HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
Supporters of The Mount Vernon School and its application for field lighting wear blue at the Jan. 21 Sandy Springs City Council, while neighbors in opposition don red. More than 400 people, sitting inside and outside the Studio Theatre at City Hall, showed up for the contentious public hearing to amend zoning conditions and allow Friday Night Lights.
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — At the end of a months-long process, the Sandy Springs City Council denied an application Jan. 21 for lights at an existing athletic field at The Mount Vernon School.
Mayor Rusty Paul cast the deciding vote to reject the zoning change after council members split on whether to allow field lighting at the private school, typically allowed in city code.
Unlike community forums held last fall with opponents dominating the seats, the Jan. 21 council meeting drew a sizeable crowd of Mount Vernon Mustangs among the 400 who attended.
The Mount Vernon School had asked to amend zoning conditions to allow four posts around its main athletic field with conditions limiting their use to a maximum of 60 days a year including 10 Fridays.
Next-door neighbors, like the Snodgrass family, were not convinced that the school’s proposed state-of-the-art lighting system would minimize disturbances.
See LIGHTS, Page 13
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sandy Springs continues to grow as it approaches its 20th anniversary, and one elected official wants to bring the community into a conversation about the future.
To kick off 2025, City Councilman Andy Bauman asked District 6 resi-
dents about their New Year’s resolutions, whether personal or for the community.
The Jan. 4 letter to residents asked them to share their concerns and aspirations with several suggested topics for consideration, like housing, redevelopment and sustainability.
Bauman, first elected to the District 6 seat in 2013, said he is constantly
seeking feedback, through emails, inperson meetings, public comment at meetings and community gatherings.
Heading into 2024, Bauman sent out a poll focused on the city’s tree canopy and received more than 200 responses, with more than 92 percent agreeing with the initiative to protect urban forests.
See BAUMAN, Page 12
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By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Fulton County Board of Education approved a motion Jan. 23 to continue the debate on whether to close Spalding Drive Elementary School.
The 4-3 decision sets up two public hearings on whether the neighborhood elementary school should be closed. The hearings are Feb. 11 and a second Feb. 20 with a final vote following.
The two school board members representing Sandy Springs, Katie Gregory and Michelle Morancie, urged fellow board members to pause the closure and redistricting process.
The Spalding Drive Committee, a parent-led organization opposing the closure, said Morancie wants the school system to engage with parents on a more holistic solution to the district’s enrollment issues. The comments echo those of local elected officials in Sandy Springs on both sides of the aisle.
Board member Katie Gregory, representing District 3, seconded Morancie’s comments during a discussion.
“I urge us to stop with this and consider what we do in the future,” Gregory said. “This disenfranchises families from that feeder who are active in their Parent Teacher Associations, School Governance Councils and boosters; these are families that we want to keep in our community.”
District 4 Board member Franchesca Warren sided with her Sandy Springs colleagues, asking to pause the effort, while newly elected Board
President Kristin McCabe and members Sara Gillespie, Lillie Pozatek and Kimberly Dove voted to proceed.
The vote was to proceed with community feedback in the formal process, not to close the school.
The Save Spalding Drive Elementary Committee issued a statement after the Jan. 23 vote, saying members are heartened to see that three board members agree with what they’ve been saying all along.
“This process has been rushed, our concerns have been met with silence and the board school closure policy is broken and needs fixing,” the statement says. “We’re grateful for the community’s continued support, and we will fight to the end to keep our school open.”
The committee says enrollment at the elementary school is project to grow 12 percent over the next three years, not accounting for open enrollment.
While the district says the school is being considered for closure because of an aging facility, the committee points to $2.2 million in renovations since a facility assessment rated the building condition as “good.”
One Spalding Drive Elementary parent, Steven Guy, said it was reassuring that no board member commented that they were in favor of closure.
“It was evident our case and continual data-backed messaging refuting staff data is being read and acted upon,” Guy said. “The Fulton County Schools leadership present tonight, while appreciated, did not sway what our own research shows in favor to keep the school open.”
This overhead shot shows the busy intersection of Johnson Ferry Road, Glenridge and Glenairy drives. Sandy Springs has scheduled an open house Feb. 6 from 6-8 p.m. for residents to hear improvement plans and provide input.
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sandy Springs is asking for input on intersection improvements at Johnson Ferry Road and Glenridge and Glenairy drives from 6-8 p.m. Feb. 6.
The open house will be in the Studio Theatre at Sandy Springs City Hall.
The city says there will be a short presentation on the project’s safety and operational improvements before the public is invited to share their thoughts.
