Sandy Springs restricts forms of speech
By HAYDEN SUMLIN | hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Sandy Springs City Council voted to approve three First Amendment-related ordinances April 1 restricting ways residents and visitors can interact.
The city ordinances took effect after each was approved at the meeting.
It is now a misdemeanor to solicit at residences between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. It is also a crime to block the entrance to a property or to remain within 8 feet of someone who objects.
During discussion between city officials, proponents of the ordinances referenced “time, place and manner” restrictions on speech. While the First Amendment protects freedom of speech, governments can impose reasonable “time, place and manner” restrictions that are content-neutral.
The ordinances were sparked, in part, by incidents over the past few years in which antisemitic flyers were distributed onto residential driveways under the cover of night.
In advance of the meeting, the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia wrote a letter to the Sandy Springs City Council urging officials to vote against the ordinances.
“We share your dismay at the distribution of antisemitic propaganda across the City of Sandy Springs and Metro Atlanta more broadly,” the letter says. “We write to express our deep concerns that, despite their good intentions, the Ordinances would violate speakers’ right to free speech.”
The ACLU’s letter references three U.S. Supreme Court cases, including Hill v. Colorado (2000), McCullen v. Coakley (2014) and Snyder v. Phelps (2011), to argue that the city’s buffer zone ordinance’s expansive prohibitions burden speech more than is necessary to quell antisemitism.
Members of the Sandy Springs City Council debate time limits on public comment during public hearings on three First Amendment-related ordinances April 1. The City Council voted to approve all three, banning overnight door-to-door canvassing, prohibiting the blockage of public/private access and requiring consent to engage with others.
RACHEL PROVOW
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
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DEA reports 53-pound fentanyl seizure in Sandy Springs
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — A joint operation between local and federal law enforcement netted the largest fentanyl bust in state history March 21 at an affluent apartment community in Sandy Springs.
The bust netted around 240,000 – or 53 pounds – of fentanyl pills, 11 pounds of powdered fentanyl, more than 2 pounds of cocaine, 1 pound of methamphetamine and two firearms, according to the agencies’ social media post.
Because 1 gram of fentanyl can kill up to 500 people, the seized narcotics had the potential to kill up to 14.5 million people. Fentanyl is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance due to its limited medical use and high potential for abuse.
Jae W. Chung, acting special agent in charge of the Atlanta DEA Division, told Appen Media that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia has opened a federal case.
According to the agency, the arrestee is a 39-year-old Alpharetta man.
“They’re in the process of what we call ‘adopting the case’ from our local partners,” he said. “There was just one [suspect] at the time of the arrest; there could be other arrests to follow, it just depends on where our investigation leads us.”
Chung said the Sandy Springs Police Department received information about potential drug trafficking activity near the apartment complex before the March 21 operation.
“We have investigators assigned to the DEA from a number of our state and local law enforcement partners, and they become what’s called ‘task force officers,’” he said. “We work collaboratively with them … it’s basically just like a special agent with the DEA.”
The duties of a special agent include gathering and processing evidence, helping prosecute major violators of U.S. drug laws, partnering with other agencies to target violent offenders, arresting subjects and seizing assets connected to drug trafficking.
“[The Sandy Springs Police Department] asked us to assist with that investigation, which we did,” Chung said. “It’s a two-way street, and it happens quite often.”
He said it ultimately led to two search warrants, one for the suspect’s residence and one for his vehicle, which is where he said most of the drugs were found.
“All the fentanyl was found in the trunk of the vehicle,” Chueng said. “The two weapons, I believe, were found inside the house with some other small amounts of drugs.”
Local law enforcements across the United States have task force officers assigned to the DEA, and the federal agency has personnel dedicated to local agencies,
DEA ATLANTA DIVISION/PROVIDED
A censored bag of narcotics tests positive for fentanyl after a March 21 seizure by the Sandy Springs Police Department and Drug Enforcement Agency’s Atlanta Division. Acting Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung said it’s the largest fentanyl seizure in state history.
which is the two-way street that Chung references. He said the DEA has been working with local partners in a similar manner since its inception in 1973.
