Police offer gun safety for Jewish community ► PAGE 3 D e c e m b e r 2 1 , 2 0 2 3 | A p p e n M e d i a . c o m | A n A p p e n M e d i a G r o u p P u b l i c a t i o n | 5 0 ¢ | Vo l u m e 2 , N o . 5 1
Sandy Springs logs scores of staff exits since start of year Assistant city manager quits after three months By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The City of Sandy Springs finds itself short on a host of staff positions, including a couple of key posts. However, there is no precise accounting of how many positions are vacant because the city won’t discuss it. An open records request turned up 45 letters of resignation since February, but there is no way to determine how many employees left without leaving a note. Assistant City Manager Leonard Housley resigned July 6 after three months on the job. According to public records, the city agreed to provide Housley with a threemonth severance package totaling $47,196.06, or $15,732.03 per month. Housley’s annual salary was set at $185,000. His severance package exceeds his monthly salary because of a car allowance and insurance benefits. “Housley has chosen to voluntarily resign from his position in exchange for the city’s agreement to provide severance pay that is above and beyond what the city otherwise provides,” the severance agreement states. It also prohibits Housley from
See PERSONNEL, Page 4
CITY SPRINGS THEATRE COMPANY/PROVIDED
Faux snow falls onto the cast of “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” during the final musical number of the second act, “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.” The audience sang along with the cast throughout the matinee Dec. 10.
Record crowds attend Byers Theatre for Irving Berlin’s Christmas classic By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The cast
and crew of City Springs Theatre Company’s production of “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” put their own twist on the 1954 film starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. The film tells the story of Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, a famous songand-dance duo, who unexpectedly find themselves at their former commanding officer’s Vermont lodge. Wallace and Davis team up with Betty and Judy Haynes, a sister act, to put on a Christmas show and save the
lodge from bankruptcy. Set in 1954, the musical film follows two sets of characters as they grapple with romance and the stress of putting on a show. While the Christmas classic was the highest-grossing film of 1954, the musical did not hit Broadway until 2008. The musical first premiered in 2000 at the St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre. You can sing along to your favorite Christmas songs by Irving Berlin or watch premier tap dancing at the Byers Theatre at the Sandy Springs Arts Center.
Natalie DeLancey, executive director of City Springs Theatre Company, said audiences have been loving the “perfect Holiday production.” “Based on demand, and after the success of our recent productions of ‘Spamalot,’ ‘Cats’ and ‘Fiddler on the Roof,’ we’re extending the run of ‘Irving Berlin’s White Christmas’ to include an additional five performances,” DeLancey said. “Having the gifted Sara Edwards back to both direct and choreograph the show ensures that we’re giving our audiences the Broadway-tier production they’ve come
See IRVING, Page 7
PUBLIC SAFETY
2 | December 21, 2023 | Sandy Springs Crier | AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs
Sandy Springs offers different police narratives 770-442-3278 AppenMedia.com 319 N. Main Street Alpharetta, GA 30009 HANS APPEN Publisher CONTACT NEWS TIPS Contact reporters directly or send story ideas to newsroom@appenmedia.com. LETTERS, EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Send your letters, events and community news to newsroom@appenmedia.com. See appenmedia.com/submit for more guidance. ADVERTISING For information about advertising in the Sandy Springs Crier or other Appen Media properties, email advertising@appenmedia.com or call 770-442-3278. CIRCULATION To start, pause or stop delivery of this newspaper, email circulation@appenmedia.com or call 770-442-3278.
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The City of Sandy Springs has an online Week in Review dashboard that offers updates from different departments. The page refreshes each week. Occasionally, the city will post archives of the report. The Dec. 1 document describes an event in which police officers responded to someone allegedly locked in the bathroom at Lost Corners Park. The dashboard account, captured by Appen Media but not currently available on the city’s website, goes on to state that while police attempted to arrest the suspect, the person fought back. Eventually the “officer was able to subdue subject by taking them to the ground and then into custody.” Through the Open Records Act, Appen Media requested a copy of the police incident report associated with that exchange. The provided document, which is supposed to be an account of what took place when an officer responds to a scene, shares a thinner narrative. That report features just one sentence: “On November 22, 2023, I responded to 7300 Brandon Mill Rd. Sandy Springs, Ga 30328 in response to being dispatched for a Welfare Check at the location.” This shorter format is similar to other incident reports provided to Appen
By the book Initial incident reports and arrest reports are subject to release under Georgia’s Open Records Act, regardless of whether a case is pending investigation. In an email to Appen Media, Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Colangelo writes, “A commonsense interpretation of ‘initial incident report’ is that anything written at the same time as the first part of the report is part of the initial incident report.”
Media. Through other means including separate Open Records Act requests filed months later, Appen Media has been able to obtain full versions of some of those reports. Shown above at right is an example of one of these complete narratives. The newspaper contends that these full versions exist for each report and the city is unlawfully withholding them. The incident report provided to Appen Media concerning the Brandon Mill Road park incident also includes the code for a felony obstruction charge. Appen Media also requested any associated arrest reports, but the city did not furnish them, indicating that either an arrest was not made for a felony or the city was violating the Open Records Act.
APPEN MEDIA OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS
Above is the one-sentence narrative provided by Sandy Springs about an incident that took place on Brandon Mill Road. Below is an example of a much longer description for a different event.
About the story Appen Media will continue its efforts to hold the City of Sandy Springs accountable to state transparency law. Support the fight at appenmedia.com/openrecords
Lawsuit update Appen Media and the Sandy Springs Crier filed a lawsuit against the City of Sandy Springs in May, alleging the newspaper has
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deposed witnesses and met with Fulton County Superior Court officials. Both parties have also attended mediation.
