Sandy Springs to offer full slate of candidates for municipal elections
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School,
school
advocates,
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and commu-
support of speakers during public comment at the Fulton County Board of Education’s Jan. 14 work session. Fulton County Schools recommended closing the elementary school amid declining enrollment, an aging facility and financial concerns.
At right: Fulton County Commissioner Bob Ellis argues agaisnt the proposed closure of Spalding Drive Elementary School during the Board of Education’s Jan. 14 work session. Ellis said the county should not sacrifice highperforming public schools, especially on the heels of a pandemic that left students behind.
Spalding Drive school remains on district list suggested for closure
Sandy Springs leaders seek reprieve
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Fulton County Schools staff recommended the closure of Spalding Drive Elementary to the Board of Education Jan. 14, setting up a final vote Feb. 20.
Board member Katie Gregory, who represents the south half of Sandy Springs in the district 3 seat, asked for more information about the school’s statedefined capacity and facility assessment score and the rationale behind shuttering the neighborhood institution.
“I appreciate that we often talk about our financial stewardship, and it’s often compared … to home and personal budgets, but it’s not,” she said. “It’s a school district … when we talk about these kinds of operations or teacher raises … we play almost a game of chicken, like we can’t balk first at some of this.”
Gregory had the most questions about Fulton County Schools’ rationale for the closure from the seven-member board.
“Yes, there are financial implications and things to be considered, but there are regional impacts,” she said. “Is this the right time, and a necessity, to make this [decision]?”
District 7 member Michelle Morancie, representing the northern half of Sandy Springs, said she appreciated the concerns of Superintendent Mike Looney and Spalding Drive Elementary School parents.
See SCHOOLS, Page 13
PHOTOS BY HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
Above: Supporters of Spading Drive Elementary
a crowd including elementary
parents,
politicians
nity
stand in
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Each week Appen Media requests police incident reports to inform residents about the safety of their community. Sandy Springs continues to withhold what it calls the “narrative reports.” It is the only city Appen Media covers that follows this practice, which goes against guidance from the Attorney General, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Sheriff’s Association, Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia and Georgia Press Association. Appen Media will continue pursuing the release of more detailed documents that belong to the public in order to inform residents how safe – or unsafe – their city is.
Owner John Hogan & Designer Bobbie Kohm, re-imagining how bath & kitchen remodels are done.
Complete Remodeling Design and Installation Services. We even remove walls!
Guiding you through the whole design process. Ask about our 3D Renderings. Making bath & kitchen remodeling fun, easy and affordable. Open to Public 9-5 Mon-Fri • 10-4 Sat Showroom – Design Center 10591 Old Alabama Road Connector Alpharetta, GA 30022 (near Northpoint Mall)
Mayor, all council seats to be on November ballot
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — As it marks 20 years as a city, Sandy Springs will hold non-partisan municipal elections Nov. 4 for its mayor and each member of the City Council.
During his Sept. 17 State of the City address, Mayor Rusty Paul announced he will run for a fourth term. Paul cited work yet to be done on transportation projects around the city and expansion of the downtown City Springs district.
Specifically, Paul said he wants to expand the City Springs district south and redevelop city-owned properties. In transportation, he’s focused on expanding the city’s trial network, or Springway, and wrapping major roadway projects along east-west corridors.
The City Charter mandates candidates for City Council reside in the council district they seek to represent for a continuous period of at least six months prior to election day and continue to live in the district during their term.
Candidates may qualify by filing a notice and paying a fee to the clerk, who serves as the city’s election superintendent. If candidates are unable to pay the qualifying fee, they can file a petition and affidavit with the clerk affirming their financial situation.
The city code sets qualifying fees at three percent of the office’s salary paid in the preceding calendar year. Because state law requires the city to publish qualifying fees before Feb. 1, the city must comply and update its calculations.
The City Council approved a resolution Jan. 7 setting the qualifying fees for the 2025 municipal elections. The mayor receives $42,000 per year, with this year’s qualifying fee set at $1,260. Council members, each paid $26,000 a year, must pay a qualifying fee of $780.
City Clerk Raquel Gonzales said the qualifying will be Aug. 18-Aug. 21 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and Aug. 22 between 8:30 a.m. and noon. Gonzales said election qualification fees and dates will be announced again over the summer.
The charter states that the mayor and council members must serve a four-year term until their successors are elected and qualified. To qualify to run in the municipal elections, individuals must be a resident of Sandy Springs for a period of at least 12 months immediately prior to election day, as well as be registered and qualified to vote in the city.
Appen Media caught up with the current members of the Sandy Springs City Council.
City Councilman John Paulson, who has served District 1 since 2009, said he plans to announce whether he will run
again sometime this spring.
City Councilman Melody Kelley, who won a tightly contested District 2 race as a first-time candidate last election, said she’s running again to continue her work to make her district as vibrant and prosperous as the rest of the city.
