Sandy Springs Crier - February 2, 2023

Roswell Firelabs serves as a gym for the brain

Mayors discuss Perimeter topics at annual forum

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul and Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch were the featured speakers Jan. 12 at the annual Leadership Sandy Springs Evening with the Mayor.

The mayors took the stage at Newell Brands in Sandy Springs to participate in a question and answer panel discussion with moderator Brook Perez, Georgia Power Community and Economic Development manager.

“Evening with the Mayor has been a favorite alumni event for the past eight years,” LSS Executive Director Rosalyn Putnam said. “And we were honored to have, for the first time, two respected city officials from our neighboring communities agree to share the stage, and their insights, about leadership and their experiences as leaders.”

City Springs draws focus

Officials seek master developer to continue work on downtown project

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Officials in Sandy Springs have voted to launch the second phase of the City Springs campus in downtown.

At a special called meeting Jan. 23, the City Council voted unanimously to solicit proposals on development plans for Phase 2 of the project which includes the campus and surrounding area.

This comes less than a month after adoption of the City Springs Master Plan

Update, which continues the original 2012 Sandy Springs City Center Master Plan, providing a framework for development, investment opportunities and infrastructure improvements in the downtown.

See DEVELOP, Page 4

The two mayors engaged in a spirited and candid discussion before a crowd of more than 130 LSS alumni and guests.

Prior to the mayor’s panel discussion, the group honored three Sandy Springs residents for their contributions to the community with the 2022 Carolyn Axt Alumni Award, the organization’s most prestigious honor named for community leader and former LSS Executive Director Carolyn Axt.

See MAYORS, Page 4

ALEX POPP/APPEN MEDIA

Sandy Springs City Manager Eden Freeman presents councilmembers with a proposal at a special called meeting Jan. 23 at City Hall. Freeman said they are in the process of hiring a firm to serve as master developer for Phase 2 of the City Springs campus development.

NEWS TIPS

Five arrested in Dunwoody vehicle burglary spree

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By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Police in Dunwoody arrested five teens Jan. 26 accused of burglarizing more than a dozen parked vehicles at Peachford Hospital and a Dunwoody apartment complex Jan. 26.

Police were called to 2300 Peachford Road at about 12:30 a.m. Jan. 26 after receiving reports a vehicle burglary was in process at the Sterling Apartments. Police located multiple suspects “actively” breaking into cars, Sgt. Michael Cheek of the Dunwoody Police Department said.

POLICE BLOTTER

All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.

$14,000 check fraud reported in Dunwoody

DUNWOODY, Ga. — A person took possession of a $14,000 check recently mailed to the Georgia Department of Revenue and cashed it at a Wells Fargo branch bank.

All four suspects fled the scene when police arrived but were quickly located climbing a fence behind a public storage facility on North Shallowford Road.

One suspect was apprehended as police established a perimeter around the area and four other suspects were located hiding together with help from a K9 unit from the Brookhaven Police Department, Cheek said. A suspect who continued to flee, ignoring officer’s orders to stop, was injured and apprehended by a K9 unit. He was arrested after being treated at a nearby hospital.

In total, police located 16 burglarized

vehicles at the Sterling Apartments and Peachford Hospital and identified three other vehicles the suspects attempted to burglarize. Cheek said officers recovered a stolen vehicle, two stolen handguns and other stolen items during the incident.

Those arrested in the incident included four 17-year-old males and a 15-year-old male, Cheek said.

The 17-year-olds were transported to DeKalb County Jail, and the 15-yearold was transported to a Regional Youth Detention Center.

Cheek said each of the suspects will face multiple felony charges.

SANDY SPRINGS POLICE REPORTS

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” of open cases. It is the only city Appen Media covers that does this.

Without that information, The Crier is unable to report fully on crime in the city. The city’s position is in conflict with guidance from the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Department of Law, Georgia Press Association and other organizations.

The Crier continues to pursue avenues to make this information available to the public and to the taxpayers who fund their police department.

2022

2018

The victim, a Dunwoody resident, reported he mailed a $14,003.14 check to the state agency Jan. 16 from a mailbox near 7 Dunwoody Park, but he learned the check was cashed Jan. 18 at a Wells Fargo branch by someone using a name he was unfamiliar with.

The man told police he didn’t know who deposited the check and subsequently canceled his Wells Fargo account after the theft was discovered.

No suspect in the crime was identified.

Woman’s purse stolen while shopping at store

DUNWOODY, Ga. —A woman reported to police Jan. 19 that her purse was stolen from her shopping cart by a thief, while she shopped at a Dunwoody TJ Maxx store.

Dunwoody police said the theft occurred at the TJ Maxx on Perimeter Center at about 2 p.m. as the victim was shopping. The victim reportedly saw her purse last inside her shopping cart and noticed a possible female suspect circling

her “aimlessly” at the time.

A report said the suspect didn’t appear to be shopping and was acting strangely, holding a white shopping bag inside the store.

When the victim realized her purse was missing, she began looking for the woman who was acting strangely and saw her get in a car and drive away.

In total, the victim said approximately $7,000 was stolen, including the price of the purse, as well as an iPhone, cash and cards.

Police reported no suspects have been identified.

Experts hold summit on human trafficking scourge

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Faith, a human trafficking survivor, was 4 years old when someone first put a price tag on her. Her mother would not hand her over to her relatives unless she was given something in return, whether it was a car or payment for utility bills.

“That was the only way that she would allow me to be free from her abuse, from her neglect, from her addiction, and from all of her unhealthy cycles and patterns,” Faith said.

Faith’s story concluded the Jan. 21 Human Trafficking Summit at the Fulton County Schools Innovation Academy, hosted by the Alpharetta Rotary. Preceding Faith, two panels consisting of experts in human trafficking spoke from varying angles on the subject.

Because she was sexually assaulted at a young age, Faith said she had a skewed version of what love was.

“I learned then that I had no voice, that I had no value, that I had no worth, and that I had no purpose, and that I certainly didn’t have a destiny anymore,” she said.

Faith’s turbulent beginnings followed her until her late 30s, when she finally escaped the cycle of human trafficking. She now works at Street Grace, a faithdriven organization whose mission is to eradicate the sexual exploitation of minors and become one of the founding members for its Survivor Advisory Council.

“Please get involved,” Faith said. “Because there are people out there who depend on you …they need someone to help them through breaking the cycles that they get wrapped up in, in the patterns that they get wrapped up in because it’s not easy.”

Defining human trafficking

Moderated by Dave McCleary, founding member of the anti-human trafficking organization Rotary Action Group Against Slavery, the first panel consisted of Susan Coppedge, former ambassador to the Trafficking in Persons Office; Alia El-Sawi, victim assistance specialist at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Hannah Palmquist, human trafficking section chief for the Georgia Attorney General’s Office; and Jonathan Leach, special agent for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit.

Human trafficking is rarely kidnapping by physical force, Palmquist said, but rather victims are lured in by promises to fill basic needs that aren’t being met.

“Sex trafficking is the exploitation of the most vulnerable victims in society,” Palmquist said.

There are three types of human trafficking, Leach said, labor trafficking, sexual servitude and benefits trafficking.

Benefits trafficking, which targets older people or people with disabilities, doesn’t see a lot of discussion, Leach said.

Most trafficking, 60 percent, comes in the form of labor. El-Sawi commented on some of her case work that found domestic servitude within multimillion-dollar homes.

“It can happen anywhere,” El-Sawi said. “It could happen in an affluent neighborhood … So this is an issue that really affects all of us — all communities, all populations.”

According to data provided by Alpharetta Rotary, it’s estimated that 43 percent of johns live in North Fulton.

Coppedge asked the audience to be conscious consumers, directing visitors to slaveryfootprint.org. The website allows users to answer a series of questions informing them of how purchasing habits contribute to the global labor trafficking problem.

“Sex trafficking is horrific — it’s a bodily assault,” Coppedge said. “But labor trafficking can be a bodily assault, too, and we are all contributing to that with our consumer purchasing.”

Prevention efforts

The summit’s second panel focused on prevention within the transportation industry, health care field and the school system.

