Area municipalities ask Supreme Court to reverse decision in Milton
lawsuit
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Georgia municipalities are throwing their weight behind Milton after the state Court of Appeals affirmed a September wrongful death verdict against the city.
The court verdict saddles the City of Milton with $35 million in damages.
Sister cities Sandy Springs and Alpharetta petitioned the Georgia Supreme Court to reverse the decision in the lawsuit the week of Nov. 18. More cities across the state are expected to submit amicus briefs, or letters of support, in the coming weeks.
The Georgia Court of Appeals affirmed the Sept. 16 Fulton County jury verdict citing Milton’s role in the death of a 21-year-old college student in November 2016.
See COURT, Page 8
Deep roots, lasting legacy
PHOTOS BY: BIG JOHN’S CHRISTMAS TREES/PROVIDED
Big John Livaditis (1918-1995) takes a stroll through a Canadian Christmas tree farm in 1982. More than 42 years later, his son Jimbo, daughter-in-law Leigh Ann and three grandchildren are carrying on the family business.
Big John’s nurtures Christmas tree legacy
By HAYEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
METRO ATLANTA — With December on the horizon, Metro Atlanta is buzzing as shoppers hit malls and Christmas tree lots to prepare for the holidays.
When Sir Elton John wanted a tree delivered to his Midtown Atlanta apartment, he called Big John’s Christmas Trees and the Livaditis family.
Christmas trees start arriving at Big John’s lots throughout Metro Atlanta Nov.
18 as the family-owned business celebrates 75 years of providing best-in-class products.
The five-time Grammy Award winner was not the first and won’t be the last international celebrity with a Big John’s Christmas tree in their living room.
Big John’s Christmas Trees sports the largest selection of the highest quality evergreens in the region with lots in Ansley Park, Buckhead, Dunwoody, Johns Creek, Roswell and Vinings.
See TREES, Page 13
John II Livaditis measures a stunning Fraser Fir and decides which loyal customer will get to take it home for the holidays. Big John’s Christmas Trees, named after John II’s grandfather, is celebrating 75 years of its family-owned and -operated business in Metro Atlanta.
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Sandy Springs signs off on 2.3-mile extension for PATH400 project
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The highly anticipated extension of PATH400 across the Atlanta-Sandy Springs border into Central Perimeter is moving forward.
At the Nov. 19 Sandy Springs City Council meeting, staff said construction is expected to begin early next year.
Fulton County’s two most populous cities are partnering on the 2.3-mile trail extension from Loridans Drive in Atlanta across the border at the Ga. 400 bridge over Nancy Creek and up to Johnson Ferry Road in Sandy Springs.
When completed, the PATH400 extension will tie into multi-use paths constructed as a part of the Ga. 400 and I-285 interchange improvements.
To kick off 2024, Atlanta and Sandy Springs worked out a cost-sharing agreement for the extension.
Atlanta is funding construction of the 12-foot-wide multi-use trail from Loridans Drive to Nancy Creek. Sandy Springs is then building the path’s bridge over Nancy Creek to Windsor Parkway and another segment from Ridgeview Park to Johnson Ferry Road.
Sandy Springs staff said segment two, or the middle portion from Windsor Parkway to north of Ridgeview Park, will be constructed later when funding becomes available.
During the Nov. 19 City Council
meeting, elected officials approved a $285,000 contract with NOVA Engineering and Environmental for materials testing and certification.
Public Works Director Marty Martin said the Georgia Department of Transportation requires it for projects receiving federal funding.
“We’re in the process of obtaining the construction agreement … from GDOT,” Martin said. “That will then give us the opportunity to complete the notice to proceed with our construction contractor.”
He also previewed an upcoming budget amendment, set for a December vote, after the Atlanta Regional Commission secured about $800,000 for construction engineering and inspection services.
“As we line things up, we’re getting the final pieces of the agreements [and] the allied team that we need to support the delivery of this project, so we can get moving early next year,” Martin said.
In May, the Sandy Springs City Council awarded a $20.1 million contract to F.S. Scarborough to construct two-thirds of the segments needed to finish the 2.3-mile trail extension.
The Georgia Department of Transportation, which owns the right-of-way along Ga. 400, is funding 80 percent of the project’s costs through disbursement of federal grants.
See PATH400, Page 13
CITY OF SAND SPRINGS/PROVIDED
A map shows the scope of the PATH400 trail extension project running from Atlanta’s Loridans Drive to north of Sandy Springs’ Glenridge Drive. Construction on the blue and green segments is expected to begin in early 2025.
Ice skating resurfaces at City Springs Green
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sandy Springs is transforming the City Green off Galambos Way into Skate City Springs from Nov. 20 through Jan. 20.
The second annual Skate City Springs looks to build off its successful first year, which welcomed more than 16,000 skaters.
The city offers ice skating on a premium rink, with one-hour sessions for all, no matter your skill level.
Tickets, available at noon Nov. 8, are $18 for adults and $15 for children ages 2 to 10, which include premium skate rentals.
There are group rates for parties of 10 or more.
As a new feature this year, Skate City Springs is introducing a loyalty program, where guests who purchase five skate sessions get one free.
The city recommends reservations,
which can be made online at citysprings. com/skate.
For those who need assistance finding their footing on ice, free Skate Helpers — blue, walker-like sliding props—are on hand to provide balance and support.
