Sandy Springs Crier - April 4, 2024

North Fulton charity celebrates 40 years

► PAGE 5

whether North Fulton cities can coordinate efforts to run their own municipal elections.

North Fulton mayors, officials explore coordinating elections

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — North Fulton County mayors and city officials discussed forming an elections authority that would oversee municipal elections in the future.

Such a move would wrest city election oversight and operations out of the hands of Fulton County, which bills the cities for its work.

The North Fulton Municipal Association meets monthly, except during the summer, and includes elected officials and senior staff from the six North Fulton cities.

The informal luncheon provides city leaders an opportunity to discuss broader issues involving the county and other agencies, like Fulton County Schools, the Georgia Department of

Transportation, Atlanta Regional Commission and MARTA.

The March meeting drew five of the six North Fulton mayors. Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul did not attend, but City Manager Eden Freeman and Councilwoman Melissa Mular were in attendance to represent North Fulton’s largest city.

See ELECTIONS, Page 8

City lays plans for April sunset lantern parade

it to the River,” inspired by the April 13 sunset walk to the Chattahoochee at Morgan Falls Overlook Park.

The three-quarter-mile march begins at Steel Canyon Golf Course at 460 Morgan Falls Road and ends with a view of the river.

Look out for five unique lanterns floating on the Chattahoochee River, including Jeremiah the Bullfrog, Georgia Kissyfish and Alice the 26-foot Albino Alligator.

Before the parade steps off around 8:30 p.m., participants are invited to gather in the parking lot at Steel Canyon for live music, food trucks and children’s activities.

A free shuttle from the Morgan Falls Office Park begins at 5:30 p.m. Festivities at the golf course start at 6 p.m.

See LANTERN, Page 15

STEVE EBERHARDT/PROVIDED

Sanderson the Flying Pig leads a drift of piglet lanterns down Morgan Falls Road during the 2023 Sandy Springs “Take it to the River” Lantern Parade.

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

From left, Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson , Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry , Milton Mayor Peyton Jamison and Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin discuss municipal elections March 28 at the Avalon 10000 Building in Alpharetta. City officials are studying

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In response to an Open Records request for payroll records, the City of Sandy Springs redacted the name of every recipient.

The 2023 earnings totaled $41.1 million, including more than $888,000 in bonuses.

Sandy Springs is the only city Appen Media covers that withheld names in salary information, including the name of Mayor Rusty Paul and City Administrator Eden Freeman. The cities of Roswell, Milton, Alpharetta

and Cumming all identified the names of public employees paid with taxpayer funds.

What do you think? Send thoughts, questions and tips to newsroom@appenmedia.com

Ga. 9 widening stalls in Alpharetta; work moves to Milton

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

METRO ATLANTA — Motorists face an additional year of delays on the state’s Ga. 9 widening in Alpharetta.

The $50 million transportation project has run into utility and right-of-way hurdles.

Ga. 9 is a major artery for Metro Atlanta and North Georgia drivers, beginning in Sandy Springs and running 86 miles north into Lumpkin County.

The Ga. 9 improvement project, which will widen 3.6 miles of the highway from Upper Hembree Road to Windward Parkway in Alpharetta, kicked off in April 2021 with a completion date of spring 2024.

In January, the Georgia Department of Transportation, which oversees the project, announced the end date has been pushed back to late 2025. GDOT cited difficulties with utility relocation and changes to design plans to accommodate new subdivisions as reasons for the delay.

This month, GDOT crews have worked on constructing sidewalks, concrete islands, curb and gutter, and driveways between Upper Hembree Road and Devore Place in Alpharetta. Widening and storm drain installation between Devore and Maxwell Road is starting.

Widening and sidewalk construction has also kicked off between Cogburn Road and Windward Parkway. Crews continue utility work and storm drain installation between Vaughan Drive and Windward.

Alpharetta drivers should expect lane closures, traffic pacing and construction equipment in the roadway as the project continues.

Despite the delays in Alpharetta, GDOT issued a notice to begin construction in Milton Feb. 27. Just more than 3 miles of the highway will be widened in the city from its border with Alpharetta at Windward Parkway to the Forsyth County line, just before Tidwell Road. The cost is set at $68 million.

GDOT will move utilities, relocate and construct new sidewalks and paths, remove trees, and widen the road to four lanes. A raised 16- to 28-foot median will divide the highway.

Left and right turn lanes will be added at main intersections along the stretch, and Ga. 9 will be realigned into two 90-degree intersections at Bethany Bend. Currently, drivers traveling north and south on Ga. 9 turn onto Bethany Bend using separated right turn lanes before the intersection.

See WIDENING, Page 7

MAP BY JACOB TOMBERLIN/APPEN MEDIA

The Georgia Department of Transportation is widening Ga. 9 from Upper Hembree Road in Alpharetta to Bethelview Road in Forsyth County. Construction in Alpharetta

PALS

PERIMETER ADULT LEARNING & SERVICES

SPRING 2024

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

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.

The Gathering hangs in balance pending approval of new terms

Hockey fans cheer bid to lure NHL franchise

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County officials drew cheers from hockey enthusiasts after approving a formal agreement March 26 with The Gathering at South Forsyth, a development that proposes to bring an NHL franchise to its campus.

More than a dozen people donned jerseys and red shirts in a show of support for the $2 billion development off Ronald Reagan Boulevard and Union Hill Road.

The agreement commissioners approved in its 4-1 vote outlines a $225 million commitment from the county — a lot less than an initial proposal it tossed out in January.

The measure outlines terms and allows Gathering staff to begin pre-construction planning, pending amendments to the Ronald Reagan and Union Hill overlay. Commissioner Todd Levent cast the dissenting vote.

The commission vote didn’t draw the same enthusiasm from developers.

While the development has earned a green light from the county, The Gathering staff said commissioners’ last-minute changes to the contract require further legal review before it accepts the terms.

“The goal for the vote last night was to bring a binding [memorandum of understanding] with firm commitments for both financing and planning to the NHL,” project staff said in a statement. “While a majority of the County Commission voted yes, the

MOU that was approved last night did not meet that goal.”

