Sandy Springs boosts plan to improve roadway safety
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sandy Springs officials took added steps Aug. 20 to seek federal funds for improved roadway safety. Elected officials and city staff spent much of the regular meeting discussing fatal and serious-injury crashes on city roadways.
The City Council approved submit-
ting an application for additional federal funding to create a city Safety Action Plan. The city says the plan aligns with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program, which provides grants for activities to prevent deaths and serious injuries on the nation’s roadways.
The federal agency awarded a $360,000 grant to the city last year to complete the study. The city’s
contribution is $90,000.
The plan is to have a draft Safety Action Plan by Oct. 31 and adoption in January 2025.
Public Works Director Marty Martin said a notice of funding from the U.S. DOT means the city can now apply for additional planning grants to assist completing its Road Safety Action Plan,
See SAFETY, Page 11
Career expo to offer slate of Perimeter job openings
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Jobseekers are invited to the Sandy Springs Connects! Perimeter Expo Thursday, Sept. 12 to link with local businesses in the Perimeter market.
The free job fair runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center and will feature dozens of businesses who will meet with people seeking careers that offer competitive salaries and benefits.
The city says walk-ins are welcome.
Interested jobseekers and businesses can register for updates and view the growing list of confirmed employers at www.sandyspringsconnects.com.
The city says its last job fair resulted in numerous interviews, eight on-the-spot job offers and seven follow-ups within a week.
Xianqin Wallace, careers director for the Community Assistance Center, said the nonprofit has a tried-and true formula for the Sept. 12 career expo.
“Our face-to-face event allows jobseekers to make a personal connection before the online application process, giving them an edge through candidate selection process,” Wallace said.
See EXPO, Page 6
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
From left, Sandy Springs Fire Chief Keith Sanders and Verisk Vice President Michael Morash discuss insurance discounts for property owners at the Aug. 20 Sandy Springs City Council meeting. Sanders said the Fire Department’s Class 1 Insurance Services Office Rating saves commercial owners more money than residential ones.
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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.
Woman charged in fentanyl death
Sandy Springs police track alleged supplier
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Sandy Springs Police Department provided the latest updates on the arrest of a suspect in connection with the fentanyl overdose and death of a 19-year-old female resident June 6.
Officers said they responded to a medical call at an apartment within The Forest at Huntcliff condominiums off Roswell Road around 12:15 p.m.
The department’s statement says that despite efforts from emergency medical services, life-saving measures were unsuccessful.
According to the Sandy Springs Police Department’s report, Criminal Investigation Division detectives took over the investigation.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s toxicology report confirmed that the victim died from a fentanyl overdose after ingesting laced pills.
After further investigation, the department says its detectives determined that the victim purchased the fentanyl-laced pills from a 19-yearold Cumming woman, identified as
Mallery Clare James. Detectives then obtained an arrest warrant for James for aggravated involuntary manslaughter by causing a fentanyl overdose death. A piece of new state legislation, Austin’s Law, allows people who allegedly sold or distributed drugs involved in a fatal
overdose to be charged.
The report says detectives took James into custody July 25 and transported her to Fulton County Jail.
According to Fulton County Jail records, James was released on a $50,000 bond Aug. 16.
Police discover body at I-285 interchange
DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody police discovered a deceased 33-year-old man Aug. 19 near the I-285 eastbound ramp at Chamblee Dunwoody Road.
Officers said they were initially dispatched to a welfare check around 4 p.m.
The caller said they saw a person on the ground who was not moving in the grassy area of the interchange.
Upon arrival, officers confirmed the man was deceased, and detectives and the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office arrived on scene and took over the investigation.
The medical examiner took custody of the deceased for an autopsy, a report says.
Dunwoody police said there are currently no indications of foul play, and the investigation remains active.
The department said it will release the name of the victim once the family has been properly notified.
