Dunwoody Crier - April 20, 2023

April 20, 2023 | AppenMedia.com | An Appen Media Group Publication | Ser ving the community since 1976

Dunwoody officials narrow project list to park upgrades in bond election

‘Students first’

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com DUNWOODY, Ga. — Continuing a discussion started at their annual retreat, Dunwoody City Council members took a step April 10 to create a project list for a proposed $55 million capital bond to fund a host of upgrades throughout the city if approved by voters.

At the retreat, council members proposed multiple trail and park projects that could be funded by a $59 million, 20-year capital improvements bond, including $30 million allocated for park projects and $26 million for pedestrian and bike infrastructure improvements.

But in the weeks since the retreat, the project list has been amended and city council members were presented with a smaller $55 million plan at a April 10 meeting.

Bond projects will now include the construction of new parks on Roberts Drive and Vermack Drive, the construction of a new city softball facility, upgrades to Waterford Park and Brook Run Park, trails in Dunwoody Village and Winters Chapel Road, and along North Peachtree Road from I-285 to Brook Run Park, which was only recently added to the list, said Post 3 Councilman Tom Lambert.

“We've been getting a lot of requests

See DUNWOODY Page 6

DELANEY TARR/APPEN MEDIA

Devon Horton, the sole finalist for the DeKalb County Schools superintendent position faced questions from the public at the first of three town halls at Chamblee High School on April 12.

Audience turns DeKalb Schools town hall into public Q&A

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com CHAMBLEE, Ga. — The sole finalist for the DeKalb County Schools superintendent, Devon Horton, faced a string of criticism and questions from parents and

community members at the first of three town halls at Chamblee High School April 12.

The Board of Education and Georgia School Boards Association selected Horton from a list of 29 candidates after a year-long search. The three town halls are

part of a two-week legally required public comment period before the board can formally hire Horton for the role.

A second town hall was held April 13 at the Dr. Ronald E. McNair Middle

See DEKALB, Page 4

2 | April 20, 2023 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

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Authorities seize 3 pounds of fentanyl, mushrooms, other drugs from homes

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com DUNWOODY, Ga. — Two people have been arrested for felony drug trafficking following a major narcotic bust at two local homes, the Dunwoody Police Department announced April 6.

In a post on the Dunwoody Police Department’s Facebook, officials said the department’s Criminal Investigation Division seized approximately

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.

Unidentified females assault Dunwoody man DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody police are investigating several unidentified female suspects who allegedly assaulted a local man on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard March 26.

Police said a 21-year-old local man stopped to help an “extremely drunk” man throwing up in an apartment complex parking lot at about 4 a.m. When he called the man a taxi, he was attacked by two female suspects.

The victim told police he was helping the man get into a taxi when an unidentified female came running up, broke the windshield wiper off of a car and hit him in the face with it.

His attacker, and other female suspects, got into a white sedan and sped away from the scene, leav-

3 pounds of fentanyl, 3.3 pounds of psychedelic mushrooms, 19 grams of methamphetamine, 5.6 pounds of marijuana, 12 pints of promethazine cough syrup, 390 grams of THC gummies and a jar of THC wax during search warrants conducted at two Dunwoody residences.

Dunwoody Police Sgt. Michael Cheek told Appen Media the seizures were part of a joint operation between the police department, the Drug En-

ing the man with a long scratch on his face.

At the time of the report, no suspects had been identified.

Police cite Atlanta man for stealing golf cart DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody police arrested a 33-year-old Atlanta man who allegedly stole a golf cart from a Dunwoody condo complex March 31.

Incident reports said police were dispatched to The Manhattan condo complex on Olde Perimeter Way at about 10 p.m. after complex staff reported that a golf cart had been stolen from their parking deck.

A staff member at The Manhattan allegedly witnessed a suspect entering the parking deck on a bicycle and leaving at the wheel of a golf cart that was taken without permission. Police quickly located a man driving a white golf cart down Meadow Lane.

The man told police he was taking the golf cart to fill it with gas and had permission to be driving it.

Police reported finding the man in possession of a bag of methamphetamine and learned he had an out-

More coverage This is a developing story. Go to appenmedia.com for updates. forcement Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.