“District 2 has not been represented by an incumbent in over 10 years,” Kelley said. “This November, I am absolutely committed to offering the community the benefit of the institutional knowledge, discernment and experience I have accrued over these past few years.”
City Councilwoman Melissa Mular, who defeated two other first-time candidates in the 2021 District 3 race, said she plans to run again. While Mular hosted an informal gathering about her run for a second term in October, she said an official announcement with her focus areas will be released before April.
City Councilwoman Jody Reichel, who won against three candidates as an incumbent in District 4 last election, announced her run for mayor Jan. 8.
“We have exceptional talent within Sandy Springs and access to the best ideas for growth; my approach to leading the city will prioritize collaboration, citizen engagement and ensure every voice is heard,” Reichel said. “I hear from so many people who love Sandy Springs but are concerned the city is losing its vibrancy and missing important opportunities.”
Her campaign website lists priorities like keeping Sandy Springs competitive in the region, redeveloping aging apartment buildings, protecting greenspaces and continuing support of law enforcement.
“We’ve been running in place, and when you do that, you get left behind,” Reichel said. “My campaign is about moving Sandy Springs forward, continuing to make it better and better, to ensure that Sandy Springs is a city where families want to plant roots and growth, where seniors feel supported and future generations can thrive.”
Appen Media was unable to reach City Councilman Tibby DeJulio, who has served District 5 since helping incorporate the city in 2005.
City Councilman Andy Bauman, who’s served District 6 for three terms, has not announced whether he will run again. Like Reichel, Bauman said there’s a lot of people in the community asking and encouraging him to run for mayor, but he has not made a final decision.
If he decides to run for mayor, there would be a three-way race among current elected officials to lead the state’s seventh largest city, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.
For more information about municipal elections in Sandy Springs, visit www. sandyspringsga.gov/running-office.
Owner John Hogan & Designer Bobbie Kohm
The Riverwood Raiders girls lacrosse team takes a team photo during a home game against Peachtree Ridge High School last season. The Riverwood Athletic Association has scheduled its inaugural All-Sports Fundraising Auction Feb. 1-15 with dollars going directly to student-athletes and school facilities.
Riverwood Athletic Association schedules February fundraiser
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Riverwood Athletic Association will hold its inaugural All-Sports Fundraising Auction Feb. 1-15 with dollars going directly to studentathletes and school facilities.
The fundraiser gives the community an opportunity to bid on a variety of local experiences, services and items while supporting student-athletes and coaches at the school.
The Riverwood Athletic Association is a volunteer-led organization committed to supporting all athletic programs at Riverwood International Charter School. Through fundraising and community events, it provides resources to help student-athletes thrive on and off the field. Proceeds from the auction will go toward updating facilities that were not included during the school’s major renovations in October 2022. The goal is to raise $20,000.
The new fundraiser has a goal to ensure the Raiders have top-tier equipment, facilities and coaching, keeping Riverwood Athletics among the premier sports programs in Fulton County.
Angie Dumler, vice president of fundraising, said her team is excited to offer the community the chance to score amazing items while making a meaningful impact for athletes.
“This is a great way for supporters of Riverwood to show their spirit and continue to build on our strong foundation of our leading sports program,” she said.
A preview of the auction items is available now at www.32auctions.com/ RAA2025.
Bidding opens Feb. 1 and closes Feb. 15.
The athletic association says the Sandy Springs and Mero Atlanta community rallied around student athletes to offer items like club-level tickets to an Atlanta Hawks game at State Farm Arena, an in-home dinner with Riverwood’s awardwinning chef Elissa Oliver, a three-course wine dinner at Baronda and tickets to “Peter Pan” at the Fox Theatre.
Riverwood Athletic Director Matt Taylor said one of the greatest signs of a strong program is the success of its booster club.
“At Riverwood, we are fortunate to have an umbrella booster club, the Riverwood Athletic Association that supports all of our athletic programs,” Taylor said.
“The RAA is a nonprofit under new transformative and dynamic leadership, filled with parents who want to see all athletics and the community of Riverwood succeed.”
— Hayden Sumlin
Perimeter Village closures prompt community chatter
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody is wrestling with the fate of one of its shopping centers just a few blocks from Perimeter Mall.
The Perimeter Village shopping center at Ashford Dunwoody Road and Meadow Lane lies within one of Metro Atlanta’s largest business districts. The three-parcel development, owned by New York real estate investment trust Kimco Realty, offers a whopping 380,686 square feet of retail space.
Since the shopping center lost its Walmart Supercenter last summer, residents have chimed in on Facebook’s Dunwoody Area Community Forum with theories about the closure. The store was one of two in north Metro Atlanta the company marked for closure – the other in Marietta – due to their failure to meet financial expectations and performance.
The leasing team and property manager for Kimco could not be reached for comment.
But, according to its webpage, more than 200,000 square feet of retail space is available at Perimeter Village, with another 15,000 potentially open soon. That’s more than half of the total space.
