Conservatory coaches teens
Theatre program prepares students for the big stage
By HAYDEN SUMLIN | hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Collegiate musical theater programs from around the country travel to Sandy Springs to audition local youth talent developed by the City Springs Theatre Conservatory.
Tucked within the Northridge Commons office park in north Sandy Springs lies the City Springs Theatre Company and its Studios.
While some Metro Atlantans are familiar with Broadway-quality productions at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, fewer know about the City Springs Theatre Conservatory.
After just two performances during its 2018 inaugural season in the Byers Theatre, the local nonprofit launched its Conservatory to develop the next generation of performers and technicians in musical theater.
See STAGE, Page 13
Regional agency pushes aid plan for homebound to area counties
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ATLANTA, Ga. — An Atlanta Regional Commission trial program reduced long waitlists for in-home care by allowing those in need to hire their own staff, the agency said.
If implemented by counties, the con-
sumer-direct model could reduce backlogs and give caregivers more autonomy and flexibility, said Cara Pellino, access to services unit manager for the ARC.
In Fulton County, waitlists for all in-home services extend more than one year, with many on the sidelines several years, Pellino said. Many on the waitlists are people in immediate need.
“These are vulnerable individuals, some of whom have limited or no caregiver support in the community or may even be caregivers themselves,” she said. “The help is not there when they need it.”
The Atlanta Regional Commission is a regional planning agency. Its Area Agency on Aging serves 10 metro coun-
ties, including Fulton and DeKalb. Often, homebound senior clients who seek in-home services through the 1965 federal Older Americans Act are placed on waiting lists while a case manager determines which services and resources are needed, Pellino said. The act
See ARC, Page 12
CITY SPRINGS THEATRE CONSERVATORY/PROVIDED City Springs Theatre Conservatory students are all smiles after an intensive class covering musical theatre dance during the Pre-Professional Company’s 2023 fall semester. The objective of the Pre-Pro Company is to provide students with weekly training from highly qualified industry professionals.
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Appen Media Listening Tour gives public ear in newsroom
Press Club member drive ends Nov. 1
NORTH METRO
ATLANTA — This year, the Appen Media newsroom organized its firstever Listening Tour. You could say it was successful.
Reporters sourced around a dozen stories that may have not been told otherwise, covering everything from new nonprofits to infrastructure and election issues.
The forum, taken to all seven of our coverage areas, provided the community a soundboard to field questions and air topics that deserved attention.
I spoke to many people, with differing backgrounds and interests. It led me to several more interviews, either in person or over the phone. More research. More finding out things I didn’t previously know, shared with readers.
I love my job because I do this all the time. I listen and respond, and sometimes that makes a real difference. That’s been the case countless times, and that cannot happen without the support of our Appen Press Club members.
The newsroom literally needs membership dues and donations to function, and hopefully, to grow.
The generosity funds our salaries, and everyone and their mother knows Metro Atlanta has an outrageous cost of living, which continues to increase.
It also funds our battle with the City of Sandy Springs over the disclosure of police incident reports, which we argue everyone has a right to have based on the Open Records Act. The lawsuit, still open, has sucked some $80,000 from the company.
Memberships also help fund regular open records request fees — we submit a lot of requests. They also fund super important events like the Listening Tour, and we hope to do another soon.
The Appen Press Club was launched to support the work of our newsroom, which is vital to a prosperous and informed community. An ever-evolving media landscape and the monopolistic practices of tech giants means the support we receive from our advertising partners may no longer be enough to sustain the quality reporting our north Atlanta community has come to expect from us.
Times are tough in the newspaper industry. Ink doesn’t grow on trees.
Because we serve tens of thousands of residents in north Metro Atlanta every single week, our goal this fall has been 200 new members by Nov. 1. As of this column’s publishing, a few more than 20 have joined.
We have a circulation of 105,000 newspapers, all at no cost to the reader — why? Because we believe news should be free. The community should have the right to know what’s going on to make informed decisions.
We attend hours-long city council meetings, so you don’t have to, and we dig and dig and dig because some things won’t ever come to light unless we do.
We also believe everyone should be able to come by a news clipping of their kid, just recognized as an Eagle Scout, for free, or of a nonprofit that gives back to the community in a major way, or of a small business that somehow still makes it in this economy year after year.
While the newspaper is free, direct support is still necessary. Please consider joining today at www. appenmedia.com/join to keep your local news source around.
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Kemp announces income tax rebate
By DAVE WILLIAMS Capitol Beat
ATLANTA — A For the second time in three years, Gov. Brian Kemp is giving Georgians a tax rebate worth more than $1 billion.
Kemp said Tuesday he will include the rebate in the mid-year budget he introduces to the General Assembly in January. He said the extra money will come in handy, particularly for Georgians who suffered losses from Hurricane Helene.
“We all know that even if inflation has fallen, high prices haven’t,” he said. “Families see that every day when they go to the grocery store or the gas pump. … People shouldn’t have to deal with that added burden, especially in the wake of tragedy.”
The Oct. 22 announcement was the second tax relief measure the governor has issued in recent weeks. Kemp temporarily suspended collection of the state sales tax on gasoline and other motor fuels shortly after Helene struck large portions of South Georgia and the Augusta region.
The governor proposed a similar tax rebate two years ago worth about $1 billion. The General Assembly approved that rebate during the 2023 legislative session.