In addition to the seized narcotics, police also located three firearms and arrested two individuals for felony drug trafficking.

standing warrant from the Chamblee Police Department.

The man was placed under arrest for theft by taking a motor vehicle and possession of narcotics. He was transported to DeKalb County Jail.

Lawncare worker robbed of $1,300 worth of tools DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody police say a lawncare worker was robbed at gunpoint by two suspects March 29.

Police were notified that a man returned to his truck after working at a residence on Dunwoody Club Drive when he noticed two men walking away from the truck carrying several of his tools.

When the victim tried to stop the men, one of the suspects lifted his shirt and produced a handgun, before continuing to walk north on Dunwoody Club Drive. Equipment worth approximately $1,300 was stolen, the report said.

The victim could not provide more than a basic description of the suspect or their vehicle.

At the time of the report, no suspects had been identified.

NEWS

AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | April 20, 2023 | 3

Planners give initial approval for Marcus Center expansion

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com DUNWOODY, Ga. — After an hours-long discussion April 11, the Dunwoody Planning Commission gave initial approval to a special land use permit to allow the Marcus Jewish Community Center to expand its recreation facilities on Tilly Mill Road.

Dunwoody Senior Planner Madalyn Smith told commissioners the proposal by the Marcus Jewish Community Center, which offers outdoor recreation programs, summer camps and other events, would add 12 new pickleball courts and a multipurpose court to the facility’s eastern grounds.

Because the neighborhood recreation club has been in the community since 1961, Smith said the center operates without a special land use permit.

Dunwoody has experienced a huge surge in interest in pickleball, which is similar to tennis but requires a different style of court and equipment.

Kathy Zickert, an attorney with Smith, Gambrell and Russell representing the Marcus Jewish Community Center, said the recreation center has experienced the surge firsthand and needs new facilities to keep up with demand.

“I don’t, I suspect, have to advise you of the popularity of pickleball that’s arisen over the past couple of years,” she said.

Zickert said the proposed project will add four new open-air pickleball courts to the recreation center and eight covered courts, as well as a viewing platform added to a nearby existing building.

Other improvements include minor upgrades to the center’s west parking lots and pool area.

The Planning Commission heard public comments from a handful of local residents who expressed a mix of opinions about the expansion.

Resident David Abes said he has been a member of the MJCC all his life and regularly visits the recreation center with his family. Abes said that any improvements to the center will only serve to improve the community and make it stronger.

“I think it’s an amazing thing to just keep improving this,” he said. “I think this is going to be an amazing thing for the community in general.”

However, most residents speaking at the meeting voiced concerns about how the project will affect the neighborhoods surrounding the Marcus Jewish Community Center.

Specifically, neighbors said they feared the project would exacerbate existing noise problems they have had with the center.

Nancy Echikson, who lives directly

“I think this is going to be an amazing thing for the community in general.”

DAVID ABES Member of the MJCC adjacent to the center’s day camp on the property’s western edge, said her life is already regularly disrupted by an outdoor sound system that accompanies the summer camp programs.

“I am woken up at 7:39 every summer morning, for three months with that thumping coming up from my pillow,” Echikson said. “The problem is they are essentially running a business and making decisions the way a business would, and not the way that residents would make decisions in a residential neighborhood.”

Echikson and other residents who spoke at the meeting said they could not support the proposal without, “serious noise abatement measures.”

Responding to community concerns, Zickert said an independent noise study was conducted for the property prior to the meeting, which reportedly showed the project would not impact the surrounding community any more than is reasonable.

She said that according to the study, pickleball courts would have less of a noise impact on the community than basketball courts.

“There is some noise inherent to any recreational opportunity,” she said. “But we do not believe that this one is going to create the problems that have been alleged.”

Zickert said they would consider alternative noise abatement strategies, like soundproofing measures, if they were deemed necessary by city staff.

After several rounds of questions and discussions, Planning Commission members approved the proposal, with a condition banning any public announcement systems from being installed on the new courts.

