Dunwoody Crier - April 11, 2024

Sandy Springs sets sites on police center

A rendering of High Street, the multi-phased mixed-used development at Perimeter Center Parkway and Hammond Drive, shows the central plaza, surrounding retail space and luxury apartments. GID Development Group announced April 2 more than 100 tenants had signed leases.

Schedule set for 24th annual Lemonade Days

DUNWOODY, Ga. — The Dunwoody Preservation Trust will host its 24th annual Lemonade Days festival April 1721 at Brook Run Park.

Launched in the wake of a tornado that ripped through Dunwoody in 1998, the festival is marked on calendars across Metro Atlanta.

The gathering will feature carnival and pony rides, a petting zoo, food and beverage vendors, and the Dunwoody Idol contest. Along with other coveted prizes, the first-place winner performs “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the Dunwoody Homeowners Association’s annual Fourth of July parade.

The Time Warp ride and deep-fried Oreo and Snickers concession stands will also return.

The first annual High School Battle of the Bands, featuring students from The Mount Vernon School, Chamblee Middle School, Atlanta Academy and Dunwoody High School, will be held on the weekend dates

See LEMONADE, Page 11

High Street opens to residents

DUNWOODY, Ga. — On the heels of several retail announcements, one of Perimeter’s mixed-use districts, High Street, is now welcoming residents to its luxury apartments.

High Street is a multi-phased $2 billion, 36-acre mixed-use destination located at Perimeter Center Parkway and Hammond Drive. The project is led by GID Development Group, a national real estate investor, developer and operator.

High Street’s walkable, mixed-use environment will feature world-class public spaces and an event plaza that will be the focal point of the development.

The first phase features 150,000 square feet of retail, 598 apartments and 310,000 square feet of office space, including 90,000 square feet of Class A facilities.

Signifying the demand for a walkable, amenityrich lifestyle, the project has more than 100 leases signed and at least 50 residents have moved in since its opening in late January.

The apartments at High Street comprise 598 homes across two buildings, Windsor Brompton and Windsor Avery.

The upscale residences are situated over retail within a public area that puts pedestrians first, with tree-lined sidewalks, outdoor gathering areas, water features and an expansive plaza with events.

In late February, High Street announced the

See APARTMENTS, Page 11 HIGH

DUNWOODY PRESERVATION TRUST/PROVIDED

A crowd gathers in front of a food truck last April at the Dunwoody Preservation Trust’s annual Lemonade Days festival. The annual city-wide celebration is back April 17-21 at Brook Run Park.

770-442-3278

AppenMedia.com

319 N. Main Street

Alpharetta, GA 30009

HANS APPEN

Publisher

DICK WILLIAMS Publisher Emeritus

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 Dunwoody 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.

POLICE BLOTTER

All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.

Officers stop vehicle carrying stolen plate

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody Police arrested a 22-year-old Peachtree Corners man for driving with a stolen tag March 31 after Flock cameras notified officers.

Cameras spotted the vehicle, a black Ford F-150, at Winters Chapel Road and Wintercrest Drive.

An officer said he located the vehicle next to the 4651 building on Peachtree Place Parkway before it left the apartment complex. While continuing to follow the vehicle, the officer said he called for backup.

Officers said they conducted a traffic stop at the Chevron on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and the vehicle’s driver and sole occupant surrendered immediately.

The suspect said he received the license plate from a friend and did not have any more information about the stolen tag.

An officer said a check through the Georgia Crime Information Center revealed a 48-year-old Peachtree Corners man had reported the stolen tag March 23 to Gwinnett County.

A background check of the suspect revealed his suspended license and a warrant for failure to appear for a family battery charge.

Officers arrested the suspect for theft by receiving stolen property and driving with a suspended license and transported him to DeKalb County Jail

Store worker detains alleged shoplifter

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody Police arrested a 57-year-old Atlanta man March 27 after a loss prevention officer caught him with stolen merchandise in

the Perimeter Mall parking garage.

An officer said he received a report of an intoxicated man in custody for shoplifting $825 in merchandise. He met with the loss prevention officer who had the suspect in custody at Macy’s.

The loss prevention officer said Sunglass Hut employees contacted her about a man who took a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses and two bottles of fragrance. She told police that she located the suspect on security cameras in Macy’s.

The Macy’s employee said she saw the suspect take a Michael Kors jacket and Hugo Boss pants, exit the store without paying and leave the mall.

While in the parking garage, the employee said she detained the suspect and recovered the stolen property.

A check through the Georgia Crime Information Center revealed the suspect had warrants out of Chamblee for shoplifting and a Fulton County probation violation. An officer said both warrants were confirmed.

The officer said he transported the suspect to DeKalb County Jail and secured a warrant for felony shoplifting.

Actor notifies police of stolen rental car

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody Police are investigating a report of a stolen vehicle after a Hollywood actor reported his rental car missing March 27.