The leasing page mentions Dunwoody’s affluent community, Central Perimeter’s dense daytime traffic and surrounding corporate employers. Still, the shopping center has lost a few tenants and some members of the community have raised concerns, including shoplifting and other crime.
Dunwoody Police Chief Mike Carlson discussed crime trends throughout the Perimeter Center business district with Mayor Lynn Deutsch Nov. 12 with an emphasis on the holiday shopping season.
While Walmart did not cite crime in its rationale for closing, the police chief said there were often multiple calls a day from the store related to shoplifting and skip-scanning.
Dunwoody Economic Development Director Michael Starling said city staff understands that Walmart’s lease extends until August 2025, though the store is permanently closed.
“Mayor Deutch talked with Walmart officials, who told her they have a matrix for these decisions, and the store was underperforming compared to other stores in Georgia,” Starling said. “We continue to have conversations with the property
owners about options moving forward.”
In November, another tenant, Petland Dunwoody closed its doors. Because of the turnover of tenants at the shopping center, including its anchor, Starling said complicated decisions lie ahead with many moving parts.
The city got a jump on fostering a community discussion about what the future of the area will look like with the series “Edge City 2.0: Shaping Tomorrow’s Perimeter.”
The series, with more sessions scheduled in February and May, examines developing trends with residential and commercial real estate and how Dunwoody can create a plan for growth that enhances the community.
One resident posted on the Community Forum: “The future of this shopping center is looking bleak.”
The post received 100 reactions and 97 comments from other members of the Dunwoody Area Community Forum on Facebook as of Jan. 10.
Another commenter mentioned the Dec. 21 announcement from Party City’s holding company that its storefronts would shutter nationwide.
National trends may be affecting the shopping center’s health more than the site itself. As consumers shift preferences, retail consumption moves more toward online shopping.
Some commenters looked at possible redevelopment options at the nearly 42acre property.
An “all-star contributor” on the page, Michael Rock, wrote “that entire shopping center should be demolished and rebuilt into a high-end residential center with a park and connected trails.” His comment received 10 likes and a few comments supporting and rejecting his ideas.
Another “all-star contributor,” Macks Leighman, also gave some input on redevelopment at the cite.
“Multi-home residential might have a higher return but with interest rates at this level, doubtful,” he wrote. “Shopping center owners can weather seemingly eternal periods of vacancy; it’s baked into their portfolio and spread over multiple assets.”
So far, themes discussed at Edge City seminars last fall have revolved around “missing middle” housing, density and the abundance of parking lot pavement in the district.
The next two sessions are “Energizing the Future of Retail” Feb. 6 and “Emerging Office Market” May 1.
To read more, visit www. dunwoodyedge.com/.
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Alpharetta’s Mercantile Social provides creative escape
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The owners of permanent pop-up bar Mercantile Social know when they’ve done their job.
“I call it the wow factor,” co-owner Jonathan Phillips said. “[Customers] take out their phone and take a picture. Their mouths drop open.”
For the past four years, Phillips and his brother Mark have worked hard to make Mercantile Social much more than just another Alpharetta watering hole. Every season, the bar, at 20 N. Main St., selects a theme, reinventing its look and menu.
“It’s all about something unique and different,” he said.
This spring, the bar will allow patrons to raise their wands and glasses with a Harry Potter theme that will have them wondering whether they’ve enrolled at a school of witchcraft and wizardry.
“You’ll really feel like you’re in the Hogwarts dining hall, in a magical environment,” Jonathan Phillips said.
Floating candles will hang from a ceiling filled with clouds and lightning. A smoke machine will create an air of enchantment, and characters from Dobby to the Whomping Willow will adorn the walls of the cozy 1,800 square-foot space.
The bar will be sectioned into Hogwarts’ four houses — Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. After taking a sorting hat quiz, customers can hang in their house’s area, which will be appropri-
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economy and community.
An astonishing amount of preparation and detail go into decorating because it’s critical for guests to have their socks knocked off, he said.
Mercantile Social takes its themes seriously, and feeding patrons’ imaginations is a central part of the experience.
Mercantile Social’s dedication to the popup concept, but the bar is no slouch when it comes to the fundamentals.
Drinks are served by bartenders whose skills make them closer to mixologists, Phillips said. Cocktails lean heavily into the wow factor, but they also are well balanced and tasty.
“A lot of pop-up bars will give you a martini with a candy cane,” he said. “We try to go above and beyond that.”
A “Hocus Pocus” inspired drink called the Black Flame Candle was built around tequila with blueberry and sage accents. Flaming cocktails are a recurring theme at the bar, and the Black Flame Candle was served ablaze with dark fire.
Other drinks, like those inspired by Hogwarts potions, change colors before the cutomer’s eyes. The “Harry Potter” theme also promises a butter beer inspired beverage.
ately decorated to make them feel at home, and side-eye rival students.
Guests are welcome to wear Harry Potter costumes to get into the spirit, Phillips said.
