ga. — A recent donation to Family Promise of North Fulton/ DeKalb will give two families in need of transitional housing a place to call home early next year.
Family Promise is a nationwide nonprofit that fights homelessness by providing resources, transitional housing, and support to struggling families.
The North Fulton/DeKalb chapter received the donation, its first transitional home, from St. David’s Episcopal Church as part of a 10-year reduced rent lease agreement.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Aug. 15 on the lawn of the roughly 1,800-square-foot home off Old Roswell Road, next door to the church. It featured remarks from Executive Director Andrea Brantley, Rev. Remington Slone of St. David’s, and Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson.
As visitors walked through the home, Jason Acree, with project manager McKibbon Places, explained the renovation plans. He expects completion in the first quarter of next year. The home will have five bedrooms and two bathrooms with shared dining and living areas.
Brantley said the home will provide families exiting the nonprofit’s Rotational Shelter program more time to build credit and reach self-sufficiency.
In 2023, the North Fulton/DeKalb chapter served 31 individuals in its Rotational Shelter program, which was made possible through partnerships with a diverse range of a dozen faithbased organizations, including St. David’s. It also served 54 individuals in its Housing Stabilization program and nearly 2,500 through Emergency Response.
“We’re very super excited to have the City of Roswell … wrap [its] arms around the project…” Brantley said.
She said the project was Slone’s idea.
“He came to me, loved our mission, and said, ‘I want to do more,’” Brantley said.
Families that have been rotating through shelters weekly for 90 to 120 days will have the opportunity to stay at the home for up to six months once they graduate.
“My dream is that other congregations see the value of this,” she said.
Brantley said they could donate space they’re using for storage or for meetings, proposing they relocate to their larger facilities. She also said they could allow the nonprofit to build on their undeveloped land.
“My hope is that we … shake the community up about this and realize that this is a really doable thing, and we can really make an impact on the families that are experiencing homelessness in our neighborhood,” Brantley said.
CITY OF MILTON PUBLIC NOTICE
The Mayor and Council of the City of Milton wish to notify the public of the upcoming meetings pertaining to the FY 2025 proposed Annual Operating and Capital Budget:
1. Public Hearing: A public hearing will be held at the regularly scheduled council meeting on September 4, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. for the purpose of receiving comments on the proposed budget.
2. Public Hearing: A second public hearing will be held at the regularly scheduled council meeting on September 16, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. for the purpose of receiving comments on the proposed budget.
3. Budget Adoption: The FY 2025 budget will be considered for adoption by the Mayor and Council after the public hearing at the regularly scheduled council meeting on September 16, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.
These meetings will be held at Milton City Hall, 2006 Heritage Walk, Milton, GA 30004.
The proposed budget will be available for review upon request at City Hall from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday or on the City’s website at www. miltonga.gov the Thursday prior to the first public hearing .
At center, Andrea Brantley, executive director of Family
and Rev.
Slone, senior pastor of St. David’s Episcopal
join members of the Roswell City Council for a groundbreaking ceremony on Aug. 15. St. David’s donated an adjacent house to the nonprofit as part of a 10-year reduced rent agreement, intended for two families in transition from rotational sheltering.
Andrea Brantley, executive director of Family Promise of North Fulton/Dekalb, provides an overview Aug. 15 of the nonprofit’s new transitional home on Old Roswell Road gifted by St. David’s Episcopal Church. Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson and St. David’s Rev. Remington
also made remarks.
CITY OF MILTON PUBLIC NOTICE
Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Amendment and Use of Additional Occupational Tax Revenue
Notice is hereby given that a public hearing shall be held on the 4 th day of September, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. at Milton City Hall, 2006 Heritage Walk, Milton, Georgia before the Mayor and Council of the City of Milton at which time ordinances pertaining to the Fiscal Year 2024 budget amendment and decisions pertaining to the use of additional occupational tax revenue shall be sounded and adopted.
The proposed budget amendments will be available for review at City Hall from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday or online at www.miltonga.gov the Thursday prior to the meeting.
This public hearing is in accordance with O.C.G.A. 36-81-5 and O.C.G.A. 48-1328. All citizens and stakeholders of Milton are invited to attend.
PHOTOS BY: AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA
Promise of North Fulton/Dekalb,
Remington
Church,
Slone
Community invited to count pollinators at Autrey Mill Nature Preserve
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The Great Southeastern Pollinator Census, a citizen science project created by the University of Georgia, will land at Autrey Mill Nature Preserve Aug. 24.
The preserve and the North Fulton Master Gardeners, along with the University of Georgia Extension Office, will provide all the materials needed for those interested in capturing a count in one of
the site’s three pollinator gardens. From 10 a.m. to noon, volunteers will be asked to choose a favorite pollinator plant to monitor and for 15 minutes, keep count of each insect that lands, then
upload the results to the project’s website. In addition to Georgia, the census is open to residents in South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida. For more information, visit https://gsepc.org.
20th Miss Mary’s fundraiser will be at Roswell United Methodist Church
ROSWELL, Ga. — The Drake House, a Roswell nonprofit that assists women and children experiencing homelessness, is celebrating 20 sweet years of its Miss Mary’s Ice Cream Crankin’ fundraiser.
The Aug. 25 event, scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. at Roswell United Methodist Church, will offer the chance for families to savor some homemade ice cream and
support the organization’s mission of ending homelessness in the community.
This year’s location is a move just up the street.
Named after North Fulton humanitarian Mary Drake, Miss Mary’s Ice Cream Crankin’ was established in 2004 as the signature fundraising event for The Drake House.
There, attendees will be invited to sample more than 100 flavors of homemade ice cream churned by dedicated community volunteer “crankers,” or those who make ice cream before the event and serve samples the day of.
Tickets are $7 with discounts for family packs. Entrance grants each person a tasting cup and all the ice cream they can eat.
Corporate, civic, faith and family teams will compete for top awards from local judges. Categories include Best Vanilla, Best Chocolate, Best Fruit and Best Other Flavor.
The event will also feature children’s activities, such as a bounce house, face painting and kids contests.
Alpharetta City Band selected for regional event
Alpharetta City Band is
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The Alpharetta City Band will perform at the Association of Concert Bands’ Regional Connections event on Sept. 21.
The all-volunteer amateur ensemble of musicians and educators is one of three community groups selected to perform at the event, according to a news release.
“This is the first time in the Alpharetta City Band’s 35-year history that we have applied to participate in an event like this,” said Nicole Fallin, the ensemble’s director. “Our selection is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our musicians and marks a significant milestone in the band’s progression.”
The selection process required the band to submit recordings of their performances with their application.
Community performances are scheduled for 2:30-4:30 p.m. The Callanwolde Concert Band, the event’s host ensemble, will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. All performances are free and open to the public.