An officer said he received a phone call from a security manager at NBCUniversal about a Hollywood actor’s missing rental car.

The security manager said the actor was in Dunwoody staying at the Crowne Plaza hotel on Ashford Dunwoody for a shoot and had a rental car arranged through NBC.

The individual tasked with holding onto the keys at the front desk was not at work March 23, so the actor left them with another employee.

The security manager said he called Hertz Car Rental March 27 and confirmed the car had not been returned.

An officer said he then contacted Crowne Plaza’s head of security at the

direction of the NBCUniversal employee.

The security director at the hotel said she has video of the actor handing his keys over to the front desk employee. She also said the employee was questioned about the keys.

The suspect said he placed the keys in a drawer by the front desk.

The security director confirmed the keys were no longer in the drawer and the employee worked March 23-25.

An officer said Flock cameras show the vehicle traveling on Ashford Dunwoody Road at Hammond Drive March 25 and driving on Candler Road near Decatur March 27.

The officer also said the vehicle hit three more times on Flock cameras near Decatur.

The security director said the suspect, a 34-year-old man, lives near Decatur.

The officer said he reported the vehicle as stolen through the Georgia Crime Information Center after gathering information from security with the hotel and NBC.

A Dunwoody detective is working with hotel security on the investigation, the officer said.

Salon reports client for walking out on bill

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A nail salon on Old Milton Parkway reported a customer fled the store without paying March 23.

Employees reported the suspect paid for a manicure and pedicure with a $30 Groupon discount, but she upgraded her services for each.

When employees told the suspect she owed $50 for the upgrades, she reportedly fled without paying the difference.

Employees said the suspect left in a gray Jeep Compass, which officers traced to a 41-year-old Atlanta woman who matched the description.

Officers tried to contact the woman to confirm the incident, but they received no answer.

Employees told officers they wish to press charges.

Sandy Springs rolls out Police Foundation

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Spurred by a new statewide initiative, the City of Sandy Springs has formed a police foundation that, among other things, will raise funds for a shooting range and training center.

Documents show the facility has been in the works since at least April 2021, though city officials have shared little information about the project or its new funding mechanism. Current cost estimates for the training facility sit at $37-$45 million, up from a January estimate of $25 million.

The city says it intends for the foundation to be the primary funding source for the project, which would sit next door to the new police headquarters and municipal court currently under construction at 620 Morgan Falls Road.

While it has not formally launched a fundraising campaign, the foundation has already received $49,500 in donations as of March 29.

The updated cost estimate and donation tally comes from City Manager Eden Freeman.

The Police Department announced the establishment of the nonprofit in a March 22 Instagram post.

According to the city, the new Police Foundation is geared toward providing equipment and facilities to help the Sandy Springs Police Department with public safety and community relations. It differs from the Sandy Springs Police Benevolent Fund, a nonprofit formed in 2010 to support law enforcement in times of crisis.

Sandy Springs City Councilman Andy Bauman and his wife, who already contribute to the Benevolent Fund, plan to donate to the foundation.

“This provides a conduit for citizens to essentially direct tax dollars to their local community’s police force,” Councilman Bauman said. “Big picture, there’s nothing that unifies our community, across all backgrounds, more than support for our law enforcement and all first responders.”

He also said he anticipates contributions to the foundation from across the city.

“It’s a win-win all the way around,” Bauman said.

Nearly a year in the works

Appen Media first learned of the foundation from June 2023 emails obtained through the Open Records Act. In those messages, local police officials thank members of the Atlanta Police Foundation for guidance about “starting up a non-profit fund.”

Councilwoman Melody Kelley inquired about the future firearms training facility during a conversation about public-facing gun ranges.

During the discussion, City Manager Freeman said the facility “is subject to fundraising…and not something we will anticipate using general fund dollars for.”

There was no mention of the city’s already paying $14,000 to Jericho Design Group for the renderings.

Also at the retreat, Police Chief Kenneth DeSimone set the estimated cost of the facility at $25 million.

But that figure has risen.

In a March 29 email to Appen Media, Freeman, who serves as treasurer on the foundation’s executive committee, said cost estimates have changed.

In financial account reports published in June 2023 for activity dating back to April, a new city account appeared. A few lines down from the Tree Fund and Community Development Escrow was “Qualified Law Enforcement Foundation, Inc.” with an allotted $37,500.

Documents from February 2023 show the city paid Jericho Design Group $14,000 for conceptual design of the firing range. The city’s request for the renderings can be found in documents dating back to April of 2021.

This year, in February, the line item changed in the city’s published financial reports. The account, which had grown to $40,860, was changed to “Sandy Springs Police Foundation, Inc.”

Appen sought information about the organization and its funding source from city staff over the course of a few weeks. Then, Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul announced the foundation at a March 5 City Council meeting, adding that a newly appointed board of directors had met the previous day.

Citing this public acknowledgement, Appen asked again for the organization’s purpose, funding and formation timeline. This time the newspaper added a request for the names of the board members.