DEAN HESSE/APPEN MEDIA
City unveils lineup for annual Blue Stone Festival
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The full schedule for the second annual Blue Stone Arts & Music Festival is out now, providing thousands of patrons with a two-day celebration Sept. 27-28 at City Springs.
The city says festivities will span the downtown district, including City Green, Blue Stone Road, Mount Vernon Highway and Galambos Way.
Admission is free.
The full schedule includes 22 performances across the City Green Live and South stages, with Grammy Award-nominated band Spin Doctors bringing the extravaganza to a close from 8:30-10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28.
Lonestar, a Texas-based country music band formed in 1992, headlines the Saturday slate of musical performances.
Metro Atlanta-based LGE Community Credit Union, a member-owned financial institution, is a supporting main stage sponsor.
In addition to the lineup of musical performances, the Blue Stone Arts & Music Festival will feature a market with more than 80 vendors, including Emerging Artist Section, featuring students from local elementary, middle and high schools.
A $15 ticket buys access to the Kids Zone and a variety of other family-friendly attractions, including inflatables and rides.
The city says it will update the festival map and logistical advice for patrons in the coming weeks.
To learn more about the 2024 Blue Stone Arts & Music Festival, visit www.sandyspringsga.gov/bluestone.
The full schedule of performances
Friday, September 27:
City Green Live Stage
• 4-5:30 p.m. House Music
• 5:30-6:30 p.m. Davis & The Love
• 7-8 p.m. The Invaders
• 8:30-10 p.m. Lonestar
South Stage
• 4-5 p.m. – House Music
• 5 – 5:45 p.m. – Nathalie Rose
• 6:15 – 7:15 p.m. – Frankly Scarlet
• 7:45 – 8:30 p.m. – Hyndesight: The Pretenders Experience
Saturday, September 28:
Shade Bosque: Family Entertainment
• 10-10:45 a.m. Lady Bug – PBS Kids Early Learning Champion
• 11-11:45 a.m. The Sandels Music Party – Interactive kids show
• 12 p.m.-12:45 p.m. Bean & Bear –Puppetry & Magic
• 1-2:30 p.m. Sailing to Denver String Band
South Stage
• 2-2:45 p.m. The Platonics
• 3:15-4 p.m. Run Katie Run
• 4:30-5:30 p.m. Smokey Jones and the 3 Dollar Pistols
• 6-7 p.m. The Foozer Experience (Weezer set)
• 7:30-8:30 p.m. The Foozer Experience (Foo Fighters set)
City Green Live Stage
• 2:30-3:30 p.m. Edgewood Heavy
• 4-5 p.m. Ray Howard Band’s Tribute to Earth, Wind & Fire
• 5:30-6:30 p.m. Sami Automatic
• 7-8 p.m. Billy Allen + The Pollies
• 8:30-10 p.m. Spin Doctors
CITY OF SANDY SPRINGS/PROVIDED
Patrons at the inaugural Blue Stone Arts & Musical Festival jam out to music on the City Green Live stage. The second annual festival will transform City Springs into a two-day celebration of musical, artistic and creative talents Sept. 27-28.
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Connecticut
PALS
FALL 2024 PROGRAM
Dunwoody Baptist Church 1445 Mt. Vernon Rd., Dunwoody, GA 30338. Registration will be available on the PALS website: www.palsonline.info
The classes will be held on Mondays from September 9October 28, 2024 :
10:00 am - 11:00 am
THE HISTORY OF ROCK & ROLL --THE MUSIC OF THE MID1960S – Tom Dell will continue his survey of the history of Rock & Roll, this time moving to the mid-1960s. He will delve into the music of The Temptations, Bob Dylan, Joe Tex, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Junior Walker as well as other Motown artists.
10:00 am - 11:00 am
THE IRRATIONAL AND MORE – Shai Robkin will explore many of the ideas featured in the first season of the NBC show “The Irrational” (available for free online). He will also examine some of the new and emerging research into the underlying forces, many unknown to our conscious minds, that drive individual and collective societal behaviors, focusing on the work of behavioral economists, social psychologists and neuroscientists. Where applicable, we’ll see what behavioral scientists have to say about some of the most important and often divisive issues of the day and their possible implications for public policy.