The intersection, currently served by a traffic signal, is north of Hammond Drive and west of Ga. 400. Glenridge Drive intersects with Mount Vernon Highway farther north and stretches south, providing access to I-285.
The intersection experiences about 10 crashes a year – 87 percent of them either rear-end or angle collisions.
—
Hayden Sumlin
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Visit Sandy Springs Board of Directors named Adam Berrios as the next head of the city’s destination marketing organization or convention and visitors bureau.
Berrios began his role as executive director Jan. 6.
“As my career has taken me around the Southeast over the past decade, Sandy Springs has remained on my mind,” Berrios said. “I look forward to returning to the region and sharing how much it has grown with meeting planners and visitors all over the country.”
Previously, he served as senior sales manager for the Alpharetta Convention & Visitors Bureau from 2011-16.
Most recently, Berrios served as vice president of sales and services with the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau. In the role, he directed and planned all activities of the sales department, group travel and client services, the destination services team and hotel partner relations.
Berrios has a Master of Professional Studies from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree in sport and entertainment management from the University of South Carolina.
He will be tasked with attracting the public to Sandy Springs with its 950 acres of parks and greenspace, 21 hotels, hundreds of restaurants, 22 miles of Chattahoochee River shoreline and access to downtown Atlanta.
Mayor Rusty Paul, chairman of Visit Sandy Springs who led the search, said the visitor’s bureau is excited to have Berrios steer the team and the future of the tourism in the city.
“Adam brings a wealth of experience from other destination marketing organizations and has proven to be a tremendous leader with a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of business development in the tourism realm,” Paul said. “Between his previous sales and marketing experience and his knowledge and love for this area, I have no doubt Adam will position Visit Sandy Springs as a top contender for meetings, conventions and sporting events, helping to drive more tourism and direct spending to our destination.”
To learn more about Sandy Springs’ destination marketing organization, visit www.visitsandysprings.org.
— Hayden Sumlin
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ATLANTA — North Metro Atlanta residents cranked up their heaters and grabbed an extra blanket, or two, after a winter storm swept through the Southeast last week.
The National Weather Service issued an extreme cold warning and cold weather advisory for North Georgia ahead of frigid temperatures Jan. 20-22. The weather prompted school closures and warnings from local officials.
It was deja vu after a similar winter storm hit weeks earlier. Residents have endured a lingering cold spell that has stretched for weeks.
Known for its sweltering summers and often mild winters, Metro Atlanta has experienced its fair share of cold weather.
During the January 2014 “Snowpocalypse, Hopewell Road in Milton was like so many others — clogged with traffic and abandoned vehicles.
winter
The area experienced its coldest temperatures on Jan. 20 with a low of 18 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
The bitterly cold low was still a far cry from the lowest ever recorded temperature.
Meteorologists recorded a low of
-6 degrees on Jan. 20, 1985. On Jan. 20, 2017, the area enjoyed a balmy 74 degrees.
The cold temperatures at the start of last week are part of an ongoing spate of below-freezing weather. So far in January, at least 13 days have seen lows below freezing.
Temperatures dipped to 22 degrees Jan. 9 ahead of a winter storm that blanketed the area with more than 1 inch of snow and ice, closing roadways, schools, businesses and
An unidentified woman walks in the snow of 1940 along Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. Burdette Store with a Coca-Cola sign is in the background.
Historical cold
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Last month, the coldest day was Dec. 6 with a low of 24 degrees. About two weeks later, Atlanta experienced its warmest day of the month at 74
Atlanta’s coldest temperatures in recent years was 13 on Jan. 17, 2024
On Dec. 8 and 9, 2017, an exceptionally heavy snowfall brought inches of frozen precipitation to the city, causing widespread power outages. Some parts of North Georgia recorded more than 1 foot.
A year later, snow again fell in Atlanta on Jan. 16-17.
The infamous “Snowpocalypse” in late January of 2014 left Atlanta with several inches of snow and ice, causing “tremendous” impacts for the region, according to the National
Thousands of motorists were stranded on roadways and highways for hours, and many simply abandoned their vehicles. According to the Georgia State Patrol, there were more than 1,500 storm-related crashes in the state with over 180 injuries. At least two people died.
On March 13, 1993, “The Storm of the Century” slammed the Eastern U.S., killing 15 in Georgia. It brought 4 inches of snow to HartsfieldJackson Atlanta International Airport and as many as 3 feet in some parts of Georgia.
According to the National Weather Service, the storm was one of the most intense mid-latitude cyclones to hit the Eastern U.S.