In response, the city confirmed the Police Foundation met March 4. Regarding Appen’s questions about funding, formation timeline and board members, officials said it “will need to submit an open records request to get the information.”

The newspaper obtained and inspected 83 documents through more than a dozen Open Records Act requests to piece together some answers. Appen

has since filed additional requests seeking more information about the firing range and training center. Those inquiries await the city’s response.

Funding sources

At a Jan. 30, 2024 planning retreat,

“The amount mentioned at the retreat for the firearms training center was an older estimate and did not account for recent inflation, nor include site work,” she wrote. “The most recent estimate is $37-$45 million, [and] as with all estimates, those numbers will likely change before we get to construction.”

Sandy Springs Communications

PHOTOS BY CARL APPEN/APPEN MEDIA

Construction of the new Sandy Springs Police Headquarters and Municipal Court continues along Morgan Falls Road.

Appen Media Listening Tour scheduled for Forsyth County

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Staff reporters with Appen Media will be all ears at its open forum at Cherry Street Brewing in Forsyth County April 18.

The forum provides visitors the chance to offer suggestions and feedback on coverage.

Beginning at 4 p.m., staff will be on-hand for around an hour or so for one-on-one conversations and a Q&A session.

Schedule:

May 16 – Six Bridges Brewing, Milton

June 20 – July Moon Bakery and Café, Alpharetta

July 18 – Pontoon Brewing Company, Sandy Springs

All stops are open to the public and free to attend.

An RSVP is not required but appreciated. Visit appenmedia.com/ join to let us know you are coming.

This is the fourth stop on the newsroom’s “Listening Tour,” a seven-month series touching base in each of Appen Media’s coverage areas. So far, staff have made rounds in Milton, Dunwoody, Roswell and Johns Creek, gaining valuable insight from residents on how to strengthen reporting.

Newspaper Delivery Route Openings with Appen Media Group

We are looking for one person or couple interested in delivering weekly newspapers in South Forsyth, Alpharetta and the Johns Creek areas.

Requirements: Must have a perfect driving record and background check, reliable transportation, honest, hard-working and positive attitude.

For more information or to apply, email heidi@appenmedia.com and include a paragraph or two about who you are and any relevant background/experience. In the subject line of the email please put “Delivery Route Application.”

The Pippin Project closes digital divide

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — When students were forced to learn remotely amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Yvonne David realized that some students would lose what has become necessary to succeed in the world — computers.

While her two sons used schoolissued devices, she and her husband worked from home on their computers. But, in other households, she knew the situation was more precarious.

“It became so crystal clear to me that this is something that maybe we can do something about,” David said.

So, David founded The Pippin Project, a nonprofit that refurbishes old computers and gifts them to those who can’t otherwise afford them — even in Johns Creek, an affluent city with a median household income of more than $153,000, according to 2022 U.S. Census data.

After forming connections with school social workers, David has provided around two dozen computers to students at Chattahoochee High School each year since 2021 and close to 30 to students at Decatur High School in her first year.

David is originally from the Netherlands, where she earned her master’s degree in sociology of developing nations. The education system is much different there, she said, with cheaper tuition and easier inroads to obtain an advanced degree.

A formative experience for David was conducting her thesis research in Trinidad and Tobago. The country has a stable economy due to its oil and gas production, but working through its poorer communities was an eye opener for David.

“That was the first time that I was face to face with it, because in the Netherlands, I wasn’t confronted,” said David, who also serves on the board for The Netherland-America Foundation chapter in Atlanta.

The Pippin Project doesn’t just serve senior graduates, why David has opted out of grant funding — she also provides devices to students who have dropped out. She said grants often require that students seek at least an associate degree, though most require students to seek a bachelor’s.

“I don’t know the circumstances,” David said. “I know that, at the moment, there are two kids who live in a car. So, how am I going to tell them that you have to go to school?”

Early on, computers were partially collected from technology drives that

David would host in collaboration with the Alpharetta-based nonprofit Green Cell. She also worked with HaulDash and eCloud Recycle for the recycling events.

But, because of the high cost associated with the process, the last recycling event was held in November 2022, and David now buys refurbished computers outright.

From the outset of The Pippin Project, David helped another demographic — people who had been incarcerated, through partnerships with the Georgia Justice Project, which serves anyone affected by the justice system including those on probation or awaiting trial, and the Georgia Innocence Project, a nonprofit focusing on people who have been exonerated.

David also works with The Braille Transcribing program out of the Emanuel Women’s Facility, which teaches offenders how to translate textbooks for visually impaired K-12 students. The Pippin Project comes in when they are released into the halfway house and need their own equipment to continue working.

Returning to her previous line of work, David also provides professional development training. Right now, she is developing a curriculum for the Georgia Innocence Project alongside a professor of entrepreneurship and job training, who is based in New York.

“We try to be very, very careful and mindful, but also very mindful of our ignorance,” David said.