For more information about the Alpharetta City Band or the Regional Connections event, visit www.alpharettacityband.com or contact Board President Stacy Carter at president@alpharettacityband.com.
The Alpharetta City Band first performed a concert in 1989 and features a diverse repertoire of patriotic marches, Broadway classics, jazz standards, traditional concert band arrangements and holiday favorites, according to the band’s website.
Johns Creek memorial lacrosse game, scholarships honor coach
By HANNAH FRAZER hannah@appenmedia.com
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — For the second consecutive year, the lacrosse community came together to honor the memory of Edward Venglik.
Venglik, mostly known as Ed, was a lacrosse coach and father of three in Johns Creek. He coached most levels of the sport, with his commitment to athletes earning him the title Mr. Gladiator.
Coach Ed’s legacy lived on as Newtown Park stands filled with community members, friends and family of the Vegliks for a memorial lacrosse game Aug. 12.
The field buzzed with energy and smiles as Ed’s two sons, Nicholas and Oliver, battled each other. Some of Ed’s former players, along with current high school and middle school lacrosse athletes, joined the brothers on the field.
Luke Shusted, who grew up playing under Coach Ed, brought his best to the field. Shusted told Appen Media he learned valuable lessons from Ed while playing for the Georgia Blue Jays, Johns Creek Gladiators and 3D Georgia.
“Ed’s kindness and leadership as a coach truly created the best lacrosse experience I could have ever wished for,” Luke said. “He always preached to me growing up that through hard work we can achieve whatever we want on the field as well as in life.”
Ed’s impact continues today, with three scholarships dedicated in his name to helping kids achieve their dreams.
The Johns Creek High School lacrosse coach awards the Ed Venglik Love of The Game College Scholarship.
This year’s recipient was Eli Brewer.
Ed’s wife Allyson Venglik explained the award’s criteria.
“Whoever enjoys the game the most will receive the scholarship, because
that was Ed,” she said. “He was the kid out there having a good time.”
The 3D lacrosse Ed Venglik memorial scholarship goes towards the membership cost of the 3D Georgia program. The athlete will be selected annually by the 3D Georgia’s coach.
There is also the Ed Venglik Randstad Memorial Scholarship,
funded by Randstad Engineering, which is awarded to an engineering student at the University of Florida. The honor shows preference to those with a community college background. Ed originally attended community college before going to the University of Florida. The recipients of the two memorial scholarships have yet to be announced.
Alpharetta Development Authority renews job incentive grant program
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The Alpharetta Development Authority board renewed a job creation grant Aug. 6 that pays local companies to hire Alpharetta residents.
“A lot of local companies outside of a bond inducement don’t really have a lot of localized economic development incentives,” Alpharetta Economic Development Manager Lance Morsell said. “This kind of puts Alpharetta in a unique position of having something as an added benefit.”
The program was renewed through the next fiscal year.
Created in 2013, the Alpharetta Jobs Creation Grant Program awards $250$500 to local companies for every new job filled by a city resident, Morsell said.
The program works in tandem with a state job credit program.
To receive the incentive, jobs must remain filled for at least a year. Grant applications are considered by the Development Authority for approval. Since its creation, the program has paid two companies.
Fiserv, a global financial services and payments company, was awarded $19,500.
Primetals Technology USA, a metallurgical plant supplier, received $8,000.
“That creativity shows the direction and mindset of the city and the Authority is one of pro-business,” Morsell said. “That is the invisible effect of this incentive.”
CITY OF ALPHARETTA/PROVIDED Speaking at the Aug. 6 Development Authority meeting, Alpharetta Economic Development Manager Lance Morsell discusses a program that incentivizes companies to hire residents.
HANNAH FRAZER/APPEN MEDIA
Edward Venglik’s sons Nicholas, crouched, and Oliver face each other in the memorial lacrosse game held at Newtown Park.
North Fulton facing ‘acute’ school bus driver shortage
By JAKE DRUKMAN newsroom@appenmedia.com
NORTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Schools in North Fulton County are looking to recruit new bus drivers amid a major shortage that has forced the school system to modify bus routes.
Fulton County Schools’ Chief Communication Officer Brian Noyes said the district is looking to fill 140 bus driver vacancies. While that includes vacancies in both North and South Fulton, Noyes said the district has “an acute issue” with North Fulton’s school clusters, particularly in Milton and Alpharetta.
Noyes said the shortage has caused the district to have some drivers service two elementary schools in one day, picking up and dropping off students from an elementary school with lower attendance before moving to an elementary school with higher attendance. Typically, drivers would drive routes for one elementary, one middle and one high school each day.
Some elementary schools in the district have seen earlier pickup times in the morning to accommodate all of the necessary routes, and some students who live along longer routes have been late to school due to busing issues. Noyes said the late arrival times are not widespread.
One doesn’t need specialized experience to become a school bus driver. Applicants with a basic driver’s license can receive paid, in-house
summer and the holidays, as well as breaks between their a.m. and p.m. routes. Full-time drivers can also receive several other benefits.
“As an employee of a school system, you have all of the benefits of the state’s health benefit plan, you’re bought into the teacher retirement system and in 10 years, you’re vested into a retirement pension,” Noyes said. “So that’s a pretty big set of benefits.”
Noyes noted that driving buses can make a great job for retirees who would like to take on another job, commercial drivers who are looking for more reasonable work hours and parents whose kids go to school in Fulton, because they can have a work schedule that aligns with their child’s school schedule.
Anyone interested in becoming a driver for Fulton County Schools can apply online at Fulton County Schools’ website.
training from Fulton County Schools to earn a commercial driver’s license for the job.
Starting pay for drivers with no CDL experience starts at $23.54 per hour, while those with experience can earn more. Bus drivers get time off during
“It’s really a benefit for the kids in the community,” Noyes said. “If people want to get a sense of purpose, education is a great place to be. You’re giving back to the kids… I think it’s really important that we have people who have that feeling about giving back to their community.”
FILE PHOTO
Fulton County is having trouble finding school bus drivers, with about 140 vacancies.
AZIZ HASHIM, founder and managing partner, NRD Holdings
Franchising expert unveils newest food hub concept
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sandy Springs has a new restaurant open, and it’s the first of its kind.
Experiential Brands’ new restaurant concept, SocialBites Food Hub, opened its first location within the Sandy Springs Village shopping center at 6650 Roswell Road in late July.
In the first two weeks of business, Experiential Brands CEO Aziz Hashim said the food hub has hosted families with children, corporate team building exercises and an assortment of Sandy Springs residents and neighbors.
As a food hall, SocialBites Food Hub aims to be a one-stop shop for a night out with friends or family.
While food halls make a profit in high-density commercial and residential areas, the food hub concept looks to combine different service models into something that can last.
In the first two weeks of operations, Hashim said SocialBites has seen just about every customer imaginable, something important to any profitable restaurant business.
