The Riverwood High School Raiders boys basketball team and Class 6A champions stand with Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul March 21 on the stage at the City Green. Head coach Buck Jenkins, right center, said the team overcame adversity throughout the season to bring home the school’s first state championship in basketball.
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sandy Springs officials invited players, coaches, and supporters of four local high schools to the “City of Champions” celebration March 22.
The first event of its kind on the City Green at 1 Galambos Way came together to honor the outstanding performances of boys and girls teams during the Georgia High School Association winter sport championships.
Cheerleaders from Riverwood, Mount
Vernon and Holy Innocents’ warmed up the crowd with high-energy displays of school spirit.
After victories in the basketball state championships March 6-9 at the Macon Centreplex, the celebration honored the girls team from Marist and the boys teams from Mount Vernon and Riverwood.
Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul joined councilmembers to present five teams with congratulatory plaques at the afternoon event.
Paul said Riverwood administrators reached out to the city about a potential
celebration after the school won its first state championship in boys basketball. He said officials he learned about all the other champions in the city and surrounding areas, the celebration expanded.
“I don’t believe this will be the last one of these we do,” Paul said. “Both the public high schools and the private schools here are excellent in academics, and they are proving that they’re excellent in athletics.”
While Marist is in neighboring
See CELEBRATE, Page 15
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Morgan Falls Connector, one of the first installments of the Sandy Springs Master Trail Plan, has hit a few snags, or rocks to be specific.
At the March 19 City Council meeting, city officials discussed a fourth change order related to 2A Trail, a 1.88-mile segment that runs over Orkin Lake.
When completed, the 2A Trail will connect Morgan Falls Overlook Park on the Chattahoochee River to Roswell Road at Cimarron Parkway.
Recreation and Parks Director Brent Walker said contractors encountered issues during the drilling process for the 2,933-foot-long boardwalk last July.
See BOARDWALK, Page 12
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Each week Appen Media requests police incident reports to inform residents about the safety of their community. Sandy Springs continues to withhold what it calls the “narrative reports.” It is the only city Appen Media covers that follows this practice, which goes against guidance from the Attorney General, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Sheriff’s Association, Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia and Georgia Press Association. Appen Media will continue pursuing the release of more detailed documents that belong to the public in order to inform residents how safe – or unsafe – their city is.
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Thomas Mullen, the best-selling author of eight novels, will speak about his new book, “The Rumor Game,” at the Sandy Springs Library April 9 from 6:00-7:30 p.m.
The Friends of the Sandy Springs Library and Marietta-based Bookmiser sponsor a series of authors talks at 395 Mount Vernon Highway.
Born in Rhode Island in the mid1970s, Mullen now lives with his family in Decatur.
He has been nominated for awards in the United States, France, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The New York Times named “Lightning Men,” the sequel to Mullen’s NPR Best Book “Darktown,” one of the Top Ten Crime Novels of 2017.
His latest work of historical fiction follows FBI agent Devon Mulvey and reporter Anne Lemire in World War II-era Boston.
The paths of the characters cross when the reporter’s story about Nazi propaganda involves the special agent’s investigation into the death of a factory worker.
“The book is also a little bit in the way of a spy novel,” Mullen said. “Sometimes
the harmful rumors that were spreading around were actually spread by Axis propaganda, designed to divide Americans.”
Throughout the novel, Mullen weaves documented episodes from the American home front before the Allied invasion of France into a fictional thriller.
Mullen’s debut novel, “The Last Town on Earth,” received the 2007 James Fenimore Cooper Prize for historical fiction. USA Today and the Chicago Tribune also recognized the book.
Mullen said six of his eight published books fall under the umbrella of historical fiction. He also said 20th century American history interests him particularly because it is more relatable than the Victorian era or the Enlightenment.
“I’m sure I will write things set in the contemporary era again,” Mullen said. “It just happens that a lot of the ideas I get
that really sweep me away and sink their teeth into me are set in the past.”
“The Last Town on Earth,” published in 2006, takes readers on twists and turns in the fictional town of Commonwealth, Washington during World War I and the Spanish flu epidemic.
The inspiration for the book came from an article in Time Magazine that Mullen read by chance in his 20s at a YMCA gym.
“I never really know when I’m going to stumble upon a little nugget that inspires me,” he said. “I get a spark of an idea…and I dig a little deeper to figure out what was going on in that time period.”
Mullen said writing a book about the 1918-20 flu before the COVID-19 outbreak was strange for him after so much work imagining a global pandemic for his first novel.
“One of the more interesting and exciting things about art is how you can’t predict how people will take things,” Mullen said. “Everyone is different, and we have all had different life experiences.”
— Hayden Sumlin
MINOTAUR BOOKS/PROVIDED The eighth novel from Thomas Mullen, “The Rumor Game,” follows the investigation of an FBI agent and reporter in World War II-era Boston. Mullen will speak April 9 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Sandy Springs Library on Mount Vernon Highway.
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — More than 500 community leaders and mental wellness advocates gathered at The Hotel at Avalon Feb. 24 for the Summit Counseling Center’s 9th annual gala.