The county has agreed to commit $225 million in revenue backed bonds to finance the 700,000-square-foot hockey arena and a parking deck if The Gathering lands a National Hockey League franchise. The bond would be issued by the County Development Authority.

Revenue bonds are issued by local governments to fund specific projects. Revenue generated from the project is then used to repay the debt. Taxpayers do not fund revenue bonds, unlike general obligation bonds.

In a nonbinding agreement the Board of Commissioners approved in January, the county’s commitment was a $390 million bond.

The new agreement accounts for a

$40 million contribution from the South Forsyth Community Improvement District and possible funds from the state, which developers plan to solicit for an additional $100 million.

The county would receive $1.50 per ticket sale at the arena, and use a third of it to service the debt. The Gathering will also pay the county $100,000 annually in rent, down from $2 million in the previous agreement.

Forsyth County is seeking redevelopment powers to create a tax allocation district surrounding the property that would devote any rise in property tax revenues to assist paying on the bond debt.

Further, County Manager David McKee said the state granted a 3 percent increase to the county’s hotel motel tax. Revenues from the 8 percent hotel tax would also be tapped for debt service.

Before the March 26 commission meeting, elected officials held a joint meeting with the County Development Authority to discuss the finances behind the bond.

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While the project financing is designed to keep the burden off county taxpayers, Roger Murray, who serves as bond counsel for Forsyth County and the Development Authority, said residents could see an increase to their property tax bills.

Murray said in a worst-case scenario where nothing is built, residents could have to pay an additional mill. If only half is built, just less than a half-mill would be levied.

With an average home value of $520,000, Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Vice President Alex Warner said a one-mill increase would likely show up as an additional $208 on tax bills, or $104 for a half-mill increase.

SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA

Supporters of The Gathering at South Forsyth mingle with project staff at a Board of Commissioners meeting March 26. The development team asked people who support the project to wear a jersey or red shirts.

North Fulton Community Charities celebrates 40th anniversary at gala

CUMMING, Ga. – North Fulton Community Charities welcomed close to 200 guests to its “A Night in Tuscany” gala March 23 at Greenfield Farm.

The event celebrated 40 years of the nonprofit’s work in the community while raising funds for its programs that prevent hunger and homelessness and foster financial stability for North Fulton families in need. North Fulton Community Charities (NFCC) serves thousands of local residents each year at two facilities in Roswell.

“This event was a chance to look back on NFCC’s history and celebrate its impact in the community while recognizing that the need in our community for NFCC’s services remains great,” said Executive Director Sandy Holiday, who offered welcoming remarks and a toast at the gala. “We are grateful to all our attendees and everyone who came together to make this event a success — our sponsors, our volunteers, our committee members, silent and live auction donors, and our special guest speakers, Reva, Millard and Penny Hart, for sharing their story with attendees.”

Penny Hart, former Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks player, and his parents Reva and Millard Hart shared the story of their struggles after relocating to Roswell from Chicago in the 1990s and the role NFCC played in their path to financial stability.

After a Tuscan-themed dinner, Barbara Duffy, who served as NFCC executive director from 1991 to 2019, took to the stage to reflect on the nonprofit’s growth since its founding in 1983 and to introduce a retrospective video that paid homage to the organization's modest beginnings, showcased its growth and recognized the continued need for assistance in the community.

PLANT SALE AND MORE!

Saturday, April 20 • 9am–3pm

The Grove @ Wills Park • 175 Roswell Street

Brought to you by THE NORTH FULTON MASTER GARDENERS

in partnership with Georgia Native Plant Society & the Alpharetta Community AG Program

Educational speakers, Fleatique, Children’s activities, Plant Vendors, Food Vendors, and Master Gardeners to answer your gardening questions.

For more information: www.nfmg.net/garden-faire

The popular North Fulton Master Gardeners

Pass-along Plant Sale will feature more than 2000 beautiful plantings suitable for sun and shade.

The North Metro Atlanta Chapter of the Georgia Native Plant Society will have a selection of around 2000 native perennials, shrubs, vines, and trees.

The Alpharetta Community Agriculture Program will have around 5000 unique varieties of organic, heirloom, and non-GMO plants, grown from seed at Old Rucker Farm.

CLARK SAVAGE PHOTOGRAPHY/PROVIDED

Sandy Holiday , executive director of North Fulton Community Charities, raises a toast at the nonprofit’s “Night in Tuscany” fundraiser gala at Greenfield Farm in Cumming March 23. The event celebrated the 40th anniversary of the organization, which serves thousands of North Fulton families in need each year at its two facilities in Roswell.

Johns Creek police cites uptick in burglaries, need for more officers

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Johns Creek Police Chief Mark Mitchell says a significant number of the burglaries committed in 2023 can be attributed to a specific group.

Whether those involved in a loose network of non-violent crimes like entering autos and homes are a quantifiable threat to the City of Johns Creek is still under investigation.

Burglaries increased by 30 percent, according to the Johns Creek Police Department’s “Multi-Year Plan” presented at the City Council work session March 25, and Mitchell says the “South American Theft Group” are likely responsible.

In an interview, Mitchell said that out of more than 70 burglaries last year, about a dozen or so may be connected to these South American groups, but pieces to the puzzle are missing — such as identified suspects, which would include their country of origin.

South American theft groups operate like franchises, with little to no cooperation among them but with similar methods, according to police document.

“There could be other groups,” Mitchell said, referencing the Drug Rich Gang, known for stealing from celebrities and influencers, and having been linked to crimes in Sandy Springs and Roswell.

He said there were a couple of burglaries last year where weapons were involved, and police are investigating whether suspects are from a South American theft group – though violence is uncharacteristic – or the Drug Rich Gang.

The method South American theft groups use to burglarize the wealthy do not appear to be novel.

Members on vacation visas, aka “criminal tourism,” or “straight up illegal aliens taking advantage of our southern border” tend to enter at the rear of a home via a broken glass door or window after dark, using signal-jammers to block wireless technology like cameras and carrying backpacks to store the loot, according to the police document.