The floor plan of the restaurant fits with anyone’s night out preferences. The upstairs features BarSocial, an upscale lounge that looks over the main space below.
Three patios wrap around most of the building’s exterior, allowing couples and smaller groups to enjoy a more secluded meal.
Hashim, founder and managing partner of National Restaurant Development Capital, brings decades of restaurant experience as both a franchisor and franchisee to SocialBites Food Hub. He is also the person who came up with the concept of a food hub.
“Considering today’s rapidly changing economic environment, demographics and customer preferences, it’s very difficult to imagine that you could pick a winner today and it remain a winner for the next 20 years,” Hashim said. “With the prevalence of delivery options, the reasons to physically come inside a restaurant have diminished.”
SocialBites Food Hub replaces Huey Luey’s Mexican restaurant in the 1970s shopping center at southwest corner of Abernathy and Roswell roads in Sandy Springs.
The old red lettering on the two-story building is gone and less than $200,000 in renovations later, Experiential Brand’s newest venture — SocialBite Food Hub — is welcoming customers.
The 6,500-square-foot space is designed for weekly social gatherings, or “Happenings,” like Monday night trivia, Wednesday evening poker games and live music on the weekends.
SocialBites Food Hub, at the corner of Roswell and Abernathy roads in Sandy Springs, looks to turn a profit with a new restaurant concept. After opening in late July, founder Aziz Hashim is optimistic he has a sustainable model.
Hashim said he thinks there are a lot of outdated restaurant spaces in Metro Atlanta, and he hopes to find a model that works for them.
Experiential Brands is a portfolio of
See HUB, Page 9
Aziz Hashim, founder and managing partner of NRD Holdings, points to his favorite wall art inside SocialBites Food Hub Aug. 13. Hashim brings nearly three decades of franchising experience to his new concept, the food hub, at 6650 Roswell Road.
PHOTOS BY: HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
A full spread of menu items from The Original Hot Chicken sits on a table at SocialBites Food Hub. The new food hub concept features four additional menu brands, including Inked Tacos, Flametown Burgers, Pinsa Roman Pizza and BarSocial.
Hub:
Continued from Page 8
fast casual restaurant brands under the umbrella of private investment firm NDC Capital.
“The idea here was to reimagine the restaurant model,” Hashim said. “Today, especially the fast casual model, is a one-to-one relationship, that means there’s a sign outside and that’s what you sell inside.”
The new colors — cyan, yellow and red — on SocialBite’s storefront match the energy inside and its owner’s spirit of invention.
The typical fast-food chain model limits the abilities of franchisors and franchisees to change with the times, Hashim said.
In his experience, if any fast-food business is struggling to make a profit, the franchisor-franchisee dynamic often ends poorly for an operator.
Unlike fast food chain customers, restaurant patrons flock to food halls for community, variety and affordability.
“Event and meeting space in the food environment is very limited, restaurants are just not designed for that,” Hashim said. “Only the largest ones have party rooms and stuff like that, but that’s expensive.”
For smaller groups of 15 or less, food hubs offer a variety of cuisine, whether groups are craving chicken, tacos or a burger, the food hub has it all.
staff.
The ability to adapt can make food halls and hubs more successful than older restaurant models.
“If you want to be able to be flexible, then you have to have the ability to change up the menus,” Hashim said. “If the name outside reflects what’s sold inside, then you’ve completely lost that ability.”
When ordering at SocialBites Food Hub, customers select from one of four brands — The Original Hot Chicken, Inked Tacos, Flametown Burgers and Pinsa Roman Pizza — displayed above the counter like at any Chick-fil-A in Metro Atlanta.
When asked for his favorite brand or menu at the food hub, Hashim smiled and said he’s a burger guy.
After graduating from the University of California, Irvine with an engineering degree, Hashim said he went to his parents for support as he pursued his passion. Not too long after, he found himself in Atlanta.
Just before the 1996 Summer Olympics, Hashim opened his first KFC franchise downtown. Some two decades later, Nation’s Restaurant News named Hashim as one of the 10 most influential leaders in the industry.
Hashim is a proponent of unit-level economics, something that allows him to take his private capital business into other industries, like technology. The operating model allows business owners to forecast the profitability of products and customers, something important with tight margins.
But unlike food halls found across Metro Atlanta, SocialBites centralizes all ordering under one kitchen and wait
“Overtime, we can change the menu,” Hashim said. “The only promise on the outside is you’re going to get great food on the inside.”
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Tort reform likely front-burner issue for 2025 General Assembly
By DAVE WILLIAMS Capitol Beat
ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp has made tort reform the main theme of his annual August address to Georgia political and business leaders two years running.
But his Aug. 7 speech at this year’s Georgia Chamber of Commercesponsored Congressional Luncheon had a different ring to it than the 2023 version.
Court sided with the plaintiffs and threw out the cap in 2010.
Calls for tort reform have come like clockwork virtually every year since, with Republican lawmakers and conservative policy groups warning that huge jury verdicts from frivolous lawsuits are hurting job creation by forcing companies to close their doors.
“I hear stories every week from business owners who can’t get insurance or can’t afford it,” said Kyle Wingfield, president and CEO of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, a think tank that advocates free-market approaches to public-policy issues. “There’s got to be more balance.”
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Kemp followed up last year’s pledge to make tort reform a top priority by essentially pulling out the rug on the issue when he addressed the chamber again at the beginning of this year’s General Assembly session. He said significant tort reform would require more than one year.
Toward that end, lawmakers passed a Kemp-backed bill this year directing the state insurance department to gather data on legal trends affecting premiums and prepare a report by Nov. 1.
“The governor very smartly decided to take a step back and look at the data,” said Nancy Palmer, vice president of government affairs for the Georgia Chamber. “Lawsuit reform is a huge wide-ranging topic. We’re talking about the entirety of the civil justice system.”
Tort reform has been a goal of Georgia Republicans and their allies in the business community for decades. But the most significant reform legislation to make it through the General Assembly came way back in 2005, a bill that imposed a $350,000 cap on non-economic damage awards in medical malpractice and product liability lawsuits.
The cap immediately came under fire in the form of lawsuits challenging its constitutionality. The Georgia Supreme
Palmer said improving access to insurance is just as important to businesses as the premiums they have to pay for coverage.
“We have insurers who are leaving the marketplace,” she said. “What we want is for businesses not only to pay lower rates but to have more choices. … There should be more competition in this marketplace.”
Opposition to tort reform has come from trial lawyers and legislative Democrats, who have argued that Georgians injured by medical malpractice or faulty products deserve access to a legal remedy.
“Constitutionally, people have a right to their day in court, and appellate courts in Georgia have been protective of that,” said state Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, a member of the House Judiciary Committee.