Moderated by Ashlie Bryant, CEO of the anti-human trafficking organization 3Strands Global Foundation, the second panel included FCS Innovation Academy students Sejal Whitaker, Lakshana Ramanan and Sree Hariharan; Joe McDermot, vice president of Operations and Training at Delta Airlines; and Freda Lyon, vice president for Emergency Services at Wellstar Health System.

Bryant’s organization developed a

human trafficking prevention program that can be implemented in schools at all grade levels. Starting in kindergarten, students are taught to listen to their inner voice.

“A really important part of prevention is being able to meet people where they’re at,” Bryant said.

Lyon said hospital staff are trained to ask all patients if they feel safe at home in a way that makes patients feel comfortable. She also described some of the signs of human trafficking that health care workers should look for, like tattoos.

But Lyon said trafficking victims don’t always look like they’ve been trafficked.

“We have to worry about our bias, making sure that we’re aware of our bias.”

McDermot said all 95,000 Delta Airlines employees are trained to spot signs of human trafficking. He shared a success story about two aircraft mechanics in Florida who were able to observe the signs and act as a result of the training.

“Don’t underestimate the awareness that everybody has in this room,” McDermot said, alluding to the packed auditorium.

He also said that Delta uses frequent flier miles to help evacuate trafficking victims back to their families, which has been done 326 times.

Hariharan, a junior at FCS Innovation Academy, evoked applause after giving a call to action to the parents in the room.

“What we need to do is reduce the stigma of talking about sexuality — good touch, bad touch — because you’d rather be the one to tell your children.”

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Freda Lyon , vice president for Emergency Services at Wellstar Health System, talks about spotting signs of trafficking in the health care field at the Jan. 21 Human Trafficking Summit.

Lemonade Days Festival to celebrate 23rd season

DUNWOODY, Ga. — The five-day Lemonade Days Festival will return to Dunwoody this spring for its 23rd year, bringing fun, food, rides and shows to support the Dunwoody Preservation Trust.

This year’s festival will be held at Brook Run Park from April 19 to 23, featuring full-scale carnival rides, food-and-beverage vendors, pony rides, a petting zoo and the Dunwoody Idol contest.

Launched in 1999 to help families affected by the 1998 tornado that ripped through Dunwoody, the festival has since grown into a highly anticipated event that attracts more than

30,000 people each year. Today the Lemonade Days Festival is the sole fundraiser for the Dunwoody Preservation Trust. It supports the historic 1870 Donaldson-Bannister Farm and numerous community events and programs for children and adults.

The festival will run from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Wednesday, April 19 to Friday, April 21; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, April 22; and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, April 23.

For more information on the Lemonade Days Festival visit http://dunwoodylemonadedays.org. Weather updates will be provided on Twitter @Lemonadedays.

Mayors:

Continued from Page 1

“Leadership Sandy Springs is proud to be celebrating 35 years of developing and connecting community leaders and will be accepting applications for the class of 2024 in late February,” officials said.

Continued from Page 1

The Master Plan Update, which was developed through nearly a year of community engagement meetings, describes a vision of making City Spring a walkable and connected district with something for everyone, stretching from the current City Springs campus, up and down the Roswell Road Corridor.

Control of the project

With the City Springs Master Plan Update completed, City Manager Eden Freeman said they are now ready to find a master developer for the next phase. To make their selection, Freeman said they have issued a request for proposal from five development firms.

Firms approached by the city include The Atlantic Companies, Mid City Real Estate Partners, Mill Creek Residential Trust, Regent Partners and Roca Point Partners.

“They’ll come back with full proposals,” Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul said. “A very comprehensive layout of what they plan to do.”

Once the proposals are returned, the City Council is expected to make a final decision and award the contract in April.

“We’ve always partnered with the private sector, but the private sector hasn’t always done exactly things the way we

wanted them done,” Paul said. “This is one way we make sure we can control the development process and get exactly what the citizens of Sandy Springs expect.”

Requests for further comment on this item were not responded to by city officials as of press time.

Maintenance building site

Councilmembers also approved the purchase of half an acre off Roswell Road in north Sandy Springs, which is slated to become part of the city’s new fleet maintenance facility.

Freeman told councilmembers the city was recently offered the opportunity to purchase two parcels directly behind city-owned property at 8475 Roswell Road, where they plan to build their new facility for maintenance and fueling of city vehicles.

The parcels were offered for $115,000 and if purchased, Freeman said all three parcels would be consolidated and rezoned for construction of the facility.

“Currently, the Fleet Facility is temporarily located on Hilderbrand Drive,” officials said. “Permanently moving the facility north will be advantageous, as it will be more readily available to the Police Department, which makes up the majority of the city’s fleet pool.”

The purchase proposal was unanimously approved after a short discussion.

The recipients included Christine Heller, Jack Misiura and Mark

Thomas.

LEADERSHIP SANDY SPRINGS/PROVIDED

From left, Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch; moderator Brook Perez, Georgia Power Community and Economic Development manager; and Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul participate in a question and answer session at the annual Leadership Sandy Springs Evening with the Mayor Jan. 12 at Newell Brands in Sandy Springs.

Murder victim honored by those who knew her

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Megan Frix loved watching music videos and coffee.

“Megan was so funny,” said Lisa Bennett, manager of the Forsyth and Dawson campuses of Creative Enterprises, a nonprofit community rehabilitation program that teaches life and social skills to adults with disabilities.

“And so, she loved Conway Twitty, and she loved looking at Kohl’s ads and, you know, showing you what she wanted to buy.”

On Jan. 8, Megan, 26, was found dead in her Cumming home, the victim of an apparent murder-suicide. While the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office and the State Medical Examiner’s Office are investigating the official cause of death, Sheriff Ron Freeman announced Jan. 11 that Megan was apparently killed by her father, Jerry, 58, who then killed himself.

Bennett, who had known Megan since she was 3 years old, said she was on the autism spectrum. Bennett and Coordinator Abby Otwell said Megan was nonverbal and struggled to communicate her wants and needs.

“She also was just very easily put into sensory overload, like tags on her shirts and things like that bothered her,” Otwell said. “And if we couldn’t figure that out quick enough, you know, that would be a problem.”

Megan began attending Creative Enterprises in January 2019, but she left six months later due to behavioral issues.

Under Medicaid funding, Bennett said Creative Enterprises must maintain a ratio of one instructor to 10 clients. Otwell said Megan could not have one staff member assigned to her like she needed.

“So, it weighs on us very heavily, I think, with Megan, especially because we couldn’t serve her,” Bennett said. She continued communicating with

LOCAL

Megan’s father after Megan left the program, she said, but one day he stopped calling.

Bennett said Megan’s primary caretaker was her mother, who died three years ago. Despite receiving support, Megan’s father couldn’t see any way out, she said.

“Her dad had a lot of help,” Bennett said. “I don’t really blame the state for this one because they were doing everything they could to get her services.”

Clients at Creative Enterprises are supported by the Medicaid Waiver Program. Clients are also referred to the program by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency.

While she was able to receive athome care under state waivers, Megan was ineligible to receive care in a residential facility. Bennett said there are also host homes, individuals who volunteer to take in adults with dis -

abilities, but there are none in Forsyth County.

If Megan’s father had the opportunity to place Megan in a residential care facility, Otwell said she believes he would have accepted.

Megan’s situation is not unique to the Forsyth program. Bennett said a client with Down syndrome was killed while receiving at-home care. Bennett found another client alone in the hotel room he and his sister were staying in. His sister had died, she said, and he did not know what to do.

Bennett said Megan’s death and those before hers made Creative Enterprises act to inform others about the reality of caring for an adult with special needs.

“The community has really stepped up, too, and I’m sure a lot of them are wishing that they had helped Jerry when he kept asking for help,” Bennett said. A GoFundMe created for Megan’s funeral expenses raised over $10,000.

Organization for aging parents offers Atlanta programs

ATLANTA, Ga. — Adult Children of Aging Parents, known as ACAP, has established a Metro Atlanta chapter of the educational nonprofit aimed at educating adult children about how best to care for their aging parents.

