Ballot referendum ties assessments to inflation rate
By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com
METRO ATLANTA — Voters will decide whether to enact a number of statewide ballot measures aimed at relieving sticker shock on property taxes.
One ballot question is a constitutional amendment for a statewide floating homestead exemption that would essentially cap property assessments at the inflation rate.
House Bill 581 creates the homestead exemption and a new local option sales tax. It will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025, only if the referendum on House Resolution 1022, which is also known as Amendment 1, is approved by voters in November.
Election Day is Nov. 5.
The ballot question would give the Legislature the constitutional authority to offer this homestead exemption.
The question says:
“Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to authorize the General Assembly to provide by general law for a state-wide homestead exemption that serves to limit increases in the assessed value of homesteads, but which any county, consolidated government, municipality, or local school system
See BALLOT, Page 13
Look out below
City, nonprofit partner to identify, sign Milton’s local waterways
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
MILTON, Ga. — Signs labeling two Milton waterways, Chicken and Cooper Sandy creeks, are scheduled to go up on both sides of 19 bridges across the city.
Through a partnership between the city and the Milton Historical Society, four of the 38 wayfinding signs were installed in mid-September.
City/Milton Communications Coordinator Oksana Solovei wrote that the aim of the joint initiative is to make
motorists more aware of their natural surroundings, specifically the creeks that have been vital to human and animal life in the region for centuries.
Milton Historical Society Board member Jim Farris, who brought the idea for creek wayfinding at bridges to the city in the spring, said he’s excited that the first batch of signs are installed.
“Historically, the creeks were important to this area,” Farris said. “Not only did they provide water, but they also served as landmarks, describing locations and identifying
boundaries.”
Farris said he’s been driving around the city for 27 years. Every time he passes over a bridge, he calls out the name of the creek below.
“One day, I realized, ‘Hey we should be putting signs up,’” he said. “There was a lot of controversy about whether Cooper Sandy is the right name of the creek.”
Farris said historical maps labeled the creek Copper or Cooper Sandy, and it required extensive research to
See MARKERS, Page 16
CITY OF MILTON/PROVIDED
Members of the Milton Historical Society and Public Works Department are all smiles after putting up one of the first signs, labeling Chicken Creek as it crosses the Dinsmore Road bridge, last month. With four signs up on each side of two city bridges, the grassroots initiative is underway.
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Milton rolls out tax credit for First Responders Foundation
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
MILTON, Ga.
— The Milton First Responders Foundation adds to a growing list of qualified law enforcement nonprofits in Metro Atlanta, allowing residents to claim state tax credit for contributions.
Formed in 2015, the Milton First Responder’s Foundation is a nonprofit whose board consists of civic and business leaders who generate support for Milton Police and Fire-Rescue families.
The foundation’s main source of fundraising comes from its annual springtime Concert on the Green at Crabapple Market.
The nonprofit says the tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar state program that can help support police officers and local heroes.
As a primary feature of the 2022 Law Enforcement Strategic Support (or LESS Crime) Act, private citizens and corporations can apply for a reduction in their state income tax liability, incentivizing donations to local foundations.
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.
Woman reports threat by passenger in vehicle
MILTON, Ga. — A Milton woman reported to police Oct. 11 that someone pointed a gun at her while driving on Webb Road.
MILTON FIRST RESPONDERS FOUNDATION/PROVIDED
Robyn Pinto, treasurer of Milton First Responders Foundation, shares information about the Qualified Law Enforcement Donation Credit, along with Officer Charles Fannon, at a booth during Crabapple Fest Oct. 5.
In late 2023, the Milton First Responders Foundation began researching and pursuing state approval of its qualified law enforcement foundation.
The foundation is already responsible for some enhancements to the Milton Fire-Rescue and Police departments use, like fire
The woman told police she honked the horn at the vehicle in front of hers, while at a roundabout, to signal for them to move forward. When the vehicle continued to Morris Road, the woman said she noticed that the back passenger turned around and made a motion with one of their hands as if pointing a gun in her direction, according to the incident report.
The woman told police she saw a gun but did not know if it was a toy gun or a real one.
Police found the suspect vehicle, based on the woman’s description,
safety masks, tactical gear and a partnership with The Summit Counseling Center for mental health services.
Other initiatives include a $200 gift card for first responders and their families around the holidays, funds
See CREDIT, Page 16
and when attempting a traffic stop, a passenger exited and fled, the report says.
While police could not locate the passenger, the driver provided more information about the suspect, a 17-year-old possibly still enrolled in an area high school.
The driver said the suspect called attention to the woman’s vehicle for following too closely and that he did not understand why the suspect fled after he was pulled over.
The woman told police she did not want to press charges.
THE PICTURE FRAMER
DOLAN
Special rally concert planned for Cambridge Marching Band
MILTON, Ga — The Cambridge High School Marching Band announced Oct. 14 that it will host a free community performance at the school’s football stadium Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 6:30 p.m. as a part of a send-off ceremony before leaving for Grand Nationals in Indiana.
Cambridge is one of only two Georgia bands attending what is known as the “Superbowl” of high school marching band competitions. The Cambridge Marching Band will perform its award-winning show “Unraveled,” which displays music from Radiohead, Pat Metheny, Edda Mangason, Teddy Swims and Andy Akiho.
The Cambridge Marching Band consists of nearly 100 students who have devoted than 200 hours of training in the past four months to polish their routine that demonstrates visually, musically, and aesthetically the process of unraveling. The duration of the performance, pieces of costuming and props are thematically unraveled to reveal the innermost structure, symbolizing purity from chaos.
Director Daniel Scott brought a fresh perspective to the Cambridge Marching Band, and along with a new
take has come many local, regional and national awards.
Band Booster President Cindy Roberts boasts, “The Cambridge Marching Band has worked so hard to prepare for their Grand Nationals performance. During marching season, the highlight of my week is watching these students perform. I can’t wait to cheer them on in Indianapolis.”
Milton Mayor Peyton Jamison, Fulton County Commissioner Bob Ellis, Cambridge High School principal Ashley Agans and other community leaders are among those who will attend the send-off ceremony along with hundreds of students, faculty, parents, musicians and Milton residents.
Gates will open at 6 p.m. Guests are encouraged to wear Cambridge attire and to bring noise makers, encouragement, and their loudest cheering voices to celebrate this milestone for the band.
For more information about the Cambridge Marching Band or to make a donation to support their trip to Grand Nationals, visit www. cambridgeband.org.
GARAGE SALES
Annabelle Reiter
CAMBRIDGE MARCHING BAND/PROVIDED
Members of the horns section of Cambridge Marching Band perform their awardwinning show “Unraveled” at Cambridge High School. The band will travel to Indiana for Grand Nationals.
Owner John Hogan & Designer Bobbie Kohm
John Hogan & Designer Bobbie Kohm, re-imagining how bath & kitchen remodels are done.
Join us for our 12th Annual
Christmas Gift Show
Blessed Trinity High School Main & Aux Gym
11320 Woodstock Road
Roswell, GA 30075
Saturday, Nov. 9th 9am – 5pm Sunday, Nov. 10th 10am – 3pm
Over 110 vendors with a large variety of unique and beautiful gift items –Jewelry, Wreaths, Pottery, Fine Art, Holiday and Home Décor, Accessories, Knits, Children’s Items, Huge Bake Sale and much more!