“We leverage our relationships,” Chung said. “Collaboration with state and local partners is paramount to our mission and to build those relationships so that when things like this happen, they can call us and we become a force multiplier, or vice versa.”
The operation set a record for the largest fentanyl bust in state history.
“In a single-seizure event, it’s the largest that we’ve had here in Metro Atlanta when it comes to pills [53 pounds],” Chung said. “Unfortunately, we’ve had larger seizures of fentanyl powder.”
Neither Sandy Springs nor the DEA would disclose where in the city the operation took place. However, Appen Media obtained a SSPD case number associated with the bust. The department’s online dashboard returns two drug-related items with that file number that list the address of an apartment building on Aria Boulevard.
To view the agencies’ post and comments from the public, visit www.instagram.com/p/DHo7MF-vs_5/?hl=en.
City Councilman Andy Bauman mentioned the bust during the public hearings and eventual passage of three First Amendment-related ordinances governing expression at the April 1 meeting.
“The city of Sandy Springs needs to focus on the public safety of the citizens of Sandy Springs and find out why the
largest drug bust in the state occurred on our watch,” Bauman said. “We also had a single-family home in my neighborhood busted a year ago with a large stash of weapons and drugs … I just hope we keep out eye on the ball.”
Because of the magnitude of the seized fentanyl, Chung said the suspect is not working by themselves and is likely supplied by the Sinaloa Cartel, Jalisco New Generation or Nuevo La Familia Cartel.
“They are the ones that can provide this type of weight to the local organizations,” he said.
Around two milligrams of fentanyl, just a few grains that can sit at the tip of a pencil, is considered a lethal dose.
“It is very lethal; drug poisoning is killing more Americans than gun violence and automobile crashes, between the ages of 18 and 45,” Chung said. “You just don’t know what you’re getting, and that’s the problem.”
Chung said fentanyl pills are often disguised as other narcotics like oxycodone, which is the case during recent seizure.
“You name it, we’ve seen it,” Chung said, referencing fentanyl found in nearly all street drugs. “In 2024, out of 10 pills we see that’s been tested by the DEA lab, five have tested positive for a lethal dose.”
The good news is that ratio is down from seven out of 10 in 2023 and so are overdose deaths, Chung said.
“If we lose one life to drug poisoning, it’s bad,” he said. “I think every effort helps, it’s all hands on deck.”
Vote:
Continued from Page 1
First Amendment implications
While no one from the public spoke in support of the new laws, a couple of residents voiced concerns against them, citing their effect on the exercise of First Amendment rights.
Sandy Springs resident Mike Petchenik, CEO of a media consulting company and former WSB-TV reporter, spoke against the first ordinance banning overnight door-to-door solicitation and canvassing between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.
“Back in 2023, a neo-Nazi group littered my neighborhood’s lawns, including my own, with hate-filled leaflets seeking to sow fear in the Jewish community, of which I am a part,” he said. “As a proponent of free speech, I urge you to proceed with caution and not throw the baby out with the bath water.”
Petchenik emphasized that hate has no place in the community and asked elected officials to make an exception for free deliveries of the Sandy Springs Crier newspaper to residences.
City Attorney Dan Lee said the ordinance would limit solicitations and the delivery of “uncontracted for literature,” including the Crier.
“We believe that it meets the freedom of the press/freedom of speech issues that have been discussed,” Lee said.
Lee told council members that it is already a crime to drop off something or enter onto the property if there is a visible sign barring solicitation and canvassing at the entrance of the home or neighborhood.
City Councilwoman Melody Kelley then asked why the new ordinance was necessary.
“To bring clarity and make it well known that it is contrary to the laws of Sandy Springs,” Lee answered.