DC Aiken
Big Sky Franchise Team
David & Michelle Bertany
Amour & Duane Carthy
Barbara Anderson
Kerry Arias
Scott Baynton
Joseph Bell
James Bennett
Carl Abernathy
Alpharetta Lions Club
Omar Altalib
Dave Altman
Ron Altman
American Legion Post 201
Gaye Armstrong
Mary Asbury
Beth Barnes
Barbara Bauschka
Kathy Beck
Bill Bentley
Leslie Berry
Tom Billings
Tochie Blan
Ron Boddicker
Jodi Bogen
Sherri Bolles-Rogers
Debra Bowen
Joe Bowen
Ryan Brainard
Dorothy Brouhard
Erendira Brumley
Bernhard Burgener
Alvin Burrell
Mike & Theresa Buscher
Mary Busman
Gary Butterfield
Clea Calloway
Kirk Canaday
James Carr
Bridgette Carter
William Cartwright
Pat Check
Virginia Christman
Christopher Cleary
Ann Coaloa
Kim Coggins
Evelyn Collazo
Rhonda Cude
Michael Mackenzie
Communications
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Adam Corder
Robert Flint
Robin Fricton
Roderick Liptrot
Tom McMurrain
Bob Meyers
Ross & Lori Ramsey
Mark Rundle
Rita Brown
Mark Casas
David Conti
Theodore Davis III
Maureen Drumm
Charlcie Forehand
Deborah Jackson
Ali Mahbod
Vickie McElroy
Anne Peer
Joan Compton
Terri Coons
David Davis
Duane DeBruler
Rebecca Donlan
Tom Driscoll
Michael Dudgeon
Jeanette Dummer
DutchCrafters Amish Furniture
Mim Eisenberg
Danny Elkins
Su Ellis
Martha Fasse
Lee Fleck
Cathy Flynn
Nanci Foster
Amy Frederick
Kelly Frommer
Carol Fry
Tracey Ganesh
Daniel Gay
John Gibbs
John Gilberto
Leslie Gilliam
Bailey & Ryan Gladysz
Michelle Glotzbach
Harvey Goldberg
Christopher Goodrich
Phyllis Goodrich
Marilee Hamilton
Susan Hanna
Roxanne Hazen
Joe Hirsch
Penn Hodge
Dianne & Steffan Holmquist
Joan Hostetter
Austin Hughes
Lynn Johnson
Tyler Jones
Arthur Kebanli
Laura Keck
Mark Kelly
Allison Kloster
Dyna Kohler
Larry Krueger
Jess & Chris Kysar
Malinda Lackey
Ken Leffingwell
Carol Lehan
Bonnie Lind
Francia Lindon
Harlan Little
Ross Long
Brenda Lundy
Rita Loventhal
Karen Magill
Kyile Marshall
Julie Martin
Valerie Matthews
William Maxwell
Rachel McCord
Austin McCully
Lynn McIntyre
Mike McLoughlin
Jennifer Mendoza
Al Merrill
Chris Miller
Christine Miller
Fred Moeller
Carol Morgan
Kathy Morgan
Stu Moring
Leslie Mullis
Donna Murphy
Jack Murphy
Tricia Novarro
Bob O’Brien
Lynn Pennington
Kurt & Leslie Phillips
Debra Powell
Righteous PR
Chuck Pugh
Raj Rajagopalan
Ashwin Ramaswami
Kim Truett
Roger Wise Jr.
Colt Whittall
Robert Popp
Kate Seng
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Marilyn Colarossi-Woods
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Jean Rearick
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Joanne Simmons
Tom Simon
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Robert Singleton
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Andy Smith
Wesley Stewart
Cathryn Stovall
Celeste Strohl
Andy Sumlin
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Lisa Tilt
Michael Townes
Matthew Tyser
Ollie Wagner
Lewis Walker
Jonathan Washburn
Sally White
Thom White
Michael Weiss
Umpika White
Susan Wilson
Jamie Wimberly
Nancy & Dave Wistrand
Carla York
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The celebration centered on the joy of generosity, passion for community and commitment to support mental wellness across north Metro Atlanta.
The Summit Counseling Center, founded in 1990, has locations in Alpharetta, Dunwoody, Milton and Sugar Hill, with their main office at 2750 Old Alabama Road in Johns Creek.
Because suicide is the second leading cause of death for American children aged 10-14, the Summit also sports more than 30 on-site locations at K-12 schools across north Metro Atlanta.
Therapists provide school-based services, a first responder counseling program and mental health awareness, aiming to help everyone from children to seniors.
Professional counseling at the Summit integrates body, mind, spirit and relationships, its website says.
To open the gala, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr updated the room on the state’s mental health initiatives and the work of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.
Shyann Malone, on-air host of CBT News, emceed a fireside chat with Lester Archambeau, senior player director of the NFL Players Association; Javis Austin, founder of JA Fitness Plus and former Clemson University running back; Mercedez Jackson, coordinator of school social workers for Fulton County Schools; Nikeisha Whatley-León, system director of behavioral health services for Northside Hospital; and Will Atkins, director of operations and clinical services for Summit Counseling Center.
Archambeau and Whatley-León also serve on the Summit Board.
The Will to Live Foundation, a Johns Creek-based organization dedicated to preventing teen suicide, donated $5,000 to the Summit on behalf of the first Summit Life Teammate awardwinner, Madeline Redetzky. With a silent auction, community donations and corporate sponsors, the 9th annual Summit Gala raised record-breaking funds for its mission.
David Smith, executive director of the Summit Counseling Center, thanked supporters for their generosity.
“Through this infusion of hope, we are able to raise awareness about mental health issues, increase access to care, and make mental health services affordable to all,” Smith said.