• Tons of parking
• All booths are indoors
• Enter our Titan Tidings Raffle to win prizes
• Concessions will be available
• No Strollers Please
• $5 Admission
Economist says Metro Atlanta remains poised for growth
Georgia earns marks for generating jobs
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The chief economist for the Metro Atlanta Chamber says indications point to a more stable economy, and Georgia is positioned to reap the benefits.
Speaking before a crowd of some 50 business leaders at Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber’s Oct. 15 Signature Luncheon, Jerry Parrish painted a cautiously optimistic picture for the metropolitan area and its surrounding counties.
Parrish, former chief economist and director of research at Florida State University’s Institute of Government and the Florida Chamber Foundation, joined the Metro Atlanta Chamber in August 2023.
He said one of the big projects at the chamber is matching demand from companies with talent in the workforce.
“That was one of the things that attracted me to the Metro Atlanta Chamber,” he said.
With several trade and technical
same period.
Growing job numbers and increasing population in the U.S. Census Bureau’s 29-county metropolitan statistical area contrasts with more concerning trends in rural counties, which are losing young people to urban centers and their tax bases with it.
“One of the things you have to look at, as far as how attractive areas are, is how many people are moving there,” Parrish said. “When you add up Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb and Gwinnett counties, that’s seen an increase of right at a half a million people just in that 13-year period.”
Since 2020, Metro Atlanta has seen a 7.2 percent job growth rate, which is more than the state average of 6.6 percent and national mean of 4.5 percent.
schools, as well the University System of Georgia’s 26 public institutions, companies from around the world are considering a move to Metro Atlanta.
Parrish said the millionaires in Generation Z may be electricians and plumbers, instead of those with college degrees. He encourages high schoolers to learn business and a trade.
“Private equity is going around and
buying these companies up,” Parrish said. “The prices are not going to go down.”
Even with 63 Georgia counties, or 40 percent of the state, losing residents from 2010-23, the state’s overall population jumped 12.2 percent.
The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metropolitan statistical area, covering the 29-county region surrounding Atlanta, saw its population increase 19 percent over the
“That means Georgia has grown substantially more jobs than the average state out there,” Parrish said. “That probably won’t surprise you that this area is growing, [and] people still want to live here.”
Before jumping into interest rates, inflation and Federal Reserve policy, Parrish said that he and his colleagues have been wrong, and not just a little.
“If you’ll remember back to early 2023,
See GROWTH, Page 14
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HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
Jerry Parrish, chief economist of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, delivers remarks on his economic outlook for the local economy Oct. 15 in the Terrace Meeting Room at City Springs.
Join us Saturday, November 9 8 a.m. Council Chambers in City Hall 2006 Heritage Walk
to celebrate
VETERANS DAY
The City of Milton would like to invite Milton veterans and their families to enjoy a complimentary breakfast and enjoy a featured speakers at this community event for our local heroes.
SOLI PRILLAMAN, founder, Soli’s Kitchen
Baker turns pastry passion into business
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Soli Prillaman loves when friends and family break bread together.
“I love being able to give back and having that feeling that this person is going to have a meal, that their entire family will enjoy it,” Prillaman said.
Prillaman, a Cumming resident, feeds that passion through her business, Soli’s Kitchen, selling baked goods and other treats. She and her 18-year-old daughter make all the items themselves with a special focus on fresh ingredients.
Prillaman has been baking for at least 20 years, but she decided to make it a profession after raising money through bake sales for her daughter’s International Career Development Conference competitions.
People were going crazy for her culinary creations, and she began receiving requests for catering and countless compliments.
“People kept saying, ‘You should start a business,’” she said.
Prillaman, a first generation American with Cuban heritage, has lived in Georgia since 1995 but grew up in Miami.
As a child, her father often would leave the house early on weekends to purchase pastelitos, a traditional Cuban pastry. She said she has fond memories of indulging her sweet tooth with the traditional baked puff pastries.
“We definitely looked forward to them,” she said.
Now, pastelitos, particularly guava and cream cheese flavored ones, are one of her most popular pastries.
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SOLI
Pastelitos are a traditional Cuban pastry sold by Soli Prillaman. She enjoyed the pastry as a child.
“I wanted to provide something that goes with my heritage,” Prillaman said. “Guava is sweet, but it also has a little bit of a tanginess. The cream cheese helps take care of that.”
Pastelitos are not the only sweets drawing attention. There’s also a healthy demand for her double chocolate chip and snickerdoodle cookies. The perfect cookie is cooked all the way through but with just enough doughiness for a chewy middle.
During the holidays, she plans to
See PASTRY, Page 9
Soli Prillaman often receives help from her daughter in preparing her food. Prillaman decided to create a business after receiving compliments from bake sales to raise funds for her daughter’s competitions.
PRILLAMAN
BUSINESSPOSTS
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SOLI PRILLAMAN
Preparing sourdough bread takes hours and requires massaging the dough many times to give it the right consistency.
Pastry:
Continued from Page 8
sell cocoa bombs, which customers can make their own hot cocoa with. The bombs have a chocolate shell with customizable options like hazelnut, mini marshmallows and dark, white and regular chocolate.
“You have to have hot chocolate in the wintertime,” she said.
Not all of Prillaman’s items are sweet.
She also has begun making her own salsa, a blend of tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, seeded jalapenos, cilantro and various seasonings. Made from fresh ingredients, it’s far better than any jarred salsa at the grocery, she said.
The salsa, refreshing and not too spicy, goes perfectly on “pretty much everything” from grilled chicken to breakfast burritos to tacos, she said.
“It just tastes better,” Prillaman said. She’s also known for her sourdough bread.
Baking a loaf is a six-hour process that begins with organic flour, water and a starter.
Pulling the dough every 30 minutes gives the bread its delicious consistency, something that brings customers back over and over. Prillaman said she often gets texts and calls from customers asking her to reserve them a loaf.
The bread is perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches and bruschetta, but it’s also great on its own with a little butter.
“It should have a nice crust on the outside, and on the inside, you should be able to see the different layers and bubbles,” she said.
To make a purchase from Soli’s Kitchen, message her on Facebook or contact her at 404-819-0110. She also can be found at the Cumming Farmers Market on Saturdays and World Harvest Church, 325 Hardscrabble Road, in Roswell on Thursdays. Sourdough is not for sale at the Cumming Farmers Market.
Soli Prillaman prefers her cookies to be slightly soft but cooked all the way through. Prillaman makes a variety of desserts for sale.
Appen recognizes local businesses at Best of North Atlanta Awards
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
NORTH METRO ATLANTA — Business owners and community members partied the night away Oct. 17 at Appen Media Group’s 2024 Best of North Atlanta Awards Celebration.
The event honored winners of the Best of Atlanta contest. Over the course of the contest, members of the community nominated their favorite businesses, selecting more than 300 winners and runners up. This year’s contest drew more than 107,000 votes.
More than 300 people attended the awards reception in a ballroom at Phase Events.
Guests indulged in gourmet canapés and desserts provided by A&S Culinary Concepts and Nothing Bundt Cakes Alpharetta, with Six Bridges Brewing and Cork & Glass supplying wine and beer. Live music was provided by Ethyl’s Envy.