After quickly leaving the victim’s home, police say the burglars then hit up nearby jurisdictions to do the job all over again.

Of the active investigations in Johns Creek, Mitchell said the MO also involves targeting mostly Asian families, thought to have a lot of money.

Under the section on South American theft groups, the Multi-Year Plan

cited an incident in 2018 in which an officer stopped a group of individuals with bogus IDs, a stop that has allegedly become a model to other police agencies in the area on how to locate and handle these crews.

But, Mitchell said the suspects were charged for providing a falsified name, not burglary, though he said one suspect was connected to a burglary in another state.

South American theft groups are also the focus of an FBI task force, most recently covered by the New York Post, and are addressed by neighboring agencies, such as the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, which set up extra duty to target them.

Police say Johns Creek could emulate what’s being done in Forsyth County if they have the budget.

For now, Mitchell said officers conduct patrols based on burglary data provided in monthly reports. He said if personnel is added, as recommended in the plan, the department will continue its focus on these theft groups with investments in real-time crime intelligence and special operations.

At the March 25 work session, Mitchell highlighted the staffing issues within the Police Department, preventing officers from being able to take time off or attend career development training.

“Sometimes our officers have to work overtime to make sure that we have the minimum staffing average on shifts,” Mitchell said.

Data provided in the Multi-Year Plan shows that Johns Creek’s officerto-resident ratio is lower than surrounding jurisdictions at fewer than one officer per 1,000 residents.

According to data compiled by Appen Media, that number persists in 2024 but the gap is widening between Johns Creek and other cities like Alpharetta and Roswell which have recently expanded their police forces.

With more than 67,000 residents, Alpharetta has 2.19 officers per 1,000 residents, and Roswell with a population of nearly 93,000 has 2.26 officers per 1,000 residents. The officer-toresident ratio in Sandy Springs, Milton and Dunwoody also exceed numbers in Johns Creek.

Mitchell said the number of applications for police officers has significantly decreased. On testing days, when candidates come in for an interview and perform a physical assessment, the number of applications has dwindled from hundreds to around a dozen.

“If we have five or six show up, that’s pretty good,” Mitchell said. “That’s a good day.”

SCREENSHOT

Johns Creek Police Chief Mark Mitchell presents the Johns Creek Police Department’s “Multi-Year Plan” at the City Council work session March 25. Mitchell described staffing issues and explained crime trends.

DATA: APPEN MEDIA CHART: JACOB TOMBERLIN/APPEN MEDIA

FULTON SCIENCE ACADEMY/PROVIDED

A rendering of Fulton Science Academy Atherton, an international school opening on Jeju Island, South Korea, in 2026 shows a glimpse of the future campus. A South Korean governing body approved the school’s education plan March 21.

Fulton Science Academy expands to South Korea

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Fulton Science Academy announced March 22 its global expansion will include a new school on Jeju Island, South Korea.

Fulton Science Academy Atherton, which will be situated in the Jeju Global Education City, aims to serve around 1,350 students by September 2026.

Jeju Island is one of two special selfgoverning provinces in South Korea. The Korean government created the Global Education City, sporting seven international schools, to retain South Korean students in the early 2000s.

In partnership with Korean investment firm AIS Global and international education experts ISC Research, the Alpharettabased Fulton Science Academy intends to create a leading international school for students from kindergarten to 12th grade.

The curriculum will blend science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics and humanities.

In anticipation of the initiative, Fulton Science Academy established Global Education Management and Services to oversee programs at the new school.

One milestone in the project’s develop-

Widening:

Continued from Page 3

The Milton widening is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.

Farther north in Forsyth County, the Ga. 9 widening is underway in three segments: from the Fulton County border to McFarland Road; from McFarland Road to Post Road; and from Post Road to Bethelview Road.

The $18 million stretch between the county line and McFarland Road is just

Across

1 Mouth piece

4 Stout relative

7 Hot springs

10 Understood

13 Citrus drink

14 Kipling novel

15 Fond du ___

16 North Yorkshire river

17 Ocean

18 Teenagers

21 Cummerbund

23 Small amount

24 Surrealist Max

25 Bread spread

26 Church bench

27 Agile

28 God of war

30 Lease

31 Blubber

34 Magical drink

ment came March 21 with the Jeju Office of Education’s approval of the school’s plan.

In 2021, the U.S. Department of Education recognized Fulton Science Academy, an accredited and STEM-certified institution, as a National Blue Ribbon School.

Kenan Sener, CEO and head of school at Fulton Science Academy, shared his enthusiasm about the expansion.

“The international extension of Fulton Science Academy represents our dedication to excellence in education on a global scale,” Sener said. “In partnership with AIS Global, we are thrilled to launch FSA Atherton, a step towards cultivating internationally minded individuals equipped for the challenges of tomorrow."

Sang Yoon, CEO of AIS Global said he sees this collaboration as a meaningful endeavor to advance education.

“Our partnership with Fulton Science Academy is a reflection of our shared commitment to educational innovation and excellence,” Yoon said. “We are proud to be part of creating a learning environment that promises to shape the educational experiences of future generations.”

under 1 mile long and will be widened to four lanes with shoulders and a raised median. Construction began in April 2023 and is expected to wrap up in March 2025.

The 2.4-mile segment between McFarland and Post roads, estimated to cost some $41 million, is slated for completion in October 2026.

The 3.5-mile widening and improvements between Post and Bethelview roads will also replace the culvert over Big Creek with a new bridge. Construction on the $64 million segment is slated to wrap up in November 2026.

