Sandy Springs Crier - June 8, 2023

Seven Sisters restaurant tells story through scones

► PAGE 8

City advances $50 million court, police facilities expansion

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Sandy Springs Public Facilities Authority has approved final cost estimates and updated plans for a $50.3 million expansion of the city’s police headquarters and Municipal Court complex.

Approval for the project, which is expected to break ground in July, came at a special-called meeting held at City Hall May 30.

“The City’s top priority is to provide exceptional customer service to all residents and visitors while ensuring the safety of the community,” Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul said in an email to Appen Media. “Our new police headquarters and municipal court complex will create a more efficient and seamless experience for all visitors, as well as provide police and court staff with the resources needed to carry out their work.”

Updated plans show the project will add more than 20,000 square feet to the existing property at 620 Morgan Falls Road. Officials said the expansion will add new space for the city’s Municipal Courthouse and room for future growth for Public Safety services.

Plans also call for the city to construct a new fleet maintenance building off Roswell Road.

Sandy Springs Police Chief Ken DeSimone said they hope to build a facility that is more accessible and convenient to residents.

SANDY SPRINGS/PROVIDED

Renderings show a $50 million expansion project for the Sandy Springs Police Department’s headquarters building, which the city’s Public Facilities Authority approved at a meeting May 30.

Group recruits faith-based leaders into affordable housing discussion

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — A North Fulton think tank hopes to bring faith-based workforce housing to Metro Atlanta as congregations nationwide have started building

affordable homes.

The North Fulton Improvement Network describes itself as a “think tank” made up of community leaders from local nonprofits, faith groups and government organizations focused on “exploring financial vulnerability in our community.”

North Fulton Improvement Network Chairman Jack Murphy has focused his sights on affordable housing in North Fulton County. The homes are “workforce housing,” dedicated to middle-income workers.

See HOUSING, Page 19

“We want it open 24/7 because right now the Police Department technically is only open to the public from 8 in the morning to 5:30 in the afternoon,” DeSimone said. “Without any other way

See EXPANSION, Page 20

Local think tank North Fulton Improvement Network hopes local congregations, like Alpharetta Presbyterian Church, can take on the task of building affordable workforce housing.

DELANEY TARR/APPEN MEDIA

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Appen Media received the report at left in December 2022 in response to an open records request. At right is the document the City of Sandy Springs provided May 24 when Appen repeated the inquiry. At least two things changed during that time. The first is that the newspaper filed suit against the city, claiming it has repeatedly been denied access to public police records. The second is that the city added redactions

December 2022

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2022

to the report, hiding the location of a reported gunshot victim.

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

The city’s response to Fulton County Superior Court is due by June 25.

May 2023

Sandy Springs police reports

Each week Appen Media requests police incident reports to inform residents about the safety of their community. Sandy Springs continues to withhold what it calls the "narrative reports." 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 safeor unsafe - their city is.

Here are a few public safety items gleaned from reports that include limited details:

• On May 23 a Sandy Springs officer responded to a stolen vehicle at a restaurant on Roswell Road. The report said a commercial burglary had also taken place, totaling $15,000 in stolen items including the car. The case remains open.

• On May 23 officers responded to reports of a fight on Adair Lane, and the reporting officer said “there was probable cause” to arrest someone for disorderly conduct. The report lists a 33-year-old Sandy Springs woman as the suspect.

• Officers responded to a pedestrian hit and run on May 23 at Roswell Road, with a Sandy Springs woman as the only victim. The case remains open. No other information is listed.

Dunwoody relaunches program promoting storefront art exhibits

DUNWOODY, Ga. — An exhibit known for featuring art from Dunwoody High School students in the windows of local businesses has returned to Dunwoody Village.

The 2023 Dunwoody Storefront Art exhibit was kicked off May 18, when 14 students unveiled canvases that will be displayed at Dunwoody Village businesses for the next three months.

“I’m so pleased to see this public art project continue as we find more ways to support student artists and strengthen partnerships with our schools,” Mayor Lynn Deutsch said. “We can learn so much from these young artists and their inspirations.”

A total of 37 Dunwoody High School students submitted their designs for the exhibit in April and were judged by local business owners and managers. The 14 top-selected designs were approved by the Dunwoody Art Commission, and the artists were awarded $150 to make the designs a reality.

Student artists selected for this year’s exhibit include Laura Pollock, Shrividya Guru, Yonji Yang, Pressley Rogers, Elizabeth Buckareff, Amelia Mutert, Zoe Wesolowski, Sophia Mei, Mary Malinoff, Morgan Barrow, Darcy Gaynor, Rowan Riley, Brooke Guggenheim, and Angel Cruz.

Their work will be displayed at Budi’s Sushi, Dunwoody Ace Hardware, Royal Spice Indian Restaurant,

CrossFit Dunwoody and many other participating businesses at Dunwoody Village.

“We’re proud of our students and grateful for the leadership provided by the dynamic teachers in our visual arts department,” Dunwoody High School Principal Tom Bass said. “This project has opened doors to other opportunities that allow students to showcase their work in the community.”

Of the designs selected from the 2022 Dunwoody Storefront Art exhibit, seven works are now on display as part of Dunwoody’s Green Light Art project, which wraps city traffic light boxes in local art.

Designs from the 2023 exhibit will also be considered for future additions to the Green Light Art project, officials said.

“We’re already planning the next phase of Green Light Art, and these two programs go hand-in-hand,” Dunwoody Business and Cultural Development Manager Rosemary Watts said. “We’re bringing creativity and vibrancy to Dunwoody Village businesses nowand to Dunwoody street corners in the future.”

For more information about the Dunwoody Storefront Art exhibit, visit www.dunwoodyga.gov and click on Storefront Art Exhibit in the Arts and Culture tab.

— Alexander Popp

Scouts earn Silver Award for Brook Run Park project

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Four scouts from Girl Scout Troop 15506 in Dunwoody recently earned their Silver Award after making improvements to the dog park at Brook Run Park, troop leaders announced.

The group of 8th graders, including Sophia Powell, Sarah Siegel, Emily Friedenberg and Lydia Bizzell, completed the upgrades April 30. The project involved rehanging and cleaning park signs, creating dog toy bins filled with donated toys and building wooden leash holders.

Prior to the project, the scouts interviewed residents who frequent the dog park to gauge what was needed and hosted a donation drive to gather dog toys for the park.

“The girls encourage all dog lovers to come out and come see the work,” leaders said.

— Alexander Popp

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Dunwoody hosts Memorial Day service

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody residents and local leaders gathered at Brook Run Park to honor men and women who died in defense of the country at the city’s Memorial Day celebration May 29.

Seated at the foot of Dunwoody’s Veterans Memorial, scores of community members, including Doris Guzman, a 103-year-old Navy nurse, heard speeches from Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch, Rabbi Brian Glusman of the Marcus Jewish Community Center and Maj. Gen. Bill Dyer of the U.S. Army.

The solemn holiday was marked by a moment of silence led by Deputy Police Chief Michael Carlson, with “Taps” played by Kyle Shiflett, and the National Anthem and “God Bless America” sung by Dunwoody Idol Contestant Grace Jacob.