The Metro Atlanta chapter will be led by 16 professionals from different services areas that impact senior citizens. Professionals will hold community programs starting

Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 5 p.m. at Town Square Sandy Springs Adult Day Care on Dunwoody Place.

“One in six Americans are caregivers for someone over the age of 50,” Atlanta chapter coordinator Mary Remmes said. “Most adult children don’t think about caring for an aging parent until there’s a crisis and they’re called on to manage someone else’s needs.”

Programs will be held in-person and

virtually on the second Wednesday of every month, with a focus on teaching strategies, insights and skills to the adult children who care for their elderly parents.

Adult Children of Aging Parents was established in 2012 in North Carolina. The Atlanta chapter will mark the organization’s expansion to a third state, along with its chapters in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA Staff at Creative Enterprises Forsyth in Cumming say they have fond memories of Megan Frix, the victim in a murder-suicide Jan. 8. Megan spent six months at the nonprofit organization that teaches life and social skills to special needs adults.

North Fulton cities scramble to find solution to costly elections

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

ATLANTA — City councils across north metro Atlanta are scrambling to find a way for their cities to administer their own municipal elections this fall, a move that could free them from mounting costs proposed by Fulton County.

At stake are tens of thousands of local tax dollars in savings if the plans are enacted.

In 2021, Fulton County charged cities $2.96 per registered voter to manage their municipal general elections and $2.46 per registered voter in runoff elections. The county charged cities the same figure in the 2019 municipal elections.

But in December, Fulton County Elections staff proposed charging cities $11.48 per registered voter for this year’s municipal elections.

There was pushback from the Fulton County Board of Registrations and Elections, and the county later agreed to charge cities $9.38 per registered voter for this fall’s municipal elections.

Last month, the Milton City Council set things in motion by approving a plan to run its own 2023 municipal elections. The plan was drafted by a panel who spent months studying whether local administration of elections would be feasible.

The Milton Municipal Election Committee consisted of six members. One was Milton resident Mark Amick, who was subpoenaed last June as part of a Fulton County investigation into Republican attempts to overturn the 2020 election. City staff couldn’t account for how Amick was nominated to the committee.

Using the Milton election study as a guide, an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) involving Milton, Johns Creek, Roswell and Alpharetta is in the works that will propose one regional election superintendent oversee all the cities’ 2023 municipal elections. But cities will still need to hire their own election manager.

Sandy Springs has no municipal elections scheduled for this fall.

The Alpharetta City Council approved its own election superintendent Jan. 23.

That same evening, the Johns Creek City Council confined the discussion to its work session.

So did the Roswell City Council, but the topic resurfaced the following night at the Roswell Community Development and Transportation meeting. The discussion sparked a special-called Roswell City Council meeting for Jan. 30 to further examine elections.

While the next municipal election for Sandy Springs is slated in 2025, Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul said the city will monitor the ongoing regional conver -

Polling locations were another concern raised at both the Roswell and Johns Creek council work sessions.

Quick deadline

While Milton took more than a year to formulate and adopt a local election plan, Johns Creek City Manager Ed Densmore told councilmembers that Fulton County must have the city’s decision by March 1.

Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry and most councilmembers were optimistic about the endeavor, but Councilwoman Elwood kept her feet on the ground at the Jan. 23 work session.

“Truly, I am very concerned about our decision affecting the legitimacy of this institution,” Elwood said.

She said the discussion and questions are being framed “reactively.”

Johns

showing registered voters and voter turnout at a Johns Creek City Council work session Jan. 23. The Johns Creek City Council, along with elected officials from other North Fulton cities, discussed the possibility of running their own municipal elections that same night.

sations to determine how best to ensure the city’s elections can be conducted in an efficient, cost-effective manner.

The Milton template

The Milton elections committee estimated that the city’s cost to run its own municipal election this fall would be $72,254 in the first year, saving Milton at least $114,090, based on the charge sought from Fulton County. With one-time startup costs out of the way, subsequent years are estimated to cost $56,589.

The cost projection was based on a number of state-regulated components. However, the cost is also rooted in the committee’s preferences, such as exclusively using paper ballots.

While the Milton elections committee recommended paper ballots, Mayor Peyton Jamison could not confirm whether that would be the case.

Jamison said the election superintendent would look at all viable options once appointed.

There’s been some confusion as to whether the cities would conduct identical municipal elections if the IGA were to be approved.

Senior staff from Alpharetta, including City Administrator Chris Lagerbloom, met with Milton Deputy City Manager Stacy Inglis Jan. 24 to pore over details of the city’s election plan.

Alpharetta Assistant City Administrator James Drinkard could not say whether Alpharetta is committed to follow the exact Milton template. For one thing, he said, Alpharetta is a much larger city.

“We have to think through those

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things,” Drinkard said. “There have been some conversations of all the cities having one elections superintendent, but I don’t know if that requires we have to follow the exact template of Milton.”

At the Roswell City Council Jan. 23 work session, officials discussed a possible partnership with their “sister cities,” and what an intergovernmental agreement might look like. There was some indication among some councilmembers that Roswell would follow the same template as Milton if they signed the IGA.

However, Roswell City Councilwoman Sarah Beeson took issue with the uniformity because of Milton’s decision to use paper ballots. Beeson said paper ballots are concerning for a “city of our size.”

With a population of 92,500, Roswell has more than twice the residents of Milton.

Johns Creek City Councilwoman Erin Elwood also raised the concern over paper ballots at its council work session.

With the expectation that Milton’s election study will set the IGA’s precedent, Elwood said “What Milton has come up with works for Milton. I don’t think that works for Johns Creek.”

“We are asking the question, ‘How do we have our own election in 2023, eight months from now?’ Elwood said. “I think the question that we should be asking, and it’s our duty to ask, is if we want to take control of our elections, what does that look like? And how do we define success?”

Elwood said she’s talked to election voter protection activists.

“They’re scared about 2023. But they actually are not that opposed to 2025,” she said.

Instead of focusing on a quick decision, Elwood said she wants to see resources, like time, spent on negotiating with Fulton County. Elwood said it’s probable Fulton County will come down on cost like they’ve done in previous years.

Johns Creek City Councilman Chris Coughlin recommended the city pursue negotiation concurrently with efforts to explore self-run elections this year.

The City Council will reassess the situation once the deadline arrives, Bradberry said, but “in the short term, I think that there’s a bigger risk if we don’t investigate and pursue.”

The March 1 deadline came as news to Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson, though, who at the Jan. 24 Roswell Community Development and Transportation meeting said he hadn’t spoken to the Johns Creek mayor all week.

The night before, Roswell officials voiced their hope to push through election discussion in time for the November 2023 election.

Alpharetta City Administrator Chris Lagerbloom shared the same sentiment at the Jan. 23 City Council meeting.

“We’re not afraid of the challenge, and I’m confident in our team to be able to do this,” Lagerbloom said.

— Managing Editor Pat Fox and Staff Reporters Delaney Tarr and Shelby Israel contributed to this story.

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Creek City Councilwoman Erin Elwood presents slides

CALENDAR

‘COMPLETENESS’ AT STAGE DOOR THEATRE

What: How does a computer scientist hook up with a molecular biologist? He blinds her with science, of course. When Elliot builds a computer program to help Molly with her research project, the variables in their evolving relationship shift as rapidly as the terms of their experiment. This deft and imaginative new ROM-comedy shows that even the most sophisticated algorithm may freeze in the face of love’s infinite possibilities.

SALSA DANCING FOR NEW STUDENTS

What: Discover a new world and tune into sexy and spicy tropical sounds of Salsa and Bachata music and dance. All you have to bring is the desire for learning how to dance and we will guide you step by step toward the experience of your life.

When: Monday, Feb. 6, 7-10 p.m. (recurring)

Where: PASOFino Latin Dance Studio, 8610 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs

Cost: $20 per class

When: Jan. 27- Feb. 12, 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Where: Stage Door Theatre, 5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody

Cost: $35 for adults, $20 for students, $15 for children

More info: stagedoortheatrega.org

BLACK HISTORY IN ROSWELL: HONORING OUR PAST

What: Presented by the Roswell Historical Society, this event highlights the struggles and triumphs of African Americans in the Roswell area, beginning with the enslaved people brought from the coast by the founding families and ending with the Civil Rights movement. Elaine DeNiro, archivist for the Roswell Historical Society and the City of Roswell, will present original documents pertaining to the area’s Black history. Charles Grogan, Roswell's Black historian, and Sandra Taylor will share their personal experiences about growing up in a Black neighborhood in Roswell.