From Jan. 18-22,1985, recordbreaking cold affected every state east of the Rocky Mountains, freezing Atlanta with temperatures as low as -8 degrees. At least 165 deaths across the country were attributed to the weather.
In mid-January 1982, a weather event since dubbed “Snow Jam,” brought about 4 inches of frozen precipitation, paralyzing the city. Gov. George Busbee declared a state of emergency and mobilized the National Guard to aid motorists and clear roadways. At least 10 people died in the state.
One of the most devastating snowstorms in the history of the Southeast occurred from Feb. 9-11, 1973, dropping as much as 2 feet of snow across the region. Atlanta was spared from much of the carnage as the heavy snow remained mainly south of the city.
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By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com
NORTH METRO ATLANTA — Georgia counties, cities and school districts have a month to decide whether to participate in the statewide floating homestead exemption established in House Bill 581.
The bill’s aim is to protect owner-occupied homeowners from wild fluctuations in property tax assessments.
Voters across Georgia approved a referendum in November that puts HB 581 into practice. The bill caps annual property assessments at the inflation rate, which is based on the consumer price index. The law went into effect this month.
A floating homestead exemption generally offsets or softens increases in the taxable value of property.
“The intent is to protect those homeowners. It does slow the growth of the digest for your residential homestead properties,” said Dante Handel, associate director of governmental affairs at Association County Commissioners of Georgia, which lobbies for and advises all 159 counties in the state.
Under the new law, residential property assessments — or the taxable value placed on a home – cannot increase more than the inflation rate each year. Only residential, homesteaded properties are eligible. The tax break does not apply to commercial, industrial or non-homesteaded properties, such as rentals.
Under Georgia law, a home with a fair market value of $750,000 has a taxable value of $300,000 – or 40 percent. The new law would not allow the taxable value of the property to increase more than the inflation rate each year, no matter how much the home gains in real value.
For example, if a home’s real value appreciates by 10 percent over the course of a year, its taxable value would not reflect the same increase. Instead, its taxable – or assessed – value would increase only by the inflation rate, which right now stands at 2.7 percent.
Cities, counties and school districts can opt out of the new state exemption. But, they must first hold three public hearings and notify the Secretary of State’s office by March 1. This is the only time a local government can opt out.
If a local government takes no action, it will be automatically “opt in,” and owner-occupied homeowners would receive the floating exemption.
If a city or county already has a floating exemption, like Fulton County’s 3 percent floating homestead exemption, then homeowners would receive whichever is more beneficial if the local government has opted in on the new state law, Ryan Bowersox, assistant general counsel for the Georgia Municipal Association said.
In cities or school districts that offer a flat-rate homestead exemption, the floating exemption would be added on top of that.
The floating homestead exemption would provide some predictability regarding property taxes if a local government participates, according to Latisha Gray, director of communications for GMA.
“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.”
She added that the exemption will impact cities differently depending on the makeup of their tax digest and how often homes sell.
“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
non-homesteaded portion of the digest,” Gray said.
Non-homestead properties, such as commercial, industrial, agricultural, and multifamily residential, will continue to be taxed based on their fair market value.
Renters will not see the benefit of the homestead exemption, because they are treated as commercial properties, according to GMA General Council Bowersox.
Here’s a look at what area cities, schools and counties are planning to do:
• Alpharetta does not intend to opt out of the statewide exemption, as the city already has a floating exemption in place.
“As the new law allows both to exist simultaneously, and the proper exemption will be applied to the benefit of the property owner, I do not see any reason to make a recommendation to the mayor and City Council that we opt out,” City Administrator Chris Lagerbloom said.
Finance Director Tom Harris added that Alpharetta, Roswell and Milton brought legislation forward to the state legislators to create a floating homestead exemption to “be based on the difference between the current assessed value and an adjusted base value of the homesteaded property” within those three cities. The exemption was approved in 2018.
“The adjusted base value is the initial assessed value at 2018 or at time of homestead, if later, adjusted annually at the lesser of 3 percent or CPI (Consumer Price Index),” Harris said. “In essence, this exemption will cap the annual growth in value to which the millage rate applies to the lesser of 3 percent or CPI.”
• Dunwoody has a property assessment freeze in place
and does not plan to opt out of HB 581. The freeze would remain no matter what the city decides regarding the statewide floating exemption.
“The City of Dunwoody already has a property assessment freeze in place that is actually more restrictive than the new state freeze in that it doesn’t allow for inflation,” Dunwoody Communications Director Jennifer Boettcher said. “‘Opting out’ regarding HB581 only applies to the new statewide freeze, not the one currently on the books in Dunwoody.
• Fulton County has a 3 percent floating homestead exemption. The County Commission decided to opt into the statewide exemption.