Contest winners received certificates, many of which would be hung up in their offices and businesses.
The contest recognizes patrons’ enthusiasm for businesses in North Metro Atlanta, Appen Media Publisher Hans Appen said.
“It’s a reflection of the quality of the business environment that we have in North Atlanta,” Appen said. “It’s exceptional. It’s unique. I think we’re spoiled a bit in North Atlanta by not only how diverse a business community we have but the quality of the businesses.”
Mike Dorman, Appen director of
sales and marketing, said the awards were a way to recognize hard work and quality.
“It gives a lot of credibility to the businesses readers choose to visit in the community, and many of these winners have been consistently winning every year,” he said.
Marc Stewart, owner of Johns Creek Physical Therapy, has won every year since Appen Media introduced the physical therapy category in 2018.
For Stewart, receiving the award was humbling and a recognition of all that he’s given in service of his customers.
“When you’re in the trenches and you’re in the process of doing the work every day, you just hope that your effort is recognized,” he said.
Sophia Crawford, owner of Ground & Pound Coffee in the AlpharettaRoswell area, thanked those who voted for her business. Crawford opened Ground & Pound after her career as a professional stunt woman and costarring in more than 30 films.
Crawford said she has worked to make her spot more than just a coffee shop by transforming it into a space where community members can socialize and enjoy live performances after hours.
She said the award’s recognition of her work and success can elevate her business.
“Thank you, from me and my staff. We’re all a team,” she said. “It’s not just me on my own. From all of us, we love you so much for your support over the years.”
ANNABELLE REITER/APPEN MEDIA
More than 300 people enjoy the celebration at Phase Events in Alpharetta Oct. 17. North Metro Atlanta businesses were honored with music, drinks, hors d’oeuvres and desserts as well as their award certificates.
Market Summary (Q3 2024)
Equity markets experienced a mix of volatility and growth in Q3 2024, reflecting the ongoing anticipation of an easing monetary policy and sector-specific performance trends. The Federal Reserve cut rates (as expected) by 50 basis points (1/2%) to 4.75-5% and the S&P 500 saw steady gains, driven by resilience in technology and healthcare sectors, while the NASDAQ surged amid continued investor confidence in AI and software companies. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) showed moderate growth, supported by industrials and energy. Despite economic uncertainties inflation concerns moderated, which provided a backdrop for continued long-term opportunities. Valuations, especially in tech, remain elevated (see P/E ratio averages below) suggesting selectivity in sectors is critical going forward. September rounded out the quarter as an impressive one by historical standards with a 2.1% return. Dating back to 1928 the S&P 500 has averaged a loss of 1.1% during the month of September which makes it the worst month of the year according to Dow Jones Market Data. However, when September finishes up, the remaining portion of the year the market has risen 79% of the time, averaging an advance of 5.1% according to Bank of America.
Current themes the BlueChip Investment Committee favors are Large Cap Value, Small & Mid Cap Growth, Mid to L.Term Bonds, Private Credit, Private Equity, certain sectors of RE market, Gold & Silver as a small hedge against a potential return to an inflationary environment.
Economic Update
The U.S. economy grew at an annualized rate of 2.4% for Q3 2024. This is in line with expectations, following a stronger second quarter which saw a growth rate of 3.2%. Despite uncertainties from global markets and domestic inflationary pressures, consumer spending and business investments continue to support economic growth. Key sectors driving this quarter’s growth include:
• Consumer spending, particularly in the services sector.
• Business investment, especially in technology and infrastructure.
However, growth in Q3 has decelerated slightly due to tightening financial conditions, reflecting higher interest rates, which we’ll discuss later in this update.
National Debt and Debt-to-GDP Ratio
As of the end of Q3 2024, the U.S. national debt stands at $34 trillion, reflecting ongoing government spending and rising interest obligations. With U.S. GDP projected at $27.4 trillion, the debt-to-GDP ratio now sits at 124%. This ratio is concerning from a historical perspective, as it signals that the nation’s debt level is outpacing the economy’s ability to generate income.
While high levels of national debt have been manageable in recent years due to historically low interest rates, the rising cost of debt service is becoming a more significant issue as the Federal Reserve continues to raise rates to combat inflation.
Source:ChatGPT4
Outlook for Interest Rates
The Federal Reserve recently cut rates by 1/2%, with the current federal funds rate sitting at 4.75-5% (as of 10/9/24). Inflation has shown signs of moderating, but remains above the Fed’s long-term target of 2%. As a result, the outlook for interest rates over the next six months remains tilted toward the downside but cautious as last week’s jobs numbers were better than expected.
Key Projections:
• Short-term outlook: The size of each cut will depend on evolving economic data, particularly regarding inflation and the labor market, but consensus is suggesting 2 more rate cuts by year end, most likely in quarter point intervals.
What This Means for You
Source:ChatGPT4
Historical Forward P/E ratios
Source:ChatGPT4
*The current P/E ratios highlight an overvaluation in key indices, especially in the tech-heavy NASDAQ and potential undervaluation in Small & Mid Cap sectors.
1. Economic growth: The U.S. economy is still growing but at a slower pace. For investors, sectors like technology and infrastructure, which benefit from both government spending and business investment, remain solid opportunities.
2. National debt concerns: The high debt-to-GDP ratio could become more significant if interest rates stay elevated, making it more expensive for the government to service its debt. Clients should be aware of potential longer-term fiscal challenges.
3. Interest rates: With rates higher, borrowing costs will remain elevated, affecting mortgages, business loans, and personal credit. On the flip side, high rates offer attractive yields for savings and fixed-income investments, particularly Treasury bonds and other low-risk assets. Obviously, as rates come back down the inverse will occur which simple means cash or cash equivalents will no longer be a viable asset class as it has been over the last 2 years.
Tip of the 4th Quarter.... Tax Efficiency Strategies for Clients
As year-end approaches, tax planning becomes increasingly important for our highnet-worth clients. One key strategy is tax-loss harvesting, which allows investors to offset capital gains with losses from underperforming assets. This can reduce taxable income while keeping your portfolio aligned with long-term objectives.
Honored to be Voted: Best Dermatologist and Best Vein Specialist
Insist on the
BEST
Dr. Brent Taylor is a Board-Certified Dermatologist, a Fellowship-Trained Mohs Surgeon, and is certified by the Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine in the field of Vein Care.
He is an expert in skin cancer and melanoma treatment, endovenous laser ablation, minimally invasive vein procedures and cosmetics procedures such as Botox and injectables.
Kathryn is a certified physician assistant with over 22 years experience as a Dermatology PA and cosmetic dermatology.
Her specialties include general dermatology such as acne, eczema, rashes, hair loss, full body skin exams, abnormal growths etc. Kathryn also specializes in cosmetic dermatology including lasers, injectables, micro-needling, PRP, facial peels, sclerotherapy for spider veins and at home skin care.
Blue light season has returned
Blue light therapy, also called photodynamic therapy (PDT), is a treatment that can help eliminate precancerous lesions and lower one’s risk of skin cancer. A PDT treatment involves applying a medicine called aminolevulinic acid (ALA) to a patient’s skin and then shining blue light on the treated area to activate the medicine. ALA is an organic, naturally occurring amino acid that our bodies use to make hemoglobin.