When: Thursday, Feb. 2, 2 p.m.

Where: Roswell Branch, Fulton County Library System, 115 Norcross Street, Roswell

More info: roswellhistoricalsociety.org

THE SPIRIT OF HARRIET TUBMAN

What: Leslie McCurdy invokes the “spirit” of Harriet Tubman as she portrays the life of the famous Underground Railroad conductor, recreating stories familiar and some rarely told, using words said to have been Harriet Tubman’s own. Through it all, viewers will learn of the faith and conviction that drove Harriet Tubman to follow her dreams — the spirit of the past connecting with the present, inspiring her charges to have the courage to do the same in envisioning their future.

When: Friday, Feb. 3, 10-11 a.m.

Where: Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest Street, Roswell

Cost: $12

More info: roswellgov.com

BLACK OPRY REVUE

What: Black Opry’s stellar lineup of some of the most acclaimed Black performers in the industry launch the 2023 Roswell Roots Festival at Roswell Cultural Arts Center with a celebratory evening of music and storytelling. Black Opry is home for Black artists, fans

More info: pasofinodance.com

and industry professionals working in country, Americana, blues and folk music. This collective of performers brings the long-overlooked contributions of Black country artists to the forefront.

When: Friday, Feb. 3, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest Street, Roswell

Cost: Tickets are $32.50; Tickets for seniors, student and military are $27.50

More info: roswellgov.com

DADDY DAUGHTER DANCE

What: Mark your calendar for the annual date night of the year at the Sandy Springs Recreation and Parks 13th Annual Daddy Daughter Dance for daughters in kindergarten through fifth grade. The dance will feature music from both dads' (and father figures) and their daughters' favorite playlists provided by a live DJ. In addition to dancing, there will be plenty of fun activities that include dance contests, musical games and refreshments. Participants can make a keepsake photo, and there will be door prizes and a goody bag for each girl. The attire for dads and daughters is business casual to semi-formal.

When: Saturday, Feb. 4, 6-8 p.m.

Where: Studio Theatre, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs

Cost: $35

LOCAL NEWS

More info: sandyspringsga.gov

MICHAEL FEINSTEIN PERFORMS

THE JEWISH AMERICAN SONGBOOK

What: Neranenah presents Michael Feinstein performing the music of the Jewish American Songbook, including works by the Gershwins, Jerome Kern, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Lerner & Loewe and more. Feinstein has built a career, bringing the music of the Great American Songbook to the world. From his Grammy-nominated recordings to Emmy-nominated PBS specials and appearances at iconic venues, his work as an educator and archivist defines him as one of the most important musical forces of our time.

When: Sunday, Feb. 5, 8 p.m.

Where: Byers Theatre, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs

Cost: $44-74

More info: citysprings.com

SALSA DANCING FOR NEW STUDENTS

What: Discover a new world and tune into sexy and spicy tropical sounds of Salsa and Bachata music and dance. All you have to bring is the desire for learning how to dance and we will guide you step by step toward the experience of your life.

When: Monday, Feb. 6, 7-10 p.m. (recurring)

Where: PASOFino Latin Dance Studio, 8610 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs

Cost: $20 per class

More info: pasofinodance.com

ATLANTA JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

What: Sixty world-class films, narrative and documentary features alongside two handpicked shorts programs, the 23rd annual festival brings Atlanta Jewish Film Festival's mission to life, inspiring diverse communities with cross-cultural understanding.

When: Feb. 8-21, times vary

Where: City Springs, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs

Cost: Prices vary by date and film More info: ajff.org

VALENTINE’S PRINCESS PARTY

What: Princesses and the prince of their choice will learn step-by-step dance moves, then enjoy free pictures and Valentine's treats. Princesses must be accompanied by a prince 18 years of age or older.

When: Thursday, Feb. 9, 5-7 p.m.

Where: N. Shallowford Annex, 4470 N. Shallowford Road, Dunwoody

Cost: $35 per couple

More info: dunwoodyga.gov

ENCHANTED WOODLAND TRAIL

What: The fairies and gnomes have been busy building whimsical houses along Chattahoochee Nature Center’s forested trails. Slow down as you search for houses made from tiny natural objects. Take notice of the beautiful and enchanting features of the winter woods.

When: Up to Feb. 28, open daily

Where: Chattahoochee Nature Center, 9135 Willeo Road, Roswell

Cost: $15 for adults

More info: chattnaturecenter.org

Romance, Black experience in America among topics for February

By KATHY DES JARDINS CIOFFI newsroom@appenmedia.com

It may be the shortest month, but February is long on local literary events. From romance-themed presentations to more sobering explorations on the Black experience in America, authors will be sharing new releases and a broad range of messages with readers in and around North Fulton County throughout the month.

Book lovers yearning for light-hearted yarns shouldn’t miss A Novel Idea’s Dunwoody event Feb. 21. Celebrating a month of romance, A Novel Idea will present a pair of authors, Marilyn Baron and Kim Conrey, with much to say about the saucy subject.

Baron, who has won numerous writing awards in a variety of genres, including romance, will release her 29th work of fiction in March. “The Case of the Forgotten Fragonard” is Book 3 of her Massimo Domingo Mystery series, which she will discuss with local novelist Kathy Des Jardins.

Conrey is the debut author of the sci-fi romance “Stealing Ares,” which she completed as a newlywed. Conrey and her husband of 19 months, author George Weinstein, will chat about romance – in books and in real life.

As for weightier themes, novelist Daniel Black will be discussing his debut essay collection, “Black on Black: On Our Resilience and Brilliance in America,” in Roswell Feb. 25 for the Atlanta Authors Series. Black, an acclaimed author and professor of African American studies at Clark Atlanta University, is the winner of the Distinguished Writer Award from the MiddleAtlantic Writer's Association and has been nominated for the Townsend Prize for Fiction, the Ernest J. Gaines Award, the Ferro-Grumley Literary Prize, the Lambda Literary Award, and the Georgia Author of the Year Award. Issues covered in his collection, published Jan. 31, include police brutality, the AIDS crisis and the role of historically Black colleges or universities.

Details about these events, as well as others, are:

Saturday, Feb. 4: Dr. Sree Meleth: Meleth, a public health researcher and transformational life coach, will discuss and sign her book, “More than Peace, Power & Presence through Meditation.” Free. 11 a.m.-noon mini meditation workshop. Poe & Company Bookstore, 1890 Heritage Walk, Suite P101, Milton. 770-797-5566. Poeandcompanybookstore.com.

Saturday, Feb. 11: George Weinstein: Weinstein, author of seven books –ranging from historical fiction to thrillers

Marilyn Baron, whose 29th work of fiction is being released in March, will discuss romance writing at A Novel Idea’s Dunwoody event Feb. 21.

– as well as the executive director of the Atlanta Writers Club and Atlanta Writers Conference director, will talk about his most recent release, “Return to Hardscrabble Road.” Conversation, signing. Free. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Posman Books, 4105 Avalon Blvd., Alpharetta, 470-5095727. posmanbooks.com

Tuesday, Feb. 21: Marilyn Baron and Kim Conrey: A Novel Idea revels in a month of romance with two authors intimately acquainted with the subject. Baron, who writes in a variety of genres, including romance, will release her 29th work of fiction, “The Case of the Forgotten Fragonard,” in March, which she will discuss with local novelist Kathy Des Jardins. Conrey is the debut author of the sci-fi romance “Stealing Ares,” published not long after she and husband, author George Weinstein, were married. Conrey and Weinstein will reflect on life for a pair of writers finding love and literary success together. Signing. Free. Vintage Pizzeria Dunwoody, 5510 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, 470-359-5982. anovelidea.us.