The motion was approved 4-2, with Planning Commission Chair Thomas O’Brien and Vice Chair Erika Harris opposed, and Commissioner Jackie Edmundson absent from the vote.

This special land use permit proposal will now advance to the Dunwoody City Council for final consideration.

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4 | April 20, 2023 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

DeKalb:

NEWS

Continued from Page 1 School, and the third was conducted April 14 at the Administrative and Instructional Complex in Stone Mountain.

Horton is superintendent for the Evanston/Skokie, Illinois, School District 65 which includes 7,894 students. DeKalb County Schools has and enrollment of 102,000.

As superintendent at Evanston/Skokie, Horton implemented programs to support academic growth for Black and Latino students. He was named superintendent of the year by the National Alliance of Black School Educators in 2022.

Horton also served as chief of schools for Jefferson County Public Schools in Kentucky and deputy superintendent for East St. Louis School District 189 in Illinois.

The nomination has proven controversial to some who take issue with Horton’s background, citing concerns about his lack of experience leading a school district as large as DeKalb.

The concerns came to a head at the Chamblee town hall. For the first half of the two-hour event, Chamblee High School Principal Gail Barnes asked Horton a series of prepared questions that the public had submitted online in advance.

The questions centered on Horton’s experience in leadership roles and how he plans to approach the superintendent position. Horton said some of his key goals include visiting all 139 DeKalb County schools in the first 180 days of the job.

He also focused on creating communication opportunities with staff and the public with events like “chat and chew.”

“We talk about the very challenges that’s arising in the district at the time, or just have face time with parents because we know parents are really critical in the development and success of a school district,” Horton said.

The nominee also spoke about his plans to retain school staff amid a nationwide teacher shortage.

“When teachers feel support and they have resources they stay,” Horton said.

He proposed additional social work

liaisons and “face liaisons” to relieve overworked teachers, as well as robust education training and mental health supports.

Following questions, the town hall hosts tried to bring the event to a close, but protests erupted from audience members who said they should be able to openly ask questions at the town hall.

“If I wanted to hear a speech, I would’ve watched videos online,” a woman in the audience said.

The hosts acquiesced and opened the floor to questions from parents, who addressed some of the controversies around Horton’s nomination.

Horton drew notice after he was hired in the Evanston School District in 2020, when he made the decision to allow marginalized students to return to in-person learning before other students.

One parent said she was “deeply troubled” that as part of the COVID-19 pandemic plan “minority students, Black and brown students were given first priority while White students had to stay at home.”

Horton clarified that the “marginalized” students he and the 60-member community group brought back first were special education students and kids who receive free and reduced lunch.

“Unfortunately, it happens to be that most of our students that are in those categories are Black and brown,” Horton said.

Horton also responded to questions regarding “gender-related and race-related” education. At Evanston/Skokie, he spearheaded “Black Lives Matter week,” as well as weeks focused on LGBTQ+ students and Latino students.

For DeKalb County, Horton said if aspects of his previous approach aren’t “a desire of the community” he won’t touch it in his approach.

After additional questions about his commitment to auditing DeKalb County Schools curriculum, safety and budgetary plans the hosts ended the event, citing time constraints and emphasizing the two additional town halls the public can participate in. Horton ended the night with brief remarks.

“My goal is to come into the community and make sure that we continue to center our students first,” Horton said.

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AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | April 20, 2023 | 5

6 | April 20, 2023 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

Dunwoody:

NEWS question at a meeting in April. If approved, a call for election will likely be issued in May, Vinicki said.

Continued from Page 1 from residents and a lot of students that walk to [Chesnut Elementary School] and they're concerned about the safety of those students walking to school,” Lambert said. “So, having a more substantial sidewalk and other pedestrian improvements to make it safer, combined with the fact that it would serve two schools, both Chesnut Elementary School and Peachtree Middle School, as well as our flagship park.”

Assistant City Manager Jay Vinicki said that if the bond is approved by voters in November, it will raise most city homeowner’s tax bills by about $150 per year. Still, city officials say the bond is the best way for residents to reap the rewards of amenities their taxes have already gone toward.

Their only other option would be to save a portion of tax funding for 10 to 15 years and take on the projects once the funding is complete, Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch said.