The ordinance passed 5-1, with Councilwoman Jody Reichel dissenting.
“I have some concerns about this ordinance, that it violates First Amendment protections,” Reichel said. “I don’t want to get into another lawsuit.”
Reichel also asked Lee what would happen if a newspaper was delivered at 6:50 a.m., during the restricted time window.
“The police will come and handle whatever needs to be handled just like every other ordinance,” Lee said.
Elected officials approved the second ordinance unanimously 6-0 following a short discussion. It prohibits individuals from blocking the entrance to private and public property. City officials, including Lee, Paul and Police Chief Kenneth DeSimone, said the Police Department has experienced the problem at hospitals and consulates.
City Councilman Andy Bauman
voted in favor of the second ordinance, he said, because of assurances that it’s constitutional and in the state law.
“I think we can all be really candid about what’s going on here; we’re sending a message, it’s prophylactic,” Bauman said. “Let’s keep our eye on the ball, we’ve got bigger fish to fry in Sandy Springs.”
Protest discussion draws pushback
The third ordinance establishes an 8-foot buffer between an individual who is “passing a leaflet or handbill to, displaying a sign to or engaging in oral protest, education, counseling or harassment with such other person.”
Under the new law, people must obtain consent from others before engaging with them. If they object, and you encroach within 8 feet from them, you face a disorderly conduct charge.
The restriction is not limited to specific areas and applies across the city.
Police Chief DeSimone said the personal encroachment ordinance would assist public safety in Sandy Springs. He cited a case recently where two individuals silently walked across the City Green during the Oct. 10, 2023 “Stand in Solidarity with Israel” vigil wearing “Arab headdresses with two Palestinian flags that walked into the crowd.”
“My guys had to grab them pretty quick and get them out of there; this ordinance will help us do that because they walked through there for only one reason, to intimidate,” DeSimone said.
Councilwoman Reichel asked DeSimone if that meant his department, “would arrest someone just for walking through a group of people?”
“Yes,” the police chief answered. “If they were walking with a Nazi flag, under this ordinance we would arrest them. Palestinian flag, we would arrest them. Because they are doing it for only one reason and that is to intimidate the Jewish community.”
Councilwomen Reichel and Kelley pushed back on his comments (from 1:27:25-1:33:25) about the ordinance and Palestinian people. To view the clip or the whole meeting, visit appenmedia. com or the city’s YouTube page..
At one point DeSimone asked Reichel, who is Jewish, if she would consider it harassment for someone to walk by her with a Palestinian flag at a pro-Jewish event.
“I don’t think that would be harassing me. I mean, if they came up to me and started getting in my face or started pushing me, or started to physically touch me, that is harassing, yes,” she said. “But I do believe in the First Amendment and I believe in freedom of speech.”
HOW THEY VOTED
Ordinance 2
Ordinance 3
Letter from American Civil Liberties Union to City Council
Dear Sandy Springs City Councilmembers,
The ACLU of Georgia writes to you in response to the proposed Buffer Zone and Overnight Solicitation and Canvassing Ordinances (“the Ordinances”) that were discussed during the January 7, 2025 and March 18, 2025 Sandy Springs City Council’s (“the Council”) work sessions. The Buffer Zone Ordinance was then amended on March 31, 2025. We share your dismay at the distribution of antisemitic propaganda across the City of Sandy Springs and Metro Atlanta more broadly. We write to express our deep concerns that, despite their good intentions, the Ordinances would violate speakers’ right to free speech.