She said a large percentage of those she works with had been in prison for 15 to 20 years and never finished high school, so redefining

them,

To donate to The Pippin Project, visit thepippinproject.org

what “basic” skills are for the group is kept in focus.

David was reminded of her experience working for a nonprofit in Chicago, where she helped people below the poverty line and those who had been in prison find jobs.

“It always stuck with me because companies don’t hire you because there’s a stigma,” David said, describing common assumptions about people exiting the prison system, like being capable of only lower-level jobs. “... A lot of people have more to offer.”

Yvonne David is the founder of The Pippin Project, a nonprofit that provides computers to people who cannot afford

including high school students and individuals who have been incarcerated.

PHOTOS BY YVONNE DAVID/PROVIDED Partners of The Pippin Project stand together after a day of collecting electronics in November 2022, the nonprofit’s last recycling event. Yvonne David, founder of The Pippin Project, worked with Alpharetta-based Green Cell, HaulDash and eCloud Recycle for a series of technology drives.

Expert treatment for head and neck cancers at Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center

to you

April is Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month. So, what are head and neck cancers?

The term includes several different types of malignant tumors affecting parts of the head and neck, including the nose and sinus cavities, mouth, throat, voice box and salivary glands. Head and neck cancers typically involve the mucosa, or the tissues lining these areas, and represent about 4% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States each year.

Well-known risk factors for the development of head and neck cancers include heavy alcohol and tobacco use, especially if someone uses alcohol and tobacco together. Men are three times

more likely to be diagnosed with oral and throat cancer compared to women, according to the American Cancer Society.

An additional risk factor is human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which is related to the development of oropharyngeal cancer specifically. The oropharynx is the midsection of the throat and includes the tonsils and the root of the tongue or tongue base where many of these tumors originate. HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer is more prevalent now than HPV-related cervical cancer in women. HPVrelated oropharyngeal cancer has been increasing in the United States over the last three to four decades, while the incidence of tobacco and alcohol-related tumors has been declining. More than 22,500 people are diagnosed with HPVrelated oropharyngeal cancer each year. You can act against these risk factors by decreasing tobacco and alcohol use and getting the HPV vaccine.

Treating head and

neck cancers

If you are diagnosed with cancer, Wellstar provides expert care here in North Fulton. Oropharyngeal cancers are typically treated with surgery (with or without radiation therapy) or radiation therapy (with or without chemotherapy) at equivalent cure rates. Goals of treatment are to remove the cancer, prevent its return and limit side effects.

Wellstar providers work with patients to tailor care to their needs—based on effectiveness of the treatment, tumor location and stage, accessibility of the tumor to a surgical approach, risk of side effects and patient choice.

At Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center, the multidisciplinary head and neck cancers tumor board takes each of these factors into consideration while selecting the most appropriate treatment regimen for every individual patient. At the Head and Neck STAT Clinic, the patient can meet with the entire

treatment team in a single visit during treatment planning and may start treatment sooner.

Transoral robotic surgery, offered at Wellstar North Fulton, has changed the way oropharyngeal cancers are treated surgically. In this procedure, the surgeon accesses the cancer by passing tools through the mouth rather than making an incision. For those patients with early-stage tumors and limited disease in the neck, the surgery offers the patient a cure at a single intervention without the need for tracheostomy or abdominal feeding tube, faster return to taking food orally, improved outcomes and faster recovery. This is preferred over traditional surgical methods, which required splitting the jaw and/or the tongue or gaining access to the throat via neck incision.

Learn more about cancer care at Wellstar North Fulton at wellstar.org/ northfultoncancercare.

Brought

by - Dr. Kia Jones, Wellstar Ear Nose & Throat Physician

JONES ISTOCK

A network of advanced cancer specialists means more holistic care for you.

At Wellstar, you’ll find a multidisciplinary team of cancer care experts built around your needs and dedicated to comprehensive, personalized treatment.

We are a leader in cancer care, embracing innovation to improve patient outcomes. Our surgeons perform a variety of minimally invasive procedures—providing patients with smoother recoveries and less pain. We also support patients during their cancer journeys with STAT Clinics, which bring cancer care providers together and put people at the center of their treatment. With this multidisciplinary approach, patients start care sooner, optimizing treatment and outcomes.wellstar.org/cancercare

How to build your child’s self-esteem

Brought to you by – Charles Smith, MS, LAPC, NCC | Summit Counseling Center

A child’s self-esteem begins with a positive self-identity, which is critical for building a foundation for confidence, happiness, and emotional well-being. When children have a positive self-identity, they can navigate through life with a sense of purpose and feel like they belong. These children gain confidence and can persevere when facing challenges in school and all areas of their lives. A strong sense of selfidentity and self-worth also drives children to confidently pursue their passions without giving into self-doubt, which can hinder personal and academic growth. The mission for parents and mental health professionals is to help nurture and develop a child’s positive self-identity; so they can reach their full potential and lead meaningful and productive lives.