37 Golf peg

38 Honest one

39 Mouse relative

40 Change places, like a bird

43 Hoodwink

44 College major

45 Mode

46 Caught, like a fish

48 Articulate

49 Lulu

50 Nuisance

51 Web journal

53 Dejected

54 Very, in Versailles

58 Parting word

60 In favor of

61 Pledge

62 Ice cream flavor

66 Chinese tea

67 Bran source

68 Modern (Prefix)

69 Long, long time

70 Moray, e.g.

71 Bag thickness

72 Sparkler

73 Animal house

74 Sp. girl (Abbr.)

Down

1 Riata

2 Perfect

3 Porridge ingredient

4 Alias inits.

5 Cover

6 Plays a role

7 Winter toy

8 ___ de deux

9 Consent

10 Burlap bag

11 Crumbs

12 Dry run

19 Bar topic

20 Go astray

22 Chicanery

26 Peruke

27 Churned

29 Border

30 Pasture

32 Slender reed

33 Curve

34 Historic periods

35 Zhivago’s love

36 Minuscule

See solution Page 15

42 Dawn deity

47 Director Preminger

49 Modeling

50 Separated

52 Auction unit

53 Old French coin

55 Speed contests

56 Early anesthetic

57 Fissile rock

58 Above

59 Twofold

60 Gift tag word

63 Charge

64 Foot part

65 Lodge

United Soccer League plans Roswell stadium for women’s matches

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — United Soccer League Deputy CEO Justin Papadakis says a key aspect of his organization’s plan with Roswell is to advance women’s soccer.

Papadakis, a Roswell native, was joined by Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson and others in a press briefing March 26, the day after councilmembers approved the league’s letter of intent to partner with the city for an anticipated stadium and entertainment district.

If negotiations go well, the stadium will house a USL Super League professional women’s team and a USL Championship professional men’s team. The organization would also serve as the “anchor tenant” of the stadium and have the right of first refusal to serve as the stadium operator/ manager.

“There’s been so much investment in men’s sports across the country, and definitely in Georgia and Atlanta, and so to have a stadium that provides an equal platform for the women, just showcase and have a first-class fan experience, is critical,” Papadakis said.

There’s a “strong path” in Roswell to have the largest women-anchored stadium and entertainment district in the world, he said, and the decision to select Roswell for the project in part spawned from Atlanta United proving there was potential for soccer in the area.

“Just as Atlanta United show with the men’s side, [that] this would be a top soccer market in the country, no doubt we can show that on the women’s side,” Papadakis said.

U.S. Soccer also announced last De-

Elections:

Continued from Page 1

The group raised the question of how North Fulton cities could coordinate efforts to form an umbrella agency to oversee municipal elections.

Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson said the time is now to discuss hiring a superintendent to set up and manage the local elections process for the six North Fulton cities.

He also said city representatives would meet later in the day to discuss “the desire and political will” for coordinating elections.

“We let Milton take the lead, and there was a lot to it,” Wilson said. “If we were involved with elections on a municipal level, we’d want to do it with our sister cities.”

With local elections returning in 2025, other North Fulton cities are look-

cember that it selected Fayette County for the location of the National Training Center, and Atlanta was chosen as the host city for the FIFA World Cup in 2026.

The league’s letter of intent speaks to a nine-month exclusive negotiation with the city. The site for the stadium has not been selected, though it will seat at least 10,000, and Wilson said costs for the project are too early to project.

“Real estate site selection is a delicate process, and the reality is we have several

ing to Milton for guidance. The city was the first North Fulton city to break from the county’s long practice of overseeing and operating municipal elections.

“We have a book, in this book we have pages that say how not to do it right and pages about how to do it right,” Milton Mayor Peyton Jamison said. “I’m very confident that I can say Milton will probably never have Fulton County running its municipal elections moving forward.”

After more than a year of planning, Milton ran its own election with an estimated actual cost of $115,000. The city saved at least $100,000 in its decision to bring in-house operations of its municipal election.

But, city staff spent a significant amount of time on the project, creating standard operating procedures from scratch with state code as a guide; buying and setting up equipment; interviewing and hiring more than 50 poll workers; all while coordinating work between

sites that we are considering,” Wilson said, responding to a question from Appen Media on how residential communities closest to the site would be engaged. “Once one of those sites begins to be consummated, we will work very diligently with the local community who might be impacted by that and say, ‘Hey, this is what’s going on.’”

Comparing the district to other sports venues nearby like The Battery Atlanta in Cobb County, Wilson said the district will

three teams of volunteers to help pull it off.

Appen Media calculated staff time, in terms of salaries and hours, against an already-busy schedule for Milton’s top city officials. That cost was more than $190,000, and it caused several city projects to fall to the wayside.

“Still, we saved a lot of money,” Jamison said. “We are absolutely open to working and sharing resources with the other municipalities in the authority manner, but we need to see exactly what the cost to taxpayers is going to be.”

Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin said city officials do not think they have had the time to do it in the past.

“From my perspective, now is the time we need to resolve this one way or the other,” Gilvin said. “As communities, we need to decide, are we going to be able to do this in an effective, efficient way or not.”

Because Alpharetta, with no challengers to incumbents, did not hold local

be about soccer but also about entertainment where parents can drop their children off to watch a soccer game while they eat or where corporate entities can host an event.

He said The Battery had to pivot once its initial retail focus fell off.

“This is going to be a true multi-purpose thing,” Wilson said. “The envisioning of this is going to be so widespread and so incredible, and there’s going to be so many people coming to enjoy this.”

elections last fall, Gilvin said the city did not face a decision about running its own polling.

Following the luncheon, he said nailing down the cost will be crucial.

“I just had a conversation with my fellow mayors,” Gilvin said. “They still don’t know how much they gotta pay for the November elections.”

He said the delays are frustrating for local governments currently in the budgeting process.

“I think our council will be willing to have that conversation based on those parameters,” Gilvin said. “But we need to have those parameters, so I can take it to the City Council and the public.”

Roswell Mayor Wilson said he agreed with Gilvin, and he would not like city staff to be overwhelmed with an areawide elections authority.

Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry and Mountain Park Mayor Bill Kolbrener also said they are committed to looking at locally run elections.

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA United Soccer League Deputy CEO Justin Papadakis, right, hands a soccer ball to Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson at a press briefing March 26. The day before, the City Council approved an exclusive nine-month negotiation period with the league to explore the possibility of it housing a USL Super League professional women’s team and a USL Championship professional men’s team at a stadium and entertainment district in Roswell. The site of the new district has not been announced.