The First Amendment is a cornerstone of our nation’s laws and thus has robust protections. The right to free speech “includes the right to attempt to persuade others to change their views[.]” Hill v. Colorado , 530 U.S. 703, 716 (2000). Of particular relevance here, the United States Supreme Court has determined that “handing out leaflets in the advocacy of a politically controversial viewpoint is the essence of First Amendment expression; no form of speech is entitled to greater constitutional protection.” McCullen v. Coakley , 573 U.S. 464, 488-89 (2014) (internal citations omitted). Even speech we vehemently disagree with nevertheless is protected by the guarantees of the United States and Georgia Constitutions. See, e.g., Snyder v. Phelps , 562 U.S. 443, 461 (2011) (“As a Nation we have chosen…to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate.”); Freeman v. State , 302 Ga. 181, 184 (2017) (“[I]f there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the Government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable.”).
In accordance with these principles, the government may only regulate speech when imposing time, place, or manner restrictions that 1) apply to all messages, irrespective of the particular content; 2) “are narrowly tailored to serve a significant governmental interest,” and 3) “leave open ample alternative channels for communication of the information.” McCullen , 573 U.S. at 477; see also Hirsh v. City of Atlanta , 261 Ga. 22 (1991). To be narrowly tailored, the regulation “must not burden substantially more speech than is necessary to further the government’s legitimate interests.” McCullen , 573 U.S. at 486 (internal citations omitted). The Buffer Zone Ordinance’s expansive prohibitions fail to meet that test.
The government’s legitimate interest in preventing antisemitism and other forms of discrimination and protecting the public’s peace and safety may
tion.” Hill , 530 U.S. at 780 (2000); see also McCullen, 573 U.S. at 488-89. Preventing “the ability to interact in person, however momentarily…strips petitioners of using speech in the time, place, and manner most vital to the protected expression.” Hill, 530 U.S. at 780. Because they are not narrowly tailored and foreclose adequate alternative communication channels, the Buffer Zone Ordinance’s prohibitions are not a valid exercise of time, place, and manner restrictions and therefore violate free speech rights.
ACLU OF GEORGIA
support certain restrictions, but the Buffer Zone Ordinance’s broad prohibitions on passing leaflets, displaying signs, or engaging in protest “burden substantially more speech” than is necessary to further that interest. Government infringement upon the free flow of information in public forums is deemed legitimate only in limited contexts, like when a passerby has a competing privacy interest at stake, such as when accessing healthcare, Hill , 530 U.S. 703 (2000), or attending a funeral, PhelpsRoper v. Strickland , 539 F.3d 356 (6th Cir. 2008).
See also Phelps-Roper v. City of Manchester, Mo. , 697 F.3d 678 (8th Cir. 2012). The Buffer Zone Ordinance, on the other hand, applies to seemingly any and all exercises of the constitutionally protected right to engage in direct, face-to-face communication, and applies to all locations across the City. The Buffer Zone Ordinance burdens substantially more speech than necessary to achieve the City’s interests and it cannot pass constitutional muster. See McCullen , 573 U.S. at 486.
The Buffer Zone Ordinance’s broad restrictions on speech also fail to leave open ample alternative communication channels. In a situation where a speaker wants to reach the general public, the Buffer Zone Ordinance actively forecloses almost every kind of speech that would be available to such a speaker. Courts have routinely held that face–to–face communication can be the most effective form of protected speech, noting that “[d]oor-to-door distributions or mass mailing or telephone campaigns are not effective alternative avenues of communica -
The Overnight Canvassing and Solicitation Ordinance suffers from some of the same constitutional deficiencies. As described above, time, place, or manner restrictions on speech must be content-neutral, narrowly tailored, and leave open ample alternative methods of communications. Hour restrictions on canvassing and solicitation must meet that test, and courts have found restrictions in other locales to be unconstitutional. See, e.g., Ohio Citizen Action v. City of Englewood, 671 F.3d 564 (6th Cir. 2012); Watseka v. Illinois Public Action Council , 796 F.2d. 1547 (7th Cir. 1986), aff’d. 479 U.S. 1048 (1987); New Jersey Citizen Action v. Edison Township , 797 F.2d 1250 (3d Cir. 1986). Additionally, the Overnight Canvassing and Solicitation Ordinance seemingly extends to newspaper distribution. The ability to gather and disseminate information is a core principle of speech and press freedoms under the United States and Georgia Constitutions. See Curtis Pub. Co. v. Butts , 388 U.S. 130 (1967); Statesboro Pub. Co., Inc. v. City of Sylvania , 271 Ga. 92 (1999). The Overnight Solicitation and Canvassing Ordinance threatens the speech and press rights of news organizations in Sandy Springs by prohibiting the nighttime distribution of news materials and is not adequately narrowly tailored to achieve the City’s stated interests.