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Sandy Springs hosts gun safety course amid rising sales in Jewish community Antisemitic threats reported around north Metro Atlanta By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Sandy Springs Police Department offered a gun safety class for its Jewish population late last month after more than 200 people expressed interest. “Since the Israel-Hamas conflict began a couple of months ago, members in our Jewish community have inquired about the class to learn more about gun laws along with weapon safety and handling,” Sandy Springs Public Information Officer Sgt. Leon Millholland wrote in an email to Appen Media. Millholland said police offer a public handgun safety class for all Sandy Springs citizens every other month. When requested, Millholland said the department offers the course to specific groups and organizations in the city. He said there were 18 participants between two classes Nov. 22. The request for gun safety classes tracks with a rise in gun sales among Jewish people around the country,
fearing for their safety amid a rise in antisemitism after the war broke out in Israel and Gaza. From Oct. 7 to Oct. 23, the AntiDefamation League recorded a total of 312 antisemitic incidents — of those, 190 were “directly linked” to the IsraelHamas War. The group has also reported a rise in anti-Muslim hate, listing a sampling of close to 30 incidents from early October to late November. Alex Brill, an Alpharetta gun store employee, said he saw an increase in gun sales among his Israeli and Jewish patrons right after Oct. 7. “I would say that it’s definitely connected to the rise in antisemitism in the United States,” Brill said. Brill, who said he is pro two-state solution, served in the Israel Defense Forces for more than three years and has an Israeli citizenship. He said he ends up speaking Hebrew with his clients. “I can kind of tell when somebody has Israeli-accented English,” he said. Several antisemitic incidents have been reported around north Metro Atlanta since area police departments increased patrols at places of worship following Oct. 7. Most recently, a man in Johns Creek
allegedly threatened to blow up Target on State Bridge Road and kill Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to a monthly report in Dunwoody, a man went to the Marcus Jewish Community Center and asked “odd” questions, like how to become a member and if he could speak with someone from Israel who was fluent in Hebrew, then left the location. Roswell Police were also called to an incident involving antisemitic threats, a joint effort with the FBI. Millholland declined an interview of follow-up questions Appen Media had hoped to share with readers who either own a gun or are considering buying one. “The men and women of the Sandy Springs Police Department take great pride [in] engaging and educating our citizens on such important topics,” Millholland said, before he declined any further response. But, the National Shooting Sports Foundation has the basics covered: • Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. • Firearms should be unloaded when not actually in use. • Don’t rely on your gun’s safety. • Be sure of your target and what’s
• • • • • •
beyond it. Use correct ammunition. If your gun fails to fire when the trigger is pulled, handle with care. Always wear eye and ear protection when shooting. Be sure the barrel is clear of obstructions before shooting. Don’t alter or modify your gun, and have guns serviced regularly. Learn the mechanical and handling characteristics of the firearm you are using.
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4 | December 21, 2023 | Sandy Springs Crier | AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs
NEWS
Dunwoody journalist sues city for alleged violation By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com DUNWOODY, Ga. — A Dunwoody resident filed suit in DeKalb County Superior Court Oct. 31 alleging the City of Dunwoody and three city employees violated the Georgia Open Records Act. During public comment at the Oct. 30 City Council meeting, Joseph Hirsch, a longtime critic of the Dunwoody Police Department, said responsibility for the attrition rate among Dunwoody police officers can be laid at the feet of Chief Billy Grogan. Hirsch lobbed criticism at Grogan, City Manger Eric Linton and the Dunwoody City Council for failing to address concerns he has brought to the attention of the City Council over the years. Hirsch, a journalist, ran unsuccessfully for the City Council District 1 seat in 2017. Appen Media reached out to Dunwoody Communications Director
Jennifer Boettcher for comment on Hirsch’s lawsuit. “We cannot comment on pending litigation, but we want to make it clear that the City of Dunwoody complies with all applicable provisions of the Georgia Open Records Act,” Boettcher said. The legal action stems from an incident Oct. 13, 2021, involving Police Officer Minh Pham and the manager of an automotive store, Mr. Tire. A dispatch communication from Oct. 13 acknowledges the officer’s presence at the scene but no incident report was submitted about any altercation. Hirsch’s lawsuit alleges “Dunwoody Police Officer Minh Pham essentially held hostage a Mr. Tire store manager against his will by causing the store manager to believe he was being detained for failing to fix the officer’s wife’s personal car.” Hirsch said he began making open records requests for details regarding the incident Oct. 19, 2021. When Hirsch filed a request Oct. 28 for Pham’s text messages from 3 p.m.
Oct. 13 to 5 p.m. Oct. 14, the city’s record clerk said there were no such records available. The open records request was then closed. Hirsch individually named three city employees as defendants in his lawsuit: Technology Director Ginger LePage, Records Clerk Eric Shealy and City Clerk Sharon Lowry. Dustin Guwin, a former contractor with the city, contacted Hirsch July 22, 2022, with information regarding his Oct. 28, 2021, open records request. Hirsch’s lawsuit refers to Guwin as a whistleblower. In fall 2021, Lowry instructed Guwin to fill Hirsch’s open records request. According to the suit, Chief Grogan told Guwin that there were no messages on Pham’s phone from the requested period. Later, LePage showed Guwin four text messages from the period on Pham’s phone. “[LePage]… decided we’d rather not
Personnel: Continued from Page 1 any legal action against the city or its employees, barring claims for enforcement of the agreement. Overall, the severance package leaves all parties in good standing. The city was unresponsive when asked for more information about Housley’s departure and the severance package. “It is the city’s long-standing practice not to comment on personnel matters,” interim Communications Director Dan Coffer responded in an email. Sandy Springs lists two assistant city managers on its organizational chart. Assistant City Manager Kristin Smith oversees neighborhood services, including Community and Economic Development, Information Technology and Communications, Recreation and Parks and the Municipal Court. As Assistant City Manager of Infrastructure and Facilities, Housley oversaw Public Works and Facilities & Capital Construction. The position was posted on the city’s website and various job boards from Aug. 7-Nov. 21, according to Coffer. “Chris Owens will be the new Assistant City Manager for Infrastructure and Facilities,” Coffer wrote in an email Dec. 15. “Chris is a registered professional civil engineer in three states (Georgia, Ohio and Colorado) with more than 30 years of experience.”