The How and Whys:

Step 1: Encourage your child to embrace their unique qualities (i.e., race, culture, spiritual beliefs, sexual orientation, talents, etc.). By embracing what makes them unique, children can fully appreciate themselves and feel a sense of inclusion.

Step 2: Celebrate your child’s accomplishments often, using positive affirmations. Their accomplishments are a great way to increase their sense of selfworth and ensure that they feel valued.

Step 3: Teach your child healthy coping skills (i.e., mindfulness, deep breathing, positive self-talk, guided imagery, etc.). These skills provide the foundation for children to manage their stress levels and regulate their emotions.

Step 4: Expose your child to various extracurricular activities. These activities encourage children to find opportunities to be successful and build self-confidence and self-esteem.

Step 5: Provide your child with a safe and supportive environment. Ensuring that your child feels safe and supportive

creates a non-judgmental environment where they feel comfortable expressing their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Step 6: Help your child to develop healthy relationships with their peers and family members by utilizing assertive communication skills and reinforcing the use of “I” statements. Providing children with appropriate communication skills provides them with the foundation to stand up for their own needs and wants, while also considering the needs and wants of others.

Step 7: Teach your children the S.M.A.R.T. goal setting strategy by encouraging them to set specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely goals for themselves. This strategy provides children with the skills needed to improve their confidence and self-esteem, after achieving success.

Step 8: Teach your child to use a strength-based approach to problemsolving. Reminding children to focus on their strengths and achievements rather than dwelling on their self-perceived limitations which can hinder their overall growth and development.

Step 9: Help your child to recognize their negative thoughts and inner dialogue. Once recognized, children can be encouraged to replace negative self-talk with their own positive affirmations (i.e., reading scriptures, inspirational quotes, positive messages, etc.) aloud.

Step 10: Provide your child with positive modeling of self-esteem and expose them to positive mentors. This exposure enables children to demonstrate how to meet challenges with confidence and resilience.

The Summit is offering a wide range of summer groups for elementary, middle, and high school students. Registration closes on May 10th. Financial assistance is available, and groups are FREE for students that attend any of our partner schools. Visit our website at summitcounseling.org to learn about summer groups, our school partnerships, and other services available for children, teens, and adults.

678.893.5300 summitcounseling.org Learn

HIGH STREET/PROVIDED

An image shows an apartment kitchen in the Windsor Brompton building at High Street. The one-bedroom luxury apartments start at $1,538.

Apartments:

Continued from Page 1

addition of several retail tenants, including Jaguar Bolera, Nando’s PeriPeri, Velvet Taco, Allen Edmonds and Skin Spirit.

To date, High Street has secured over 80,000 square feet of the first phase’s 150,000-square-foot retail environment, with additional new retailers and restaurants in the works.

Previously announced retail, dining and entertainment tenants include Puttshack, The Hampton Social, Agave Bandido, Cuddlefish, Ben & Jerry’s and Sugar Coat.

The development is across the street from the Dunwoody MARTA Station.

High Street’s apartments come in 16 floor plans featuring studios, onebedrooms and two-bedrooms and various high-end finishes and features.

Residents can choose their unit and price point based on balcony size and

Lemonade:

Continued from Page 1

of the festival.

Dunwoody Authors and Friends Bookstore will present thirty local authors from 10 a.m.-

Lemonade Days will run from 4 to 10 p.m. April 17-19. The festival will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. April 20 and from noon to 6 p.m. April 21.

Unlimited ride wristbands are $20 on Wednesday and Thursday and $30 Friday through Sunday. Single tickets will also be available for $1.25 at the park at 4770 North Peachtree Road.

Parking is available at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, the North Peachtree Road side of Kingswood United Methodist Church, St. Barnabas

orientation, cabinetry colors, built-in work from home desks and standalone tubs.

One-bedroom apartments start at $1,538.

Every home features a kitchen with quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, porcelain tile backsplash and an island for entertainment.

Amenities include a fitness and yoga studio, pool and sundeck, catering kitchen and private dining room, coworking spaces, an outdoor dog run and dog wash, outdoor gaming lawn, a bike lounge and repair station.

James Linsley, president of GID Development Group, said he’s thrilled to welcome residents to the premier mixeduse destination.

“Residents will have an incredible mix of chef-driven restaurants, engaging retailers and experiential concepts coming straight to their doorstep, along with beautiful private amenities,” Linsley said. “With Windsor’s best-inclass resident services, there is no other community like this in Atlanta.”

Church, the back of Brook Run Park and Peachtree Middle School starting Friday.

Molly Newton, an art teacher at Peachtree Charter Middle School, makes the annual T-shirt design contest possible. This year, artwork from middle schoolers Chloe Tsai, Brithany AvilaMejia and Josie Cronin were selected out of 366 student entries.

Proceeds from Lemonade Days, the Dunwoody Preservation Trust’s only fundraiser, will benefit educational programs, a history camp for children, community events and the rehabilitation and maintenance of the historic Donaldson-Bannister Farm.

