Forecasting experts evaluate prospects for housing market
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.comATLANTA — More than 1,200 professionals from the housing industry tuned into a two-hour zoom call June 13 from John Hunt, chief analyst, principal and cofounder of MarketNsights.
Hunt’s presentation, “Higher for Longer May Be Here to Stay,” covered markets from Dallas to Richmond, and he spoke from a vantage point of someone with more than 30 years of experience and a track record of accurate modeling to the discussion.
In 2006, Hunt was on the team that first predicted the Great Recession.
Hunt briefly mentioned the U.S. is still recovering from the “irrational exuberance” in the housing market.
Quoting former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan’s famed comment about market bubbles, he traces the current housing availability crisis back to December 2007.
Hunt said housing starts had reflected increases in population before the crash, but they have not recovered since.
During a discussion with the North Fulton Improvement Network in February, Hunt said housing attainability or affordability is the defining issue of our time.
Hunt reaffirmed the significance of housing June 13. He said the barriers to “missing middle housing” stem from the emergence of zoning regulations 100 years ago from politicians during Jim Crow.
See MARKET, Page 13
Springs City Councilman Andy
CornholeATL’s Sandy
night event.
Cornhole teams strategize at Sundown Social
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.comSANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sundown
Social, the relaxed Thursday night neighborhood gathering at City Springs, is back with a new cornhole league for its second year.
Like the City Green Live concert series and the Sandy Springs Farmer’s Market, the city-sponsored event is free and open to all.
Patrons can expect to spend money on drinks from the CityBar and meals from rotating food trucks.
CornholeATL’s Sandy Springs league ended registration June 3.
The evening kicks off around 5:30 p.m. each Thursday with sidewalk entertainment from local musicians starting 30 minutes later.
After Sundown Social took a break the week prior for Taste of Atlanta’s Food That Rocks, the backyard party
returned to City Green.
Katie Coyne, operations manager at CornholeATL, circled up on the City Green with league members around 6:30 p.m. to lay down the dos and don’ts of cornhole and as guests of the city.
She encouraged them to enjoy their beverages responsibly and have fun.
See CORNHOLE, Page 13
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Sandy Springs vs. Johns Creek
Sandy Springs Johns Creek
Each week Appen Media requests police incident reports to inform residents about the safety of their community. Sandy Springs continues to withhold what it calls the “narrative reports.” It is the only city Appen Media covers that follows this practice, which goes against guidance from the Attorney General, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Sheriff’s Association, Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia and Georgia Press Association. Appen Media will continue pursuing the release of more detailed documents that belong to the public in order to inform residents how safe – or unsafe – their city is.
GDOT halts Ga. 9 widening amid fraud investigation
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.comMILTON, Ga. — Work to widen Ga. 9 through Milton is at a standstill until the Georgia Department of Transportation sorts through a snag in its right-of-way and easement process.
GDOT notified the city June 11 that it has become aware of fraudulent activity associated in the acquisitions.
Nearly 23,000 vehicles use the roadway daily, and the city has braced residents for months of construction which had already been poised to commence with orange cones and heavy equipment along the thoroughfare.
Milton officials said their first priority is to strongly urge GDOT to promptly take action to clean up properties damaged and affected by construction. Because the widening is a state project, city officials have little control over its administration and timeline.
“We’re already reaching out to state leaders for answers and expect productive conversations to ensure that Milton citizens and businesses are heard, and their best interests are served,” Milton Mayor Peyton Jamison
said. “Highway 9 is vital to our city’s present and future, and it’s important that this project is done right.”
Milton was alerted to the fraudulent activity surrounding the project around 1 p.m. June 11. It involves a now-former Georgia Department of Transportation official associated to the Ga. 9 widening project. Milton Communications Director Greg Botelho said the city is still looking for answers.
“We are concerned and disappointed by these reports, as well as the resulting impact on our citizens, business leaders and employees and others who travel on this main Milton thoroughfare,” he said.
Scott Higley, director of strategic communications for GDOT, said the department investigated the actions of a former right-of-way acquisition specialist who was involved in the falsification of internal documents
See GDOT, Page 12
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Roswell Cultural Arts Center opens summer puppet series
By LUKE GARDNER newsroom@appenmedia.comROSWELL, Ga. — Kids, their teachers, and families gathered at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center June 11 for All Hands Productions’ performance of “Three Billy Goats Gruff and Other Stuff,” the first show in this year’s Summer Puppet Series.
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“It's such an infusion of energy when kids come for the first puppet show of the summer,” Cultural Arts Manager David Crowe said. “The building responds to that excitement, and it ushers in a sunny warm pleasant feeling for the rest of summer.”
“Three Billy Goats Gruff and Other Stuff” included five performances running through June 15. The show retells the story of several traditional fairytales interpreted through the lens of puppeteer David Stephens.
“There are five different stories in this show,” Stephens said. “I tell the story of ‘Little Red Riding Hood,’ a version of ‘Three Little Pigs,’ ‘Three Billy Goats Gruff,’ and a takeoff on ‘Stone Soup,’ which is about a couple of farmers in my show. There's also a bit with a couple of chickens.”
The stories contain slight deviations from the original fairytales, like Little Red Riding Hood’s real name being Julie, and the Big Bad Wolf developing a blueberry allergy. These retellings are performed through a colorful variety of puppets that Stephens constructs himself. He also makes brief appearances as a narrator.
“This is the show’s 25th anniversary,” Stephens said. “I created this show after I had been doing tours through summer reading programs at libraries. I had already done a show of Aesop’s fables and I was looking to select a group of classic fairytales I could do in one show.”
As a creator of several shows, Stephens has learned how to craft puppets, characters, storylines and jokes over his decades-long career.
“Shows start out as an outline,” Stephens said. “I begin mapping out characters and figuring out the dynamics between them. There’s an outline of the major plot points, but there’s no set script when I start. It’s dictated by the audience, born out of improv, and after several years the show locks itself in, with subtle changes over time.”