CITY OF SANDY SPRINGS/PROVIDED
The City of Sandy Springs’ organizational chart in the budget for fiscal year 2024 shows the hierarchy of city staff. The city has not announced whether the Assistant City Manager of Infrastructure and Facilities position has been or will be filled. Coffer also said the former Alpharetta City councilmember will assume his role in early January. Housley’s resignation is one of nearly four dozen filed since February. The fiscal year 2024 budget lists 508 full-time positions. Another 75 are part-time or seasonal workers. Of Sandy Springs’ $65.1 million operating budget, more than 45 percent goes to pay employees’ salaries and benefits. Appen Media’s open records request
for all letters of resignation tendered by city staff in 2023 turned up a total of 45. It shows at least six clerks in different city departments resigned this year. Benjamin Yukishige, a records and permits clerk with the Sandy Springs Police Department, resigned March 16. Two clerks in the Municipal Court, Vanessa Angulo Santiago and Jhan Martinez, resigned a month later. Kamryn Johnson, another judicial clerk, resigned in July, followed by
go down the path that accuses Grogan or one of his officers of being… less than forthcoming,” Guwin said. “So, [LePage] told me to just forget [Lowry] had ever asked about it and that they report back to you that there were no texts during that time period, which I believe they did.” According to Hirsch’s lawsuit, the city and its employees “wrongfully failed to produce the records by claiming they did not exist, when, in fact, they did exist and do exist.” LePage, Lowry and Shealy are responsible for filling open records request in Dunwoody. Hirsch is asking that each defendant pay a $1,000 fine, the text messages be released and his attorney fees and litigation costs be covered. “Our Mayor and Council choose to look the other way as they don’t want to tarnish the image of Dunwoody,” Hirsch said. “However, it’s going to get uglier because of their failures… I have literally begged for their assistance, to no avail.” Senior Clerk Cassandra Butts Oct. 2. Assistant City Clerk Karina Reyna resigned Nov. 1. While the Municipal Court reports to Assistant City Manager Smith, the City Clerk Raquel Gonzales reports to City Manager Eden Freeman. There are 13 full-time positions on the city’s current openings page, including clerk positions in the Sandy Springs Municipal Court, City Clerk’s Office and the Sandy Springs Police Department. Eight part-time or seasonal positions are also listed, ranging from ice rink attendant to police officer. Other resignations include Purchasing Manager Charise Glass, Senior Management Analyst Samantha Dulac and Communications Director Andrew Allison. “My desire to leave is no reflection of some of the difficulties I have encountered during the past few months,” Allison wrote in his Oct. 2 resignation letter. “Rather, I actually feel like things have improved significantly and our office’s operations have been streamlined substantially since the beginning of the year.” The position is not listed on the city’s current openings page. Interim Communications Director Coffer received a 10 percent pay increase following Allison’s departure. Police warrants and records clerk Whitney Washington resigned in September citing “inadequate direct supervisory leadership and added stress” as the reason for her decision.
5 | December 21, 2023 | Sandy Springs Crier |
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6 | December 21, 2023 | Sandy Springs Crier | AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs
COMMUNITY
Alpharetta postmaster: ‘I almost feel like Santa Claus’ Post offices collect letters in 110-year-old program By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. — It’s the busiest time of the year for Alpharetta Postmaster Teara Smith and for the carriers she oversees across three locations. While the numbers haven’t been finalized, Smith said postal workers are “really feeling it” this year with a significant increase in parcels to push for zip codes that cover Alpharetta, Johns Creek and Milton. Among Smith’s personal duties are collecting letters to Santa, written by hopeful kids looking forward to filled requests. She recently had a stand-up talk with her employees to ensure all the letters have the names, addresses and stamps.
For those letters that don’t have a stamp, Smith pulls from her personal stamp collection. “Technically, we’re supposed to give it back,” she said. “But, it’s a child, and I’m a softy.” So far, Smith has sent more than 30 to Santa’s workshop. The program, Operation Santa, has been around for 110 years, but it wasn’t until 2019 that anyone in the country could adopt a letter online and respond to the writer. “It’s sweet, it’s thoughtful,” Smith said. “Christmas should be like that.” She said many of the carriers will dress up for the holiday, like one of her employees who drives a 2-ton delivery truck. He becomes Santa. Smith, who drives more than an hour from her Jefferson home to her Webb Bridge office, began her career with the U.S. Postal Service as a carrier almost 26 years ago. “My husband probably says, ‘You love that job too much’” Smith said.
AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA
Alpharetta Postmaster Teara Smith sits at her desk at the Webb Bridge Post Office. Smith, so far, has collected around 30 letters to Santa as part of a program that started more than 100 years ago. As of 2019, people from all over the country have been adopting these letters online and responding. “But I do. I get joy out of it, and this time of year, I really do — the customers, their kids. We connect them to their parcels, to their items.
It’s a joy you get out of it … I almost feel like Santa Claus.” Deliveries have increased since Smith joined the Postal Service, a time when Amazon wasn’t around. “Now, it’s a lot, but we enjoy delivering it,” she said. “This is our season. We look forward to it.” Around 70 million packages are expected to be processed each day across the country this holiday season, according to a U.S. Postal Service Nov. 21 press release, up from 60 million the year before. To accomplish the feat, the Postal Service also announced a goal to hire 10,000 seasonal employees in addition to the 150,000 employees who have converted to full-time positions in the past two years. In Alpharetta, Smith said schedules begin earlier to tackle holiday output. “Even though it may be a lot, we’re pushing,” she said. “We’re getting it to them the same day.”
Fencers gain confidence at top-ranked Innovation Academy By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The Innovation Academy fencing club is dominating state rankings at a school dominated by academics. Opened in 2021, Innovation Academy on Milton Avenue in Alpharetta is a STEM magnet school where students can hone their skills in engineering, health sciences and information technology. The school only has one Georgia High School Association sport: eSports. Despite the lack of a strong athletic presence, the school joined the Georgia High School Fencing League on behalf of its growing fencing club. Now, Innovation Academy is ranked number one in both the men and the women categories of the league’s 19 member schools, and its team boasts more than 80 members, compared to the average high school team of 25 to 35. The club is led by head coach Bill Donges, a retired Navy captain who started his own fencing career at Newfield High School in Selden, New York. There, he fenced under famed Coach Tom Cakouros and went on to become captain. In addition to his career at Newfield, Donges served as fencing captain at the U.S. Naval Academy. “I was on gifted teams and did really well,” he said. “We did really
Weekend win The Innovation Academy fencing team placed first in the fourth tournament of the season against Milton, Dunwoody, Decatur, Lambert and North Springs high schools Dec. 9.
SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA
Innovation Academy fencing club head coach Bill Donges addresses his women athletes at the start of practice Dec. 7. Donges’ granddaughter Anna Donges, at right, is the highest ranked female fencer on the team and second overall in the Georgia High School Fencing League.