While the Zamboni resurfaces ice each hour, guests can relax by the sidelines or at the firepits, enjoying premium hot cocoa and snacks from the concession stand. A
A bird’s eye view shows the inaugural Skate City Springs off Galambos Way next to Sandy Springs City Hall. The premium ice-skating rink returns this year from Nov. 20 through Jan. 20.
merchandise tent will also be on-site with cozy mittens, scarves, caps, mugs, winter safety coloring books and crayons, hand warmers and luxurious faux fur blankets for purchase.
For the latest updates on holiday hours and operations, follow City Springs on social media.
— Hayden Sumlin
father uses an
aid to guide his awestruck son at Skate City Springs last winter. Tickets to this year’s Skate City Springs are available starting Nov. 8.
PHOTOS BY: CITY OF SANDY SPRINGS/PROVIDED A
ice-skating
The first 100 guests who bring a new unwrapped gift item for Solidarity Sandy Spring’s Santa Shop will receive a Free Bundtlets for a Year card. Please see their website for needs.
KIDS’ SHOPPING DAY
Donate new, small gifts children can select to give to their family members - think coffee mugs for dad, perfume for mom, pajama pants for siblings, or treats for pets.
These can be dropped off at Santa’s Workshop Dec. 4th-13th between 10am - 3pm, Parkside Shops, 5920 Roswell Road C-208, Sandy Springs, GA 30328 or contact Ilana Talk, ilanajt@gmail.com.
TO ADOPT A FAMILY THIS HOLIDAY, VISIT solidaritysandysprings.org/events Or Scan
Solidarity Sandy Springs is a pantry that was started to help food-insecure families during the COVID shutdowns and has grown into a community movement to help overlooked families.
Sandy Springs
5975 Roswell Road, Suite A-103 • Sandy Springs, GA 30328
(404) 236-2114
Young Republicans host Georgia Attorney General
DUNWOODY, Ga. — Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, a Dunwoody resident, visited Dunwoody High School’s Young Republicans Club Nov. 4, the day before Election Day.
Carr spoke about state government and shared insights on how to keep informed and engaged in public policy.
His talk was followed by a lively Q&A with the students.
Tell the Crier: Send your photos, announcements and letters to newsroom@appenmedia.com.
— Amber Perry
PHOTOS BY ASHLEY GALLAGHER/PROVIDED
State Attorney General Chris Carr, center, gathers with the members of the Young Republicans Club at Dunwoody High School Nov. 4. Carr is a Dunwoody resident.
Element by Westin hotel opens within Campus 244
DUNWOODY, Ga. — A new Element by Westin hotel just north of I-285 at Campus 244 opened to the public Nov. 14.
The 145-room hotel — Element Atlanta Perimeter Center — is a flagship addition to the premier adaptive-reuse development in Metro Atlanta’s Central Perimeter submarket.
Campus 244, developed by The Georgetown Company and RocaPoint Partners, has already attracted leading companies to its state-of-the-art redevelopment with 85 percent of its office space leased.
Current tenants include Transportation Insight, a leading transportation logistics firm; Insight Global, a top technology-focused staffing agency; and CT Cantina & Taqueria, a casual Mexican eatery.
The Element by Westin brand provides short- and long-term stay options for travelers, helping guests maintain their daily routines away from home.
The hotel features eco-friendly amenities like electric car charging stations and advanced water filtration systems, reflecting the Element brand’s focus on sustainable, outdoor-inspired environments.
In addition to wellness-focused amenities at the hotel, the Element Atlanta Perimeter Center offers two unique food and beverage venues.
Stäge Kitchen & Bar, the first in Met-
ro Atlanta, is an upscale eatery. Spruce Social House, a lobby bar, provides a warm atmosphere for guests to unwind with crafted drinks and light bites.
Mitch Patel, founder and CEO of Vision Hospitality Group, said his team is proud to continue its longstanding partnership with Marriot International and broaden its Metro Atlanta presence.
“Our collaboration with The Georgetown Company and RocaPoint Partners has brought a new level of sophistication and sustainability to the Atlanta Perimeter market,” Patel said. “This hotel is a fantastic addition to Vision’s portfolio and a perfect complement to the energy of the Campus 244 mixed-use development.”
The Element hotel will further complement Vision Hospitality Group’s portfolio in the area, including the nearby AC Hotel by Marriott – Atlanta Perimeter, which opened in 2021, providing guests with a range of modern accommodations in the Perimeter area.
Jonathan Schmerin, managing principal of The Georgetown Company, said the hotel perfectly fits with the vision for a best-in-class creative campus that combines office with dining and hospitality amenities.
— Hayden Sumlin
FRIDAY
VISION HOSPITALITY GROUP/PROVIDED
This rendering shows the new Element Atlanta Perimeter Center hotel at Campus 244 in Dunwoody, which opened Nov. 14.
Thank you for voting us the Best in Eyecare!
Brought
to you by
– Mount Vernon Eye Care
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all our patients and friends for voting us the My Dunwoody Best Eye Care for the second year in a row! As a familyowned business proudly serving the Dunwoody community for nearly 40 years, we are honored to be your trusted choice for comprehensive family eye care.
At Mount Vernon Eye Care, we provide exceptional service for all your health and fashion eyecare needs, and we look forward to continuing to serve you for many years to come.
Wishing you and your family a joyful and healthy holiday season. Stay safe, happy, and well! Please visit us at mountvernoneyecare.com or call us at 770.393.0003.
Court:
Joshua Chang, a senior with a full-ride scholarship to Yale University, died after hitting a concrete planter along Batesville Road on his way home during Thanksgiving break.