Stephens can’t always see his audience while he’s on stage, so he relies on audible cues, like the sounds of children’s reactions and laughter. Sometimes the show includes calls and responses to engage young audience members.
However, it's not just the children who enjoy themselves at his puppet shows.
“Sometimes the adults bring in something else to do, like a book to read,” Stephens said. “Teachers might bring papers to grade. By the end of the show, the adults are paying attention like the kids.”
Stephens has been performing at the Cultural Arts Center for more than a decade, but his career has lasted over twice as long, and his passion for puppets stretches back to his youth.
“I was obsessed with ‘Sesame Street’ and ‘The Muppet Show;’ glued to the TV,” Stephens said. “I started to make puppets as a teen, and in college, I was already getting paid to do shows. I’ve been doing this for 25 years, and for about two years I didn’t do any shows because of the pandemic. This is my first year back on my feet again. It’s been a very rewarding experience seeing that the shows still have resonance.”
The Cultural Arts Center features an entire lineup of productions throughout the year, including theater performances, music, dance, puppet shows, pageants, exhibits and special events.
Residents of the Four Oaks subdivision off Peller Road have responded differently to the city’s proposed Peeler Road path project which calls for a 12-foot-wide concrete path for pedestrians and cyclists on Peeler Road between Winter’s Chapel Road and Lakeside Drive.
Some Dunwoody neighbors surprised at outcry over proposed path network
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.comDUNWOODY, Ga. — Four Oaks subdivision residents appear divided about the design of a multi-use path planned for the area.
The city sought community feedback May 20 from residents in the Four Oaks subdivision on its most recent concepts for a 12-foot-wide concrete path for pedestrians and cyclists on Peeler Road between Winter’s Chapel Road and Lakeside Drive.
Some residents said they were shocked to hear some of their neighbor’s opposition to the Peeler Road multi-use path at the open house.
Peter Yost, longtime Four Oaks resident, said he thinks his neighbors who spoke with Appen Media after the meeting misrepresented the consensus in the subdivision.
Yost said there were two vocal residents who opposed the path at the meeting. Other residents were too intimidated to indicate their support for the project, he said.
“Input to community projects like the path are important for the city government to do its job,” he wrote. “The neighbors mentioned … clearly mistook the purpose of the meeting to be their opportunity to voice their personal opposition to the project instead of its stated purpose of an opportunity for the neighborhood’s residents to ask questions and to offer suggestions.”
Yost said it’s nearly impossible to survey every homeowner in the 46-home subdivision, but he said he thinks the city is seeking input and doing its job.
Opponents of the path have cited the need for the subdivision to meet with the City Council as a group, rather than individually.
After the May 20 gathering with around 30 residents, some opponents are still seeking a public meeting with elected officials.
They cite concerns about stormwater management, tree loss, speeding and privacy.
However, Yost and his wife Patty said they are excited about the Peeler Road path.
“Further down the road when we’re connected to surrounding cities, we can use the expanding network of trails with alternative forms of transportation to move around safely and with a zerocarbon footprint,” they said.
Larry Yost said the need for a path on the north side of Peeler Road was apparent.
Yost said nearly everyone at the May 20 meeting drove from Four Oaks to Windwood Hollow Park, less than a half-mile from most homes in the subdivision.
Because of a history of speeding on the roadway and no pedestrian access on its north side, Yost said the observation reaffirmed his belief that the path is needed.
This is Miss Delta!
Facts About Me
Breed: Terrier/Shepherd/Malinois Mix
Color: White w/ black markings (Short haired)
Age: 6 months old
Weight: (Current) 27 lbs
Fully Grown: Medium Size (45lbs)
Sex: Female
My Info
Good with children & dogs May need potty training Healthy Shots current Chipped & spayed
My Story
What is it that makes me so special?
Well, first of all I’m a puppy, but besides that have you noticed the little beauty marks above my eyes? No other puppy is as unique as me. I’m enjoying my other canine friends here, but I really would rather be at home with you playing, enjoying belly rubs and treats. Want to go for a walk? Come meet me. I have puppy kisses waiting for you!
All BCAR dogs are placed as indoor family pets. No electric fences, please. Visit pets every Saturday 11:00 am to 2:00 pm (706-268-1346) or visit our website for adoption information at www.bigcanoeanimalrescue.org
PALS
PERIMETER ADULT LEARNING & SERVICES
SUMMER 2024 PROGRAM
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
Local Authors – We will continue our commitment to presenting local authors to discuss their books, their backgrounds and their genres. This year we will have such best selling authors as Ann Hite, a Jimmy Carter biographer (Dot Padgett, and authors who wrote books on sports personalities, more novelists, murder mystery writers and more.
From 10:00 am - 11:00 am
A View Into Western Civilization Through Its Architecture – Architect Jerry Cooper will lead us in an exploration of how societies down through the ages have reflected their values through the buildings that were built to serve them beginning with Ancient Egypt through Ancient Greece to the Roman Empire up to the present day with a view of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Modern structures. Discussion willcenter on how the evolution of technology, the various societies’ changing values, governing structures and religious perspectives impacted their architecture. The class will conclude with a discussion of what buildings might look like today and why.
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
A Perspective on Jimmy Carter – Professor Bob Short will discuss the life of Jimmy Carter from his life in Plains, GA to Governor of Georgia to President of the United States and his legacy post-presidency.
From 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
A History of America Through Life Magazine Covers –Besty Jones started collecting old LIFE magazines almost 50 years ago and at one time had a collection of more than 1400 issues. LIFE was launched as a weekly magazine in 1936 by Henry Luce, publisher LIFE covered topics and ceased weekly publication in 1972. LIFE touched every fabric of our lives - war (and peace), royalty, sports, presidents and other politicians, celebrities, science, space, medical triumphs (and tragedies), civil rights, art, music and fashion - to name but a few. Each week will cover a specific topic to see how it was covered over the years.