“As we look towards the future, these kinds of questions about how to finance things are important questions and there's some value in taking it to the voters and letting the voters decide,” Deutsch said.

Councilmembers are set to vote on the proposed bond project list and ballot

Senior care home denied Also at the meeting councilmembers denied a special land use application that would have permitted the construction of a seven-residence, 6,800-square-foot personal care home on Mt. Vernon Road.

Proposed earlier this year as a way of possibly supporting the city’s senior population, the facility would have been built on the site of a 5,000-square-foot home near Dunwoody Village. The dwelling was demolished in 2022, Dunwoody Senior Planner Madalyn Smith said.

Since the last time the project was presented to council members in March, Smith said the applicants revised their proposal to make the project smaller and less obtrusive, due to community feedback.

“Recommendation does remain the same overall, we do as staff see that this proposal would be an integration of a residential care home for senior citizens into a residential area. And that would be a step towards achieving a community where aging in place is possible.”

But despite city staff’s approval of the project, the proposal received mostly negative feedback from city residents each time it was proposed.

Councilmembers unanimously denied the proposal after a brief discussion.

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Alpharetta Police arrest 5 in child exploitation sting

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The Alpharetta Department of Public Safety Special Investigations Unit announced the arrests of five and outstanding warrants for two suspects in an undercover child exploitation operation March 29.

Police charged Neal Wurtz, 25, Jose Hernandez, 28, Douglas Cropf Jr., 30, and August Rich, 23, with felony use of a computer to entice a child to commit an illegal act. Erick GarciaSalinas, 34, and the four suspects were also charged with felony criminal attempt to commit child molestation.

Police Lt. Andrew Splawn said detectives posed as underage children in internet chatrooms and on websites in order to identify and arrest predators who allegedly believed they were soliciting sex from children.

Splawn said the operation ran from Dec. 1-3, 2022, and it was a joint effort between the city, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Unit and the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office.

Four of the suspects were arrested immediately after they traveled to Alpharetta to meet the detectives who posed as minors. Detectives arrested the fifth suspect in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

While the websites used in the

operation were not designed for catching predators, Splawn said the department had chosen the sites based on trends reported by previous child victims.

“Alpharetta Police FRAZIER Department genuinely cares about the protection of children,” Splawn said.

“And that's the reason that we run this type of operation is because children are a very special population, and we want to CALDWELL run proactive operations to make sure that we can keep them as safe as possible.”

As of press time, two suspects have not been arrested.

Tyquand Caldwell, 26, and Christopher Frazier, 43, are wanted for felony use of a computer to entice a child to commit an illegal act. Caldwell was also charged with felony criminal attempt to commit child molestation.

Splawn asked the public to contact the department with any information on the suspects or their whereabouts.

Anyone with information can contact Sgt. Braithwaithe at 678-2976338 or jabraithwaite@alpharetta. ga.us.

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PAST TENSE

OPINION

Lemonade Days to include events for book lovers This year’s annual Lemonade Days Festival runs Wednesday, April 19 through Sunday, April 23 at Brook Run Park in Dunwoody.

The event is the largest fundraiser VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF for Dunwoody Preservation Trust, Columnist with all proceeds supporting the Donaldson-Bannister Farm, historic preservation and education programs.

Wednesday through Sunday will feature carnival rides and delicious food and beverages. Saturday and Sunday will also include the Dunwoody Authors and Friends Bookstore, petting zoo, Country Store craft vendors and sponsor booths.

Stay into the evening on Saturday and enjoy the Dunwoody Idol contest at 6 p.m.

The cars of Dunwoody Driving Club and dance performances by Dan & Company Dance Studio will add to the fun on Sunday.

Stop by the Dunwoody Authors and Friends Bookstore to chat with authors and purchase signed books from 21 local

authors. Visit with Dunwoody author Jan Slimming on Saturday between 4 and 5 p.m. She will sign and discuss her books, “Codebreaker Girls: A Secret Life at Bletchley Park,” “The Secret Life of an American PROVIDED Codebreaker,” Jan Slimming, who and “Captured co-wrote “Captured at Singapore, A at Singapore,” will Diary of a Far be in the Lemonade East Prisoner Days Authors Booth of War,” which along with many she wrote with local writers on Sather sister Jill urday and Sunday.