Milton is ordered to pay the victim’s family $35 million with $10,000 in postjudgement interest accruing each day.
Following the appellate judgement, Milton officials said they were seeking reconsideration of the ruling or review from the Georgia Supreme Court.
According to court documents, the victim’s family made seven offers to settle the case, ranging from $1.75 million to $10 million just before the trial. Insurance attorneys rejected the offers.
Meanwhile, residents expressed their frustration at the city and its legal representation in September for failing to protect them from the outstanding liability.
City questions insurance fund
Milton officials say the Georgia Interlocal Risk Management Agency was solely responsible for the decision whether to settle the claims.
The Georgia Municipal Association created the agency as a property and liability insurance fund for Georgia cities. The agency has 370 municipal members.
“Neither the city nor its legal team were given a role in settlement negotiations,” the city said in a statement. “What happened to Mr. Chang was certainly a tragedy, but we firmly believe the City of Milton should not be held liable … we will continue to pursue a reasonable outcome to protect the city and taxpayers from this unjust financial burden.”
Invoices obtained by Appen Media through the Open Records Act show Mayor Peyton Jamison, City Manager Krokoff and City Attorney Ken Jarrard discussed the case several times.
Speaking to Appen Media Nov. 19, Jamison said many Georgia cities have expressed solidarity with Milton, and he reiterated that the city was not consulted on whether to approve or deny settlement offers.
Based on the feedback received thus far, Jamison said he expects several cities to file amicus briefs to the Supreme Court, requesting reversal of the decision.
Adam Hollingworth, president of Milton Families First, raised questions about the Georgia Interlocal Risk Management Agency’s role as the city’s insurer at the Nov. 18 City Council meeting.
He questioned the efficacy of the insurance fund’s policy agreement with the city, saying “by no measure did GIRMA exercise its duty in ways that best protected Milton taxpayers.”
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
Adam Hollingworth, president of Milton Families First, raises questions about the Georgia Interlocal Risk Management Agency’s role as the city’s insurer and legal representation in a wrongful death lawsuit during the Nov. 18 City Council meeting. After the Georgia Court of Appeals affirmed a Fulton County jury’s verdict Sept. 16, Milton taxpayers are on the hook for $35 million and counting in damages.
FULTON COUNTY STATE COURT/PROVIDED
A concrete planter, near the entrance to Little River Farms on Batesville Road, was involved in the fatal car accident of 21-year-old Joshua Chang in November 2016. After the Court of Appeals found Milton liable for more than $35 million in damages, other Georgia cities have lobbied the Supreme Court to overturn the decision.
the City of Milton and its citizens bearing an unconscionable financial burden,” Hollingworth wrote. “This case not only raises serious doubts about GIRMA’s ability to serve its members effectively but also highlights systemic issues that jeopardize public trust.”
GMA comments on case
The Georgia Municipal Association refused to comment specifically on Milton’s claim that it was not consulted during settlement discussions.
Wrongful death lawsuit timeline
• Nov. 2016: 21-year-old Joshua Chang dies after hitting a concrete planter off Batesville Road. His parents sue the city for alleged negligence.
• June 2023: A Fulton County jury rules in favor of Chang's parents, awarding them more than $30 million in damages. The city appeals.
• Sept. 2024: The state Court of Appeals affirms the jury ruling. Milton residents want the city to pay the restitution, now around $35 million due to interest, instead of pursuing a second appeal with the Supreme Court.
• Nov. 2024: Sandy Springs and Alpharetta join Milton to request the Georgia Supreme Court to overturn the ruling against Milton. Milton Families First criticizes the Georgia Interlocal Risk Management Agency’s handling of the case.
in Georgia’s history for similar situations,” Gray wrote.
Gray pointed to a 2021 Court of Appeals judgement which affirmed that the City of Roswell had immunity in a case in which a car left the road and struck mailboxes within the right-of-way resulting in the deaths of two people in the vehicle.
In terms of what’s stopping this from happening in other Georgia cities, Gray said the court’s decision treats residents of municipalities differently than those in unincorporated areas.
She said when the courts decide to change course on immunity, municipal taxpayers have a significantly larger risk under the state’s tort law structure.
“These added burdens on municipalities absolutely can harm business and growth in municipalities across the state,” Gray said. “This is another example of why tort reform is needed in Georgia in order for the state to maintain its standing as the best place to do business.”
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has pledged to make tort reform a top priority during the 2025 legislative session.
While calls for tort reform typically come from business groups and conservative lawmakers, the issue is now expanding to include each city in the state.
Sister city steps up
The Sandy Springs resolution, asking the Georgia Supreme Court to hear and reverse the Court of Appeals’ September ruling, calls the decision “inconsistent with existing legal precedent.”
City Attorney Dan Lee, speaking during a Nov. 19 City Council meeting, said the appellate decision expands the definition of what a roadway is to include an area that would allow a driver to safely exit the paved road onto the right-of-way and return.
“Up until approximately four months ago, the law in Georgia was clear that a person leaving the paved part of the roadway striking an object was at fault,” Lee said. “Period, end of story.”
Mayor Rusty Paul asked Lee to explain how the decision can come into play for Sandy Springs residents or any Georgians living in incorporated areas.
Lee said Milton did not place the planter there. It was constructed in 1992, when the land was a part of unincorporated Fulton County.
“The decision, if allowed to stand, would be very troublesome to the taxpayers of Sandy Springs and many cities around Georgia,” Lee said. “Sandy Springs’ interest are in the overturning of this case and bringing the law back into order for good operation of municipal government.”
