City of Chattahoochee Hills

Greystone Partners with Conexon to Provide Broadband to Chattahoochee Hills

MAYOR TOM REED

In the spirit of “making living better in the communities they serve,” Greystone Power has announced that it will begin providing broadband internet services in 2024 to its customer base in Chattahoochee Hills. Greystone has started providing updates to the city, which we will share.

At the November 1st City Council Meeting, Nadia Faucette, Vice President of Engineering with GreyStone Power, introduced Maribeth Wansley, District 6 Board of Directors, Tim Williams, Vice President of Marketing and External Affairs, Ashley Kinnard, Manager of PR and Communications, and Blake Doss, Director of State Government Affairs. She announced that GreyStone is launching a pilot project to provide high speed fiber internet services to members in the South Fulton County area and will be concentrated in the City of Chattahoochee Hills.

Currently, the GreyStone broadband team is working with its consultant partner, Conexon, to finalize the project map. GreyStone will begin make-ready work within the next two weeks, which simply means GreyStone’s contract personnel will evaluate and change out any poles needed to prepare its infrastructure for the fiber-buildout. The make-ready work is likely to take several months and you can expect GreyStone trucks to be in your communities throughout that time period.

Mayor Tom Reed gave high praise to GreyStone Power. He said, “While there are other EMCs in the State working with Internet Service Providers, GreyStone is the first one doing so on its own to provide services to its customers. We give special thanks to Maribeth Wansley, who lives in the city and sits on the GreyStone Power Board, for her help in bringing this initiative to fruition.”

GreyStone has provided the following graphic that explains the five general phases of construction for the project. As the project progresses, GreyStone will provide updates, which the city will share with the community.

More than 60 seniors enjoyed the March 17 luncheon hosted by the city of Chattahoochee Hills with Community Brickworks, Providence Baptist Church, and special program guests from Fulton County Senior Services, and AARP.

CHATT HILLS SENIOR LUNCHEON Food, Fellowship, and Information Sharing

By Laurie Searle

The city of Chattahoochee Hills and partners hosted a Senior Luncheon on St. Patrick’s Day, in what they hoped would be the first step in offering some level of senior services in the city.

Councilmember Laurie Searle (Dist.3) welcomed the seniors at the March 17th luncheon and opened the program by thanking and acknowledging the city, partners, and sponsors.

Mayor Tom Reed said he and Councilmember Searle started meeting with Fulton County in 2021 to discuss the city’s need for senior services. He said, “We were making good progress until COVID hit. Then the Fulton County senior centers shut down, and things got put on hold. But we’ve recently picked up again where we left off and are now working on an agreement for some contract services.”

Councilmember Ruby Foster (Dist.1), who also serves as the Chatt Hills Community Outreach Coordinator, was acknowledged and thanked for helping with the luncheon, and for adding all of decorative and festive touches. She thanked the many volunteers who support community outreach and reminded the seniors about the upcoming Movie Night at Rico Park on Saturday, April 29 (6:30-9:30 p.m.).

Community Brickworks board chair Lisa Remley and Library & Activities Director Nan McGuffey were acknowledged and thanked for providing the main course of the meal and for posting the event’s registration on their website. Nan invited the seniors to suggest arts & crafts or program they would be interested in, and to check the Community Brickworks website for current scheduled events at www.communitybrickworks.org.

Providence Baptist Church members were acknowledged and thanked for providing meals, side dishes, and serving the guests, with special thanks to Kenneth and Elaine Bryant for coordinating the food, the ladies group for providing “goodie bags,” Rev. Mike Emeott for giving the invocation, and Bill & Nesha Bryant for providing musical entertainment.