Wine educator shares fruits of her experience
World-renowned expert keys customers to value
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.comDUNWOODY, Ga. — When students at Anita LaRaia’s Wine School wrap up their first class, they’re likely struck with the extensive knowledge and infectious energy of their instructor.
Whether they took her series of 2-hour in-person classes decades ago or stumbled across her new videos on YouTube, LaRaia’s students remember her empowering personality and wine expertise.
In her 33 years, LaRaia has graduated more than 2,000 people from her classes – young adults in the hospitality industry, trade professionals and anyone interested in understanding the process of selecting a quality wine.
So, what did students walk out the door with? LaRaia says they carried confidence and a bottle of wine with some of five noble grapes of Bordeaux: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.
If the mention of Red Bordeaux and blended wine makes your head spin, LaRaia’s new venture in 2024 can get you up to speed in no time.
LaRaia, a 30-year resident of Dunwoody, kicked off 2024 with the rollout of her YouTube channel, Winegroceries. com, including six videos around 10 minutes each.
She said her goal is to give viewers the information they need to be able to walk into a grocery store or distributor and select a cost-effective wine that pairs with an occasion and its food.
Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for six two-hour classes with the wine expert, you can access them for free on YouTube. Viewers won’t get a nice bottle of wine, but they will be able to find one on their own.
In her six videos available on YouTube, viewers are first introduced to the different processes used to make Champagne in France and different varieties of sparkling wine from around the world.
One video explores Australian wines, which LaRaia helped popularize in the United States. Other topics include South American and Latin wines, “Big Spenders,” or expensive bottles and which American wines give you the best bang for your buck.
LaRaia says her decision to roll out her wine classes online was sparked when her channel’s producers, Nancy and Murph Ivey from South Carolina, began sending her photos of wine bottles on grocery store shelves.
WINEGROCERIES.COM/PROVIDED
Anita LaRaia sits ready to record the “Latin Lovers” video on her YouTube channel, Winegroceries.com, in early January. The third educational video in a six-part series dives into LaRaia’s grocery-shopping advice for patrons.
More Information
Anita LaRaia’s Wine School established Feb. 1978 WineGroceries.com @WineGroceries on YouTube “Pick a Perfect Wine in No Time” on Amazon
“I was sitting there thinking, well my goodness, I’m back in the business,” LaRaia said.
The 77-year-old wine expert, unafraid to discuss her recent foot sur -
gery and time in a wheelchair, told the Iveys to drive down to Dunwoody and film some videos at her dining room table.
“I set it all up and decided to think long and hard, what could I cover in these short videos?” LaRaia said. “I did write scripts, although people think I do this extemporaneously; Yes, I do because it’s real, more exciting and I have that personality.”
Winegroceries.com on You Tube combines LaRaia’s six years studying
Wine:
Continued from Page 6
in London, her time answering questions posed from around the world for CNN.com and 33 years of teaching in Atlanta – all in an easily digestible one-hour series.
“I wanted to do this as a service to grocery shoppers,” LaRaia said.
WineGroceries.com creates videos designed to make viewers savvy buyers of wine in their local grocery store wine department, with entertaining instruction from one of America’s top independent wine educators.
Pairing the correct wine bottle with a meal, occasion or partner is what it’s all about. If complicated grape varieties, sommeliers and “wine snobs” have soured your wine education, LaRaia’s sweet and energetic personality make the process more palatable.
The daughter of Italian immigrants to New York City after World War I, LaRaia’s story is an inspiration.
After earning the valedictorian title at her high school, LaRaia received two degrees from Cornell University before heading to London for her wine education.
If the American Dream is a myth, try telling LaRaia.
She still carries the first payment her father received in the United States, a 1908 Golden Eagle coin.
“My Osage friend from Oklahoma worked on the necklace for a year,” LaRaia said. “I wear it sometimes with that gold coin.”
Equality among all Americans is important to LaRaia, and her decision to start her YouTube channel represents that philosophy.
LaRaia’s resume also includes 10 years at the retail, wholesale and importer levels, including as Banfi Vintner’s sales manager in Georgia.
Her deluxe tours have taken her everywhere from the vineyards of Tuscany, Italy and France to Jack Nicklaus Bear’s Club in Jupiter, Florida.
Despite her luxurious experiences in the wine industry, LaRaia remains down-to-earth.
Her inspiring story as the daughter of American immigrants approach -
Business pages
Each week Appen Media asks a staff reporter to profile a business, nonprofit or commerce group they find interesting.
WINEGROCERIES.COM/PROVIDED Anita LaRaia, expert and educator, discusses Australian wines in her last of six videos on her YouTube channel, Winegroceries.com. The channel, available for free, features best practices learned during LaRaia’s 50-year career in the wine industry.
I wanted to do this as a service to grocery shoppers."
ANITALARAIA Wine educator, founder of WineGroceries.com
es legendary status as the wine expert now wants to make her lifetime of knowledge available to the public.
If someone picks up a wine bottle in the grocery store and checks out the label, odds are they won’t recognize the region of origin and grape varieties.
One of LaRaia’s goals with her YouTube channel is to give patrons the knowledge to select the cheaper bottle with the same grapes grown in the same region as the bottle worth hundreds of dollars on the top shelf.
“I’m just trying to do right by the customer,” she said. “That’s why I was always successful, not just as a wine educator but successful as a salesperson.”
LaRaia’s next series, shot from the Kroger off Dunwoody Club Drive in Sandy Springs, will be available shortly on the Winegroceries channel.
LaRaia said trips to other local stores, like Costco, may be in the cards for future installments.
NEW BUSINESS SPOTLIGHTS
Business description: As the inaugural fine art gallery in Dunwoody, we are honored to present a captivating fusion of established and emerging talent, curated with meticulous care and a
discerning eye for beauty. Join us on a journey of exploration and inspiration as we celebrate the boundless possibilities of fine art.
