Milton Herald - September 26, 2024

Appeals court affirms $32.5 million judgment against Milton

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — The Georgia Court of Appeals affirmed a Fulton County jury’s verdict Sept. 16 citing Milton’s role in the death of a 21-year-old college student in November 2016.

Last June, the jury delivered a verdict in favor of Joshua Chang’s parents,

awarding them more than $30 million in damages.

Milton’s defense rested on sovereign immunity, the state’s constitutional doctrine intended to protect municipalities from lawsuits. The Court of Appeals heard the case after Milton appealed the jury’s decision. Chang, a senior with a full-ride scholarship to Yale University, died Nov.

18, 2016, after hitting a concrete planter along Batesville Road on his way home during Thanksgiving break.

With the Court of Appeals affirming the jury’s decision, Milton is ordered to pay the victim’s family $32.5 million with post-judgement interest.

An attorney for the Chang family said he estimates the interest accrued is around $3.5 million.

Students and parents pack “fall fun bags” Sept. 18 in Crabapple Crossing Elementary’s cafeteria, intended for 130 local foster families served by Fostering Together, a local foster care ministry.

According to court documents, the victim’s family made seven offers to settle the case, ranging from $1.75 to $10 million just before the trial, which attorneys representing the city rejected.

A statement from the Milton Communications Department says it respects the appeal court’s decision

Students

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — More than 100 students from all grades at Crabapple Crossing Elementary lined up in the cafeteria Sept. 18 to pack bags full of donations.

The bags were to be delivered to two local nonprofits — Fostering Together, a local foster care ministry, and the STAR House Foundation, a Roswellbased organization that provides after-school tutoring and mentoring to at-risk youth.

The PTO-led initiative is part of “Raise Craze,” an online fundraising platform that enables participants to complete “Acts of Kindness,” rather than by selling items.

During the fundraiser, customers of the nearby Starbucks are due to receive acts of kindness as well. The shop donated 700 coffee sleeves for students to decorate with kindness messages and artwork.

Christina Lea, PTO vice president of operations and lead of the Acts of Kindness Committee, said she felt honored to be a part of a PTO team full of talented

Page 14

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Man reports robbery along Morris Road

MILTON, Ga. — A Milton man reported to police Sept. 10 that a man in all black robbed him at gunpoint along the southbound side of Morris Road.

The man said the suspect stopped him at around 9:45 p.m. while he was out exercising about half an hour before police arrived, according to the incident report. Police used a translator for the man, whose native language is Farsi.

The man told police the suspect demanded money and that he handed the suspect his wallet with up to $200 in it, before running north attempting to get home.

The man told police he didn’t see where the vehicle went after he ran off.

Police notified detectives, who responded to the scene.

Milton police investigate theft of parcel on porch

MILTON, Ga. — A Milton man reported to police Sept. 13 that someone stole a package off his front porch, containing an iPad Pro valued at $1,400.

The man told police FedEx shipped two packages to his home on Cogburn Road at around 11:20 a.m., but he only saw one parcel when he arrived home.

Surveillance footage shows a red Honda CRV pulled into his driveway with a male, wearing a hoodie and pants, exiting the vehicle, according to the incident report. The suspect took the package and placed it into a beach bag before getting back in his vehicle and driving away.

Police conducted a Flock camera system search on a red Honda CRV around the time of the incident, locating a vehicle matching the description. But,

police said they received negative results when searching the vehicle’s temporary tag number.

Thieves steal cable owned by telecom

MILTON, Ga. — An AT&T employee reported to police Sept. 14 that $5,000 in fiber optic cable had been stolen near Ga. 9 and Creek Club Drive.

The employee said 200 feet had been cut. He said his manager received a call about an outage at around 10 a.m. that morning, according to the incident report.

While on the scene, the manager told police that a cone was placed on the shoulder of the roadway but that it didn’t belong to anyone on the scene and that it was possibly left there by the suspects.

The manager said there had not been any recent work orders in the area and that the suspects may have been posing as contractors, the report says. She later sent police video footage of the suspects cutting the line.

One video showed a bucket truck arm that extended toward the power pole with one suspect wearing a brightly colored vest, the report says. Two more videos showed subjects walking around the wooded area, wearing reflective material.

Police said they could not locate the bucket style truck, while searching the Flock camera system.

Man charged with stealing sunglasses from retailer

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A 37-year-old Alpharetta man was arrested on a shoplifting charge Aug. 31.

Police were dispatched to a department store at North Point Mall after a shoplifting was reported, according to an Alpharetta police report.

After arriving at the store’s security office, police viewed camera footage of the alleged theft.

In the video, a man placed a pair of sunglasses on his collar and walked toward the door, according to the report. Loss prevention staff stopped the man.

The man allegedly attempted to steal

two pairs of B-POP brand sunglasses, which were found by employees. They were valued at a total of $314.

Police charged the man with misdemeanor theft by shoplifting under $500.

Store reports 3 men stole $1,000 in clothing

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A shoplifting by three men was reported at a North Point Parkway store Aug. 22.

An employee told police three men stole items by hiding them in clothes hampers sold at the store, according to an Alpharetta police report.

The men placed the hampers in shopping carts, walked around the store selecting clothing items and left without paying, according to the report.

Two hampers, 18 women’s apparel items, one sweater, three jackets and 13 shirts and pants were reported stolen. The clothing was valued at a total of $1,009.69.

The employee said one of the men worked at a nearby restaurant. She recognized the other two from previous unreported thefts.

No one was arrested or charged, according to the report.

Man allegedly points gun at Johns Creek motorist

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Police received a report of a man pointing a gun at a Johns Creek driver Aug. 28.

The driver told police he was traveling on Haynes Bridge Road when a driver operating a Sierra Denali pickup merged into his lane, according to an Alpharetta police report. The Johns Creek man, who was operating an Alfa Romeo, swerved to avoid a collision.

After the Alfa Romeo driver honked his horn, the driver of the pickup pointed a black or dark silver pistol at him.

The man suspected of pointing the pistol had short salt-and-pepper hair, was wearing sunglasses and appeared to be in his late 40s or early 50s, the Johns Creek man said.

Milton residents turn out in droves to discuss Deerfield development

By BEECHER TUTTLE newsroom@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — More than 100 Milton residents, business owners and developers flocked to an open house at Stonecreek Church Sept. 16 to offer their thoughts on reinventing the city’s chief commercial district.

While residents generally expressed optimism over the decades-long development of Milton’s Deerfield district, several cautioned city officials against becoming too overzealous with their plans to reshape the area in fear of losing Milton’s character.

The Deerfield district, which broadly runs from Ga. 9 east along Windward Parkway, consists mainly of shopping centers and office buildings, many of them currently ailing or vacant. The plan, aided by the eventual widening

and redesign of the 3 miles of Ga. 9 that run through Milton, is to rebuild Deerfield into a connected, pedestrianfriendly district that will feature new mixed-use spaces aimed at attracting higher-end businesses.

City officials also hope to beautify the area with greenways, local parks and more aesthetically pleasing architecture.

“What I hope to see is connectivity,” said Milton resident Ken Warlick.

“Milton is a rural, sprawling city, but the majority of our neighbors and friends and family currently gravitate toward places like Roswell and Alpharetta that have created more of a work-play atmosphere.”

Milton officials used the open house to get feedback from residents on what types of development they’d

See DEERFIELD, Page 15

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Milton residents gather with city officials to discuss the future of the city’s Deerfield district.

Milton 2025 budget highlights preservation, growth

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — The Milton City Council put a smile on the faces of Historical Society members Sept. 16, approving close to a quarter million dollars to stabilize one of the oldest homes in Fulton County.

Elected officials also accepted the donation of the McConnellChadwick Homestead, which sets up future restoration of the more than 180-year-old historical asset.

In approving the 2025 budget, the city set aside $220,000 to stabilize the home, belonging to a former brigadier general, state senator and frontiersman before the Trail of Tears.

Milton Historical Society President Jeff Dufresne said there’s an opportunity for placemaking at the historic site, which can fit with the city’s long-term plans to develop Arnold Mill Road (Ga. 140) into a commercialized gateway.