well.” But, Donges said he went many years without thinking about fencing until seeing a local tournament in the Dunwoody Crier. There, he said people asked him to take up coaching, and soon Donges found himself heading the team at North Springs High School. Donges began at the newly opened Innovation Academy in 2021. His granddaughter Anna Donges, who had fenced under his guidance at North Springs, now studies and fences at Innovation Academy. Another former fencer at North Springs, Tyler McCubbins, also joined
Senior team captain Anna Donges received the gold medal for women. Junior team captain Eric Zhang placed first for men, and Krishiv Patel won the silver medal. Innovation Academy retains its number one ranking in the Georgia High School Fencing League. Donges at Innovation Academy to serve as assistant coach. Every Thursday, Donges clears the tables and chairs from the cafeteria just before the final bell rings. Innovation Academy lacks a gym, so the 15 strips for practice are laid out in the cafeteria. Practice begins at 4:30 p.m. when Tones and I’s “Dance Monkey” begins playing from a large speaker. After warm-ups, Donges and the team’s eight captains deliver remarks to prepare the fencers before tournaments. Senior captain Rebecca Hahn said she was new to fencing when she
joined the team as a sophomore, but she immediately found friends and a community through the sport. Hahn said fencing with the team taught her self confidence and how to value herself. “I value myself more because fencing helps you kind of figure out who you are as a person, because it makes you confront how you would react under pressure,” she said. Now in her third year on the team, Hahn is ranked sixth in the Fencing League’s womens individual standings and second in the Innovation club. “I wanted to teach new people how to fence so they could become confident and find friends and a community like I did because I love this team,” Hahn said. “I love the effort they put in. I love their team spirit.” Donges emphasized fencing is more than a physical sport. It combines strategy with quick thinking. The Innovation club’s discipline, epee, opens the entirety of an opponent’s body to strikes, which forces fencers to consider their opponent’s moves to land the first one. Donges’ granddaughter Anna is the highest ranked female fencer on the team and second overall in the High School Fencing League. She is also a senior captain. She said she always longed for a fencing team experience, but she was
See FENCING, Page 8
COMMUNITY
Irving:
AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs | Sandy Springs Crier | December 21, 2023 | 7
Continued from Page 1 to expect.” “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” has been City Springs Theatre Company’s highest-selling show to date, DeLancey said. From Dec. 8 to Dec. 24, the Byers Theatre at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center will host one show Wednesday through Friday and two performances Saturday and Sunday. “We recommend that audiences get those tickets purchased as soon as possible,” DeLancey said. “There won’t be many left.” The creative team behind City Springs Theatre Company’s production includes Sara Edwards, director and choreographer; Jesse Warkentin, music director; Mike Wood, lighting designer; Anthony Narciso, sound designer; and Shay Holihan, stage manager. Edwards returned to Sandy Springs after directing a production of “Anything Goes” last season at the Byers Theatre. While she has returned to New York City to work on Broadway’s “Harmony” as an assistant director and choreographer, Edwards will be back in July 2024 for “Jersey Boys.” Edwards lives in New York City with
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
Guests at the Dec. 10 matinee of “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” peruse the Byer Theatre’s selection of concessions, including snacks, cocktails and coffee. The City Springs Theatre Company’s production of “White Christmas” will run until Dec. 24. her husband and two sons. She met Shuler Hensley on Broadway during her work as an assistant choreographer on Broadway’s “The Music Man.” Hensley, artistic director for the City Springs Theatre Company, played Marcellus Washburn in the 2022 production. “We just became friends during the
rehearsal process, and I knew he was a part of a great theater in the upper Atlanta area,” Edwards said. When Edwards came to direct and choreograph “Anything Goes,” Hensley and the City Springs Theatre Company asked her to come back for “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas.” “When it came to casting, City
Springs is very interested in nurturing their theatrical community,” Edwards said. Kyle Robert Carter, a veteran of the Byers Theatre, worked with Edwards on “Anything Goes” last year. When it came time to find someone to play Bob Wallace, Edwards tapped Carter for Bing Crosby’s legendary role. Julio Rey, who plays Danny Kaye’s Phil Davis, was the only actor Edwards pulled from New York. In 2018, after just two performances in the inaugural season, City Springs Theatre Company recognized the need for a conservatory to provide training for young people in the performing arts. Gigi McClenning plays General Henry Waverly's granddaughter, Susan Waverly. Jenna Gamerl, the Conservatory’s education director, said she has been involved with the City Springs Theatre Conservatory since she was 9 years old. McClenning joined the preprofessional company in 2021 and made her City Springs Theatre Company debut on Dec. 8. At the Dec. 10 matinee, nobody received louder cheers than the 12-yearold McClenning. “I made a big deal of her in front of the rest of the company,” Edwards said. “It’s not an easy job to be a kid like that in a show full of grownups.”
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8 | December 21, 2023 | Sandy Springs Crier | AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs
COMMUNITY
Artists celebrate 20th anniversary of Roswell’s Works in Clay Show By LUKE GARDNER newsroom@appenmedia.com ROSWELL, Ga. — The 20th Anniversary Works in Clay Show is being held at Art Center West through Saturday, Dec. 9, and features works from around 50 local artists. Opening night kicked off Nov. 30, with hundreds of people on hand to celebrate the week-long tradition. Visitors were greeted by an intimate band outside before heading in the center to enjoy free food and wine while viewing thousands of artworks displayed in a museum-style showcase. “I didn’t know how big the event was,” visitor Sommer Sparrow said. “I love experiencing the creativity; It’s nothing you can find in a store.” Artworks included cups, bowls, mugs, candle holders, flower pots, sculptures, ornaments, abstract pottery and jewelry. A few booths featured knives, axes and metalwork made by blacksmiths at Art Center West. “It’s been a fabulous night,” artist Jennifer Squires said. “You wouldn’t believe the crowd; it has been over the top, crazy busy. I’m working as a docent and pieces are flying out of here.” Every featured pottery artist belongs to the Roswell Clay Collective, a group of local creatives formed in 1991. “We started in a couple of rooms,” said Art Center West Coordinator AJ Argentina. “Now, we spread to the point of being maxed out, packing in as tight as we can in a 5,000-squarefoot space. The show has diversified and there has been a surge of new interest.” Argentina began as a resident artist 19 years ago and has gone on to showcase work in 39 various shows, including this year’s Works in Clay. His work featured a few functional glasses but mostly included black, grey and cream-colored sculptures comprised of swirling, geometric patterns. “I love supporting independent artists,” said shopper Ellen Dierkes. “All the artists did such a good job. I bought some beautiful, unique pieces.”