Feb. 24-26: Georgia Writers Museum Writers Retreat: Numerous authors from the Appen Media reading area, including George Weinstein, Kim Conrey, Beverly Armento and Milton Davis, will be leading writing workshops and panel discussions at the second annual Writers Retreat hosted by the Georgia Writers Museum. Talks include paths to publication, writing short stories vs. novels, memoir writing, working with an editor, writing nonfiction, writing children's books, and more. Several pricing options are available. Georgia Writers Museum, 109 South Jefferson Ave., Eatonton. 706-991-5119. georgiawritersmuseum.org/2023-writers-retreat

Saturday, Feb. 25: Sarah K. Lanier: Lanier will be reading her children’s

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Daniel Black will discuss his essay collection, “Black on Black,” in Roswell Feb. 25 for the Atlanta Authors Series.

book, “My Glasses Story: How I Learned to See Myself Clearly,” which she also illustrated. Signing. Free. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Poe & Company Bookstore, 1890 Heritage Walk, Suite P101, Milton. 770-797-5566. Poeandcompanybookstore.com.

Saturday, Feb. 25: Daniel Black: The Atlanta Authors Series, sponsored by the Friends of the Roswell Library

and the Friends of the East Roswell Library, will host Black discussing his new book, “Black on Black: On Our Resilience and Brilliance in America.” Black is a professor of English and African American studies at Clark Atlanta University and author of seven novels, including “Don’t Cry For Me.” “Black on Black” is his first work of nonfiction. Bookmiser, the event’s bookseller, will have copies to purchase. Conversation, signing. Free. 2-3:30 p.m. Roswell Public Library, 115 Norcross St., Roswell. 404-6129700. forl.net/atlanta-authors

Tuesday, Feb. 28: Anju Gattani: Johns Creek Books and Gifts will host “A Celebration of Diversity,” featuring Gattani, author of “Dynasties,” the first book in her newly released “Winds of Fire” series. Talk, signing, refreshments and a henna artist on site. Free. Johns Creek Books and Gifts, 6000 Medlock Bridge Parkway, Suite B500, Johns Creek. 770-696-9999. Johnscreekbooks.com

To submit an author event for the upcoming month, email Kathy Des Jardins Cioffi at kathydesjardins3@gmail.com by the 15th of the month.

Roswell Firelabs fills the bill for those who like to tinker

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Firelabs serves as a playground for visitors who like to tinker and create.

“It's basically like a recreation center for your brain,” Roswell Firelabs Executive Director William Strika said, sitting in the facility’s multi-purpose room. The room is home to electronics, HAM radio and sewing/cosplay workstations.

“It's just like somebody who goes to a gym to work out for physical strength,” Strika said. “You come here to kind of exercise your brain.”

Strika got together with a few people in 2017 and pitched an idea to the Roswell City Council to convert the newly vacated fire station on Holcomb Bridge Road into a makerspace. Roswell Firelabs, a volun-

teer-driven nonprofit, opened in November 2018 with 40 members.

Membership grew rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic, Strika said, when people were losing their jobs, wanting to learn new skills or just wanting to get out of the house. Now, there’s around 145 members.

Roswell Firelabs offers regular classes on a variety of skills, open to the public. Members, who pay $50 a month, can receive classes for free or at discount. Strika teaches classes like laser cutting. Because he works his regular job remotely, he’s able to spend about six to eight hours a day at Roswell Firelabs.

“I love being here and helping everybody,” Strika said. “I wouldn't have it any other way.”

See FIRELABS, Page 11

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Roswell Firelabs Executive Director William Strika stands in front of the nonprofit’s logo Jan. 20 in a corridor connected to the woodworking area. Founded in 2018, Roswell Firelabs promotes community through hands-on experience in a number of hobbies like woodworking, metalworking and 3D-printing.

Roswell Firelabs is on Holcomb Bridge Road in East Roswell. Classes, which are regularly provided by volunteers, are open to the public. But members, who pay $50 a month, receive them for free or at a discounted price.

Firelabs:

Continued from Page 10

Gadgets line most of the walls and are tucked into every crevice inside Roswell Firelabs. Loads of industrial-grade equipment are separated into rooms categorized by purpose, like woodworking, metalworking, laser cutting, 3D-printing and a glass and sculpture space.

The largest area in Roswell Firelabs is its 1,200-square-foot woodworking area. Active use of the space’s equipment triggers the loud drone of the air filtration system, which catches wood dust. Over the deafening sound, Strika pointed to the metal, tubular air purifiers hanging out the room.

“Fine particle dust — it's really hazardous to your health,” Strika said with a raised voice. “We take it pretty seriously.”

Woodworking is the biggest demographic, Strika said. Across the room, member Doug Falan operated woodworking equipment to cut out small hearts. He plans to put them in bundles to sell to friends and family.

Falan and his family are from Michigan, but they come down for the winter. He either throws pottery or comes to Roswell Firelabs to work on wood projects. He said nobody has access to the number of tools Roswell Firelabs has.

“You can come over here and pick your project, and you've got something to work with,” Falan said.

Strika personally likes to operate the high-tech stuff, like CNC, or computer numerical controlled, router.

In a demonstration, Strika walked to

a nearby computer that has cloud-based software, used to carve designs on a number of different materials.

Roswell Firelabs also has 3D-printing. Strika said his number one functional 3D-prints are vacuum adapters for different size hoses.

“I’ve 3D-printed more things than I can count,” Strika said. “How do I adapt a 5-inch pipe down to a 2 ½-inch part? It doesn't exist … That's a custom-made part that someone needs to make.”

Strika said many members use Roswell Firelabs as a launching point with prototyping. Some use the shop to sell products on Etsy for a living, he said.

Roswell Firelabs has proven functional outside of personal items. Members have built parade floats for the city’s Youth Day Parade, winning first place in the Civic Club Division in 2018 and 2019.

The first year, they built a replica of a 3D-printer that had a gantry, allowing the replica to move. The second year, they built a float that resembled NASA Mission Control. Strika said kids were sitting at desks, pretending to be scientists.

Strika hopes to collaborate more with the city, like making public art installations.

“Since we've actually kind of grown into our own space, we can start focusing outward instead of inward,” Strika said.

Early on, Strika said the board for Roswell Firelabs had to ask questions about how to get enough members to keep the place going.

“And now it's like, how can we help the community more than just what's inside our walls?” Strika said.

his long-awaited return to the airwaves, Caddy partners with his new co-host – and wife! - Donna, to bring his loyal listeners everything they’ve come to expect and love from Cadillac Jack.

PHOTOS BY AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Doug Falan uses woodcutting equipment to create small hearts at Roswell Firelabs Jan. 20. While Roswell Firelabs has several areas dedicated to different hobbies, woodworking has the greatest interest among the nonprofit’s 145 members.

What can local home buyers expect in 2023?

The last several months have been especially tough for home buyers who've had to contend with rising interest rates and low inventory for much of 2022. However, it looks like the real estate market may be turning a corner in favor of buyers. In fact, according to Compass CEO Robert Reffkin, all signs are pointing toward a shift in the market for 2023.

Over the last month, there’s been a sharp increase in mortgage applications and buyers requesting to view homes. This renewed interest in purchasing property has led to more buyers putting in offers, proving that the market is changing. Sellers have also begun giving concessions to buyers upon closing rather than the other way around. In

fact, in Q4 of 2022, buyer concessions reached a 10-year high. This is great news for buyers as sellers have held all the power for the last two years.

So what does this mean if you want to purchase a home this year? Buyers are in a good position to negotiate now that the housing market has cooled off a little. Because of the ongoing low inventory, buyers can be confident that their new home will retain its value. Interest rates have also gone down slightly in the last few weeks. Even a small dip in rates translates to significant savings for home buyers. If you’ve been thinking about buying a home this year, it’s worth talking to a mortgage broker about your options. Overall, it looks like the buyers’ strike has ended and experts are feeling more optimistic about what that means for buyers in 2023.

Brought to you by Dan Griffin, Broker/Realtor Compass, Inc.

2023… Chaos to calm?

Brought to you by – Lara Dolan, Realtor and Partner, The Craft Dolan Team at Ansley Real Estate

As we slide into a New Year, it’s valuable to take time and reflect. For 2023, we’ve spent more time than normal contemplating our experiences over the past 3 years and in particular, looking at the first few months of 2020, 2021 and 2022, as a pretty unique times in our collective experience.