As with previous themes, Mercantile Social partnered with an interior decorator to bring the Harry Potter universe alive. Phillips said they prefer to work with local designers to support the Alpharetta
Previous concepts include “Indiana Jones,” “Mean Girls,” the 1993 film “Hocus Pocus,” and the crowd-favorite Grinchmas holiday theme.
When the Phillips brothers purchased the bar, it reinvented itself with the Christmas pop-up theme only once a year.
The brothers, whose day jobs are in real estate, decided they loved the idea so much they wanted to make it a regular thing.
“When the opportunity came, we jumped on it,” he said.
Guests are sure to get a kick out of
The bar offers a full range of options for wallets big and small from cheap drinks for the college crowd to high-end Scotch whiskies and other aged premium liquors. They also can make any cocktail nonalcoholic.
An in-house kitchen also serves up delicious eats from mozzarella balls in homemade sauce to something Phillips calls an “Amish grilled cheese,” toasted bread with candied bacon, Brie, Amish apple butter and Granny Smith apples. When possible, the bar opts for ingredients from local distributors rather than big box brands.
“Everything is higher end quality,” Phillips said.
Community Assistance Center to offer tax filing aid for needy
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Community Assistance Center will kick off its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program Feb. 1 for the 2025 tax season.
The program is an IRS initiative, in partnership with the United Way of Greater Atlanta, that assists moderate- and lowerincome earners with accurate and timely tax filings. The Community Assistance Center is one of its Metro Atlanta partners.
Volunteers are needed to provide a few hours each week February through May to help prepare tax returns or support the program in other roles. No prior experience is required, and training is provided.
Volunteer Amy Hayes said volunteering with the Community Assistance Center is rewarding.
“I loved meeting members of the community and knowing that I was helping people in a real and tangible way,” she said. “The training was thorough, and the staff made sure we had the support we needed to succeed.”
The free service offers tax preparation assistance to households in Metro At-
lanta with an annual income of less than $67,000. The program also serves persons with disabilities and limited English-speaking skills.
Last year, the Community Assistance Center’s program processed 520 tax returns for 480 individuals, bringing nearly $750,000 in refunds back into the local economy.
It also saved the community approximately $189,000 in tax filing fees compared to professional services, thanks to the efforts of 43 dedicated volunteers who contributed more than 1,800 hours of their time.
The CAC is a certifying acceptance agency, a designation that allows it to verify foreign identification documents for taxpayers that require an IRS-issued Individual Taxpayer Identification Number to file a tax return. It means the nonprofit is now able to directly assist individuals who do not qualify for a Social Security number to apply for or renew their ITIN to meet tax filing requirements.
Last year, the program highlighted
emerging trends in the community. One of the most prominent is the growth of gig economy jobs with more individuals reporting income from platforms like Uber and Lyft, requiring assistance in navigating tax forms unique to independent contractors.
Families with dual incomes also turned to the program for help, reflecting the rising cost of living and financial challenges for households at various income levels.
Another trend is a noticeable increase in elderly individuals reporting part-time or freelance income as they reentered the workforce to supplement retirement or Social Security benefits.
The nonprofit’s work also includes difficult cases with individuals piling up almost a decades’ worth of unfiled tax returns. Royalty payments also present a unique challenge and reflect the complexity of staying in good standing with the IRS.
Daniel Weiss, a volunteer program coordinator at the Community Assistance Center, said Volunteer Income Tax Assistance provides essential preparation services to
those who might otherwise be unable to afford them.
“By ensuring accurate and timely tax filings, we help individuals and families receive the refunds and credits they are entitled to, which in turn supports the local economy,” Weiss said.
Volunteers interested in joining the program can learn more by contacting the VITA program team directly at vita@ourcac. org
Individuals eligible for the program can schedule an appointment by emailing vita@ ourcac.org or calling the CAC helpline at 770-552-4015.
Appointments are required, and participants should prepare necessary documentation, including government-issued photo identification, Social Security or Individual Taxpayer Identification cards or letters, income documents, any additional tax forms and a copy of last year's tax return. Appointments start Feb. 1.
For more information about volunteering, eligibility or the program itself, visit www.ourcac.org/vita.
MERCANTILE SOCIAL/PROVIDED
A “Goblet of Fire” cocktail is one of many thematically inspired drinks at year-round pop-up concept bar Mercantile Social in Alpharetta.
Education Force plans recycling for electronics, school supplies
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Sandy Springs Education Force is inviting donations at its Electronics Recycling & New School Supplies Drive Feb. 1 at North Springs High School.
The fundraising and recycling effort runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the school’s parking lot at 7447 Roswell Road.
The Sandy Springs Education Force, the city’s leading educationfocused nonprofit, is partnering with eWaste ePlanet to dispose of outdated electronic devices responsibly and securely while support local students in Sandy Springs.