Dyer, who served as main speaker, said that by participating in the Memorial Day tributre, Dunwoody residents were exercising one of the greatest strengths prized by the United States military — the strength of will and spirit shared by everyday Americans.

That “collective American will,” Dyer said, is what the country’s adversaries will never be able to copy or match.

“They're constantly assessing the United States. It's not hard to get online and figure out how many ships and planes and tanks and troops we have,” he said. “But there's one thing that our adversaries can't figure out … They can't possibly believe that it stirs and drives a nation. What they don't understand is the will of the American people.”

Speaking from a long military career with multiple deployments around the world, Dyer said he believes the best way for people to honor those who die in service to their country, isn’t by being sad or feeling guilty, but by fully enjoying the freedoms their sacrifice allowed.

“I would not presume to speak for those who can't speak for themselves and certainly, I would not presume to speak for those who have fallen in service of our country,” he said. “But I would also respectfully suggest that the way we best honor their sacrifice, the way we best preserve their memories is to do what Americans have already always done. Which is to demonstrate our collective American will and come together.”

As part of the service, Dunwoody officials announced information about new upgrades to the Veterans Memorial at Brook Run Park, which will be completed over the next few years.

Mayor Deutsch told the crowd that in partnership with the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners, they have formed plans to update and revitalize the existing enclosed memorial at the park.

By removing the memorial’s glass

walls and roof, and by erecting six granite columns representing the branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, city officials hope to foster a more engaging and approachable space to honor local veterans.

In addition to that ongoing revitalization project, Deutsch said the city is currently in talks with local veterans groups and representatives of the Vietnamese American Community of Georgia, to erect a Vietnam

Veterans Memorial at the park. When completed, the monument would be one of only 10 in the country that honors both American and South Vietnamese soldiers in the same space.

“We appreciate the county and commissioners for their support,” she said. “it will be a very nice addition and a peaceful place, and it's important to acknowledge veterans like that.”

PHOTOS BY ALEX POPP/APPEN MEDIA

Maj. Gen. Bill Dyer of the U.S. Army speaks to Dunwoody residents and local leaders at the city’s Memorial Day celebration held at Brook Run Park May 29.

Dozens of Dunwoody residents and local leaders visit Brook Run Park for the city’s Memorial Day tribute May 29.

LOCAL

Seven Sisters tells family story through scones

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Far -

connecting growing up, we always had large family dinners,” Yassine said.

rah

Haidar

knows that a scone shop seems like a “random” choice for Lebanese immigrants, but Seven Sisters Scones incorporates her family’s core food experiences into a menu packed with variations.

Farrah and her sister Hala Yassine operate Seven Sisters Scones and Kitchen on McGinnis Ferry Road in Johns Creek, combining local dining with a national shipping operation. Opened in 2015, the sisters started off shipping the scones to online buyers and have slowly expanded to a fall breakfast and lunch menu for locals.

The pair are two in a family of seven sisters and two brothers. Not everyone in the family is involved in the operation, but Haidar says they share opinions and input. The sisters chose the name because food was essential to the family.

“Food for us was a way of

Yassine, the head chef, said she has always seen food as a way to nurture people.

Haidar said she felt Yassine’s nurturing spirit growing up.

“She was always kind of the mom in the family,” Haidar said. “Hala pretty much raised me.”

When Yassine started her own family, she used food as her way to nurture them. She started making scones after she had a child. As a new mother, Yassine took time off from work as a chef and licensed family therapist to care for her family.

She realized her husband needed a quick breakfast to take during his morning commute.

“I made (scones) out of a box mix and looked at it and thought yeah, I could make It better than that,” Yassine said.

DELANEY TARR/APPEN MEDIA

Seven Sisters Scones and Kitchen in Johns Creek offers a variety of scone flavors, from lemon poppyseed to garlic and herb. Started in 2015, the business ships scones nationwide and runs an attached café.

ABBY BREAUX PHOTOGRAPHY/PROVIDED Hala Yassine and Farrah Haider own and operate Seven Sisters Scones and Kitchen. The scone business started after Yassine realized she needed to make a quick breakfast for her husband’s work commute. See SCONES, Page 9

Name: Armistead Paint & SupplyDunwoody

Owners: Kristy and Chris Smith

Description: At Armistead Paint and Supply, we offer a variety of high-quality paint products and supplies for both homeowners and contractors. We take pride in providing exceptional customer service and are committed to becoming

Scones:

Continued from Page 8

Her first scone recipe was cranberry orange, which is still her husband’s favorite. Yassine quickly got bored and started experimenting with new flavors.

“People started asking about flavors, and I would say ‘sure, I can make that!’” Yassine said.

Farrah Haidar recalled her sister’s kitchen packed with endless new scone recipes and flavors. She said people would walk into her kitchen, grab a scone from the freezer and leave. The family decided to sit Yassine down and tell her to turn the scone operation into something more.

“People love free things, but they won’t buy scones,” Yassine responded.

She had little faith in the business but agreed to a farmers’ market. At that point Yassine had over sixty scone recipes created from years of baking the pastry. She made $100 on her first day at the market.

While Yassine didn’t profit off the first farmers market, she decided to go all in on the company.

“I’m going to either take it seriously or let it go,” Yassine said.

She established Seven Sisters Scones, which grew quickly. They expanded from

a valuable member of the Dunwoody community.

Opened: April 2023

Phone: 404-467-8777

Address: 2458 Jett Ferry Rd. Suite #240, Dunwoody, GA 30338

Website: benjaminmoore.com/en-us/ store-locator/10019521/armistead-paintsupply-company

Name: Buffalo Wild Wings

Owners: Inspire Brands/Bradley Green

Description: Buffalo Wild Wings is the largest sports bar brand in the United States with more than 1,200 restaurants in nine countries. Buffalo Wild Wings has a sauce or seasoning for every craving with 26 iconic

The team experiments with different flavored scones to get customers interested. So far, they’ve released more than 100 flavors, including strawberry champagne, caramelized onion and lemon poppyseed.

Yassin said the menu has a “standard eight” scones and rotates out the rest seasonally.

The bakery grew slowly, with a focus on national shipments of handmade scones. In 2018 they got the chance to appear on the television network QVC. The response was immediate.

flavors on the menu every day. Fans across America have front row seats to games.

Opened: April 2023

Phone: 678-786-7292

Address: 1260 Hammond Drive, Dunwoody, GA 30346

Website: buffalowildwings.com/

then expanded to soups and plates. Haidar said the flavor palate is influenced by Lebanese cuisine, as well as Latin American and Korean foods thanks to a diverse team of cooks. Customers can eat in the restaurant or buy meals like za’atar chicken and couscous or Asian glazed eggplant to go.

“Every meal we put out actually has a bit of a story behind it,” Haidar said.

The tight-knit team runs the daily kitchen operations as well as the national shipping business.

one to six farmers markets across Georgia and moved into a shared kitchen space.

Eventually the operation grew large enough to open a brick-and-mortar spot. Yassine found a space about seven minutes from her home in Johns Creek and called Haidar to ask her to move from Boston to Georgia.

Haidar moved in July 2015. Two months later, Seven Sisters Scones in Johns Creek was up and running.