“As we agreed to in 2006, we need to celebrate our rural heritage, that’s one of the things we hang our hat on,” Dufresne said. “This is a preexisting structure, a Greek Revival on a hill [and] gateway to the northwest part of the city.”

Milton staff gather at left while residents sit on the right side of the City Council Chambers during the Sept. 16 meeting and final 2025 budget approval. The proposed 2025 budget passed without significant discussions or changes to conclude a two-month process.

Plans for restoring the home are undefined, but Public Works Director Sara Leaders said $30,000 is going to prevent water intrusion.

Leaders said the city won’t spend all of the $220,000 immediately.

Because of the fragile state of the structure, the city can put funds toward ensuring it’s sound enough when Milton Historical Society

members and city staff seek grant money to offset costs.

Mayor Peyton Jamison thanked Larry Chadwick for his donation, saying he could have done a lot of things with the property.

“He could have sold it and made a profit,” Jamison said. “Instead, he wants to preserve Milton’s history, and I think we do as well.”

While the mayor said it may be a long road to restore Eli McConnell’s homestead to the former state senator’s liking, the Sept. 16 budget approval is an important step.

The city’s fiscal year 2025 runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.

Budget details

Milton’s budget is primarily made up of the general fund for maintenance and operations. That’s the day-to-day running of the city, like wages and light bills.

It’s getting more expensive to run the city. Year-over-year spending is increasing $4.34 million or 13 percent, including new staff and an average 5 percent increase to salaries and employee benefits.

The approved budget includes funding for Fire Station 45 staffing, Parks and Recreation coordinator and manager, special investigations detective, records clerk, financial analyst and information technology administrator.

The city’s general fund, which pays for all operational activity, is taking in $47.29 million and spending $46.87 million. Those figures include

See BUDGET, Page 15

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Statewide organizations join fray in Appen vs. Sandy Springs suit

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Appen Media’s open records lawsuit with Sandy Springs, now in the appeals process, has drawn a new set of players.

Two statewide organizations have submitted amicus briefs in the case, each supporting different sides of the debate over interpretations of the Georgia Open Records Act.

The Georgia First Amendment Foundation has thrown its weight behind Appen Media, arguing that an unfavorable ruling could have statewide implications leaving the public in the dark about crime in their communities.

In an opposing move, the Georgia Municipal Association has filed an amicus brief siding with the City of Sandy Springs. The GMA, which advocates for and provides services for some 536 Georgia cities, argues that local agencies should have authority to interpret ambiguous language, like “initial” in the law requiring release of initial police reports.

Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul has served three terms on the GMA’s Board of Directors and currently serves as its Transportation Chair.

At issue is a December ruling by Fulton

County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Adams that cleared Sandy Springs of violating the Georgia Open Records Act. Adams ruled that the Sandy Springs Police Department is not in violation of the act when it withholds information about the crime, the victim, whether an arrest was made or if a danger exists to the surrounding community.

Instead, the city – for the most part – provides one-sentence narratives and places all vital information in a supplemental report it withholds from the public.

The news organization argues that the responses it receives from Sandy Spring Police after filing open records requests are not the full incident reports required for release under state law. Adams ruled that Appen Media failed to prove that it is unlawful for the Police Department to withhold supplemental information about a crime that police include in a second report, even if that information is added at the same time by the same officer.

Even so, the judge conceded “[Appen] may be correct in its assertion that [the Sandy Springs Police Department’s] practice violates the spirit of the Open Records Act.”

Appen Media alleges that Sandy Springs has repeatedly denied access to

initial police officer narratives that are routinely filed during investigations on the same day that the crime incident occurs.

An officer’s full account of a crime incident, which should have been provided in response to every request, has been marked as filed on the same day and at the same time as the skeleton report sent to the newspaper, Appen has argued.

The supplemental full reports exist but are hidden from the public, Appen says.

Initial police incident reports, in most cases, include narratives that allow Appen Media to inform readers with details about crimes. Full incident reports with officers’ detailed narratives are provided by police agencies in Alpharetta, Dunwoody, Forsyth County, Johns Creek, Milton and Roswell.

Things are different in Sandy Springs.

In a May 15 email to Appen Media, Sandy Springs City Attorney Dan Lee claimed some supplemental reports are exempt from release.

“The law clearly allows that initial incident reports are to be disclosed and any supplements to the initial reports,” Lee wrote. “There are no supplements to initial reports that have not been disclosed, [and the ones] you are mentioning in this complaint are the notes and investigative information dealing with open investigations.”

The notes and investigative information, which other police departments provide to Appen Media every week, are also called “initial reports,” and are the crux of the debate.

The pending decision from the threejudge panel of Georgia Court of Appeals could have widespread implications for how records are shared with the public throughout the state.

Guidance from experts

As part of its court case, Appen Media cited guidance from the current “A Law Enforcement Officer’s Guide to Open Records in Georgia,” which states that “initial incident and police arrest reports are subject to the Act’s disclosure requirements, regardless of whether they are part of an active investigation. Additionally, any report, whether entitled a ‘supplemental report,’ ‘narrative report,’ or similar document name that is produced as part of an initial incident report or can be characterized as such, is likewise to be disclosed.”

The guidance booklet was prepared and endorsed by the Georgia Attorney General in conjunction with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Sheriff’s See LAWSUIT, Page 7

Lawsuit:

Continued from Page 6

Association, Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia and Georgia Press Association.

Appen’s suit centered on whether the second document, compiled by and kept out of public view by Sandy Springs Police, is typically prepared by the officers using information obtained at the scene and is considered part of the initial incident report.

In December 2022, Georgia Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Colangelo said it is.

Replying to a request from the media company, Colangelo stated: “A commonsense interpretation of ‘initial incident report’ is that anything written at the same time as the first part of the report is part of the initial incident report.”

Among the hundreds of examples of skeleton reports, one in particular caught the attention of Appen Media.

On Dec. 11, 2022, a Sandy Springs police officer provided the following narrative about a crime incident: “I responded to a person shot at 1208 Cimarron Pkwy.”

This is the only account Sandy Springs Police provided about an incident that took place at an apartment complex.

The document is coded “Person Dead”

and includes the name of the victim and two suspects. It also includes the names of two others but doesn’t specify whether they were witnesses, victims or suspects.

The report does not identify the officers who responded to the call and provides no details on whether the incident was a homicide or an accident. It makes no mention of any arrests.

State organizations chime in

In its filing, the Georgia Municipal Association acknowledges “a rare situation” in which if finds itself at odds with the Georgia First Amendment Foundation on interpretations of the Georgia Open Meetings or Georgia Open Records acts.

The GMA filing goes on to say that the disagreement is over “the inclusion of the word ‘initial’ in the statutory text” and the choice of the Georgia Legislature to use the term in creating this exception in the world of open records.

The brief states that “GMA completely agrees with the GFAF that the ‘Georgia General Assembly has mandated that initial police incident reports are subject to disclosure under the Georgia Open Records Act.’”

The municipal association states that Appen Media has cited outdated statutory language, but the law remains the same. The argument from the GMA questions whether the court should interpret the law and advocates for a local agency’s

interpretation of the word “initial” over the judiciary’s ruling.

The GMA cites two recent cases where the Georgia Court of Appeals deferred to an agency’s interpretation of legal text when the language is ambiguous.

On the other hand, the Georgia First Amendment Foundation argues that the General Assembly “recognized the public’s interest in the disclosure of initial incident reports when it mandated that they be disclosed.”

The foundation, which submitted its amicus brief Aug. 29, says its interest in the case is “because the trial court’s ruling will have serious and negative implications for the public’s ability to access open records in the state of Georgia.”

It argues that this kind of “informational shell game is contrary both to the purpose of the Open Records Act and to the weight of authority around the country holding that the nature of the requested information — not the title of the report in which that information appears — is what determines whether or not it is public.”

The foundation further argues that law enforcement agencies could disregard this requirement by putting all meaningful initial incident information in another report.

Instead, its filing states that police already have remedies to protect the city’s interests in safeguarding information about its officers and “active

investigations,” like redacting a victim’s identity.