11:30 am - 12:30 pm FROM BOOK TO SCREEN – Michelle Freiedman will present Sir Kenneth Branagh’s take on classic novels through his award winning films. The discussion will include topics such as what keeps us coming back to certain iconic pieces of literature and does putting them on film preserve their essence or turn them into something else completely? Let’s see what the works of Mary Shelley, Agatha Christie and Shakespeare become when Branagh takes them on!
11:30 am - 12:30 pm
POLITICS 2024 – Preeminent political science university professors and journalists will help us assess the upcoming November 2024 National and State elections. We will get bold predictions as well as how the media impacts the results. We will also assess the effects of the current political polarization on the future of US Democracy and how to deal with it as well as the role of minorities and women in the upcoming vote.
Boarding Pass coffee specialists share experience with Alpharetta
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — There’s no such thing as a regular cup of coffee at Boarding Pass.
“We love when someone comes in to try our coffee and says, ‘I just drink Costco coffee,’” co-owner Christine Santos said. “And then they drink ours. People will say to us, ‘I can't go back anymore.’”
Since opening their first Boarding Pass in Milton in 2021, Christine and Murilo Santos have offered customers an international tour of coffee. The globetrotting couple’s focus on specialty coffees treats customers to a unique variety of quality beans, roasts and flavors from around the world.
The brew they sell doesn’t taste like your average cup of joe. Lurking in their java is a host of flavors, like raspberry, clove, chamomile, nougat, dried cherry and blueberry muffins.
Murilo says people often don't realize that coffee, like wine and beer, has different flavor profiles.
Boarding Pass boasts shops in Milton, Alpharetta and Gainesville, but they source beans from a 480-acre coffee farm, 3,200 feet above sea level in Brazil. Fazenda Santana is a second-generation plantation about two hours from Sao Paulo run by Murilo’s family.
Mineral spring water feeds the trees there, allowing them to yield an exceptional quality and flavor.
Appreciation for quality coffee is becoming more important to residents, Murilo said. Tastes are becoming more refined, and customers are learning the joy of parsing out subtle flavors.
“Everyone is kind of looking for some sort of connection, especially like nowadays,” Murilo said. “It’s becoming more common for people to want to know what they're consuming.”
Although many of the roasts are derived from beans from the farm in Brazil, the couple offers roasts from around the world — Ethiopia, Peru, Kenya, Indonesia, Columbia and Costa Rica, to name a few.
“That coffee travels a long, long, long, long way to get here to us,” Murilo said.
The shop offers a passport book
Expo:
Continued from Page 1
The CAC Career Center has experience in this field, helping hundreds of jobseekers each year find better
to customers, in which they can place unique logos representing a coffee they’ve tried along with the date it was roasted. Their downtown Alpharetta shop also features a travel-themed decor with seating reminiscent of vintage airlines and an aircraft fuselage hanging above the bar.
The Santoses receive the beans when they are still green. At their Milton location, they spend hours tasting and testing until roasts are perfect. Coffee’s complexity means a whole spectrum of flavors can be found within a single variety, depending on how it is roasted.
“It's a mix of science, art and experience,” Murilo said.
The five house roasts, which all come from the same kind of bean from the Santos farm, showcase a wide range of flavors, each a delight in its own right.
The lightest offers notes of honey
employment opportunities, leading to self-sufficiency and stability for families.
Mayor Rusty Paul said Sandy Springs offers a wealth of opportunities through its diverse business landscape, ranging from family-owned shops to Fortune 500 companies.
and lemongrass. A darker roast tastes of dark chocolate and smoky caramel.
Boarding Pass invites customers looking for more in their coffee to explore those flavors with an hour-and-a-half tasting class.
“You’re letting your tastebuds and senses work … People end up learning a lot,” Murilo said.