Opened: April 2024
Address: 5496 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, GA 30338 Website: dunwoodygallery.com
Name: FYZICAL Therapy and Balance Centers of Alpharetta
Owners: Irfan Mandani and Vikash Sharma
Do you have an idea for a future profile? Send tips and story leads to newsroom@appenmedia.com.
The selection can be from anywhere in the Metro Atlanta area. The decision is up to the reporter and is made entirely independent of the Sales department.
Business description: FYZICAL Alpharetta is unlike any physical therapy clinic you've been to before. Our highly skilled, compassionate team of physical therapists, who work one-on-one
with you, are 100% focused on achieving optimal health and wellness for you so you can get back to living the life you love!
Opened: December 2023
Phone: 770-881-8100
Address: 3400-C, Suite 390, Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta GA 30005
Website: fyzical.com/alpharetta-ga
Questions after you pop the question
Brought to you by – Estates Law Center USA
Whether you’re getting married or entering a new partnership, it’s important for you to lay down some ground rules to make sure there are no misunderstandings going forward. Although the conversation may be difficult, it’s best to have the talk early with your new spouse or partner to make sure you are on the same page. The goal of any type of estate planning is to avoid probate and here are several important questions you should ask when setting up your estate plan:
Are the estates of both parties equal? If not, a prenuptial/ postnuptial agreement or an agreement to keep your estates separate should be considered. Whose name is on the deed to the house? Rights of survivorship
aren’t always automatic depending on the state, so you must specify what will happen in case of death if the surviving partner’s name is not on the deed. You may want to consider giving your partner or new spouse the right to occupy your property. In addition, after the death of surviving partner or spouse, do you want the property or asset to be split among your children?
Do you have powers of attorney and healthcare directives? POA gives the person you name legal and financial authority to act on your behalf if you become incapacitated or incompetent. Healthcare Directive appoints an agent for medical and life support decisions in the event you are incapacitated or incompetent. Depending onyour situation, each of you need separate financial and Healthcare Directives. You should also consider if you want your
children involved in these decisions with your partner or new spouse. Will beneficiary designations on your accounts change upon remarriage or new partner? Make sure the beneficiary designations on your bank, investment, life insurance and retirement accounts are updated so the proceeds are handled according to your new relationship and prevent disinheriting your children accidentally. If you’re entering a new relationship with a home, assets, and family members, creating a new estate plan is essential to balance the expectations of your new spouse/ partner with the needs of the loved ones who have been with you for years. Consult a local estate planning attorney familiar with the inheritance laws in your state to make the best estate plan as you start the next phase of your journey.
OPINION
So many hills, so many views to block
RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.comI drive this stretch of road every day, usually multiple times a day. It is the road I take leaving or heading to my home in Crabapple just inside the Alpharetta city limits. Every day when I travel this road, it is the same. I pass the same buildings, the same school, the same lawns and trees; it rarely changes. I know, because I look; I am always looking.
This past week when I was driving the road, Milton Avenue, however, I noticed something I have never seen before. This happens to me when I reread a book; I notice things I missed the first time through – details, names, plot twists, descriptions. My rereads of any of JD Salinger’s books are notorious
THE INK PENN
for this. Those I have reread at least a half dozen times each, and still, I spot things I missed the previous five times.
So, I spotted a sign on Milton Avenue that I had never noticed. Part of me wants to believe it is a new sign, but another part of me suspects it has been there all along, and I just wasn’t watching close enough to see it. When you are traveling east on Milton Avenue almost in front of the old Milton High School – now called Innovation Academy – you go up a hill. Just before the crest of the hill, on the right, is that yellow regulatory sign I just noticed. The sign says, “Hill blocks view.”
And it does – somewhat.
I am sure I have never seen quite that specific message on a street sign before. It struck me as odd. On one hand, the hill really doesn’t obstruct your vision, not really. On the other hand, a “view” as I think of “views” does not really exist there; it is just a street a couple
blocks from downtown Alpharetta that runs past a cemetery and a school at the top of a very slight grade, barely what one might call a “hill.” It certainly wasn’t as linear a message, such as “blind curve use caution” that immediately precedes a dangerous curve on the side of a mountain or something. That is, the sign just didn’t seem very necessary to me or have that much utility. But, I have a hunch as to why it is really there.
Anyway, the sign struck some kind of nerve in me. I have stewed about it – a lot. Yea, I know that sounds weird, a little bit off. I just started thinking about the idea, about things blocking views. Lots of things block our views these days besides hills. And there are lots of “views” that really aren’t “views.”
Right now, the most obvious “hill” that is “obstructing” many “views” is that trial we have all just watched for the past month or so – the so-called “hush-money” trial. The “hill” is one’s
belief about what that was all about. The “view” is how our beliefs determine what we think we just witnessed – our interpretation. The “street” is both the trial itself and the sum total of all our past experiences, values and beliefs.
While there is great divergence among us in our views, the one aspect that we all hold in common is how our bias determines what we think – or say – we witnessed. This is in spite of the fact that there is an actual objective, straight-forward reality here, a paved asphalt street that slopes upward perhaps 5 degrees – enough to partially obstruct a driver’s vision of the street ahead – an objective reality not subject to opinion, no matter how much one desires to see something different.
And the reason for that sign? I think it might have something to do with law enforcement, radar guns, and tickets for speeding. But what do I know?
Selecting the books to fit your mood
What are you in the mood to read? Genteel mysteries set in 1920s England or a fast-paced modern-day mystery set in small-town Maine? These three books are equally entertaining, but the third is quite different from the first two.
“Murder at Millar’s Hotel” by Kelly Mason
I'm hooked. This cozy mystery set in 1920s England has an inspirational main character.
Lady Ellen of Ashcombe Hall is staying at Millar's Hotel in a seaside town while her family home is being refurbished.