Under the new tax rebate, single tax filers will receive $250. A single filer who is the head of his or her household will get $375, and married couples filing jointly will receive $500.
Kemp said the state can afford the rebate because conservative budgeting has helped the state build up a huge budget surplus. He said he’d rather send that money back to
taxpayers instead of pouring it into new government programs.
“This is one-time money … a way for us to use our excess surplus to get it back to the people we believe know how to use it best,” he said. “The worst mistake the state could make would be to grow government with one-time money.”
This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.
Arlington Memorial Park unveils unique mausoleum
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Arlington Memorial Park, a 122-acre modern cemetery off Mount Vernon Highway in Sandy Springs, unveiled a first-of-itskind mausoleum Oct. 15.
The two-story, 60,000-square-foot mausoleum — Legacy Chapel — is now open at the cemetery, which now features five housing tombs on-site.
The cemetery spent around $9 million constructing the new mausoleum.
Arlington Memorial Park welcomes and celebrates the lives of families from all faiths, backgrounds and cultures as a non-denominational cemetery, operating since 1922.
Dignity Memorial owns and operates the memorial park as a part of its national network of funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers.
Legacy Chapel joins the list of historic firsts for Metro Atlanta while addressing the increasing popularity of cremations, bring Sandy Springs the first memorial structure of its kind designed and built as a permanent resting place.
Fitted with porcelain floors and floorto-ceiling resting spaces, Legacy Chapel includes a combination of 1,900 niches and 800 crypts with options for family members to rest in peace together, adjacent to an indoor-outdoor event space for funeral gatherings and receptions.
Dave Hass, senior managing director of Arlington Memorial Park, said staff took special care designing Legacy Chapel with features like illuminated glass-front niches where family members
may display their loved one’s cherished mementos and keepsakes.
“We also built in an event space that is, at once, intimate for small gatherings or expansive enough to accommodate large groups with beautiful, natural lighting creating a unique memorial option for families,” Hass said. “We strive to meet the expanding scope of needs for permanent resting places for the ashes of loved ones, and Legacy Chapel establishes a thoughtful and desirable new option for families who are making a very personal decision during an emotional planning process.”
According to the 2024 report from the National Funeral Directors Association, an annual summary of trends in the industry, cremation rates in the U.S. are expected to increase to 61.9 percent this year, while burial rates are projected to drop to 33.2 percent.
The Arlington Memorial Park leadership says its team collaborated with architects and interior designers on several aspects of the project.
Arlington Memorial Park engaged Robert Day Architecture starting in fall 2021 and broke ground in November 2022.
The park also engaged local design firm Jamie Kirkman Interiors starting in February 2024 and the team collaborated on fixtures, lighting and flooring to make them both suitable and timeless for a mausoleum.
— Hayden Sumlin
FILE PHOTO/APPEN MEDIA
ARLINGTON MEMORIAL PARK/PROVIDED
A look inside Arlington Memorial Park’s new Legacy Chapel off Mount Vernon Highway in Sandy Springs shows a first-of-its-kind mausoleum catering to cremations.
BUSINESS
Three kid-preneurs take the ropes of family business
By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com
CUMMING, Ga — In 2015, Mom Adwoa Asenso-Okyere started a business she called Akoma Collections designing and making bags and jewelry. She got acquainted with the local trade show market and would attend them as a vendor with her three young children.
Papa Yaw, now 11, Akoma, 9, and Nshira, 7, took an interest in what their mom was doing, prompting the family to transition the business with a new name and have the parents take a supporting role while their children are in the driver’s seat.
Today, AsenSoul Inspirations, based out of Cumming, still attends trade shows with jewelry, bags, journals and other goods, but the true focus of their business now revolves around creating media. Snowballing from the first idea of writing a children’s book, AsenSoul sells coloring books, with more in the works, and has a presence on social media with kid-created and kid-focused content.
AsenSoul Inspirations will make its next in-person appearance Nov. 16 at the Fall Children’s Business Market in Stone Mountain. Their books and coloring books are available on Amazon as well.
Mom Adwoa says their goal as a family is to promote balance.
“Each of them is involved in different extracurricular activities,” she said, “but the point [of having them take the ropes] is they have realized they can do anything they put their minds to. They’re not too young. The sky is truly the limit and I think they’ve seen that.”
AsenSoul Inspirations frequents KidBiz Expos to help introduce other children to “Kid-preneurs” that are in a similar position while gaining life skills as they learn about business. In the AsensoOkyere family, each child has their own responsibilities within the business.
Papa Yaw is the social media manager for AsenSoul Inspirations and runs their TikTok and YouTube accounts. He also has a podcast called AsenSoul Kid Talk where he interviews other kids about current events and their world views.
Papa Yaw manages another platform the business handles called FunFam. This is where they have information about activities and events, focusing on cultural adventures.
Akoma handles the production of many of the goods sold at trade shows, including the jewelry and the refreshments at their booth. She’s also responsible for the idea of the children’s book that led to their business transformation, now published, titled “Yo Bro, I Am Not a Monkey.”
Asen-Soul Inspiration upcoming events
Nov. 16: Fall Children’s Business Market at D7 Lounge in Stone Mountain, Ga., 9-3 pm
Nov. 30: Holly Jolly Market (Kid Biz Expo) at 4096 E Cherokee Dr Canton, Ga., 10-3 pm
Dec. 13: A Taste of Black Gwinnett at Norcross Cultural Arts & Community Center, 6-10 pm
Instagram: @Asensoul_Inspirations
YouTube: @Asensoul_Inspirations
TikTok: @Asensoul_Inspirations
“Colorful Cultures,” highlights historic landmarks and cultural aspects of more than 50 countries to draw attention to the beauty of diversity.