PROVIDED

Super-sized tile has come to Atlanta

Brought to you by - Bath and Kitchen Galleria

For more than 50 years we’ve been scrubbing grout in our showers, and wondering why they don’t make large tiles equal to the size of entire shower walls? It will look better, be cleaner and certainly more hygienic. In the past, the only full wall solutions were either incredibly expensive, or included putting some sort of acrylic or plastic on the shower walls; a sure pathway to decrease the value of your home!

“We’ve been working on deploying a full wall shower solution for 8 years and its finally here”, says John Hogan president of Bath and Kitchen Galleria in Alpharetta. Working hand-in-hand with Cosentino, a 1$ billion global solid surfaces manufacturer (the maker of Silestone), we can now offer gorgeous patterns of porcelain or quartz-like stone material that covers all of the shower walls, with little or no grout. We can even use the same material for the floors and countertops, says Bobbie Kohm, Vice President of Design at Bath and

Kitchen Galleria.

Manufacturing innovation and cutting-edge technology have come together to create a solution that’s gorgeous, durable, hygienic and easy to clean. This product’s trade name is Dekton, is manufactured in Spain and has been tested globally. It has finally arrived in Atlanta and is being made available to homeowners through Bath and Kitchen Galleria in Alpharetta, a turnkey design-remodel company.

North Atlanta was significantly built-out in the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s and there are many homeowners seeking innovative solutions to update their homes. Now homeowners have one more reason to remodel bathrooms.

“We remodel over 240 homes each year and for the past few months the grout-free bathrooms have been selling incredibly well”, says Bobbie Kohm.

To learn more about full-wall tile solutions and Dekton you can visit Bath and Kitchen Galleria’s showroom at 10591 Old Alabama Rd Connector in Alpharetta or call them at 678-4592292.

Foreign assets and taxes

Brought to you by – Geerdes & Associates

If you have foreign assets, having an estate plan and knowing the rules of the game is doubly important. When you pass away, your foreign asset will fall under the jurisdiction of the country it is located in. Double taxation may come into play and your asset may also be subject to death taxes depending on the country it is located in. If the foreign country has tax treaties with the U.S., you may be entitled to a foreign death tax credit - but you also may not, so it is important that you check with legal and financial professionals in the foreign country to see how you can protect your assets.

Regarding the rules inside the US, while you do not have to report to the IRS that you have purchased a property in a foreign country, you do have to report gains or losses on the property on the Schedule D of your U.S. tax return. Make sure your records related to your investments in the property are complete. In addition:

• If you inherit a foreign home from an individual who was not a U.S. citizen or resident, you must file Form 3520: Reporting Foreign Trusts, Inheritances and Gifts for Americans Abroad.

• If your foreign home was your primary residence and you occupied it during two

of the previous five years, you can exclude up to $250,000 ($500,000 if married) from your taxes.

It is preferable for you to have two Wills - one domestic and one foreign - to streamline the probate process after your death. Make sure the professionals who draft these Wills work with each other to prevent the Wills from nullifying each other. Better yet, you can skip the probate process entirely by setting up a domestic and a foreign Trust, which will allow your beneficiaries to inherit automatically, so long as each Trust is set up according to the rules of each jurisdiction.

Be aware that not all countries recognize trusts. So, if you have real estate located in foreign countries, take the initiative to speak to legal and financial professionals to make sure all your assetsnot just your U.S. ones - are protected.

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Q.A. Wills was an Alpharetta pioneer in many ways

BOB MEYERS Columnist

Quillian Asbury Wills (19001986), commonly known as Q.A., or more informally as Quillie, was a human dynamo who was a businessman, politician, cattleman, manufacturer, merchant and real estate developer.

Q.A.’s family came from Midway, a community in Forsyth County a few miles north of downtown Alpharetta. In 1905 when Q.A. was 5 years old, his family moved to a house on Marietta Street, now Old Milton Parkway, in Alpharetta. The house still stands next to the Mansell House.

Q.A. went to school in Alpharetta, then away to either Berry College or Reinhardt University. He married Ollie Mosteller (1903-1990) circa 1920.

As a young man his first job was as a barber, but he soon took advantage of his natural entrepreneurial skills and began to acquire land. He eventually owned most of the acreage from above the Mansell House on Old Milton Parkway down to Main Street in Alpharetta and south to Wills Road. He also owned property on the opposite side of Old Milton Parkway. In 1968 he sold 99 acres to Fulton County at a deep discount with the proviso that it would be used as a park. In 1995 the county sold the property to the City of Alpharetta. The huge Wills Park includes a modern equestrian show facility, baseball fields, several playgrounds, tennis courts, a community pool and many acres of lush greenspace.

In the 1930s, Q.A. operated a cotton brokerage and warehouse in The Cotton House built in 1901 on Milton Avenue in downtown Alpharetta. The building changed hands and names several times, and Q.A. owned the building for a number of years beginning in the late 1920s. He operated a factory there making men’s jeans. He also had an office on 5th Avenue in New York City where he sold cotton “house dresses” he made in the Cotton House.

Around the corner on Main Street, Q.A. owned The Wills Merchandise Store and another building where he made chenille bedspreads and bath robes from chenille fabric he purchased in bulk. He finished the robes and bedspreads in the Cotton House. His manufacturing operations provided flexible jobs for many women during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Local historian Connie Mashburn says “Q.A.

Gathering:

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The March 26 agreement divided the buildout of The Gathering into four phases. Each phase would only start after the previous one is completed.

Phase one would include 600 apartments; between 200,000 and 300,000 square feet of office; 300,000 to 400,000 square feet of retail; a Sheriff’s Office precinct and fire station; a 1.2-mile Big Creek Greenway connection; two parking decks;

WILLS FAMILY/PROVIDED

Quillian Asbury Wills, known as Q.A. Wills, is shown with his wife, Ollie Mosteller. They were married circa 1920. As a leading businessman, politician and gentleman farmer in the community, Q.A. always wore a shirt and standard necktie or bolo tie. This photo was probably taken in the mid-1960s.

allowed working mothers to see their children off to school in the morning, then go to work and leave in time to meet their children’s school bus after school.”