A war widow, she turned her home into a convalescent home for WWI vets, and now in 1924, is ready to move forward. This is a cozy mystery, so of course, her plans are disrupted when she runs into an unpleasant character from her past.
But she also runs into a charming man who spent time convalescing at
Ashcombe Hall, and the game is soon afoot. Lady Ellen is a caring main character who looks out for others. Some might label her a rescuer, but that's part of her charm. I can't wait to dive into book II to see what develops next for her.
“Murder at Archly Manor” by Sara Rosett
I enjoy the author's contemporary Murder on Location series set in a Cotswolds village, so I wanted to try this historical cozy series set in 1920s England. What a delight. Olive Belgrave is just my kind of heroine-down-to-earth, able to fend for herself and not terribly impressed by the moneyed upper class.
She holds her own no matter the surroundings, and the witty dialogue grabs your attention. It's the first in the 8-book High Society Lady Detective series, and I highly recommend you pick it up.
Now, hold on to your hats, fast forward 100 years, and skip across the pond to the U.S.
“The Busy Body” by Kemper Donovan
What fun! Two smart women
are on the trail of a killer. One is a ghostwriter who pens memoirs and autobiographies for celebrities and politicians, and the other is a losing candidate in a recent presidential election. One is accustomed to being front and center. The other is a woman who makes a living being invisible.
You're bound to note the similarities to Hilary Clinton in former Senator Dorothy Gibson, who has sequestered herself in her Maine home to lick her wounds.
It occurred to me only as I sat down to write this review that I couldn’t recall the ghostwriter's name. I'm betting it was never mentioned, which is in keeping with her occupation. How clever!
When a neighbor dies, the two "involve" themselves in the investigation, and as befits a mystery with amateur sleuths, solve the case. Other than the cursing, this is very much a cozy mystery. Plenty of clever clues, red herrings, and twists and turns abound. The phrase "Musk adjacent" to describe an entrepreneur is an example of the author's way with words. A few times, I had to stop and think before I got the
meaning.
The ghostwriter's life story is never fully revealed, though there are hints. That means there's more to come. Plus the subtitle is "A Ghostwriter Mystery," which is a clue that this will be a series.
The witty dialogue, complete with plenty of snark, will keep you entertained, and you'll be tempted to read nonstop, much as you would with an Agatha Christie story. It's no surprise to learn that the author hosts an Agatha Christie podcast. I await the announcement that book 2 is on the way.
I enjoy having a variety of books on my nightstand so that I’m sure of finding one that fits my mood. After the calm ones set in England, “The Busybody” was a nice change.
Award-winning author Kathy Manos Penn is a two-time Georgia Author of the Year nominee and a Sandy Springs resident. Find her cozy mysteries on Amazon or locally at The Enchanted Forest, Bookmiser, and Johns Creek Books. Contact her at inkpenn119@gmail.com, and follow her on Facebook, www.facebook.com/ KathyManosPennAuthor/.
Remarkable stories of Ann Jackson Gallery, Part 1
BOB MEYERSMost readers will be familiar with the iconic Ann Jackson Gallery, purveyors of outstanding fine art and custom framing, a mainstay of downtown Roswell for more than 50 years. Now, as the saying goes, it is time for the rest of the story — in two parts.
The Gallery and disaster
Ann Marie Moir Jackson (19322012) was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She loved to paint and majored in home economics and art at Ursuline College, founded in 1871 and one of the oldest colleges for women in the United States.
She met her husband Basil George Jackson (1923 –2013) on a blind date when he and some fraternity brothers from North Carolina University traveled to Cleveland. The couple courted and married in 1952 and lived in Cleveland until 1958 when they moved to Sandy Springs where Basil’s family resided. Basil was born in Scotland and had dual citizenship. He had moved to Massachusetts with his family and then to the Atlanta area.
Ann started to paint after her eight children were old enough to have a degree of independence. She participated in Piedmont Park art festivals, and she and Basil studied how to frame paintings since framing was so expensive. The couple started the Ann Jackson Gallery on the Roswell Square in 1971, the first gallery in Roswell. The population of the city was 5,000, and the Square was being restored after a period of neglect. The gallery featured some wellknown artists, local artists and Ann’s work. Their oldest daughter Valerie was studying to be a nurse and dropped out of Dekalb College to help her parents in the gallery. Valerie had no training in business or art and had to teach herself.
She says “the gallery became my work and my passion. I worked in the gallery by day and waited on tables at night. Fifteen years later, I bought the gallery from my parents.”
One day, Ed’s Gun and Tackle Store caught fire and bullets were flying out into Canton Street. The police evacuated the area and let the building blow up. The roof blew completely off.
Valerie says that “by then the Square was going downhill. Rents were going up, and I was looking for another place for the gallery. When I looked up through where the roof was supposed to be and saw the sky, I knew that the time had come to leave the Square.”
She saw the potential of Canton Steet. It had charm, adequate parking and room for growth. The city had spruced it up for the 1996 Summer Olympics with sidewalks, landscaping and old fashioned street lights. So, after 15 years, the gallery moved.
Prisoner of war
When World War ll began, 19-year Basil was determined to join the fray. The United States had not yet entered the war, so Basil went to Canada, lied about his age and enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Desperate for pilots, the RCAF taught Basil to fly. He flew a Lancaster heavy bomber, was a squadron leader and flew 30 missions over Germany. He was one of the youngest pilots in the war. The 7,377 Lancasters produced during the war were primarily used for nighttime strategic bombing of German cities. The Lancaster had the largest payload of any bomber in the war. It was used by the RAF, RCAF and air forces of other allied countries.
PROVIDED
Ann Jackson Gallery owner Valerie Jackson stands in front of a painting done by her mother Ann Jackson in 1995 while she was in France. Valerie, the oldest of their eight children, eventually took over the gallery from her mother. Today she operates the gallery at her home on Bowen Road in Roswell. Call her at 770 6865613 to make an appointment to visit the gallery.