Mom Adwoa detailed the process of writing, illustrating and publication, explaining that her daughter’s experience throughout pre-K and elementary school came to a head the first week of this school year when another incident of racist and hurtful language took place.
“We don’t know the angle they’re coming from, but there’s ways to help,” Adwoa said. “We’re doing this not spitefully but in love, to educate and to help people.”
Akoma told said that her goal in creating “Yo Bro” was to “touch people’s hearts and let them know they are respected,” fostering more tolerance and love to those in need.
Another positive result made from a troublesome situation has been the cultural empowerment club, the Difference Makers, that Akoma formed in her school. The club features cultural diversity presentations and other events to promote education and inclusion.
Mom Adwoa says, “I think she’s seen some of the fruits of that at school already.”
Nshira is the creative director of the jewelry operation, coordinating the design before it goes to production with Akoma. Nshira felt inspired by her older sister creating a book and said she “wanted to uplift girls like me to know they are beautiful, valued and worthy of respect.”
The method to accomplish this, coloring books.
Nshira’s first coloring book is titled “Unapologetically Me,” which features
inspiring words and images aimed to encourage young girls and highlight different cultures, backgrounds and dreams. A second coloring book,
Akoma has plans to make “Yo Bro” a series with the help of some of the members of the Difference Makers club and their experiences facing mistreatment at school. They hope to increase awareness of cultural differences for more people and expand their scope. Papa Yaw and Nshira are also working on stories of their own to be published soon.
ASENSOUL INSPIRATIONS/PROVIDED
From left, Adwoa, Papa Yaw, Akoma, and Nshira Asenso-Okyere attend A Taste of Black Gwinnett in Norcross Oct. 18. Their business, AsenSoul Inspirations, focuses on cultural education and empowerment.
Innovation Academy astronomy instructor attends rocket launch
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Innovation Academy teacher Steve Jones was awestruck watching the Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket ascend the skies atop a pillar of flame recently at Cape Canaveral, Fla.
“The feeling of when that soundwave, that shockwave, hits you in the chest is like nothing else,” said Jones, who teaches astronomy and research classes to juniors and seniors in Alpharetta.
On Sept. 28, Jones was the only teacher in a group of about a dozen social media influencers treated by NASA to watch the rocket launch. At the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, they viewed the launch from about 2.5 miles in a special area not accessible to the public.
“I’ve never been that close to a launch before,” he said, adding, “It’s the loudest, deepest rumbling you’ve ever felt. Then, you hear the crackle of flames.”
The 229-foot, 600-ton rocket accelerated to 17,500 mph in about 8 minutes, carrying two astronauts in a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station.
Then, he witnessed the return of the rocket’s booster, which fell back to Earth amid the crack of three sharp sonic booms.
Before viewing the launch, Jones toured facilities, met officials and learned about the mission during a two-day visit hosted by NASA. Jones was finally accepted this year to participate after applying numerous times before.
When he returned to school the following Monday, he showed his students a photo slideshow and video of his experience.
“I really wish my students could have been there with me,” he said. “It is an amazing feat of engineering and technology.”
He also talked to them about careers in NASA, which doesn’t just need astronauts and engineers, he said.
“They need everybody,” Jones said.
He met a NASA seamstress who had sewn thermal quilts on parts of the space shuttle’s skin. Astronauts’ lives depend on her skills, he said.
Jones has long been fascinated by space travel, and attending the launch was a unique experience. But he said he believes space travel represents an opportunity to inspire his students and humanity as a whole.
“I love to see us as society continue
Pelosi, Fauci head lineup for annual Book Festival at Marcus Jewish Center
DUNWOODY, Ga. — The lineup for the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta’s 33rd annual Book Festival is star-studded this year.
The festival, which runs from Nov. 2-17 at the Community Center off Tilly Mill Road, has a diverse roster of noted speakers, bestselling authors, and international thought leaders.
Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is scheduled to close out the festival that Sunday with a presentation of her newly released memoir “The Art of Power.” The book recounts her historic career, from housewife to House speaker, offering a personal view of her legislative successes and political battles.
In addition to Pelosi, the festival will have appearances from Noa Tishby, two-time New York Times bestselling author and former Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and Delegitimization, as well as Lior Raz, a celebrated Israeli actor and co-creator of the movie “Fauda.”
Other keynote festival authors and entertainers include:
• Dr. Anthony Fauci, former chief
medical advisor to the president and author of "On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service"
• Emily Giffin, bestselling author of "The Summer Pact: A Novel"
• Michael Richards, “Seinfeld” actor, comedian and author of "Entrances and Exits"
• John Quiñones and Maria Elena Salinas, journalists and co-authors of "One Year in Uvalde: A Story of Hope and Resilience"
• Mitch Albom, bestselling author of “Tuesdays with Morrie” and "The Little Liar: A Novel"
• Amir Tibon, journalist and author of "The Gates of Gaza: A Story of Betrayal, Survival, and Hope in Israel’s Borderlands"
• Stuart Eizenstat, former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union and author of "The Art of Diplomacy: How American Negotiators Reached Historic Agreements that Changed the World"
• Joan Nathan, renowned chef and cookbook author of "My Life in Recipes: Food, Family, and Memories"
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the official MJCCA Book Festival event page.
astronauts to the International Space Station.