Oliver suggested that Republicans have been unsuccessful thus far in passing major tort reforms because many past governors and legislative leaders – including Republicans – have been lawyers who understand the
See TORT, Page 16
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Johns Creek artist guild expands reach
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — The artist guild at the Art Center, formerly known at the Johns Creek Art Center, welcomed visitors to its reception at the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse Aug. 6.
The show “Autumnal Equinox,” on display until Oct. 31, features around 25 pieces from a dozen artists in the guild.
Guild President Monika Mittal said she chose the venue to widen the group’s reach but also to allow for bigger pieces. The courthouse walls easily accommodate 6-foot-high paintings.
Among the small crowd was Janice Rinaldo, recreation program coordinator for Gwinnett County. She told Appen Media she previously saw the guild’s work at an exhibition at Emory Johns Creek Hospital.
“I was like, ‘This is great art.’ I was like, ‘I got to get a hold of the guild and see if they want to come do something over here,’” Rinaldo said. “It finally came to fruition a year later.”
The courthouse, off West Crogan Street in Lawrenceville, has rotating art shows on a quarterly basis.
Mittal has also been working to pull in more diverse groups of people to the guild.
The group has nearly 40 members from varied backgrounds, ethnicities and ages.
Mittal’s 21-year-old daughter has a macrame piece in the show, and not far from it, is a quilt made by an 80-year-old artist.
The diversity carries through to the work.
Guild member Afreen Khundmiri had two pieces in the show, one of which represented her perspective as someone
with dyslexia. She painted the dress she wore, Rumi poetry in Farsi.
“I want to convey the message … women, period, are multitaskers,” Khundmiri said. “They can do anything and everything. They don’t need a language. They just need a love language.”
Khundmiri said her love language is food, showing photos she took of her husband’s dishes.
Another artist in the show, Greg Barnum, had some landscape paintings as well as abstract work.
Barnum, who joined the guild a couple of years ago, said the group allows him to sell his work but also to support the Art Center. He began attending classes there about a decade ago.
“The Art Center is not going to work without people supporting it out of the goodness of their hearts,” he said.
AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA
Artist Guild President Monika Mittal, left, speaks to guests at the group’s art reception Aug. 6.
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Vegetables that go bump in the night
As a responsible parent, I try not to talk to my children about celery right before bedtime. I wouldn’t want to give them nightmares!
After all, celery is one of several plants that contain “psoralens,” a group of chemicals that can cause terrible sun burns and rashes when eaten or dropped on one’s skin.
The classic example of a rash from psoralens is the vacationer who makes himself a margarita and accidentally drips lime juice on his skin. All is well until he lies in the sun. Then, blisters develop everywhere the lime juice touched: most often in the pattern of a line down the forearm following where the lime juice dripped and ran.
But limes and celery aren’t the only culprits. Most citrus fruits, figs, fennel, carrots, and even parsnips contain psoralens. Yes, EVEN parsnips. And all this time you thought parsnips were innocent. Hah.
Most psoralens stay in one’s system for about three hours after ingestion, so someone who consumes large quantities of psoralens should avoid the sun for half a day or so.
An infamous report in a 1990 volume of Archives of Dermatology details the case of a German woman who fell victim to celery. She was a vegetarian who enjoyed tanning beds, and she did not realize that celery and tanning beds are a dangerous combination. One fateful day, she cooked a one-pound celery root and proceeded to eat the entire root and all the broth in which it had stewed. One hour later, she went to the tanning bed and received her usual 30-minute treatment. Nothing seemed amiss during the tanning bed session, but over the following 48 hours, she developed fever and then diffuse swelling and large blisters. She was hospitalized, treated with steroids, and the reaction took weeks to subside.
Investigators studied a comparable celery root and determined that there was approximately 1mg of psoralens in every 10g of celery root, meaning that she had ingested approximately 45mg of psoralens. This dose of psoralens would be expected to cause the observed blistering reaction in the presence of the amount of tanning bed light she received.
For the reader interested in toxicology, the LD50 (Median Lethal
Dose: the amount of something that would be lethal in half of the people who took it) of psoralens in the absence of light is approximately 1700mg/kg in mice. This means that if a mouse receives a dose of 1700mg of psoralens for each kg of body weight, then the mouse has a fifty percent chance of surviving. If we assume the same LD50 in humans and assume a 70kg weight for the average person, then this would mean that a human would have to eat 2,600 pounds of celery in one sitting to have a 50% chance of dying from the psoralens. Of course, this is impossible. No one can eat this much celery in one sitting (do not take this as a challenge)! But, in the presence of ultraviolet light on one’s skin, just one pound of celery was enough to nearly lead to the German woman’s death. It’s a remarkable example of a toxicity that is environment-dependent to the extreme. Celery is approximately 2600 times more lethal in the presence of ultraviolet light than in its absence.
Psoralens hurt us in the presence of light because psoralens can fit inside our DNA and cause chemical reactions that depend on light to be initiated. Mutations and even breaks in DNA can occur. Even if the cell survives, the mutations can ultimately lead to cancer. Still, the small doses of psoralens the average person ingests from a normal diet allow us to usually disregard our diet when going in the sun. Large quantities of psoralens-containing fruits and vegetables are the exception.
Interestingly, we do have a clue as to why plants make psoralens to begin with. The fact that they can be toxic to animals that ingest them means that they may exist to discourage animals from eating these plants. However, a more intriguing finding is that celery stalks will increase their production of psoralens by up to ten times the normal amount when infected with certain molds. Psoralens may be a defense against mold, and we humans may be the innocent bystanders. Eating celery that was infected with this mold prior to harvesting could theoretically increase the psoralen concentration by ten times the amount, and this would mean that the German patient might have only had to eat a couple ounces of infected celery to suffer the same consequences in the tanning bed.
So, remember: Be careful with lime juice at the beach. Be cautious about celery ingestion prior to light exposure. And never, ever trust a parsnip!
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Mule of song 36 Gannon University city 37 Aardwolf
39 Pond organism 40 Serpentine letter 41 Coffee choice 42 Recording a show
44 Quod ___ faciendum 45 Breaks away 46 Mensa member 49 Manipulates 50 Auto mishaps
51 Little terror
53 Kind of trout
54 It may not be grounded
Jack-o’-lantern
See solution Page 23
6 perks of becoming empty nesters
With summer coming to an end, this can be an emotional time for parents of college bound children. Instead of worrying about what life will be like without children at home, I encourage couples to view this time to rekindle their marriage. Though it’s normal to feel bittersweet, here are some benefits of being an empty nester.
1. Date Nights. No more kidfriendly environment needed. You and your spouse can go to any restaurant, venue, or event and not have to worry about if it’s appropriate for the kids, will they like the food, or will they have fun. You and your spouse only need to worry about each other.
2. Travel. Now you and your spouse can take the vacation you have been waiting for without working around the kid’s school schedule. The possibilities are endless.