“We want to be clear that Fulton County is committed to property tax relief for homeowners,” County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts said in a statement. “Our action today [Jan. 8] will ensure that they get the best deal possible.”
All homeowners who have a Fulton County homestead exemption in place automatically receive a floating homestead exemption. For those receiving the new floating exemption in the 2025 tax year, the property’s assessed value in 2024 will determine the exemption’s base value, the county says.
• Fulton County School District plans to opt out of the exemption and will hold hearings Jan. 23 at 6 p.m. at the South Learning Center, 4025 Flat Shoals Road in Union City.
According to a Fulton County Schools presentation, the district has an exemption that’s capped at 3 percent
Continued from Page 8
or the CPI, and HB 581 is only capped at inflation.
“Exemptions will perform identically until inflation goes over 3 percent, then the FCS exemption is more beneficial to the taxpayer,” the presentation says.
• Forsyth County has not made a final decision, but the county commission will receive a recommendation from staff to not opt out of the statewide exemption.
“Any board decision on the matter will determine that, however,” Forsyth Communications Director Russell Brown said.
• Forsyth County Schools intends to opt out of HB 581 and will hold hearings on Jan. 28 at 6 p.m., Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. and Feb. 11 at 4 p.m. at 1120 Dahlonega Highway in Cumming.
“Our primary goal is to provide a safe, connected, and thriving learning experience for every student in our district,” Mike Valdes, Forsyth County Board of Education chairman, said in a press release. “We want to ensure that any decision we make reflects the values and priorities of our community, which is why hearing from our stakeholders is so crucial.”
• The Johns Creek City Council decided to not opt out of the statewide exemption, meaning it would go into effect in the city.
“Essentially, [the] council was in consensus to take no action as a homestead exemption is already in place,” Johns Creek Communications Director Bob Mullen said.
The city has a local floating homestead exemption that was approved in 2018.
“The council discussed and decided not to ‘opt-out’ to ensure residential homeowners will receive the floating homestead exemption that would be most beneficial to them (either the existing one that was already in place or the one created by HB-581),” Mullen said.
• Milton also doesn’t plan to opt out of the statewide exemption, “resulting in the City of Milton taxpayers receiving the best possible tax exemption,” Milton City Manager Steven Krokoff said.
The city has a floating exemption in place that caps property assessments at 3 percent or the CPI, whichever is less, Krokoff added.
• Roswell has not responded to Appen Media’s requests for a comment and does not have information available, but the city does have a local floating homestead exemption in place.
• Sandy Springs is in the same situation as the other North Fulton cities and plans to take no action regarding the statewide exemption.
“We have had a floating homestead similar to HB 581 for many years, so we have no plan to opt out,” Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul said.
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In 1899, Chamblee student Carrie Hudgins wrote a letter to the Atlanta Journal which appeared in a section called “Juvenile Letterbox.” Based on census records Hudgins was around 15 years old when she wrote the letter.
“As I have never seen any letters published from this place, I will attempt to write a short letter. I go to school at Chamblee. We have sixty scholars enrolled. My teacher’s name is Miss Gordon Hudgins. She is my cousin.”
This first location of a school in Chamblee is recorded as being next door to Corinth Baptist Church, along today’s Hood Avenue and New Peachtree Road. This is the location of the First Baptist Church of Chamblee Cemetery and the Interactive College of Technology today.
Around 1905, the old school was moved to Johnson Ferry Road and Antioch School was built in the back of Corinth Baptist Church. The new school had three rooms and three teachers. (“A Century in DeKalb, First Baptist Church of Chamblee,” 1975)
The school continued to be owned by the community until World War I, when the land became part of Camp Gordon encampment. Children who had attended the Chamblee School were taken by mule-drawn wagons to Doraville School or Wylie School Near
Embry Hills along Chamblee Tucker Road. (“A History of the Community and the City of Chamblee,” 1983, by Vivan Price Saffold)
Once the land was purchased by Camp Gordon, money from the sale, along with help from the county, made it possible for the people of Chamblee to purchase 5 acres to build a new school for both elementary and high school children. A two-story brick school was started in 1919 on Chamblee Dunwoody Road where Chamblee High School is today. People from the community helped build the school, and boys who would attend the school carried bricks to the construction site.
The Antioch school building on Camp Gordon land was moved to the new site and became the Home Economics building and cafeteria. The October 27, 1919, Atlanta Constitution described the school as “one of the finest country schools in the state.” The construction cost was $30,000.