IrishFest readies plans for Roswell weekend
ROSWELL, Ga. — IrishFest Atlanta 2024 is gearing up for its annual celebration of the rich culture and traditions of Ireland, scheduled from Nov. 8-10 at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center.
The free, family-friendly festival will feature Irish dance teams, Irish music groups including Cherish the Ladies and The Friel Sisters, an Irish whiskey-tasting, a bread-making contest judged by two Atlanta-based Irish chefs, a traditional Irish céilí, Irish sports demos and an Irish film festival.
IrishFest Atlanta is presented by Phoenix Irish Arts of Atlanta, a nonprofit dedicated to igniting a sustained passion for the Irish Arts through access, education and participation.
IrishFest Atlanta Director Teresa Finley voiced her excitement about this year’s celebration.
Friel Sisters and several other events are available for purchase at IrishFest. org.
Frank Groome, who newly arrived as the Consul General of Ireland in Atlanta, is looking forward to his first IrishFest.
“I’ve heard great things about this festival and its authentic music and events,” Groome said. “I'm excited to meet people who take an interest in Ireland's rich culture.”
to grow and reach beyond ourselves, to see the world as bigger than whatever is going on in Milton, Roswell or Alpharetta,” he said. “It’s bigger than us … It’s about dreaming about what we can do next.”
“IrishFest invites people to immerse themselves in the rhythm of traditional music and dance and the warmth of Irish hospitality,” Finley said.
While the three-day festival is free, tickets for Cherish the Ladies and The
A Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket sits on the launchpad before takeoff Sept. 28. Innovation Academy teacher Steve Jones was invited by NASA to view the launch as part of a special two-day event.
STEVE JONES/PROVIDED Innovation Academy teacher Steve Jones stands in front of a restricted access sign at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Jones watched the launch of a rocket that took
OPINION
1824 serves as a reminder of the resilience of the United States after none of the four candidates received a majority of Electoral College votes.
Election chaos has historical precedent
HAYDEN WORRELL SUMLIN Staff Reporter hayden@appenmedia.com
With the 2024 election just days away, I can’t stop thinking about the time the U.S. House of Representatives chose the president.
The four-candidate race for the 1824 presidential election yielded no one with a majority of the Electoral College. It’s only happened once in American history, almost exactly 200 years ago.
Today, both presidential candidates and their supporters claim that American democracy and the future of the republic is at stake. This history nerd is doubtful, especially given an interesting case study from two centuries ago.
All four presidential candidates in 1824, Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, William Crawford and Henry Clay, were members of the DemocraticRepublican Party.
Crawford, whose poor health throughout the election resembles contemporary times, was a nonfactor.
Jackson received the most popular and electoral votes but fell short of the threshold to secure a clear victory.
The 12th amendment excluded Clay, who received the fewest electoral votes, from the House runoff.
Clay, speaker of the House at the time, famously backed Adams, who named him as secretary of state once elected to the White House.
Jackson and his supporters denounced Adams’ election and Clay’s appointment as a corrupt bargain.
The 1824 presidential election ended the Era of Good Feelings, a term associated with unity, the end of bitter partisan disputes and the presidency of James Monroe.
Jackson would go on to serve two terms, centering his 1828 run on accusations of the corrupt bargain.
This also reminds us of today, and an easy comparison can be made between the two populists, Jackson and former President Donald Trump.
Both leveraged nontraditional political backgrounds to win over votes in an era of political realignment. Both have accused the political establishment of working against them.
Regardless of how you feel about this election’s candidates, there’s no indication that a chaotic election will spell the end of American democracy and civil liberties.
I think it’s all normal and a part of the game.
There have been two presidential elections in the United States since I received my driver’s license.
After elections in 2016, 2020 and even the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election, whichever political party lost the election spent months challenging the results, telling their supporters it was stolen and blaming everything but themselves.
Republicans and Democrats are both doing it, repeatedly, when politically expedient.
There’s nothing unusual about this election. Stop buying “your” party’s line.
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The presidential election of
President Andrew Jackson President John Quincy Adams
U.S. Veterans Hospital #48 once sat at the corner of Osborne Road and Peachtree Road. By 1973, it became the ideal setting for a haunted house.
Brookhaven Veterans Hospital #48 was site of 1973 haunted house
Veterans Hospital #48 was at the corner of Peachtree Road and Osborne Road in Brookhaven and was in use until 1966 when the current Atlanta Veterans Administration Hospital was built on Clairmont Road. The address was 4158 Peachtree Road. Today, the DeKalb Services Center and Brookhaven Park are located on this corner.
The hospital began in 1919 in buildings previously home to the Cheston King Sanitarium. The U.S. government purchased the property for $90,000 to care for veterans of World War I and the Spanish American War. (Atlanta Constitution, Dec. 24, 1919, “King Sanitarium, beyond Buckhead, purchased by U.S.”)
In 1929, the hospital was rebuilt on the same site and continued to be Atlanta’s veteran hospital until the Clairmont Road hospital opened. Franklin Garrett’s “Atlanta and Environs Volume II” indicates Veterans Hospital #48 was demolished in 1969, but readers who lived in Atlanta in the 1970s recall it still standing in 1973 and all the way up to 1976.