Fencing: Continued from Page 6 not certain she could start a team at Innovation Academy because of its lack of sports. After the school approved fencing
Squires, who has been creating pottery for almost eight years, also displayed her work at the event. Her table featured several pieces from her shop, Haven Made Ceramics, including bowls and mugs in every size. Color palettes ranged from more understated earth tones to pieces with bright hues of red, green and blue. “I get so lost in the art of throwing,” Squires said. “It moves with you as you learn how to do it. The rest of the world goes away. There is so much gratitude in creating something from dirt.” In a separate room, artist Kathy
King stood next to her booth proudly displaying ornaments, serving dishes and decor incorporating natural elements like birds and flowers in shades of blue and green. In her 19year journey with the collective, King has been at almost every Works in Clay event and has transformed from beginner to teacher. “I started doing pottery after a break of 29 years,” King said. “I bought a pottery wheel my senior year, put it away, and started over again 30 years later. Now, I love teaching [and] creating any kind of form out of that
lump of clay. [At these events,] I enjoy seeing older clients and it’s fun to meet new people.” Patrons also enjoyed meeting local artists. “I like seeing stuff people create with their own hands and hearing the artists talking about their work,” Aleah Irvin said. Artist Jim Neal has been creating work with the Roswell Clay Collective for around 30 years. His booth showcased mugs, vases, bowls, lamps, and several larger otherworldly sculptures. Incorporating ancient imagery of dragons and skulls, Neal enjoys playing on the edge of reality and paying homage to spiritual experiences with his art. For Neal, the creative process is one of discovery, often finding shapes and inspiration along the way. He pointed to an ethereal winged-skull creature and proclaimed “This started out as a tail [for something else]. “You sit down and take a piece of clay, put it on the wheel and start throwing it’” Neal said. “Then, your mind goes ‘That could be a dragon or a cat,’ and you go from there. You make a potato shape and start sticking on eyes and arms, and suddenly you’ve got a face with a crown.” In a room across the building, Neal excitedly displayed sculptures made at local children’s art festivals. The eclectic pieces started with Neal crafting the base and children making smaller ornamental pieces to adorn it with. The final products are a unique collection of five avant-garde pieces, complete with eyes, seashells, dragon skulls, and creatures beyond human comprehension. “I’ve been to just about all of the Works in Clay events,” Neal said. “It’s wonderful; we always have great opening nights. You get to know so many different people and get to watch them grow in their artwork. It’s been really rewarding.” The show runs from 3-8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4 through Thursday, Dec. 7, and from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8. The show runs from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9. For more information, visit roswellclaycollective.com.
as a club, she found the experience she was looking for, and she said she has loved watching her fellow fencers grow. “One of the aspects that I really wanted was a team part of it,” Anna Donges said. “So, as an individual fencer, even outside the league, you have teams, but it’s very individual.
You don’t always have people behind your back and stuff. So, I wanted the team experience, and this team has really delivered with that.” Anna Donges said one of the most rewarding aspects of her experience is seeing fencers who had never touched a sword be awarded medals beside her.
Bill Donges expressed a similar sentiment. Although he loves watching his team win, he said the real joy is seeing his students grow. He hopes for his fencers to be confident in themselves and become leaders on and off the strip. “I want them to be leaders in everything they do,” he said.
PHOTOS BY LUKE GARDNER/APPEN MEDIA
Artist Kathy King chats with customers about her creations.
Jim Neal explains the meanings and processes behind his diverse set of artwork.
AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs | Sandy Springs Crier | December 21, 2023 | 9
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BUSINESS
AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs | Sandy Springs Crier | December 21, 2023 | 11
Business builds community across the board Level Up Games grows through table-top play By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — From competitive players to the more casual dabblers, Level Up Games is the place to find community in table-top gaming. Keenan Crotty, manager of the Johns Creek location, says about 50 people have become regulars since the store’s opening in February. They attend weekly events for a variety of games found in the store’s well-balanced stock, including your traditional board game, trading card games, role playing games aka RPGs, and miniatures. Crotty was planning for a weekly event dedicated to “Flesh and Blood,” which he described as a video game turned trading card game. That early afternoon was slow, save for a first-time visitor from Roswell who had been looking for a decade to play a physical game of BattleTech, a science-fiction tactical wargame. Level Up is much busier in the evening, Crotty said, when the business’ primary demographic leaves work and needs respite. “That’s why we host events and things because we want people to have that third place to go hang out and do their hobby,” Crotty said. Community focus The Roswell visitor pulled up a chair to one of the tables in the back, as if he’d been going there for years, taking to the cozy, welcoming environment. Crotty told him he had a couple BattleTech guys, including one cop in the area, and connected the customer to the store’s Discord server. About 3,500 people have joined the business’ Discord, used across all three locations — Johns Creek and Athens as well as the 12,000-squarefoot store in Duluth, the first to open and the biggest of its kind in Georgia. Crotty said there are dozens of channels for specific games, allowing you to get advice, make a game and build groups. Andrew Phillips, owner of Level Up, had been in the gaming industry for two decades on the distributor side before opening the Duluth location in 2019. He took over the space from longtime Atlanta gaming institution Titans Games & Comics — Phillips gave it a new name with a new culture and had to ditch comics at the tail-end of
AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA
Keenan Crotty, manager of Level Up Games in Johns Creek, stands at his desk in front of a collection of trading cards. Owner Andrew Phillips also has two more locations in Duluth, the largest store of its kind in Georgia at 12,000 square feet, and in Athens.
2020 due COVID-19’s hit to the industry, to focus on table-top games. “It’s a true passion type thing,” Phillips said. “Nobody ever, unfortunately, gets wealthy doing this, but we enjoy it. It’s about community building. It’s about bringing people together.” Phillips grew up on traditional board games, and he eventually found himself at the center of “geek culture” that rose in the mid-’90s, the same time when board games began transitioning from Europe. He said board games are a huge deal over there, where supermarkets and shopping malls often use dramatic board game displays and sales to attract shoppers. “The industry is great,” Phillips said. “It’s full of a lot of creative people. There’s a lot of artistic people. There’s a lot of people with great imagination. Obviously, Dungeons and Dragons paved the way for all of this originally, and it kind of all bled into each other.” The best thing about gaming, he said, is that there’s a genre for everyone. It’s not all fantasy. “If you’re into horror, there’s tons of that stuff. If you’re into film noir, there’s tons of stuff for that,” Phillips said. Game experts Crotty, who helped open the Johns Creek location, started at the Duluth store last May after moving from Indiana. Like Phillips, Crotty began his gaming journey at a young age with traditional board games, playing
with his highly competitive family — he said his dad once accused him of cheating in a game of Risk, and they didn’t talk for a few days. But, Crotty mostly played with his brother who eventually showed him Dungeons and Dragons, diving into his D&D books as a freshman in high school. He began creating his own campaigns, versus premade adventures, and roped his friends into weekly campaigns that lasted through college. Crotty described a significant number of games with intermittent history lessons and up-to-date controversy, like pushback on Wizard of the Coast’s restrictive licensing on D&D content creators — which changed the popularity of the game at Level Up, though it still hosts D&D groups every week. He said “Magic: The Gathering” remains the most popular at Level Up, a trading card game that started in the ’90s, though it’s being rivaled by “Disney Lorcana.” “[Magic: The Gathering has] gotten to the point where people who started playing it when they were teenagers are now parents, and they can teach it to their kids, so their kids are getting into it,” Crotty said. He also said the game is updated with new sets every month, it’s highly competitive with complexity and modularity, but it’s also easy to learn. Next in popularity at Level Up are board games, then come RPGs like D&D, often serving as a gateway, and miniatures. When he started working at the shop, he became more interested in miniature games, not the well-known “Warhammer” though, but the Star Wars and Marvel versions of it. “I am a bad hobbyist, because there are a lot of people who get into miniature games, like it for the building and the painting. In fact, some of them never even play the game. They just like the modeling part,” Crotty said. “I like the game.” Games for everyone Sometimes, Level Up offers demos often led by “paragons,” or volunteers Crotty chooses who have solid teaching and people skills. Demos could be of games that are popular at the time, a game that the store has a large amount of or simply a game the paragon is interested in. The week before, the store demoed “Queen by Midnight,” a deck-building card game. Others have been what Crotty called “perennial classics” like “Azul,” an easy-to-play game where the objective is to create point-scor -
ing patterns using colored Spanish, Moorish-era tiles. Crotty said one popular demo is “Wingspan,” a resource-management game where players collect things and accumulate them in such a way to get the most victory points. He said it’s “the bird game where you do bird things,” and includes the scientific Latin names of birds. Crotty listed several games which have an explicit educational aspect like “Darwin’s Journey” and “Hegemony,” another resource-management game made in collaboration with professors of political science and economics. In “Hegemony,” he said players choose to be either the working class, the capitalist class or the state, and try to achieve specific goals. When asked if all presidents should be required to play “Hegemony,” Crotty said the game veers towards certain sociopolitical ideals that might be uncomfortable for some people. “A lot of games, like Monopoly, you’re just playing, like, ‘My Little Capitalist,’ but some games are doing other things,” he said.