3. Volunteer “Now, what am I going to do with all my spare time?” Find an organization, community or corporation
you’re passionate about and give back. Spend a day at church or at a homeless shelter. Help stock the local food pantry. Giving back is rewarding for both you, your spouse, and the community you are helping.
4. Reconnect with Spouse. No more excuses. Take this time to focus on your spouse and rekindle your relationship. Start flirting again, making time for one another and planning things together. Go on a spontaneous walk through your neighborhood. Go out to dinner or see a movie.
5. Establish New Hobbies. No more having to drive the kids around, attend sport events, and revolve your schedule around theirs. It is all about you and your spouse again. Take a cooking class or a yoga class together. Establish what things you both like to do together and on your own.
6. Regain Independence. No more excuses about not having time for yourself or your spouse. Start taking care of yourself, doing things for yourself and focusing on what you want in life.
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Roswell moves to remodel Masonic Lodge into pavilion
By JAKE DRUKMAN newsroom@appenmedia.com
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell’s historic Masonic Lodge No. 165 structure is now set to be preserved, although not in its current form.
The Roswell City Council unanimously approved a resolution Aug. 12 to renovate the building into an open-air pavilion for public use. The renovation was one of three options presented to the council at a July 29 special called meeting, the other two being demolition and salvaging of the building’s components.
The building’s fate has been a contentious topic among residents and the council since the city moved to acquire the property through eminent domain in April as part of an effort to build a parking structure in the area.
Roswell residents, including former Mayor Jere Wood, formed a grassroots group following the purchase with the goal of preserving the structure, which the city allocated $3.4 million to obtain. The lodge’s Masons also filed a legal appeal in late June accusing the city of underpaying for the property. The city’s Monday resolution authorizes city staff to settle outstanding litigation
surrounding the property at a cost of up to $3.95 million.
In addition to the acquisition costs, remodeling the building into a pavilion and adding a public restroom to the property is expected to cost the city more than $3.5 million. Wood addressed the council following the resolution’s passage and said he would work with residents and the Roswell Historic
resident, said before the vote that she has mixed feelings about the project, and that the city should not have moved to acquire the building at all.
“I’m glad the building’s not going to be destroyed, but I don’t like the fact that taxpayer money is going to now take over a building that’s been basically just sitting there for 100 years,” Russell said to the council during public comment. “I don’t know what the function will be, or how an open-air pavilion is going to be of any assistance to people in a parking garage.”
Society to collect donations and help fund the remodeling project.
Mayor Kurt Wilson said that the city’s work on the parking deck can begin “immediately” now that issues with the lodge are settled. He said the city will tackle the deck first, and then begin working to remodel the lodge after the deck is completed.
Janet Russell, a 50-year Roswell
Before the vote, Wilson also apologized to residents who had to wait for nearly three hours to voice their concerns regarding the lodge’s future on July 29. The city calendar had listed an open public comment session for 7:30 p.m. that night, but public comment did not actually begin until 10:20 p.m., after several lengthy business items.
“I didn’t do such a good job,” Wilson said.
Wilson said that all responsibility for scheduling meeting agendas falls to him, and that members of the City Council are not responsible. He also pledged not to schedule any other agenda items on an open mic night for the rest of his term as mayor.
CITY OF ROSWELL/PROVIDED
Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson addresses residents prior to a vote to preserve the city’s Masonic Lodge on Aug. 12.
Testimony:
Continued from Page 1
revolutionize the way films are created, replacing human involvement to a large degree. He noted that current technology is still far from being able to create viable movies without human input.
“We are nowhere close to being able to create characters that have any kind of humanity,” Patterson said. “I can’t do it, and believe me, I’ve tried… When you’re talking about fictional stories that resonate across humanity, we haven’t figured out how to create a human interaction.”
He said studios will be able to use AI in smaller ways in the near term, such as translating films into other languages for distribution to foreign markets. This is done by having voice actors manually record translated lines and replacing a film’s native dialogue
Tort:
Continued from Page 10
complexities of the issue.
“What’s unique about this time is (neither) the governor, lieutenant governor, nor (House) speaker are lawyers,” she said. “It makes it easier
Budget:
Continued from Page 1
expenditures in the 2025 budget, like the Legacy Park lot and restrooms, a community center or indoor gymnasium and investments along Ga. 9 and the Deerfield area.
City Councilman Phil Cranmer asked a series of questions about the timing of specific projects in the seven-year Capital Improvement Plan.
Because of inflationary pressures and economic uncertainty, staff were unable to give the councilmember a completion date for the new lot at
with the translated version. Patterson suggested, however, that AI could both perform the translations and make them sound like the original actor’s voice.
Some acting organizations have railed against such uses of AI in the past, arguing that using technology to replace human labor threatens people’s livelihoods in the film industry.
Patterson and Julie Feagin, CEO of Atlanta-based FilmBook Media, cautioned that AI technology could threaten actors’ — and the public’s — rights to their own names, images and likenesses. Many AI programs can generate realistic images and videos of people without their knowledge or consent.
“AI-generated content is not real, but it has very real consequences,” Feagin said. “It can cause emotional and financial harm.”
Feagin noted AI has been used to create artificial sexual imagery of real people, known as “deepfakes,” which
for them to say they’re for tort reform.”
One reform Republicans are expected to pursue in 2025 is in the area of premises liability. Business owners have long complained about being drawn into lawsuits after injuries or deaths occur on their properties that are not their fault and, in many cases, occur at night when the business is closed.
Legacy Park, which Cranmer said he has heard about continuously from residents.
It’s possible that the parking lot is finished during the 2025 calendar year, but design proposals are still out for bid.
Other proposed new initiatives include filling 11 positions Fire Station 45 at the Providence Road and Birmingham Highway (Ga. 372) roundabout, renovations to the Milton Police Department Headquarters, work on the Bethwell Community Center and the historic McConnell-Chadwick House.
Harvill said Public Works Director Sara Leaders is working with the Milton
can damage a person’s reputation and cause major emotional distress. Deepfakes have been the subject of numerous legal disputes in the U.S. over the past several years.
Feagin and Patterson suggested the state take action to protect people’s rights to their images regarding AI recreations.
AI in transportation
Alan Davis, a traffic engineer with the Georgia Department of Transportation, was another speaker at Wednesday’s meeting. He suggested AI may one day play a larger role in aiding the state’s transit planning and traffic management. Currently, it plays “little to none” due to such technologies being cost-prohibitive and unreliable.
“Current [AI] models, at least ones that I think would benefit transportation, are not good at outliers,” Davis said. “And if there’s anything that’s full of outliers, it’s transportation and traffic.”
“When someone shows up and decides to commit a crime on your property without your permission, how much do you have to do to prevent that?” Wingfield said. “That ought to be a common-sense place to start.”
Two bills pertaining to the premises liability issue were before the General Assembly this year, but neither passed.
Palmer said the chamber is looking
Historical Society to find a funding source for $220,000 of needed repairs to Milton’s oldest home.