The hospital was located on property of the U.S. government until 1972 when it was part of “surplus government land” turned over to local government. In this case, it was turned over to DeKalb County. (Atlanta Constitution, June 27, 1972, “U.S. will give up VA hospital, 2 other sites”)
Still standing and abandoned, the hospital was the setting of “Scream in the Dark” haunted house in 1973, a project of the Atlanta Youth for Christ Campus Life Division. The haunted experience was “guaranteed to chill the blood in your veins.” The Atlanta Constitution announced the haunted house would be open through Oct. 31. (Atlanta Constitution, Oct. 27, 1973, “Eeek, Screech, Scream”)
The event was also advertised on local pop/rock radio station WQXI 790 Atlanta, likely by popular morning disc jockey Gary McKee.
One reader who visited the haunted
house remembers an operating room set up with ghoulish doctors and nurses and fake blood. Three years later, working with DeKalb County on a summer job, that reader returned to Veterans Hospital #48 site to check out a pollution source in a nearby stream.
Both in 1973 and 1976, the hospital was overgrown with trees, shrubs, vines and weeds. In 1976, there were still metal hospital beds, metal cabinets, light fixtures, window blinds and curtains in the building. Furniture was thrown about on the outside of the property. Whether the actual hospital beds were used as part of the frightening hospital scene in 1973 is uncertain.
“Scream in the Dark” continued to be an Atlanta tradition through the 1970s. In 1975, it was held in buildings scheduled for demolition at E. Court Square and Sycamore Street in Decatur. MARTA had purchased the property but had not begun construction yet. (Atlanta Journal, Oct. 29, 1975, “DeKalb students Scream in the Dark”)
The haunted house was set up during the years 1978 through 1980 in the empty space of a former Grant’s department store at Belvedere Plaza on Memorial Drive. It continued to be a fundraiser for Atlanta Youth for Christ Campus Life. The 1979 Atlanta Journal promotion of the event describes it as the ninth year of “Scream in the Dark,” an event which offers “an alternative to Halloween vandalism.” (Atlanta Journal, Oct. 24, 1979 “Scream in the Dark”)
The relocation of DeKalb Services Center from Glendale Road in Scottdale to Peachtree Road in Brookhaven was planned in 1977, with an expected completion date in 1978. (Atlanta Constitution, Feb. 17, 1977, “School needs a new home”) If you remember “Scream in the Dark” at any of these locations or another location, write me at pasttensega@gmail.com.
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.
VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist PAST TENSE
VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF/PRIVATE COLLECTION
OPINION
Keep an eye out for spotted lanternfly
If you keep up with the news, you’ve probably heard some buzz about spotted lanternfly. This invasive insect was first seen in Pennsylvania in 2014 and has since spread to 15 states, most recently to North Carolina in 2022. Spotted lanternfly has not been observed yet in Georgia, but entomologists and residents alike are keeping their eyes open.
What is Spotted Lanternfly?
Despite its name, spotted lanternfly is not a fly. It is a large planthopper, a type of insect related to aphids, cicadas, stink bugs and more, that uses its needle-like mouthparts to pierce plant tissues and suck out sap. Spotted lanternfly can feed on over 100 different types of plants, including natives like beech, birch, black gum, maples, oaks and sycamore, as well as food crops like grapes, apples, peaches and plums. Its favorite host plant is tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima), an invasive tree that grows across the Southeast.
Feeding by spotted lanternfly causes aesthetic damage and also stresses plants, making them more susceptible to diseases and environmental pressures. Spotted lanternfly adults aggregate in large groups and are considered “swarm feeders.” Feeding by a large group can cause wilting and dieback on plants and trees. Just like aphids, lanternflies produce sugary excrement called honeydew. When honeydew builds up on plants, it acts like a petri dish for sooty mold to grow. Not to mention it’s just unpleasant to have a swarm of feeding insects in your landscape! The damage caused by spotted lanternfly is likely to affect farmers, plant nurseries, landscapers and gardeners in many ways. Farmers, nurseries and landscapers will have to spray more insecticides and spend more on labor to manage this new pest. Any producers who transport plants across state lines – a common practice – will have to expend significant resources making sure their cargo is completely free of spotted lanternfly eggs, nymphs and adults.
A preliminary study by Penn
About the author
This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Gabrielle LaTora, agriculture agent in Fulton County’s Extension office. An entomologist by training, Gabrielle is interested in insects on farms and in gardens and is passionate about closing the gap between people and their food. In addition to helping coordinate Fulton’s Master Gardener Extension Volunteer program, Gabrielle oversees the North Fulton Community Garden, answers clients’ questions about gardening and natural resources, works with urban farmers and delivers educational programs for Fulton County residents. Gabrielle presented “Insect Allies: Predators and Parasitoids in the Garden” in the spring 2023 Gardening Lecture Series presented by the North Fulton Master Gardeners, https:// youtu.be/NZ3um6QXXKc.
insect is yellow with brown/black bars.
How to Report a Sighting
The earlier an invasive pest like spotted lanternfly is detected, the better state and federal agencies, homeowners and producers will be able to manage it and control its spread. Do your part and keep your eyes open!
State University found significant economic effects following spotted lanternfly’s introduction in Pennsylvania alone, estimating that damages could reach as high as $554 million with a loss of 4,987 jobs if the insect spreads throughout Pennsylvania.