The historic Cotton House was razed, and the upscale Hamilton Hotel opened in its place in August 2021.

Q.A. owned the entire block of buildings on the corner of Main Street and Milton Avenue, today a trendy area of the city. In one of the buildings, Q.A. operated a Western Auto Store.

He built houses and often advertised homes for sale in the Atlanta Constitution. He had roads cut through his property, Wills Road, Wills Drive and Nathan’s Circle which was named after a trusted employee, according to Laverne Hilder, Q.A.’s granddaughter in law. Q.A. filled the streets with

and a hotel with from 120 to 150 rooms.

At the meeting, commissioners added a condition that the county will not issue certificates of occupancy for the apartments until occupancy is granted for the hotel, office and retail space.

The anticipated arena was moved from phase one to phase two of the development, but if the NHL awards a franchise before then, developers can start construction.

The second phase would also add a practice arena, two hotels, up to 300,000 square feet of retail and up to 350,000 square feet of office.

mid-century ranch houses and a few state-of-theart homes in the late 1950s and early 1960s that still exist. He owned a house dating to 1930 on nearby Milton Avenue that in 2019 was designated as a historic structure by the City of Alpharetta. An Atlanta Constitution advertisement in 1960 promised “Large Homes at Lowest Cost …located ½ mile west of Alpharetta’s New Municipal Building and known as Q. A. Wills Subdivision.”

It was only natural that a man of Q.A.’s abilities and energy would run for public office. He was first sworn in as Alpharetta Mayor in 1925 for a two-year term and was the youngest mayor in the state. He was re-elected several times in the 1930s and 1950s.

Q.A.’s son, George Sr, (1921-1985) also served as Alpharetta mayor beginning in 1965 and again in 1979 when he was obligated to resign early due to family obligations and his own health. George, who attended UGA and served in the Marine Corps, was an executive with the Lockheed Aircraft Company. He was married to Doris Martin of Roswell. He played baseball for Milton High School. Later, he coached a girls softball city team, the Alpharetta Angels. He formed a reenactment Civil War calvary unit and performed at the 100th anniversary of the battle of Stone Mountain and battle of Kennesaw Mountain. He cared a lot about other people and delivered groceries to the needy at holidays. He was active in Post 201 of the American Legion.

In the 1950s, Q.A. bred Hereford cattle. He often attended cattle auctions and would buy the No. 1 or No. 2 top-rated animals for his small herd of perhaps a dozen head. He raised them for breeding and sold them as breed cattle. He kept his cattle in a field near his house on Marietta Street. His granddaughter, Jenny Wills DeVan, remembers chasing the cattle around the fields. Q.A.’s brother, Glen (wife Pauline), also raised Herefords on his own property on Mid Broadwell Road where it runs into Wills Road. On the corner, Glen operated a feed store which today is Cronan’s Cabinet Shop, explains great grandson Bobby Wills, a fireman and paramedic in Alpharetta.

Q.A.’s contributions to his community were many and long-lasting. Thank you Quillie for a job well done.

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 welcomes suggestions for future columns about local history.

Further language was added at the meeting that restricts the apartments in phase two until the arena takes off.

Once the county issues a land disturbance permit for the arena, developers are allowed 600 more apartments, but certificates of occupancy would be issued once the arena is halfway completed.

The third phase would add 200,000 to 300,000 square feet of office, and phase four would wrap up the project with 600 apartments.

But, the agreement is subject to change pending legal review and further

negotiations.

Krause Sports and Entertainment

CEO Vernon Krause, who owns The Gathering, said he was shocked and disappointed over the additional language after months of negotiating.

“The goal continues to be to strike a deal that is beneficial to the county, its residents — of which I am one — and Krause Sports and Entertainment, and present a solid plan to the NHL for consideration as they ponder possible expansion,” he said. “However, the county cannot keep moving the goal line if that is to happen.”

The simple key to success in business

RAY APPEN

Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com

I took the leaf blower back to the big box store. It stopped working. I bought it five months ago – paid like $275 for it. I was not happy, but since my big box always accepts returns, I was not worried.

Yet, when I got to the returns desk, the clerk saw my leaf blower and pointed to the sign behind her that gave the number to call for returns for the brand.

“We don’t take returns for Craftsman products without an ‘AR’ or some sort of code from Craftsman,” the clerk said.

“No bueno” I thought. You guys sell their brand, along with hundreds of other brands. I have never not been able to return something I have bought from you, but, with Craftsman, there is an exception?

You probably know the rest of this story. I call the 888 number which is answered by a machine. The machine prompts me multiple times. It wants my name, address and my first-born great grandchild. In huge letters it informs me that all this information they can use as they please, more or less. Then, after about

15 minutes of this, it informs me that I can call another 888 number to contact a service company somewhere which is contracted out to repair Craftsman leaf blowers. Right.

At this point, I fold. They win. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, shame on you. No, Craftsman, you cannot have another single minute of my personal time to fix the problem you created and which I paid good money for.

I have driven to the big box twice. I have spent by now about an hour on the phone and on my computer trying to jump through their hoops. Plus, I think the probability of there actually being a service company that is willing to fix a $275 leaf blower is slim. Check and mate.

This is wrong on so many levels.

The first level of wrong is the fact that Craftsman was the main Sears brand of tools. For decades. The Craftsman brand meant that you could return a craftsman tool forever, no questions asked. Then Sears essentially went into bankruptcy and some hedge fund bought the Craftsman “brand” and relaunched it through the big box store. The reason they were able to do this was because the brand, to consumers, meant you could trust it, that it was reliable and well-made, and the warranty was there to back it up.

Until it was not.

To make matters worse, Craftsman still markets itself as having the best warranty in the business – like it used to have. Yes, they have a warranty. My leaf blower had a two-year limited warranty that was included free with the purchase of the product. Good luck using it.