The municipal association argues that the word “initial” is ambiguous, and that it is up to local authorities to determine its meaning.

The First Amendment Foundation argues that the Legislature has been explicit in its definition of “initial” police reports, and that its scope includes crime details that law enforcement agencies throughout Metro Atlanta release to the public. Sandy Springs is the exception, the foundation says.

The Georgia Constitution requires the Court of Appeals to issue a ruling by March 14, 2025.

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Johns Creek proffers stricter contract on struggling Chamber of Commerce

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Under a proposed binding contract, the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce would have to work harder to maintain its partnership with the city — the equivalent of a $20,000 check each year.

The nonprofit, acting as a hub for small businesses, needs the money now more than ever because of revenue declines since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Johns Creek Economic Development Director Kim Allonce introduced the new contract at the Sept. 9 City Council work session. It includes more stringent conditions than what had been in place the past three years.

The new contract would require the nonprofit to explain how it met about a dozen performance standards each quarter, standards that were characterized as a “high level.”

One new standard would require its Small Business Resource Center to provide technical assistance, host training and workshops, and disseminate information to a minimum of 10 businesses each quarter.

Another requires data collection on the center, such as the number of business walk-ins, businesses assisted and business programs offered.

While the previous agreement, which expired in June, required quarterly reports and annual performance metric goals, they were more loosely defined.

Noting the organization’s loss of revenue and membership, City Councilman Bob Erramilli raised concerns about the Chamber’s three-member staff having the bandwidth to generate the necessary reports on top of meeting the standards themselves.

Even so, the matter advanced for a vote to a future City Council meeting.

Mayor John Bradberry said chambers across the nations are facing pressure.

“We want to hopefully help make this a better environment for our business community, for the Chamber, for all concerned,” Bradberry said.

City Manager Kimberly Greer told Appen Media the documentation required in the contract is “not intended to be onerous.” She said as Allonce learned more about the Chamber and how it works with the city to support Johns Creek businesses, they agreed the contract would be an opportunity to “set the next chapter of the relationship.”

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Johns Creek Economic Development Director Kim Allonce introduces a new “binding” contract with the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce at the Sept. 9 City Council work session. If approved, it would require the nonprofit to meet about a dozen performance standards, or face termination and lose out on its $20,000 annual check from the city.

“We believe it is important to measure the efforts so we can all be clear about the progress that is being made,” Greer said.

Unique relationship

The contract underscores an exception among city and chamber relationships in north Metro Atlanta, which offer financial support without the same level of accountability.

The City of Alpharetta, for example, maintains memberships with the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, Alpharetta Chamber of Commerce and the Alpharetta Business Association.

Assistant City Administrator James Drinkard said Alpharetta opts for direct financial support, like a $10,000 check to the Alpharetta Chamber of Commerce for its Alpharetta Business Summit.

What the city receives in return is negotiated, Drinkard said, but the benefits typically include a certain number of seats, a vendor table and advertising.

The sister North Fulton city also partners with the Alpharetta Business Association for its Downtown Farmers Market, providing trash collection and traffic control.

Drinkard said terms for sponsorships and partnerships are decided on an annual basis.

While the Johns Creek Chamber website lists the city as a platinum member in its Chairman’s Circle, the new contract doesn’t stipulate the city’s membership. An earlier draft of the new contract did, though, according to open records obtained by Appen Media.

The agreement in place the last three years outlined the city’s membership as well, with $10,000 serving as annual

membership fees and the other $10,000 going toward the Small Business Resource Center.

The City of Johns Creek’s membership status might look good for the Chamber, but President and CEO Robin Buckley said it benefits both.

“It’s hard for people to support their business community if the city is not technically a member per the new agreement as presented at the work session,” she said.

Tickets without membership

Yet, the nonprofit will be required to provide Johns Creek with at least two complimentary tickets each quarter, and they aren’t cheap. Buckley said out-ofpocket costs for event tickets, like for its annual Golf Classic, can be up to $150.

Not long after the City Council’s discussion of the proposed contract, council members took issue with a separate, but related, item under review — the city’s expenditure policy.

One concern that had been raised was the city manager’s ability to reimburse professional memberships. Bradberry, with a puzzled look, was the first to address the expense, asking Greer whether the city is paying for any of the council members to join the Chamber.

The city is not, she said, however it has paid for entry into Rotary Clubs.

City Councilman Chris Coughlin also wanted to amend the loophole that would allow council members reimbursements for non-travel meals with constituents. The policy had no monetary cap and stipulated that meals could be reimbursed so long as it was on city business.

“You get paid $15k, pay for your own

damn lunch,” he said, advocating that all expenses be taken off the table, with an exception for office supplies.

“I kind of view this philosophically, that you are in a volunteer role to a degree, and we should not necessarily be collecting fringe benefits,” Coughlin added.

While the contract doesn’t ensure the city’s membership to the Chamber, the Greater North Fulton Chamber continues to receive membership fees from all six North Fulton cities, including Johns Creek.

But, President and CEO Kali Boatwright said it doesn’t receive “funding” through a contract.

Some of the cities, like Milton, sponsor programs or events if they are in line with their marketing strategy, she said.

Milton Economic Development Manager Anita Jupin said that strategy includes collaborative publications, events, and other regional efforts. Milton is also the only city with a Business Council housed under the Great North Fulton Chamber. Milton has no traditional chamber of commerce.

Like Alpharetta and Milton, the City of Dunwoody also doesn’t have any contracts in place with its area chamber. Instead, Communications Director Jennifer Boettcher said it pays $2,500 a year to be a member of the Perimeter Chamber’s Chairman’s Circle.

Skeleton crew

Buckley echoed the concerns Erramilli raised at the Sept. 9 work session.

“With the specific items that they’re asking for, that’s going to take a lot of documentation,” Buckley said. “Being very specific of what activities we will hold during a year is another issue.” She called attention to the impact of an unforeseen pandemic.

“The documentation and all of that is very concerning, not that we’re not doing it — not that,” Buckley said. “It’s the time it will take. We only have three staff. We had to let one person go because we couldn’t afford them.”

The Johns Creek Chamber’s marketing person, who served a necessary role, was let go in late June.

Buckley, who has been with the Chamber for 12 years, said a four-member staff is a comfortable place, and at its height, the Chamber had five employees.

She added that it has lost about 100 memberships since the pandemic hit. Now,

Contract:

it has close to 350.

The Chamber’s signature events also aren’t raking in as much money as before because there are more individual donations than there are company sponsorships. For example, the Golf Classic in April brought in $5,900. At its peak, Buckley said the fundraiser netted about $22,000.

“It’s really hard right now to get sponsorships, and that’s industry wide,” Buckley said. “People just aren’t putting out that extra money.”

She mentioned Emory Johns Creek recently reevaluated their policy, shifting gears to focus within the healthcare field.

Government funding can make or break an organization like the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce. If the city pulled the plug on funding, Buckley said it would be “pretty painful.”

But, a new threat of termination looms.

The former agreement didn’t include a termination clause. Neither did a previous iteration of the new contract, according to open records obtained by Appen Media. The contract presented at the Sept. 9 work session does.

While the original draft includes a section on cutting ties, the newest iteration includes more heavy-handed language allowing the city to terminate the agreement “immediately” upon the city determining that the nonprofit is not actively working toward achieving the standards.

A previous draft only stated “any party” could terminate the contract if its terms weren’t upheld.

Creating leverage

The Johns Creek contract calls into question how much power a city can have over an independent nonprofit, like a chamber of commerce.

Because Forsyth County doesn’t have an economic development department, the Forsyth Chamber of Commerce fills that role.

Forsyth County Communications Director Russell Brown said an internal economic development team existed before a restructuring earlier this year, when former Economic Development Director Vivian Vakili resigned.

In their fiscal year 2025 budget, commissioners allocated $480,000 to the Forsyth Chamber of Commerce, which has 11 members with two open sales seats.

“The Chamber has been the entity in the community that has been the champion of getting SPLOST passed and reviewed because of all the economic benefits, as well as just quality of life benefits,” McCoy said.