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12 | December 21, 2023 | Sandy Springs Crier | AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs
OPINION
Connections keep coming for those who seek them Connections and circles keep on coming when you least expect it. If you put yourself out there, I think it is almost a given that every day can bring something or someone new – if you look. As I age, I slowly RAY APPEN – much more slowly Publisher Emeritus than most – begin ray@appenmedia.com to learn more. For example, my default as an almost 70-year-old guy is to stick pretty close to myself. I have a miniscule circle of friends and I rarely go out or socialize in any way, and I am OK with that. I read. I write. I read more. And I try to spend as much time at the beach – reading, writing, and sometimes running – as I can. Oh, almost forgot, I also work on my tennis (against a backboard usually) and spend time with my kids and grandchildren. All that is fine, except I have repeatedly found in my reading that there appears to be a high correlation between dementia and socialization. That is, it is suggested that the more social one is – the more engagement and interaction a person has – the less likely it is to get dementia. Crap. Not good. I also have read that perhaps the variable most tied to dementia is hearing loss. That is, if you want to try to postpone or prevent dementia and you are losing
your hearing, get those hearing aids now! So, I do have the hearing aids, but I am not sure where they are at the moment. But when I know where they are, I definitely wear them. Hmmmm. But this is not a column about dementia. It is one about connection. So, after about 10 years on the West Coast – including several years in Berlin – my daughter Amelia recently moved home from Oakland, Calif., to a “holler” – 5 acres with a large stream down a number of gravel roads deep in the woods in Ellijay. She and her two dogs – a husky and a mastiff – see bears, turkey and assorted other wildlife almost daily on their morning walk. Previously she was a dancer – a ballerina with a degree in dance from the University of Oklahoma. Now, she studies soil up there in Ellijay. She is close to completing a multi-year online program on soil. She has always wanted to save the world. She used to pack sandwiches for the homeless people she would encounter on the subway or bus. She tried to create a program for refugees in Oakland. Now she wants to save the world from Round-Up and the other pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers that are killing us and our food supply. “Compost” is a big part of what she wants to do. It is a major component of her program. Usually, most people think of compost as something that takes place of many months as organic matter breaks
down and finally turns into soil. Amelia now is able to create compost from scratch in about 20 days. The process is fascinating. Who knew?! To make her compost, she uses wood chips as one of the core ingredients. She has had a difficult time sourcing them, so I told her I knew someone in Norcross who was in the mulch business and might be able to supply her with the wood chips. Bob Delbridge used to advertise with us off and on since 1990, but I had not had contact with him in years. I wasn’t sure if he was still in the mulch business, so I called him. He answered. Yes, he is still in the business. “Sure Ray, just come over and I’ll load up your truck. How have you been?” Bob and I greeted each other as if it was yesterday that we had last visited instead of a decade or more. We are both entrepreneurs and used to compare notes on marketing, advertising, sales and such. We think a lot alike. I shared with him that for the past several years all I had read about was related to trees, soil and fungal networks – and that the stimulus for that came from having read a book called “The Overstory,” a Pulitzer Prize work by Richard Powers. “It’s about the eco-wars back in the ’60s and ’70s on the West Coast,“ I told him. One of the main characters I told Bob was based on the life of a real person named Julia “Butterfly” Hill, a young environmental activist who lived on a platform in the top of a 1,000-year-old,
200-foot Redwood for a little over two years to protect it from being cut by the Pacific Logging Company. She named her tree “Luna.” “She is my hero” I told Bob. He looked at me puzzled, with wide eyes. “Luna…my daughter Jamie was a tree sitter too back then,” he said, “and I think she is friends with Julia Hill. I remember her talking with me about Luna and Julia.” I was speechless. We started talking about our daughters and discovering parallel lives. Jamie lived in Oklahoma, too. For over 10 years, Jamie was an organic farmer in Norman, struggling to make a living producing healthy food, just like Amelia. After 10 years, she too moved back “home” to Dahlonega where she went back to school to be a nurse. “Her heart is still in farming and organics though,” he shared with me. “She still wants me to let her take over my mulch and compost company.” Amelia and Jamie are planning to meet up as soon as they can. They will share dreams. They will connect. They already have. They will complete something that was waiting to finish I believe. Bob and I will stay connected too I am sure – now more than ever. He would love to figure out how to scale up his compost production. Maybe Amelia can help. Who knows? The circle will be completed one way or another.
