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Officials set to hear request for senior living apartments
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
DUNWOODY, Ga. — The Dunwoody City Council was set to hold five public hearings Aug. 11, including a rezoning request to allow up to 220 senior living apartments. The request has drawn a lot of attention
from some residents who argue the city has enough apartments already and should encourage owner-occupied housing.
Dominium Apartments has requested converting the existing LifeSouth building property at 4891 Ashford Dunwoody Road from office-institution (O-I) to planned development (PD).
DeKalb educators reflect on lessons
from Tanzania trip
By SIMONE WOODLY simone@appenmedia.com
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Two DeKalb County educators recently returned from a life-changing trip to Tanzania as Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms grant recipients.
Chanda Gordon, a K-12 EL coordinator for DeKalb County schools, and Adina Rudisch, a first-grade teacher at the International Community School, spent close to five weeks abroad, immersing themselves in Tanzanian education and culture.
Their journey revealed striking similarities and significant differences between Tanzanian and American school systems.
Gordon and Rudisch both found unique paths to the Fulbright program.
See TANZANIA, Page 19
Developers are looking to build an affordable senior living complex. At the last City Council meeting in July, several residents voiced strong opposition to the rezoning, which has already received backing from city staff and the Planning Commission.
See REQUEST, Page 19
Two DeKalb County educators spent time in Tanzania as part of a Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms grant. Chanda Gordon and Adina Rudisch spent more than five weeks immersing themselves in the nation’s education system.
Former DeKalb CEO Thurmond joins bid for governor’s seat
By DAN WHISENHUNT dan@appenmedia.com
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond made it official Aug. 6.
After weeks of hinting at a run for governor, he officially joined the race to succeed outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp. He’s running as a Democrat.
“I’m running for governor to fight for working families, protect and expand access to healthcare, and build an education system that creates multiple pathways to success,” Thurmond said in his announcement.
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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.
Atlanta couple arrested for felony shoplifting
DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody Police arrested a 20-year-old woman and an 18-year-old man, both from Atlanta, for allegedly shoplifting more than $2,400 in merchandise Aug. 2 from the Target off Perimeter Center Place.
A Dunwoody officer said he spoke with Target loss prevention, which had detained both suspects for allegedly concealing makeup products inside a backpack.
The officer said security footage showed the woman select the items, go to a different section of the store, place them in the man’s bookbag. Then, they exited the store around 2:35 p.m. without paying.
When first speaking with the detained suspects, the officer said they told him they were under the age of 16. The officer said he confirmed their correct date of births after speaking with their parents on the phone.
Both suspects allegedly said they provided the false information because they did not want to get into trouble.
During questioning, the officer said the woman admitted to shoplifting the makeup because she wanted to start a business but did not have the money to buy merchandise.
The officer said the stolen items totaled $2,427.
Both suspects were charged with felony shoplifting and misdemeanor false representation and transported to DeKalb County Jail.
According to jail records, they were released Aug. 6. — Hayden Sumlin
Retailer alleges woman assisted in theft of items
DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody Police arrested a 28-year-old Atlanta woman
July 30 after she allegedly assisted in the shoplifting of more than $750 in merchandise from the Abercrombie and Fitch at Perimeter Mall.
An officer said he spoke with loss prevention after the incident occurred around 4 p.m. According to the employee, the suspect entered the store with her two children and began placing women’s clothing items in an open area.
Sometime later, a male suspect entered, spoke with the woman, then picked up the clothing, according to the loss prevention officer.
When the man was confronted by loss prevention after exiting the store with the merchandise, he fled on foot toward the parking lot and was not apprehended.
Police said a photo of the man was taken, but he had not been identified.
The store’s loss prevention officer apprehended the woman as she was exiting the store but did not say whether she had merchandise in her possession.
The female suspect said she did not know the male suspect. Police have requested the store’s security footage.
The officer said the woman’s sister arrived at the mall and took custody of her two children.
The woman was charged with felony shoplifting and transported to DeKalb County Jail.
According to jail records, she was released Aug. 2. — Hayden Sumlin
Atlanta woman arrested on drug, firearm charges
DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody Police arrested a 40-year-old Atlanta woman at the Capital Grille off Perimeter Center West Aug. 2 after allegedly finding a variety of marijuana products and a firearm in her possession.
An officer said he initially went to the restaurant for welfare check after reports of a woman collapsing and losing consciousness.
The officer said the woman was conscious when he arrived and told him she had chest pain. She also said she had a
firearm in her car.
After emergency personnel arrived, the officer said a bystander opened the door to the woman’s vehicle and grabbed her backpack.
When the bystander unzipped the bag, the officer said he smelled marijuana. After informing the woman he was going to search the bag.
The search yielded 24 grams of marijuana, three bottles of THC-infused syrups, and a variety of THC vapes and edible products. During the search, the officer said the woman was cleared by first responders and declined further medical attention.
The officer secured warrants for misdemeanor possession of marijuana (less than 1 ounce), felony possession of a schedule I controlled substance and possession of a firearm during the commission of felony. She was transported to DeKalb County Jail.
According to jail records, she was released Aug. 5.