When applied to the skin and activated by blue light, ALA preferentially kills pre-cancerous cells that make up lesions called actinic keratoses (AKs). Patients can often feel their own AKs by running their fingers over sun damaged areas such as the tip of the nose, the tops of the ears or the scalp. AK’s usually feel rough or hard and will sometimes bleed if picked. AKs can develop into skin cancer if untreated.
PDT has a “season” because most pre-cancer treatments leave the skin temporarily irritated and paradoxically vulnerable to the sun’s rays for a period of a few days to a week as healing takes place. Good cells need time to heal into the place previously occupied by bad cells. After a PDT treatment, a patient needs to avoid the sun for a few days. If a patient is going to see a child or grandchild’s baseball game, go fishing, golfing, boating or otherwise be in the sun, then many dermatologists would recommend waiting to perform preventative skin cancer treatments until a less sunny time of year when it’s easier to avoid the sun’s UV rays.
Now that the days are getting shorter and the sun is less intense, it’s time to start thinking about skin cancer prevention again. Multiple treatment options exist to help prevent skin cancer including inoffice treatments like PDT as well as at home creams that a patient applies such as fluorouracil, imiquimod, diclofenac and tirbanibulin. A dermatologist can help a patient choose the best, personalized treatment.
PDT and the best topical
treatments can eliminate 75% or more of one’s actinic keratoses and dramatically decrease the number of times a patient has to have spots frozen or cancers cut out. Our experience is that thoroughly treated areas that were growing skin cancers at the rate of one per year often go multiple years without another skin cancer after PDT treatments.
Cosmetically, PDT can be part of a skin rejuvenation regimen. On the face of men and women and on the upper chest “décolletage” area of women, PDT treatments can address the precancerous component of sun-damaged skin, and then laser treatments (such as 532/1064nm Nd:YAG laser) can help address aesthetic components of sun damage. These treatments allow many rough, red or brown spots to be eliminated resulting in medical and cosmetic benefit.
If you would like to repair sun damaged skin and treat actinic keratoses or are simply overdue for a skin exam, consider Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta. Dr. Brent Taylor is a fellowship-trained and boardcertified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon. Kathryn Filipek, PA-C has greater than 15 years of experience in dermatology and has expertise in medical dermatology, cosmetic injectable treatments, sclerotherapy, external laser treatments and more.
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may opt out of upon the completion of certain procedures?”
A floating homestead exemption generally increases its value to offset inflation. For example, if a home has a taxable value of $100,000 and that increases the following year to $110,000, the exemption floats to be worth $10,000. So, according to a webinar presentation from the Georgia Municipal Association and the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, the homeowner’s taxable value remains at $100,000.
But with HB 581, the taxable value, or the assessed value, could only increase by a rate of inflation set by the State Revenue Commissioner, which would likely be the consumer price index.
With the same example, if the assessed value is $100,000 and increases to $110,000 the following year, but inflation is 2% then the taxable value could only increase by 2%, up to $102,000. The exemption floats to be worth $8,000 of assessed value, so the homeowner would pay based on the $102,000.
“The main effect of the House Bill 581 exemption on your residential, homestead taxpayers is that the taxable value of their homes may only increase at the rate of inflation each year,” said Dante Handel, associate director of governmental affairs at Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG). “The intent is to protect those homeowners. It does slow the growth of the digest for your residential homestead properties.”
In this case, property assessments could not increase more than the inflation rate each year. The exemption would apply to cities, counties and school districts.
The bill allows cities, counties, and school districts to opt out of the floating homestead exemption. Each taxing entity will have until March 1 to file its exemption if the referendum passes, and the option expires after that.
Ryan Bowersox, assistant general counsel of the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA), said during the
webinar that if a city or county already has a floating exemption, such as Fulton County’s 3% floating homestead exemption, then homeowners would receive whichever is more beneficial if the local government does not opt out.
If a city, county, or school district offers a flat-rate homestead exemption, this floating exemption would be added on top of that. In Decatur, a homeowner would still receive the $40,000 general exemption and the floating homestead exemption.
The statewide cap would apply to all millage levies except those dedicated to bond payments, so it would apply to a special service district as well if a city or county did not opt out, Handel said.
Latisha Gray, director of communications for GMA, said that if the referendum is approved and a local government does not opt out, the floating homestead exemption would provide some predictability regarding property taxes.
“As a homeowner stays in their home, over time, they can come to expect consistent change/increase in their home’s taxable value,” Gray said. “This helps avoid the possibility of a rapid increase in a given year, which can possibly result in a greatly increased property tax bill compared to the previous year.”
If a city does not opt out, the exemption would augment the digest’s taxable value over time, artificially keeping home values lower for tax purposes.
“This exemption will impact cities differently depending on the mixture of their digest and the frequency of home sales,” Gray said. “If a city was required down the road to raise their millage rate to maintain the same level of revenue due to the exemption, the tax burden would shift more to the nonhomesteaded portion of the digest.”
The ACCG’s Handel also said that the tax burden wouldn’t go away, but it would be shifted to other property owners. Non-homestead properties, such as commercial, industrial, agricultural and multifamily residential, would continue to be assessed at their fair market value.
“Renters will not see the benefit of the homestead exemption as these are treated like commercial properties, but potentially they could see the benefit of the [new local option sales tax] if the millage rate is reduced and the savings are passed along from the property owner to the renter,” Bowersox added.
If a city, county, or school district were to opt out, homeowners would not receive the floating homestead exemption.
“While opting out is a one-time decision, nothing precludes the city from in the future receiving a similar homestead exemption in the traditional manner,” Gray said.
New local option sales tax
HB 581 also creates a local option sales tax, known as FLOST, that’s tied to the floating homestead exemption. All parts of the bill would go into effect only if the referendum is approved.
The FLOST would also be aimed at providing property tax relief. A city or county would be eligible only if they offer a floating exemption, whether it’s an existing exemption or the exemption in HB 581. But the county and all cities within that county that levy property taxes would have to have a floating exemption in place to be eligible for the sales tax.
For example, DeKalb County and all its 13 cities would have to have a floating homestead exemption in place to levy the new local option sales tax. Implementing the FLOST would then be a separate local referendum. The FLOST could be levied in 0.05% increments up to 1%.
Cities, like Atlanta, that have a municipal option sales tax would not be eligible to levy a FLOST. School districts are not eligible to participate in FLOST.
HB 581 includes some procedural property tax changes as well. For more information or to watch GMA and ACCG’s webinar visit https://www. accg.org/page.php?ID=2202.
Tax court ballot question
Another ballot question, Amendment 2, would create a tax court with statewide jurisdiction concurrent with superior courts. Currently, the tax tribunal is in the state’s executive branch, and this would establish a court in the Georgia judicial system, according to WABE.
“Georgia Referendum A” seeks to increase the property tax exemption for tangible personal property that’s worth $7,500 or less. The referendum would increase this to properties worth $20,000 or less, WABE reported.
Tangible personal property are things that are movable, like equipment, furniture and inventory, according to the Fulton County Board of Assessors.