The scones are a “modern take” on the traditional pastry, Haidar said. They opt for a moister and bouncier scone over the expected dry and crumbly texture.

Haidar said marketing a scone-focused business was an “uphill battle.”

“The challenge with scones is they aren’t very sexy,” Haidar said.

“It was really trial by fire, because we went from 1,000 to 2,000 scones in a week to 25,000 scones in four days,” Haidar said.

It was a lot of work, but Haidar said the process showed they could scale up their operation. During COVID-19, Haidar said their shipping business “exploded.” They started using a space next door to Seven Sisters Scones to store shipment materials. The landlord eventually asked them to start leasing the space.

Haidar said they split the space into storage and 40 indoor seats for Seven Sisters Scones. With the seats came a “slow evolution” of the menu to include breakfast and lunch items. The restaurant portion split off into Seven Sisters Kitchen, with Seven Sisters Scones dedicated to nationwide shipping.

At first, the menu only featured “sconewiches” with scones as bread. The kitchen

“It’s challenging sometimes, doing that on two levels especially when you’re a small, tight team,” Haidar said. “But it’s also, I think, been the reason we survived.”

Chef Yassin said community is at the core of her business, both on a local and national level.

“Food has always been about that for me, it’s a creation of community,” Yassin said.

That comes through at Seven Sisters Scones and Kitchen. The restaurant has a group of regulars, and Yassin said the staff remembers customer names because its “important.” She said if a customer comes in to chat, the team will always be ready for conversation. On a broader scale, Haidar said the business donates food to local charities when they can.

“That’s my favorite part of this business,” Yassin said. “The people.”

“It was really trial by fire, because we went from 1,000 to 2,000 scones in a week to 25,000 scones in four days.”

FARRAH HAIDER

Operates Seven Sisters Scones

and Kitchen

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — Bouncing from place to place across her basement studio, narrative sculptor Kirsten Stingle provided insight into reimagined worlds.

LOCAL NEWSSculptor advises viewers to linger through her work

The studio is covered in armoires, storing more than just underglaze. Working in ceramics, but also fiber and found objects, Stingle is attracted to the stories she can tell. She hand-builds each piece, without using a cast, and layers them with detail, asking viewers to take their time.

The latest collection concerns mythology, the stories that reflect a more patriarchal culture. Stingle takes figures who have been “ossified” – rigid or fixed – and “weaponized,” like Medusa, and reincorporates them into the natural world.

See STINGLE, Page 11

Milton resident Kirsten Stingle is a narrative sculptor, who primarily works in ceramics but incorporates found objects in ornate mixed media displays.

PHOTOS BY AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Kirsten Stingle points out detail, teeth made of teacups, in a sculpture to be exhibited in “Animalia” at the Blue Spiral 1 gallery in Asheville, North Carolina. An animal covered in detailed stitchwork as an example, Stingle has begun making fiber a more integral part of her work.

Stingle:

Continued from Page 10

After describing the mythical figure, who had been raped by Poisedon and punished by Athena, Stingle said, “You’re looking at weaponization of sex, weaponization of power, weaponization of her.”

A new piece, not yet titled, is a bust of a woman hanging on Stingle’s studio wall. The woman’s hair, in thick strands, swirls around like snakes, but the texture and color are reminiscent of a fungal network. It’s also embellished with gemstones, flowers and even some scabs of saguaro cactus nests.

“We have to sort of re-entangle ourselves into the environment,” Stingle said.

Stingle’s work is women-centric, as she tends to tell her own story. She paints dots on her sculptures’ lips, a signature, as a reminder to stay true to herself. They often feature pronounced, teased, Regencyera hair — another story-telling platform, additional space for layering.

A banner in the far end of her studio: an illustration of Marie Antoinette and the words: “Let them eat cake.” Stingle likes to steal from different time periods and has an eye for fashion porn. She cited fashion photographer Tim Walker as an inspiration.

First time in Paris

In September, four of Stingles’ sculptures will be featured in the “HEY! CERAMIQUE.S” exhibition at the La Halle Saint-Pierre museum in Paris. While not her first international exhibition, it will be Stingle’s first in Paris.

“Being in a different country for a different clientele, collector base … is amazing,” Stingle said.

The exhibition is curated by Anne Richard, founder of art magazine HEY! Modern art & pop culture, and will feature 34 ceramic artists from 13 countries.

The exhibition will be a “rehabilitation” of the ceramic medium, Richard said, as part of her magazine’s attempts to “defy dominant conventions and codes.” Rather than a history of ceramics or an illustration of traditional techniques, she said it is a “testimony to the spectacular energy that permeates contemporary sculpture today.”

Richard chose the artists based on their devotion to exploring an “original relationship to clay as a means of expression and action.” She had an eye on Stingle for some time, having featured her work several years ago in the pages of HEY!

“The quality of [Stingle’s] work, and [her] dexterity with mixed media, is exactly what I’m looking for in this exhibition,” Richard said. “[Her] work is ‘very American,’ so it’s going to be a great discovery for French and European audiences.”

The exhibition runs until August 2024.

Threading human experience

Stingle’s collections fall under varied overarching themes, concluded once they begin to feel stale. But a commonality among them exists, and it is the desire to thread human experiences in an oftenisolating world. To promote a better understanding with one another, Stingle encourages self-understanding, revelation.

She intentionally creates figures that are approachable, palatable. But she still gets comments from viewers who perceive some horror.

“It’s supposed to be a dialogue with you,” Stingle said, of those viewers who are alarmed looking at her work. “That also reflects some of the thoughts that you have, and what you might have dealt with in the past …”

Lately, Stingle has begun to advance her mixed media with fiber. She highlighted some pieces, animals with detailed stitchwork, that will be in “Animalia,” an exhibition at the Blue Spiral 1 gallery in Asheville, North Carolina.

One was a bust of a deer with a neck covered in buttons made of mother of pearl, which took her a year to stitch together as she worked between projects.

Everyday, Stingle walks downstairs with a cup of coffee, flips on her studio lights and gets to work. There’s no weekend off. Work and play become enmeshed, she said.

“My work is so much me,” Stingle said. “I’m always in the studio. It’s very much a grounding thing.”

Kirsten Stingle describes a new sculpture, not yet titled. In September, Stingle’s work will be featured in a Paris exhibition.

Kirsten Stingle, narrative sculptor, is represented by Signature Contemporary in Atlanta. Visit kirstenstingle.com.

PHOTOS BY AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Four of Kirsten Stingle’s ceramic sculptures will be featured in the “HEY! CERAMIQUE.S” exhibition at the Museum of La Halle Saint Pierre in Paris from September 2023 to August 2024. The exhibition will have 34 ceramic artists from 13 countries.

Medley tax incentives spark Johns Creek debate

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Johns Creek officials raised questions about the estimated $4.2 billion economic impact mega-development Medley will have on the city in a larger discussion on tax abatements at its May 23 work session.

Medley, the 43-acre mixed-use project set to anchor Johns Creek’s Town Center, is projected to include 200,000 square feet of retail, restaurants and entertainment, 900 residential units and 110,000 square feet of office space.

Local media have reported 11 new tenants have signed leases at Medley, most of them food and beverage concepts. Phase I of the project is scheduled to open in the latter half of 2025.