But for all the complexity and opportunity for sensory exploration, Christine says coffee also serves a simpler but no less important purpose.
It’s also about sharing an experience with friends and community members, which is why the business donates to local organizations like Alpharetta’s Partners for Care. They also have created a roast specially made and branded for Milton firefighters.
“It brings people together. It’s a connection point,” Chrstine said.
“Coupled with the skills and experience of our local candidates, this makes the career expo exceptionally successful,” Paul said.
Local Sandy Springs companies, like State Farm, UPS, Cox Enterprises, Northside Hospital and Symphona, plan to be at the career expo.
JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
Christine and Murilo Santos stand behind the counter at their newest Boarding Pass Coffee location in downtown Alpharetta Aug. 22. The couple offers specialty coffees roasted in-house at their Milton location.
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1942 blackout in area was deemed success
Robert Popp
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Two days before a scheduled February 26, 1942, blackout test in Atlanta, General E. G. Peyton, commander of local civilian defense announced it would be a “… complete blackout in which every home, business, industry and every citizen must cooperate fully.” Those who refused to blackout would be arrested.
came to a stop. All clear signals were given at 9:30 pm.
Three days later, the results of the blackout test were shared in the Atlanta Journal where it was announced, “Defense officials here praise successful black-out test.” Captain E. J. Swann, signal officer of the First Interceptor Command, came from Charleston, S.C. to supervise the test.
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Twenty thousand people had already completed a 25-hour course and received certificates as air raid wardens. The first certificates were issued at Grant Park School.
Instructions to the people of Atlanta included all lights turned off or blacked out, all vehicles pulled to the curb, lights out and motor stopped. Only people with official business could remain on the street. An Eastern Airlines plane flew overhead during the blackout to survey the results. Defense officials and members of the press were on board.
Areas included in the blackout test, in addition to Atlanta, were Decatur, College Park, Druid Hills, Avondale, Pine Lake, Chamblee and Stone Mountain. These areas may have been included due to their population numbers or proximity to Atlanta. In the case of Chamblee, there was increased risk due to the naval air base and military hospital located there, Naval Air Station Atlanta and Lawson General Hospital.
On the night of February 26, 1942, the blackout warning sounded at 9:10 p.m. Air raid wardens, fire fighters, first aid crews and other members of the civil defense organization were on patrol throughout the city. Police officers and members of the state guard were on duty.
Hotel guests were instructed to stay in their darkened rooms or wait in the lobby. All vehicles other than trains
Elaine Rivers was living in Brookhaven during WWII. Her father worked at the Variety Store before he left to serve during WW II and the Brookhaven Supply Store when he returned. Elaine and her siblings were at her grandmother’s College Park home during the blackout. Her grandmother gathered the children in the central hall of the home, where they sat on a quilt while her grandmother told them stories.
The Brooks family moved to 198 Peachtree Road in Brookhaven in 1941. Their home was a two-story yellow brick home with a basement. Nancy Brazell Brooks recalled in her AHC oral history how her mother prepared meals for soldiers at nearby NASA and Lawson General Hospital. The family had a victory garden on their property and shared food with visiting soldiers. They also rented rooms to families visiting soldiers.
The basement was designated as an air raid shelter in the area, which thankfully was not needed. The basement was also a storage area for preserved food and Nancy’s mother sewed blackout curtains there.
The Brooks home was along the trolley line, close to Oglethorpe University. In later years, Hastings Nursery was built on their property.
Award-winning author Valerie Biggerstaff is a longtime columnist for Appen Media and the Dunwoody Crier. She lives in Atlanta. You can email Valerie at pasttensega@gmail.com or visit her website at pasttensega.com.