On Feb. 24, 1944, Basil was flying over Schweinfurt in Bavaria, Germany, on a night mission involving 734 bombers to destroy vital ball bearing factories, when his plane was hit by intense flack and attacked by German Luftwaffe fighters. He was blown out of the top of the plane and his boots were blasted off his feet. Only Basil and one other crew member survived the attack. Basil landed in snow and, due to frostbite, later lost many of his toes and was permanently blinded in one eye due to shrapnel. Equipped with civilian clothes, he caught a train but was spotted by German soldiers and taken to the notorious prison Stalag Luft lll, one of nine POW camps run by the Luftwaffe to house captured Allied airmen. He remained there until the camp was liberated by Soviet forces in January 1945. The camp was manned by 800 Luftwaffe guards who ranged from cruel to sympathetic.
The prison was made famous by the 1963 movie “The Great Escape,” starring Steve McQueen, James Garner and Richard Attenborough. The film was an exaggerated version of a famous mass escape of 76 British airmen from the prison the night of March 24, 1944. Seventy-three escaped prisoners were recaptured within a matter of days and under direct orders from Hitler, 50 of them were executed by the Gestapo. Many
ATLANTA CONSTITUTION/PROVIDED Ann and Basil Jackson opened the Ann Jackson Gallery in Roswell Square in 1971. In this photo Ann points to one of the many works of art in her gallery.
Before the U.S. entered World War ll, 19 year old Basil Jackson, future husband of the founder of the Ann Jackson Gallery in Roswell, went to Canada to join the Royal Canadian Air Force. He piloted 30 missions over Germany before his bomber was shot down. This portrait was taken shortly after he enlisted in the RCAF. FAMILY PROVIDED
of the Gestapo killers were identified and executed or imprisoned after the war.
The escape was meticulously planned. Six hundred prisoners were engaged in the digging of three tunnels, 30 feet below the surface. Newly captured airmen had to pass rigorous inspections by the prisoners before they could be trusted in order to avoid German spies infiltrating the project.
Basil helped dig tunnels and worked on plans for the escape, but fortunately he was not one of the escapees.
After the war, Basil returned to North Carolina University and became an electrical engineer. He worked for General Motors and for Lockheed Corporation in addition to helping with the art gallery.
In next week’s column I will tell a sad tale about the Jackson “farm” and a story about Dr Seuss, whose works played and still play an important role in the Ann Jackson Gallery.
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.
OPINION
GET OUTSIDE, GEORGIA!
Stone circles, wool socks and fish stew
STEVE HUDSON ColumnistIf there’s one thing that’s true about exploring the great out-of-doors, it’s the fact that it’ll make you hungry. It’s hard work climbing mountains and fording creeks, even low ones and narrow ones, and one must have sustenance if one is to reach the summit or come out of the water safely on the other side.
I have learned that that’s just as true in Ireland as it is anywhere else.
One Tuesday, for instance, we get an early start with the idea of driving to the town of Kenmare to see the stone circle which sat just outside of town. It’s a well-known early Bronze-Age site within walking distance of the little town.
We know we have to see it (after first doing a little shopping for wool socks). And then we will continue the day with what had turned into a genuine quest –specifically, to find the very best fish stew in the land.
To understand the importance of this quest, you must first know that I absolutely love any kind of seafood-based soup. I make a mean crab and clam bisque, and she makes a shrimp and corn chowder that’s even better.
In Ireland, we discovered right away, they make what they all call fish stew. Rich, thick, warm, flavorful – the adjectives could go on and on, but none adequately describe it. I’d fallen into the pleasant habit of ordering fish stew everywhere we went, and I was beginning to learn to differentiate the various recipes. All were good. Which was best? Maybe the next one…and today the next one would most likely come from a pub somewhere in Kenmare.
It’s all in the name of research, and I do it all for you.
The drive over from our cottage is a little less harrowing than before (maybe we are getting the hang of it?), and we arrive with plenty of time for socks shopping. She purchased a pair a few days before and immediately pronounced them one of the crowning achievements of humankind. We need more, she says, and Kenmare seems as good a place as any to fine ‘em.
So sock shopping we go. We find some for us and for family back home too. The day is off to a grand start!
And then, socks secured, we walk up a small street and follow a sign pointing down a little lane. “Kenmare Stone Circle,” it says. We are almost there.
“Two of ye?” asks the gatekeeper. I pay the small admission and turn to follow the path to the stones. But he stops me and hands me two small pieces of
paper, each with a string attached – one for me and one for her.
I look at them, puzzled.
“For the tree,” the gatekeeper says. “For the hawthorn tree.”
Taking hers, she walks on ahead of me toward the ancient stones. But I linger for a moment. I want to know more about the hawthorn trees.
Hawthorns, I learn, are considered magical and sacred, symbolizing love and protection. They’re said to bring blessings and good luck, and so for ages they have been revered and treated with great respect by one and all. In fact, roads in Ireland have been rerouted to avoid having to take one down.
Usually, it seems, that common knowledge is enough to keep the trees safe. But to deal with the occasional chainsaw-wielding ne’er-do-well who hasn’t gotten the word, further protection for hawthorn trees is said to come from the fairies who live under them. The fairies’ job is to protect the trees from harm, a task which they apparently embrace with gusto. The fairies don’t seem to mind if you respectfully collect hawthorn twigs and flowers, especially for a bride who might wear the blossoms in her hair or carry them in her bouquet as a symbol of love. But if your motives are not so good as that, be forewarned!
As it turns out, hawthorn trees are commonly found at ancient sites like this one.
“There are several hawthorn trees near
the stones, and visitors often leave notes with handwritten wishes attached to the trees’ branches,” our host tells me. “Maybe you’ll want to do that too.”
We chat a minute more, and then I start down the short path to the stones. She is already ahead of me, and as I round a bend in the path I see her standing by one of the hawthorns and affixing something to one of its branches.