The project was unanimously approved for tax cuts at a meeting of the Development Authority of Fulton County April 25. Medley will be taxed at 50 percent in the first year during the incentive period, bringing in an estimated $2.5 million, and will become fully taxable over a 10-year term.

Because inducement is the first step in a two-step process, Medley’s financing for $400 million in bonds was approved the same day as the city’s work session — prompting questions from councilmembers about the nature of tax incentives.

At issue is a loss in tax revenue for the City of Johns Creek. Kimberly Greer, Johns Creek assistant city manager, said the city will forgo $300,000 in tax revenue in year one. But she said the city would also be getting the same amount in taxes, an increase over the current annual tax revenue received of roughly $80,000.

Mark Toro, Medley’s developer, won similar tax concessions 10 years ago with Alpharetta’s Avalon. For that project, Toro was awarded $550 million in tax abatements over 10 years as its construction was underway in 2013. That action cost Alpharetta an estimated $1 million in tax revenues over the 10-year term, according to officials with that city.

City asks for notification

Fulton County Economic Development Director Samir Abdullahi led the Johns Creek council’s work session discussion. Fulton County Commissioner Bridget Thorne also listened in.

Councilwoman Stacy Skinner questioned whether the Development Authority notifies the city in advance of tax abatement approval. While it wouldn’t be “first right of refusal,” Abdullahi said there could be a “courtesy notification.”

“There is no vote or voice that is in need from the city or the school in order to support the taxpayer,” he said.

Samir Abdullahi, Fulton County Economic Development director, leads the City Council’s work session discussion on tax abatements, May 23. Medley, the 43acre mixed-used development slated for the city’s Town Center, received unanimous approval for tax cuts at the Development Authority of Fulton County the month before.

Tax abatements apply to all tax structures, Abdullahi said, including the city, the county and the school system.

Councilman Larry DiBiase cited a comment made in front of the Development Authority Board, stating that Medley was “dependent upon” the tax abatement.

“That’s a pretty serious statement,” DiBiase said. “To me, as a council person, I’d like to know that that’s going on, that the project is teeter-tottering on whether … it’s going to go forward or not based on what the Development Authority, and the citizens of the Development Authority, [decide].”

He asked what the “guardrails,” the “transparency” and the “standard operating procedures” were to educate and inform local governments.

“This all worked out wonderfully. It could have not, also,” DiBiase said. “It could have gone the other way, and we would all have been flat-footed. The city would have been flat-footed.”

Abdullahi said there are no standard operating procedures, but the city has similar powers to the county in providing economic incentives.

In an interview, Mayor John Bradberry said Medley is integral to the city’s Town Center and that it’s already having a “ripple effect.”

“We will see over time that the benefits will far exceed anything that we may have given up in the short term,” Bradberry said.

Hortons loses zoning case

At its regular meeting following the work session, the City Council voted 4-3 to deny a zoning application for contract owner Abid Khutliwala, who planned to build a Tim Hortons restaurant on a .84-acre parcel a few feet away from the Abberley Township gate off State Bridge Road. Councilmembers Dilip Tunki, Bob Erramilli and Erin Elwood cast the dissenting votes.

The property holds a joint-access easement, connecting Abberley’s private drive through a strip mall to the Goodwill parking lot, that would have been used in the business’ drivethru. A major concern brought forth in previous public input meetings and at the City Council meeting was traffic congestion.

Khutliwala had revised the site plan in hopes of mitigating resident concern.

“Abid, don’t give up,” Mayor Bradberry said. “I know that that’s tough. We do want to see you succeed in Johns Creek.”

The city also recognized Kirk Franz for his 16 years of work as recreation manager. Franz, who recently accepted a position as Forsyth County Parks and Recreation director, received a standing ovation.

“Mr. Franz’s positive contributions to the city will continue to resonate for years to come,” said Greer, Johns Creek assistant city manager.

AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA

Boutique education service to launch in north Atlanta

ATLANTA — TutorVille, the Texas-based boutique education service founded in 2009, will expand to Atlanta this July, offering personalized and holistic educational support to local students.

“We’re thrilled that Atlanta is our first expansion market,” TutorVille President and CEO Jess Rogers said. “This community puts a premium on education, which is reinforced by the high percentage of private school enrollment. Additionally, given the number of top colleges and universities in the area, it offers an excellent pool of candidates for a carefully curated and vetted team of tutors.”

TutorVille offers holistic, individualized and nurturing approach to tutoring, homeschooling and all-around support from primary school all the way through college, officials said.

This branch of the TutorVille franchise will serve nine zip codes in Buckhead and will be operated by the Atlanta-based start-up entrepreneur, Ryan Moore.

— Alexander Popp

What’s new?

Send the Crier your announcements and awards at newsroom@appenmedia.com

Mount Pisgah cuts the ribbon on new preschool

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Mount Pisgah Christian School’s new preschool facility, the Stuart and Eulene Murray Academy, will open its doors this fall.

Located on the Lower School campus of MPCS, the 24,000 square foot preschool has 10 new classrooms, a chapel and theatre space, innovation center, and an outdoor playscape.

The Murray Academy program serves the school’s three and fouryear-old full day preschool students. An open house on June 1 for interested families will include a tour of the new facility.

First made possible by Mount Pisgah Church’s generous gift to the school of the South Campus property itself, the Murray Academy is named in recognition of a $1 million grant from the Stuart and Eulene Murray Foundation.

Located in Johns Creek, Mount Pisgah Christian School serves more than 1,000 students from infants through 12th grade.

To learn more and schedule a tour, visit www.mountpisgahschool.org

TUTORVILLE/PROVIDED

Ryan Moore and Jess Rogers sign closing documents for the Buckhead franchise of TutorVille.

MOUNT PISGAH CHRISTIAN SCHOOL/PROVIDED

Mount Pisgah Christian Schools new preschool facility will open for the first time this fall. It is named in honor of a $1 million grant from the Stuart and Eulene Murray Foundation.

SUNSET SIPS FEATURING TOPO FREAKO

What: Enjoy sunsets with a side of music from cover band Topo Freako on the Great Lawn and covered outdoor pavilion at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. Craft brew options will be offered by Monday Night Brewing. Bring your own chair and picnic dinner.

When: Thursday, June 8, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Where: Chattahoochee Nature Center, 9135 Willeo Road, Roswell Cost: Adults are $15; free for CNC members

More info: chattnaturecenter.org

MILTON FARMERS MARKET

What: Every Saturday morning until Oct. 28, more than 30 vendors set up shop around Milton City Hall with fresh produce, fresh meat, sweets, coffee and tea, flowers, soaps, jewelry and more.

When: Saturday, June 10, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Where: Milton City Hall plaza, 2006 Heritage Walk, Milton

More info: facebook.com/ miltongafarmersmarket

FREE MASTER GARDENER TALK: MUSHROOMS

What: Join Hannah Wilson as she presents information about mushrooms – foraging, growing, harvesting and preparing them.

When: Saturday, June 10, 11 a.m.12 p.m.