Freedom of speech is one of the most critical freedoms found in this state and nation. The Ordinances, while having noble intentions, would violate speakers’ rights as guaranteed by both the United States and Georgia Constitutions. For these reasons, the ACLU of Georgia urges the Council not to adopt the Ordinances.
Sincerely,
Cory Isaacson
Legal Director ACLU of Georgia
Nneka Ewulonu
Staff Attorney ACLU of Georgia
Christopher Bruce
Policy and Advocacy Director ACLU of Georgia
April 1, 2025
Sandy Springs City Council 1 Galambos Way
Sandy Springs, Georgia 30328
North Springs teacher elected to work-based education office
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — North Springs High School Work-Based Leaning Director Brian Patterson has been elected co-chair for the Northwest Region of the statewide program.
Patterson brings nearly a decade of experience in work-based learning programs and a 20-year tenure at North Springs High School. The high school is being rebuilt as students continue on-campus classes off Roswell Road (Ga. 9) between Dalrymple and Trowbridge roads in Sandy Springs.
Work-based learning programs, apprenticeships or on-the-job training at Fulton County Schools provides students in grades 11 or 12 opportunities to receive credit while working in an environment related to their career pathway with coordinators ensuring that placements and experiences are valuable and meaningful.
Patterson is the first representative from Fulton County Schools to serve in the leadership role. A North Springs spokesperson said the recognition is a testament to his dedication and impact on work-based learning initiates.
As co-chair, Patterson will guide and support work-based learning coordinators across 25 counties, as well as organize regional meetings, industry tours and professional development opportunities, a school press release says.
Several high schools throughout Fulton County have work-based
learning coordinators, including Riverwood International Charter in southern Sandy Springs and several others throughout North Fulton.
In his 10 years, Patterson has partnered with more than 50 businesses, earning him accolades like the 2019 “Top Gun of Top Gun” for WBL coordinators, Pathway Lead for the North Fulton region and numerous community recognitions for his leadership. He has a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Mercer University.
Under Patterson’s leadership, enrollment in North Springs work-based learning programs became the largest in the county, growing from 18 to 100 students annually.
“I believe a good person can do anything, but a good organization can do everything,” Patterson said. “My goal is to create a toolkit of best practices that will make all of the WBL programs in NW Georgia collectively stronger.”
North Springs High School Principal Scott Hanson said Patterson’s transformation of the work-based learning program means students are acquiring real-world experiences.
“His dedication to building strong industry partnerships expanded our program and empowers our students with the skills and connections they need to succeed beyond high school,” Hanson said. “We are excited to see him bring this same passion and innovation to the NW Region.”
— Hayden Sumlin
Learning Coordina-
chats with the media about a partnership with Associated Credit Union Dec. 16, 2024. In March, Patterson began his role as co-chair of the state’s Northwest Region WorkBased Learning Program.
Early education program to host Día del Niño gala
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Los Niños Primero will host their fifth annual Día del Niño celebration on April 26 from noon to 4 p.m. at Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church.
The event celebrates the dedication to cherish and uplift Latino children and families in the community. Over 400 children and families are expected to join the celebration supported by Crecer at UPS, iHeart Latino La Z, corporate volunteer groups and small business sponsors.
Families with children of all ages can enjoy a day full of joy, tradition and community alongside music, games and live entertainment by La Z 105.7 iHeart Latino. Local food and art vendors will also be featured at the celebration.