What to Look For
Spotted lanternflies have several life stages: egg, four nymphal (juvenile) molts and adult. To correctly identify the spotted lanternfly, we need to know what they look like at each life stage.
• Eggs: Spotted lanternfly ride out the winter as eggs, grouped together in masses on any hard surface. According to Cornell University Extension, “The egg masses are often found on the underside of branches or objects and vary in size but are typically about 1 1/2” long and 3/4” wide and look like grayish splotches of mud or putty.”
• Nymphs: Nymphs hatch from
the egg masses in spring or early summer. The young nymphs (molts 1-3) are less than ¼” long and have black bodies with small, white spots. At their 4th molt, the final nymph stage can be up to ½” long. They are still black with white spots but now have a red wash across their backs with a vertical black line down the center.
• Adults: By late July, spotted lanternflies complete one final molt to the adult stage. Adults are about 1” long and ½” wide. They have wings at the adult stage, which they hold tent-like over their backs. The front wings, which are visible when adults have their wings closed, are grayish tan with black/brown spots. They may even have a purplish sheen. The tips of the front wings have a brownish speckled pattern. The hind wings – only visible when the adults spread their wings open – have brown tips, a white section in the middle, and a flash of scarlet on the inside corner. The body of the
If you suspect you have seen a spotted lanternfly, take a good photo and contact your local Extension Office to report your sighting. You can also report suspected populations of spotted lanternfly or tree-of-heaven via the EDDMapS website or app (https://www. eddmaps.org/). These reports go directly to the GFC Forest Health Coordinator, UGA entomologists, USDA-APHIS and other programs for evaluation.
Happy Gardening!
North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization whose purpose is to educate its members and the public in the areas of horticulture and ecology in order to promote and foster community enrichment. Master Gardener Volunteers are trained and certified by The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Learn more at nfmg.net. Previous Garden Buzz columns are featured at: https:// appenmedia.com/opinion/columists/ garden buzz/.
BUGWOOD.ORG/PROVIDED
Top left: Spotted lanternfly egg masses (image by Kenneth R. Law)
Top right: Spotted lanternfly nymph after its fourth molt (image by Richard Gardner) Bottom: Adult spotted lanternfly has grayish-tan front wings with black/brown spots. Hind wings have a flash of scarlet (image by Lawrence Barringer)
GABRIELLE LATORA Guest Columnist
The exciting history of horses in North Fulton
The origin of horses in North America has been the subject of much research by experts. A common view has been that horses were here more than 50 million years ago evolving from small dog-size equines.
A detailed analysis is contained in the journal Science in March, 2023. It holds that the ancestors of Indians arrived in North America during the ice age and found wild horses already here. The Indian ancestors hunted the horses and did not domesticate them. They used their bones as tools. Horses became extinct and did not return to North American until Columbus brought some to America in 1492.
According to The American Horse Council, a trade association in Washington DC, in 2023, there were an estimated 6.65 million horses in the United States with 2.2 million jobs created in the various horse industry sectors. According to the Georgia Department of Agriculture the total economic impact in Georgia, with its 74,000 horses, is more than $750 million.
An estimated 82,000 wild horses exist mostly in western states. Cumberland Island in Georgia is home to 150 to 200 feral horses probably descended from horses brought to the island by English settlers in the 18th century.
BOB MEYERS/APPEN MEDIA
This bronzed horse standing in a roundabout next to the Milton Library reminds passersby of Milton’s equestrian heritage. The Milton Arts Council raised funds for the statue which was installed in 2020.
to the welfare of horses and riders. The non-profit Pony Club in Milton focuses on education and management training. Membership is open to adults and children of all ages and includes English and Western riding disciplines. The club meets regularly at different farms in North Fulton. The United States Pony Club has 600 individual clubs in the US and Virgin Islands. Lydia Eilinger is District Commissioner. Club contact: www. ponyclub.org.
the U.S. Equestrian Federation.
One facility with a unique business approach to horses is The Farm at Pamelot which is also a winery and an outdoor entertainment venue. Pamelot offers lessons, equine boarding, summer camp, birthday parties, vineyard visits and live music. Owner Pamela Borgel founded the farm in 1991. She and her husband David and daughter Juliette Johnson operate the business. Contact information: 770 8461559; info@pamelotfarm.com.
Jeff Dufresne, President of the Milton Historical Society, an admirer of the equine history of North Fulton, has written articles and given public presentations on the subject. Jeff says, “Milton has the largest concentration of horses between Lexington, KY and Ocala, FL.” Jeff notes that dressage is important in Milton. Contact: info@miltonhistoricalsociety-georgia.org
Some residents in North Fulton raise or have raised horses commercially. Legendary businessman and farmer Jake Hughes raised registered American Quarter Horses on his farm in Crabapple in the 1950s and 1960s. He auctioned his horses in a large circular ring to buyers who came from all over the world. He often had 30 champion-quality horses at any given time.
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provides funding to allow local and state agencies to provide care for older adults. Its services include home-delivered meals, health and wellness programs, in-home care, transportation, elder abuse prevention, caregiver support and adult day care, according to the nonprofit USAging.
Through the ARC’s consumer-directed model, those seeking aid can bypass the normal process and directly hire their own care staff or request help from an agency.
“The assumption is that the person knows better about what they need,” Pellino said. “It’s about preference and choice.”