DEAN HESSE/APPEN MEDIA
Attendees of the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber’s Oct. 15 Signature Luncheon listen to a presentation from Jerry Parrish, chief economist of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. The keynote speaker covered the overall health of the U.S. economy, the Federal Reserve’s recent rate cut and regional trends.
Growth:
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about 85 percent of economists were forecasting a recession,” he said. “All the probabilities said we would be in a recession by the middle of 2023 … that kept getting postponed.”
Parrish said the historically reliable indicator for a looming recession is an inverted yield curve, a condition in which interest rates on long-term bonds are lower than short-term bonds.
“That makes no sense … because if I’m going to loan you money, the longer the duration or period, the more risk you take,” he said. “Every time we’ve had a recession, we’ve had a yield curve inversion right before it.”
After the national economy avoided recession last year, Parrish said economists didn’t know what to think.
“We were all wrong and looked like idiots,” he said. “What happens is the yield curve should start low and go high … now the 10-year is higher than the 2-year [treasury yields].”
With the Federal Reserve announcing an interest-rate cut of 50 basis points Sept. 18, Parrish said he thinks the targeted “soft landing” is looking like more of a possibility.
The Fed is the central banking system in the United States. When Congress established it in 1913, the Fed was tasked with maximizing employment, stabilizing prices and moderating long-term interest rates.
A “soft landing” occurs when the Fed increases interest rates and manages to bring down inflation without causing unemployment to spike or national gross domestic product to drop.
Depending on an individual’s income level and wealth, economic headwinds appear different.
A normal yield curve is beneficial
to banks and commercial developers, but what about people outside of those industries?
The job market is doing well, and the Fed doesn’t need to cut rates quickly because it has improved the chances of a soft landing, Parrish said.
Parrish is concerned about a few things in the national economy, like consumer confidence at its lowest level in three years and $34.8 trillion in federal debt.
“Consumers have been through a couple years of inflation,” he said. “Everybody was running a little nervous there for a while, but what’s happening to consumer sentiment is a big deal.”
Confidence was high early in the COVID-19 pandemic before inflation hit consumers.
Even with interest rates coming down and inflation cooling off, most Americans are struggling to make ends meet, excluding most homeowners in North Fulton County.
Parrish cited a few statistics to back that up, like 18.1 percent of customers signing 84-month auto loans.
“There’s straining going on in the economy right now, we have to think about it,” he said. “Even the robots aren’t as busy as they used to be, so what does that tell you, probably things are slowing down.”
Parrish said he doesn’t want to alarm anyone because he thinks the state of Georgia is in a strong position.
“What’s literally happening is we basically have a bifurcated economy here, meaning split in two,” he said. “Take people below median income, they’ve spent all their stimulus money … inflation, food and rent have gone up substantially.”
Parrish said 50 percent of Americans believe the country is already in a recession.
“They’re struggling,” he said. “The last two and a half years, I’ve been forecasting that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates higher for longer.”
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determine what the city’s signs would say.
The ratio of “Cooper” to “Copper” on maps is about 5-to-1, he said.
“The maps that we’ve got go all the way back to about the 1840s, and its ‘Cooper,’” Farris said. “We resolved that issue, and that allowed this to go forward.”
Farris said he thinks the “Copper” name was a misnomer, but it took research to convince every member of the Historical Society.
The first two signs are at the Dinsmore Road bridge where the roadway crosses Chicken Creek next to the Milton City Park and Preserve.
Chicken Creek, which takes its name from a local tribe leader of the Cherokee Nation, begins in northeast Milton and zigzags across the city to Little River after crossing Birmingham Highway (Ga. 372) north of Providence Road.
Farris has collected details about the Chicken family, prominent in the local Cherokee tribe before the Trail of Tears and their expulsion from the Southeast.
The other two installations are near the Bethany Road bridge and the Cooper Sandy Greenspace, identifying part of the creek’s path from the Cambridge High School campus to just west of Mill Springs Academy.
Cooper Sandy Creek begins south of Providence Road just west of Alpharetta Highway (Ga. 9) and feeds into Little River behind the McConnellChadwick House off Arnold Mill Road (Ga. 140).
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for training and continued education.
Chairman Brian Dolan said the LESS Crime Act allows people outside of the city with a Milton connection to donate to the foundation and receive the tax credit.
“We’ve already received a very significant donation already,” Dolan said. “It gives us a great tailwind to know they’re more citizens out there who may donate once they’re informed.”
The First Responders Foundation is allowed to receive up to $3 million each year, which is the state’s cap on local organizations.
“I want to get the voice out there to let other foundations know that this exist,” Dolan said.
Georgia allows up to $75 million in annual donations across all foundations statewide.
Donations through the tax credit program will go toward Milton Police Department expenditures, including salary supplements, training and equipment. The foundation’s website allows one-time or recurring donations.
“It allows us to think more broadly about other things we can do to support our law enforcement officers, and just overall safety in general,” Dolan said. “Also, working in conjunction with the city as it related to certain demand or needs that may be happening.”
While the Milton First Responders Foundation supports firefighters and police officers, donations received through the tax credit program can only go
MILTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY/PROVIDED
James Neal Farris, member of the Milton Historical Society, holds up Cooper Sandy and Chicken Creek signage for future installation at 19 bridges that the waterways cross throughout the city.
“[The creeks] are generally about the same size and length overall, running east to west,” Farris said. “One of the motivating forces was connecting people with their natural environment … I think Chicken Creek will make an impression on people.”
The Georgia Department of Transportation put up a sign labeling Little River at the Arnold Mill Road (Ga. 140) bridge at the Fulton-Cherokee County line in 2018, which may have inspired the grassroots initiative.
Milton Environmental Program Manager Emily Groth, working under Public Works Director Sara Leaders, said the sign project helps foster a sense of place for community members.
toward the Milton Police Department.
Dolan said the foundation has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Milton’s first responders since 2015, and the rollout of the state tax credit program only encourages them more.
“A main responsibility at MFRF is, God forbid, an officer or firefighter is lost in the line of duty,” he said. “We’re there to support those families.”
Dolan reports that the foundations finances are in excellent standing, ensuring its prepared for the worst-case scenario.
According to the nonprofit, residents can still donate and receive the dollar-for-dollar tax credit before year-end once they apply and receive approval from the Georgia Department of Revenue.
Qualified tax credit limits of annual state income tax liability in 2024 are:
• $5,000 for a single individual or head of household
• $10,000 for a married couple filing jointly
• $10,000 for a limited liability company, a shareholder of an S corporation or partner in a partnership
• Up to 75 percent of a C corporation’s state income tax liability
If residents don’t receive state approval in 2024, there are opportunities for the tax credit next year.
Mayor Payton Jamison said the nonprofit plays a critical role supporting police officers and firefighters.
“Whenever there’s a need for Milton first responders, the Foundation always steps up to address it,” he said. “They’re able to do this thanks to the caring, hard-working volunteers involved in this organization as well as the appreciated generosity of citizens.”
Milton Police Chief Jason Griffin said the
“Awareness of our natural surroundings, including our waterways, helps to personalize our environmental impacts,” she said. “It also promotes our ongoing efforts to maintain stormwater and preserve the health of our lakes, ponds, rivers and streams.”