For more information visit losninosprimerousa.org/events/.
The Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church is at 471 Mount Vernon Hwy., Sandy Springs.
— Sarah Coyne
Brought to you by THE NORTH FULTON MASTER GARDENERS in partnership with Georgia Native Plant Society & the Alpharetta Community AG Program Saturday, April 12 • 9am–3pm The Grove @ Wills Park • 175 Roswell Street
Free parking and shuttle from/to the Amana Academy parking lot
Educational speakers, Fleatique, Children’s activities, Plant vendors, Food vendors, and Master Gardeners to answer your gardening questions. For more information: www.nfmg.net/garden-faire
The popular North Fulton Master Gardeners Passalong Plant Sale will feature more than 2000 beautiful plants suitable for sun or shade.
The North Metro Atlanta Chapter of the Georgia Native Plant Society will have a selection of approximately 2000 native perennials, shrubs, vines, and trees.
The Alpharetta Community Agriculture Program will have around 5000 unique and carefully selected varieties of organic, heirloom, and non-GMO plants, grown from seed at Old Rucker Farm.
NORTH SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL/PROVIDED
Pictured right, North Springs High School Work-Based
tor Brian Patterson
Dead malls mark entombment of once-vibrant commerce
RAY APPEN
Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com
Recently, I have been driving a lot inside the Perimeter.
One of the things I have noticed, something that has struck me as bizarre, has been the dead malls.
At first when one drives past those massive, big-box concrete block buildings surrounded by a sea of black asphalt and rows of empty stripped parking spaces, tall steel light poles, and occasional non-descript dirty white security patrol cars, you don’t notice; you just think, “another mall and it must be early, and nothing is open yet.”
Then you realize that it is a weekday, 1:30 in the afternoon and, well, that parking lot should be filled with cars by now, and customers should be everywhere, entering and leaving the stores. It’s at that point when your brain comes to a full halt and informs you that what you are looking at is actually a concrete corpse – an empty deserted island surrounded by traffic lights, wide paved roads, grocery stores and cars frenetically passing by.
It’s a difficult image to process.
“How did this happen” is one of the thoughts that rolls through your mind. It is especially hard if you remember what the mall was like back in the day when it was alive, busy and an active vibrant destination. Then, this?
It’s not like we haven’t seen this before. Gwinnett Place Mall was once a crown jewel in the retail world. Then, over time – not that much time – storeby-store, it simply died, ultimately becoming an empty shell.
Same thing with Mall of Georgia I suspect, although it may be doing better than Gwinnett Place. I don’t know. I haven’t been up there in years. Same thing with Underground Atlanta to a degree – although that isn’t really the type of “mall” we are talking about.
Even North Fulton’s own former crown jewel – North Point Mall – is struggling trying to stay viable, and not with a lot of success despite the many initiatives launched by the private and public sectors to cure the ailing patient.
I don’t think anyone really knows how to cure this mall-virus yet.
See APPEN, Page 13
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More from ‘Growing up on the Edges’
VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist
In the previous Past Tense, Joe Greear recalled he saw his first scary movie at The Brookhaven Theater on Peachtree Road. It was 1958 and the movie was “The Fly,” starring Vincent Price.
“I was about 6 or 7, and I remember being so scared that I couldn’t watch the end and left my seat to wait in the lobby for my brother to emerge,” Joe said. “The Brookhaven Theater was not an elaborate movie house like the Fox, and it had only a few embellishments. Despite its simplicity, it was a nice place to watch a movie, and I always loved the smell of the popcorn in the lobby.”
When Peachtree Road was later widened and straightened, Brookhaven Supply and the other original businesses were demolished. Greear remembers the A&P and post office moving to a new shopping center called Cherokee Plaza.
