City of Chattahoochee Hills

We had an especially proud moment just before the last Council meeting, when we officially “pushed in” our newest piece of fire equipment: a brand-new pumper, Chattahoochee Hills Engine 51. There are other stories in this month’s newsletter that talk about it more, but I mention it for two reasons.

First is just the momentousness of the fact that we were able to buy the new engine at all. As long-timers here will recall, when we founded the City back in 2007 there was an existing protective overlay from Fulton County, sure, but it was administered far from here, and governed by people whose radar we were generally speaking hardly even on. We knew that controlled planning and public safety locally would be better and more responsive.

We also knew that it wasn’t going to be easy. Chattahoochee Hills isn’t a city in the traditional sense – there’s no downtown Chattahoochee Hills, no business district, no real tax base. It's taken the dedication of the leadership and team at City Hall (and sometimes maybe an excess of baling wire and duct tape), but we’ve slowly built the capacity needed to provide superb service and safety to our citizens. We started with used police cars, used (read: ancient) fire trucks, and cast-off roadside maintenance equipment. More equipment was donated, begged, and borrowed; whatever it took to get the job done. But that’s sometimes a false economy; when you spend more money fixing a vehicle than you would spend on payments for a new one, you’re not doing good math. And the fact is, we just can’t afford to have a fire truck that’s “not running today” when a fire call comes in!

As soon as we got the City’s initial operating debt resolved, we started correcting our equipment problems by starting small; new police cars were cheap enough that we could afford them, and by using a smart purchasing rotation we saved on operating costs.Roadside maintenance equipment came next: more expensive, but still within reach. Fire trucks are another order of expense altogether, and we upgraded our fleet with newer used equipment, but that still left us with the results of other departments’ (perhaps lower) standards of care. The brand-newengine we just put in service—Chatt Hills Engine 51—is custom-engineered to our specifications, perfectly suited to our needs, and now in the competent hands of our Fire Department where it will serve the city for many years.

The second point? What perfect timing! There are other stories in the newsletter about the fire last weekend (and there will be a more comprehensive look next month when our Fire Marshal and Chief have completed their investigation into the cause), but I want to share what I saw firsthand that morning, which was so impressive on several levels. It was good to see our new pumper right in the middle of the action, receiving shuttle water from tankers and relaying it to the hoses and the ladder truck, and running perfectly.

But I was especially impressed by the amazing level of coordination on display, a direct result of constant preparation and planning by our Fire Chief, Greg Brett, his team, and with our partners. We had fire trucks, engines, and tankers respond from Chattahoochee Hills, Palmetto, Fairburn, South Fulton, and Coweta County (huge thanks to all of them!). There was a shuttle operation going to supplement the local hydrant; this was an incredibly complex ballet with those big vehicles, and it was carried off perfectly.

The automatic aid agreements that brought so many responders so quickly are in great part Greg’s doing. We’ve always recognized that with our huge geographic area, we need backup, and we’re happy to help our neighbors as well. Not only did those departments all send help, but they also positioned trucks in our station (and the other local stations) to back up the ones at the fire, just in case.

Chief Brett had organized site visits with our partner departments so that they were ready in advance for some of the unique locations and circumstances that exist in Chatt Hills. And they have practiced shuttle operations together so many times that it was obviously second nature when it became necessary to fight this fire.

Greg’s peers already recognize his leadership. He’s the Chair of the South Fulton fire-fighters organization, where besides coordinating mutual training exercises, he advocates for regional solutions to problems like EMS service. He’s built an amazing team at our firehouse, and I want to say (again, but never often enough) just how lucky we are and how grateful I am to have him and them protecting our city.

Let’s all pray for the swift recovery of the people who were hurt as they exited the burning house. And I’ll take another momentto remind you to take a good look around your home with an eye toward fire safety, and especially emergency egress. Do it now!It’s amazing how quickly even new homes can burn under certain circumstances. Please plan to be safe!

Until next month, be safe.

Mayor Tom Reed

Chatt Hills Celebrates Its New Fire Truck

By Laurie Searle

The City of Chattahoochee Hills celebrated a milestone on Tuesday, February 7, with the “push-in” ceremony of the city’s first new fire truck.

Chatt Hills Fire Chief Greg Brett opened the program by honoring Damien Sorrella who passed away last year. He said Sorrella lived for his job as firefighter EMT, working part-time for Chattahoochee Hills and fulltime for Newnan. Sorrella’s number 286 will be displayed on the new fire truck.