There are about 68 miles of waterways in Milton, according to the city’s GIS Department. Cooper Sandy and Chicken creeks feed into Little River, the city’s main tributary to the Etowah River, which runs from outside Dahlonega to the Coosa River in Rome.
Eventually, water from the Little River hits the Gulf of Mexico in Mobile Bay.
Groth, who credits Farris and the Milton Historical Society with bringing the initiative to city’s attention, said the Public Works team and city staff bought in, especially with the new signage sporting Milton’s new logo.
The City Council approved a revamped “branding toolkit” in March, creating a slightly altered logo with a bolder font and forward-facing horse.
Groth said she worked with the city’s on-call manufacturer to produce the signage, and then Tri Scapes contractors put them up.
The cost of each sign is $30, and the first phase of the project, totaling 16 signs, is just under $500.
“All things considered, it’s an affordable project that continues a great partnership with the Historical Society,” Groth said.
Like anything, the Milton Historical Society is wondering when the remaining signs will go up.
“My goal by the end of the year is to install 10-12 more signs, so 5-6 additional crossings,” Groth said. “We’re prioritizing more popular routes, which would include Freemanville, Hopewell and Hamby roads.”
department extends its heartfelt gratitude to the Milton First Responders Foundation for their steadfast support of officers.
“This remarkable organization, along with the dedicated citizens who contribute, makes a significant and positive impact on the MPD family,” he said. “We are deeply appreciative of the MFRF and the entire Milton community for their continued support.”
For more details about how to apply for the donation credit, visit miltonfirstresponders.org/ taxcredit.
To review state materials, visit dor.georgia.gov/ qualified-law-enforcement-donation-credit.
Appen Media Listening Tour gives public ear in newsroom
Press Club member drive ends Nov. 1
NORTH METRO
ATLANTA — This year, the Appen Media newsroom organized its firstever Listening Tour. You could say it was successful. Reporters sourced around a dozen stories that may have not been told otherwise, covering everything from new nonprofits to infrastructure and election issues.
The forum, taken to all seven of our coverage areas, provided the community a soundboard to field questions and air topics that deserved attention.
I spoke to many people, with differing backgrounds and interests. It led me to several more interviews, either in person or over the phone. More research. More finding out things I didn’t previously know, shared with readers.
I love my job because I do this all the time. I listen and respond, and sometimes that makes a real difference. That’s been the case countless times, and that cannot happen without the support of our Appen Press Club members.
The newsroom literally needs membership dues and donations to function, and hopefully, to grow.
The generosity funds our salaries, and everyone and their mother knows Metro Atlanta has an outrageous cost of living, which continues to increase.
It also funds our battle with the City of Sandy Springs over the disclosure of police incident reports, which we argue everyone has a right to have based on the Open Records Act. The lawsuit, still open, has sucked some $80,000 from the company.
Memberships also help fund regular open records request fees — we submit a lot of requests. They also fund super important events like the Listening Tour, and we hope to do another soon.
The Appen Press Club was launched to support the work of our newsroom, which is vital to a prosperous and informed community. An ever-evolving media landscape and the monopolistic practices of tech giants means the support we receive from our advertising partners may no longer be enough to sustain the quality reporting our north Atlanta community has come to expect from us.
Times are tough in the newspaper industry. Ink doesn’t grow on trees.
Because we serve tens of thousands of residents in north Metro Atlanta every single week, our goal has been 200 members by Nov. 1. Since September, when this campaign began, fewer than 20 new members have joined.
We have a circulation of 105,000 newspapers, all at no cost to the reader — why? Because we believe news should be free. The community should have the right to know what’s going on to make informed decisions.
We attend hours-long city council meetings, so you don’t have to, and we dig and dig and dig because some things won’t ever come to light unless we do.
We also believe everyone should be able to come by a news clipping of their kid, just recognized as an Eagle Scout, for free, or of a nonprofit that gives back to the community in a major way, or of a small business that somehow still makes it in this economy year after year.
While the newspaper is free, direct support is still necessary. Please consider joining today at www. appenmedia.com/join to keep your local news source around.
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Questions for Americans: Has everyone been fed?
Why is it that disasters so often seem to bring out the best in us while politics seems to bring out the worst?
Why is that? If you think about it, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Usually, disasters are events that are beyond our control; they just happen, and random people get hurt — wrong place, wrong time. The recent hurricanes are sad examples. In response to most disasters, neighbors, strangers and many in the general public turn out to feed, house, fund, support and comfort the victims of the disaster, most of the time without attention or consideration of nationality,
race, color, creed or political orientation of the victims.
And, they don’t ask the victims how they vote.
Conversely, our behavior — our attitude — toward our neighbors, strangers and the public in general when politics is involved is often the polar opposite. It sparks intentional acts and rhetoric that, while it could be positive, sincere, productive and civil, instead, is all too often negative, dark, insincere, not true, sometimes violent and frequently laden with hate-filled ideas.
That just seems crazy. Same people. What changes? Why?
We gathered food, clothing, toiletries, canned goods, etc., at our Alpharetta Presbyterian Church last week, as did so many other faith-based and civic organizations. We sent ours to Black
Mountain Presbyterian Church, a sister church in western North Carolina.
Black Mountain Presbyterian apparently ended up being a local hub for hurricane relief. Ollie Wagner, our minister, told us a few days ago that the quantity of relief shipments that had arrived at the church had completely overwhelmed every facility available and that— at least for a brief time — they asked that the shipments be paused to give them time to catch up on disbursements.
Meanwhile, we hear reports of FEMA being threatened (one person has been arrested) because politicians have turned FEMA’s relief efforts into a political football. Why? No one wants or needs this kind of divisive chaos. We are so much better than that. And we deserve so much better than that.
We are good. Our country is — still — a beacon of hope for most of the free
world. When the chips are down and failure is not an option, we step up. We find, make, manufacture, invent and solve. We find a way. And we take care of each other.
Our “better angels” are still there, inside our hearts, all of our hearts. They have not flown away.
Abraham Lincoln spoke to us today, in his first inaugural address on March 4, 1861:
“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."
Sometimes it can be good to keep an eye on the clock
So it’s about 9 a.m., and I’m up at Unicoi State Park getting ready to hike from the park to Helen. I’ll be walking the Unicoi-to-Helen trail, a trail I’ve hiked many times before.
I don’t know why I chose it again on this particular day, but I did – maybe because there’s that certain pre-fall whisper of “cool” in the air. After the scorching days of summer, that’s about all it takes.
My plan is to hike all the way to town, get a little snack or something there, and then hike back to the park. Round trip, it will be about six miles. I can do it!
Parts of the trail can be challenging, largely due to ascents and descents. For that reason, many hikers here don’t go quite as fast as they’re used to. But I’ve allowed plenty of time. Even if I spend an hour or two in town, I’ll still get back to the car before the shadows start getting long. In fact, I’ll be back in plenty of time to take her to dinner.
Yes, it’s nice to have the clock on your side. She reminds me of that sometimes. And she’s right, I tell myself, though it’s hard for us free-spirit, forget-the-clock outdoor types to admit it. Sometimes it’s a good thing to mind that clock and get out the door on time.
I choose to start at the graveled day use parking area not far from Unicoi Lodge, making my way toward Smith Creek. I walk down the grassy slope, traversing the
big field before crossing the creek on a little footbridge and then turning left. I’m on my way to Helen.