He said the County Commission has never pulled funding because of that advocacy, despite any lack of enthusiasm from commissioners about special purpose local option sales tax, or more broadly, growth.

Most recently, McCoy argued against higher impact fees for commercial development to fund transportation improvements that the county has proposed. McCoy said the Chamber prefers a lower fee schedule.

Impact fees are assessed on new construction to compensate local governments for the wear and tear on its services, like more traffic and larger public safety coverage.

“Those impact fees would have a very serious negative impact on our ability to get more commercial growth,” McCoy said.

He told Appen Media that county commissioners thanked him for speaking up and for sharing data. McCoy emphasized that a lot of the Chamber’s work is sharing facts and data with commissioners.

He said there’s a positive benefit to a formalized relationship between a chamber, specifically outcome-driven ones like his, and a public entity.

But, Forsyth County Chamber President and CEO James McCoy said in his 20 years with the organization, the Board of Commissioners has never leveraged its funding.

“By some, the perception was that [metrics were] sort of like a strong arm,” he said. “But, what we found was, as we shared it, it helps tell the story of some really incredible things that were going on that, to be candid, weren’t being paid much attention to previously.” Continued from Page 8

Orchestra schedules free concert at Newtown Park amphitheater

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra will add a new genre to its symphonic arsenal with “Classical K-pop” in a free performance

The performance, serving as the finale to the City of Johns Creek’s “Summer Concert Series,” will be presented by Henry Cheng, guest conductor and music director finalist. It will be held at the Mark Burkhalter Amphitheater in Newtown Park. Gates open at 6 p.m., and the concert will begin at 7 p.m. Food and drink vendors

The concert will feature symphonic versions of K-pop hits from renowned artists including BTS, PSY, TWICE and Black Pink and serves as the season opener to “Three Maestros, One Podium.” The new season consists of a series of concerts conducted by finalists in the orchestra’s music director search.

Cheng aims to deliver a K-pop concert that embodies the power of love,

community and human connection as he connects with the Johns Creek community for the first time.

“K-pop music has a unique way of speaking about love, and I want to use the music in this concert as a bridge to connect the community and present a message that love conquers all,” Cheng said.

Executive Director Linda Brill said Cheng is a “vibrant” conductor who has curated a “must-see” setlist for the show.

“The Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra is honored to be the finale concert in the city of Johns Creek’s summer concert series, and we are looking forward to engaging new audiences in our community with a night of ‘Classical K-pop,’” Brill said.

For more information about the music director finalists and the nonprofit’s 2024-2025 season, visit https://johnscreeksymphony.org/themusic-director-finalists.

North Fulton area charity revives car donation drive

ROSWELL, Ga. — North Fulton Community Charities is taking steps to remove transportation as a barrier to financial stability for low-income families by relaunching its Car Donation Program.

The program matches families in need with donated vehicles in good working order.

In late June, the nonprofit received its first donation, a Honda Odyssey, from an anonymous donor. It was given to a local couple with three young children.

“We relaunched our Car Donation Program because more and more families coming to NFCC lack transportation which poses a barrier to stability,” said Sandy Holiday, the nonprofit’s executive director. “These families find it difficult, if not impossible, to get to jobs, schools and doctor appointments.”

The organization is teaming up with Christian Brothers Automotive, which will provide diagnostic testing and repairs for donated vehicles. The business also

Registered to vote?

recommends car donations to their customs as an alternative to cost-prohibitive repairs.

“We are here to serve our community,” said Tom Burgess, Christian Brothers owner and president. “Giving back in a way that has such a profound impact on local families is exciting — we can’t wait to get started.”

North Fulton Community Charities manages the title transfer process, minimizing paperwork for donors and recipients. In addition, IRS rules allow vehicle donations that directly benefit families in need to be deducted at fair market value.

The nonprofit is now seeking cars in reasonable working order for the program, which had been active for more than 30 years before its pause during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you or someone you know is interested in donating, please contact North Fulton Community Charities at info@nfcchelp.org.

Check your status, update your address or find your polling location on the Secretary of State’s “My Voter Page” at https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s. The webpage also provides the option to register.

For the Nov. 5 general election, the deadline to register is Oct. 7.

Community bonds over canines at Johns Creek Pup-A-Palooza

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Dozens of visitors came out for Johns Creek’s “Pup-APalooza” Sept. 14 to peruse vendors and get a peek at dogs dressed to the nines and others with a knack for performing tricks.

Some visitors participated in contests at the Mark Amphitheater at Newtown Park, like Roswell resident Jewel Ausberry, whose pumpkin costume matched her shih tzu named Cherub, or Che Che for short. With separate green sleeves, Che Che was swallowed up in pumpkin, and a small woman, dressed in a black suit, hung off.

They won first place in the event’s “Best Dressed” contest.

One of the three contest judges, Ethan Phillips, said her level of commitment to match her dog was the deciding factor.

“It’s not hard to tell who’s really trying to get the best costume for their dog, like the most extravagant,” Phillips said, adding that two-piece costumes are particularly impressive. “If you get a dog to stay in a two-piece costume, that’s some major points right there.”

Ausberry shared her excitement after having lost last year. Che Che’s tuxedo couldn’t beat the tough competition.

“At the last minute, I was like, you need a little something extra to put us over the top,” she said of this year’s success. “I need to coordinate with you.”

Not only is Che Che chic, but he’s preparing to take on a service role for

Ausberry, who has retinitis pigmentosa. The condition limits the amount she can see in her periphery.

“He’ll be training for at least the next year, because Che Che is obstinate,” Ausberry said.

She said Georgia is a dog-loving community, pointing out the dog park not far from where she stood, and mentioning the uptick in adoptions at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Now, you’ve got this whole big community that extends beyond family to the dog who is now a part of the family,” Ausberry said. “I think it’s important to have events like this, to bring the community [together] because we’re such a divided nation right now.”

Sandra Cabrera, owner of the Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming in Johns Creek, also spoke about dogs becoming more a part of the family. It was her motivation for joining the franchise with her sister Jenny Varon, who owns the location in Milton.

“Nowadays, dogs are very special for everybody,” Cabrera said.

She called attention to many retail stores now allowing dogs of all kinds, not just service dogs.

“They have changed with the times,” Cabrera said. “So, we saw it as a good opportunity for being able to open this franchise and being able to groom dogs.”

The store also offers baked goods, made at the business’ headquarters in Florida, and other supplies like toys. For more information on Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming, visit https:// woofgangbakery.com.

PHOTOS BY: AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Dozens of visitors watch on as dogs and their owners grace the stage at Newtown Park’s Mark Burkhalter Amphitheater Sept. 14, judged by Ethan Phillips, Fay Habib and Emberley Robinson

Jenny Varon and her sister Sandra Cabrera, owners of Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming locations in Johns Creek and in Milton, speak with a visitor at Johns Creek’s “Pup-A-Palooza” at Newtown Park Sept. 14.

Jewel Ausberry and her shih tzu named Che Che walk across the stage donning pumpkin costumes for the Johns Creek Pup-A-Palooza “Best Dressed” costume contest Sept. 14. They won first place.

Miss being outside? Atlanta allergies persist and fall brings Ragweed

Brought to you

by – Comprehensive Internal Medicine

What are allergies?

Allergies are your body’s reaction to a foreign particle, usually a protein. These proteins can come from pet dander, molds, pollens, or from trees and grasses. If you develop an allergy to a particular protein, your body’s defense system (immune system) reacts to it and the allergic reaction creates allergy symptoms.

What is an allergic reaction?

An allergic reaction is the way your body responds to an allergen, usually a protein. You may feel itchy, watery eyes, a runny nose, sinus or ear fullness, a hoarse voice, a scratchy throat, or trouble breathing. You may even develop a skin rash.

These symptoms can be treated with over the counter or prescription allergy medication or immunotherapy (allergy shots) can be tailored specifically for you.

What is allergy testing?

To perform allergy testing, small pinpricks or scratches are made in the skin and a very small amount of allergen is placed to test your body’s response. If you react to the allergen, we have identified a trigger that is causing your allergy symptoms.