Going east along North Druid Hills Road past Briarcliff Road, Greear recalls a community of Black families known as Mt. Moriah. There were homes, a church and a cemetery. The last church building and cemetery are still there, but Mt. Moriah Church moved to Brockett Road in 1997. Where the homes once stood, a Richway store opened in 1972. Today, this is the location of a Target.
Greear remembers first hearing sounds of land being cleared for the construction of I-85 in 1955 or 1956. Joe and Sol were still preschoolers and enjoyed watching the crews at work. They saw and heard large machines moving dirt to make a level roadbed.
“Over several weeks the tree cutting crew crept slowly
Riding go karts at Northeast Plaza are, from left: David, Joe and Sol Greear Jr. David is the youngest brother by seven years.
through our woods, leaving behind a treeless swath that seemed hundreds of feet wide,” Joe said.
“The Northeast Expressway (I-85) was to impact my life in many ways. First was the most obvious, the expressway was within sight of our house which had once been isolated in deep woods,” he said. There was also the constant sound of passing cars, the lights at night and the construction of new businesses nearby.
Joe and Sol hiked from their home to Northeast Plaza on Buford Highway after it opened in 1957. They followed a path similar to today’s Peachtree Creek Greenway. The brothers would visit shops, play mini golf or go bowling. (Atlanta Journal, Nov. 13, 1957, “Gigantic Northeast Plaza sets formal opening Thursday”)
The boys began elementary school at Briar Vista
Elementary School in 1956. The school was already overcrowded, and in 1957 they were moved to Kittredge Elementary. When Joe was a freshman at Briarcliff High School, the school shared their building and day with Lakeside High School students. Lakeside was under construction.
Joe Greear would pass the Tullie Smith property on his walks to the east on North Druid Hills Road. The house was back off the road, “…but a home mailbox, a replica of her farmhouse, clearly identified its location.”
He did not know anything about who lived there, until one day when he was walking home from Kittredge Elementary School. A woman was standing on the sidewalk by the mailbox of Tullie Smith. The woman lived behind the Smith house and asked if Joe would walk along with her son when he left Kittredge each day.
The two boys would play for a while each day at the Smith home. Tullie Smith invited the boys into the kitchen occasionally for lemonade. By the following year, the boy no longer walked along, with Joe and the visits to the Tullie Smith house ended.
Greear just remembers it as an old farmhouse, but after Tullie Smith died in 1967, the house was moved to the Atlanta History Center. As an example of a mid-19th century Plantation Plain farmhouse, it is now part of the educational experience known as Smith Farm.
Read more about the events and changes to Joe Greear’s house in the woods in his full memoir, “Growing up on the edges,” available on the DeKalb History Center website, dekalbhistory.org.
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.
It’s white bass season again!
It’s a chilly, windy March afternoon, and I’m knee-deep in the cold waters of a north Georgia river with a fly rod in my hand. I admit it. I’m cold! Saner minds would probably be inside with a cup of hot tea and a good book.
But not me. Not today. I’m shivering in the interest of fishing because white bass season has arrived. For much of the year, white bass hang out in deep water in large lakes and are not accessible to fly fishers like me. But every spring, usually starting sometime in March and lasting into mid-April or so, huge numbers of white bass school near the mouths of major tributaries and then migrate upstream to spawn. That puts them within reach, and for several weeks the fishing can be off-the-chart good.
That’s what I’m hoping for today.
This is the first time I’ve waded this river this year, and I’m going slowly in case the bottom contours have changed. I ease along, feeling the bottom through the soles of my wading boots, noting changes since last year as I go. Time does that to rivers, you know, resculpting them and turning them into something always new.
Over there, where there used to be a good fish-holding run, there is now a shallow sandbar. But yonder, where last season the water was barely ankle deep, I spot a tangled mass of roots and limbs with strong current flowing through a brand-new zone of deeper holding water that must surely be 4 feet deep.
Ahh – I’ve found flowing water close to a brush pile. That’s what I’m looking for. Why? Because that’s what the white bass are looking for too.