At first, my hike is solitary. I like that sometimes. Hiking by yourself, you fall into a cadence. Your paces set the tempo, your stride defines the rhythm, and as your mind settles in the distance just seems to melt away.
And that’s how it goes for the first mile or so. My hiking stick, the one my friend Wayne gave me years ago, swings back and forth, back and forth, as my step count rises. I slip into that hiker’s trance you hear about sometimes. It’s soothing. It’s good for the soul.
I push the pace a little. The trails slip by faster.
But all at once, as if I’m standing still, I am passed by a red and yellow blur.
“Mikey!” calls a voice from somewhere behind me. “Wait up!”
The sound jars me back to reality, and as the blur fades into the near distance I see that it’s not a blur at all but instead a young lad of about seven or eight. Wow. I’d thought I was walking fast. But, by golly, that kid is making some seriously good time.
“Wait up, Mikey! Wait up!” the voice shouts again, this time a little more definite.
Ahead of me, Mikey slows and then stops. I stop too. Turning to look back and see from whence came the call, I spy three figures headed my way. One, I decide, must be the mom. Another is a girl of about 12 or 13. The third is presumably dad. All look happy. All are clearly having a good time. And all are wearing some
serious hiking boots.
They catch up to me in less than 20 seconds.
“Morning!” I say, adding the nearuniversal greeting of one hiker to another: “It’s a fine day for a walk!”
“It is indeed!” says the mom.
“Y’all going all the way to Helen?”
“Probably,” the dad says. “But either way, it’s just good day to hike!”
That it is.
The dad continues, “I used to hike like this with my own dad. We’d go out and just walk. It didn’t really matter if we actually went anywhere. It was just the getting out that I remember.”
“It’s way better than just doing this,” adds the girl, working her fingers like she’s punching buttons on an invisible cellphone. “It’s healthier too!”
I ask how often they get out like this, hiking together and all.
“We’ve been hiking since Emma was about a year old,” the mom adds. “Now we try to get out at least once a week.”
She continues, “You know, it’s a shame. Most of their friends have never hiked at all. But these two, well, they’ve been doing it a while now. We want them to love it as much as we do.”
I’m betting that they will, and I say so.
“That’s the plan,” says the dad, and the mom adds, “It really is good to get ‘em outside.”
We chat for a minute more, but I can see that Mikey is chomping at the bit. Given the opportunity, I’ll bet he’d hike all the way to Macon.
They continue on down the trail, around a bend and out of sight, Helen-
bound. I wait a moment so as not to crowd them. Then I resume hiking too. After a while, the trail leaves the woods and goes on and off pavement for the last short downhill run down to Main Street and Helen proper.
I have all the time in the world, so I make my way downtown and stop at my favorite fudge shop for a little box of chocolate heaven. I stow it in my daypack. Then I just wander, walking and watching people. I stroll through town to the bridge over the Chattahoochee, pausing to watch some kids drift by below me, carried by vivid green inner tubes. Aren’t they cold? Nah, I guess not, I tell myself. They’re tough. They’re kids. They’re young. After watching the river for a while, I turn round and make my way back through town. Backtracking now, I come at last to the point where the trail once more takes to the woods.
Stepping off the asphalt feels good. It’s nice to feel honest, unadorned earth underfoot once again.
As I do, I hear a voice behind me –“Mikey! Wait up!” And then here he comes, passing me in another red and yellow blur. I stop then and rummage in the daypack and dig out a piece of fudge. As I savor it, the rest of Mikey’s crew passes me too.
Sure, the fudge is mostly sugar. But it’s tasty sugar, and I’ll work it off. Besides, I need the energy for the hike back – especially if I am to have a prayer of a chance of keeping up with Mikey. He’s already out of sight, moving fast, heading on down the trail.
RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com
STEVE HUDSON Columnist GET OUTSIDE, GEORGIA!
OPINION
Growing herbs can be a year-round activity
Growing herbs can be a year-round affair in the South, not just in the spring and summer!
Many herbs can tolerate the South’s mild winters outside. Some of the hardy herbs which grow in the cool fall weather are cilantro, parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage, and even some mint can stand up to cold weather.
When beginning to grow herbs, I usually recommend starting out with a few simple ones. Herbs are some of the easiest plants to grow because they can tolerate a wide variety of soil conditions and have few insect and disease problems. Historically, herbs have been used for seasoning and medicine and to provide pleasant fragrances.
Herbs prefer a well-drained soil with a pH between 6 to 7.5. Try to incorporate 2-3” of compost or manure to a depth of 8-12”. A soil test will determine what other nutrients need to be added to the soil. Cool season herbs need 6-8 hours of sun daily. Be sure to add 1-2” of mulch to prevent weeds and maintain proper soil moisture.
Chives, lavender, parsley, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme are best planted in the fall, while basil and tarragon are tender summer annuals and need to be brought inside before the first frost. Rosemary, oregano and sage are hardy evergreens and can thrive all year long. Once winter sets in fully, chives will go dormant, and oregano and thyme may lose some leaves due to frost, but they will continue to grow new leaves you can harvest.
Herbs can be grown in raised beds, alongside your vegetables or mixed in your ornamental flower beds to accent cool weather blooms. Be sure and add a layer of pine straw to protect them in the landscape in the cooler seasons. They are also easily grown in containers inside or outside since herbs generally have shallow root systems. They can be grown together or individually (except mint which needs its own pot). In case of a freeze, you should water outdoor herbs well and use frost cloth for overnight protection. Let’s look at a few cool season herbs more closely.
• Cilantro has a short life cycle and bolts (develops seeds) quickly in hot weather. That means you need to pinch back young plants an inch or so to encourage fuller, bushier plants. Snip off the top part of the main stems as soon as it appears to be developing flower buds or
seed pods.
• Parsley grows well in sun or part shade with at least 6 hours of sun daily. There are two basic kinds, curled and flat leaved. Parsley requires consistent moisture for continuous growth.
• Rosemary is an evergreen perennial. It is quite easy to grow because it is drought tolerant and requires very little maintenance. It can grow up to 4’ tall and wide, so give it lots of space. After the plant flowers, trim and prune regularly so it doesn’t become too lanky.
• Sage is also a perennial herb. At a young age it needs consistent moisture until it starts to grow quickly. You don’t want to harvest too much during the first year so the plant will continue to grow.
• Thyme is a beautiful creeping ground
cover. All thyme is fragrant, and there are several varieties to choose from. Water normally, and prune the plant back in the spring and summer to contain its growth.
There are many uses for herbs including hardy and cool weather herbs. More than 70 different herbs have been identified according to their cooking, aromatic, ornamental or medicinal uses. An herb is defined as any plant that produces seeds but does not form a wood stem or any part of a plant that can be used for medicinal, cooking or spiritual purposes. Many herbs fall in more than one category.
During the holidays, fresh herbs can enhance the flavor in your Christmas
About the author
This week's "Garden Buzz" features Sandy Springs resident Robin Pollack, an accomplished artist and Master Gardener. Active in the Atlanta art community since 1970, Robin has taught for over 30 years at Chastain Arts Center and has been a Master Gardener since 2005. As a member of North Fulton Master Gardeners, she has taught vegetable gardening at Farm Chastain and her own garden. Her garden, influenced by her artistic eye, has been featured on tours including Atlanta Botanical Garden and Georgia Perennial Plant Association.
or Thanksgiving meal. Plant rosemary, thyme, oregano, chives and winter savory for your turkey or stuffing. You can garnish the display with fresh sprigs of herbs.