The cost of using that warranty is high, really high. The cost is your time, something the company behind Craftsman obviously does not appear to value. The reason that I have never been able to talk to a human being so far in the warranty process is that people are expensive. The company has to pay those employees for their time, no? Their solution? AI. They can field all the warranty calls with automated systems, so they don’t have to pay people to do it. But they are not compensating you for your time. In effect, you are voluntarily stepping in for an employee – for free – by allowing a company to use your own time so they can save their own (payroll) time. It seems that “time” actually s valuable when they have to pay for it.

But Craftsman is not the only one out there using people’s time or resources and not compensating them. Most companies do that now. Google’s entire business is based on searching online content that

Google does not pay a red cent for and makes billions. Same deal with all the social media companies. Any company that uses AI/ auto-services for things like billing, banking, warranties, reservations, etc., is consuming your time and not paying for it.

Time, however, is a double-edged sword. If you don’t like being forced to donate your time or your resources to a corporate bottom line, don’t do business with them when you can. Reward those who do value your time, like a local restaurant that actually answers the phone with a person, or a local service company that shows up when they say they will.

One of the biggest companies in the world gets it and values your time more than almost any other company. Using that business model, they have won and will continue to win. When there is a problem, one call or one email fixes it almost every time. No BS. No unnecessary routing. No “prove that you are in the right.” No donating your time for free to fix a problem not of your doing.

The customer – and the customer’s time is the absolute priority – the core business model of this company. It ain’t rocket science. They respect their customers and their customer’s time.

The company? Amazon, of course.

Cozy and calm, except for the murders

KATHY MANOS PENN Columnist

By now, you know mysteries are my favorite reads, and, yes, I prefer those set in England. For a slight shake-up, this week’s selections include one set in France, and another in a coastal town in the U.S. Never fear, you’ll also get a taste of a third cozy mystery set in England.

“The Armstrong Assignment” by Diana

Xarissa

One of my Facebook followers recommended this author, and I’m so glad she did. I loved Janet and Edward, the newly married couple who are the main characters.

There are a few indicators that they’re a “mature” couple. She retired from teaching and opened a B&B with her sister, and he’s retired from a government job.

On their honeymoon in Paris, he suddenly disappears, called back to an assignment in his old world. Before you

know it, they’re both involved in trying to prevent a murder. The dialogue is witty, and the mystery requires understanding the potential suspects and what their likely motives could be.

I’m delighted to know that this is No. 1 in the series and that there’s a series that precedes it – involving Janet and her sister opening their B&B. I may have to find that one and read it before proceeding to book No. 2 in the Janet Markham Bennett cozy thriller series.

“Boardwalk Betrayal” by Wendy Ledger

I discovered this cozy mystery through my subscription to Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program, which allows readers to download a vast selection of books for a monthly fee. If you’re an avid reader, you may want to check it out. Because so many of the books that interest me are not available in my local library, I read quite a few mysteries this way.

The black cat on the cover of “Boardwalk Betrayal” caught my eye. After all, there’s a black cat on the cover of my books, too. When I read the first

line in the blurb, I had to give it a try. How could I resist, “A chatty feline and a tragic murder. Can this loyal wife solve a heartbreaking crime?” This is the first in Ledger’s Black Cat Cozy Mystery series set in Harmony Beach.

Maggie is a journalist, and Pepper is her cute cat, and together they solve murder mysteries. Having a smart cat as a sidekick is an asset to any amateur sleuth. (Admittedly, I may be a bit biased in my opinion.) As a cat lover, I agreed with this review: “I really enjoyed the talking cat. Sometimes I wish my pets could talk to me; it would make things a lot easier!“ If you’re an animal lover who enjoys mysteries that don’t give you nightmares, give this one a try.

“Murder by Candlelight” by Faith Martin

And now, back to England. When I saw that Faith Martin had started a new series, I was eager to read it. I enjoyed both her Hillary Greene and Ryder & Loveday series, though I’ve not read either all the way through. I was especially interested in this new series because it’s set in the Cotswolds, my

favorite spot in England and the setting for my mystery series. The setting for Martin’s latest series is the 1920s.

Its two main characters are younger than those in Faith Martin’s earlier series. Arbuthnot ‘Arbie’ Swift is a bit of a dilettante, though he has written a surprisingly popular book, “The Gentleman’s Guide to Ghost-Hunting.” That activity was great fun for him. His sleuthing partner, Val, is the daughter of the local vicar and much more actionoriented than he is. Their relationship forms an entertaining subplot.

Together, they solve a locked room mystery, uncovering plenty of suspects, motives and puzzles. If you’re looking for a light, entertaining read, complete with a visit to the picturesque Cotswolds, this is the book for you.

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

Why plant native? An interview with Ellen Honeycutt

The North Fulton Master Gardeners will hold its annual Garden Faire on Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in partnership with the City of Alpharetta at The Grove at Wills Park, 175 Roswell St., Alpharetta. This year, the North Metro Atlanta Chapter of the Georgia Native Plant Society will feature a variety of Georgia’s native plants for sale and provide information to visitors on best practices for planting natives. As a preview, here’s an interview with the Georgia Native Plant Society’s Ellen Honeycutt about frequently asked questions about native plants.

First, what is a native plant?

A native plant is one that was here without direct human intervention. Generally, that means before settlers from Europe arrived, but it also addresses plants that were moved around by indigenous people, such as corn, beans, and squash. These are plants that have been here long enough to have developed a life-sustaining relationship with native insects (usually thousands of years).

Why is it important to plant natives now?

Native plants are a critical part of the life cycle of native insects, as I mentioned. Without their host native plants (milkweed and monarch butterflies is a good example), native insect populations would decline, as would the populations of those that depend on them, such as birds. Hundreds of years of human settlement have reduced the population of native plants, replacing them with non-native ornamentals that native insects usually can’t use for their life cycles. We need to start using them in our landscapes to support the food web. I like to reimagine the food pyramid to illustrate how our gardens might be. (See illustration.)