The day after Pearl Harbor Day, on December 8, 1941, the people of Chamblee, Dunwoody, Doraville and Brookhaven were devastated as the school building was destroyed by fire. Chamblee was the high school for students from all these communities.
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.
Can you recall getting hooked on a series and having to wait a year for the next installment to appear? Or perhaps stumbling across book five or six in a series and enjoying it so much that you went in search of the earlier books? Michael Connelly’s Bosch series is one I started from the very beginning with “The Black Echo.” At the time, there were several books out. Only after that did I have to wait patiently for the next installment to appear. If you haven’t read the books, you may know his name from the show on Prime Video. This review is of book 25.
“The Waiting” by
Michael Connelly
Renée Ballard, who appears in the last five Bosch books, heads LAPD’s Open-Unsolved Unit, investigating cold cases — some decades old, others more recent. As happens in the previous books with Ballard as the main character, Harry Bosch contributes to solving the case.
This time, Bosch’s daughter Maddie, who is now a patrol officer, joins the unit as a volunteer. Before you know it, the unit is investigating the never solved Black Dahlia case from the ‘40s. The twists and turns in trying to solve the case while also dealing with department politics combine with investigating another cold case that hinges on DNA analysis.
This one is a suspenseful roller coaster
ride, and, of course, I stayed up way too late several nights to get to the end. I had barely finished the book when the wildfires erupted in California.
Now, as I watch the coverage of the LA fires, I’m flipping back through the book and wondering how the areas in this series have fared. Harry’s neighborhood of Laurel Canyon had escaped unscathed as I began writing this column. The news reported that one Malibu trailer park was devastated, so I thought of Renée, who is an avid surfer and lives in a trailer park in Malibu.
So much of what I know of the LA area comes from Connelly’s series and visits with two friends who live there. One lives far from the devastation, but my Altadena friend was in the thick of it. He evacuated
before his neighborhood was engulfed in flames, and miraculously, his house was still standing when he last heard.
The images on the news are horrific, and reading Michael Connelly’s vivid descriptions of the areas I see in flames make them all the more real to me. Gut wrenching, poignant—words fail me. My heart goes out to those who are living this horror.
Award-winning author Kathy Manos Penn is a Sandy Springs resident. Find her Dickens & Christie cozy mysteries on Amazon or locally at The Enchanted Forest and Bookmiser. Contact her at inkpenn119@gmail.com and visit her website www.facebook.com/ KathyManosPennAuthor/.
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Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com
For at least the past 40 years or more, I have written a long –most times, very long – Christmas letter, at times more than 3,000 words. All this time the “target audience” of my letter has primarily been the adult friends of my parents, the ones I’ve known for decades and who watched us grow up. So, the Christmas letter has been an update every year on how we are and what we have been doing. They actually knew us all, and generally, I believe, were interested in updates. It has almost always included a 1–3page collage of pictures from that year.
Increasingly, however, I have a problem continuing this annual effort because well over half of the people on my Christmas card mailing list have died, and many of those remaining have never met my kids or my sisters. So, getting this indulgent, long missive from me probably annoys
them or, at a minimum, it is not something that gets read very well. I don’t blame them.
Most of the Christmas presents I bought this year were analog. I bought books; I always buy books. I have never been able to read a single digital book, although I am increasingly listening to audio books when I drive on long trips.
I bought a wall map for my grandchildren, a large world map that has all the countries. I hope that Hans will find a wall somewhere, perhaps in the basement, to mount it – or maybe the kitchen! Maps, the knowledge that there are other countries is important. A kid needs to know that they are not the center of the universe. In my dreams, I see my son Hans reading current events to his kids at the breakfast or dinner table and asking them to go find the country on the map that he has just reported some news on.
One thing I wanted to buy but could not find a satisfactory version of was history flash cards, like the ones I had when I was growing up. Two things in my youth helped me understand context and my place in
the world – my history flash cards and my stamp collecting. If you know your stamps, you know U.S. history, or at least the most important events and people.
I did find and buy two items. One was a package of lots of small single topic books. The topics included: Steve Jobs, Jules Verne, Steve Irwin, Galileo, NASA, Nikola Tesla, Marie Curie and more. There were 25 of these books in the package that I bought from Costco (which is no longer going to sell books).
The other thing I bought (also at Costco) in lieu of the flash cards was a rather large “illustrated history of the world,” from the pyramids to the Apollo space missions. Lots of maps, lots of images, and a ton of information. That one is for my eldest grandchild, Phoebe (11), but it may be a little of a stretch at her age. Maybe she will grow into it.