Fulton County Senior Services Presentation

Andre Gregory, Program Manager of Fulton County Department of Senior Services, gave an overview of the three levels of services offered by the County through its different facilities:

Four multipurpose facilities for Independent Seniors

• Dorothy C. Benson Senior Multipurpose Facility (404-6134900) 6500 Vernon Woods Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30328

• H. J. C. Bowden Senior Multipurpose Facility (404613-6131) 2885 Church Street, East Point, GA 30344

• Harriett G. Darnell Senior Multipurpose Facility (404613-8580) 677 Fairburn Road NW, Atlanta, GA 30331

• Helene S. Mills Senior Multipurpose Facility (404-6135820) 515 John Wesley Dobbs Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30312

Fourteen Senior Centers for Semi-Independent Seniors. (Palmetto and Fairburn centers are closest to Chatt Hills)

• Palmetto Neighborhood Senior Center (770-463-4990) 510 Turner Avenue, Palmetto, GA 30268

• New Beginnings Neighborhood Senior Center (404612-8984) 66 Brooks Drive, Fairburn, GA 30213

Four Adult Day Care Facilities (at the Multipurpose Centers) for Semi-Dependent Seniors. Andre said that last year only four residents utilized the services in the Palmetto Neighborhood Senior Center. He encouraged more residents to visit the Center and participate in its many programs. He said the County also offers a variety of online educational and recreational programs listed on the county’s website, and STARLine offers referrals for in-home services such as light housekeeping, meal preparation or delivery, grocery shopping and escorts to appointments. For more information visit Fulton County Senor Services:

Website: https://fultoncountyga.gov/inside-fulton-county/ fulton-county-departments/senior-services

STARLine: (404) 613-6000

Aarp Presentation

Jil Hinds, Associate Director of Community Outreach, AARP Georgia State Office, asked the seniors if anyone had heard of AARP before. Everyone raised a hand, confirming they knew about the Association of Retired Persons (AARP). Then she asked if anyone knows how old you have to be to join AARP? She said while AARP’s primary membership serves people aged fifty and older, those as young as 18 years old may join with some limitations on their benefits.

Jil said when she was a teenager, she recalled moving closer to an aging relative to help with her care. She said that seems to be happening more and more these days, which is why AARP has expanded the age group for its membership.

In addition to the several news publications AARP offers its members, it also provides online educational & recreational programs, in-person services like income tax preparation assistance, and even program topics it will give in your community like estate planning. Jil said there are also many discounts available for AARP members, such as reduced rates at hotels and discounts on some automobile insurance policies. For more information visit: www.aarp. org.

CHIEF BRETT – PUBLIC SAFETY PRESENTATION

Chatt Hills Fire Chief Brett said a major part of Chattahoochee Hills Fire Rescue Department’s operations is emergency medical services. Every firefighter employed by Chattahoochee Hills is an emergency medical professional with a State of Georgia license to serve as a Paramedic or EMT. Additionally, the city offers the following safety programs:

• ChattCare is a "community paramedicine" program that provides proactive contact with “at risk” persons having emergent, terminal, or age-related health conditions.

• Chatt Hills Alert is a citizen notification program to receive weather and emergency alerts via phone, email, and text message.

Other Guests

Several other people in the audience were acknowledged before the end of the program:

Blake and Rachel Smith from The HearingSmiths, are practicing hearing care providers located in Serenbe. They offer complimentary hearing screening in their office or through their mobile services in which the screening can take place in the comfort of your own home. For more information visit: www.thehearingsmiths.com or call 770778-3304.

Diana Wilson, chair of the Chatt Hills Parks Commission, invited the seniors to visit the city’s seven public parks and facilities on 1,200 acres of preserved parklands. The New RiverLands Park is not open yet, but work should begin this year on the pavilion and boat launch project through the Trust for Public Land. She said free parking passes for residents are available at city hall.

Veterans were acknowledged for their service by Chip Denton, member of the Chatt Hills Parks Commission. Churches were acknowledged as their members raised their hands and invited others to visit.

Senior Input

At the close of the two-hour luncheon, seniors were invited to complete an input card to share their suggestions, recommendations, and concerns. The following are the top three responses:

1. What Informational programs would you like in the future?

1. Aging in Place (15)

2. Home Care Services (10)

3. Estate Planning (9)

4. Land Conservation Options (11)

2. What recreational programs would you be interested in?

1. Silver Sneakers (17)

2. Arts & Crafts (13)

3. Book Clubs (9)

4. Hiking (7)

5. Bicycle Riding (13)

6. Horseback Riding (4)

3. What are your biggest concerns or challenges as you age in Chattahoochee Hills?

1. Not being able to drive to appointments (15)

2. Isolation and lack of social contact (4)

3. Maintaining your home and quality of life (17)

Next Steps

The city of Chattahoochee Hills and partners will be meeting soon to plan the next senior luncheon and program, tentatively scheduled for June. The team will also continue working with Fulton County Senior Services to provide some level of program support.