What is immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy is a treatment used to desensitize your body to the allergy trigger.

In this treatment, the results of your allergy testing are used to create a very personalized formula of medicine that is used to slowly treat your immune system in a way that stops reacting to your allergy trigger. Immunotherapy medicine is given by injection (allergy shots) and is administered twice weekly. The first injection is given in the doctor’s office.

Comprehensive Internal Medicine uses an advanced formulation and instruction that allows you to then give the injections at home. This saves the twice-weekly visits to the doctor’s office. You return to Comprehensive Internal Medicine every 6 weeks

to progress the therapy and at the end of one year, allergy testing is repeated. Often, a second year of treatment is advised, following which, most allergies are cured.

Alpharetta: (678) 205-9004

3180 North Point Pkwy | Suite 303 | Alpharetta, GA - 30005

Providing Medical Care Including the Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Diseases

Comprehensive Internal Medicine has been serving the Alpharetta community for 20 years, celebrating this milestone anniversary in 2023.

The medical practice offers a very comfortable environment and serves a medical home where patients are seen for their wellness examinations (checkups) and for the management of multiple medical problems. Same-day appointments are always available. We welcome new patients, take most insurance plans and discounts for self-pay patients.

Dr. Obiora has a special interest in managing medical issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. He also specializes in diabetes prevention and weight loss.

In addition, he brings expertise in allergy treatment and managing allergic rhinitis, sinusitis and asthma, and can schedule allergy testing to determine the best way to treat allergy symptoms.

• High Blood Pressure

• Diabetes

• Women’s Health

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• Seasonal Allergies

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• Acute Illnesses such as: sore throat, flu, cough, common cold, etc.

Alexis obtained her nursing degree from Georgia College & State University and worked as a registered nurse at Emory University Hospital for over 4 years, where she specialized in Internal Medicine. She then earned her Master of Science from Kennesaw State University in their Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program. Alexis is a board certified FNP through the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). She prides herself in forming lasting relationships with her patients, while also providing compassionate and individualized care. She has a special interest in the treatment of allergies, sinusitis, chronic bronchitis, and asthma.

Jeffrey Obiora, M.D.

Alexis Buelow, MSN, APRN, FNP-C.

Arezou Fatemi, M.D.

Sumera Pervaiz, M.D.

Sudeshna Nandi M.D.

Anju Bhushan, M.D.

Laurae Carpenetti, M.D.

Ryan Bozof, M.D.

Petula Gunn, APRN

Carol Hector, M.D.

Raphael Lopez, M.D.

Shima Mansouri, P.A.-C

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Pearson, M.D., M.S.

Knotted DNA

DNA is more knotted than you’d think. DNA can literally develop knots like a rope develops knots. DNA can also form knots like a string forms knots when you over-twist it. But those are not the type of knot we are focusing on in this article. Instead, a newly mapped type of “knot” called an i-motif turns out to be extremely common in the human genome. And i-motifs might prove to be the key to the development of new anti-cancer drugs.

When most of us picture DNA, we envision a beautiful spiraling structure consisting of two endlessly twisting strands. This structure is called a “double helix” and was first famously described as the structure of DNA by Watson and Crick in 1953. However, ten years later, Dr. Karst Hoogsteen described a DNA structure that did not exhibit the classic DNA shape.

Dr. Hoogsteen observed that DNA base pairs could bind together in a manner that would not cause DNA to assume its more linear, double helical shape. Instead, Hoogsteen base pairing causes DNA strands to assume strange shapes including three and four stranded structures called triplexes and quadruplexes that can fold back upon themselves. These structures were predicted in the 1960s but their biological relevance is only now being identified and explored.

One of the structures that exhibits Hoogsteen base pairing is called an “i-motif. I-motifs look like knots, and they can behave like knots too. Like a knot in a shoelace, i-motifs can trip up our cell’s machinery and keep genes from being turned “on.” I-motifs are concentrated in parts of our genes that control growth. As you might predict, genes that control growth are also extremely important in the development of cancer.

I-Motifs’ importance in cancer may be tremendous. They turn out to be concentrated in certain cancercausing genes that have so far been very difficult to treat. One example is the cancer gene c-myc . Melanomas that metastasize are more likely to have extra copies of the c-myc gene. Approximately 70% of uveal melanomas (melanoma of the pigmented inner layer of the eyeball) have extra copies of this gene.

To target a bad gene, we usually target the protein that the gene makes because the protein is like the physical object one makes from an instruction manual whereas the DNA is the manual itself. It’s easier to spot an apple pie than it is a page of text containing the recipe for an apple pie.

Unfortunately, the c-myc protein is so hard to target with drugs that an article in The Lancet Discovery Science even called the gene “undruggable.” In contrast, an “easy” drug target is a cancercausing protein that is relatively ordered, stable and has a predictably consistent shape such that a medication or antibody can be relied upon to nearly always bind to the cancer-causing protein and inactivate it.

An example of an “easy” target is the kinase class of proteins which often have a predictable pocket called the “active site” responsible for the protein’s activity. Medicines that fit this pocket like a key to a lock have helped us treat many cancers in which kinases are culprits. In contrast, c-myc is believed to be “disordered” or “transiently ordered” with regions that only briefly take on the shape needed for the protein to perform its activity. C-myc’s unstable shape and disorder make it difficult to design a drug that can always recognize and bind it.

The c-myc protein may be hard to target, but the i-motifs at the beginning of c-myc’s DNA sequence could be a sitting duck. Small molecules that target i-motifs have already been developed. If these molecules are found to be specific enough to target cancer cells, then i-motifs may be a way of zeroing in on c-myc DNA at a time when we cannot target the c-myc protein itself. In essence, discovering knots in DNA is like discovering that cookbooks have thick stickers before critical passages of text. We can quicky spot a sticker. We can also easily eliminate books that are so thick with stickers that they can’t even be closed. It might be a way to close the book on cancer.

I still like to imagine DNA as a beautiful spiral staircase of two endlessly winding coils of DNA, but biology is always messier than we imagine. And so often, it’s in the mess that we find new opportunities. DNA is knotty, and from those knots we may unravel a cure.

Insist on the

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

Kindness:

Continued from Page 1

and kind individuals. She also shared remarks about the school’s staff and students.

“Crabapple Crossing is very lucky to have such amazing staff and such fantastic students,” she said, with her own family nearby participating.

Since the fundraiser started four years ago, Lea said students have been rewarded by the silly antics of the school’s principal Tresa Cheatham and assistant principal Emory Johnson.

“Mr. Johnson kissed a pig one year, and Dr. Cheatham has eaten worms on camera,” Lea said, laughing. “...It’s really an amazing fundraiser.”

That day, students and their parents stuffed “fall fun bags” for 130 local foster families in Fostering Together’s program in addition to meal bags for 216 students with STAR House.

One table also held donations that would stock STAR House pantries across its three Title I school locations, at Esther Jackson, Mimosa and Vickery

Lawsuit:

Continued from Page 1

but will pursue all available options for further examination of the verdict with direction from Georgia Interlocal Risk Management Agency attorneys.

The Georgia Municipal Association created the risk management agency to serve as a property and liability insurance fund for Georgia cities, which now has 370 members.

Milton says it remains committed to receiving all legal safeguards and shielding taxpayers from financial burden.

“The tragic accident in November 2016, which claimed the life of Joshua Chang, continues to weigh heavily on all,” the city statement says. “We stand by our belief that the city acted responsibly and has not yet fully utilized all legal avenues for protection.”

Chang was on his way back to Canton when he swerved on Batesville Road, believed to be dodging a deer or vehicle, and hit a planter on an unpaved shoulder at the entrance to the Little River Farms event venue.

Chang was still alive when EMTs arrived, but he died at the scene.

Jeffrey Harris, attorney for the Chang family, said it’s a senseless loss of life of an exceptional young man that was easily preventable.

According to the State Court of Fulton County records, Chang was driving under the speed limit. He was neither using his

Tresa Cheatham, principal of Crabapple Crossing Elementary, helps a student Sept. 18 stuff a “fall fun bag” for one of 130 families supported by Fostering Together, a local foster care ministry.