To participate, the nonprofit asks for a $25 donation per vehicle, which helps fund the organization’s programs for public school students. The Sandy Springs Education Force says it is covering recycling fees for items like TVs, batteries and printers, but extra donations are encouraged to offset the cost.
Items not accepted include a ny liquids, hazardous waste, light bulbs, paint, radioactive material and older TV monitors containing lead.
The recycling drive generally accepts working and broken items, and all data will be wiped clean.
Irene Schweiger, executive director of the Sandy Springs Education Force, said participation in the recycling drive does much more than just declutter homes after New Year’s.
“You’re contributing to brighter futures for Sandy Springs students,” Schweiger said. “Your generosity helps fund the 17 programs that the SSEF provides and supports our mission to educate, inspire and prepare public school students in Sandy Springs for a competitive world.”
If someone interested in supporting the Sandy Springs Education Force does not have items to recycle, the nonprofit encourages them to bring new school supplies to donate.
To learn more and see the full list of acceptable items, visit www. sandyspringseducationforce.org/electronics-drive/.
— Hayden Sumlin
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Stephen Martin Cemetery draws community upkeep
Between Perimeter Expo shopping center on Hammond Drive and Campus 244 at 244 Perimeter Center Parkway in Dunwoody lies the historic Stephen Martin Cemetery. Recent work at the cemetery and maintenance plus special projects over the last 10 years have made it a peaceful spot to sit and reflect or remember those who are laid to rest in the cemetery.
Back in 2015, members of Boy Scout Troop 434 out of All Saints Catholic Church began projects to improve the cemetery. David Savini built benches and a kiosk for the cemetery to display history and information for visitors. The two endeavors were his Eagle Scout project. Daniel Montgomery’s Eagle Scout Project was clearing out overgrowth of weeds and small trees along the gravel path leading to the cemetery.
Glen Fuse volunteered his time for over 10 years maintaining the cemetery by cutting the grass and trimming the surrounding hedges. He also kept the kiosk up to date with current information and placed a visitor sign-in book at the kiosk.
The kiosk was updated recently with documents and photos which tell the history of the people and the land where the cemetery is located. Chryse Wayman and Journey Bradham of Dunwoody Preservation Trust joined me to complete this project.
Sam McEntyre of DPT organized the repair of cairn graves and broken headstones at the cemetery. Cairn graves are constructed from pieces of stone arranged to form a box indicating the location of a grave.
The three large cairn graves belong to Stephen Martin (1798-1866), his first wife, Frances Elizabeth Garrett (1800-1847) and
his second wife, Sarah Crowley (18121878). It is believed Stephen Martin’s grave site is the middle cairn. A smaller cairn grave may have been for a child.
Stephen and Sarah’s daughter Naomi married Thomas F. Spruill. Stephen Spruill, who grew up and lived in the home that is now Spruill Gallery, was one of the children of Naomi and Thomas F. Spruill. Another daughter, Sophia, married Joseph Spruill.
The cemetery is the final resting place for members of the Martin, Spruill, Reeves and Hardigree families, among others. During World War I, John Hardigree trained at Chamblee’s Camp Gordon, then served as a Prisoner of War escort.
Homer Morgan (1900-1902), son of Luvader Spruill Morgan and Joseph Tilman Morgan, grandson of Sophia and Joseph Spruill, was buried near his greatgrandparents’ graves. His stone marker was recently repaired.
Campus 244 includes the former threestory office building that opened in 1975 as headquarters to Gold Kist Inc. and the Cotton States Insurance Group. (Atlanta Journal, June 4, 1974, “Gold Kist starts new building”)
The building has been repurposed into a five-story Class A office building, according to dunwoodyga.gov. The campus also includes Element Hotel by Westin and two restaurants scheduled to open in 2025.
The City of Dunwoody Trail Master Plan includes the new concrete path that leads to Stephen Martin Cemetery. Until the trail opens, park on the Nordstrom Rack side of Perimeter Expo and walk toward the back of the parking lot. When you see Campus 244, turn left and follow the path to Stephen Martin Cemetery.
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.
The updated kiosk of Stephen Martin Cemetery provides additional history. Campus 244 is visible in the background.
VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF/APPEN MEDIA
OPINION
New Year’s resolutions
Are they made to be broken?
During this year’s holiday season, as in seasons past, people throughout the world celebrated many traditions. One of the oldest and most observed is making resolutions at the start of each new year.
For many people, the start of a new year is the time to launch new habits and set new goals. New Year’s resolutions are a way of understanding what’s truly important in our lives.
Experience teaches us that many of those resolutions become history by March or April or even sooner. Ben Blascz, a sales manager at One Life Fitness in Crabapple, estimates that there is a 30 to 45 percent increase in new members at the start of each new year. By the end of February, some have already fallen off, but fortunately about 35 percent of the newcomers continue their memberships.