La Hacienda Bed & Breakfast Now Open for 10th Season

La Hacienda Bed & Breakfast is a private, adult-only-(exceptions can be made), resort-style retreat for guests vacationing or on business in the Atlanta area. Located a short and scenic 20-minute drive from Atlanta and Hartsfield International Airport in Chattahoochee Hill Country, La Hacienda Bed & Breakfast provides a private escape for guests in a rural setting. With access to all that Atlanta has to offer, guests have their choice to have a night on the town or just relax in our outdoor pavilion. Biking, hiking, and equestrian activities abound in this scenic region untouched by urban sprawl.

A traditional Bed & Breakfast Inn with two King Suites and a Queen Guestroom. They can accommodate up to four couples. The 2-room La Palma Suite can be shared with couples traveling together. Offering upscale accommodations for those attending Chatt Hills Eventing Equestrian Facility as well as Cherry Hollow Farms and Foxhall Resort Wedding venues. For more infomation visit: www. LaHaciendaAtlanta.com and book your escape today.

Wild Fern Ranch Nurtures Kids

It’s time to start humbly asking for your donations in support of our Fern + Friends playdays program! Geared towards neurodivergent and special needs kids, our goal is to provide a safe, fun, nature-based place to make friends and have a blast! All donations are tax deductible! https://gofund.me/ae3b1279

Chatt Hills Barn Quilt Trail

Announcing the newest addition to the Chatt Hills Barn Quilt Trail: “Sunburst” added to the Four Winds Farmhouse at 10380 Hutcheson Ferry Rd, Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30268.

Blue Skies, Smiling at Me

Dave Whitten and Catherine Huston met in the parking lot of their Virginia Highland condo building in 2017. She was an urban gal at heart, he was a travel-weary engineer, eager to return to his country roots.

When Catherine's boss, a real estate agent, saw a refurbished farmhouse for sale online, he insisted the couple take a look. They drove to Chattahoochee Hills, toured the farmhouse, and knew at once they had found their new home.

The couple selected a barn quilt pattern called "Starburst" but changed its name to "Sunburst" after coloring it with sunshine yellows, cloudy whites, and sky blues to reflect their pretty country view.

May the Four Winds Blow You Safely Home

Catherine grew up in Richmond, Virginia and moved to Atlanta in 1999. A city-gal at heart, she had never considered living in a country setting. Dave grew up in LaGrange and had deep country roots, but like many professionals, he chose to work closer to his job and go elsewhere on the weekends to enjoy his hobbies of bicycling and kayaking.

They were living in the Virginia Highland neighborhood of Atlanta when they met and quickly discovered they shared a mutual love for music. They enjoyed going to live concerts together and also spending time at home listening to their Grateful Dead music collection. On weekends, Dave often took trips to Chattahoochee Hills visiting Cochran Mill Park, and riding bicycles on the country back roads. Catherine had visited Serenbe several years ago for one of their interactive plays, and remembered how much she loved the surrounding area.

When the pandemic hit in 2020 and life got a bit crazy and strange for everyone, it gave the couple a lot of time to take a step back and reevaluate what they really wanted.

For Dave, who had spent 15 years traveling with his job, he was ready to get off the airplanes and out of downtown. He dreamed of a home where he could walk out the front door, hop on his bike, and ride in the beautiful countryside whenever he wanted. For Catherine, who had spent 3 years on her HOA Board, she was ready to spend more outside time with their aging dog Elvie, learning to garden and maybe adopt a few more pets.