Robertson.

Bradsher Hayes will be in the bookstore Saturday between 1 and 2 p.m. Hayes is the author of “150 Years of the Braves from Boston to Milwaukee to Atlanta” and “150 Years of Braves Trivia.” The National Baseball Hall

of Fame in Cooperstown, New York has put “150 Years of the Braves” in their library.

Following up on his book “Hardscrabble Road,” George Weinstein will be at Lemonade Days on Sunday between 1 and 2 p.m. with “Return to Hardscrabble Road.” Weinstein is executive director of the Atlanta Writer’s Club.

Meet children’s book author Fatima R. Henson, a native of Atlanta, on Saturday between 3 and 4 p.m. Her book “Love in the Age of Dragons” is the gold medal winner of 2022 Moonbeam Children’s Books Awards.

Kay Paschal, “Laughing your way through raising kids and running a business,” shares advice and stories about parenting, including mistakes and successes. Paschal raised two boys and observed thousands of moms and dads during her 25 years as the owner of a preschool. Paschal will be in the Author’s Booth on Saturday from 11 a.m. until noon.

Other authors visiting the festival include Laura B. Wiener, Sophia Alexander, Joseph R. Goodall, Katherine Nichols, M. E. Young, Fatimah M. Jackson, Andrea Lane, Chris Riker, David Rabin, Mike Shaw, Kim Conroy, G. A. Anderson, Sherry

Ellis, Marilyn Baron, Kathy Des Jardins, and Jenny Guberman.

To see the complete list of authors, their bios, and when they will be at the festival at dunwoodypreservationtrust.org/ wp-content/uploads/Lemonade-DaysAuthors-Posters-2023.pdf Lemonade Days began in 1999 to honor the victims of the 1998 tornado that devastated Dunwoody and to celebrate the rebuilding progress the community had made. Dunwoody Homeowners Association and Dunwoody Preservation Trust, led

by Joyce Amacher, began the Replant the Dunwoody Forest campaign with a goal of replanting 20,000 trees to replace those uprooted or snapped by the tornado.

The 1999 celebration took place at Brook Run Park. There was also a mass held at All Saints Church and a 5K through the Kingsley neighborhood.

(Dunwoody Crier, April 11, 2018, “Lemonade Days: A Look Back”) Award-winning author Valerie Biggerstaff is a longtime columnist for Appen Media and the Dunwoody Crier. She lives in Sandy Springs. You can email Valerie at pasttensega@gmail.com or visit her website at pasttensega.com.

THE INK PENN

Confession — I like characters of a certain age I mentioned several books in my recent column about hitting the jackpot at the library, and these two were part of that haul. Perhaps it’s a coincidence that they both feature “older” KATHY MANOS PENN characters, as in at Columnist least age sixty. Could that be because I’m, ahem, in my sixties? Check out my latest reads and see what you think.

“Killers of a Certain Age” by Deanna Rayburn OMG! What’s not to like about this book? Four menopausal women in their sixties are retiring. The lifelong friends who worked together for forty years as deadly assassins are looking forward to retirement--or at least they were until their employer puts out a hit on them.

They started together in 1979. Fast forward to 2018 and learn how the world has changed not only for the rest of us but also for highly trained assassins.

The younger generation of clandestine operatives relies on different skills. Oh

sure, these “killers of a certain age” and today’s youngsters all excel in hand-to-hand combat, but the seniors aren’t very good with computers or even smartphones.

The tales of their past exploits are sprinkled throughout the story, so you get a glimpse of their former prowess. It’s not that they’ve completely fallen apart at age 60. It’s just that they have creaky knees and hot flashes and don’t run as fast or jump as high as they used to. But, they’re still deadly.

You have to laugh as one of them pops her osteoporosis pill and admires a good-looking waiter at the same time.

They’re just like other menopausal women except they can throw together a recipe for poison and use garrottes.