Fifth Third Bank is the presenting sponsor of the festival.

For more information, visit www. dunwoodypreservationtrust.org/ lemonade-days/

The end of truth is marching forward

RAY APPEN

I have always studied history; it is one of my passions. I studied it in college, and I study it now.

Now I find myself in a disturbing place.

Everything tells me that “truth” as we have known it, is dead – or at least rapidly disappearing. That is a problem, a really big problem.

It is not so much that “truth” is disappearing. It is more that our access to it and our ability to disseminate it is diminishing. Why? Because of a number of factors.

Our world is now more connected than it has ever been – like in the history of the world. Ease of communication and access to information via the internet has changed everything. Part of that is good. Part is very not good.

The very not good aspect of the internet is that, in effect, because we now have access to so much information, the information that is “true” is being diluted; it is mixed in with all other information, including information that is false/not factual/not accurate/not presented in context.

In addition to this “dilution” problem, there is a compounding factor – a multiplier if you will – with the emergence of artificial intelligence, “AI.” Basically, AI will increasingly make it more difficult for us to judge what is true and what is not. Information will be generated by AI, as directed by those people and organizations who wish to advocate for their own agendas, uploaded to the internet and passed off as “true.” Some of it will be, and some of it won’t be.

AI-generated information reminds me of fusion – the merging of different elements to form another element. So, especially with AI, one can take

two things that are true, add them together; and in some cases, the result is something that is false. So much depends on context.

Increasingly, that AI-generated information will appear to be more and more “true” because that is what AI does. It accesses and processes almost “all information,” and from that universe of data, crafts new “information” that looks more like it must be factual and “the truth.” That is, it is going to get geometrically more difficult for all of us to decide if what we are reading or watching or listening to is “true” – and is in appropriate context.

The magnitude of the “problem” absolutely cannot be underestimated.

“More information” does not necessarily mean better decisions. You would think it should, but it does not – at least those decisions made by humans. We have a limited capacity to process information. Our brains can only deal with a fixed amount. So, between

the internet and AI, we are kind of toast, like sailing ships without rudders – at the mercy of weather we do not control.

Compound the internet with AI and add in “natural selection” – arguably the only true constant in any society – and where do we land? Indeed.

Is it any wonder that “democracy” as a form of government has succeeded as long as it has? A democracy based on the will and knowledge of “the people” – a plebiscite – even now as I write, just seems and feels like a remnant of the past, an aberration, an antique of some sort – certainly not an idea or a concept that is in ascent.

I hope I am wrong.

In the meantime, as this information “problem” plays out, we still have our faith to hopefully keep us on some sort of an even keel, and we will keep putting one foot in front of the other and try to make the best of it like we have always done, no?

Buckle up.

Lemonade Days celebrates 25 years of revitalization

Lemonade Days has been a Dunwoody tradition since 1999. The first event was held as a fundraiser for a campaign to replant trees following the devastating tornado that cut through Dunwoody on April 9, 1998. The Dunwoody Homeowner’s Association, Dunwoody Preservation Trust and Dunwoody Nature Center joined forces to replace trees with the “Replant the Dunwoody Forest” effort.

The 1999 event included a children’s carnival and tours of rebuilt and rehabilitated homes. DPT chose to name

DEATH NOTICES

Jimmie Cadenhead, 79, of Alpharetta, passed away on April 1, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Elissa Coalson, 89, of Milton, passed away on March 23, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

the festival Lemonade Days in 2000, evolving from the phrase “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” The 2000 event included a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, and games on the lawn of the Cheek-Spruill House.

During the years 2001 through 2003, Lemonade included arts and crafts at the Shops of Dunwoody in addition to home tours and carnival games at the Cheek-Spruill House. In 2004, Lemonade Days moved to Brook Run Park.

Tornados touched down from Alabama to Cobb County, Georgia over three days in April 1998. In Dunwoody, the tornado came across Chamblee Dunwoody Road, moved east along Peeler Road, down Tilly Mill Road, through parts of Kingsley, across Happy

Dee Dee Cooley, 58, of Milton, passed away on March 31, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Cynda Douglas, 72, of Alpharetta, passed away on March 25, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Hollow Road and through Fontainebleau Forest, then across Winters Chapel Road into Lockridge Forest. The tornado then struck Peachtree Corners and northern Gwinnett County. (Dunwoody Crier, June 1998, “April 9, 1998: The Storm”)

At DeKalb College, today’s Georgia State University, Dunwoody campus, 80 percent of the trees snapped or were uprooted. The “Replant the Dunwoody Forest” program replaced more than 25,000 trees.

This year’s Lemonade Days Festival will be held April 17-21. What began as a one-day small event has grown into a 5-day festival and Dunwoody signature event, with approximately 20,000 attendees.