Where: Brook Run Park, 4770 North Peachtree Road, Dunwoody

More info: dcgo.org/calendar

GROOVIN’ ON THE GREEN SERIES OPENER

What: Groovin’ on the Green is back and bigger than ever. Join the series opener, featuring SATELLITE BLVD BAND. The band plays a wide mix of popular hit songs, genres and styles everyone loves. Song selection ranges from ’70s to current radio hits. Guests are encouraged to walk or ride bikes to the concerts. Bring your own picnics or pick up dinner from a featured food truck. Dogs, on a leash, are also welcome.

MILTON FARMERS MARKET

What: Every Saturday morning until Oct. 28, more than 30 vendors set up shop around Milton City Hall with fresh produce, fresh meat, sweets, coffee and tea, flowers, soaps, jewelry and more.

When: Saturday, June 10, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Where: Milton City Hall plaza, 2006 Heritage Walk, Milton More info: facebook.com/ miltongafarmersmarket

When: Saturday, June 10, 6-9 p.m.

Where: Brook Run Park, 4770 North Peachtree Road, Dunwoody

More info: dunwoodyga.gov

SUNDOWN SOCIAL

What: Happening on select Thursdays, Sundown Social is a relaxed neighborhood gathering with live music and signature cocktails. This event will feature Bitsyland, a band that features a variety of string instruments. There will also be food trucks.

When: Thursday, June 15, 5:30 p.m.

Where: City Green, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs

More info: sandyspringsga.gov

ALIVE IN ROSWELL

What: Alive in Roswell is a free family-friendly monthly festival held every third Thursday evening from April through October, featuring music, food trucks, hundreds of interactive vendors. It also sees participation from the many

FEATURE YOUR EVENT ONLINE AND IN PRINT!

It’s even easier now than ever to promote your event to hundreds of thousands of people, whether online, through our newsletters or in the Crier and Herald newspapers.

surrounding boutiques, small businesses and restaurants. Free regular trolley service connects the free parking at Roswell City Hall and Woodstock Park to the event. Dogs are allowed at Alive in Roswell, but please bring them on a leash and clean up any deposits from your baby. Animals are not allowed on the free trolley.

When: Thursday, June 15, 5-9 p.m.

Where: Canton Street & Roswell Antique and Interiors lot, Roswell More info: aliveinroswell.com

CITY GREEN LIVE: ANDERSON EAST

What: Anderson East is a Nashvillebased singer-songwriter whose vintage voice is also decidedly fresh. East’s influences meld seamlessly: R&B grooves, gospelblues and blasting brass. Known for his magnetic live shows, East has performed sold-out shows worldwide. The opening band is Slow Parade.

follow these easy

When: Friday, June 16, 7:30

Where: City Green, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs

Cost: Lawn seating is free; reserved tables are $60-90

More info: sandyspringsga.gov

TRAILS & ALES - BIKE RIDE

What: The adventure will begin at Preston Ridge Community Center for social activities and educational bike instructions on safety. Grab your bike, and enjoy the 20-mile trail as a group experience or on your own. End your bike ride at Jekyll Brewery off Marconi and stay after for a posttrail social.

When: Saturday, June 17, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Where: Preston Ridge Community Center, 3655 Preston Ridge Road, Alpharetta

More info: alpharetta.ga.us

JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION

What: This event is a celebration of the day that slavery truly came to end within the U.S., and the City of Johns Creek wants to join with the community to celebrate this great achievement. There will be music, food trucks and family fun.

When: Saturday, June 17, 3-9 p.m.

Where: Newtown Park, 3150 Old Alabama Road, Johns Creek

More info: johnscreekga.gov

ACT1 THEATER PRESENTS ‘BIG FISH’

What: Based on the celebrated novel by Daniel Wallace and the acclaimed film directed by Tim Burton, the Broadway musical “Big Fish” tells the story of Edward Bloom, a traveling salesman who lives life to its fullest and then some. Edward’s incredible, larger-than-life stories thrill everyone around him — most of all, his devoted wife Sandra. But their son Will, about to have a child of his own, is determined to find the truth behind his father’s epic tales.

When: Up to June 18, times vary

Where: Act1 Theater, 180 Academy Street, Alpharetta More info: act1theater.org

PAST TENSE

Sue Kirby Jameson documented her memories of Dunwoody

Sue Kirby Jameson was born Mary Sue Kirby in Pickens County, Georgia, in 1910. She came to Dunwoody with her parents, Tolleson Kirby and Laura Little Kirby, and four siblings in 1914. They purchased land from the Powers family along what is now Pitts Road. The road was called Little Kirby Road. Later, they moved closer to the center of Dunwoody, to a house on Chamblee Dunwoody Road north of the Cheek-Spruill House. The family operated a dairy at this home.

A wonderful collection of her memories is preserved in books she wrote titled “As I Recall Volume 1 and Volume 2.” In the 1990s, her stories would occasionally appear in the Dunwoody Crier.

In “As I Recall,” Jameson tells the story of the year her family planted Kentucky Wonder pole beans between every other row of corn. They had 40 dairy cattle on the farm, so her brothers had fenced off a section for the corn patch.

“Those beans mistook the corn stalks for poles, climbed right up to the top and kept going,” ] Jameson wrote. The family had a bumper crop of beans that year. “We took cone-shaped bushel baskets, walked down the middles (rows), and picked beans. It didn't take long to fill a basket.”

The baskets of beans were loaded onto the family milk trucks. Customers on the milk route were asked if they would like to purchase some beans along with their dairy delivery. The family sold 125 bushels of beans at 50 cents a bushel.

A cannery had recently opened on the Chamblee High School campus, so the Kirbys also canned a lot of beans that year.

Another year, the family had a wheat field, covering 6 acres across from the family home at Little Kirby Road. Jameson recalled watching the laborers cut the wheat, letting it fall into bundles that were tied and left in the field to dry.

The neighboring Warbington family showed up with machinery to thresh the wheat. The children were fascinated watching the machine at work.

At noon, Jameson’s mother set out a big dinner for all the workers. A neighbor helped with the cooking. The children’s turn to eat came after all the workers finished their meal.

Sometimes after church services on Sunday evenings, the young people of the community would walk to Kirby Dairy for refreshments. The dairy was located along Chamblee Dunwoody Road between

today’s Dunwoody Village Parkway and KinderCare Learning Center.

At the dairy, they would find milk, which Jameson refers to as sweet milk, buttermilk, ice cream and chocolate milk. One night, one of the boys decided to try a mixture of buttermilk and heavy whipping cream.

This had an almost instant effect on his stomach. “As we watched him drink it down, his expression changed from pleasant to surprised, to frowning to near panic,” recalled Jameson. He raced out of the milkhouse, convincing the other young people not to try the combination for themselves.

Sue Kirby Jameson left a treasure behind when she wrote her memories. She died in 2004 and is buried at New Hope Cemetery next to her husband Thomas Jameson, in the same area as the home and dairy farm where she once lived.

Award-winning author Valerie Biggerstaff is a longtime columnist for Appen Media and the Dunwoody Crier. She

VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist

KIRBY FAMILY PHOTO

This 1944 photograph includes many members of the Kirby family, including Sue Kirby Jameson, seated at far left.