ROSWELL, Ga. — In its inaugural Night at the Museum fundraiser April 6, the Roswell Historical Society will showcase its new “Presidential Connections to Roswell” exhibit.
The gallery highlights the ties of former U.S. presidents to the city, including Teddy Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter and Woodrow Wilson.
Held at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, Night at the Museum will also feature hors d’oeuvres, drinks and live music. It will last from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and the exhibit’s ribboncutting ceremony is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Attire for Night at the Museum is casual cocktail. Tickets can be purchased at roswellhistoricalsociety. org. For Roswell Historical Society members, tickets are $65, and for non-members, tickets are $75.
Like other rotating exhibits produced by the Historical Society
The Roswell Historical Society will host its inaugural Night at the Museum fundraiser April 6 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. to showcase its new rotating exhibit “Presidential Connections to Roswell.”
in the Roswell History Museum, “Presidential Connections to Roswell” will be on display for a year. The museum is on the second floor of the Roswell Cultural Arts Center. It is free and open to the public Wednesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
METRO ATLANTA — The developers of The Gathering at South Forsyth expressed confidence in securing a National Hockey League team in Forsyth County at a community meeting March 19.
More than 100 people packed into a conference room at Lanier Technical College to hear the latest updates from project staff and share their thoughts on the proposed $2 billion mixed-use development off Union Hill Road, Ronald Reagan Boulevard and Ga. 400.
The 90-minute meeting featured presentations by Krause Sports and Entertainment CEO Vernon Krause, The Gathering Senior Project Executive Frank Ferrara, SCI Architects partner Tone Frisina, Kimley-Horn Vice President Jim Hamilton and Nelson Worldwide principal Lamar Wakefield, who designed Alpharetta’s Avalon and The Battery in Cobb County.
“We think we have, by far, the best location, the best project, the best team to pull this thing off, and we’re going to do it,” Krause said.
Krause said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman expressed enthusiasm when he presented the plans to him in September, and discussions continued through the end of the year.
“In December, I met with him again, took our investment banker with us, and had a good, healthy discussion with him,” Krause said. “And he said, right before we left the room, he said, ‘Vernon, go get your deal done with the county. Bring me a binding MOU, memorandum of understanding, and I'll tell you when to start the arena.’”
The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners approved an agreement on principal terms and authorization to continue with The Gathering Jan. 31.
In the agreement, the county agreed to foot $350 million for the construction of the arena and $40 million for an arena parking deck through revenuebacked bonds if The Gathering secures an NHL tenant.
A binding agreement between the developers and the county is scheduled to be considered at a called Board of Commissioners meeting March 26.
Krause also recognized Alpharetta’s interest in securing an NHL tenant at its North Point Mall.
Alpharetta Sports and Entertainment Group announced March 12 its petition to the NHL with backing from Neil Leibman, Peter Simon and Aaron Zeigler in partnership with NHL veteran Anson Carter.
“So, rather than just go to the media and make up things, like I
April 1st – May 13th (7 Weeks)
Dunwoody Baptist Church
1445 Mt. Vernon Rd., Dunwoody, GA 30338. Registration will be available on the PALS website: www.palsonline.info
The class line up is as follows:
MONDAYS:
From 10:00 am - 11:00 am
believe Alpharetta is doing, we are going to send a binding memorandum of understanding to the commissioner, and I think that puts us in the queue,” Krause said.
A vote on potential redevelopment plans for the Alpharetta mall is still pending. At the Alpharetta City Council annual planning retreat Jan. 22, Economic and Community Development Director Kathi Cook said the city anticipates North Point Mall owners New York Life will present new plans around this summer.
In a press release, Alpharetta Sports and Entertainment Group announced it is working with the mall owners to redevelop the property with an arena for hockey and concerts designed by architect Frank Gehry; facilities for esports and performing arts; a professional-level outdoor stadium; hotels; and retail, dining and residential
components.
Addressing skepticism toward bringing a hockey team back to Metro Atlanta after the relocation of the Atlanta Flames and the Thrashers, Senior Project Executive Ferrara said times have changed, and there are NHL fans spread evenly across the country rather than just in traditional hockey markets.
In his presentation, Ferrara cited failures of the past as poor fan experience, ownership issues, team performance, financial circumstances, locating the arena too far from its fan base and the eventual relocation of the two teams.
“There were problems with the first two,” he said. “I don’t believe that this is the so called, ‘Oh, they've already had two strikes. Will this be the third?’ This is the first time at doing it right. This is the first time of doing this in the right location.”
The Lost Generation – American Writers in Paris in the 1920s – Professor Gautam Kundu will continue his survey of the highlights of American literature, this time focusing on the ex pat American authors living in Paris in the 1920s, which had become the world’s epicenter of culture. Included in this survey will be Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Djuna Barnes, Henry Miller, E. E. Cummings, Ezra Pound, Sylvia Beach and Claude McKay.
From 10:00 am - 11:00 am
World War II – Behind the Scenes – There is much about World War II we do not know. This class will delve into those little known stories, including from 2 soldiers who were there (they are 100 and 99 respectively). We will also hear about the Untold Story of the Rise of Imperial Japan, Robert Oppenheimer in perspective, building the atomic bomb and finally a description of the air war in both the European and Pacific Theaters.
From 10:00 am - 1:45 pm
Mah Jongg – Bring your own Mah Jongg card and come play. There is no instructor for the session - just fun and selfevaluation.