During its four years of operation
Elizabeth Mateo owner of Premier Thoroughbreds divides her time between her home in Milton and her training center in Ocala, Florida. She keeps Thoroughbreds – a horse breed developed for horse racing -- in both locations. Elizabeth buys yearlings in Kentucky every year and gets them ready for sale in March through May. She races some of her horses at Saratoga Racetrack in NY, Belmont Racetrack in NY and Gulfstream Park Racecourse near Miami. She usually has some 30 horses on hand.
Specialized organizations are devoted
Iron Horse Therapy in Milton is a 501c3 non-profit that offers therapeutic horseback riding to children and adults with physical, cognitive and emotional difficulties. This includes autism, PTSD, ADHD, Cerebral Palsy, Downs Syndrome and other conditions. Established nine years ago by Christine Johnston the center has helped hundreds of people. Certified instructors work with individuals or small groups. For information on how to donate to Iron Horse call Christine at 678 2315038.
The authority on horses in Milton is the Milton Equestrian Committee, an official commission of the city government. Chairman Tony Rich says there are more than 200 active horse farms in Milton based on an extensive year-long census the Committee published early in 2024. For more information about the census go to www.miltonga.gov/MiltonHorseFarms.
Milton Equestrian Committee board member Julie Shannon says that Birmingham Park is the main location in Milton for equestrians. “People come from all over north Georgia to ride there,” she says. Julie and her husband Dave own and operate the 65-acre Shannondale Farm, designated an “Elite Training Center” by
their own employees or family members. About 20 percent opted for finding care through an agency.
The ARC used federal COVID-19 funding to start the program, hoping it would serve as a “proof of concept,” said Becky Kurtz, manager of ARC’s Aging & Health Resources Division.
“We were like, ‘Let’s show the value of this,’” Kurtz said.
Studies on consumer-direct care programs have shown no increase in fraud than traditional models, Pellino said.
Next, the ARC plans to apply the consumer-direct model to services offered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The Wills Park Equestrian Center in Alpharetta is a major horse venue with eight large barns with almost 300 stalls. It boasts several covered and uncovered rings. Shows and special events are regularly scheduled in this fine park.
A little farther away is the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, constructed for the 1996 Olympic Games. Some 600,000 spectators attended events during the Olympics and the economic boost continues with a wide range of scheduled events, both equine and other.
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.
“They’re the ones that get the funding to pull people off the waiting list, to provide the homemaker personal care,” Pellino said. “So, if they had the consumerdirected model, they could probably really further reduce their waitlist.”
The ARC is ready to work with county governments to show them the benefits and how they can be implemented, Kurtz said.
“We’ve had experience with it over the last few years,” Kurtz said. “We can coach you through it. We really want you all to be trying this at the county level.”
which ended in September, the ARC program served 68 clients and seniors in all 10 counties its Area Agency on Aging covers. About 75 percent chose to hire
ARC officials will visit veterans who need services and help them complete the necessary paperwork to enroll and hire their own caregivers.
Consumer-direct service models could and should be applied at local-level Area Agencies on Aging, Pellino and Kurtz said.
Georgia ranks 47th in the nation for access to consumer-directed programs, Pellino said. Local governments may be wary of trying out a model that is unfamiliar, but she said there’s nothing to be afraid of.
“Try it,” Pellino said. “Instead of having people on multiple waitlists, they could use the same dollar amount … and be more efficient.”
BOB MEYERS Columnist
JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
Cara Pellino, access to services unit manager for the Atlanta Regional Commission, gives a presentation on the organization’s consumer-direct program for caretakers and older adults at the ARC office in Downtown Atlanta Oct. 23.
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The Conservatory offers prospective students options through its arts education programming, allowing a middle schooler to try out an acting lesson or take a high school junior step-by-step through the college audition process.
It also offers a traveling competition team, 10-week classes on skill-based techniques, one-on-one lessons and summer programs.
The programing offers performance and training opportunities, both essential to music theater, to meet prospective students of all ages where they are.
While the professional theater company performs at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, the magic would not happen without rigorous, weekly training in Suite 136 at 8601 Dunwoody Place, a state-ofthe art training facility.
With renovations completed in late August, there are three new private lesson rooms with soundproof walls for acting and voice training.
More importantly, the addition of two new dance studios allows students and professional actors to train at the same time.
Students get flowers
Studio rehearsals for productions like September’s “The Music Man” ran from around 5-11 p.m.
Natalie DeLancey, executive director of the City Springs Theatre Company, said a problem arose because students with the Pre-Professional Company, the Conservatory’s flagship theater program, get out of school and are available for rehearsals at the same time as the professional actors were using the facility.
“We were competing, so whenever we would rehearse a mainstage show, we’d have to tell the kids … ‘hold on a minute,’” DeLancey said. “Well, that’s like the worst message ever for kids who want to train in this field.”
DeLancey gave special thanks to the Zeist Foundation, which donated funds needed to renovate the City Springs Theatre Studios.
“They do everything in here,” DeLancey said. “Now we have two studios, which is a big deal.”
The main stage actors, like vocal teacher and competition team director Haden Rider, often teach classes at the Conservatory.
“It’s that crossover, which is really cool to see,” DeLancey said. “Because then the kids get to see their teachers doing what they’re telling them to do.”
The Conservatory’s Pre-Professional Company is an audition-based, year-round program that requires middle and high school students to tape their vocal, acting and dance auditions.