“The decisions made — from selecting underqualified legal counsel to rejecting reasonable settlement offers — have left
Latisha Gray, communications director at the GMA, said it would not be appropriate to provide details of case strategy publicly as the litigation is ongoing.
“It should be noted that the judgment in this current litigation is unprecedented
“[The Milton] decision went the opposite way, and if upheld, sets a new precedent for cities across the state, and the potential consequences for other municipalities is real and is significant,” she said. “Legal precedent has been an accepted standard for many years, and it is common for litigation counsel to take into consideration and even rely upon recent decisions of a very similar nature in analyzing potential settlement offers and litigation strategy.”
For Sandy Springs, which has issued 589 permits in the past two years to place items in the rights-of-way across the city, the decision could spell trouble.
“This law, as it stands now from the Court of Appeals, if the city has knowledge of the placement of the object … the city could be held liable for it,” Lee said. “The city had no authority to deny the permits.”
Lee turned his focus to the Milton case.
“In Milton, the city did not know of any nuisance value to this object, Lee said. “That and the expansion of the roadway is the part that scares us.” Continued from Page 1
Patrons flock to Korean eatery for award-winning chicken
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alice Lee was confused by the line wrapping around Kimchi Red.
On July 6, 2023, the Korean restaurant was suddenly inundated with customers. When Lee asked those in line what brought them there, they said they were eager to try the best fried chicken in the country.
“I thought they were really being sarcastic,” Lee said, smiling. “And I was like, ‘Well, you know, I never said we were No. 1, but our chicken is good.’”
Lee’s customers informed her that Yelp, the ubiquitous online business review site, had just awarded her Alpharetta restaurant the top spot in the nation for fried chicken. News outlets in Atlanta, the nation and even Korea followed suit.
“It was unbelievable,” Lee said.
The Yelp award and sudden attention that followed recognized something Lee already knew, she said. For the past two years, Kimchi Red had quietly earned fame among locals with its delectable fried chicken and other mouth-watering Koreaninspired dishes.
Lee and her husband Joey W. Lee opened the first Kimchi Red in Alpharetta in 2021, Alice Lee said. They opened the restaurant because their wholesale business was busy only half the year.
Lee’s husband had often cooked Korean and American food for church and charity events and was eager to try his hand with a business.
But they quickly realized just how hard the culinary industry could be.
“We were closed more than we were open for the first six months,” Lee said.
During that time, the Lees found help from their faith in God and within their own family. Their daughter Madison, now 20, helped them establish a presence on social media. Their son Joshua, now 14, occasionally pitched in with extra work.
Lee said she and her husband depended on God during the difficult time and sought divine guidance in every business decision.
“Honestly, we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for God’s direction and planning,” she said.
For example, the Lees decided their menu item should be cooked only with the best and freshest ingredients. Name brand products are selected over generics, and the fried chicken is made only with fresh chicken, which is marinated for 24 hours. They replace their frying oil every day.
“If by chance, we receive a box of frozen chicken, we send it back,” Lee said. “We’re very meticulous.”
Before long, the food began to speak for itself, and word spread, Lee said. Sometimes, the Lees would accidentally leave the lights on at the restaurant after closing, attracting customers eager to get inside.
“They loved the food. They said, ‘It’s so flavorful. It’s so good,’” she said. “They loved the chicken. They loved the beef, and they just loved the food in general, and that was very humbling.”
That success led them to open a Johns Creek location with plans to debut a third in Peachtree Corners in February.
Their menu also includes Korean staples like galbi beef short ribs, sweet and savory bulgogi beef, kimchi fried rice, a cheesy and spicy buldak ramen and intensely flavorful kimchi-jjigae soup.
Kimchi Red locations
Alpharetta: 3630 Old Milton Parkway
Johns Creek: 3651-D Peachtree Parkway
A third location is expected in February in Peachtree Corners.
Marietta resident Caryn Hatton and Bryan Pham from Johns Creek said they love the fried chicken, but the other menu items are just as strong.
“We’ve tried pretty much everything,” Hatton said.
The buldak ramen, another favorite with Hatton and Pham, comes in different levels of spiciness. Pham said he prefers the noodles “super spicy,” while Hatton orders it at a more moderate level.
“It really complements it very well with the fried chicken,” Pham said. “They also have the egg on top. It’s a runny egg, and that makes it better, too.”
Korean food is special because it balances so many flavors, and it’s no wonder the cuisine is trending with Americans, Lee said.
“There’s salty and sweet and spicy and savory and rich, and it’s all there with different menu items,” she said. “I think that’s what makes it so attractive.”
Lee said she is proud to see the popularity of Korean culture sweeping through her community, the nation and world. Foods like Kimchi, pop artists like BTS and movies like 2020 Academy Award winner “Parasite” are now mainstream.
“The Korean culture is very inviting, very welcoming,” she said. “We have a lot to offer.”
JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
The dining room at Kimchi Red lies waiting for a lunch crowd Nov. 13. The restaurant features Korean favorites like galbi, bulgogi and kimchi soup.
KIMCHI RED/PROVIDED
Kimchi Red owners Joey W. Lee and Alice Lee are married with two children.
KIMCHI RED/PROVIDED
Kimchi Red offers several varieties of award-winning fried chicken.
KIMCHI RED/PROVIDED
Korean food is special because of its balance between sweet, savory, spicy and other flavors, Kimchi Red owner Alice Lee said.