From 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Libraries – with Betsy Jones – From the ancient library of Alexandria to the Library of Congress, scores of libraries have been the repository of the written word. Among others, the class will look at several Presidential libraries and explore the 2509 Carnegie libraries which formed the backbone of our public library system.
From 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Art History – Mannerism and Baroque in 16th Century Italy – Marilyn Morton will discuss the abrupt change in art style following the Protestant Reformation in 1517 and the sack of Rome in 1527. The art of the High Renaissance ended to be replaced first by Mannerism, which concerned itself with the human figure but without perfection and then with Baroque, which was an architectural concept which included the building of St. Peter’s Basilica. This architectural phenomena soon spread across Europe.
From 10:00 am - 11:30 pm
Canasta for Beginners – Rhea Berger will teach beginning canasta. Class will be limited to 12 people. Please contact Iris at PALS before registering to insure seats are available.
More than a dozen people gather at Sugo in Johns Creek for the Appen Press Club Listening Tour March 21. Attendees, many Johns Creek residents, vocalized the need for more diverse voices in the paper, high school sports coverage and highlighting the dozens of nonprofits that operate out of the city.
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The newsroom at Appen Media Group stopped at Sugo in Johns Creek March 21 to listen to residents about the stories they want to see.
This was the fourth stop on Appen Media’s “Listening Tour,” where reporters are visiting the company’s seven coverage areas to gather story ideas, tips and feedback from readers. The next event is scheduled for April 18 at Cherry Street Brewing, Vickery Village in Forsyth County.
Staff reporters Amber Perry, Shelby Israel and Hayden Sumlin kicked off the event with general questions to more than a dozen in the audience, from how readers get their news to what coverage is missing. The reporters also gathered potential sources for beats they hope to dive into, like housing, environmental
reporting and traffic issues.
The hour-long event was filled with guests vocalizing the need for more diverse voices in the paper, to better represent the varied ethnicities and backgrounds of those living in Johns Creek, high school sports coverage and highlighting the dozens of nonprofits that operate out of the city.
Town Center was another point of discussion, with one guest voicing her excitement about the businesses that have already been secured for the area, like biomedical engineering giant Boston Scientific and Atlanta restaurant group Fado. She wanted staff to continue to keep an eye out for new developments.
The project, spanning 192 acres, will be anchored by the pond behind City Hall, also the centerpiece to the future Creekside Park.
DUNWOODY, Ga. — In a continued effort to boost Dunwoody Village as the city’s downtown, a newly formed group of area business owners are working on a game plan.
Dunwoody Village, a neighborhood of shops, offices and residences along Chamblee Dunwoody Road near Mount Vernon Road, has been a focus for city officials for some time.
In 2011, the Dunwoody Village Master Plan was created through the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Livable Center Initiative grant program, which incentivizes local jurisdictions to revitalize areas into self-sustaining communities with a diverse range of housing, employment and commercial options.
About a decade later, an update was adopted that focused on rewriting zoning regulations.
Dunwoody Community Development Director Richard McLeod said he had passed Dunwoody Village in the ’70s, growing up in Roswell while his mother worked at Perimeter Mall, and noted it hadn’t changed.
“I thought it was a little weird, and I started talking to some of the councilmembers and some of the folks who live around here, and they said, ‘It’s so tired. It needs a lift,’” McLeod said.
There had been criticism from the community that spanned from the number of banks in the Village to style limitations, he said.
Michael Starling, Dunwoody’s director of economic development, said aesthetics of Dunwoody Village were meant to capture the historic feel of Williamsburg, Virgnia, but that they became a hindrance to new development. Based on a survey conducted by an architectural firm, Starling said most people were more concerned with function anyway, giving city staff ammunition to incorporate design changes into the zoning code.
The master plan also resulted in more city investment into key Dunwoody Village corridors, like the $2.33 million streetscape project on Dunwoody Village Parkway, completed in 2014. Another project, Village Crossroads, is underway which intends to make Chamblee Dunwoody Road more walkable and bike-friendly with additional traffic calming measures.
Merchants group
Then, last year, the Dunwoody Village Merchants Association was formed, composed of about a dozen
something more vibrant and welcoming.
The main goal is to make sure people understand that the Village is so much more than one section, and it’s a destination.”LAUREN SOK Owner of Functionize Health & Physical Therapy
business owners, pulled together by city staff.
“I think the majority of Dunwoodians believe that the Village is sort of their local downtown, and we agree with that and think it needs to look and feel and operate more like a downtown,” Starling said. “One of the things that downtown does is have events, concerts, sidewalk sales, that kind of thing, so that’s what that group is focused on.”
David Abes, an association member and owner of a number of restaurants in Dunwoody Village, said the group is planning for quarterly events. His overall project to do business in Dunwoody, as founder of Dash Hospitality Group, is six years in the making.
Abes first opened Bar{n} around two and half years ago, a craft beer and
whiskey bar with a menu that offers charcuterie and small plates.
Then came Morty’s Meat & Supply, named after Abes’ grandfather and featuring a community-created “Wall of Fame” with pictures, a 1976 map of Dunwoody Village and a “shrine” to Dunwoody native Ryan Seacrest, which includes portraits painted by Dunwoody High School students.
“[Seacrest] just posted about Dunwoody yesterday on social media,” Abes said. “So, the mayor actually tagged him and said, ‘You need to go to Morty’s and see your shrine.”