I stroll toward her, suddenly aware of the notecard I hold in my hand. I need to leave a note too, a decide, a word or a wish or something too.
But what?
That one’s easy.
We writer types usually carry a pen in case we ever need to write something down. So, I retrieve my pen and stop mid-path and write some words on the card. Then I walk up to the biggest of the hawthorns (which is already decorated with dozens and dozens of words and wishes from others before me) and begin to look for just the right branch. Which one…that one? Yes! Then, carefully, I tie my note to the tree.
By this time, she has moved from the trees to the stones themselves. Ancient and weathered but strong and enduring, they have been there for perhaps 3,000 years, silent and solid as the earth itself. There are 15 stones arranged in a circle about 17 meters (roughly 55 feet) in diameter, plus a center stoner. The rock used to make them came from a site several miles away. Only
someone who really wanted to build this would go to the trouble of moving those stones so far.
Why are they there? No one is completely sure. Some say it was a ritual site used by Druids. Others believe it is some sort of calendar or perhaps a memorial site. The fact is that no one knows for sure.
But whatever its purpose, the stone circle is captivating. We wander there for a while, walking among the stones, touching them, wondering…
After a while, I realize, I am getting hungry.
“Fish chowder time?” I ask her, and we turn back to the path to walk back into Kenmare.
We do find a pub with fish stew, and it is good.
“Is that the best one?” she asks.
“I’m still not sure,” I answer. “Further research is in order, I think.”
She smiles at me and squeezes my hand across the table. A moment passes.
“That was a neat place,” she says at last. “The stones. And the hawthorn trees. Did you leave a note?”
“I did,” I say, and I feel the beginnings of a smile.
What did I wish for in my note on the hawthorn tree?
Did I wish for the perfect bowl of fish stew? Did I offer a word of thanks that I had already found it?
Maybe.
But maybe not.
GDOT:
Continued from Page 3
which led other officials to believe that right-of-way parcels necessary to advance a total of five infrastructure projects in metro Atlanta had been acquired by GDOT, when in fact they had not.
Higley said GDOT traced the falsified information to a single employee, who was immediately fired after an initial investigation.
“A subsequent and thorough investigation into all projects verified by the employee over the past decade has since been conducted, and an internal audit of processes and procedures is underway,” Higley wrote in an email. “At this time, it has been confirmed that the extent of fraudulent information traced to the employee is limited to just five projects.”
He said the other four projects are not associated with the Ga. 9 widening and that they are less extensive in their impact.
According to GDOT, there are 139 parcels necessary to advance an active project to widen Ga. 9 in the city of Milton from Windward Parkway in Alpharetta north to the Forsyth County line.
Higley said work had begun on 33 parcels GDOT believed had been acquired for the project.
The Office of the Inspector General and other state officials are
conducting further review of the matter.
“The Georgia Department of Transportation will notify any property owner impacted by activity on their property that GDOT will work to properly acquire the necessary rights and easements for the project,” Higley said. “GDOT is also making immediate changes to certain internal processes and procedures to help ensure that the state is protected against any such fraudulent activity in the future.”
Ike Yancy, leader of Milton’s Coalition Against GDOT Havoc, said he and surrounding neighbors are grateful to the city for casting light on this apparent total mismanagement of the widening of Ga. 9.
“This development is extremely disturbing, especially in the light of the cavalier attitude by GDOT towards the wanton destruction of our landscaping and mature trees,” Yancy said. “If I read this correctly, it appears that trees, landscaping and areas along Ga. 9 in Milton that were not legally owned by GDOT were destroyed.”
As for what comes next, Yancy said the news gives a reason for GDOT officials to listen to residents along the corridor.
“All of this casts serious doubt on the management and control of the Ga. 9 widening,” Yancy said. “Now that the widening has been shut down, the whole approach needs to be given a thorough and complete review.”
minutes to an hour laughing in a comfortable environment.”
Continued from Page 4
“Immediately the puppet shows were popular,” Cultural Arts Manager Crowe said. “People are looking for a fun experience with the little ones. At these shows, they can spend 45
The next installment in the puppet series will be the Tanglewood Marionettes’ performance of “Sleeping Beauty” from June 18-22.
For more information about the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, its schedule of performances and ticket packages, visit roswellcac.showare.com/.
Path:
Continued from Page 5
Larry Mischik, path proponent and 32-year resident of Four Oaks, addressed some of his neighbors’ concerns about the project.
Mischik said privacy is not the responsibility of local governments. Even with those concerns and others about stormwater, Mischik said the path’s fencing and drainage would benefit homes backing up to Peeler Road.
“This path would add so much visual appeal to our neighborhood,” Mischik said. “My wife and I completely trust the city to bring the same standard of excellence to this project that they have brought to all their projects, especially Brook Run, the baseball complex on North Peachtree Road and Windward Hollow Park.”
The two longtime residents said they do not want to prevent the city’s trail network from connecting with other Metro Atlanta cities.
Eventually, with the buildout of the Dunwoody Trail Master Plan, the path will be a part of a larger system, connecting Brook Run Park to the Winter’s Chapel Road commercial area and path.
The idea of eventually riding a bike from their homes to PATH400 and the Atlanta Beltline makes them smile.
Residents can still fill out an online comment card on the city’s website through its Public Works Department projects page until June 20.
According to a city fact sheet for the project, the path is being funded through the city’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or SPLOST.
The same fact sheet also lays out a schedule for the project and summary of the city’s community outreach related to its design. The design of the project is slated to run from this fall through next year, with construction anticipated for winter 2026.
While ground-breaking appears to be two years away, the city released preliminary plans for the project in February 2022, before work on the Trail Master Plan began.
In that announcement, the city gave an estimated construction cost of $1.6 million. The cost is expected to be higher with general inflation across other city contracts.