• The first quarter of 2020 had us wondering where this “corona virus” would lead. Terrifying numbers of actual and anticipated deaths, overworked hospital staffs, global shutdowns, and intense economic fear were a reality for many. In our industry, Realtors, builders, and lenders worried that the business of real estate would halt dramatically which it did, for about 8 weeks.

• January of 2021 ushered in some positivity. Vaccines were being widely distributed; however, people had left

the workforce in droves and most schools were not yet in person. Real estate prices were on a dramatic upward swing as people considered that business might never return to “normal”. The trend that began in summer 2020, of people purchasing homes farther away from cities and traditional employment hubs gathered steam. Combined with record low interest rates, the real estate market saw continued unprecedented growth in a heavily slanted seller’s market.

• Q1 2022, and Omicron was on everybody’s lips. While the impact of this variant is less severe, it is clear Covid may be here to stay. With continued low interest rates, competition remains stiff for buyers while sellers enjoy continued profit taking for the first half of the year until the Fed’s activities result in an abrupt increase in mortgage interest rates and the corresponding nose-dive in real estate activity overall.

“Chaos” seems an adequate term for

the past 3 years. So where are we now? The early weeks of 2023 find most communities carrying on as normal; schools are back in session and many people are back to work in-person at least part of the time. But residential real estate is only slowly emerging from the halt brought on by last summer’s swift interest rate hike.

A “return to normalcy” has become a common phrase, but what does it mean? In real estate we believe it means a more equitable position between buyers and sellers without either party having a dramatic advantage. Stabilizing interest rates and inventory are helping to drive that equilibrium. Our Milton/Alpharetta/ Roswell area consistently fell below the one-month-of-inventory mark in those chaos filled months… meaning that if no new homes came on the market it would take only week or two for inventory of available homes to be zero. Now, inventory sits at approximately 3 months…still a seller’s market (experts consider 6 months to be “neutral”), but certainly it’s a leveling playing field. Most experts anticipate that interest rates too will stabilize around 5.5% which is a solid, palatable rate for buyers.

This leaves us excited for 2023 and the opportunities for buyers, sellers and investors. We are energized by the chance to engage with clients at deeper levels and spend more time evaluating their options and next steps. We see first time homebuyers coming into the market now that they aren’t beating their heads against all-cash buyers or those willing to waive every contingency. We also believe there will be buying opportunities in some second home markets later this year, and small investors are stepping forward to fill some much-needed lease options. If the past three years can be characterized by “chaos” then perhaps 2023 will bring “calm”, which should be a good thing for a while.

For more on some of the hot topics facing the real estate markets please check out The Craft Dolan Team’s “Tastings and Teachings” calendar for 2023. On March 2nd we will host a panel on Aging Parents, a situation we are facing along with many of our clients.

https://www.ansleyre.com/site/ the-craft-dolan-team/pages/6283/ tastings-teachings

World War II veteran W.T. Donaldson

William T. Donaldson was born in 1921 in the family home on North Shallowford Road where the Dunwoody Emory Clinic sits today.

Dr. Puckett came to the home for the delivery. W. T. Donaldson’s parents were Mattie Azilee Eison Donaldson and James W. Donaldson. I had the honor of meeting and interviewing World War II veteran W. T. Donaldson in 2011.

The location of the Donaldson home on North Shallowford meant that the children attended Chamblee School, which included elementary and high school all in the same location. Back then, school went through grade eleven.

The Donaldsons were dairy farmers, delivering their milk to Atlanta. When Mr. Donaldson was old enough to drive, he would deliver milk in a Chevrolet pickup truck, rising early in the morning to make deliveries before high school. His first class each morning was a study period, so being a little late didn’t matter.

The family grew corn and wheat on the farm and took it to the Cheek mill for grinding. The Cheek mills and cotton gin were located in the area of the southeast corner of Chamblee Dunwoody Road and Mount Vernon Road.

As a young boy, Mr. Donaldson attended the Ebenezer Primitive Baptist Church, which was the church of his mother’s family. Church services were not held every Sunday, because the preachers travelled and delivered sermons at more than one church. Preachers would be hosted for the night by a local family. Mr. Donaldson recalls Pastor Bartow Phillips of Ebenezer staying overnight with his family.

When the Dunwoody Methodist church built a new parsonage, Mr. Donaldson was hired by Mr. Marchman to help with the framing. When the parsonage was complete, all the church and community were invited to a dinner on the ground.

In later years, W.T. Donaldson visited Winters Chapel Methodist Church and that is where he met his future wife, Lillian Grace Robbs. Her friends dared her to sit next to him on the church pew. They married in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 1943 during World War II.

Mr. Donaldson was working at

the Cochran base in Macon when he received his draft notice. At first, he was deferred because of the necessity of the work he was doing. Later, he was inducted at Fort McPherson here in Atlanta. From there he went to Miami Beach for basic training and then Sioux Falls, South Dakota for radio school.

He served with the Army Air Corps in the Pacific as a radio operator on B-24’s, beginning in Darwin, Australia. This was soon after Darwin had been bombed by the Japanese. Mr. Donaldson went on many missions,

but the longest lasted 16 hours. The mission involved flying over Borneo and Java. His outfit fought in the Battle of Coral Seas and New Guinea and received commendations for their service.

After the war, W. T. Donaldson returned to Dunwoody and his father gave him 5 acres of land on North Shallowford Road near where The Columns at Lake Ridge Apartments are today.

He and his wife and family lived there for twenty years before moving to Sandy Springs.

The Donaldson Bannister Home

at the corner of Vermack Road and Chamblee Dunwoody Road was built in 1870 by W. T. Donaldson’s great grandfather, W. J. Donaldson.

W.T. Donaldson died on Dec. 4, 2015, and is buried at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs.

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

VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF

Columnist

DANNY ROSS/PROVIDED

Cousins Fred Donaldson, left, and W.T. Donaldson gather at a 2009 family reunion held at Donaldson-Bannister Farm. W.T. Donaldson died in 2015. Fred Donaldson died in 2022.

PBR: The greatest show on dirt

Every one of them don’t walk. They sorta limp/ amble while not working.

Their job is seemingly so simple: Eight seconds. Eight measly seconds can spell the difference between a payday and more pain.

Even the winners grimace, tightlipped as they gingerly head into the bowels of whatever arena they find themselves in on any particular weekend.

In my many years ago days as a sportswriter, I grew to appreciate the sheer brutality of just how physical life on an NFL playing field actually was. The clash of pads escalated at every level of football, from high school to college and finally to the crescendo of on-field NFL battles.

To put it bluntly, to close your eyes on a pro football sideline, sounds like a sickening car crash. And that’s on every play.

But we’re getting away from what I feel I need to impart this week: The riders who make their living on the Professional Bull Riders tour are the

THE INK PENN

toughest athletes in the world.

The PBR Tour made a stop recently in North Georgia, replacing the ice used for hockey with a layer of dirt, no matter how thick, would never provide nearly enough cushion to assuage the sheer fact that there is little give provided to a cowboy who is flung scarily off the back of a 2,000-pound beast who doesn’t want anyone on its back.

The riders wear helmets. The padded protective vests really don’t provide much help but have to be better than nothing.

Accompanied by two Cumming buddies, “Buckshot” Bob Milano and Jon “Hondo” Howard, I got as up-close-and-personal as possible, marveling at the cowboys’ ability to take a gargantuan dose of punishment and walk away, sometime with the aid of the PBR medical staff, back to a locker room that resembles a war-time infirmary.

Forget the Advil. Give me the “good” stuff.

Hondo joked before the show that he was prepared to ride should there be an opening. On the ride home, we Cumming cowboys for the day, tried to process what we had witnessed.

I used to marvel at the skills and toughness of a world-class boxer. The

fight game is a nasty business. But after every bout, the opponents hug and shake hands.

If given the opportunity, these bovine beasts would just as soon, stomp, kick or gore anyone foolish enough to stand in the way.