There’s also an old program from a Dunwoody July 4 parade — this year, Abes was elected as the parade’s Grand Marshal.
“I said, ‘Am I old enough for this?’” he said. “Because I have gray hair, but … No, it was a really nice honor.”
Across the way is Message in a Bottle, a seafood restaurant and Abes’ latest addition. In another interactive feature, Abes invites families to submit their beach pictures for a TV display as well as write messages to be placed in stacked bottles near the entrance.
All his restaurants, including his food truck Yoffi which serves Mediterranean food, are situated around a courtyard. In a tour, he highlighted the work he had done to transform the space into a more
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inviting community hangout spot with investment from Regency Centers, the property owner.
“There were literally two metal benches in the whole place and one lamppost,” Abes said. “So, we cleaned it all up, added furniture, the stage, the big screen.”
The courtyard also features colorful murals for picture-taking moments, one with his trademarked “Funwoody” and another with “Good Vibes.”
Abes said he and other merchants saw missed opportunities, looking over to the “cool” events that Alpharetta and Roswell were hosting.
Two years ago, he created Green Eggs and Kegs which will be the group’s first event, held in the courtyard on April 20. It will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, hitting close to home as his son was diagnosed as a toddler.
“I always want to do stuff for charity,” Abes said. “I think that’s very important. Whatever we do — it’s like you got to do it community-focused.”
The association also plans to host an all-day, back-to-school event in August called “Funwoody Field Day,” which will include school field day classics like relay races and a scavenger hunt as well as a sidewalk sale in the second half of the day.
Lauren Sok, association member
and owner of Functionize Health & Physical Therapy, said Funwoody Field Day will be spaced out throughout all the Village.
“What we realize is when most people say the ‘Dunwoody Village,’ they think it’s the side where Fresh Market is,” Sok said. “All of the businesses in the greater Chamblee Dunwoody/ Mount Vernon area are part of the Village.”
Light Up Dunwoody, a pre-existing city event, will be the group’s fourthquarter focus, but Sok said they plan to make it more magical and again, ensuring it is held throughout the village, with hot chocolate stands, carolers and maybe a petting zoo.
“The main goal is to make sure people understand that the Village is so much more than one section, and it’s a destination,” Sok said, with a hope that the city’s marketing dollars will go toward the area.
The Dunwoody Village Merchants Association is under the auspices of the Perimeter Chamber now, allowing them greater autonomy and an organized platform.
As a longstanding Dunwoody resident, Perimeter Chamber Vice President of Engagement Paula Shiver said she has always felt like there were things that can be done to the Village to bring cohesiveness to the space and that Abes has had that same vision.
“The whole thing sort of clicked and fell into place was his motivation and his enthusiasm and people really seeing how just a little bit of effort can bring a whole community together,” Shiver said.
What factors contribute to acne?
Acne is influenced by a combination of factors, including genetics, hormonal changes, excess oil production, and the presence of acne-causing bacteria on the skin. Lifestyle factors like diet, stress, and certain medications can also play a role. Understanding these factors is crucial in developing an effective acne management plan.
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Treating acne involves a multifaceted approach. Over-thecounter products with ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide
can help, but for more severe cases, consulting a dermatologist is essential. Dermatologists can prescribe topical or oral medications tailored to your skin’s specific needs. They also provide personalized advice on skincare routines and may recommend procedures like laser therapy or chemical peels for more severe cases. Partnering with a dermatologist ensures that your treatment plan is effective, minimizing the risk of scarring and promoting long-term skin health. It’s a collaborative effort to find the most suitable solutions for your unique skin conditions.
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No one likes to move. It is one of the most difficult and exhausting tasks we manage in our lives, even if a moving truck is coming to pick up our belongings. Imagine all your possessions fitting in a wagon.
In the early twentieth century, before everyone had a car or truck and before moving companies, families were still moving everything they owned with a wagon pulled by a mule or horse. If the destination was near the railroad, a family could move their household and personal items by train.
Nancy and Fred Miles moved from Atlanta to Sandy Springs in April of 1915, along with their seven-year-old son Edward and five-year-old daughter Alice. Fred worked a half day at his job with Georgia Power in downtown Atlanta and rode the streetcar to Buckhead to meet his family on moving day.
The possessions of the Miles family, including their chickens, were brought to their new home by a mule-drawn wagon. Their cow Betsy and her calf walked behind the wagon.
The family arrived at their new farm at the corner of Dalrymple and Brandon Mill Roads, known today as Lost Corners Preserve. The log home with two leantos was replaced later that year with a new home on the same foundation. Fred Miles, Jr. was born in 1916, Peggy in 1922, and Henry in 1929.
The Webb family made their move from the area where Lindbergh MARTA station is today to their new home in Sandy Springs in 1924. Cliff and Clara Webb and their twelve children traveled down Lindbergh Drive towards Peachtree Road, turned on Peachtree Battle Road, then north on Northside Drive. Their home was at the intersection of Glenridge Drive and Johnson Ferry Road.
The family brought their Aberdeen Angus and Holstein cattle on their move and started C. S. Webb Dairy in Sandy Springs. The dairy barn, milk house, sleeping barn, engine and boiler room were built by local builder Arthur Mabry.
Posey and Feriba Mitchell moved from Sandy Springs to Roswell in the Fall of 1905. The family had already moved multiple times, and their last move before Roswell was to Sandy Springs where Posey began working construction at Morgan Falls Dam. Feriba and her daughters prepared and sold lunches to workers at the dam. They were saving up for the final move to
the home they bought in Roswell.