The festival includes carnival rides and a variety of food and beverage every

Sandra Piper, 78, of Roswell, passed away on March 29, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Charlene Shirley, 86, of Alpharetta, passed away on March 30, 2024. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

day. The tradition of pony rides and a petting zoo continues Saturday, April 20 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., and Sunday April 21 from noon until 6 p.m.

The Dunwoody Idol competition is at 6 p.m. on Saturday night. The first annual High School Battles of the Bands will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday. Participants include bands from Mount Vernon Presbyterian School, Peachtree Charter Middle School, Dunwoody High School and Atlanta Academy.

Dunwoody Authors & Friends Booth, 20 plus authors with their books available for purchase will be at the festival on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

The Lemonade Days Festival is the only fundraiser of the Dunwoody Preservation Trust, with the profits going to the continued rehabilitation and maintenance of the historic 1870 Donaldson-Bannister Farm (a partnership of the DPT and city of Dunwoody) as well as numerous community events, educational programs for children and adults and Camp Flashback.

Visit dunwoodylemonadedays.org for daily schedules and details.

Award-winning author

Valerie Biggerstaff is a longtime columnist for Appen Media and the Dunwoody Crier. She lives in Atlanta. You can email Valerie at pasttensega@gmail.com or visit her website at pasttensega.com.

Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com

GARDEN BUZZ

Community Gardens & Agriculture: A Fun Way to Grow

As summer approaches, do you long to savor homegrown tomatoes and other fresh veggies but don’t have enough sun or anywhere suitable to raise a few crops? Or you do have space but aren’t sure what or when or how to plant?

When we think about agriculture, what often comes to mind are images of a farmer riding an old John Deere tractor through rows of crops on a sunny day. I grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm, and I think of my mother’s garden, which must have been one-quarter acre in size! We grew every vegetable, from tomatoes and potatoes to onions, dill and cucumbers. Yet, for those of us living in a suburb or city there are other gardening options.

How about renting a plot at a community garden? Gardening or farming on a small scale in a shared, public space offers fun and fulfillment. Residents have the opportunity to rent garden beds for their own gardening projects, whether it’s growing vegetables, herbs, fruits or perhaps a garden to attract pollinators or a cutting garden. Plus, if you have a question, there’s probably a friendly neighbor who can offer suggestions.

As Master Gardeners, encouraging sustainable practices among consumer horticulturalists is a priority. Proceeds from our annual Garden Faire provide scholarships and benefit community education efforts and project gardens supported by the North Fulton Master Gardeners volunteer organization.

Support for community gardens

At the North Fulton Community Garden in Sandy Springs and the GROWL Garden in College Park, local residents can rent garden plots for growing food and flowers. Here, they have the opportunity to build relationships with other gardeners of all skill levels and attend educational classes offered by UGA Extension faculty, Master Gardener Extension Volunteers and other partners. Through workshops on composting, sustainable pest and disease management, cover cropping, wildlife exclusion, and much more, community gardeners grow their gardening skills along with their plantings.

Education at Farm Chastain

Farm Chastain, situated in the middle of Chastain Park in Atlanta, is an urban teaching farm where classes

AMANDA MUSILLI/PROVIDED

Fall morning at the ACAP Farm

are taught hands-on, as well as via online gardening videos. Farm Chastain began in 2013 as a rehabilitation program for veterans with acquired brain injuries. Today the farm has 18 beds (and growing) and offers free classes to individuals, families, scout groups, schools, garden clubs and other groups.

Master Gardeners have been teaching on site at Farm Chastain since 2014. Classes vary from soil testing, composting at home, herb gardens, vegetable planting, container gardening and many other topics. The harvest is used for teaching purposes, and all surplus is donated to local foodbanks.

The Chastain Park Conservancy offers online gardening classes taught through a partnership with the North Fulton Master Gardeners. Orchids, container gardening, step-by-step vegetable gardening, tips for gardening with kids, composting, soil testing, why microorganisms are important and much more valuable horticultural information can be easily accessed in gardening minivideos. Check out the “Master Gardeners Educate at Farm Chastain” playlist on our YouTube channel.

Alpharetta Community Agriculture Program

Alpharetta’s Community Agriculture Program launched in 2018 and has been steadily growing every year!

The mission of the Alpharetta Community Agriculture Program (ACAP) is to model and inspire the stewardship of natural resources through sustainable practices, while connecting the community through growing food and nature-based education.

The City of Alpharetta operates The Farm at the city’s Old Rucker Park, a wonderful organic vegetable farm with resources such as tools, free seeds

About the Author

This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Sandra Shave, a Master Gardener since 2018. Sandra grew up on a dairy farm in northern Wisconsin and learned to garden at her mother’s knee. She is a recent transplant to Roswell, moving from Wisconsin in 2014 after retirement to be nearer to her children and most importantly her grandchildren! Sandra was co-president of the North Fulton Master Gardeners in 2022 and is excited to master the art of gardening in Georgia and to help teach others via the NFMG Gardening Lecture Series and the Speakers Bureau.

and seedlings, educational classes and workshops, volunteer opportunities and partnerships. There’s also a community garden where residents can rent one of the 36 raised beds, including seeds and seedlings.