When they visited the farmhouse for sale in 2021, it was love at first sight. The previous owners had done such a thoughtful and period-appropriate renovation of the circa 1900 home; Dave and Catherine were immediately captivated. They pictured their lives there enjoying the outdoor space, playing guitar by the fire pit, entertaining friends and family, playing records as loud as they wanted without disturbing anyone, and simply relaxing in a lovely setting and charming home. They both agreed those were their priorities and decided to make Chattahoochee Hills their new home.

When considering a name for their historic farmhouse, the couple decided on "Four Winds Farmhouse," paying homage to a lyric they both loved in the Grateful Dead song, "Franklin's Tower," which began:

"In another time's forgotten space, Your eyes looked from your mother's face, Wildflower seed on the sand and stone, May the four winds blow you safely home."

For more photos and the hosts’ heritage story, visit: www.chatthillsbarnquilttrail.com/four-winds-farmhouse. html. For a map of the Chatt Hills Barn Quilt Trail, visit: www.chatthillsbarnquilttrail.com/tour-the-trail.html

Rodale Institute Southeast Organic Center

We’re working to address the unique challenges of southern farmers, an emerging market for organic production.

The Rodale Institute Southeast Organic Center in Chattahoochee Hills, GA (about an hour from Atlanta), aims to increase organic production in the region by serving as a research and education hub.

Why Georgia?

Despite organic having grown to a $50 billion industry annually in the United States, according to the 2017 Census of Agriculture, Georgia has only 88 certified organic farms, representing just 0.5% of organic farms in the United States. Historically, organic production has been low in southern states, where warm weather makes it harder to deal with pests, disease, and weeds without synthetic chemicals like pesticides and herbicides.

However, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, the South saw the most growth in organic farming from 2011-2016. For exam- ple, Alabama and South Carolina both saw increases of more than 200% since 2011. And several other Southern states saw their certified organic farm count more than double in those five years.

Goals For The Center

The Southeast Organic Center serves as a research and education hub focused on:

• Increasing the number of farms and acres in organic production in the region.

• Solving challenges for organic farmers in the region, including pests, disease, weed management.

• Establishing a long-term research trial to determine changes in soil health, yields, economic models, and more in this unique climate & soil type.

• Farmer training and pathways to market.

The Farm

The Southeast Organic Center is located on Many Fold Farm, a 300acre property in the Chattahoochee Hills owned by Rebecca and Ross Williams. The property, formerly used for cheesemaking, includes pasture-based livestock and forest.

“Many Fold Farm, our staff, and Rodale Institute share a belief that healthy soil is the key to human health and our ability to survive on our planet,” said Rebecca Williams. “Strong scientific and economic models that allow regenerative organic farmers to compete with conventional agriculture are necessary to shift the paradigm of how we grow our food.”

Serenbe

A key partner of the Southeast Organic Center will be nearby Serenbe, a wellness community that offers a unique opportunity for consumer education and community engagement. Serenbe will allow the Southeast Organic Center to connect farmers and eaters with educational programming, healthy eating events, and more.

Southeast Organic Center

7850 Rico Rd. Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30269

Southeast@RodaleInstitute.org, P. 470.594.3307

American Farmland Trust

Dear friends from Serenbe and Chattahoochee Hills, Thank you for joining American Farmland Trust and Steve Nygren for a lovely evening at The Inn. It was an honor to share our mission and vision with you, as well as the work AFT is doing on the ground in Georgia.

AFT’s Farms Under Threat research has shown that by 2040, 7,200 farms are projected to be paved over, fragmented or lost to real estate development across Georgia. Most of that loss will be highly concentrated around urban centers experiencing rapid population growth, particularly in the Atlanta metro area.

Georgia ranks fourth in the nation for highest projected farmland loss by acreage with nearly half of the converted land taking place on the state’s most productive soil. Furthermore, five of the top ten counties in the nation with the highest percentage of agricultural land projected to be converted are in Georgia.

But there are other options. By investing in helping farmers permanently protect their land and making smart growth choices, Georgia could save over one million acres of farmland that support $566 million in farm output and 7,500 jobs.

Serenbe is a national model of a regional food system and smart growth on the edge of some of the most significant sprawl in the nation. We look forward to collaboration to bolster this powerful model and scale up solutions to help farmers and communities across Georgia.