The journey to their home at Oak Street and Ellis Street in Roswell was not long, but the roads were narrow with deep ruts from wagons. A good portion of their journey was along what would become Roswell Road.
Nolan Reed wrote, “Moving day came and all our belongings loaded on our two-mule wagon, the cow had to be walked by Papa, so Mama drove the mules and wagon.” At the Chattahoochee River, the mules refused to cross the covered bridge. They made it across the bridge after encouraging the mules with oats. Next was the steep hill up to Roswell.
When the Reed family arrived at their new home to find the previous owners had not moved out due to an illness, they lived with their cousins Lemma and Austin Martin temporarily.
Tolleson and Laura Little Kirby brought their family from Tate, Georgia to Dunwoody by train in 1914. They traveled to Atlanta and Chamblee, then north on the Roswell Railroad to Powers Station. Their possessions were in a boxcar, which was left at the station for the night while the train continued to the Roswell Depot. Everything had to be unloaded overnight before the boxcar was picked up the next morning. Their three-room house was on forty acres Tolleson Kirby purchased from Scott Powers. Back then, the road was called Little Kirby Road, combining the family names. Today, that road is known as Pitts Road.
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.
STEVE HUDSON Columnist
Welcome to March, everybody.
It that’s time of year when one minute it’s high summer and the next it’s deep winter gray. And sometimes it goes from one to the other just like that.
Today was one of those quick-change days. It was blue sky at dawn, so I decided to go hiking at the Gold Branch Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Of all the CRNRA units, it’s the one that to me feels the most remote. It’s like you’re out in the wilds, far from everything, and the illusion of true wilderness is comforting.
But then it clouded up. The temperature is dropping, and now it’s 42 degrees outside, but I’m hiking anyway ¬- walking what seems like a million miles from nowhere out in the middle of the woods, even though deep down I know that Roswell Road is just right over there somewhere.
And now it’s starting to rain.
That’s okay though. I’ve got a poncho in my day pack, and it’s supposed to be a good one. The package told me it’s the latest thing, ripstop and water resistant and probably bulletproof too. Ripstop is good since thorn bushes try to torpedo it on occasion. Water resistant is good, too, though I’ve discovered a couple of inefficiencies up by the neck.
Is it bulletproof? It occurs to me that I don’t know, and without even an instant of warning my mind jumps back to what I’ve started calling, at least to myself, the Incident on Roswell Road.
I’m amazed how clearly I recall every little detail.
II.
Memory is a wonderful thing. In it I see two vehicles, a van and a car, drivers waving arms and shouting, stopped at a traffic light. The driver in back got out. Words were exchanged. He went back to his car, reached inside, pulled out a pistol, and fired three times. One, two, three. Pop, pop, pop, like flat and dimensionless firecrackers. Then he jumped back in his car and with screeching tires roared away.
I was frozen 20 yards away, held prisoner by a red light, boxed in by a Toyota and a light blue Ford, mesmerized by the movie unfolding before my eyes.
I remember part of me thinking, briefly and almost instantaneously, “No big deal. You’ve seen it hundreds of times before.” Belligerence and bluster, violence and force. Every night it’s on TV, in the programs, in the news.
But this time the movie had three dimensions instead of two, and I was one of the extras.
I couldn’t see the faces of the drivers ¬– neither gunner nor gunnee – but I could make out every detail of the instant terror in the eyes of the young mother in the car to my right. And I remember two little heads that popped up from that car’s back seat, appearing as soon as the shooting started, perhaps to see what was causing all the neat noises and whether they would sound again –
III.
At Gold Branch, the rain continues. I sit down on a soggy log and look across the little pond nearby. The downpour has turned its surface into a continent of tiny liquid explosions. Each drop makes a sound, but the notes are undistinguishable. There’s just a muted roar, like an angry mob, a rumbling continuous explosion, a cacophony of impacts blasting the quiet surface of the pond.
I sit for a while, watching, until a new sound eases into my mind. It is soft, a flannel sound almost as soft as rain, and it comes from the bushes ten yards to my right.
Another hiker? Not likely. Not here. Not now. Not in this rain.
What, then?
It is a cat. It is not a family cat, I surmise, though it may have been so once. It may have had a collar with a bright metal tag, may have curled up on sofas and sat in warm laps, may have dined nightly on tidbits from the rich man’s table.
We look at one another, the cat and me, and I can tell that the cat is thinking. I had a cat once, and I know their looks. One says, “I am hungry and I want to be fed.” Another says, “I think it is time for me to be scratched behind the ears.”
Yet another says, “I think it is time to visit the little box behind the door.”
And there is one more. It is the look that says, “Don’t bother me. I am a cat, and I am thinking cat thoughts. They are secret, and you will never know them, but I know them always and am thinking them now.”
That was the look that this cat has. It is the cat thoughts look, and the cat is looking at me.
The cat sits motionless, then ever so slowly eases into a crouch, as if to spring, tail straight out, not so much as the twitch of an ear.
Still the cat looks at me. Deciding –Deciding what?
I blink first. The tip of the cat’s tail twitches. I blink again.
The cat slowly stands and turns and starts to walk away.
For a moment, I watch. A second more, and he is gone.
IV.
– but they did not.