Ancient Babylonia, a city in southern Mesopotamia in today’s Iraq, is credited with being the first to make New Year’s resolutions some 4,000 years ago. The new year began in March at the beginning of the farming season when Babylonians made promises to return borrowed farm equipment. They also made promises and possibly sacrifices to their pagan gods in hopes that the gods would favor them.
The ancient Romans adopted the Babylonian calendar and customs, but thanks to Julius Caesar, they changed to the Julian calendar in 46. B.C. January 1 was the start of the new year, and Romans made promises each year to the god Janus, after whom the month of January is named. Janus is depicted with two faces because he looks to the past and to the future.
In modern times, sweet foods are sometimes associated with good fortune in the new year, while champagne is common in Western Europe and the United States to toast the new year. In some denominations, resolutions have been and continue to be religious in nature. In others, festivities are the general rule.
Various theories exist about the first use of the word “resolutions” in print. One version is that a diary
In ancient Roman mythology and religion, Janus was the god of transitions, doors and gates. He represented the midpoint between beginning and end, youth and adulthood, war and peace and life and death. He has two faces, one facing the past and the other facing the future. January, the first month of a new year, was named after Janus as the god of beginnings and transitions.
entry dated Jan. 2,1671 by Scottish writer of religious texts Anne Halkett (1623-1699) made pledges based on Biblical references. She titled the page “Resolutions” and included pledges such as “I will not offend anyone.”
An article in 1802 appeared in the Irish publication Walker’s Hibernian Magazine satirizing the practice by proposing obviously fictitious resolutions. Examples are “The Physicians have determined to prescribe no more than is necessary and to be very moderate in their fees.” and “The Statesmen have resolved to have no other object in view than the good of their country.” and “The Clergy have resolved to preach short sermons and to avoid all unnecessary repetitions.”
Possibly the first recorded use of the phrase “New Year’s resolution” appeared in an article in a Boston newspaper on Jan. 1, 1813. The article stated, “And yet, I believe there are multitudes of people who will sin all the month of December, with a serious determination of beginning the new year with new resolutions and new behavior, and with the full belief that they shall thus expiate and wipe away all their former faults.”
Even cities have New Year’s resolutions. Rusty Paul, Mayor of Sandy Springs, has three resolutions for 2025 for his city. He is a firm
An article from the Irish Walker’s Hibernian Magazine in 1802 satirized New Year’s resolutions by listing a series of humorous pledges made by different societal groups such as politicians, the clergy and doctors. The magazine was published from the 1770s to 1812.
believer in reasonable resolutions.
“If you try to do too much, you end up doing nothing,” he says.
His first resolution is to make measurable progress on expanding the City Springs district, which now consists of a 14-acre area which includes a central park, City Hall, retail and restaurant space, a residential development, and a 1,000-seat Performing Arts Center. The entire project should take more than two years.
His second resolution is to improve the Johnson Ferry/Mt. Vernon Highway project. Third is to improve Hammond Drive by making it four lanes from end to end.
According to a Statista survey of 1,050 U.S. residents, the five most common resolutions are to save more money, to eat healthier, to exercise more, to lose weight and to spend more time with family and friends. A Forbes study puts physical fitness at the top of the list. Zippia Magazine says that in Georgia the most popular resolution is to read more, which is good news for bookstores. WalletHub lists Atlanta as the 11th best city for keeping your New Year’s resolutions.
If you are among those who set lofty goals for the new year and fall off the wagon within a few weeks, rest assured you are not alone. Forbes says the average resolution lasts less than four months. The website BetKentucky says Georgians stick with our resolutions better than most, five months versus the average three months.
So, don’t lose heart. Settle on one or two realistic goals that are measurable and keep trying. Make the process simple and reasonable.
BOB MEYERS
Columnist
The changing face of eastern U.S. forests
In March 2020, Americans became keenly aware of a fastspreading, globally transmitted disease called COVID-19. Soon pandemic became a household word, and everyone became concerned about its transmission and possible deadly consequences.
Most Americans in 2020 never encountered a disease that had spread so rapidly and had such dark consequences. Going back in history, in 1952 there was an epidemic of polio, a viral disease that attacks the human nervous system. As a result of donations to the March of Dimes and the discovery of the Salk and Sabin vaccines, the risk of a polio pandemic in the U.S. is now zero!
Reaching further back into history, you probably remember studying about the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918-19 and the Bubonic Plague that rapidly spread throughout Europe, killing an estimated 50 million people, or 50 percent, of the European population in the 1300s and 1400s.
Pandemics are not isolated to humans. Pandemics have ravaged the population of a wide variety of plants and animals as well. I would like to concentrate on three tree pandemics.
American Chestnut
As a child, I lived near a mountain range in western Pennsylvania called Chestnut Ridge. Even though we hiked in the forests near our house, I never saw a chestnut tree. Soon, I became curious about the catastrophic loss of the American chestnut tree in the wild. Before 1930, an estimated 4 billion American chestnut trees existed in the forests of the eastern U.S. These trees were the dominant hardwood species, and their large, high energy content chestnuts provided a food source for a wide variety of insects, microorganisms, birds and mammals.