After getting smacked in the noggin, former World Champion Dener Barbosa was prone in the dirt for several minutes. The 7,000-plus spectators reverently quiet as they hoped for the Brazilian to come to. PBR officials and fellow riders were shown on the arena screen with heads bowed in prayer.

You could have heard a dirt clod drop, the air seemingly sucked out of the building. The biggest roar of approval of the afternoon came when Barbosa was helped on his walk to the locker room.

He traveled back to his Texas home, with no word from the PBR officials as to when he would compete again. Barbosa had just returned to riding, recovering from back surgery that involved 10 screws being utilized to help him in his attempt to regain championship form.

With rodeos scattered around our area (Wills Park and Cumming), with bull-riding being the main event, the

PBR is big-time. Flint Rasmussen, the grease-painted emcee for the day, was a featured guest on ESPN’s College Game Day.

Rasmussen was days shy of his 55th birthday while in Georgia, poised to catch an early-evening flight back to Montana. It’s a marvel to see him work a crowd and keep his material fresh.

“These hallways (under the arena) all look the same and we don’t get a weekend off until May.”

Rasmussen, as personable and accommodating while talking (sans greasepaint) before the event, has a sweet gig.

Never a rider but growing up in a rodeo family, he knows he’ll not do this forever.

He’ll have collected many souvenirs from his PBR days.

Not immune to injuries, Rasmussen, like the riders, will always have his limp. He’ll just have to do it without the greasepaint.

Mike Tasos has lived in Forsyth County for more than 30 years. He’s an American by birth and considers himself a Southerner by the grace of God. He can be reached at miketasos55@gmail.com.

The Friends of the Dunwoody Library are at it again

The Friends of the Dunwoody Library are back in a big way, with four sales planned for 2023. In my book, that’s huge news and there’s nothing better than being able to mark my calendar with the sale dates.

• Mar. 23, 24, 25, 27 - Adult sale

• July 28, 29, 31 - Children’s & YA sale

• Sept. 14, 15, 16, 18 - Adult sale

These days, the FODL accepts credit and debit cards in addition to cash. And you can’t beat the prices—$2.00 for most hardbacks and $1.00 for paperbacks. For me, it means I can afford to take a chance on an author I haven’t tried before. And don’t forget that the final Monday

of each sale is Bargain Day. What’s the worst that can happen? I don’t finish a book and I donate it back to the FODL for them to sell again. It’s a win for everyone.

The sales will be held indoors with a maximum of fifty people permitted in the shopping room at any one time, and face masks are encouraged but not required. Should there be a wait to enter the main sale area, you’ll be able to shop for puzzles and DVDs in the library lobby.

If you’re unable to make the sales events, you can visit the library lobby to shop the sales carts during library hours. Located near the donation bins, the carts carry books and DVDs at the same prices you’ll pay at the four events. The only difference is that these purchases are exact cash only, so you’ll want to come prepared. On the other hand, you can always leave a bit extra to support the work of the FODL. Where does the money go? What

you spend at these sales supports a variety of projects that enhance the library. The FODL was busy last year completing “home improvements” for the library:

• Replaced the wire magazine racks in the lobby with a wooden one

• Replaced the old message board with a new one

• Painted the wall for the hall gallery where you can find Dunwoody Fine Art Association works on display

• Finished up the new tall bookcase which was delayed by what else?

Supply chain issues

The FODL is also taking book donations, and you can drop yours off at the library during normal library operating hours. You can put them in the bins in the lobby. Even boxes of books are accepted, but the FODL requests that you be careful not to block the hallway with these. Do

you need help unloading a car full of books? Visit on Tuesday mornings from 10:00 until noon when there are always volunteers available to help you.

If you’re de-cluttering your house this winter, this could be the perfect time to scan your bookshelves for donations to deliver to the library. The good news is that de-cluttering makes room for new books!

You won’t see me at the Children’s & YA sales, but I hope to run into you at the others. Happy shopping and reading to all!

Award-winning author Kathy Manos Penn is a Sandy Springs resident. Find her cozy mysteries locally at The Enchanted Forest in Dunwoody and Bookmiser in East Cobb or on Amazon. Contact her at inkpenn119@gmail.com, and follow her on Facebook, www.facebook.com/ KathyManosPennAuthor/.

KATHY MANOS PENN

Columnist

MIKE TASOS Columnist

PRESERVING THE PAST

Tombstones can tell us stories

A simple tombstone in a small cemetery in Johns Creek marks the final resting place of a young man who died too soon. Ervin

O. (Oscar) Jones was killed in the World War II battle of Okinawa at age 20. His tombstone has a portrait of Ervin in his Army uniform, with his garrison cap askew as was often the fashion back then. He looks proud to be serving his country. This is his story together with four sub-stories.

I am indebted to Ed Malowney, president of the Alpharetta and Old Milton County Historical Society, who took me to visit Ervin’s tombstone. Thanks also to Craig Gleason former coordinator for the Nashville Songwriters Association who interviewed Ervin’s younger brother Curtis, Ervin’s last living sibling, a decade ago.

Ervin was born June 22, 1924, in Alpharetta, the son of H. (Harmon) B. Jones (1898-1983) and Jennie Mae Stapler Jones (1901-1988). His father farmed cotton and corn at the intersection of Jones Bridge Road and Barnwell Road, and Ervin grew up working the land. Growing up on a farm, hunting came naturally to Ervin, and he was known as an excellent shot. He joined the Army on April 10, 1943, at Fort McPherson in East Point near Atlanta, a major recruitment center during the war. He was only 19 years old.

Ervin was sent to the South Pacific in May 1944 and quickly saw action in Saipan and Leyte. The Battle of Saipan, in the Mariana Islands, was a major victory for the United States in June to August 1944. In October, U.S. troops invaded Leyte, 110 miles long with 4,000foot mountain peaks making it one of the largest Philippine islands. The U.S. won decisively in December.

On April 16, 1945, the 77th U.S. Infantry Division arrived on le Shima, a small island 3 miles off Okinawa where Ervin was assigned to a wire line team laying communication wires to support efforts to capture the important Japanese airbase on the island. What was expected to be a quick and relatively easy operation turned out be six days of living hell for the 6,100 U.S. troops on the island as dug in Japanese soldiers fought to the death and kamikaze pilots wreaked havoc on US ships offshore. By April 21 when the US troops accomplished their objective, the U.S. had lost 1,155 men killed, including Ervin who

was shot on April 17 while singlehandedly trying to attack some Japanese soldiers who had pinned down his platoon.

Sub-story 1. Ernie Pyle was the most acclaimed war correspondent of World War II. He told the war’s story from the points of view of ordinary GIs and won their respect and that of the American public. He spent four years covering the war in North Africa, Italy and France before arriving on le Shima. On April 19, a jeep carrying Pyle and three officers came under fire from a hidden 30 caliber Japanese machine gun. Pyle was shot in the left temple and died instantly two

days following the death of Ervin Jones at almost the same spot. Ervin died almost two years after he was sworn into the Army.

Sub story 2. Ervin had a dog named Champ, a bulldog mix who was never allowed in the house. When Ervin’s coffin was placed in the living room of the farmhouse at Jones Bridge Road and Barnwell Road, Champ barked incessantly and finally broke the screen door get in. He sat defiantly under the coffin and would not let anyone near it for several days until the hearse took it away. Champ followed the hearse 1 mile up Jones Bridge Road to the Pleasant Hill Cemetery and returned every day for the rest of his life to visit Ervin’s gravesite.

Sub story 3. When I visited Ervin’s grave, there were two pennies on top of

the tombstone. A coin left on a headstone lets family know that another member of the military stopped by to honor the deceased. In military cemeteries, the coins are collected monthly and used for cemetery upkeep or for charitable reasons. Each type of coin has a special meaning. A penny simply means you visited. A nickel means you and the deceased went through boot camp together. A dime means you and the deceased served together. A quarter means you were with the deceased when the veteran died.

Sub story 4. A decade ago, singer/ songwriter Craig Gleason took his young daughter to visit the small Mount Pleasant Cemetery where Ervin is buried to teach her how cemeteries can help us learn about people who came before us. When he came across Ervin’s marker, he was overcome with emotion as he thought of this long-forgotten young man who gave his life for his country. Craig tracked down Ervin’s younger brother Curtis, now deceased, and learned enough about Ervin to compose a song as a tribute to his life. You can listen to his beautiful song by searching YouTube for “The Ballad of Ervin O. Jones.” You can also visit his website www/craiggleason.com.