Owner John Hogan & Designer Bobbie Kohm, re-imagining how bath & kitchen remodels are done.
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Open to Public 9-5 Mon-Fri • 10-4 Sat Showroom – Design Center 10591 Old Alabama Road Connector Alpharetta, GA 30022 (near Northpoint Mall)
GET OUTSIDE, GEORGIA!
Hurricane reconfigures creek, but fish remember their place
STEVE HUDSON Columnist
It has been a busy few weeks, and fishing time has been a little short. That happens sometimes.
But we have plans for making up for lost time…plans for a leisurely day on Blankets Creek. It’s a small little stream we fish from time to time, and it happens to be home to a lot of correspondingly small fish. There’s nothing very big in there, never anything to write home about or even to brag about in an aw-shucks kind of way, usually. But catching something is usually a sure bet and always fun, even though said “something” may only be 3 inches long. It’s a great place for water therapy, and we go there when we can.
This time, the plan is to go there Thursday afternoon.
But then here comes Helene.
Hurricane Helene is in the rearview mirror now, but it left a lot of mayhem in its wake. I hurt for the folks whose lives were turned upside down. The storm’s big impacts were majorly big, and lots of people will need lots of help for a long time to come. Hereabouts, we were lucky and dodged a major bullet. But others were less fortunate. Help them how and where and when you can.
Here, closer to home, there were lesser impacts. One of them happened to affect our chosen creek. It came in the form of unrelenting precipitation, which pushed our little creek to unimaginable levels. The resulting rage of water resculpted the creek bed and reshaped the banks while grabbing up all the fallen trees within reach and sending them roaring as a seething, boiling mass right on down the channel. Some formed what will become new brush piles at intervals along the banks, and some of it piled up against a little bridge that carries one of the area’s bike trails over the creek. It’s a wonder that the bridge survived.
But we didn’t understand that yet, not firsthand anyway.
And then comes the appointed day.
“Let’s go!” she says. “I hear fish calling my name!”
So, we make our way to the creek. We pull off Sixes Road and into the parking area and then rig up the fly rods and put on the wading shoes. Then we walk down to the trail toward the water, which soon comes into view.
And there we stop. Our creek, familiar as ever, is oddly unfamiliar, too. There’s flowing water more or less where flowing water has always been, but the flow and
the contours and the very shape of the landscape is…what?
It is different. Hurricanes turn things upside down, and “different” is what remains.
“Well,” she says at last.
Sure enough. Where once there had been a graveled riffle, there is now a long, slow pool. And yonder, where there had been an undercut bank, there is now a shallow expanse of rocks and pebbles and sand. Once-wadable spots are now deep. Formerly deep spots now barely tickle our ankles. The old order changeth, sure enough, yielding an entirely new landscape that’s as foreign as it is vaguely familiar. It is disorienting. It’ll take a while to figure this out, I think to myself. It’ll take a minute to internalize what we are seeing. We stand there for a bit just taking it in.
“I wonder,” I say after a moment, “where are the fish?”
That part, at least, should be easy enough to figure out.
It takes her only a minute to ready her fly rod. She checks the fly, then deftly flicks the small pink foam spider toward a brand-new deep spot near a jumble of storm-tossed debris.
Does it hold fish? It does. One of them drifts nonchalantly up from the depths and, without hesitation, takes the fly. A moment later she unhooks the fish and releases it, saying, “Well, that’s one!”
We continue fishing this oncefamiliar creek, finding newness around every bend. And there are lots of fish too. I’m glad they didn’t all wash away. The storm doesn’t seem to have bothered them much at all, though I do wonder what they think about having their collective living rooms completely redone.
We fish into the early evening, finally stopping in time to catch the dollar oysters at the Salty Mule in Canton.
We make our way back upstream, returning at last to the battered bridge.
And that’s when we meet Wendy and Jennifer.
These ladies, it turns out, are moms of two bike team members who are at that very moment enjoying a ride on the area’s network of bike trails. But rather than simply sitting while their kids are riding, Wendy and Jennifer are instead cleaning up the creek. You see, the same high water that changed everything so thoroughly also washed plastic bottles, old flip-flops, halfdeflated basketballs, and goodness knows what else into the creek, distributing it along the creek bed in what can only be described as a riparian rapture of oddly artistic randomness.
Owner John Hogan & Designer Bobbie Kohm
OPINION
P.L. Moss made mark on historic Dunwoody business nerve center
The home of P.L. (Perry Lee) Moss was across the road from the P.L. Moss store in the 1920s and ’30s. The store was in the triangle which is today formed by Nandina Lane, Mt. Vernon Road and Chamblee Dunwoody Road. The house was on the west side of the triangle.
The area near the Dunwoody Depot along Chamblee Dunwoody Road developed into a small village of homes and businesses during the era of the Roswell Railroad, from 1881 until 1921.
The triangle was as full then as it is today. In the 1920s, the triangle was also the location of the Dunwoody public well, a blacksmith shop and another store which may have been the Cheek Nash Store. Cephas Spruill operated the blacksmith shop. (“Story of Dunwoody,1821-1975, Elizabeth L. Davis and Ethel W. Spruill)
Different people have shared different memories of where the Cheek Nash store was located. It may have been inside the triangle, or it may have also been just west of the triangle.