The chestnut forests were rapidly changed by a microscopic package of bad news! A dying American chestnut tree was first observed in the Brooklyn Botanical Garden in 1904. It promptly was determined to have been infected by a foreign invader, a fungal disease that was given the common name American chestnut blight.
Fungal diseases can spread rapidly because they reproduce by microscopic spores. The wind spreads these species-specific, microscopic messengers of death quickly. In three short decades, the wind carried the chestnut blight spores throughout the entire eastern U.S., causing an American chestnut pandemic. By 1930, so many American chestnuts died from blight that the logging industry began to clearcut all the remaining healthy American chestnuts, devastating Appalachian forest ecosystems from Maine to north Georgia and Alabama. By 1940, they were declared extinct in the wild. This event has been described as the “most devastating forest event ever!”
Today if you walk in any eastern U.S. forest, you will find that oak trees now occupy the habitats once populated by the life-sustaining
About the author
This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Carole MacMullan, a Milton resident and Master Gardener since 2012. Carole describes herself as a born biologist. Since childhood, she loved to explore the out-of-doors and garden with her mother. When she entered college, she selected biology as her major and made teaching high school biology her career for 35 years. Shortly after moving from Pittsburgh, she became involved with the philanthropic mission of the Assistance League of Atlanta (ALA), and in 2014, completed the Master Gardener program and joined the North Fulton Master Gardeners (NFMG) and the Milton Garden Club. Carole uses her teaching skills to create a variety of presentations on gardening topics for the NFMG Lecture Series and Speakers Bureau.
selective breeding and bioengineering with the goal of creating a healthy, viable and disease-resistant American Chestnut. The hope is to create hybrids of both species that will grow and thrive in their former habitats.
Southern pine beetle
American chestnuts. Nutritious, high-energy acorns produced by over 70 species of oak trees, 28 of which inhabit the forests of Georgia, now sustain a diversity of microorganisms, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. As a result, oak trees are now the dominant or keystone trees of eastern U.S. forests.
American Elm
There are more than 30,000 Elm Streets in the United States and many town and city parks, such as Central Park in New York City, that enjoy the beauty and cascading form of the American elm tree. These highly desirable urban trees also encountered a deadly fungal disease, Dutch elm blight. As the name suggests, the disease was first detected in the Netherlands in 1921 and was introduced to the U.S. for the first time in the 1970s. Many towns were forced to cut their streetscape trees. Currently, my hometown of Westmont, Pennsylvania, has the longest continuous tree-lined street of American elms in the United States. Luzerne Street is home to approximately 195 well-tended American elm trees.
Through the efforts of selective breeding for resistance to Dutch elm blight, two new, disease-resistant elm hybrids are now available. Additionally, the American Chestnut Society is engaged in a two-pronged approach using both
One of the most common forest diseases facing Georgia landowners and foresters is the Southern pine beetle. Pine beetles bore through the bark of pine trees and create tunnels as they consume the xylem tissue that makes up the annual rings. Without the xylem tissue needed to transport water throughout the tree, the tree will die. Since I moved to Milton in 2008, I have witnessed the death of hundreds of young, venerable pine trees in the forest behind my house. If you see a pine tree with peeling bark and exposed tunnels made by the pine beetles, please consult an arborist to confirm the extent of the beetle infestation. If confirmed, please take action to destroy and remove the tree or trees from your yard to prevent the spread of this disease that is devastating our southern pine forests,
Let me end with this quote, “We are all interconnected - people, animals, our environment. When nature suffers, we suffer. And when nature flourishes, we all flourish.” Dr. Jane Goodall
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/.
Save the dates for NFMG’s 2025 signature events: Garden Faire on April 12 and Garden Tour on June 7. Learn more at nfmg.net.
CAROLE MACMULLAN Guest Columnist
CAROLE MACMULLAN/PROVIDED
American Chestnut Tree with disease canker caused by the American Chestnut Blight at Berry College
Schools:
Continued from Page 1
Looney said Fulton County Schools is faced with a deficit, spending millions more each year than it collects in revenue. He told School Board members that they must decide whether to cut expenses or raise taxes.
In August, the School Board passed a slight rollback on the district’s property tax rate from 17.14 mills to 17.08.
Looney said the issue is nationwide, not unique to Fulton County. He said the financial reality facing school districts is that everything is more expensive, including labor. Because the state funds public education based on enrollment, a districtwide decline means less revenue.
Student populations have dropped roughly 10 percent over the past seven years, according to data presented in August.
Looney said the school district is spending $7,000 more dollars on students at Spalding Drive and Parklane than at other elementary schools in the county. Parents said it was their first time hearing the dollar figure since staff announced in September their recommendation to close the schools and redistrict.
Looney and some board members said they may need to take another look at the district policy for school closure and consolidation, which sets the conditions and procedure for staff. The policy, officially listed under the Facility Expansion Program with code FDB, was last updated in October 2010.