Chief Brett said the “push-in” ceremony dates back more than 100 years to a time before fire trucks were motorized and operated with horse drawn equipment. In those days, firefighters had to actually push their trucks into the station after a call. The event has since become a widely practiced tradition for new fire department vehicles. Mayor Tom Reed acknowledged and thanked the Chatt Hills fire department for its frugal use of the old fire trucks and for their hard work to acquire this new fire truck for the city.

Mayor Reed and the three city councilmembers in attendance (Ruby Foster, Laurie Searle, and Camille Lowe) were invited to join City Manager Robbie Rokovitz and his staff to “push-in” the new fire truck.

Cover and photos here by Chip Denton

EPA Careers: Superfund Emergency Response and Removal Program

By Carter Williamson

Fourteen years ago my wife, Laura Williamson, and I wrote a script to promote all of the great people who work for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency using as a backdrop of our lives as Federal On-Scene Coordinators, our Emergency Response family, and the U.S. Coast Guard. We got the funding, and we selected the ultimate movie studio/ production company, ECG Studios and their fantastic and super-talented team, and brought together this video that will hopefully inspire pride for our existing workforce and those yet to come. Thanks to: ECG Studios: the US Coast Guard Aviation Training Center (ATC) Mobile, AL; the USCG Gulf Strike Team, Vice Commandant Admiral Steve Poulin, LT. Commander Mark Currier and all the 144 and Jayhawk 60 pilots and crews at ATC; USCG Dauphin Island Small Boat Station personnel; USCG Recruitment Command; Josh Woodyard; Henry Garrard; Will Collins; Nancy Grantham; Latosha Thomas; Jim Webster; our EPA Regional Administrator Daniel Blackman; EPA Region 4 Mission Support Division; TetraTech; HEPACO; the OSC’s; and folks that helped with it all; our son Sawyer Williamson; Fire Chief Greg Brett; and the folks at the City of Chattahoochee Hills; my best friend and wife Laura; and the wonderful actresses and actors who joined us for this adventure! You may see a few cameos!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feFbgXkL_ZM

All Abuzz About Bees

At the new Chatt Hills Bee Club

By: Laurie Searle

Chatt Hills social media was recently abuzz with questions about beekeeping and pollinator gardens. A Chatt Hills (Honey) Bee Meet-Up was organized for February 18 at Bear Creek Nature Center to share information and discuss the possibilities for forming a bee club.

Chip Denton, who serves on the Nature Center’s Board and on the Chatt Hills Parks Commission, welcomed the bee enthusiasts and gave an introduction to the Nature Center. He described his experience as a beekeeper, which included keeping (and losing) a number of hives over the past few years – something familiar to most beekeepers.

Chatt Hills Dist. 3 Councilmember Laurie Searle, who organized the bee meet-up, thanked the Nature Center for its use and mentioned what an asset it is to Chatt Hills. She offered a number of printed resources on beekeeping and suggested a meeting agenda that included an introduction to Chatt Hills Bee City, Meet & Greet of the bee enthusiasts and a discussion of their interests, and Next Steps toward forming a Chatt Hills Bee Club.

Introduction to Chatt Hills Bee City

Thomas Peters, who serves on the Chatt Hills Bee City committee, said the primary focus of Bee City USAÆ is pollinator conservation. He became interested in pollinator gardens through his role as Serenbe’s Director of Landscape & Horticulture, and a number of related projects including the Serenbe Farm and Serenbe wildlife meadow. In August 2022, the city of Chattahoochee Hills adopted a resolution designating the City of Chattahoochee Hills as a Bee City USAÆ Affiliate.

According to the new Chatt Hills Bee City website (https://chatthillsbeecity.com) “Every 3rd bite that we eat and drink is attributed to pollinators like bees, wasps, butterflies, flies, ants, and more. There have been significant declines in pollinator populations around the world in response to habitat fragmentation, habitat degradation, improper pesticide use, invasive competitor species, and more.”

Thomas said the goals of the Chatt Hills Bee City include: creating a website to share information and resources about pollinator conservation, providing educational resources and opportunities, and adopting an integrated pollinator plan.

Meet & Greet of Bee Enthusiasts

The meet & greet of the 21 bee enthusiasts was the highlight of the meeting.

Experienced and active beekeepers shared a few of their lessons learned, including typical reasons for the loss of hives. Parasites, pests, predators, and pesticides are high on the list of problems beekeepers must address to keep their hives happy. But even with those 4Ps in check, hives may be negatively impacted if the bees swarm. Honey bees swarm for one of two reasons: either the hive has become too crowded so they split into two groups (or more), with one group remaining in the existing hive, or they abscond en masse. they abscond. In this case, all bees including the queen abandon the existing hive completely due to lack of food or water, parasite or disease infestation, frequent disturbance by humans or animals, weather changes, poor ventilation, or problems with the queen.