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VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist
OPINION
The life and times of the magnificent Mashburns
BOB MEYERS
Citizens of Forsyth County are familiar with the Mashburn family thanks to its contributions to the county and due to the efforts of Steve Mashburn, genealogist, historian and retired music educator in the Forsyth County School System. Residents of Alpharetta and other North Fulton communities are familiar with the name due in part to, Connie Mashburn, the official historian of the City of Alpharetta and author of the book celebrating the city’s sesquicentennial in 2008 Alpharetta, Milton County – the Early Years.
The first known Mashburn in the New World was Edward Mashburn Jr (1676 – 1740) who was born in London and who migrated to North Carolina in 1698. A teacher by profession, Edward was the second known schoolmaster in the colony according to Steve Mashburn.
Many of Edward’s descendants settled in Forsyth County. According to Find a Grave, the Cumming City Cemetery has 20 Mashburn’s burial sites and the Ebenezer Methodist Church has 27. Here are profiles of a few family members.
Reverend John Harvey Mashburn (1803-1876) was born in North Carolina and moved to Georgia when he was a young child. He joined the Methodist Church and was licensed to preach locally in 1827. After becoming fully ordained as a Methodist minister in the Georgia Conference, he served as an itinerant preacher throughout north Georgia. Farmhouses often had special rooms set aside for traveling preachers. His territory included assignments to the Canton Circuit and others including the Gainesville Circuit and the Decatur Circuit, for a period of two years in each assignment.
During the Civil War he served as Chaplin in the 38 Georgia Volunteer Regiment. When the Confederate Congress passed legislation permitting men over 50 to leave the military John resigned. His place was taken by his son John Wesley Mashburn who was captured in December 1862 in the Battle of Fredericksburg, one of the largest and deadliest battles of the war. A few days later he took part in a prisoner exchange.
In 1864 John Wesley Mashburn was captured again at the Battle of Spotsylvania and spent ten months in the Fort Delaware prison. After the war he returned to Forsyth County by foot with a group from the prison, near starvation. The group encountered a dead cow in the middle of the road. They ate the cow and John Wesley died within two weeks of arriving home. He was buried in the Ebenezer Church cemetery in Cumming. He was the only one of Rev. John Harvey’s five sons who died in the war.
After the war Reverend John returned to preaching and died after a week’s illness from a cold he caught while riding his horse in the rain on his way to preach at a church. He was buried at the Ebenezer church.
Dr. James Summerour (Dr. Jim) Mashburn (19211982) was one of several distinguished physicians in the Mashburn family in Forsyth County. His father Dr. Marcus Mashburn, Sr (1890-1978) and his brother Dr. Marcus Mashburn, Jr (1918-1998) were well known and beloved in the county. Dr. Jim established the first hospital in Forsyth County, the Mary Alice Hospital, in 1946. The hospital was bought by Georgia Baptist and renamed Baptist Medical Center. That hospital was acquired by Northside Hospital in 2002 and was
The caption under this Atlanta Constitution photo says, “Sylvan’s Larry Hampton Can’t Hold Ball, So Milton’s Connie Mashburn Scores in First.” Connie played third base for Milton High School in 1956-1959 and played league baseball as well. He was named to the State All-star Team during his senior year. Connie is an expert in local history and is Alpharetta’s official historian.
BOB MEYERS/APPEN MEDIA
Many Mashburn family members are buried in the Cumming Historic Cemetery. The first person was buried there in 1834 according to the historical marker at the cemetery. Many of the areas’ most important early leaders are interred there.
renamed Northside Hospital, Forsyth. Today the hospital has 407 beds, 1,700 physicians and 4,000 employees. Dr. Jim is buried at the Sawnee View Gardens and Mausoleum in Cumming. Drs Marcus Mashburn, Sr and Jr are buried in the Cumming City Cemetery.
Steve Mashburn is the go-to person for Mashburn family history. Steve is the creator of an extensive website devoted to the genealogy of the Mashburn’s. He retired after 30 years with the Forsyth County school system as a music educator. He directed marching bands, jazz ensembles and concert bands in middle school and high school. His website is https://www. mashburn.info/
MEYERS/APPEN
The Ebenezer Methodist Church is a beautiful country church in Cumming, Georgia. It was established in 1834 thanks to a financial gift from the Reverand John Harvey Mashburn.