Hill elementary schools.

Stephanie Christiansen Butler, executive director of the STAR House, said the nonprofit is celebrating its 31st year. It was founded by Junior

League chapters and the Roswell Police Department after realizing the number of unattended kids at a local apartment complex, whose parents were working two to three jobs.

FULTON COUNTY STATE COURT/PROVIDED

In this file photo, a concrete planter near the entrance to Little River Farms event venue sits along Batesville Road. A car, driven by 21-year-old Joshua Chang, struck the object in November 2016. Chang died in the accident. The planter has since been removed.

cell phone nor intoxicated.

The victim’s parents argued that if Milton had removed the planter from the shoulder, as required by its own ordinances, their son would have been able to safely bring his vehicle to a stop and would not have died that night.

In its opinion, the Court of Appeals wrote, “For more than 100 years, the rule in Georgia has been: ‘the municipality should not allow obstructions … to adjoin the traveled way which will render its use unsafe and dangerous … Cities are liable for … negligently allowing obstructions likely to cause injury to be placed upon or near the line.”

The court opinion goes on to state that there is no dispute about the planter being on the road’s shoulder in the city’s right-of-way.

Milton addressed the planter’s location in its Sept. 19 statement.

“A key issue in the ruling pertains to the location of the object involved in the collision,” the statement says. “If the city is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the entire right-ofway is clear of obstructions on the grassed shoulder and beyond, including structures such as decorative driveway and subdivision entrances, it will result in an unprecedented, mandatory clearing of those corridors.”

It goes on to encourage state and local leaders to pay close attention to the case, which could have implications for communities across Georgia.

“Should this verdict stand, it could set a financially challenging precedent,” the statement says. “Taxpayers across

“They sat down to figure out how they could tackle the issue of keeping these kids safe and out of trouble,” Butler said. “They rented an apartment in the complex, and they put stars in the window, and it was just going to be a safe place.”

From there, she said it expanded to include academic support.

Butler commented on the impact of that day’s event, how it brings awareness to kids living only five miles away but who are in great need. She said kids who live in a silo don’t see the need like they would if they were in a different school.

Operations and Finance Manager Stephanie Mitra said the awareness goes two ways.

“We want these kids to see our kids, but we want our kids to feel seen, because a lot of times they don’t,” Mitra said. “Because we’ve heard people say, ‘Well, you know, we don’t have lowincome people in Roswell.’”

the state might be burdened with the cost of removing these objects, while municipalities could face hefty legal verdicts potentially leading to financial distress.”

During oral arguments, the city attempted to distinguish between the road and the right-of-way, but the judges cited statutes defining the terms as synonymous.

“We cannot accept the city’s argument … that the planter was not in the road because it was not an area intended to be used for vehicle travel,” the opinion stated. “It is well-settled that ‘when interpreting a statute, all its words must be given due weight.’”

Jed Manton, another attorney for the Chang family, said he hopes Milton ceases its litigation strategy and commits resources to improve the safety of its street system.

“Since Joshua’s untimely death, 12 independent Fulton County jurors have spoken regarding Milton’s negligence, and five judges, with over 75 years of combined judicial experience, have rejected Milton’s attempts to have this matter dismissed,” Manton said. “It’s time for Milton to accept responsibility, pay the required restitution and return to fiscal responsibility by ending this litigation and saving on post-judgment interest and untold attorney fees.”

The Court of Appeals’ decision says motions for reconsideration must be received in its clerk’s office before Sept. 26.

Milton can also appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court to hear the case.

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Deerfield:

Continued from Page 4

like to see and what they hope to avoid. The city, along with consultants from Cooper Carry, created vision boards with concepts for outdoor spaces, retail, amenities, public spaces and architecture. Residents chatted with experts at each booth and planted stickers on inspirational photos to convey which types of designs they preferred.

Some of the more popular suggestions included connected trails, high-end retail centers, outdoor dining and green space that could play host to live music, all while keeping the rural character of Milton intact. Avoiding perceived mistakes from the past will be critical, several residents noted.

“Milton is already a great place to live…but as [past] developments have gone on with no real plan for things, you see pockets of the character diminishing,” said resident Tom DuFore. “It’s a lot easier to fall than it is to go up. So how can we maintain what we have while also infusing [Milton’s] character into these new changes?”

Fellow Milton resident Sangay Tiwari said he worries that the development plans could lead to overcrowding or pushing local businesses out of the area prior to the redesign’s completion.

Warlick acknowledged that not every resident will love the changes, at least in the short-term.

Budget:

interfund transfers to capital projects, special events and the revenue bond.

Increasing operational costs are causing the city to adjust how it spends excess general fund revenue.

Another major element in the budget is the city’s capital fund, which pays for major projects, like new buildings, road resurfacing and land acquisition.

Assistant City Manager Bernadette Harvill provided an overview of the fund.

“All capital project funds are budgeted on a project length basis,” Harvill said. “Any unspent funds will carry over into the next fiscal year as a part of the city’s capital improvement plan.”

While ongoing operational costs are increasing 13 percent, the city is decreasing transfers to the capital projects fund by 41 percent or $6.8 million.

It means the funding for some capital projects will slow down, while the city focuses on the Deerfield

“Unfortunately we’re going to have some sort of density that comes with the development, because if you look at the commercial market, it’s got to have retail,” he said. “And that may not necessarily be what people want right now.”

Being able to toe that fine line is the main purpose of the community meetings, according to consulting firm Cooper Carry, which is using the feedback to create a design manual for developers and landowners. The firm is also working to understand the public, private and non-profit investments needed to achieve the new vision for

Deerfield.

Still, Milton officials can only do so much until the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) recommences plans to widen and redesign Ga. 9, a critical component in making Deerfield more pedestrian-friendly. GDOT notified Milton in June that its construction schedule would be postponed indefinitely after it discovered that a now-former employee falsified documents that led the department to believe parcels for the project had already been acquired when they had not.

Construction had already begun on nearly 25 percent of the lots GDOT

assumed they owned. The department said it would now take roughly three years to clean up the work they’ve already done and obtain the easements necessary to officially acquire the land and move forward with the project.

Beyond widening the road to four lanes, Milton has asked GDOT for traffic signal alterations, a speed limit reduction and larger green medians with high-end landscaping. City officials said last month that GDOT has shown to be “open to suggestions.”

Milton officials said they would continue to engage with the community as the design manual is crafted.

around $12 million, which is 25 percent of the subsequent year’s budgeted revenues.

After the Milton City Council approved 2024 budget amendments, closing out the fiscal year, it unanimously approved the 2025 spending plan.

In other business at the meeting, the council moved ahead with a condemnation of the last property along Cogburn Road needed to complete its Big Creek Greenway Connection.

Engineering Project Manager Rob Dell-Ross said he’s optimistic about an on-site meeting with the resident in mid-September.

Also, Finance Director Karen Ellis announced creation of an occupational tax abatement for qualifying businesses in the Deerfield district around Ga. 9.

The abatement is not an exemption for occupational taxes, but it does reduce costs for businesses looking to add jobs and spur redevelopment.

athletic complex and supporting its operations.

Some capital initiatives include the parks manager vehicle, Bethwell Community Center renovations, police

task force vehicle and an expansion of Milton Police Department headquarters.

The city’s projected ending reserves after fiscal year 2025 are

Ellis and City Attorney Ken Jarrard cited the commercial area’s 46 percent vacancy rate, saying Milton is joining other Metro Atlanta cities in promoting economic revitalization.

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

Milton Finance Director Karen Ellis discusses the city’s creation of a tax abatement for qualifying companies in the southeastern Deerfield district. Ellis said the financial incentive is aimed at attracting businesses and reducing vacant commercial office space in the area.

BEECHER TUTTLE/APPEN MEDIA

Residents placed green, yellow and red stickers on vision boards to indicate which designs they prefer. (Green = yes, yellow = maybe and red = no).

Turf replacement to begin at Webb Bridge Park field

By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alpharetta parks officials are set to complete a yearslong drive to replace recreation fields’ grass with artificial turf.