What’s at stake? Nothing less than our future.

First, we need farmland to grow our food—and the demand for food will only grow. Experts predict that we will need to increase food production by 60 percent by the year 2050.

Some people hold out great hope for technology. They believe that, in the future, far more food will be grown indoors or on rooftops, while the productivity of remaining field crops will soar. At AFT, we don’t believe technology alone will solve the problem. We suspect that the vast bulk of our food will continue to be grown on farmland. And although we do expect to see enhanced productivity, we don’t expect productivity to increase faster than demand.

But even more is at stake than our food supply. That’s because we also need farmland to restore our planet.

When properly managed, farmland and ranchland support wildlife and biodiversity, recharge aquifers, clean water, and—of paramount importance in our fight against climate change—sequester carbon.

We now know that we can’t meet global climate goals unless we take steps that go beyond reducing emissions. We need to remove carbon already in our atmosphere. And when we lose farmland, we reduce this ability. We also put more pressure on the farmland that remains in production, because with less land available to grow the food we need, we can’t manage all the remaining farmland for optimal environmental benefit. It’s a double hit.

Long before we run out of farmland to grow our food, we may well run out of the farmland we need to restore our planet’s health.

AFT addresses these issues as no other organization does, with a direct focus on retaining our agricultural land and managing it using the right practices. At the same time, AFT recognizes that we will only retain the agricultural land we need, and be positioned to manage it wisely, if we retain enough farmers and ranchers with adequate knowhow and financial resources.

The future demands that we do all we can to (1) protect farmland, (2) promote sound farming practices, and (3) keep farmers on the land.

There is such promise in Georgia and opportunities to do more together to support farmers, protect the land, and increase resilience to a changing climate. I hope that you’ll reach out to me if you’d like to explore these opportunities further. If you want to make a direct contribution, go to AFT’s secure website: https://farmland.org/donate/

Mutual Rescue Releases New Short Film Series, “Seniors Saving Seniors”

By Finn Dowling

With almost 17% of the US population over 65 years old, loneliness has become an epidemic among our aging population. A new short film series by Mutual Rescue highlights an ally in the battle to maintain mental health for seniors: pets, specifically senior pets.

Mutual Rescue was founded by Chatt Hills resident Carol Novello, and the five short films in the new series are a beautiful addition to the catalog of over a dozen short films they have already released. Past Mutual Rescue films have been enormously successful both with the public and with critics. Mutual Rescue's initial film, Eric & Peety, has been viewed over a 100 million times around the globe and inspired two books - one by Novello herself. Other films have appeared in film festivals as far away as Australia and garnered the organization several prestigious honors, including multiple Sharecare Emmy awards.

There are five stories featured in the new Mutual Rescue Moments series titled Seniors Savings Seniors. Through these personal stories, the series highlights the way pets impact our lives in deeply meaningful ways:

• In New Mexico, a feisty senior provides a loving retirement home for two elderly dogs rescued from lives of neglect and abuse and gains a new human friend as a result.

• A nursing home in Maryland adopts a cat for residents of the memory care floor and sees something magical happen.

• A retired woman finds herself the caregiver of her adult son after he suffers a debilitating accident and her adopted poodle becomes vital emotional support for both.

• Watching his mother's memory slipping away from Alzheimer’s, a California man finds that the family's pets help build a bridge over time and memory for her.

• In New Jersey, retired adults find meaning and community working and volunteering at a sanctuary for orphaned senior dogs.

"Our goal with all of our films is to show people the value of pets and inspire them to engage with their local shelters. When people look to donate or volunteer, they often think 'Do I contribute to pets OR people' which is a false binary. The conversation should be 'pets AND people?' And the Seniors Saving Seniors series demonstrates that eloquently," Novello says. "We also hope the films inspire others to think about further integrating human and animal services to create better support for both."

To see the current series as well as all of Mutual Rescue's other short films, go to www.mutualrescue.org or find them on their Facebook and Instagram pages. If you or someone you know adopted a pet that's changed their life in some way, feel free to email hello@mutualrescue.org to tell them about it.