Inactive beekeepers at the meet-up expressed their desire to start again. They discussed a number of resources for obtaining beekeeping supplies including “Sweet Kingdom” on Sharpsburg McCullum Rd in Newnan, which sells honey bees, hive components, tools and maintenance, protective clothing, honey harvesting supplies, and educational materials. See: https://www.sweetkingdombees.com.

Wannabe beekeepers at the meet-up were anxious to learn about educational opportunities. A number of on-line and in-person courses are offered through nearby beekeeper associations including: Georgia Beekeeper Associations, Coweta Beekeeper Association, and West Georgia Beekeeper Association. Also recommended was the book and easy read, “Beekeeping for Dummies,” by Howland Blackiston.

Next Steps towards a Chatt Hills Bee Club

The group enthusiastically supported creating a Chatt Hills Bee Club. Chip Denton was nominated as the group’s leader, and he volunteered to create a Facebook group (coming soon). Birgit Bolton volunteered to create and manage an email group, which is now active as chatthillsbeeclub@ googlegroups.com. And Thomas Peters volunteered to create a tab on the Chatt Hills Bee City Website for the new Chat Hills Bee Club.

The group suggested they meet on the first Saturday of each month at 10 a.m. at Bear Creek Nature Center, 6300 Cochran Mill Rd, Chatt Hills. The next meeting is scheduled for Saturday, March 4, and two experienced beekeepers offered to bring a hive for show & tell.

The group also discussed future educational opportunities and projects. Thomas invited the group to participate in the Chatt Hills Bee City Pollinator Event at the Nature Center on May 20. Chip will research the possibility of starting some communal bee hives at the Nature Center for educational purposes, and others will reach out to local instructors.

For More Information

For information about Chatt Hills Bee Club, contact Chip Denton jcdentonjr@gmail.com.

For questions, comments, and suggestions about Chattahoochee Hill’s Bee City status and programming, contact the Bee City Liaison at beecity.chga@gmail.com.

Sign Up Now!

Join The Serenbe Farms CSA

8715 Atlanta Newnan Rd, Chatt Hills, GA 30268

Tuesday Pickups: April 4-November 7 (breaks between seasons)

$999 for 30 weeks; 6-7 items per week

Support your community Farm as they begin planting and prepping, then reap the benefits during the harvest season.

No need to worry about being able to pick up each week. If you're unable to make it, Serenbe Farms will donate your share on your behalf to Community Brickworks, where a family in need in the greater community will receive the fresh produce.

Contact https://serenbefarms.com/what-is-a-csa for more info.

All Saturdays at 2:30 pm

Serenbe Farms Tour

8715 Atlanta Newnan Rd, Chatt Hills, GA 30268

Tickets $15 (Children under 3 free) https://bit.ly/3YI1Tnb

Serenbe Farms is a small, diversified certified organic farm located in the Serenbe community and surrounded by the rural oasis of the Chattahoochee Hill Country, just 30 miles southwest of Atlanta.

Learn how Serenbe Farms uses sustainable practices to grow and harvest more than 300 varieties of heirloom and hybrid vegetables, herbs, and flowers. They harvest more than 60,000 lbs of produce a year to feed the Serenbe Community!

Contact ian@serenbefarms.com for more information. Access parking through the main Serenbe Farms entrance at 8715 Atlanta-Newnan Road, or park on Serenbe Lane in Grange to come through neighborhood entrance. Tickets are non-refundable but can be transferred.

Join us Fridays 10-11am

Kundalini Yoga - Nervous System Healing

Located in the Community Art Room in Chatt Hills City Hall, 6505 Rico Rd, Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30268 $20 a class

Join Plare in a one hour, weekly kundalini yoga immersion to repair and strengthen the nervous system Modern life and its incessant demands put a strain on our bodies nervous system. With Kundalini yoga, we will practice slowing down and using our bodies natural tools to heal. Please bring your own material to sit on and water. Head covering recommended (hats, hoodies, scarves, turbans are traditional). Beginners welcome!

Piare is a certified level 1 Kundalini Yoga instructor. Questions? Contact Pare at 404-916-0295 info@studioswan.com.

Trending Topic EVENTS

Every Wednesday, 7-9:00pm

Get in Your Creative Flow with Figure Drawing Sessions!

StudioSwan llc | 6401 Campbellton Redwine Rd, Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30268

Email you are coming to: info@studioswan.com.