According to the recollections of Ken Anderson, the Moss home stood across from the triangle, where a small office building was built in the 1970s. His Aunt Kathryne Carpenter drew a map out for the family to show the location of homes and businesses. This is the location of Moondog Growlers, Ernie’s Barber Shop and other businesses today. It is also the former location of the Dunwoody Crier offices.
P.L. Moss was born in Cobb County in 1862 and married Leana Dean in 1888.
The P. L. Moss home stood on the west side of Nandina Lane in Dunwoody across from the family owned store.
Dean was born in 1868 in Atlanta. By 1898, the couple were living in Dunwoody and running their store. (Receipt from Anderson family collection)
Farther north on the west side of Chamblee Dunwoody Road was Dr. Puckett’s home and pharmacy. He also owned a livery stable and fertilizer store in this same stretch of the road.
When the railroad was discontinued, followed by the Great Depression, the vibrant business district began to falter.
Sue Kirby Jameson, born in 1910, writes in her memoir, “As I Recall, Volume 2,” of July 4th celebrations taking place, “…right in the heart of town between Burnham’s Store and the old post office, in front of the public well, near Dr. Puckett’s store and Spruill’s blacksmith shop. Dr. Nathan Strickland later took over Puckett’s medical practice.
Andrew Needham Burnham lived in this same area and worked as a merchant, according to the 1930 census. He may have taken over the P.L. Moss store.
Later in their lives, P.L. and Leana Moss moved to Old Powers Ferry Road in Sandy Springs. Both were members of Crossroads Primitive Baptist Church and are buried in the church cemetery.
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.
“Now I hear oysters calling my name,” my wife says – for the now-short walk back to the car.
Continued from Page 10
But artistic or not, it’s still a mess – and these ladies are doing their part to clean things up. They have already filled a big, white plastic bag with trash. Now Jennifer is knee-deep in the water going for more, this time targeting a foam sandal that bobs gently in the current a yard or two upstream.
While Jennifer looks for a way through the flotsam, we chat for a while, talking about things like kids and creeks and church and post-storm clean-up. There are times, it occurs to me, when those last two might be pretty much the same thing. After a while we turn back to the trail –
On the way, we do a little tabulating.
“How did you do?” she asks presently. I knew that was coming.
“Oh, about a dozen,” I say, adding at last, “And you?”
“Twenty-one,” she says.
I knew that was coming, too, and the thought of it all warms my soul.
Steve Hudson is an award-winning outdoor writer who loves sharing the fun of exploring Georgia’s outdoors. You’ll enjoy his recently published Second Edition of Chattahoochee Trout, which covers all of the trout water of Georgia’s storied Chattahoochee River. It’s available from many outdoor shops or from flybooks.net.
info@bloomandfruit.com
PHOTO FROM THE ANDERSON FAMILY COLLECTION
VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist
100 most influential people
RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com
Here’s my continuing list of people and things that have impacted our world.
No. 11 Tylenol Poisonings.
In 1982 someone laced Tylenol with potassium cyanide and a number of people died. After the poisonings, tamper-proof packaging for over-the-counter drugs and many other consumables became standard world-wide. Small acts by individuals can have world-wide impact.
No. 12. The girdle and its evolution. The evolution of the girdle is a great example of “change” and the cyclical nature of life! Girdles and corsets have been around since ancient times and were used for body management, fashion, health and protection (The Romans used leather girdles during war as body armor). Over time, the function – and form of the “girdle” – evolved from the historical “analog” form (canvas, cloth, draw strings, etc.) to more modern “digital” forms, including gastric bypass surgery, high-tech diet foods, synthesized diet drugs, and most recently, diet injections (Ozempic, Wegoby, and others). And while all this “digital” evolution was going on, the girdle was reinvented as “analog” yet again –by a woman named Sara Blakely who became a billionaire with her analog invention of a several thousand-year-old product. She called it Spanx. And the cycle keeps turning. Whatever happened to fruits, vegetables and exercise?
No. 13. Keith Richards. Now that Rolling Stone Keith has turned 80 in spite of his lifelong (since he was a toddler?) consumption of scotch, heroine, Marlboros, and who knows what else, and noting that he has also outlived fitness guru Richard Simmons, we can all forget everything that our doctors have told us!! Kidding.
No. 14. The Whistleblowers. As society grows, becomes larger, more complex, more networked, and less transparent, who or what has had greater impact than the whistleblowers? From people like Mark Felt who helped bring down a president (Watergate’s “deep throat”), to Frank Serpico (corruption in New York City Police Department) to Ron Ridenhour (Mai Lai Viet Nam massacre) to Karen Silkwood (toxic conditions and contamination at a Kerr-McGee nuclear plant), to Ralph Nader (who took on car safety and GM) to Rachael Carson (whose book “Silent Spring” helped end the use of DDT) the whistleblowers too often function as the only remaining check to organizational malfeasance and societal suicide.
No. 15. Harry Potter. What can you say –- more than 600 million copies sold worldwide, movies, theme parks, plays and more. The Harry Potter franchise, including merchandising, is estimated to have taken in over $35 billion to date. So, is Harry Potter important though? Money is not always “the” measure of value. Perhaps Harry Potter is important and impactful because it shines a spotlight on what most of us collectively value, need and long for –membership, justice, loyalty, love and joy. The scale of the dollars taken in by the Harry Potter franchise perhaps reflects the degree of our need and desire for these things.
No. 16. The internet. It “is” information and approaches “all” information. However, we humans have a very finite capacity to use/process information. Yes, the internet has changed everything for everyone, but what it has not changed is our needs, something that it cannot provide (See No.15). What it cannot provide is a constant that will never change. That is the danger of the internet as we collectively incorporate it deeper and broader into our lives.