District gives rationale
Fulton County Schools says the proposed closure of Spalding Drive Elementary at the end of the 2024-25 school year is driven by declining regional enrollment, underutilized classroom capacity and the age and condition of the facility.
At three community forums at Riverwood International Charter School last fall, staff received more than 1,000 in-person comments from more than 500 people. Almost all argued against the recommended closure of Spalding Drive Elementary School this May.
While no vote was taken at the Fulton County Board of Education’s Jan. 14 work session, the Sandy Springs community showed up with elected officials to let school officials know how important the school is to them.
State Rep. Deborah Silcox, Fulton County Commissioner Bob Ellis, all members of the Sandy Springs City Council and Mayor Rusty Paul put some political weight behind the push to save the school.
Since the announcement, the elementary school community formed a committee, hired a public relations firm and began work on a 106-page document — “The Case to Save Spalding”— handed over to
schools is Spalding Drive Elementary,” he said. “I want to thank all the citizens for their thoughtful engagement and the work they’ve done in presenting an extremely compelling case for why Spalding Drive should not be closed, and instead be a model for how we improve our elementary’s schools.”
Ellis said the school’s diversity and academic achievement is a special thing in the county, and the last thing students who are still catching up from the pandemic need is to shift school buildings. He said it’s not a risk worth taking.
FULTON COUNTY SCHOOLS/PROVIDED
The final recommendation map for attendance zone changes to Sandy Springs elementary schools shows the closure of Spalding Drive and subsequent redistricting of its students to Woodland and Heards Ferry. Some Woodland students are also redistricted to Ison Springs.
board members and district staff a week before Christmas.
However, after Fulton County Schools staff gave their presentation, committee members said they were disappointed the district did not address the document, which details inconsistencies with enrollment data and the closure’s rationale.
Closure impacts take form
The final recommended map for attendance zone changes at Sandy Springs elementary schools was the same as that presented by the school district at the third and final community forum Dec. 9 at Riverwood High School.
The final map, showing attendance zones for the city’s seven elementary schools, shows the closure of Spalding Drive with its students going to either Woodland, east of Ga. 400, or Heards Ferry, south of I-285. Parents said the shift is significant for students at the neighborhood-based school with most households in walking distance.
The map shows students living on the west side of Brandon Mill Road attending Heards Ferry for the 2025-26 school year, while those on the east side would go to Woodland.
Meanwhile, the attendance zone for Ison Springs would expand south to
include current Woodland students living north of Cimarron Parkway and west of Ga. 400.
There are four elementary schools affected in the city.
The district says 264 current K-4 students are impacted by the closure and 276 students are affected by redistricting. The district’s policy allows 53 rising fifth graders to remain at their current school if they satisfy conditions.
During public comment at the work session, parents cited issues with feeder patterns, a result of shifting attendance zones and the myriad of programs at Fulton County Schools.
For example, some Spalding Drive students redistricted to Heards Ferry would attend Sandy Springs Middle. Because of shifting school curriculum, like International Baccalaureate and STEAM, some students may be unprepared or left behind, parents said.
Leaders speak out
Fulton County Commissioner Bob Ellis highlighted the list of speakers at the meeting, arguing that it harms the community to close a school in the 95th percentile of academic performance in the state.
“Within [my] district there are many great schools, and one of those great
“I’m highly concerned about the proposed closure and the negative impact it would potentially have, not only on the citizens who are here, but on our taxpayers … the quality of school system overall and, most importantly, the children of Fulton County,” he said.
Mayor Rusty Paul asked the board to compete with private schools in Sandy Springs, one of the reasons for declining enrollment.
“Parents here have a choice, they can send their kid to private school,” Paul said. “Compete to get them back in the public school system by being innovative and creative.”
Following the meeting, Paul told Appen Media the school district needs to take time to consider the community’s report and how to strengthen the city’s public schools and compete for students.
What happens next?
Throughout community forums in October, November and December, Fulton County Schools staff stood by the data, rationale and the district’s policy for closures and redistricting.
Paul told the community when news broke in September that they needed to come up with a data-driven argument to keep the school. He says they did just that.
Chris McShane, who lives within walking distance of the elementary school, said he aspires to be a Spalding Drive parent. One of the reasons he moved his family to the Sandy Springs neighborhood was so his children could attend the school, like state Rep. Silcox.
Steven Bell, a Spalding Drive parent, asked board members “to take the path less traveled” and pressed the district to explain its financial constraints to the community.
With the viewing gallery at capacity during the board’s work session, around 50 supporters of the school listened to the session in an overflow room. The display of community support has been common throughout the redistricting process.
Some parents say they wants the School Board to delay the closure at least one year to give the district time to take their data and arguments into consideration. Others say they want a five-year deferral.
More discussions about the closure and redistricting are expected at school board meetings Jan. 23 and Feb. 11.
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