In times of stress, they say, you resort to basic conditioning:
The mother, apparently petrified, did not scream, and so the children, no longer interested, disappeared from view and resumed whatever child’s game they were playing.
Me? I went on when the light turned green.
I drove about 100 yards before it dawned on me that I really should go back…to help? To lend aid? To see what I could see?
And so I turned around and drove back past the scene.
The car had not come back.
The guys from the van were standing around looking at three little holes in the back door of the van. They pointed and gestured, then got in their van and drove away too.
The mother and her kids were gone.
Time to be on my way too, I told myself. My assistance was not needed, and I did not want to be involved. No. I did not want to be involved at all.
Later I watched the news at both six and 11. There was no mention of the incident. No mention at all.
That was good. If there was no incident, there was no need.
V.
Remember the Salvadore Dali painting? The one with the timepieces that seem to be flowing like soft plastic off the edges of the tables? Remember it’s title?
I did not want to be involved. But I was I was…
And as the memory comes back I realize that I still am, even now, even here, in this screaming, deafening silence a million miles from nowhere, in these woods under siege in an icy cold rain.
Continued from Page 1
“These conditions continue to be prevalent and have slowed the construction,” Walker said. “To help address the issues of the boardwalk drilling depth, contractors deployed the use of specialized drilling attachments and pumps to lower the lake level.”
City officials approved a $7.8 million bid from Newnan-based JHC Corporation when the project broke ground in November 2022.
After Sandy Springs received a $3 million grant from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the city was required to cover remaining construction costs.
The first three change orders added just over $525,000 to the original contract.
The fourth change order, around $550,000, brings the cost of the project to $8.8 million.
Outside of drilling for the boardwalk, the change order includes funding for a parking lot at the Morgan Falls Dog Park and the removal of unsuitable soil.
Mayor Rusty Paul asked Walker if the contractor is making reasonable progress drilling through the rock formation beneath the surface of Lake Orkin.
“They created a new drill attachment for this project that acts like a rock hammer…which necessitates the lake being pumped down,” Walker said. “There are a lot of weather issues that we’ve run into over the past few months.”
In September 2022, former Recreation and Parks Director Michael Perry estimated the project could be completed in October 2023.
Additional work related to the unforeseen conditions brings the expected completion of the 2A Trail to Dec. 31, 2024.
“The proposed change order and timeline extension are based on the worst-case scenario,” Walker said. “If more favorable drilling conditions are found, the cost of the installation of the piers will return the original contract sum.”
Walker also said staff continues to work on lowering project costs with contractors.
“As of today, we are at 1,906 feet of 2,933 feet of boardwalk over the water,” Walker said. “So, 65 percent.”
Walked also clarified that the 2A Trail is not officially open to the public, even though some surrounding residents have been spotted using completed sections.
Councilman Andy Bauman asked Walker if there is potential for construction costs to increase again.
“We’ve run into a lot of obstacles here, and I know we have talked about lessons learned,” Bauman said.
wants to work for the city.
“It’s a good project, it really is,” Walker said. “[The Morgan Falls Connector] is going to be a phenomenal asset to the city when it’s done.”
After laughs around the dais and among city staff, Councilman Tibby DeJulio asked Walker if the 2A Trail is the most difficult portion of the entire Trail Master Plan.
“From what I know, we are not putting a boardwalk over a lake again,” Walker said. “So, whatever conditions we find will be easier to get to.”
In other business, the City Council approved a contract with Murphs Surf River Adventures to provide canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals at Morgan Falls Overlook Park.
After the previous operator declined to renew its contract, Walker said Murphs Surf provided the best recommendations from other local governments.
“Because we are really on the front-end of our Master Trail plan for the city.” Walker said around $200,000 remains in the budget but he does not expect the worst-case scenario to happen.
Mayor Paul said he knows the project fell into Walker’s lap when he took over the Recreation and Parks Department in December and hopes the director still
The contract includes yearly rent at just over $20,000 and 10 percent of annual revenues.
The opening date of the Paddle Shack at Morgan Falls Overlook Park will be announced on the city’s website, Walker said.
What: Emmy- and Grammy-nominated comedian Kevin Hart will perform.
When: Friday, March 29, 9:30 p.m.
Where: Byers Theatre, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs
Cost: Tickets starting at $91.80 More info: sandyspringsga.gov
What: The Grass Is Dead will perform its own interpretations of Grateful Dead tunes and traditional roots music.
When: Saturday, March 30, 9 p.m.
Where: From the Earth Brewing Company, 1570 Holcomb Bridge Road, Roswell
Cost: $20 in advance; $25 at door
More info: ftebrewing.com
What: On the first Monday of every month from April through October, Punchline Comedy Night features live comedy acts and drinks specials. Performances last about 90 minutes and are recommended for ages 13 and older.
When: Monday, April 1, 7:30-9 p.m.
Where: Palmer Plaza at Avalon, 950 3rd St., Alpharetta
Cost: Free
More info: experienceavalon.com
What: On the first Thursday of every month, an evening of classic cars will take place at Cumming City Center. The road will be shut down prior to the event. Beginning at 5 p.m. classic cars can enter through the Canton Road entrance and park up the main street on a first come, first served basis.
When: Thursday, April 4, 6-8 p.m.
Where: Cumming City Center, 423 Canton Road, Cumming
Cost: Free
More info: cummingcitycenter.com
What: Join for a morning birding walk at Morgan Falls Overlook Park, which boasts several habitats and a large variety of birds over the year. A scope and loaner binoculars will be available.