No. 17. Art. Art is also a “whistleblower” –humanity’s whistleblower. Kurt Vonnegut, Gunter Grass, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Pablo Picasso, TS Elliot, WH Auden, Bob Dylan and so many more. Art impacts our lives in so many ways. It shines a spotlight on the past; it preserves history; it warns about the future; it is part of our “check and balance” for the human race.
Honorable Mention: Woodstock. Three days of peace, love and music Aug. 15-18 in 1969 on Max Yasgur’s 700-acre farm. Changed the world! Nope. Didn’t change anything. I had a friend who was there. He always carried his ticket to Woodstock in his wallet and for the next 40 years (or more) would bring it out and show anyone and everyone who would listen to him (usually drunk). That about sums up Woodstock. Other than a hell of a party with a ton of great – and later iconic music – it didn’t move our needle, not even a little.
No. 18. Social media. I hate including this. But it is low-hanging fruit. It reminds me of a fruit that has almost no nutritional value, like maybe watermelon. It reminds me of opium and alcohol, too, things used as weapons – the former, against the Chinese (1839 and 1856 Opium Wars) by the British and the French who forced the Chinese to legalize opium and the opium trade (into China), and the latter by “society” in general against the native Indian populations in the frontier West/Inuits in Alaska. Social media seems fundamentally to be corrosive, toxic and with minimal relative redeeming value of any kind to any society.
No. 19. Mr. Musk. Well, he is for sure hard to ignore, and it would be hard to deny his impact on us or the world, at least in relative terms during this miniscule infinitesimally tiny span of time that we call “our life.” Perhaps, however, his new product, the self-driving rideshare Teslas, may be representative of a bigger, greater than a drop-in-the-bucket impact on “us.” AI-driven, I think we are seeing in live time what AI is really going to be like. When a self-driven rideshare Tesla gets into an accident, who does the cop give the ticket to? Who goes to jail? Whose license is suspended? Extrapolate these issues to the AI-driven robots and systems that are and will be running just about everything – now and soon. Buckle up.
No. 20 The billionaires. We are now dealing with companies owned/controlled by billionaires that are functioning, for all practical purposes, like nation states, above and basically outside the jurisdiction / reach of country-specific laws and norms. This is a situation that will fundamentally drive macro change soon. Government and corporations controlled by billionaires functioning as nation-states are incompatible. One or the other will have to go away or at least submit. Buckle up.
Trees:
Continued from Page 1
To guarantee the quality that keeps customers coming back for generations, Big John’s growers harvest trees as late in the season as possible, and the family ensures each is handled and maintained to preserve freshness and structure.
Each year, the Livaditis family visits its growing partners across North America to hand-pick and inspect Christmas trees.
They have more than just the classic Fraser Fir. Other varieties include Douglas, Balsam, Concolor, Blue Spruce, White Pine, Scotch Pine, Korean, Nordmann and Noble Firs.
Big John Livaditis (1918-1995) was an Iowa native and the son of Greek immigrants. The entrepreneur eventually made his way to Atlanta after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, spending time as a Golden Glove boxer and driver for Gen. Mark Clark.
John Livaditis got the nickname “Big” for his hulking frame and largerthan life personality.
Planting the seed for success
A little more than 75 years ago, a grower approached Big John at his first Zesto’s restaurant off Peachtree Road with an opportunity to sell Christmas trees on his property.
In 1949, Zesto was just an ice cream shop. Big John had yet to expand the business across Metro Atlanta to include a drive-through and menu with hotdogs, burgers and fries.
Both businesses took off.
By the mid-1990s, Big John’s Christmas Trees was standard-bearer of Christmas trees in Metro Atlanta with 22 lots across the region.
Big John’s two sons, Jimbo and Lee, ran the business together for years.
After Lee passed away in 2016, Jimbo Livaditis kept things running with wife Leigh Ann and their three children John II, Lucas and Anastasia.
Leigh Ann Livaditis, Jimbo’s wife and vice president of Big John’s Christmas Trees and Zestos, said she wants customers to know how rare it’s becoming to have career growers as partners.
“Every year, we are blown away by how lucky we are to access the fields our grower friends allow us to enter,” Leigh Ann said. “Some of these farmers are the grandkids of the grower that Big John initially did business with.”
Tagging the best
The Livaditis family took two trips leading up to this year’s season, one through North Carolina and Michigan and the other to Prince Edwards Island, Canada.
The 2,400-mile tagging excur -
their 2018 Christmas card photo at Big John’s Christmas Trees Buckhead lot. Big John Livaditis’ family is celebrating 75 years of creating memorable experiences for Metro Atlantans looking for the perfect tree.
From left, Jimbo and Anastasia Livaditis make a stop on their way to Prince Edward Island, Canada, in September to check quality and tag the best trees for the 75th year of Big John’s Christmas Trees. For three generations, the Livaditis family has been selling Metro Atlanta’s finest Christmas trees with their unrivaled customer service.
sion to Michigan in mid-October came with just under a month until the first truckload arrives at Big John’s main lot off West Paces Ferry Road across from the Atlanta History Center.
Jimbo brings along his children, now in their 20s, for the same trips he took with his brother and father decades ago.
Big John’s sells more than its staggering collection of Christmas trees. Other products and services include wreaths, garland and roping, commercial grade stands, lights and “Just in
the Time of Nick” delivery and installation.