You can make yourself a gift during the season of giving I’ve come to the conclusion that the diverse make up of our little slice of heaven we call North Georgia provides comic relief for others who don’t have enough sense to be Southern. When out and MIKE TASOS about, I enjoy Columnist listening to others offer (sometimes nonsensical) observations and opinions. It’s remarkable what people say and ask. For instance, I had to bite my tongue when a shopper, in a heavy accent, told the checker: “I remember when these groceries would have cost a dollar.” Whoa there, my Indian friend. A dollar? I know there are lots of elephants in India and they supposedly have great memories. But your mind must’ve failed you, and you’re probably a few spoonful’s short of a full bowl of curry. Well, that’s what I wanted to tell him. Instead, I just smiled and handed over $100 for bread, milk, cheese and mints. I didn’t
get much change back either. It appears that everyone is affected with a Montezuma-like case of the “scurries,” moving around at a breakneck pace to get that must-have gift that makes experiencing this season with heartburn instead of heartfelt joy and a grin. I try to be helpful to my family when asked the “What do you want” question. I don’t want to snarl or do a Chevy Chase and tell them “I’d like Frank Shirley” here wrapped in a bow.” First, I don’t wish any misfortune on Frank Shirley. Hell, I don’t even know a Frank Shirley. But I do know some people who I wouldn’t mind seeing trussed up and receive a boot in the britches. Adding to the reality that this will never happen is the sad fact that I don’t have a Cousin Eddie to go all Morten Anderson on a tormentor’s backside. A former staple of a dad’s gift list was a cool necktie. Bah humbug! For years, I railed that a tie is the single most useless piece of clothing ever invented. I warned others having a margarita to not get too close to the blender. It could be a macabre scene right
out of a Tim Dorsey novel. Sadly, Dorsey, another in a diminishing list of Florida novelists, died recently. Forego a necktie and give a Dorsey novel to someone who is a bit off beat and likes to laugh. The late Papa Kenny Cagle was a devoted fan, and two of his most prized possessions were the two autographed Dorsey novels I presented him. Sometimes, it’s those little things that mean the most. My Christmas list is diminutive and, from my perch, fairly reasonable. I’d like to have continued good health reports after every “poke me/prod me” encounter. I’ve got some fantastic doctors, and I’ll do my best to have them continue with our team winning streak. I’m asking The Big Guy, the One who controls the weather, to deliver some sunny days and mild temperatures on days I have Black Beauty (that’s my Harley Road Glide 3 trike) rides planned for myself and a posse. I’d just as soon not pack the rain gear. I want to relax, kick work in the keester and enjoy friends and family. I don’t want any “hustle.” I’m not sure what “bustle” is, except it appears to go with the unwanted
“hustle.” I’d like a good long snow that paints a gorgeous painting outside, a good warm fire inside and a good long nap or two. I’d like to hang on to all my good memories and vanquish the bad ones. At 68, it’s a part of life that obituaries are a part of life. I always think: “Just leave me out this.” The emails you send are a gift beyond compare, even the one from the reader who thinks I should be fired and banished to live in Philadelphia. Finally, I’m asking you to be aware. There will be opportunities to make someone smile and make you be a hero. I’m asking you to pay it forward when you can. I can’t stand the thought of a child’s sadness, especially, this time of the year. Seize any opportunity you can to give a gift and to be a gift. Just no neckties. Mike Tasos has lived in Forsyth County for more than 30 years. He’s an American by birth and considers himself a Southerner by the grace of God. He can be reached at miketasos55@gmail.com.
OPINION
GARDEN BUZZ
AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs | Sandy Springs Crier | December 21, 2023 | 13
’Tis the Season for Mistletoe, Holly and Other Holiday Plants kiss underneath a sprig. The Celtic druids supposedly considered the mistletoe plant sacred and hung it above doorways for luck and to ward off evil spirits. In reality, mistletoe is an evergreen that grows high on tree branches and not in a good way. Mistletoe is a semi-parasite. Its roots penetrate the tree’s wood and suck water and nutrients from the host tree. Heavy mistletoe growths can harm or even eventually kill a tree. Oak mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum) is Georgia’s most common mistletoe species, although it can grow on other tree species. The berries are toxic to humans.
Oh, by gosh, by golly It’s time for mistletoe and holly. .. There are songs we associate with Christmas, and there are also the PAM RENTZ plants. Guest Columnist “It’s time for mistletoe and holly . . .” or “I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus, underneath the mistletoe last night...” or “Have a holly jolly Christmas, It’s the best time of the year, I don’t know if there’ll be snow, but have a cup of cheer...” are a few that come to mind. Those of us who’ve lived in Atlanta for a while are probably not dreaming of a White Christmas (because the chances of having one here are minimal), yet we still enjoy the image along with plants linked with the holidays. So, as you sit back with your cup of cheer, here are a few good-to-know tips for your holiday plants. Hollies Hollies have a long tradition of being part of winter festivities that dates back thousands of years to the Druids, who believed the holly’s evergreen nature made it sacred. The clippings make great holiday arrangements and wreaths, and the holly trees themselves are an excellent landscaping choice. Hollies are typically lowmaintenance trees and shrubs that perform year-round in the landscape, not only during the holidays. They tolerate well-draining, slightly acidic soil and full sun to partial shade. They’re (mostly) deer resistant. Holly plants are also primarily either male or female, which means the female plants produce the berries and depend upon the male plants for pollination. American holly (Ilex opaca) is
UGA EXTENSION/PROVIDED
Top left: American holly/Ilex opaca (PHOTO BY GARY WADE) Top right: Although mistletoe is generally associated with winter holidays, this parasitic plant grows year-round and can kill trees. Bottom: A variety of poinsettias. a native broadleaf evergreen tree that produces bright red berries throughout the winter that are eaten by cedar waxwings, cardinals, and other birds. Remember, these berries are considered toxic to humans and pets. Mistletoe One of the most famous holiday traditions may be kissing under the mistletoe. You’ll come across mistletoe hanging in doorways at many gatherings. Harry Potter even shared a
Poinsettia I don’t know of any good poinsettia songs, but it is an iconic plant we associate with the holidays. When November comes around, grocery stores and big box stores are flooded with these beautiful subtropical plants. Poinsettias can last for months if you provide bright, indirect light and don’t allow the plant to dry out. However, overwatering can damage the plant. Check plants daily and when the soil is nearly dry to the touch, water enough that water drains from the bottom of the pot. Happy Holidays and 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/columnists/garden_buzz/.
About the author This week’s guest Master Gardener “Garden Buzz” columnist is Roswell resident Pam Rentz. Pam has been a North Fulton Master Gardener since 2010. Along with a background in marketing communications for tech companies, she has a longtime passion for plants and our planet.