Dean Rusk: a native son on the world stage

David Dean Rusk (1909-1994) was a diplomat on the world stage during the turbulent cold and hot war decade of the 1960s. Yet little is known about this reserved and very significant public servant and North Georgia son.

Dean Rusk spent his early years on a modest farm on Arnold Mill Road in the Lickskillet community just north of Roswell in Cherokee County. His father Robert Hugh Rusk (1868-1944) and his mother Elizabeth Frances Clotfelter (1875-1959) lived a hardscrabble life as tenant farmers until Dean was 5 years old. His family moved to Atlanta where his father took a low paying job with the postal service as a mail carrier. Dean was the only one in his high school class to graduate in knickers because his parents could not afford long pants. Determined to receive an education, Dean worked his way through Davidson College in North Carolina where he played center on the basketball team. In 1932, he attended Oxford University in England on a Rhodes Scholarship where he received a master’s degree in international relations in 1934. That same year, Dean accepted a position teaching international relations at Mills College in Oakland, California, where he remained until 1940. At Mills, he met a student, Virginia Foisie (1915-1996), whom he married in 1937. While at Mills he studied law at the University of California at Berkeley, although he did not complete a degree there until 1940.

Anticipating U.S. involvement in World War ll, Dean joined the Army in 1940 first in the Third Infantry Division and then in the Military Intelligence Service. From 1943 to 1945 he served in the China-Burma-India theater. He became deputy chief of staff to Gen. Joseph Stilwell and the protege of Gen. George Marshall who would become Secretary of State and author of the Marshall Plan for post-war European recovery. Rusk planned on a military career until Secretary Marshall asked him to join the State Department in 1947 to head the Office of Special Political Affairs. In 1950, Secretary of State Dean Acheson appointed Rusk Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs. During the early days of WW ll, Rusk had developed strong views that appeasement is not a viable policy, and he urged President Truman to resist communist aggression in Southeast Asia.

In 1952, he left the State Department to become president of the Rockefeller Foundation. In 1960, he authored an article in Foreign Affairs journal titled “The President,” which outlined the role of the

president in developing and implementing foreign policy. Sen. John F. Kennedy was impressed by the article, and when he became president a few months later, he appointed Rusk his Secretary of State. Rusk served in that role from 1960 –1969 under presidents Kennedy and Johnson. He left office January 20, 1969, when Richard Nixon assumed the presidency, having served in that role longer than any other Secretary of State, other than Cordell Hull

who served from 1933 to 1944.

Dean’s cousin David Rusk says Kennedy appointed Rusk without ever having met him because of the Foreign Affairs article and because Dean Acheson recommended him so highly. Secretary Rusk and President Johnson had a particularly close working relationship, both having come from simple rural backgrounds.

International crises dominated Rusk’s tenure as Secretary of State, including the

Viet Nam War for which he was roundly criticized, the Cold War with the Soviet Union, the failed Cuban Bay of Pigs Invasion in April 1961, the Berlin Crisis in 1961, the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962 and the Six Day War in June 1967. Many books and scholarly papers have been written about those events. They are beyond the scope of this column.

Rusk was appointed professor of International Law at the University of Georgia in 1970 where he led a quiet scholarly life until 1984. In 1990 he published his memoir, “As I Saw It,” with his son Richard, now deceased.

Andy Rusk, Dean’s grandson, spent a lot of time with Dean when both families lived in Athens. Andy describes Dean as “reserved but warm and caring about family. He was always curious about what we were doing. We spent Christmases together.” Andy recalls that Rusk attended his high school and university graduations “because it was important to him that his grandkids get a good education.”

There are many individuals named Rusk or married to people named Rusk in this area. Thus, family reunions have been important over the years, and Dean attended them as often as his schedule permitted. Starting in the early 1970s, reunions took place at the Mount Gilead United Methodist Church on Arnold Mill Road in Woodstock. They moved to the Roswell Recreation Center a few years later, attracting up to 120 people. David Rusk recalls family reunions. “When Dean walked into the room, or came in by wheelchair in his later years, the room became silent. We treated him with respect.”

Dean gave many speeches, often off the cuff, according to David, including a speech at Reinhardt homecoming before 4,000 people in 1961 just a few days after the Bay of Pigs invasion.

Dean Rusk is remembered as a gentleman, quiet and unassuming, but brilliant. He was a person of strong conviction who understood that humble beginnings can lead to great results.

As his grandson Andy says, “Dean Rusk was part of the generation of statesmen that, regardless of circumstances, carried themselves with decorum.”

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.

FAMILY PROVIDED PHOTOS

This is a rare photo of Gen. Joseph Stilwell and his senior staff, date and location unknown, probably somewhere in the China-Burma-India theater, circa 1943. Stillwell is sixth from the left. Dean Rusk is circled in the second row. To his right in shorts is Gen. Frank Merrill who was put in command of a special guerrilla warfare group that became known as the celebrated Merrill’s Marauders. Rusk was deputy chief of staff to Stilwell.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HISTORY CHEROKEE

Shortly after becoming Secretary of State and just days after the Cuban Bay of Pigs invasion, Dean Rusk spoke at Reinhardt College homecoming before a record crowd of 4,000. He frequently gave speeches and often spoke off the cuff.

RUSK

Cutting gardens – Bringing the outside in

Who doesn’t enjoy gathering a beautiful bouquet of flowers and foliage from your yard to bring inside? Ahh, the beauty of bringing the outside in!

Anyone can successfully grow a garden for cutting, whether it’s a big garden bed overflowing with many colors and shapes of flowers and foliage or incorporating a small planting of zinnias in an existing bed. The cutting garden’s size depends on your available space and the time you have to maintain it. It is not a garden grown for show or display, although it will be a riot of colors and textures, but to cultivate flowers for your home or to share.

The cutting garden can include shrubs, perennials and annuals. Shrubs and perennials can provide diverse flowers and foliage during their seasons of bloom. One of my favorite perennials to grow for a long cutting season is Sedum Autumn Joy. In summer, the large flower bud is a chartreuse green that turns to deep pink/ bronze in the fall. The bloom is a unique shape and color addition to a bouquet, as well as long lasting. Annuals can include transplants as well as flowers grown from seed. Two of my favorite annual transplants for foliage are African basil and cinnamon basil. In addition to adding foliage to a bouquet, they add a spike-shaped bloom and a delightful surprise – fragrance.

Tender annuals from seed are the most economical way to grow flowers. When heat-loving annuals are properly maintained, they will produce blooms into fall. In our 7b climate zone, they can be direct seeded around April 15 or after our last frost date. Directions for planting depth and spacing along with any other requirements are printed on the seed packet. Most garden centers stock a collection of annual seeds, and there are a multitude of mail order seed companies. So many unique and heirloom annuals are not sold as plants in garden centers and can only be grown from seed.

Cosmos and zinnias are a few of the easy-to-grow tender annuals considered to be “Cut and Come Again.” As the title suggests, the more you cut them the more they will bloom. Zinnias are the most popular flower grown from seed and my favorite because of their hardiness and their diversity in color and shape. Benary’s Giant zinnias were cultivated for cut flower growing and boast the largest flower head of all zinnias, have a long strong stem, and will last for a week or longer in a vase. The Oklahoma Series zinnias have a smaller flower but bloom continuously and are equally as strong-stemmed and hardy. All

zinnias should be picked frequently and spent blooms deadheaded. Deadheading prevents the flower from going to seed, which signals the plant to stop producing flowers.