The only thing residents of the Four Oaks subdivision seem to agree on is that the stormwater network running through some of their properties is a mess.
Peter Yost described a situation more than 25 years ago, when stormwater maintenance came under the purview of DeKalb County. Before Dunwoody was incorporated, the county had the Four Oaks subdivision in a special tax district to pay for the upkeep.
Yost said DeKalb County crews came out to his property, fixed a sinkhole and charged him nothing.
Cornhole:
Continued from Page 1
While some players reviewed rules with league referees, others gathered with team members to gameplan who takes which match and how the new artificial turf at the City Green may affect throws.
Some team names included “Amaized and Confused,” “Agents of the Corn” and “In Our Cornhole Era,” referencing the ever-popular Taylor Swift.
The league, sometimes divided into four divisions based on skill level and experience, also combines divisions into one if they do not have at least six teams.
Because the Sandy Springs league is brand new, Coyne and volunteer referee Casey Casteel said they think divisions may come into play next season.
Coyne said a league essentially belongs to its referee. Decisions about last-second forfeits and choices for theme nights fall on the shoulders of Casteel.
The energetic and always smiling Casteel said he is up for the task.
Market:
Continued from Page 1
“Their goal for doing zoning was to circumvent Civil Rights laws and to keep neighborhoods White,” Hunt said. “Don’t trust me, look it up and read the book, ‘The Color of Law.’”
Georgia State University economist Rajeev Dhawan also spoke in the June 13 presentation.
Georgians can expect “practical” cuts from the Federal Reserve totaling 175 basis points by the end of 2025, he said.
Dhawan is the holder of the Zwerner Chair of Economic Forecasting and director at the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at GSU.
The questions are whether interest rate cuts will help bring down mortgage rates, and whether homebuyers should wait on the cuts, Dhawan said.
For the week of June 9-15, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. is 7.33 percent.
The Federal Reserve voted to hold rates steady at the end of its two-day meeting June 12, pushing back the start of rate cuts and relief from high borrowing costs.
Dhawan’s prediction came during an explanation for what spurred the growth
DEATH NOTICES
Bromelow, 54, of Alpharetta, passed away on June 9, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
The 7-week summer leagues through CornholeATL include six weeks of regular season games with a championship trophy and prizes handed out Aug. 8. Winners qualify for the State Championship “Cornament” in Acworth.
Coyne said the organization looks for greenspaces throughout Metro Atlanta and communities where cornhole and neighborhood gatherings are in demand.
CornholeATL has summer seasons underway in Alpharetta, Dunwoody, Forsyth County and Roswell.
Coyne said leagues have grown as cities have invested in community greenspaces. The post-pandemic popularity of outdoor venues makes places like SweetWater Brewing in Buckhead and New Realm in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward great locations for summer leagues.
As for public spaces, Coyne said Sandy Springs officials are great partners.
Sandy Springs councilmembers Jody Reichel, Melissa Mular and Andy Bauman, came out to City Springs with friends and family for the evening.
While Reichel and Mular enjoyed Latin American music at a shaded park table,
of the national economy in the second half of last year.
Dhawan pointed to pent up travel demand, changes with consumer spending, a government hiring spree and a superb stock market rally.
Another factor stimulating the economy is the lack of mortgage rate shocks, as seen in other countries like the United Kingdom and Canada.
“Fed rate cuts are going to happen, the speed is different and it’s going to come in,” Dhawan said. “The issue is what is going to happen after that.”
Hunt said the shortage of affordable homes in the region is here to stay, keeping many younger buyers from owning while pushing others farther from downtown Atlanta.
Dhawan and Hunt were clear about the role homeownership plays in building wealth for Americans.
Hunt is skeptical about the effect of decreasing mortgage rates on housing attainability, but he also doesn’t think it should dissuade new buyers.
Pointing to data from the second half of the 20th century, Hunt showed waiting for rates may hurt prospective buyers.
One of the topics debated between the two forecasters is whether mortgage rates will fall when the Fed cuts rates on a ratio of 1-to-1.
Dhawan said increasingly restrictive
Bauman rallied his team.
Bauman said he and his wife signed up for a league with friends when they found out a CornholeATL league had been added to the list of activities at Sundown Social.
The councilman and his wife warmed up alongside other league members as evening approached.
There’s more than just CornholeATL’s summer league on Thursday nights at City Springs.
The city invites its youngest residents to enjoy the splash pad off Mount Vernon Highway. A couple dozen youngsters cooled off while the adults enjoyed an icy beverage on the City Green.
Each week, a local performer will play music from a tent off Blue Stone Road while a different food truck introduces patrons to new tastes on Galambos Way.
The idea is to create a fun and inviting atmosphere in downtown Sandy Springs where visitors can enjoy a relaxed evening with friends and family.
Just don’t forget the kids’ bathing suits, summer in Metro Atlanta is hot and humid.
trade policies, which take dollars chasing Treasury bonds out of the market, prevents rates from dropping together.
MarketNsights also brought along some of its clients and sponsors to discuss how they view the housing industry.
Lori Lane, director of Berkshire Hathaway’s New Homes Division discussed the new regulations surrounding real estate commissions and their effect on sellers, buyers and agents. The rules take effect in July.
The changes remove the assumption that sellers will pay the buyer’s agent and require buyers’ agents to secure written agreements with clients. Up till now, the average real estate commission in the United States is around 5.5 percent, divided between the listing agent and the buyer’s agent. The new law eliminates that arrangement.
Representatives from Jackson EMC and BankSouth Mortgage discussed the mortgage industry, affordability and their companies’ initiatives.
Mac Kregger, senior vice president at BankSouth, promoted the Georgia Dream Homeownership program, which provides affordable financing options, down payment assistance and education to firsttime and low-income buyers.
More information is available on the Georgia Community Affairs Department’s website, dca.ga.gov.
Wesley Goswick, 60, of Alpharetta, passed away on June 8, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
by
& Crematory.