Connie Mashburn’s father Edmond William Mashburn (1913-1996) grew up in Cherokee County and moved with his wife Eunice Cowart (1914-2003) to Alpharetta in 1935. They bought a poultry farm and 20 acres on Redd Road. Connie remembers how labor intensive the poultry business was, “but it was a good way to make a living,” he says. Connie’s three brothers also moved to be close to Redd Road, “a Mashburn settlement,” says Connie.
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.
Columnist
ATLANTA CONSTITUTION
PUBLIC DOMAIN
The Reverend John Harvey Mashburn (1803-1879) was a beloved Methodist minister who rode circuits in North Georgia for many years. He served as a Chaplin during the Civil War.
BOB
MEDIA
Safety:
While two-thirds of crashes in Sandy Springs occur along state routes and interstates, like Ga. 400 and I-285, there are still city-owned streets that see their share of accidents.
Mayor Rusty Paul said he saw three vehicles driving the wrong way on Northside Drive in the past month.
“I alerted one of the wrong-way drivers with my horn,” Paul said. “And she showed her appreciation by saying I was the number one mayor she knew.”
Transportation Manager Kristen Wescott said the grant opportunity means that the city has access to more funds before its Road Safety Action Plan is submitted to the Federal Highway Administration in May. She said the study is underway with scheduled opportunities for public input.
“With this current grant, we do have additional funding to undertake supplemental planning and demonstration projects,” Wescott said. “Under the notice of funding opportunity, a demonstration activity is a temporary improvement, and it does not involve any roadway reconstruction.”
Examples include wrong-way signage and alerts, education about distracted driving and feasibility studies to future roadway construction.
Wescott said the Public Works Department would also like to use the funding to update its crash data, which does not include figures from 2023 or 2024.
City Councilman John Paulson said he does not think that Sandy Springs will be top of the list for grant money because of its moderate rate of serious and fatal-injury crashes.
In other business, the City Council heard a presentation from Fire Chief Keith Sanders about an agreement with the Fulton County Board of Education for use of city facilities while North Springs High School is under construction.
City Manager Freeman said the request is for use of the City Green as a reunification point for students and
parents because the football field is not available.
Groundbreaking for the new high school is planned for late this month.
In other matters, Sandy Springs received a Class 1 Insurance Services Office rating, primarily associated with its fire response network. The rating could mean more discounts for residential and commercial property owners.
Chief Keith Sanders introduced Verisk Insurance Solutions Vice President Michael Morash to go over the analysis of the city’s capabilities. He said the discounts apply more to commercial property owners than singlefamily residences.
Across the country’s 36,000 fire departments, only 1 percent receive a Class 1 designation, Morash said.
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In other action Aug. 20, council members voted to maintain the city’s property tax levy at its charter cap of 4.731 mills, the same level since the city incorporated in 2005.
While the rate remains the same, property values overall have increased, and the same levy is expected to bring in about 2.19 percent more in revenue.
Sandy Springs municipal taxes make up about 14 percent of a homeowner’s annual tax bill. Property owners also pay taxes to Fulton County and Fulton County Schools.
Elected officials heard no public comments from residents at the 8:30 a.m. or 6 p.m. public hearings Aug. 20.
At the first public hearing Aug. 6, City Manager Eden Freeman gave insight into the city’s revenue planning.
She said while 100 percent tax collections would yield some $52 million in property tax revenue, the city has not collected the full amount in years past.
“The number that we have included in the fiscal year 2025 budget is $44.5 million, which did represent a slight increase,” Freeman said. “I would be very hesitant to budget at $52 million, because I do not believe we will collect [that amount].”
No residents gave public comment at the Aug. 6 public hearing either.
Because Sandy Springs approves its fiscal year budget before setting its tax levy, elected officials have little flexibility to adjust the millage rate.