It reminded me of my copy of a large coffee table book “History of the World” by Arnold Toynbee that I think I bought at least 50 years ago, and still have. I actually read all of it and highlighted half of it. And it was also from my encounter with this book that I started my “word collection.” Since
every page in Toynbee’s book had at least a dozen words that I did not know or understand, I started writing them down, looking up the definitions, and ended up with my “word collection” journal. Unfortunately, years ago I left my word collection in Chile, but that is another story.
I bought each of the grandchildren journals in which they can start their own word collections. Only Leo knows about this idea at this point. His first word, something we stumbled across when reading together, was “archipelago” – a chain of islands. I am sure if anyone asks Leo what that that word means now, or 50 years from now, he will for sure be able to tell them. He was excited about the idea of a word collection.
Being a grandparent can be fun. You sort of get the opportunity –especially if you live close – to work on “molding” or influencing another human being after you have had the benefit of already having raised children. You definitely see the possibilities, and every Christmas, you get to buy them stuff that you think will help them grow, become wiser, or just generally benefit them.
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“The success of the first survey led me to conduct this second one,” Bauman said. “These surveys, albeit informal, reinforced to me how important it is for residents to share their perspectives, and many from across the city have said opportunities to be heard and taken seriously are currently lacking.”
Bauman said one thing that brings the community together is overwhelming support for the Police Department. Most
Janis (Jan) Venice Mercer passed away unexpectedly on December 26, 2024. She was 75.
Jan was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania to her parents, Kathryn (Kay) and Harry Yecies. She grew up in McKeesport with her two older brothers, Louis (Lou) (of Chicago, Illinois) and Paul Yecies (of Sharon, MA), and graduated from McKeesport High School in 1967.
Jan graduated from Youngstown State University with a degree in elementary education. After graduation, she was an elementary education teacher in the Cleveland School District for several years before moving to the Atlanta, Georgia area. In Atlanta, she worked as a Human Resources Executive for several organizations until she and her best friends Will and Traci Fleck started Spectrum Recruiting, a recruiting and executive placement firm. Jan was an expert recruiter and relationship-builder; she helped match thousands of people to the perfect job while helping organizations fill hard-to-find positions in the healthcare, biomedical, consumer products, and insurance industries.
respondents to his letter, he said, tend to be more engaged and informed about local government.
While Bauman represents the southwestern district of the city, his New Year’s resolution letter covered citywide efforts, like redevelopment of the city’s North End along Roswell Road and schools outside his district.
In the realm of education, two controversial developments are affecting one of the city’s highest performing public elementary schools and one of its strongest private school communities.
Bauman said emails from Spalding Drive Elementary parents highlight
her love for kids and sports, she became a founding board member and helped JCYFA become the fastest growing youth sports organization in the north metro area.
The most important things to Jan were her family and friends. Jan was kind and caring, she was always willing to help and always put others first. Jan could brighten a room with her beautiful smile and joy for life shining through.
Jan met the love of her life, the late Paul Mercer, in Atlanta. Jan and Paul were happily married for almost 25 years, until he passed away last year. Jan enjoyed the roses Paul picked for her from the rose garden in their yard that they cherished together. They lived an amazing love story and their home was always filled with love, laughter, and roses!
how its planned closure would directly impact families with children attending or planning to attend the school.
“Many families see this as a decision that could dictate whether they remain in Sandy Springs,” he said. “The school is critical to maintaining family-friendly neighborhoods, and its potential closure raises questions about how we attract and retain young families.”
While the Spalding Drive school issue has brought together communities from all seven elementary schools in the city, field lighting at The Mount Vernon School has driven residents apart.
The private school along Mount Vernon Highway is asking the city to amend zoning conditions to allow the lights. Surrounding residents are opposed, pointing to prior agreements that bar them.
Some in the Mount Vernon Woods neighborhood, directly abutting the school, said they would also consider moving if the field lighting were approved.
“The Mount Vernon lights issue has been passionate and polarizing, with neighbors divided over light pollution and noise versus the benefits for student athletics and community events,” Bauman said. “Both issues reflect how deeply local government decisions impact daily lives, and I take care to listen to every perspective as we weigh these decisions.”
On contentious issues like redevelopment or land use, Bauman said his goal is to find balanced solutions that reflect community values.
In the realm of redevelopment, striking a balance across the city and taking action to improve the city’s commercial properties in the North End is crucial, Bauman said.
The city’s website shows three ongoing revitalization efforts throughout the city: City Springs, North End Redevelopment and the Chattahoochee Riverfront Access Plan.
Revitalizing older, obsolete commercial properties in the North End is critical to creating vibrant, mixed-use developments.”