Bob is director emeritus of the Milton Historical Society and a Member of the City of Alpharetta Historic Preservation Commission. You can email him at bobmey@bellsouth.net.

BOB MEYERS Columnist

CRAIG GLEASON/PROVIDED Ervin O Jones and his younger brother Curtis stand on the farm where they grew up where Jones Bridge Road and Barnwell Road meet in Johns Creek.

BOB MEYERS/APPEN MEDIA

The tombstone marking the final resting place of local resident Ervin O Jones in Mount Pleasant Cemetery on Old Alabama Road in Johns Creek. He died in 1945 serving his country on a remote Pacific island during World War ll.

PYLE

APPEN MEDIA’S FIRST EVER

Shopping Spree Giveaway

Start the year off right with a chance to win a $1,000 Shopping Spree courtesy of Appen Media and the Crier Newspapers.

Each week, our newsroom will hide this shopping cart image in the newspaper. Once you find it, visit appenmedia.com/shoppingspree and enter

1) Your name

2) Your email

3) The page number you found the image That’s it!

The contest will run for 13 consecutive weeks, so submit an entry each week to maximize your chances of winning.

The winner will be randomly drawn, notified on Monday, April 3rd and announced in the April 13th Crier publications. HAPPY SHOPPING …and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

GARDEN BUZZ

What’s Up with that Sign in Your Yard?

When a passerby stops and asks what that sign in your yard means, it’s an opening to have a conversation about any number of topics. Native plants, birds and butterflies and bees, wildlife, water, sustainable green landscape practices, invasive species and more are all topics that we can help and encourage others to learn more about to protect our world for generations to come.

But why go through the steps to certify your property and post a sign? It’s a way to show, not just tell. After all, we work to achieve certifications in our professional lives. Aren’t our landscapes important, too? Here’s an overview of a few sign certifications that signify that the location follows sustainable landscape practices.

Georgia Green Landscape

The Georgia Green Landscape Stewards Program, created by the University of Georgia Extension, was launched to inspire residences and businesses in Georgia to adopt more environmentally friendly practices and consider how their landscape use and activities can complement the natural world.

It takes just three simple steps to get certified:

#1 – Review the easy-to-access virtual learning tools and modules that provide information on:

• Composting

• Mulching

• Pollinator Habitats

• Welcoming Wildlife

• Water Conservation

• Water Quality

• Stormwater

• Invasive Species

• Native Plants

• Biodiversity

#2 – Check the Green Landscapes Metrics Scorecard to see if your landscape meets the minimum number of 70 points to gain “Certified Georgia Landscape” status.

For example, under Topic 4: Welcoming Wildlife, if you can check “Provide a food source with native plants: fruits, seed, forage, nectar, and pollen,” award yourself 4 points. Under Topic 9: Native Plants and

Low Maintenance Landscapes, you can give yourself 4 points if you do the following: “Put the right plant in the right place! Consider sun, soil moisture, salt tolerance, spacing, and temperature. Plant in groups of three.” It’s not hard!

#3 – Send in your scorecard. Email your completed scorecard to UGA’s Georgia Green Landscape Stewards coordinator at georgiagreen@ uga.edu. You can also mail the scorecard to: Georgia Green Landscape Stewards, Program Coordinator, UGA Extension Camden County, P.O. Box 309, Woodbine, GA 31569. You have the option to purchase an outdoor sign for your yard.

Georgia Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary

The Georgia Audubon Society encourages creating bird-friendly communities through conservation, education, and community engagement where wildlife and people thrive.

To certify your property as a Georgia Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, your site must provide the basic components of a wildlife habitat: food, water, nesting and resting places.

The online Audubon Society Sanctuary Resources are excellent references for native plants, how to combat non-native, invasive species, how to create a haven for hummingbirds and much more.

National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat®

Since 1938, the National Wildlife Federation has provided conservation programs across the country, including the Ranger Rick magazine for children.

The National Wildlife Federation will recognize your site with a NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat® sign if you meet the following requirements for creating a wildlife habitat garden to attract birds, butterflies, and other neighborhood wildlife:

• Food: Native plants provide food eaten by a variety of wildlife. Feeders can supplement natural food sources.

• Water: All animals need water to survive, and some need it for bathing or breeding as well.

• Cover: Wildlife need places to take shelter from bad weather and places to hide from predators or hunt for prey.

• Places to Raise Young: Wildlife need resources to reproduce, and to protect and nourish their young.

• Sustainable Practices: Maintain your yard or garden in natural ways to ensure soil, air, and water stay healthy and clean.

Homegrown National Park

HOMEGROWN NATIONAL PARK® –

Start a new HABITAT® is a conservation movement inspired by Doug Tallamy, a professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, to plant native plants and remove most invasive plants.

According to the website, Homegrown National Park™ is a term coined by Doug and is the key to the call-to-action:

“Our National Parks, no matter how grand in scale are too small and separated from one another to preserve species to the levels needed. Thus, the concept for Homegrown National Park, a bottom-up call-to-action to restore habitat where we live and work, and to a lesser extent where we farm and graze, extending national parks to our yards and communities.”

You can print a yard sign as well as get on the online map that shows individual contributions.

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.

About the Author

This week’s guest Master Gardener “Garden Buzz” columnist is Pam Rentz. Pam has been a North Fulton Master Gardener since 2010. Along with a background in marketing communications for tech companies, she has a longtime passion for plants and our planet.

PAM RENTZ Garden Buzz

NFCC is looking for a full-time executive assistant to support the Executive Director and leadership team.  This person will play a vital role in help keep the NFCC leadership team organized and productive and will interact with the board of directors and other important stakeholder groups. Sensitivity, discretion and attention to detail are a must. Candidate must have a two-year degree, bachelor’s degree preferred and should have at least 2-3 years of relevant experience. For a complete job description visit https://nfcchelp.org/work-at-nfcc/

Client Services Specialist

The full-time Client Services Specialist greets visitors to NFCC and assists them with obtaining services. In addition, this person conducts followup interviews, enters data and may participate in additional follow-up activities.  A high school degree or equivalent is required along with at least one year in customer service or other relevant experience. Discretion and strong written and verbal communication skills in English and Spanish are also required. For a complete job description, please visit https://nfcchelp.org/work-at-nfcc/

Truck Driver

NFCC needs a reliable driver to work part-time picking up scheduled donations. The person in this role may also assist with facility maintenance and must maintain accurate vehicle maintenance records. It is crucial that they represent NFCC with a professional and friendly demeanor. 1-2 years of box truck delivery experience is preferred. Candidate must maintain a valid Georgia driver’s license and be free of any traffic violations for the past three years.  Work on Saturdays or Sundays may be required occasionally. For a complete job description, please visit https://nfcchelp.org/work-at-nfcc/

Immigration Paralegal (Weinstock

Immigration Lawyers, PC, in Atlanta, GA)

Assisting attorneys in preparing various immigration applications. Req’d: Bachelor’s in legal studies, political sci or rel. plus 2 years exp in job off’d or immigration legal assistant. info@visa-pros.com

POOL TECHNICIANS WANTED

Part-time & Full-time positions available. Pay is $12-$14 per hour. Hours starting at 6:30AM, Monday-Friday. Pick-up truck not required but must have your own reliable transportation. Gas allowance provided. Looking for people who enjoy working outside and are enthusiastic, dependable & punctual. Able to contribute independently or on a crew with consistently friendly attitude.

Well-established commercial pool maintenance company providing service in the North Atlanta Metro area.

Call Bill: 404-245-9396

We are looking for one person or couple interested in delivering weekly newspapers in South Forsyth, Alpharetta and the Johns Creek areas.

Requirements: Must have a perfect driving record and background check, reliable transportation, honest, hard-working and positive attitude.

For more information or to apply, email heidi@appenmedia.com and include a paragraph or two about who you are and any relevant background/experience. In the subject line of the email please put “Delivery Route Application.”