The idea is that a Pre-Pro Company
Grace Arnold, instructor for the City Springs Theatre Conservatory, checks in students for a Pre-Professional Company dance class. Arnold is one of 15 instructors on the Conservatory’s faculty, which also includes voice and acting specialists.
student will get a taste of everything musical theater, so if a skill is required down the road, they will have it.
Once accepted, students are placed in training classes based on talent level, experience, age, maturity and professionalism.
In just six years, the City Springs Theatre Conservatory and its programming has collegiate musical theater programs flying into Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport for a chance to audition Metro Atlanta high schoolers.
DeLancey said the Pre-Pro Company is unique.
“Since we started doing college process, we have an 85 percent call-back rate,” DeLancey said. “From there, we have been able to place kids at the top musical theater programs in the country.”
This past year, students received $7 million in college scholarships.
“They want our kids so bad, they’re coming here,” DeLancey said.
Kaitlin Hopkins, founder of the topranking musical theatre program at Texas State University, said the Conservatory consistently turns out exceptional students.
Programs create professionals
Bob Adams, Kristine Reese, Billy Tighe and Katie Berger Wood serve as directors for the Pre-Pro Company, also overseeing the college audition process.
Reese and Tighe have performed on Broadway, and their faculty is required to have a college degree in some aspect of musical theater education.
Tony Award-winner Shuler Hensley is the theater company’s artistic director, bringing Broadway talent and expertise to City Springs productions in the Byers Theatre.
He’s the first one to laud the talent coming out of the Conservatory’s youth training programs, which he said simply
didn’t exist a generation ago.
The Pre-Pro Company has increased its class size 50 percent since accepting about 50 students its first year.
It divides students into classes based on their skill levels first.
Because the Pre-Pro Company has students ages 12-18, instructors say it’s beneficial for younger students to see and understand the program’s trajectory.
Last fall, the Conservatory announced the creation of its Pre-Pro Tech program for students interested in set design, lighting, sound and stage management out of the City Springs Theatre Company’s new production facility in Marietta.
Both programs come together to put on the Pre-Pro Company’s end-of-year showcase in the summer.
The Conservatory’s private lessons and weekly elective classes are not a part of the Pre-Pro program, but its students are encouraged to take them.
In-person auditions for the 2024-25 Pre-Pro Company are closed with a waitlist, but interested students must prepare vocal, acting and dance videos for consideration.
The nonprofit is still looking to continue expanding its mainstage musicals and education programs, which have served more than 175,000 patrons and 135,000 students.
Excelling program has origins
Jenna Gamerl, education director of the City Springs Theatre Company, brought the idea of creating a Pre-Pro Company to DeLancey’s attention in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
DeLancey said she initially thought it was a bad time with the world shuttered, but Gamerl convinced her of the demand for youth activities.
“She couldn’t have been more correct,
[and] we had no idea where it was going to go,” DeLancey said.
Coaching and developing the next generation of actors, singers and dancers on the mainstage is the focus of the City Springs Conservatory
“We had high expectations going into it, and I think those expectations have always been maintained through the years,” she said. “Seeing over 100 students come out and audition every year to be a part of the program, that’s the moment.”
As the Conservatory increases the size of its Pre-Pro Company, it must also balance the value of one-on-one coaching, individual development and artistic quality.
Gamerl meets with students and parents at least twice a year to go over their progress, changes to their voices or bodies and help planning their careers.
“And they’re theater kids, they’re naturally dramatic,” Gamerl said. “You want to be careful, cautious, sensitive and push them at the same time, so it’s kind of balance of that.”
DeLancey seconded Gamerl’s perspective on training middle and high schoolers in the performing arts. She said the only drama allowed is on stage.
Both described the Pre-Pro Company as a tight knit family. There won’t be any reality TV shows depicting drama-filled dance classes and squabbling parents filmed at the theater company’s studios.
Even if Pre-Pro Company students or class participants do not pursue a career in musical theater, Gamerl and Delancey said they’re still getting skills like public speaking, teamwork and discipline.
“Ultimately, we want a triple-threat, well-rounded performer who can walk out of here and feel like they can go to any audition with confidence,” Gamerl said. “We have success and enjoy that, but it’s really about the student.”
From left, City Springs Theatre Company Executive Director Natalie DeLancey and Education Director Jenna Gamerl stand inside the recently renovated City Springs Theatre Company studios at Northridge Commons office park in Sandy Springs.
PHOTOS BY: CITY SPRINGS THEATRE CONSERVATORY/PROVIDED
Donor Operations Associate The Donor Operations Associate greets and removes donations from vehicles and then sorts the 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, volunteer, and staff member professionally and with a friendly demeanor.
Work is performed both indoors and outdoors in extreme hot and cold conditions. Must have the ability to work in extreme temperatures, ability to lift up to 75lbs and or use a lift aid, ability to push and pull items, and be able to stand for up to 8 hours.
To apply, please submit a resume to Marten Jallad, Director of Thrift and Donor Operations, NFCC, mjallad@nfcchelp.org
Childcare Associate: The NFCC Childcare Associate has the critical role of providing a safe and welcoming environment for children from the ages 2 to 11 while their parents attend classes in the NFCC Education Programs. Contract position with competitive hourly rate, Evenings 5 – 8 pm. Contact Carol Swan at cswan@nfcchelp.org to apply.