Sat & Sun, 2:00pm - 5:00pm

Weekend Wine Flights at The Wine Shop at Serenbe

9135 Selborne Lane, Chattahoochee Hills, GA

Excited to announce Weekend Wine Flights at the wine shop! Each week 3 new wines will be featured and paired with light bites. Served Saturday and Sunday, 2-5pm, $30 per person: no ticket or reservation needed. Stop by and see us!

Fridays, 5:30-8:30pm

Farmhouse Fridays: Live Music & Drinks On The Porch

10950 Hutcheson Ferry Rd, Chatt Hills, GA 30268 Free

The Farmhouse invites you to start the weekend with them. Grab a drink from The Farmhouse Bar and enjoy the ambience of warm weather and live music on the wraparound porch.

Saturdays, 4:00pm

Wine Tastings at the General Store

10642 Serenbe Lane, Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30268

Cochran Mill Brews are now at the General Store.

Join Nadine to taste wines from around the globe every Saturday; $35/person with tasting notes and small bites. Please email nadine@generalstoreatserenbe.com with any questions.

March 3 at 5:30 pm

American Farmland Trust Reception

10950 Hutcheson Ferry Rd, Chatt Hills, GA 30268

Free with Reservation: https://americanfarmlandtrustserenbe.eventbrite. com

Join Steve Nygren and key agriculture leaders and stakeholders to welcome the Southeast Regional Director, Dr. Courtney Owens. Hear about the national and regional programmatic priorities across the Southeast and the long-term strategies for Georgia along with groundbreaking research from American Farmland Trust that indicates the equivalent of 7,200 farms will be lost to development in Georgia by 2040. Join this conversation about the urgency of the threats and opportunities to take action. Lite bites, beer and wine.

Please RSVP at Community Brickworks to help us plan for the meal. https:// www.communitybrickworks.org/cb-event/st-pattys-day-senior-luncheon/

March 3, call for time

Movie Night

Cochran Mill Brewing Company

27 Word St, Fairburn

Movie night with Snacks on The Go Food Truck! We will be showing the original Jumanji! This will be a family- friendly event with snacks and games and, of course, beer for the adults.

March 11, call for time

Fake Patty's Day

Cochran Mill Brewing Company, 27 Word St, Fairburn

We will be celebrating the biggest drinking holiday of the year! This is a St Patty's Day Party with a twist! Come in your green, and party like the Irish, but be ready for some unique cuisine! We figured you'll be eating enough corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes throughout the month, so that we will instead take your taste buds on a different journey. We will have Me Lumpia Longtime serving up the best Filipino food around, as well as having Chan's Catering doing a great ole southern low country boil! We also will have live music starting a 6pm from the Braehead Bards!

Tuesdays, Feb 14-May 2: Ages 3-5

Wednesdays, Feb 15-May 3: Ages 6-8

Thursdays, Feb 16-May 4: Ages 9-12

12-Week Kids Gardening Program at Serenbe Farms

8715 Atlanta Newnan Rd, Chatt Hills, GA 30268

Farmer Tristan will teach students gardening skills including garden planning and prep, seeding, transplanting, compost making, wildlife identification, and observation. These will be accompanied by lessons in science and math while also inviting the students to engage in some creative activities such as building, crafting, storytelling etc. The main objective of these meetings will be discussing growing food from seed to harvest.

Each week we will cover a different topic relating to soil health and vegetable production. The younger kids can expect an exploratory farm experience while the older kids will be doing more hands-on gardening activities. Everyone will have an opportunity to plant a seed and nurture it to harvest. The garden can be a community space so parents and caretakers can expect a harvest from the garden coming home with their kids and an event to celebrate growth of the garden during this season!

Parents are welcome to join their kids in these activities. Expect your students to get dirty from time to time. All efforts are made to keep clean, but seeding, bed prep, and putting plants in the ground can sometimes get messy. Wear clothes that can get dirty.

*Each garden club member will be provided with their very own garden gloves and tools. This teaching process requires the use of materials that will be covered by the cost of attending these programs i.e tools, seeds, soils, basic soil science items, books, compost, fertilizers.) All of these items will be utilized to teach the students to grow food.

Contact education@serenbefarms.com for more info.

Mar. 18 - Nov. 4, All Saturdays 9:00-1:30

Farmers Market

Selborne Green9110 Selborne Ln, Chatt Hills, GA 30268

Serenbe Farmers Market is proud to bring Chatt Hills residents and visitors the best local produce, meats, prepared foods, and artisans.

The mission of the Serenbe Farmers Market is to support the development of the local agricultural economy and to provide a platform in which to support small businesses to sell their products. Serenbe Farmers Market offers a variety of healthy food and artisan goods on a large green space surrounded by magnificent tall trees, giving you an immunity boost that you just won’t find in an asphalt parking lot.