In a breakdown of general fund expenditures by spending category: personnel services and employee benefits are up 7 percent; maintenance and operations are up 22.3 percent; and interfund transfers are down around 40 percent.
The city expects to collect around $16 million in real property taxes in fiscal year 2025. That figure brings the total projected property tax revenue to around $21 million.
Other revenues include around $15.2 million in sales and use taxes, $5.3 million in business levies, $2.1 million in investment income and $1.4 million in licenses and permits.
“Should any significant, unforeseen changes in the economy occur, we will come back before the Council to discuss any required amendments,” Harvill said.
The total projected general fund revenue in fiscal year 2025 is just under $47,300,000, up 3.1 percent from last year.
Along with the property tax rate of 4.389 mills, the City Council also approved the greenspace bond rate at 0.356 mills, which will generate around $1.6 million for passive parks.
Davis said the state uses several technologies to perform functions such as detecting crashes on traffic cameras and deploying emergency assistance. Still, as of now, these functions are powered by algorithms rather than machine intelligence.
He said fully autonomous vehicles may soon be coming to Georgia. Waymo, a ride-hailing company that offers driverless taxi rides, is “mapping out operations” in Atlanta. Currently, Waymo offers rides in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix.
The state’s Senate Study Committee on Artificial Intelligence is scheduled to hold five more meetings through December. Albers said the committee will draft a final report and recommendations for the General Assembly.
Citizens who wish to share comments with the committee can request to speak at a committee meeting or submit testimony online through the committee’s website.
to Kemp for direction on which tort reforms lawmakers should pursue in 2025. Next year begins a new two-year term in the legislature, so whatever is considered has to start from scratch.
This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.
Other transfers out of the general fund include $7.7 million to the capital projects fund, down $6.1 million or 45 percent from fiscal year 2024.
“We are seeing, as everyone else is seeing out there, price increases with everything from a plumbing call to the cost of materials,” Harvill said. “We’ve even been seeing an existing contract from vendors come back and ask us … to renegotiate it now.”
City officials will take a break from the fiscal year 2025 budget process at the Aug. 19 City Council meeting.
The next budget workshop is Sept. 4, with another hearing before final adoption Sept. 16.
City Manager Steve Krokoff said the city is looking at whether it is more cost effective to do some things in house.
City Councilman Doug Hene said the city and population has grown significantly and supported fulfilling requests for additional personnel.
Mayor Peyton Jamison said investments in the Deerfield and Ga. 9 area will yield returns for Milton if done the right way.
“It’s very important that we maintain a high level of service,” Jamison said. “All [lowering the rate] does is kick these pay-go projects down the road to a future Council.”
The life and times of the magnificent Mashburns
BOB MEYERS Columnist
Citizens of Forsyth County are familiar with the Mashburn family thanks to its contributions to the county and due to the efforts of Steve Mashburn, genealogist, historian and retired music educator in the Forsyth County School System. Residents of Alpharetta and other North Fulton communities are familiar with the name due in part to, Connie Mashburn, the official historian of the City of Alpharetta and author of the book celebrating the city’s sesquicentennial in 2008 Alpharetta, Milton County – the Early Years.
The first known Mashburn in the New World was Edward Mashburn Jr (1676 – 1740) who was born in London and who migrated to North Carolina in 1698. A teacher by profession, Edward was the second known schoolmaster in the colony according to Steve Mashburn.
Many of Edward’s descendants settled in Forsyth County. According to Find a Grave, the Cumming City Cemetery has 20 Mashburn’s burial sites and the Ebenezer Methodist Church has 27. Here are profiles of a few family members.
Reverend John Harvey Mashburn (1803-1876) was born in North Carolina and moved to Georgia when he was a young child. He joined the Methodist Church and was licensed to preach locally in 1827. After becoming fully ordained as a Methodist minister in the Georgia Conference, he served as an itinerant preacher throughout north Georgia. Farmhouses often had special rooms set aside for traveling preachers. His territory included assignments to the Canton Circuit and others including the Gainesville Circuit and the Decatur Circuit, for a period of two years in each assignment.
During the Civil War he served as Chaplin in the 38 Georgia Volunteer Regiment. When the Confederate Congress passed legislation permitting men over 50 to leave the military John resigned. His place was taken by his son John Wesley Mashburn who was captured in December 1862 in the Battle of Fredericksburg, one of the largest and deadliest battles of the war. A few days later he took part in a prisoner exchange.
In 1864 John Wesley Mashburn was captured again at the Battle of Spotsylvania and spent ten months in the Fort Delaware prison. After the war he returned to Forsyth County by foot with a group from the prison, near starvation. The group encountered a dead cow in the middle of the road. They ate the cow and John Wesley died within two weeks of arriving home. He was buried in the Ebenezer Church cemetery in Cumming. He was the only one of Rev. John Harvey’s five sons who died in the war.
After the war Reverend John returned to preaching and died after a week’s illness from a cold he caught while riding his horse in the rain on his way to preach at a church. He was buried at the Ebenezer church.
Dr. James Summerour (Dr. Jim) Mashburn (19211982) was one of several distinguished physicians in the Mashburn family in Forsyth County. His father Dr. Marcus Mashburn, Sr (1890-1978) and his brother Dr. Marcus Mashburn, Jr (1918-1998) were well known and beloved in the county. Dr. Jim established the first hospital in Forsyth County, the Mary Alice Hospital, in 1946. The hospital was bought by Georgia Baptist and renamed Baptist Medical Center. That hospital was acquired by Northside Hospital in 2002 and was
The caption under this Atlanta Constitution photo says, “Sylvan’s Larry Hampton Can’t Hold Ball, So Milton’s Connie Mashburn Scores in First.” Connie played third base for Milton High School in 1956-1959 and played league baseball as well. He was named to the State All-star Team during his senior year. Connie is an expert in local history and is Alpharetta’s official historian.
BOB MEYERS/APPEN MEDIA
Many Mashburn family members are buried in the Cumming Historic Cemetery. The first person was buried there in 1834 according to the historical marker at the cemetery. Many of the areas’ most important early leaders are interred there.
renamed Northside Hospital, Forsyth. Today the hospital has 407 beds, 1,700 physicians and 4,000 employees. Dr. Jim is buried at the Sawnee View Gardens and Mausoleum in Cumming. Drs Marcus Mashburn, Sr and Jr are buried in the Cumming City Cemetery.
Steve Mashburn is the go-to person for Mashburn family history. Steve is the creator of an extensive website devoted to the genealogy of the Mashburn’s. He retired after 30 years with the Forsyth County school system as a music educator. He directed marching bands, jazz ensembles and concert bands in middle school and high school. His website is https://www. mashburn.info/
The Ebenezer Methodist Church is a beautiful country church in Cumming, Georgia. It was established in 1834 thanks to a financial gift from the Reverand John Harvey Mashburn.