Work at a Webb Bridge Park field that hosts soccer games and practices is scheduled to begin in November and be completed in February or March. It will mark the last stage of an ongoing project to convert numerous rectangle sports fields managed by the city, said Morgan Rodgers, director of Alpharetta’s Recreation, Parks & Culture Department.

Artificial turf is superior to grass because it is safer for players and prevents activities from being rained out, Rodgers said. The field is used by Alpharetta’s Ambush Soccer Club, which hosts camps, practices and games.

“The soccer community is really excited because it’s the largest of the fields, so it’s going to become their hub,” Rodgers said.

The Alpharetta City Council approved a contract in July to pay Sprinturf almost $1.6 million for the work, which includes adding fencing, drainage and netting. The funds were allocated through a $29.5 million parks and recreation bond referendum passed in 2022.

About two-thirds of Alpharetta’s rectangle sports fields will be turf when the resurfacing at Webb Bridge Park is completed.

The price is higher for installing artificial turf, but over the duration of the field’s 10-year lifetime, the costs are about the same, Rodgers said. Unlike grass, artificial turf requires no watering, cutting or fertilizing.

“The cost is basically a wash, but the playability is almost priceless,” he said.

Atlanta’s heavy rainfall, particularly in the summer, meant about 70 percent of the fields at Webb Bridge Park were getting rained out. Last year, about 47 inches of rain fell in Atlanta, according to the National Weather Service. In 2020, the city received about 67 inches.

The work at Webb Bridge Park and

other Alpharetta artificial turf fields goes well below the surface. A system of channels underneath redirects water away from the field through an underground network, allowing them to be used after the heaviest of rains.

“You can take a fire truck and turn the hose and on, and it will not flood it,” Rodgers said.

A synthetic material acts as the turf’s artificial dirt redirecting heat during hot summer days and prevents injuries from players who fall.

Unlike natural grass, the turf also provides a perfectly level, divot-free playing surface.

“Today’s artificial turf is not your grandfather’s artificial turf,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers, who grew up with grass fields, said he does not feel nostalgic about the resurfacing trend. Grass certainly has its charm, but when considering the practicality of artificial turf, the benefits ace clear, he said.

“I know at the end of the day it’s providing a more consistent surface for those who need it,” he said.

PHOTOS BY: JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA

One recreational field at Webb Bridge Park already offers artificial turf, giving players a smooth surface that is impervious to flooding. The City of Alpharetta will begin replacing a grass field at the park with turf in the fall.

Divots, bare patches and unevenness are visible at a grass field at Webb Bridge Park. The field has had more than half of its planned practices and games canceled by rain.

OPINION

Provide a little context to paint clear picture

I read the recent DC Aiken opinion pieces about the economy. If I followed the tone and implications of the article, I would be fearful of our nation’s economic future and think recession is imminent. But then I remembered I have heard this same song for a few years. Each time the collapse was forecast, the outcome was an encouraging “well, maybe not.” While there are continuing impacts from the most devastating pandemic in a century, the U.S. economy emerged as the strongest in the world. It remains so, yet no mention or credit for this is in the articles.

One article mentions the GDP dropping for several quarters. I’m sure many folks see that as a shrinking economy. The GDP, however, is still growing, just not at the bold rate it had been previously.

McDonald’s traffic did have a recent 1% drop. The pandemic and resulting inflation led many lower income families to eat more at home to save money. Isn’t that a good thing? Inflation is dropping and investors believe enough in McDonald’s latest initiatives, stock prices are up.

Is unemployment the highest in almost three years? Yep. But in January

of 2023, it was the lowest in 54 years. So, if it rises a bit, that should probably be expected and not indicative of a pending crisis. Job openings are the lowest since 2021. People are working.

Another indicator raised was lower house sales. Well, interest rates are still up and inventory is lower than preCovid times. With the rate decrease, that should change.

My easily researched information shows the importance of context for data. Many times, if you look for a pre-determined outcome, then you find a way to support it. If you want to see a moose bad enough, eventually a cow becomes a moose. That’s not how it should work. Since the doomsday predictors of economic ruin have been wrong the last few years, I tend to believe that our country will be okay. Fear works for some people, but not most. As we have seen in recent politics, if you tell people enough that the sky is falling, eventually they look up instead of ahead. Being a former teacher, I tend to hope for, and believe in, a brighter future, and not one that is ill-fated.

Michael Buchanan Alpharetta

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Near-centenarian’s life of service in WW ll and beyond

It is interesting how profoundly military experience can shape a person’s entire life. Such is the case of 99-year-old Alpharetta resident Gerald Sadler. Fortunately, Gerald is healthy, alert and has a keen sense of humor. He takes a three mile walk every other day to help stay that way. He is a delight to interview. Here is his story.

Gerald was raised on his grandfather’s farm in Hartwell, Georgia. John Cornelius Sadler (1860-1937) like so many early Georgia pioneers immigrated from Europe to South Carolina and then migrated to Georgia attracted by stories of cheap, fertile land. He and his second wife Cora Etta Suit Sadler (1871-1938) raised cotton and corn. The best corn was ground for corn bread, the basic food for the family. The farm grew to eventually encompass 119 acres.

They had ten children, one of whom was Gerald’s father Rufus Gleeson “Rook” Sadler (1899-1990) who in 1922 married Clyde Chastain Sadler (1904-1930). When Gerald was five years old, his mother was struck by lightning and killed on the Sadler farm. Cora raised the five orphaned children – three daughters, including a pair of twins, and Gerald – in addition to her 10 offspring. All were brought up on the Hartwell farm.

Gerald had a knack for machinery because he had to maintain his grandfather’s Allis Chalmers tractor, one of the first models manufactured. His grandfather was one of the first farmers in the county to own one. Rufus bought a second tractor a few years later and used it to power a saw to cut timber, an important source of income for the family.

During and after high school, Gerald worked on the farm and had temporary jobs after harvest time. When World War ll started, Gerald was too young to serve. On his 18th birthday he joined the Navy in early 1943.

He was sent to the Bainbridge Naval Training Center in Port Deposit, Maryland, for bootcamp. The center was active from 1942 to 1976. Then because of his experience with tractors on his grandfather’s farm he was sent to technical school at Ford Motor Company in Michigan. Then he traveled to San Francisco where he boarded the Bon Homme Richard CV-31, an aircraft carrier being used as a cargo ship where he worked as a Machinist Mate First Class. He worked mainly on engine bearings and drive shafts. He says, “there was a lot of chipping of paint to keep the sailors busy and out of trouble.”

He then served at the major advance naval base on the island of Espiritu Santo (since 1980 called The Republic of Vanuatu) about 1000 miles from Australia. The Navy Seabees built more than 400 advance bases during the war including a huge base on Espiritu Santo

The Bon Homme Richard, one of 24 Essex-class Aircraft Carriers completed in World War ll is underway at sea on Oct. 20, 1945 about to arrive in San Francisco. Nine days later she headed to Pearl Harbor to undergo conversion for troop transport duty. From November to January, 1946 she made multiple trans-Pacific voyages carrying troops and cargo.

to repair ships damaged in battle and to allow planes and fighting men to rotate in and out of battle. Several floating docks, one capable of handling battleships and aircraft carriers, a giant fuel tank farm and ammunition storage facilities were built in addition to standard infrastructure including roads, hospitals and barracks. Gerald recalls waking up one morning in 1945 and seeing 11 aircraft carriers in the harbor. Gerald ran a ship-to-shore supply boat between the base and the ships while they underwent repairs and refurbishing. One of the ships was badly

tilted and had to spend a long time in dry dock.

The war officially ended in the Pacific Theater when Japan formally surrendered aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. Shortly after that momentous event Gerald was sent to the Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville, Florida which had been commissioned in 1942 where he was processed for discharge. He couldn’t find a job, so he enrolled at the University of Georgia where he obtained a degree in Agricultural Sciences and Engineering in 1947.