ANDY BAUMAN Sandy Springs City Councilman
Transportation this month for construction and utility work associated with the Roswell Road North End Boulevard project.
The project focuses on improving pedestrian safety and infrastructure from Dunwoody Place to Roberts Drive along Ga. 9, a key to securing private redevelopment partners for revitalization.
If the federal grant is approved, Sandy Springs will be required to chip in a local match of $2.28 million, which it has budgeted in its 2021 Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax fund.
District 6 resident Tricia Gephardt, who has lived in Sandy Springs for 25 years with her husband, spoke with Appen Media about her feedback and New Year’s resolutions.
After relocating near I-285 from the city’s Panhandle region five years ago, Gephardt said she got on Bauman’s email list.
“Sandy Springs has been growing in a very positive direction,” she said. “It’s not that everything is perfect by any means, and there’s certainly is a lot of room for improvement.”
Over the years, Jan also enjoyed her time volunteering at several prominent organizations, including the Atlanta Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, the security detail for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, the personnel operations team for the Georgia State Defense Force, the BlueHair Technology Group whose mission was to educate adult seniors about technology and tools, and the Johns Creek Youth Football Association where through
Jan and her husband Paul enjoyed watching and supporting the Atlanta Braves, and as a native of Pennsylvania, Jan was the Pittsburgh Steelers biggest fan. Jan got to enjoy home games with her family growing up in nearby McKeesport and after moving to Atlanta, seldom missed a broadcasted game – her neighbors always knew when the Steelers were playing! She also loved college football and enjoyed cheering-on her favorite team, the Michigan Wolverines – Go Blue.
Jan left us too soon, and is dearly missed. But we are comforted in knowing that she has been reunited with the love of her life, Paul and her sweet Saint Bernard, Duchess. Jan was always a positive ray of light and will forever be remembered for her hearty laugh, her beautiful smile, and her genuine kindness.
“Balancing investments requires intentionality; it’s not an ‘either/or,’ it’s an ‘and,’” Bauman said. “Unfortunately, some in our leadership haven’t seen it that way.”
Over the past decade, City Springs has transformed an old Target parking lot into the city’s downtown, while older commercial developments struggle near the Roswell border along Ga. 9.
“Revitalizing older, obsolete commercial properties in the North End is critical to creating vibrant, mixed-use developments,” Bauman said. “While I’m extremely proud of projects like the Lake Forrest Drive sidewalk and Old Riverside Park improvements in District 6, I believe we need to prioritize action, not just discussion, for North End redevelopment.”
The Sandy Springs City Council was set to submit a $9.1 million grant application to the U.S. Department of
Gephardt has a son enrolled at The Mount Vernon School. She is in favor of school’s effort to get lighting on its main field but recognizes there are strong arguments on both sides.
For Gephardt, there is a way to protect the surrounding neighborhoods and allow the school to light the field for a few football games.
“You want schools to be within a neighborhood and a community. That’s the point,” she said.
Tree canopy, housing and sustainability are also important to Gephardt.
“If we can build a mixed density kind of thing, which is a bad word, having police officers, teachers and city workers living within our community would mean less traffic and a more diverse community,” she said. “Who wouldn’t want a police officer to live close to them?”
As far as city leadership goes, Gephardt said she thinks it’s time for new faces and ideas.
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The zoning amendment is necessary because of the school’s 2003 agreement with the Mount Vernon Woods neighborhood, which expires in September, to not install field lighting.
While The Mount Vernon School is looking to expand its programming at Ron Hill Field, protected neighborhoods in the area are largely opposed to noise and sound impacts.
Head of School Kristy Lundstrom said field lighting would create a safer environment on campus for home football games, now held in the afternoons during class time, and allow the school to expand girls sports.
The decision to deny does not mean there will never be lighting at the school’s Ron Hill Field, but it stalls any consideration at least a year.
The contentious issue pitted residents against the private school in their neighborhood, council members against each other and exposed a philosophical divide in the city.
After city staff recommended approval of field lighting with several conditions, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to deny, setting up the Jan. 21 public hearing.
The city charter only allows the mayor to vote with all council members present in the case of a tie.
“I’ve told folks that when you make changes of this magnitude, you really need a consensus on council,” Paul said before the vote. “I think it’s going to be close, but I’ve told both sides: In case of a tie, the motion fails.”
The mayor said he hopes the school brings back the application in a year, and he encouraged neighbors to be more flexible.
During the mayor’s comments, council members Jody Reichel and Andy Bauman, who voted to approve the zoning change, asked Paul to
clarify his comments.
“So, you’re going to choose not to vote?” Reichel said. “It fails because you chose to vote against it.”