Connie Mashburn’s father Edmond William Mashburn (1913-1996) grew up in Cherokee County and moved with his wife Eunice Cowart (1914-2003) to Alpharetta in 1935. They bought a poultry farm and 20 acres on Redd Road. Connie remembers how labor intensive the poultry business was, “but it was a good way to make a living,” he says. Connie’s three brothers also moved to be close to Redd Road, “a Mashburn settlement,” says Connie.
Bob is director emeritus of the Milton Historical Society and a Member of the City of Alpharetta Historic Preservation Commission. You can email him at bobmey@ bellsouth.net. Bob welcomes suggestions for future columns about local history.
ATLANTA CONSTITUTION
PUBLIC DOMAIN
The Reverend John Harvey Mashburn (1803-1879) was a beloved Methodist minister who rode circuits in North Georgia for many years. He served as a Chaplin during the Civil War.
BOB MEYERS/APPEN MEDIA
Is your soil healthy? Most home gardeners don’t know!
How do you get healthy gardens and yards? It all starts with healthy soil! How do we know if we have healthy soil? Just bring some soil to The University of Georgia (UGA) Extension office. They will have your soil tested to provide a report on the nutrients and pH of your soil and a detailed recommendation to improve the soil as needed. This report is an essential guide to maintaining healthy soil for whatever we want to grow.
Our yards and gardens need an annual or semiannual soil checkup. Our bodies deserve an annual checkup to make sure our organs are functioning as they should. Our swimming pools deserve a weekly checkup to make sure the chemical levels are balanced, and microbiological organisms are in check. In the same way, our yards and gardens deserve the benefit of a soil check for optimal maintenance. Our plants will gather nutrients from the soil and produce color, fruits, strength, and structure that cannot be obtained from weak or deficient soil.
What is healthy soil? First, healthy soil delivers structural support for the roots to grow and sustain the plant. Second, soil provides water and nutrients for your plants. The soil holds water and acts like a purification system as water passes through it. Healthy soil helps break down organic waste and recycles nutrients back to the environment. The soil also provides a habitat for beneficial microbes and animals. Finally, the soil is good for our ecology as it stores and releases beneficial gases like oxygen and nitrogen.
What do you get with a soil test from UGA Extension? You will get a professional analysis of your soil, which will indicate the pH (a measurement of acidity and alkalinity) and the measurement of key elements in your soil. Macronutrients are those that are required in larger amounts such as: Nitrogen(N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn). Grass (sod) and garden areas should be sampled separately. You will get a professional recommendation of what
your soil needs and how to achieve it.
How do you collect soil samples?
Note: You only need about 1 pint (2 cups) of soil for each area!
• For each turf area (example: tall fescue or bermudagrass) you will collect 8 to 12 samples of soil. The samples should be taken from random locations in the yard using a zig-zag pattern. Collect a small “slice” of dirt from ground level to a depth of 4 inches. Put all the soil from the area being tested into a plastic (not metal) bucket, pulverize the soil, and mix thoroughly, and lay your sample on newspaper or a trash bag to air dry thoroughly. After your soil is dry, put this sample into a plastic zip lock bag.
• For each ornamental area (trees, roses, blueberries, etc.) gather several samples from inside the drip line (leaf/branch edge). Again, you will pulverize and mix the soil in a plastic bucket, let it air dry, and place it in a plastic zip lock bag. Note: Mark each bag clearly as you want an individual report for each desired location.
• Use this website for a more detailed explanation of “how to” soil collection instructions: https:// extension.uga.edu/publications/
About the author
This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Rock Reed, a master gardener intern. Rock is a resident of Alpharetta, GA and recently retired. He has a bachelor’s degree in Economics from UCLA and a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Walden University. Rock enjoys teaching, running, and (of course) gardening. He has experience with farming in Iowa, where large gardens are the norm. He has volunteered on Habitat for Humanity projects and leading children’s clubs and organizations.
detail.html?number=C896&title=soiltesting-for-home-lawns-gardens-andwildlife-food-plots
How do you submit a soil sample to UGA Extension? It’s easy! You can bring collected soil from important areas of your yard and garden to your local UGA Extension office. If you collected soil from multiple locations, please remember to have each sample clearly identified with the different
TABLE BY ROCK REED/PROVIDED Most of us rarely consider how each mineral in our soil makes a difference in how healthy our plants are! Different plants use and need specific nutrients and soil acidity (pH). As an example, above are some common plants and their pH requirements. Note: Expanded tests are available for more detailed testing and are usually used for commercial industrial applications. Please contact your local UGA Extension agent for more information.
locations in a zip lock bag. Bring your samples to your Fulton County Extension office (address and contact information below), and you will get a report back in 10-14 days at a cost of $12 per soil sample for a Routine Test. The analysis is a bit technical—it will give a detailed breakdown of current pH (soil acidity), minerals, and nutrients. However, the recommendations are easy to follow and implement. In laymen’s terms, they give specific nutrients to add and suggested amounts.
The test is easy, and the results will help bring you gardening success. Take out the speculation and become a garden guru without guessing what your garden needs.
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. Previous Garden Buzz columns are featured at https:// appenmedia.com/opinion/columnists/ garden_buzz/.
ROCK REED Guest Columnist
ROCK REED/PROVIDED
OPINION
An outdoorsman’s gotta eat
There’s so much to enjoy about the outside world. Every bit of it offers adventure – fishing, hiking, exploring –and it’s all good. But good or not, along about 11:30 in the morning, it may dawn on you that it’s been a while since breakfast. The ol’ tummy may start reminding you that lunchtime draweth nigh.
I was taught at a young age that one highlight of any outdoor adventure is lunchtime. After all, an outdoorsman’s gotta eat.
Sometimes that means stopping at a favorite restaurant. I have several, and I’ll share some of them with you in the months to come. Maybe you have a favorite, too. If you do, let me know.
But I digress.
Besides being taught about the importance of lunch, I was also taught one of the Great Truths of Life. I’d like to share that with you now. Ready? Here it comes:
The ultimate expression of “lunch” is a tube of crackers and a tin of sardines.
Yes, just that.
Sure, grilled hotdogs or burgers are good. So is a tub of fried chicken or even sliced ham and cheese and bread. Any of those will keep the wolf from the door, as they say, and will give you sustenance and nourishment to get you through the rest of the
DEATH NOTICES
Barbara Baylor, age 73, of Marietta, GA passed away on August 10, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Robert Becker, age 86, of Roswell, GA passed away on August 6, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Robert Blackinton, age 96, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on August 11, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
day’s adventures.
But such offerings fall short of the gold standard. Besides, it’s hard to tote a bucket of fried chicken in your daypack all day, and grilling means you’ve got to have a grill.
Much easier – much, much easier – is (you guessed it) a simple tube of crackers and a tin of sardines. That’s truly all you need. It really is.