The requirements for a cutting garden are the same as they are for any successful garden. First, the site should be located in six hours of sun. This is a condition most flowers require for maximum bloom. Second, the soil should be amended with a good compost plus any nutrients the soil is lacking. A soil test conducted by the County Extension Service can determine this. In addition to the initial soil amendments, organic fertilizer should be added at least twice during the growing season. Annual flowers bloom summer and fall, so they need the extra fertilizer for maximum production. By utilizing all organic products, you will be protecting the abundance of bees and butterflies that will grace your garden daily. Third, the site needs to be watered regularly, especially as seeds are germinating. Drip irrigation is best as it delivers water to the plant roots which avoids wetting the foliage. If you don’t have drip, the site can be watered by hand and located close to your house.

If you have never grown a cutting garden, start with a small, amended bed. Add a few perennials and annual transplants and choose some seed packets to try your hand at direct seeding annuals. You will delight in the diversity and abundance of blooms you can grow and will add more varieties to your garden every year. You’ll be hooked!

Happy gardening!

North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose purpose is to educate its members and the public in the areas of horticulture and ecology in order to promote and foster community enrichment. Master Gardener Volunteers are trained and certified by The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Learn more at nfmg.net.

About the author

This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Roswell resident Pat Camp. Pat has always loved to garden, remembering as a child helping her grandmother tend her hydrangeas and loving the earthy smell of the soil. Pat has been a Master Gardener for 23 years, has worked as a Landscape Designer, and is a Georgia Certified Plant Professional. Her cutting garden, which she started three years ago, is her new passion, adding new and more interesting flowers every year. She enjoys making flower bouquets for special occasions and friends, even designing flowers for a wedding. Pat enrolled in the Floret Online Workshop sponsored by Floret Flower Farm which was an intense learning program focused on growing flowers on a small scale. When Pat is not gardening in Georgia or South Carolina, she and her husband are traveling to exotic places as well as our national parks. She enjoys sharing her love of nature and flowers with others, especially her grandchildren.

Learn more

• Flowering Annuals for Georgia Gardens, UGA Extension Bulletin 954, https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=B954

• Erin Benzakein, Cut Flower Garden, (Chronicle books, USA, 2017)

• Niki Irving, Growing Flowers, (Yellow Pear Press, USA, 2021)

• Clare Nolan, In Bloom, (Companion House Books, UK, 2019)

PAT CAMP

Guest Columnist

PHOTOS PROVIDED

GET OUTSIDE GEORGIA

You can ham it up outdoors with shortwave operators

STEVE HUDSON Columnist

One of the nicest things about the outside world is that there are all kinds of ways to enjoy it. Traditional favorites include hiking and biking and camping and fishing and birdwatching and –well, you get the idea.

But there are some less traditional ways to have outdoor fun, too.

Some folks, for example, like bungee jumping. That’s the one where you tie yourself to what is essentially a giant rubber band and then jump off a perfectly good tower or a bridge or something, on purpose, and fall through the air toward the ground far below. On the way down you have time to think about things, possibly wondering if the quality control guy over at the giant rubber band factory was having a good day on the day when that particular one was made.

I’m told that the whole thing is fun, but you can rest assured that I will never be able to affirm that personally. I know too much about the frailties of rubber bands (specifically, their annoying tendency to break at exactly the wrong time). So, no bungee jumps for me. I’m over 40, and I don’t have to do that kind of thing anymore.

Housing:

Continued from Page 1

“One of the reasons for that is people in middle incomes can’t afford to live here anymore,” Murphy said.

The improvement network said North Fulton County has become an increasingly less affordable area to live in over the years, particularly for minimum-wage workers.

In Georgia the minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. Even with many employees making more than that, Murphy said the income does little to offset high housing costs in North Fulton County.

In Roswell, one of North Fulton County’s larger cities, the population has remained largely the same in recent years, increasing by about 0.1 percent to about 92,000 since 2020. The median gross rent is $1,447.

Murphy said “unbridled growth” is great for the North Fulton communities that have expanded significantly over the decades, but they run the risk of “becoming exclusive.”

Instead, he advocates for more affordable housing where people who work at local businesses can live. The larger question for Murphy and the improvement network, though, is how to get there.

The think tank originally looked at

But there are alternatives. For instance, some other folks like hang gliding, another sport that sends you through the air. While hang gliding, you are supported underneath a glider of sorts as you soar and swoop in and out among the birds. Birds have been doing the flying thing forever, of course, and so they’re pretty good at it. But we humans come to it less naturally.

I’m told that folks do a lot of this hang gliding thing up in northwest Georgia, congregating in places where otherwise rational humans will strap themselves (and you, if you let them) to a fabric wing and then voluntarily make a running jump off a cliff and into the air. They too say it’s fun.

Oddly enough, the prospect of hang gliding does in fact hold a little bit of appeal to me. Maybe someday I’ll give it try if the opportunity comes along. If I do, I’ll let you know how it goes. Probably.

But there is one other sort of outdoor recreation activity involving “air” that I wholeheartedly embrace – and that is to take a small ham radio rig (ham radio is my other hobby) into the great outdoors in order to “get on the air” from a park or a mountaintop or other outdoor locale. To that end, I’ve even put together a little portable radio set-up that fits neatly into my daypack, and in the process I’ve discovered just how much fun it can be to sit up on a mountaintop somewhere and talk to people

governments for development but quickly decided to pivot to private organizations.

“We’re doing what we call quiet advocacy, with large business owners or employers talking about building over parking lots,” Murphy said.

The group is also looking at faith-based housing funded by local congregations. At a May 23 North Fulton Improvement Network meeting, national nonprofit Enterprise Community Partners, which is dedicated to increasing housing supply, held a presentation on faith-based workforce housing development for members of the think tank.

“We help by deploying capital and communities to support the creation of affordable housing,” Enterprise Senior Program Director Timothy Block said.

The organization also advocates for certain policies and supports community development organizations.

Block said houses of worship are a key target to build affordable housing, because many are struggling to bring in parishioners, leaving them with extra property to use.

“Do they sell it, close it, shrink it? There’s a lot of opportunity to work with houses of worship,” Block said.

The nonprofit program director said across all of Fulton County, faith-based organizations own 3,214 parcels that equate to about 6,278 acres which can

all over the world – no Interweb required.

As it turns out, many ham radio operators enjoy taking their stations “to the field,” as it were – and on Saturday, June 24, and Sunday, June 25, you just might see some hams in action in area parks during an annual ham radio event called “Field Day.”

Sponsored by the American Radio Relay League, a national association of ham operators, Field Day gives hams far and wide a chance to test their operating skills out in the field.

What’s the purpose of Field Day? Well, part of it is just to have fun. Stations compete with each other to see who can make the most contacts with other ham radio operators. But it’s also a great chance for hams to test their ability to operate in the field under less than ideal conditions, much as they might have to do in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency.