Learn more • Care of Holiday and Gift Plants, https:// extension.uga.edu/publications/detail. html?number=C951&title=care-of-holidayand-gift-plants • Holiday Plant Care, https:// site.extension.uga.edu/fanningilmer/2021/12/holiday-plant-care, https://site.extension.uga.edu/lincoln/ holiday-plant-care/ • Poinsettias can thrive for years if properly cared for, https://newswire. caes.uga.edu/story/5669/poinsettiacare.html • Confusion about the Christmas CactusThey aren’t from the desert, https://site. extension.uga.edu/cherokee/2015/12/ confusion-about-the-christmas-cactus-theyarent-from-the-desert/ • Keep your holiday gift plants beautiful all year, https://site.extension.uga.edu/ colquitthomeowners/2021/12/keep-yourholiday-gift-plants-beautiful-all-year-2/ • Holiday Plant Highlight: Paperwhites, https://site.extension.uga.edu/ mgevp/2021/12/holiday-plant-highlightpaperwhites/ • Managing Mistletoe in Trees, https://site.extension.uga.edu/ madison/2021/01/managing-mistletoein-trees/ • Growing Indoor Plants with Success, https://extension.uga.edu/publications/ detail.html?number=B1318&title=growingindoor-plants-with-success
DEATH NOTICES Ernest Bond, 76, of Marietta, passed away on December 7, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
James Gaus, 60, of Roswell, passed away on December 5, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
William Loomis, 44, of Roswell, passed away on December 6, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Imogene Coberly, 98, of Roswell, passed away on December 5, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Dylan Jarrett, 35, of Woodstock, passed away on December 9, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Roger Nord, 82, of Alpharetta, passed away on December 6, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Alison Perry, 35, or Woodstock, passed away on December 11, 2023. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
14 | December 21, 2023 | Sandy Springs Crier | AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs
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ROT-DOC
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Don’t waste good paint on rotten wood. Minor repairs make a major difference! Interior/Exterior Painting Pressure Washing Rotten Wood Deck Repair Free Estimates
Thurman | 770.899.1354 | www.rot-doc.com
Electricians
Belco Electric
“Family Owned Since 1972” Fast Dependable Service by Professional Uniformed Electricians
770-455-4556
Check out our new website: BelcoInc.com and follow us on:
Bargains FREE CHRISTMAS GIFTS! Delia Smith, CHS, Class of 1968. 770-457-9603
Deadline to place a classified ad is Thursdays by 4pm
Roofing ROOF LEAKING? Call us for roof repair or roof replacement. FREE quotes. $200 OFF Leak Repairs or 10% off New Roof. Affordable, quality roofing. Based in Roswell. Serving North Atlanta since 1983. Call to schedule FREE Quote: 770-284-3123. Christian Brothers Roofing
KETNER CONTRACTING • Re-roofs •Repairs & Painting • Licensed/Insured • Excellent Referrals • Free Estimate • 25+ Years of Experience Neil Ketner 770-318-7762
Tree Services
770-393-1652
If you can’t lift your door, let Dunwoody Door Lift it!
Office Space for Lease Close to Downtown Alpharetta Small private office space (unfurnished) available in Appen Media Office close to Downtown Alpharetta (319 North Main Street, Alpharetta). All utilities included, Internet included (within reason), 24/7 access. Space is upstairs in area of Appen Newsroom. Private, quiet, and open. Approximately 200 sq. ft. (14’ x 14’). $/600 per month, first/last/security deposit required as well as solid reliable references. Space would be perfect for a bookkeeper or a self-employed person. Contact via text or email: Ray Appen at 770-527-4042 or RayAppen@Gmail.com
DANGEROUS REMOVALS & TRIMMING FREE ESTIMATES INSURED & REFERENCES CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED NO JOB TOO BIG OR SMALL 20% OFF WITH THIS AD! griffintreeservices.com
404-234-4810 Neumann’s Landscape & Tree Service Joe Neumann – 770-452-1173 or 404-644-7179
Handyman MATTHEW THE HANDYMAN Carpentry, Painting, Drywall, Plumbing, Electrical and Small Jobs. 404-547-2079
Solution
Your North Atlanta News and Podcast Source AppenMedia.com S E E D S S W A P D E C O A L W A A D M I T O K R A A R G A M M A G A T E T E R N A M A K N I T O A F A B R O A D S E N T E N A L A I D O B R A I N T A B A S C O O A U K L E V Y M A S T I E S S E R E E N S E M B L E T I A B A L M C O N T A C T A W E S O O P S T S A O B O E R U E S T A R P E T E E R G O E X I E Y E S
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AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs | Sandy Springs Crier | December 21, 2023 | 15
ONLINE INCLUDED C a l l t o d a y t o p l a c e y o u r a d 4 7 0 . 2 2 2 . 8 4 6 9 o r e m a i l c l a s s i f i e d s @ a p p e n m e d i a g r o u p . c o m • FA X : 7 7 0 - 4 7 5 - 1 2 1 6
Landscaping
AwArd winning LAndscApes
20 years of Keeping Dunwoody Green
Installation Maintenance Seasonal Color
Ogletree Enterprises
a MALTA Award Winning Firm
Concrete/Asphalt
ALEX FRASER MASONRY INC. • BRICK • CONCRETE Alex Fraser, President www.alexfrasermasonry.com E-Mail: afrasermasonry@aol.com
770.840.8884
FULLY INSURED
Cell: (404) 281-0539 Concrete
Driveways $250 OFF NEW DRIVEWAY!
Ken Ogletree
• BLOCK • STONEWORK
Mention this ad. Concrete driveway specialists. Driveways, Pool Decks, Patios, Walkways, Slabs. A+ BBB rating. FREE ESTIMATE. Call Rachael at 678-250-4546 to schedule a FREE Estimate. 30 years of experience. ARBOR HILLS CONSTRUCTION INC. Please note we do have a minimum charge on accepted jobs of $5,000.
MARTINEZ MASONRY
Retaining Walls • Patios• Repairs
Walkways • Masonry Work
martinezmasonry281@yahoo.com
Licensed • Insured • References Pressure Washing
404-408-4170
Ask for Tony Martinez
Driveways
A1 DRIVEWAY REPLACEMENT CO. Specializing in
CELEBRATING MY 41ST YEAR! THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU!
CONCRETE DRIVEWAY REPLACEMENT SIDEWALKS, PATIOS, AND SLABS Since 1974 Insured – Free Estimates www.a1drivewayreplacement.com MY EXPERIENCE ACHIEVES OPTIMAL RESULTS!!!
770-493-6222
16 | December 21, 2023 | Sandy Springs Crier | AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON TIP YOUR NEWSPAPER DELIVERY PERSON This holiday season, consider giving your newspaper delivery person a tip for their weekly delivery of the free community newspaper to your driveway. These folks work hard to make sure you are informed of all the local happenings, rain or shine, week in and week out. Importantly, at Appen Media, we have always been intentional about our desire to keep delivery of our newspapers free. That said, it would mean the world to us if you would consider tipping your newspaper delivery person so that they will have a little extra money for the holiday season. If you can help us help these amazing people, we promise to keep delivering high quality news to your driveway, for free, every week. Free home delivery of 105,000 homes is hard work – and we couldn’t do it without our amazing delivery folks.
How you can give your delivery person a tip: 1 We have created an online portal at www.appenmedia.com/deliverytip.
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. 2 If you prefer, you can also mail a check made out to “Appen Media Group C/O Newspaper Delivery Tip” to 319 North Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.