There’s a wide variety of learning opportunities around agricultural topics. For example, monthly classes are offered to the community, ranging from seed starting and container gardening to composting, garden journal making and wreath design.

Old Rucker Farm is located within Old Rucker Park at 900 Rucker Road, Alpharetta, GA 30009. For more information, visit https://alpharettacommunity-agriculture-program.square. site/. New programs are sprouting soon!

There are many studies that have shown the health benefits of being

outside, gardening and participating in community service. These community gardening and agriculture programs supported by the North Fulton Master Gardeners and Alpharetta’s Community Agriculture program offer opportunities to do all these things.

Garden Faire

The North Fulton Master Gardeners will hold its annual Garden Faire on Saturday, April 20, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in partnership with the City of Alpharetta at The Grove at Wills Park in Alpharetta (175 Roswell St, Alpharetta, GA 30009). This year, the Alpharetta Community Agriculture Program will have unique varieties of organic, heirloom, and non-GMO plants, grown from seed at Old Rucker Farm. Approximately 5000 vegetable, herb, flower seedlings will be available for home gardens. They also have children’s activities.

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/.

Save the Date! Garden Faire 2024 will be held on April 20, 2024, at The Grove at Wills Park. https://www.nfmg. net/garden-faire.html

In Memoriam

R. Barry Noggle

R. Barry Noggle, 75 of Dunwoody passed peacefully on March 25, 2024 after having suffered multiple complications of congestive heart failure.

He is survived by his devoted wife, Julie, and his children Brendan (Meghan) Noggle, Yvonne (Peter) O’Brien and Madeline (Jacob) Harrell. He will be fondly remembered by his grandchildren Hunter,

Drew, Beckett, Cecilia and Emma and his sisters Yvonne Bevel and Nancy Noggle. The Funeral Mass followed by interment will be on Friday April 12 at 2pm at All Saints Catholic Church, 2443 Mount Vernon Rd., Dunwoody, GA 30338. A reception will immediately follow the service. Please have any floral tributes delivered directly to All Saints Catholic Church.

SANDRA SHAVE Guest Columnist

Police:

Continued from Page 3

The

Director Dan Coffer said the intent is for the project to be funded through donations.

“Since the project is still in the planning stages, the funding sources have not been finalized,” Coffer said.

of Appeals will meet on Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council of Chambers of Dunwoody City Hall, located at 4800 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, Georgia 30338, for the purpose of due process of the following:

AA 24-01,

Should you have any questions or comments, or would like to view the application and supporting materials, please contact the City of Dunwoody Community Development Department at 678-382-6800. Members of the public are encouraged to call or schedule a meeting with the staff in advance of the Public Hearing if they have questions or are unfamiliar with the process. The staff is available to answer questions, discuss the decision-making process, and receive comments and concerns.

Sandy Springs Police Public Information Officer Sgt. Leon Millholland, who is also a director on the foundation’s Executive Committee, said officials are looking for corporate sponsors. That includes a Fortune 500 company Chief DeSimone referred to at the January retreat.

Millholland said in late March that the agency has secured two federal law enforcement partners — the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Administration. Chief DeSimone mentioned at the January retreat that there were federal agencies which had pledged financial support to maintain and supply the training center.

Currently, the Sandy Springs Police Department maintains a simulated munition training facility in Doraville and contracts with Sandy Springs Gun Range on Roswell Road for its Handgun Safety classes.

Millholland said the new training facility will be available to law enforcement personnel and Sandy Springs citizens who sign up for community courses.

He also said the timeline for funding is open-ended.

“The [Police Foundation] is not only focused on the new firearms training facility, which will certainly aid SSPD officers in achieving their annual training objectives and qualifications, but it will also support other law enforcement training opportunities, equipment and community safety initiatives,” Millholland said. “As for the specific plans and designs of the training facility, they are still being reviewed, and due to safety concerns, designs and blueprints are not being released.”

Supporting public safety

Police Chief DeSimone, who is a director on the foundation’s Executive Committee, said in a March 22 Instagram post that the nonprofit provides the public with opportunities to directly support officers.

The remaining six members of the Executive Committee include Mayor Rusty Paul, chair; Councilman John Paulson, vice chair; City Manager Freeman, treasurer; police Maj. Dan Nable, secretary; police Sgt. Millholland, director; and local businesswoman Gail Early Jokerst, director.

11:30-2:30 (Tues-Sat)

Specializing in Bento boxes, sushi, ramen and bibimbop. Bento boxes, sushi and bibimbop catering available (in large quantity).

Dinner: Monday-Sunday 5:00pm- 9:00pm

Lunch: Tuesday-Saturday 11:30am- 2:30pm 5500

sushi bar | japanese/korean cuisine | ramen bar