As one ham once put it, “Communication is easy as long as the power stays on and the internet says on. But what would happen if a community lost its regular communication systems? How would emergency responders and other key groups communicate? I’ll tell you how,” he added. “They could call on ham radio operators to help.”

Many metro Atlanta ham radio clubs will be participating in this year’s Field

be used for community development.

While the houses of worship have land, they have little expertise in development. Block said Enterprise runs a development initiative to help faith leaders get more comfortable with the process. Comparing the approach to “not in my backyard” and “yes in my backyard” philosophies, Murphy said the area needed to take a “YIGBY” approach: Yes in God’s backyard.

“It’s our 10th year of doing this, we’ve got to get moving,” Murphy said.

The Rev. Oliver Wagner, senior pastor at Alpharetta Presbyterian Church, said the issue comes down to a “continuum of care.”

His congregation is primarily involved with emergency needs, helping place people in temporary housing through organizations like Family Promise North Fulton. Wagner said for nonprofits the consensus is clear: there simply is not affordable housing.

“We help people through these difficult transitions, but then where do they go?” Wagner said.

The pastor said many of the people they help with financial literacy, temporary housing and education are doing everything the congregation asks, but they still cannot find housing. His church can only provide temporary shel-

Day, and one of them is the Sawnee Amateur Radio Association. SARA, as it’s known, will be operating from the Cumming Fairground RV sites from 2 p.m. Saturday the 24th until 2 p.m. Sunday the 25th, and they encourage visitors to stop by.

And you don’t have to be a ham radio operator to enjoy visiting the SARA Field Day operation. One of the stations that the SARA group will set up is what’s known as the “Get On The Air,” or GOTA, station. It’s intended to allow non-hams to experience what ham radio is like by providing an opportunity to operate a ham station with the help of an experienced, licensed operator. It’s fun! And you don’t have to sign up in advance – just walk up and give it a try!

For more info on the Sawnee Amateur Radio Association, visit sawneemountainradio.org.

To get an idea of where other amateur radio clubs might be holding public Field Day events, visit www.arrl.org/field-daylocator. This site, provided by the American Radio Relay League, is designed to help interested folks find Field Day operations nationwide.

And who knows? Maybe you’ll run across me at one of the Field Day operations. I’ll be enjoying being “on the air” –with no giant rubber bands required!

ter, though.

Wagner said his church is too small to develop affordable workforce housing, and that even if they did, it would be a “smaller part of a much bigger effort” that requires support across every sector.

“That’s a bigger all-in question across the community,” Wagner said.

The solution, he said, should be a coalition between congregations, private businesses and local governments. That way, as congregations and nonprofits help people through emergency needs, other groups can take on longer-term challenges.

“We do our part, but the part we need we can’t do alone,” Wagner said.

The pastor said he hopes the “political needle will move” as the conversation around affordable housing continues. Eventually, he aims for a wide partnership with citizens and civic support.

“One of my older church members realized that all these wonderful people who serve her dinner in her community can’t afford to live there,” Wagner said.

Wagner knows there are people who can buy an expensive meal and pay pricey rents, but he wants North Fulton County to be an option for everyone.

“Communities need diversity of housing,” Wagner said.

Expansion:

Continued from Page 1

to get in touch with the Police Department than to call 911.”

Charlie Whiting, director of commercial preconstruction at Reeves and Young, who presented the project at the meeting, said that since the authority’s February meeting, they have been able to make substantial cuts to proposed costs, generating about $1.6 million in savings.

Whiting said an updated budget estimate for the project shows the Public Safety and Court building will cost about

$36.6 million to complete, and the fleet maintenance building is expected to cost $3.6 million.

In total, the project is expected to cost $50,398,437. To date, the city has spent about $13 million to secure land, design and other services for the project.

Sandy Springs Director of Facilities Dave Wells said they expect to break ground in mid-July, with substantial completion coming in December 2024.

The item was unanimously approved with no further discussion.

Sandy Springs Police Department officials did not immediately respond to Appen Media’s requests for further comments on the project.

SANDY SPRINGS/PROVIDED

Human Resources Manager

Handles all employee-related processes and procedures. This role will be responsible for Recruitment and Onboarding, Job Design, Employee Relations, Performance Management, Training and Development, Employment Compliance, Total Rewards and Talent Management. This position reports to the Director of Finance and Administration and will interact with the entire management team by providing guidance on all Human Resources related topics at NFCC. Bachelor’s degree in human resources or related field and 3-5 years of Human Resources experience, preferably in multiple HR disciplines required. Please visit https://nfcchelp.org/ work-at-nfcc/ to see the full job description. To apply, submit a resume to sholiday@nfcchelp.org and to mburton@nfcchelp.org.

Part-time

Donor Operations Associate

The Donor Operations Associate greets and removes donations from vehicles and sorts merchandise in a designated area.  They are responsible for keeping the merchandise secure, all areas free of debris and the donor door area neat and clean.  This position is the face of NFCC so they are expected to provide excellent customer service and treat each donor with a professional and friendly demeanor.  High school diploma or equivalent preferred. Ability to perform low to moderate facility maintenance tasks.  To view entire listing visit: https://nfcchelp.org/work-atnfcc/  To apply, please complete an application for employment and email to Marten Jallad,  mjallad@nfcchelp.org.

Volunteer Services

Community Events Manager

The Community Events Manager is responsible for all aspects of NFCC’s community events, from inception through execution, including helping secure sponsorships. Events may include annual golf tournament, annual fundraising gala, community engagement events, donor recognition events, and other community events. Position requires a highly organized, creative, and motivated person to lead event planning, sponsorship, and community engagement. Bachelor’s Degree preferred with 2-3 years special events and fundraising experience. To view entire listing visit: https://nfcchelp.org/workat-nfcc/  To apply, send a resume to Sandy Holiday, sholiday@nfcchelp.org.

Volunteers Needed! Looking for a fun, impactful volunteer opportunity? One Good Deed Friendly Visitor Program of JF&CS matches older adults with volunteers for friendship and fun! Help a senior in your community. Learn more at //jfcsatl.org/ogd or call 770.677.9489.

Garage Doors

Dunwoody Door Lift Co.

The ONLY garage door company in Dunwoody!

We sell, install and repair garage doors and openers. Authorized Genie Dealer serving Dunwoody since 1973.

770-393-1652

If you can’t lift your door, let Dunwoody Door Lift it!

Handyman

MATTHEW THE HANDYMAN

Carpentry, Painting, Drywall, Plumbing, Electrical and Small Jobs. 404-547-2079

Cemetary

SANDY SPRINGS-Arlington Memorial Park

2 Niches, side by side

Sunrise Chapel Mausoleum

Valued at 5K each, asking $2500 each 404-403-9134

Roofing

KETNER CONTRACTING

• Re-roofs • Repairs & Painting

• Licensed/Insured • Excellent Referrals

• Free Estimate • 25+ Years of Experience

Neil Ketner 770-318-7762

ROOF LEAKING?

Call us for roof repair or roof replacement. FREE quotes. $200 OFF Leak Repairs or 10% off New Roof. Affordable, quality roofing. Based in Roswell. Serving North Atlanta since 1983. Call to schedule FREE Quote: 770-284-3123.

Christian Brothers Roofing