Gerald found a job working with the Federal Soil Conservation Service helping farmers in Alpharetta recover their fields and forests which had been depleted by intensive farming and cutting during the war. He worked in an office in the old Alpharetta courthouse under Joe Brown, grandson of former Georgia governor Joe Brown. After five years working in Alpharetta, Gerald studied civil engineering at Georgia Tech which led to a career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a civil engineer.

He says that he did not know it at the time, but his wartime experience changed him in many ways, and it prepared him for his profession as an agricultural engineer.

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.

‘Here Comes the Sun’ on the lending front

This week’s “pop” hit is the 1969 song

“Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles. The lyrics start out “Little darlin’, it’s been a long, cold, lonely winter. Little darlin’, it feels like years since it’s been here.”

It has been over four years since the FED had made a rate cut, but they stepped up to the plate today and cut rates by .50 percent. The bigger news is that they could make an additional .50 percent cut by the end of the year (I predicted a total of .75 percent total this year…so…could be close). The “plot” graph shows that FED funds could be at 3.375 percent from its current level

of 5 percent by the end of 2025. This could push mortgage rates into the high 4 percent range by the end of 2025.

I applaud the FED for making the right move… .50 percent (for those of you who follow Aikenomics, I am not a fan of our current FED but had to give them credit here for making the hard choice). This move was long overdue as the “signs” of recession were right in front of us. Housing prices were up again last month and continued a string of consecutive monthly rises for over 10 years (so much for those of you who are waiting for prices to fall). Unemployment continues to rise, and while inflation has come down notably, it’s still hard to buy something when you don’t have a job or are worried that your job might be eliminated.

This cut in rates should help overall prices slide down further as commercial

loan rates, based on Prime, should move down and those lower cost should filter down as lower prices for consumer goods.

As I have noted before and reflected in the stats this week that refinances accounted for 24 percent of all mortgage applications, and this is not because they were trying to get a better mortgage rate. For the most part, this was done to lower their overall payments by paying off over extended consumer debt even if it meant a higher mortgage payment.

I am not convinced yet that we are not heading into a prolonged recession, but the FED action was a step in the right direction, and hopefully they will continue to be vigilant in their upcoming moves to avoid a prolonged recession.

The “Long Cold Lonely Winters” for real estate sales for the past several years may be over as rates begin to move below

the 6 percent mark over the next several weeks and have their eyes on probably a mid to low 5 percent mark by the end of the year (my prediction earlier this year was low 5 percent by year-end). The “Sun” may be truly coming out for those purchasing new homes and refinancing. Wednesday was a good day for the U.S. economy regardless of what side of the aisle you sit on. Here Comes The Sun…

D.C. Aiken is vice president, producing production manager for BankSouth Mortgage, NMLS # 658790. For more insights, you can subscribe to his newsletter at dcaiken.com.

The opinions expressed within this article may not reflect the opinions or views of BankSouth Mortgage or its affiliates.

BOB MEYERS Columnist

U.S. NAVY PHOTO

OPINION

Brookhaven library began on Shows family back porch

The DeKalb County Public Library has announced plans for a new Brookhaven Library. Preliminary building plans are available at the county library website, dekalblibrary.org.

This Past Tense article is about Brookhaven’s library history, which began on the back porch of the home of Edna and Weldon Shows.

The Shows moved to 56 E. Brookhaven Drive in 1942. Weldon Shows was one of the mayors who served the municipality of North Atlanta during the years it existed, 1924-1963. (History of Brookhaven, by Mrs. Willig, DeKalb History Center Archives)

Louse Trotti coordinated the DeKalb County bookmobile unit and drove the bus throughout the county. Trotti had certain homes where she could park her bookmobile. In Brookhaven, that was the Shows home. The children of Brookhaven would come to the Shows’ porch, browse the books on shelves they had installed and check out books.

Edna Shows also told stories to the children. Each time they visited the back porch library, she would ask them to name three things they would like to hear in a story next time. This was an added incentive for the children to return.

After a while, the Shows porch and the bookmobile couldn’t manage the demand for books. The closest library was the Ida Williams Library in Buckhead, which charged Brookhaven residents $5 to check out books.

Carol M. Johnson, former society editor for the North DeKalb Record newspaper, suggested the need for a library after seeing children buy books in a drugstore that she believed were inappropriate. She went to the North Atlanta Brookhaven Planning Council to ask for their help.

The American Legion hut was offered to DeKalb County for $1 for the purpose of a library. With the help of DeKalb County Commissioner Scott Candler, the rent-free building was refurbished. In later years, the hut was used as the St. Martin’s School Field Resale Shop.

Maude Burrus, first librarian of the county, shared her knowledge and guided the citizens of Brookhaven toward their goal of having a community library. Donations came in from individuals and businesses,

The current Brookhaven Library, designed by John R. Edwards, first opened in 1956.

including Rich’s Department Stores.

On Feb. 10, 1951, a formal opening of the Brookhaven Library, located in the former American Legion hut, was held, and the people who helped make it happen were invited. Nine days later the doors of the library opened to the community.

In the beginning, the library was open three days a week from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m. Local businesses continued to support the library, including Big Apple Grocery Store, DeKalb National Bank and Woolworth’s.

Mattie Dodson was the first librarian in Brookhaven and continued in that role from 1951 until 1972. She had previously worked at McElroy’s

DEATH NOTICES

Joann Cassella, 93, of Roswell, passed away on September 10, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Clifford Johnson, 90, of Milton, passed away on September 5, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

John Kohler, 93, of Alpharetta, passed away on September 7, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Supermarket but was offered the job of librarian with a starting pay of $15 per week.

It soon became apparent a more permanent library building was needed for Brookhaven. A bond issue passed to provide the money needed. Rather than purchase land for the library, land that was already owned by the county was selected. That meant all the funds from the bond issue could be used for construction.

In 1955, plans for a $30,000 library, designed by John R. Edwards, appeared in the Atlanta newspapers. The library was referred to as Fernwood Park Library and described as a building of Roman brick, featuring

Nes Kuweza, 73, of Roswell, passed away on September 12, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Joseph Lazzari, 82, of Roswell, passed away on September 12, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Justin Mourning, 46, of Alpharetta, passed away on September 11, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

a 2,475-square-foot reading room. Plans included a small basement auditorium, kitchen and storage room. Lillian Gregson, chairperson of the Brookhaven Library Board, announced: “We hope to have the building ready for dedication in time for the February 1956 celebration of the fifth anniversary of the Brookhaven Library’s establishment.” (Atlanta Constitution, Sept. 2,1955, “Northside News”)

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

Donald Nelson, 83, of Roswell, passed away on September 15, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Elizabeth Varner, 99, of Alpharetta, passed away on September 12, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Roy Waggoner, Jr., 92, of Milton, passed away on September 7, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF/APPEN MEDIA

VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist

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ITB NUMBER 24-PW07

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Electronic submission via: https://www.miltonga.gov/government/finance/bidsrfps

Bid submissions will be publicly announced via a virtual bid opening at approximately 2:30 PM at the City of Milton City Hall located at 2006 Heritage Walk, Milton, GA 30004. The City reserves the right to reject any and all bids. If the contract is awarded, it will be awarded to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder whose bid meets the requirements and criteria set forth in the invitation for bids.

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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: 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

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The City of Milton City Council will hold a public hearing for the applications for alcohol licenses listed below on Monday, October 7, 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.

PH-24-AB-12 – 13020 Morris Food Inc. dba Exxon Food Mart has made an application for a license to sell Wine and Malt Beverages for Retail Package, and for Sunday Sales at its place of business located at 13020 Morris Road, Suite C, Milton, Georgia 30004.

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

While covering Milton election operations, Appen Media analyzed historical voter data and identified possible disenfranchisement.

This reporting caused a statewide watchdog to get involved and, eventually, the city moved to add a polling place to the area. Later in the year, Appen discovered that the feasibility report the City Council used when voting to run their own elections was not the original document. Two residents on a working committee had altered it after city staff had completed it and before its presentation to council. Appen Media reporters identified all of the differences between the two documents and then created an interactive digital document. Readers and officials were able to scroll through the materials and read notes from the newsroom explaining the differences. You can find this document at appenmedia.com/electionsreport.

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