Paul clarified that if there’s a tie, he would vote “no” and the application would be denied.
“I would be basically leaving the status quo in place, would be how I would vote,” Paul said. “The agreement doesn’t end until September, so that gives [the school] more than eight months to go ahead and get something worked out.”
The Mount Vernon School community left the Jan. 21 public hearing disappointed.
Kelly Garges, one of the dozens of Mount Vernon School parents in the Studio Theatre lobby during the public hearing, said the students will suffer.
“I think it is wildly short-sighted to deny these kids the Friday Night Lights experience,” Garges said. “The school bent over backwards to work with the community in hopes of providing these kids with a positive environment.”
During the public hearing, an attorney representing The Mount Vernon School said neighbors were opposed to the possibility of lighting the field for just one night a year.
Another parent, Tricia Gephardt, said the public hearing experience was a beautiful lesson in civic engagement for students at The Mount Vernon School. Her 11th grader graduated from Youth Leadership Sandy Springs in 2023. Even though he’s not an athlete, Ernest Gephardt asked the City Council to approve the application.
Kimberly Oliver, president of the Mount Vernon Woods Civic Association, spoke against the application along with some her neighbors. Oliver said neighborhoods are what makes Sandy Springs such a desirable place to live.
Elgin Aeschliman, 75, of Roswell, passed away on January 19, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
James Clack, Sr., 93, of Alpharetta, passed away on January 16, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Arlene Corsiglia, 91, of Roswell, passed away on January 11, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
“The adjacent neighborhoods are relieved that the application was denied,” Oliver said. “We really appreciate the three council members and Mayor Rusty Paul who upheld the 2017 Next Ten Comprehensive Plan regarding protection of residential neighbors.”
While council members Tibby DeJulio, Melissa Mular and John Paulson voted to deny the school’s application, council members Andy Bauman, Melody Kelley and Jody Reichel voted in support.
Council opponents said the city’s Next 10 Comprehensive Plan and its emphasis on protected neighborhoods trumps the school’s need to expand programming.
Those in favor of the field lighting said that charting a path forward to continue growth and development of Sandy Springs trumps neighbor’s concerns about noise and light pollution.
Sandy Springs celebrates its 20th anniversary this December, and questions about how to manage the city’s growth have taken center stage.
Elected officials were tasked with deciding whether the school or neighborhoods had the better argument.
During the public hearing and up to the final vote, Bauman tried to encourage a compromise and even made a motion to reduce the number of nights the school would be allowed to use its lights. The compromises were rejected by those representing the neighborhoods, who have made it clear since the summer that field lighting is a non-starter.
“I was a little disappointed that it came with no debate or discussion, other than a promise broken,” Bauman said. “I know this decision won’t satisfy everyone; I told some of you on both sides that when you thanked me for listening and hearing, you may not like me so much after I vote.”
Mary Elkins, 88, of Roswell, passed away on January 12, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Marlene Hitt, 90, of Alpharetta, passed away on January 11, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Arthur McCracken, 84, of Alpharetta, passed away on January 16, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Before voting to approve, Bauman said he believes the conditions tied to field lighting represent a reasonable balance.
After a formal roll-call vote and 3-3 split on the City Council, Mayor Rusty Paul said the motion failed.
“After listening to both sides and the council positions, I felt the issue needs more work,” Paul said after the meeting. “So, it was a not so much a ‘no’ as a ‘not yet.’”
He said the community’s split on the proposal told him the issue needs more work to find a satisfactory way forward.
Where it’s headed
Appen Media reached out to The Mount Vernon School’s chief brand officer Michele Koch to hear what the plan is for lighting at Ron Hill Field.
Koch said the private school is still willing to engage with its neighbors. Unfortunately, it’s not clear if a compromise can be reached on field lighting.
“We are by no means giving up,” she said. “We will work with our attorneys to analyze all options, including an appeal to superior court and/or refilling the application at the earliest possible time.”
Regarding the council vote, Koch said the school community wishes the mayor had taken a bolder stance and broken the tie.
“We appreciate his obvious recognition that lights on Ron Hill Field are inevitable,” she said.
Paul also shared comments after the meeting and indicated there will be future discussions about field lighting for The Mount Vernon School.
“The school and the neighborhood need to continue working toward a solution, which means some additional flexibility on both sides,” he said. “I strongly urged them to keep talking as neighbors to work it out or the outcome next time could be different.”
Marilyn Owens, 88, of Alpharetta, passed away on January 14, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Mae Riley, 87, of Roswell, passed away on January 18, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Amy Sims, 50, of Alpharetta, passed away on January 17, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
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