White bass are ambush predators, and they continue to feed throughout their
runs upriver. They’ll hold close to the cover waiting for the flow to bring something interesting their way (perhaps a small shad imitation like the one tied to the end of my line). Then they’ll grab it – and the battle is on!
I angle left to put myself in better casting position. Then I shake out a little line and make a cast – the first cast of the season. The rod bends like I want it to. The line does my bidding. The fly sails through the air, line unrolling smooth and straight and pretty as can be.
The fly lands with a soft splash a yard or two upstream from the tangle of brush. Lowering my rod’s tip, I count (one… two…three) to let the fly sink. White bass in flowing water tend to hang out in the lower portion of the water column, and “counting down” your lure helps you try different depths to figure out where they are in each particular area.
GREEAR FAMILY COLLECTION
STEVE HUDSON Columnist
Holy Week and Easter Services All are welcome!
Palm Sunday, April 13
8:00AM and 10:30AM Holy Eucharist 7:00PM Artists Presentation of the Stations of the Cross
Wednesday, April 16: 7:00PM Tenebrae Service
Thursday, April 17: 7:00PM Maundy Thursday Foot Washing and Holy Eucharist
Friday, April 18: Good Friday Services 12:00PM Good Friday Liturgy, 6:00PM Every Person’s Way of the Cross, 7:00PM Good Friday Liturgy
Saturday, April 19: Holy Saturday 10:00AM Service, 6:30PM Easter Vigil and Holy Eucharist
Easter Sunday, April 20
8:30-10:00AM Breakfast, 9:45AM Easter Egg Hunt, 10:30AM Holy Eucharist
is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 4, 5 and 5 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, with each number containing 3 clues for the 3 answers on the line. But here’s the catch! The clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually be for the second or third answer in that line. Got it? Good luck!
GROUPS
1. Rock bottom. Fashionable. Group of witches.
2. Toss. Group of criminals. Cold weather warmer.
3. Syrup type. Fixed costs. Group of bees.
4. Theater group. Door sign. Mountain pool.
5. Juicy fruit. Group of cattle. Burger condiment.
6. Sporting group. Office note. Heavy drinking vessel for Beowulf.
7. Musical group. Pub game. Cookbook suggestion.
1 Rock bottom. Fashionable. Group of witches
2. Toss. Group of criminals. Cold weather warmer
How to Solve: Each line in the puzzle above has three clues and three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is the first letter of the second answer, and so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 4, 5 and 5 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, which each number containing 3 clues for the 3 answers on the line. But here’s the catch! The clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually be for the second or third answer in that line. Got it? Good luck!
3. Syrup type. Fixed costs. Group of bees
4. Theater group. Door sign. Mountain pool
5. Juicy fruit. Group of cattle. Burger condiment
6. Sporting group. Office note. Heavy drinking vessel for Beowulf.
7. Musical group. Pub game. Cookbook suggestion
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NFCC is seeking a qualified candidate to fill the fulltime Vice President of Community Engagement position. The Vice President of Community Engagement (VPCE) is a senior leadership role responsible for developing and implementing strategies to build meaningful relationships with the community, donors, and stakeholders.
The VPCE will lead initiatives to increase awareness, partnerships, and financial support for the organization’s mission. This position oversees community engagement, marketing, public relations, and volunteer programs to ensure alignment with organizational goals.
If this sounds like the role for you, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your resume to jobs@nfcchelp.org
Part-Time Thrift Shop Associate – Bilingual Preferred
NFCC is seeking a qualified candidate to fill the part-time Thrift Shop Associate position. One of the primary responsibilities of this role is to provide a high level of customer service in the Thrift Shop. The associate is responsible for all cash register and client clothing program transactions and keeping the merchandise in the store neat, clean, and organized. The role requires a friendly and customer-focused demeanor where all shoppers are treated with dignity and compassion.
If this sounds like the role for you, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your resume to jobs@nfcchelp.org