The book is packed with witty and pithy dialogue. Her colleagues quip about the smallest of the four who wears “wedge espadrilles that were four inches high and tied halfway up her leg with yellow satin ribbons” and bats her eyes at pool boys.

When she asks what they think her chances are with her favorite porter, her friend responds, “Maybe he has a geriatric kink. Dab a little Metamucil behind each ear and go get him, cougar.”

Do I recommend this book? For sure.

It’s a rollicking read. You don’t want to miss out on four senior women kicking butt! Not quite convinced? Here’s one last teaser. If you’re a woman of a certain age, you’ll covet the “Menopaws” app.

“Winter Solstice” by Rosemunde Pilcher What a delight to travel to several spots in the United Kingdom in one book.

It moves from a small English village to London, to Cornwall, and on to the village of Corrydale in Scotland.

Pilcher has a wonderful way with words and describes the scenery so vividly that you will feel as though you are there. I saw the waves crashing on the Cornwall coast and the snow falling in Scotland.

The book begins with Elfrida, a woman in her mid-sixties, and her delightful neighbor Oscar, who is slightly older. This is the story of their evolving relationship through the good and the bad. The story unfolds with each chapter told from the perspective of a different character. Along the way, Elfrida’s niece Carrie joins the tale as does a great-niece. So, if more mature

characters aren’t to your liking, you will also find younger ones to entertain you.

As the book jacket says, “The December solstice is … about hope, renewal, and rebirth,” and the friendships in the story reflect that spirit. It’s a heartwarming story about friends, family, and neighbors.

As I googled information about the book, I was delighted to find a Rosamunde Pilcher Winter Solstice Tour, an eight to nine-hour tour that visits the Scottish locales featured in the book. The description says it’s enjoyable even if you haven’t read the book, but I think fans of the book would enjoy it even more. Yet another idea to add to my never-ending wishlist.

There you have it, two very different books featuring characters of a certain age. I highly recommend them both.

Award-winning author Kathy Manos Penn is a Sandy Springs resident. Find her cozy mysteries locally at The Enchanted Forest in Dunwoody and Bookmiser in East Cobb or on Amazon. Contact her at inkpenn119@gmail.com, and follow her on Facebook, www.facebook.com/ KathyManosPennAuthor/.

Dunwoody Crier 4/20/23 Crossword Across

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PRESERVING THE PAST

OPINION

A Centenarian’s story of World War II (PART 2) In Part 1 of Centenarian Henry (Hank) Cockerill’s story, we told of his experiences in France following the bloody invasion of Normandy in June 1944 when Allied forces marched across France toward GerBOB MEYERS many.

Columnist Hank’s exhausted battalion met up with the 7th Armored Division about Dec. 1 in Malmedy, Belgium, in the Ardennes Forest. After five days, Hank’s battalion went south about 16 miles to the town of St. Vith for a long overdue break.

Germany was on its last legs, or so thought Allied commanders, and no one expected any major offensives. American entertainers such as Marlene Dietrich and a group of baseball players led by Mel Ott of the New York Giants traveled to the Ardennes to entertain the troops. The Allies, including 500,000 Americans, were lightly defended, spread out along the 75-milelong forest, short of supplies, living in deep snow and bitter cold.

Battle of the Bulge Hank tells a unique story about his experience. He became friends with the battalion cook, Frenchie. One day Frenchie suggested they take a hike. He said, “Let’s take our guns in case we see a deer and I will cook it.” They saw a deer across a valley about a mile east of St. Vith, then they heard a rumble. Hank says “I recognized Rommel’s old battalion of Tiger tanks with 81 caliber canons that could be lowered to shoot at ground forces. Two hundred tanks, all painted white, had been brought in from the Russian front. We weren’t prepared. We had settled down for the winter.”

Early on Dec. 16, an estimated 200,000 German troops with 800,000 in reserve and nearly 1,000 tanks launched a surprise attack along 50 miles of the forest.

At the end of the first day, the Germans broke through the American lines and captured key crossroads creating the “bulge” that gave the battle its name. Everything happened so quickly that troops often did not know what was happening nearby.

“Having to retreat knocked hell out of our morale. It was the breakthrough that no one expected,” says Hank. “That’s when Ike said ‘turn around and fight’ and we did.”