What: Join for a morning birding walk at Morgan Falls Overlook Park, which boasts several habitats and a large variety of birds over the year. A scope and loaner binoculars will be available.
When: Saturday, April 6, 8 a.m.
Where: Morgan Falls Overlook Park, 200 Morgan Falls Road, Sandy Springs
Cost: Free
More info: sandyspringsga.gov
MARCH 28 APRIL 7
When: Saturday, April 6, 8 a.m.
Where: Morgan Falls Overlook Park, 200 Morgan Falls Road, Sandy Springs
Cost: Free
More info: sandyspringsga.gov
What: The Johns Creek Veterans Association presents Ride for Vets, a motorcycle ride to support veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
When: Saturday, April 6, 8 a.m.
Where: Newtown Park, 3150 Old Alabama Road, Johns Creek
Cost: $25 for riders; $35 for riders & passengers; $15 for T-shirts
More info: studentleadershipjohnscreek.com
What: The Roswell Historical Society will host its inaugural Night at the Museum fundraiser to showcase its new rotating exhibit “Presidential Connections to Roswell.”
When: Saturday, April 6, 6-9 p.m.
Where: Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest St., Roswell
Cost: $65 for Roswell Historical Society members; $75 for nonmembers
More info: roswellhistoricalsociety.org
What: Join for a class on tai chi, a series of gentle physical exercises and stretches, sometimes described as meditation in motion.
When: Sunday, April 7, 2-4 p.m.
Where: Dunwoody Nature Center, 5343 Roberts Drive, Dunwoody Cost: $20
More info: dunwoodynature.org
What: National Book Award-winning Author Charles Frazier, author of “Cold Mountain,” will discuss his latest work, “The Trackers.” The novel is a portrait of life in the Great Depression, conjuring up
the lives of everyday people during an extraordinary period of history. Frazier’s discussion will be moderated by Gina Caison, the Kenneth M. England associate professor of Southern American literature at Georgia State University.
When: Sunday, April 7, 4 p.m.
Where: Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest St., Roswell
Cost: $20 for general admission; $40 for reserved seating and signed book
More info: roswell365.com
What: Focusing on the theme of movement, this exhibition presents artworks that depict dynamic motion, capturing the energy and fluidity of the human body, animals or inanimate objects.
When: Until May 4, business hours
Where: Alpharetta Arts Center, 238 Canton St., Alpharetta
More info: artsalpharetta.org
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Continued from Page 1
Brookhaven, Paul said many War Eagles live in Sandy Springs and North Fulton.
Lassiter by 0.18 seconds.
Riverwood senior Lizzie McGrath also won the GHSA’s 3-point Contest March 8.
Competing in the Class 6A championship March 8, the Riverwood Raiders boys basketball team knocked off the defending champion, Douglassville’s Alexander Cougars, in overtime.
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The Marist girls basketball team took home the Class 6A championship with a 67-48 victory over North Forsyth. Sophomore Kate Harpring scored 27 points to help secure the War Eagles second state title in three years.
The No. 4-ranked Golden Bears from Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School fell in the Class 4A championship 60-65 to the North Oconee Titans.
Despite the heart-wrenching loss, the runner-up Golden Bears were also honored alongside state champions after sporting an 18-1 record against region opponents.
Head coach Buck Jenkins spoke with Appen Media about the resilience of the 2023-24 squad.
“We made history with this one,” Jenkins said. “This year’s team was special, this group has been together for a couple years.”
Two years ago, the team won just six of 26 games.
Jenkins said the group of seniors, now state champions, understood the process of developing a competitive team.
“We really turned it on at the right time,” Jenkins. “We stayed hot and locked-in during the entire state tournament.”
The boys team from Mount Vernon beat Paideia 48-40 to win the Class A Division I championship.
After falling to Paideia during the regular season, the Mount Vernon Mustangs defeated the Pythons in the Region 6 championship before heading to the state playoffs.
Xavier Shegog, a 6-foot-6 senior for the Mustangs, scored 18 points on the way to the school’s first state championship.
Riverwood stands out
Sporting the most cheerleaders and the loudest fans at the celebration, the Riverwood Raiders accomplished a lot during the winter sports season.
The Riverwood Raiders sent two championship teams to the City Green after the school took home its first state basketball contest and the girls swim team won the 200-meter freestyle relay.
During the 6A State Swimming Championships at Georgia Tech Feb. 9, the Raiders girls team placed sixth overall.
The 200-meter freestyle relay team, Katie Kessell, Hannah Gosch, Emma Freer and Kenzie Robinson, set a school record in the event, edging out runner-up
The Raiders lost at home to Marist in the semifinals of the Region 4 tournament. As a result the team was the region’s bottom seed going into the state playoffs.
After a narrow victory over thirdranked Lee County in the first round, the Raiders rolled through Evans, Woodstock and Jonesboro on their way to the championship game.
JR Leonard, a junior guard at Riverwood, scored 31 points against Alexander, the most points scored by a boy in any championship game this year.
Mayor Rusty Paul presented plaques to all five teams that either won or finished runner-up.
“I cannot tell you how proud we are of the young men and women in this community,” Paul said. “They went out and showed what excellence really looks like.”
Paul told high school athletes that they are developing life-long skills, like teamwork, selflessness and hard work, which will stay with them throughout their lives.
“The only thing I ask is let’s do this again next year,” Paul said.