Jimbo’s eldest John II, who works for Dunwoody-based DASH Hospitality, has pitched in since he was 6. Today, he manages and handles the building of each lot, designs custom equipment and knows all of the special-order customers and exactly what they want.
“John has been attuned to all the evolutionary changes of the lots and their set up,” Leigh Ann said. “Jimbo and now all of the kids will travel together and tag trees in the growers' fields and mountains, sometimes with a customer's name.”
Back in Buckhead, the youngest Livaditis, Anastasia, sets up the retail front, orders merchandise, handles inventory and ordering. As an assistant manager at the main lot, she runs a tight ship cashiering, helping customers and scheduling employees and deliveries.
Grandson talks business
Jimbo’s second oldest Lucas Livaditis, works full-time as a mergers and acquisition analyst at SENTA Partners. Still, the holiday season means one thing for his family.
“Lucas is very involved in the business behind the scenes and also with tree pricing, sales, delivery and wherever he can fit some time in with his full-time job,” Leigh Ann said. “He is an invaluable financial adviser.”
Lucas said the fourth quarter of each year in the Livaditis family is dedicated to running his grandfather’s business. Quality over quantity. People before profit. Most importantly, good old manual labor.
It’s a lot of work and long nights.
“We definitely feel we have a responsibility to the city and the people we’ve been serving for so long who knew my grandfather,” he said. “It’s definitely a relationship thing.”
When customers who bought trees from his grandfather bring their families to the lot and shower compliments, it makes it all worth it for the family.
Big John’s Christmas Trees is a community institution because of the relationships the Livaditis family has maintained for three generations. They invite prospective customers looking to join the tradition.
“We are grateful for all of the people that come out each year ... whether it's a regular bringing their grandkids or a new customer who has never had a real tree,” Leigh Ann said. “When they post a photo and tag us, we are thrilled to see where the trees found a home.”
For information about locations, hours of operations and all things tree care, visit www.bigjohnstrees. com or call 678-672-0398.
PATH400:
Continued from Page 3
The other 20 percent comes from Sandy Springs’ portion of 2021 TSPLOST funds.
Allen Johnson, TSPLOST Program Manager, told the Sandy Springs City Council May 21 he estimates segments one and three will take about three years for construction.
When completed, PATH400 will stretch nearly 8 miles from the Morningside neighborhood in Midtown Atlanta to the cities of Sandy Springs and Dunwoody at Ga. 400 and I-285.
Future connections to trail networks in Sandy Springs and Dunwoody are anticipated along Peachtree Dunwoody Road, Hammond Drive and Mount Vernon Highway, which would further extend the multi-use path.
The Atlanta Beltline received a $25 million federal grant for construction of a connection to PATH400 expected to get underway in 2028.
With regional trail networks in Metro Atlanta starting to take shape, ensuring local paths connect with larger corridors, like PATH400, the Big Creek Greenway and the Atlanta Beltline, will be a funding priority, according to the Atlanta Regional Commission.
In other business Nov. 19, the City Council approved the name of a future roadway, connecting Johnson Ferry Road to Mount Vernon Highway as a part of the corridors’ improvement projects now underway.
The future roadway, Spruill Lane, between Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church and the Sandy Springs Library will split the property in half, possibly connecting into Vernon Trace.
The Spruill family, well known across Ga. 400 in Dunwoody, made their way from South Carolina into Georgia during 1820-21 land lotteries. The family was also a founding member of several United Methodist churches in Metro Atlanta.
Their influence in the area spans two centuries.
The City Council approved the purchase of the property at 441 Mount Vernon Highway in January 2023.
Doris Waddell Spruill (1927-2021) lived in the former home on the property, which the city earmarked for the roadway nearly seven years ago.
The eastern half of the property is being donated to the church, and the western half contains the right-of-way needed for the new roadway.
City Councilwoman Jody Reichel, who visited Doris Waddell Spruill and her family before her death, said it’s fitting and an honor to name the street after such a “beautiful, wonderful person.”
BIG JOHN’S CHRISTMAS TREES/PROVIDED Clockwise from top left, John II, Anastasia, Lucas, Jimbo and Leigh Ann Livaditis take
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON TIP YOUR NEWSPAPER DELIVERY PERSON
Your local community newspaper lands in your driveway every week—rain or shine—bringing you the stories, events, and updates that matter most. But did you know that the person delivering it is often a dedicated individual who goes the extra mile (literally) to ensure you stay connected?
Why Tip?
• Show Appreciation: Your delivery person is out there early in the morning or late at night, navigating all kinds of weather, so you can enjoy the news with your morning coffee.
• Support Local Efforts: While the paper might be free, the effort behind it isn’t. Tipping helps reward those who keep this vital community service running smoothly.
• Brighten Their Day: A small tip can make a big difference in someone’s day, showing gratitude for their hard work and dedication.
If you enjoy receiving your free community newspaper, consider giving a small token of appreciation to the person who brings it to your driveway. A little kindness can go a long way!
Thank you for supporting your local delivery heroes!
How to give your delivery person a tip:
Give via the online portal at appenmedia.com/deliverytip or scan this QR Code
If you prefer, you can also mail a check made out to Appen Media Group and mail it to Newspaper Delivery Tip C/O Appen Media Group, 319 North Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009
100% of every dollar you contribute will be spread out evenly between the 24 newspaper delivery people that Appen Media employs. Whether you give $5 or $50, they will greatly appreciate it. 1 2