The Americans were quick to provide reinforcements. Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Dwight Eisenhower rushed reinforcements to the bulge to prevent further penetration by the Germans. Gen. George Patton counterattacked with his Third Army. The Germans were ultimately thwarted and permanently weakened.

BOB MEYERS/PROVIDED

Hank Cockerill will celebrate his 100th birthday in May 2023. He joined the Army as a young man and had assignments in Europe during WWII, including Normandy following the D-Day invasion, the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of Remagen. After the war, Hank went on to a distinguished career with The Coca-Cola Company, retiring in 1993 after 45 years.

U.S. ARMY PHOTO

American soldiers in heavy winter gear pause for a quick meal of K-rations in their advance during the Battle of the Bulge. The battle lasted six dreadful weeks, from Dec. 16, 1944, to mid-January 1945, The Allies ultimately prevailed but at a high cost. Approximately 19,000 American soldiers were killed in action, with 47,000 wounded and 23,000 missing.

FAMILY/PROVIDED

Hank Cockerill, left, receives an outstanding employee award from CocaCola President Donald Keough. At that time Cockerill was vice president of National Accounts, Coca-Cola USA.

“I went back to find my pup tent,” says Hank. “It was full of bullet holes.”

The Battle of the Bulge was the largest and bloodiest single battle fought by the U.S. in WW II, with more than 19,000 killed. Fierce battles took place in Malmedy and St. Vith. In the Malmedy Massacre, 84 American soldiers were captured and executed by the WaffenSS in a farmer’s field. St. Vith was a priority target due to its excellent road network. The Americans successfully defended the town, thereby slowing the German advance. Hank remained in the Ardennes until the middle of January.

Battle of Remagen As German forces retreated, they destroyed all the bridges crossing the Rhine River except one, the Ludendorff Bridge in the town of Remagen. The bridge was mined but it had not exploded.

Hank says “Our job was to disarm

the explosives so our tanks could cross.

One guy took the right side of the bridge and I took the left. We climbed on the girders and came across satchels full of dynamite. The wiring was different from ours and the wires were different colors.

I had a feeling that the red wire was the one to cut. On the count of three I cut it and no explosion.”

The two soldiers crawled toward satchels at the end of the bridge, but they were exposed to sharpshooters.

“We crawled back thinking we would disarm the explosives at night,” Hank says.

Just then a jeep drove up with a general on board. It turned out to be General Patton. He said, “What’s the delay?”

Hank replied, “We are going to remove the explosives tonight because of the sharpshooters.”

Patton said “Son, this is a war. People die. I want to cross the Rhine. Get back on the bridge.”

The men climbed back on the bridge, somehow avoided the sharpshooters, disarmed the explosives and saved the bridge from destruction.

Hank is a very humble man according to his son Gary.

“Dad has not spoken much about the war. He doesn’t volunteer information, but he will respond if people are really interested,” Gary says.

After separation from the Army in

December 1945, Hank’s first job was in Detroit selling Esquire calendars and playing cards.

“The challenge of sales gave me a thrill,” he remembers. He also owned a seasonal restaurant, Hank’s Hi-Da-Way, a Lake Huron favorite. He eventually realized he could not simultaneously work at a full-time sales job, so he sold the restaurant.

In December 1948, Hank obtained a job with The Coca-Cola Company selling Coke machines to outdoor movie theaters which were proliferating all over Michigan. He climbed the corporate ladder quickly thanks to his strong entrepreneurial spirit: district manager in Detroit, regional manager in Cleveland, senior regional manager in Baltimore.

He was sent to Atlanta to create a sales team targeting the top 100 food chains in America. Hank’s team became the lead food service industry sales team for Coca-Cola. He worked 45 years at Coca-Cola, retiring to his home in Sandy Springs in 1993 as senior vice president, director National Accounts. He will celebrate his 100th birthday in May. Bob is director emeritus of the Milton Historical Society and a Member of the City of Alpharetta Historic Preservation Commission. You can email him at bobmey@ bellsouth.net. Bob welcomes suggestions for future columns about local history.

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