Roger Conrad, age 91, of Marietta, GA passed away on August 9, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Cecilia Ginter, age 94, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on August 10, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
David Scott Harris, age 70, of Roswell, GA passed away on August 1, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Of course, you’ve got to do it right. You’ve got to adhere to certain standards. For example, the sardines need to come packed in olive oil, not in mustard or firecracker sauce or any of those other pretenders to the sardine-packaging throne.
Well, maybe that’s a little harsh. Maybe one of those other options is really not so bad, and I certainly don’t want to rouse the wrath of the shadowy but immensely powerful global mustard-packed sardine cabal. You just don’t mess with those folks. So forget I said anything about that, and let’s just share these packedin-oil delicacies quietly and among ourselves. Okay?
The sardines themselves are only half the equation, of course. The other half is the crackers. And what about those crackers? Traditionally, they need to be Ritz, original recipe, though ordinary saltines will do in a pinch. And whatever your crackers of choice, make sure they’re fresh. Fresh crackers are crispy crackers, and that crispy crackery crunch is part of the charm. Don’t forget that, Grasshopper, lest you miss nuances subtle but profound.
Once you have your sardines and crackers, what then?
First, carefully open the sardine tin. Pull slowly on the metal tap lest you up-end everything and cause culinary disaster.
Then open up the crackers.
Then serve.
Ideally, the sardines are served one at a time on the blade of your pocket knife, each lifted reverently and intact
Jeanette Konicki, age 54, of Roswell, GA passed away on August 2, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Jacob McQuillen, age 21, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on August 6, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Carmela Montoto, age 96, of Roswell, GA passed away on August 11, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
from the little oblong can from whence it is born. So procured, the sardine is then placed precisely across the very middle of a single cracker.
You do have a pocket knife, don’t you? I hope so, for that’s just how it’s done. You could use a fork, I suppose. But where’s the fun in that?
Then comes the moment you’ve been waiting for all morning. The sardine is set; the cracker is poised. You move it toward your mouth…
Then you eat. It’s a moment of culinarily ecstasy. The first bite awakens you with a symphony of flavor that lasers through your tastebuds and goes straight to your soul. The universe sings. It is exquisite. It is satisfying in a way that few experiences are or have been or ever could be. Bliss is a wonderful thing.
You finish the first one. Then you get out another cracker. You wipe the blade of the pocket knife on the leg of your jeans, just to be sure it’s clean, and then you fish another fish from the little metal can and do it all over again.
Maybe a drop of holy oil falls from the sardine and rolls slowly down the front of your shirt, but you don’t mind. Not a bit. For no four-star eatery in New York or Chicago ever created anything as fine.
Of course, for this to work, you’ve got to like sardines. If you don’t, then none of this means anything and I will pray for you.
But if you do like sardines, then you will know. Then you will understand.
Mary Nitschke, age 48, of Marietta, GA passed away on August 3, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Julia Quarles, age 87, of Roswell, GA passed away on August 12, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
STEVE HUDSON Columnist
STEVE HUDSON/APPEN MEDIA
A tube of crackers and a tin of sardines makes the perfect lunch.
THE INK PENN
Will you choose a murder mystery or international intrigue?
My go-to reads are British mysteries, but I do, on occasion, branch out. This week’s selections were serendipitous finds. The first came my way because my husband gave me a Barnes & Noble gift certificate last Christmas. I picked up the second one while exploring a bookshop on Amelia Island. Indie bookshops are hard to pass up.
“Murder Your Employer” by
Rupert Holmes
Admit it. Haven’t you had a boss you couldn’t stand? One who made your life miserable? Or were you one of the lucky ones who always had marvelous managers? Alas, in my thirty-two-year corporate career, I had a manager whom I referred to as “the boss from hell.” She even made her way into my mystery novel as the reason my main character was spurred to take early retirement. I once had an “employee from hell” too, but that’s a topic for another day.
This novel follows three graduates of McMaster’s Conservatory for the Applied Arts—from their arrival at the institution to their graduation
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
and eventual attempt to “delete” their detested employer. There’s a glossary up front, and deletion is the preferred term for murder. The language cracked me up.
At freshman orientation, students are encouraged to consider these four questions: Is this murder necessary? Have you given your target every last chance to redeem themselves? What innocent person might suffer by your actions? Will this deletion improve the life of others?
What follows is a witty tale with plenty of tongue-in-cheek descriptions and twists and turns. The language is intended, I think, to be high falutin’ as befits the serious subject of deletion. What I find even more intriguing is that the author is Rupert Holmes, who wrote and sang “Escape” aka The Pina Colada Song. Not only that, he’s also known for his Broadway mystery musicals. Have you seen “The Mystery of Edwin Drood?” It won a Tony award for Best Musical.
I’ve already put his first book, “Where the Truth Lies,” on hold at the library. It was made into a movie starring Colin Firth and Kevin Bacon. If it’s even half as entertaining as this one, I know I’ll enjoy it.
“The Only Woman in the Room” by Marie Benedict
Many of you have likely read at least
The City of Milton City Council will hold a public hearing for the applications for alcohol licenses listed below on Wednesday, September 4th, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers on the First Floor of City Hall located at 2006 Heritage Walk, Milton, Georgia 30004. All interested persons are encouraged to attend the public hearing.
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one of Benedict’s books—“The Personal Librarian,” “Carnegie’s Maid,” or “The Other Einstein.” The only one I’ve read is “The Mystery of Mrs. Christie” about, of course, Dame Agatha.
This book is a fictionalized biography of Hedy Lamarr, the stunning film actress, whose intelligence was every bit as remarkable as her beauty. Her unbelievable story could easily make a Hollywood movie. This review from “Woman’s Day” captures its essence:
“This. Book. Is. Amazing. ‘The Only Woman in the Room’ tells the fascinating true story of actress Hedy Lamarr, whose little-known journey involves escaping the Nazis and her secret life as a scientist and inventor. Jaw dropped? Same.”
For me, both of these books were equally engrossing. Now, I’m off to read a few of my favorite British mysteries before I branch out again.
Happy reading!
Award-winning author Kathy Manos Penn is a Sandy Springs resident. Find her cozy mysteries on Amazon or locally at The Enchanted Forest, Bookmiser, Tall Tales, and Johns Creek Books. Contact her at inkpenn119@gmail.com, and follow her on Facebook, www.facebook.com/ KathyManosPennAuthor/.
CITY OF MILTON
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)
770-645-1414
During these turbulent times, we would like to highlight the continued courage and commitment of everyone who works in the health care, law enforcement, childcare, food service and utility sectors. We are extremely grateful.
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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
KATHY MANOS PENN Columnist
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Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer of Females, Minorities, Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. Sawnee EMC is VEVRAA Federal Contractor. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Drug Free Workplace.
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