What should we know about native plants?

Native plants can be just as beautiful in the landscape as exotic plants. Native plants also help give us a sense of place, allowing us to celebrate what makes Georgia unique. For example, our native magnolias – we have seven species native to Georgia – represent our landscapes better than the Colorado blue spruce or the exotic crape myrtle.

What inspired you to become so interested in native plants?

I was introduced to the concept of “native plants” in 2000 when I joined the

About the Author

This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Sandra Shave, a Master Gardener since 2018. Sandy grew up on a dairy farm in northern Wisconsin and learned to garden at her mother’s knee. She is a recent transplant to Roswell, moving from Wisconsin in 2014 after retirement to be nearer to her children and most importantly her grandchildren! Sandy is the chair of NFMG’s 2024 Garden Faire and Speakers Bureau and is excited to share her love of gardening.

Georgia Native Plant Society. Fostering an appreciation for native plants is now a passion of mine, and I love to help other people learn more about the benefits of native plants. I also like to help people figure out which plants might work best in their garden.

Knowing what’s native and what’s not is confusing. How can you tell?

It is easier than ever to use resources on the internet (even at the store, using our smartphones) to determine if something is native. It is best to search by the scientific name when doing so because common names can be misleading. The USDA Plants database at https://plants.usda. gov/ is a good source and easy to use.

Do native plants require less maintenance? Do I still have to water them?

Newly planted native plants should receive the same amount of care that you’d provide to newly planted exotics. That is, water them as needed for the first six months while they get their roots established, protect them from mischievous squirrels that like to dig up any new plant, etc. Be sure to research their preferred growing conditions just as you would for any plant: sun, shade, moist, dry. Once they are established in your garden, they should be fine. I don’t water my plants after they are established unless something unusual happens.

Do you have some recommendations? What’s your favorite native plant? And why?

I am partial to our native woody plants – trees and shrubs – so one of my favorites is the sourwood tree (Oxydendrum arboreum) that blooms in June with tiny white bells. In fall, it has some of the best fall color around. I do like to help people find good ideas for shady areas; we have lots of native ferns and shade-loving perennials like foamflower (Tiarella) and coral bells (Heuchera).

Tell us about the native plants you’ll have for sale at Garden Faire?

We like to provide an assortment of native perennials, shrubs, trees, ferns and vines. Knowing that some folks are new to native plants, we make sure we have some of the most dependable choices but we also like to have a few special things for the experienced native enthusiast. We have plants that are donated by our members as well as plants that we purchase or grow especially for the sale.

What if someone wants to learn more?

The Georgia Native Plant Society’s website (https://gnps.org/) provides downloadable education materials (for our area, look for resources for the Piedmont ecoregion) as well as a link for yearround native plant sources including small nurseries that have the deepest selection of native plants. You may also

In this week’s Garden Buzz column, Sandy interviews Ellen Honeycutt, the current Chair of the State Board of the Georgia Native Plant Society. Ellen has gardened with and appreciated native plants for over 23 years as a member. Helping others to see the beauty, versatility and ecological importance of Georgia’s native plants — whether in the wild or in the garden — is a passion and a compulsion. Just ask her kids! She uses her personal blog, http:// usinggeorgianativeplants.blogspot.com/, to share her love of nature and native plants in Georgia.

want to check out the UGA Extension publications about native plants listed in this column.

I also have a personal blog that has a lot of articles about using Georgia’s native plants in home landscapes. For example, here is an article about shade-loving plants: https://usinggeorgianativeplants. blogspot.com/2020/12/made-in-shade. html

You can learn more by visiting GNPS at the NFMG Garden Faire at Wills Park on April 20th.

Happy Gardening!

North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose purpose is to educate its members and the public in the areas of horticulture and ecology in order to promote and foster community enrichment. Master Gardener Volunteers are trained and certified by The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Learn more at nfmg.net. Previous Garden Buzz columns are featured at https:// appenmedia.com/opinion/columnists/ garden_buzz/.

SANDRA SHAVE Guest Columnist

HONEYCUTT

Top Left: Monarch on Symphyotrichum

Top right: Oxydendrum arboreum

Bottom left: Rudbeckia hirta

Bottom right: Southeastern Plant Pyramid

PHOTO COLLAGE PROVIDED

Lantern:

Continued from Page 1

EDEN

Maintenance,

sod, planting, and designing.

Clean ups small or big.

Text or call 404-454-7701

Moving Sale

MOVING

SALE IN SANDY SPRINGS

All furniture in new condition

Dining Table & 4 chairs. Pub Style $300 retailed $729

Bar stools 2 for $100

TV Stand solid natural wood $50

Sectional Grey L shape $300 (Good condition)

Coffee Table & 2 side tables. Greyish/brown. $125 for all

2 Grey Solid Ceramic Lamps $50

Dresser, Large Distressed Wood $150

Queen Headboard & platform $25

5x7 area rug $15

or text 847-903-1356

Photos available.Solution

LI

SEA

TU

OA

City officials encourage participants to park at the office park, wear good walking shoes and make their lanterns in advance of the preparade activities.

Beginning April 4, Make-A-Lantern Kits are available at Steel Canyon Golf Course and the Ace Hardware on Dunwoody Village Parkway.

There are several kits available for purchase, ranging from $7-$25. If someone chooses a Flying Pig lantern, they will get to march at the front of the parade with Sanderson the Flying Pig.

The idea for the parade mascot stems from Sandy Springs’ effort to incorporate in 2005. Some residents believed that Sandy Springs would become a city “when pigs fly.”

The make-a-lantern kits, which include accordions, little butterflies and flying piglets, are also available at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center during the workshops April 6 from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Chantelle Rytter, a parade artist best known for founding the Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade in 2010, will lead the lantern-making event. Rytter also founded the lantern parade in Sandy Springs.

All materials are provided, and tickets for the two-and-a-half-hour workshop cost $25.

For more information, visit https://www.sandyspringsga.gov/ lanternparade.

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