Those same savory herbs from your meal can add homemade flavor to your soups and stews. Add parsley and thyme, high in vitamin A and C, to chicken broth to fight off colds and boost your immune system.
Have fun creating holiday drinks with fresh herbs! Add mint to hot cocoa, add rosemary to your apple cider, add lavender to your tea and make a tonic with thyme and sage for winter colds.
To harvest your herbs, it is best to collect them early in the morning after any moisture has dried. You can dry herbs by tying bundles of stems together and hanging them in a warm dry area. They can also be preserved by freezing dried leaves or placing them in an ice tray with water. Frozen herbs will last 3-6 months before losing their freshness.
Herb gardens were once an important part of the American home and have recently regained popularity with people enjoying the fresh herbs in cooking or just for their fresh look or scent. Growing your own herbs is one of the most rewarding things to grow in the garden. They taste better and save you money.
Happy gardening!
North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose purpose is to educate its members and the public in the areas of horticulture and ecology in order to promote and foster community enrichment. Master Gardener Volunteers are trained and certified by The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Learn more at nfmg.net. Previous Garden Buzz columns are featured at: https://appenmedia.com/opinion/columists/garden buzz/.
ROBIN POLLACK/PROVIDED Herbs from Robin’s garden.
ROBIN POLLACK Guest Columnist
OPINION
Pastoral view and blurred history of Happy Hollow home
There is an older home at 5326 Happy Hollow Road, on the left as you travel north toward Dunwoody Club Drive. It has always caught my eye because it is a lovely home with a well in the front yard. Another unique feature of the property is the Eastern red cedar tree near the well that amazingly survived the 1998 tornado.
Owner Kristen O’Brien and I have researched and asked a few people who have lived in the area a long time what they know about the home. O’Brien has lived there 22 years.
There are features in the home that indicate it is older than the 1955 date on DeKalb County property records. The home may have been built much earlier, but the property was recorded when renovations and additions were done in 1955.
Water was just arriving in areas outside of Atlanta that were considered rural in the 1950s, so having a well was not unusual. That included north DeKalb and north Fulton County. Water came to Sandy Springs around 1950.
Kristen O’Brien first moved to Dunwoody in 1978 and lived in Dunwoody Club Forest, then moved to Spalding Lakes. She recalls taking piano lessons from one of two women who lived in the Happy Hollow home in 1984.
According to local real estate agent Tom Florence, the home was purchased by Charles Dickerson in 1970, Peggy and Gene Kelly in 1986 and Kristen O’Brien in 2002. The O’Briens had their eye on the home in 1990s and were happy to purchase it in 2002.
The Happy Hollow home is close to the historic Cassidy Lamb House on West Fontainebleau Court, but I have found no direct connection between the homes. The Happy Hollow name may have begun with the Cassidy family or with a later owner. A 1945 map shows the name Happy Hollow.
In 1995, Jim Perkins wrote about Happy Hollow Road and James Robbs, who took care of the pool when the Cassidy Lamb House was owned by Atlanta banker Baxter Maddox. The pool was built into a nearby creek, common for summer houses at the time. Robbs is remembered by the Cassidy family as a tenant farmer who grew corn and cotton on the land while also looking after the summer home.
Not long after Kristen and her daughter Kyla moved into the home, James Robbs brought by a copy of the
5326 Happy Hollow Road likely dates further in history than property records indicate.
BRIAN WHITCOMB/PROVIDED
This view of 5326 Happy Hollow Road includes the well, the Eastern red cedar tree and the home behind the tree.
1995 Dunwoody Crier with Perkins’ article. He wrote a note on it saying, “I thought you folks might like to have this.”
This story is like a puzzle that is missing pieces. Perhaps James Robbs knew the connection between the Cassidy Lamb House and 5326 Happy Hollow, if there was one. If you have additional history or memories of this Happy Hollow home, please write to me at pasttensega@ gmail.com.
Thank you to Hannah Wildner for sharing her photos of the Eastern red cedar tree and connecting me with Kristen O’Brien.
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.
BRIAN WHITCOMB/PROVIDED
HANNAH WILDNER/PROVIDED
This view of the Eastern red cedar that survived the 1998 tornado was photographed as the sun rose.
VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist
OPINION
‘Can You Feel It?’ The market’s shifting
This week’s “pop” hit is the March 1980 hit “Can You Feel It” by The Jackson 5. The song talks about feeling the change, and other than the weather changing, we are beginning to feel the change in the real estate market going from the 3+ year “sellers” market to a “buyers” market.
Sales in Metro Atlanta are currently down 6.2% as compared to last year, and housing prices are no longer rising at a double-digit pace as they have for the past several years. Housing prices are only up 2.5% on a year over year basis through September and may even finish “flat” by the end of the year. Average time on the market has gone from just a couple of weeks to 45-60 days, and we are seeing more and more sellers now contributing to closing cost which was pretty much only done by builders on new construction up until now.
The fact that we are now seeing sellers begin to pay toward closing cost, prices remaining steady to possibly falling, and rates getting below 7% again and possibly moving closer to 6%, means we have the signs of the market turning into a buyers’ market once again.
One of the biggest barriers for potential buyers (especially first-time buyers) over the past several years really has not been being able to qualify from an income and or credit perspective, despite the higher rates, but cash to close. Since sellers did not have to help in this area until recently, the first timers were basically shut out of the home buying process due to downpayment plus closing cost requirements, which in many cases was
in excess of 7% of the purchase price.
The “first time” homebuyers are the catalyst to a healthy housing market as they, for the most part, purchase the lower priced homes enabling the seller to “move up” to their next home, and hence the process begins, which translates into a healthy housing market.
It would be great if FNMA, FHLMC and HUD would simply take down payment requirements to no money down for first-time homebuyers, but that would make way too much sense and would cost the taxpayers nothing as opposed to “grants” or other assistance programs that not everyone qualifies for… even being a first-time homebuyer…but I digress.
The fact that sellers are now beginning to pay sometimes 2% to 3% of the purchase price toward closing cost could save a buyer possibly $10,000 to $15,000 on a home valued in the $500,000 range. That is real money and certainly an incentive for potential home buyers in the coming months. I am not only seeing this change in the first-time homebuyer market, but I am also seeing it in the higher price ranges as well.
You may really be feeling the weather begin to change, but you may also be feeling a real change in the housing market...stable to possibly declining sales prices, possible reduced cash to close at closing and possibly lower rates equals a much better housing market.
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.
DEATH NOTICES
Winnie Ann Bolton, 86, of Alpharetta, passed away on October 5, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
John Edward Breyer, 89, of Alpharetta, passed away on October 6, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
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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Susan Ernst, 81, of Alpharetta, passed away on October 7, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Jean Scogin, 64, of Roswell, passed away on October 9, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Rachel Siders, 86, of Roswell, passed away on October 9, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Vera Quaranta, 90, of Roswell, passed away on October 11, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
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