— Hayden Sumlin
Porsche reported stolen from apartment complex
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police are investigating a grand theft auto after a 54-year-old Kennesaw woman reported her Porsche Cayenne was lifted from the Wood Creek apartments July 29.
An officer said he received a call from the victim who told him she last parked her Porsche at her brother’s residence around 8 p.m. the prior evening.
The white 2021 Porsche Cayenne is valued at $70,000.
The woman said her car was taken before 7 a.m. the next morning when she discovered it missing in the parking lot.
After confirming none of her family members took the vehicle, she reported it to law enforcement.
The officer said the Porsche was last seen on Flock Safety camera around 5:30 a.m. July 29 traveling east on Covington Highway. The case remains active.
— Hayden Sumlin
ASK APPEN
Qualifying for municipal elections to run Aug. 18-22
By CARL APPEN carl@appenmedia.com
NORTH METRO ATLANTA — The window for residents wishing to seek public office to file paperwork and pay a fee to officially enter the race opens Aug. 18.
While the state prescribes a general date window for qualification, cities determine days times, costs and eligibility standards.
The requirements differ slightly from city to city. Generally, candidates must be at least 18 years of age, have lived in the commission or council district for at least one year before qualifying, and be a qualified elector. For seats that represent specific districts, candidates must live in the district they seek to represent.
Here are the seats up for election in cities we cover and their qualifying details:
• Dunwoody City Council Post 1 (District 1), Post 2 (District 2) and Post 3 (District 3).
- Qualifying for these races will be Aug. 18 to 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- The qualifying fee is $360.
- For more information, visit www. dunwoodyga.gov/government/ voter-information/general-electioninformation
• Sandy Springs mayor and all six City Council seats.
- Qualifying for these races will be Aug. 18 to 21, from 8:30 a.m. to Noon and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.; as well as Aug. 22 from 8:30 a.m. to Noon.
- The qualifying fee is $1,260 for mayor, and is $780 for council seats.
- Those seeking office must have lived in the city for a year prior to Election Day and six months in the district they are seeking to represent.
- For more information, visit www. sandyspringsga.gov/2025-municipalelection-qualifying-information
• Milton mayor and three Post 1 seats on the City Council.
- Qualifying for these races will be Aug. 18 to 22, from 8:30 a.m. to Noon and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- The qualifying fee is $894 for mayor, and is $594 for council seats.
- For more information, visit www. miltonga.gov/government/elections/ qualifying-period/
ELECTIONS
Appen Media will closely follow the November elections and aims to help readers make educated votes. What’s on your mind as you head to the ballot box? Send questions and ideas to newsroom@appenmedia.com.
• Alpharetta City Council Posts 1, 2 and 3
- Qualifying for these races will be Aug. 18 to 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- The qualifying fee is $450.
- For more information, visit www. alpharetta.ga.us/361/Running-forOffice
• Cumming mayor, City Council Posts 1 and 2, which are both at-large
- Qualifying for these races will be Aug. 18 to 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- The qualifying fee is $360 for mayor, and is $180 for council members.
- For more information, visit www. cityofcumming.net/election-information
• Johns Creek mayor, City Council Posts 1, 2 and 3
- Qualifying for these races will be Aug. 18 to 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- The qualifying fee is $750 for mayor, and is $450 for council seats.
- For more information, visit johnscreekga.gov/departments/cityclerk/municipal-elections/
• Roswell mayor, City Council Posts 4, 5 and 6
- Qualifying for these races will be Aug. 18 to 22, from 8:30 a.m. to Noon and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- The qualifying fee is $1,200 for mayor and $540 for council seats.
- The residency requirement is for a year prior to Election Day.
- Candidates must be 21 years old prior to Election Day.
- For more information, visit https:// www.roswellgov.com/government/ elections/qualifications
letter of the second answer, and so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 5, 5 and 4 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, with each number containing 3 clues for the 3 answers on the line. But here’s the catch! The clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually be for the second or third answer in that line.
WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE
1. Pigeon’s hangout. Watersking venue. Kick out.
2. Beginner. Water deliverer. Smell.
3. Food. Love god. Store bought water.
4. Indian bread. Salt water. Point of lowest despair.
5. Playground item. Hold tight. Ducks found here.
6. Water holder. One-pot meal. Fireman’s need.
7. Chess piece. Where to find rapids. Hate.
1 Pigeon’s hangout. Watersking venue. Kick out
2. Beginner. Water deliverer. Smell
How to Solve: Each line in the puzzle above has three clues and three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is the first letter of the second answer, and so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 4, 5 and 5 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, which each number containing 3 clues for the 3 answers on the line. But here’s the catch! The clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually be for the second or third answer in that line. Got it? Good luck!
3. Food. Love god. Store bought water
4. Indian bread. Salt water. Point of lowest despair
5. Playground item. Hold tight. Ducks found here
6. Water holder. One-pot meal. Fireman’s need
Chess piece. Where to find rapids. Hate.
TALK BACK TO THE CRIER
Apartment plan violates city ideals
For decades, apartments have crept north up Ashford-Dunwoody Road toward Mt. Vernon. One of the reasons Dunwoody became a city was to halt the conversion of low-intensity office properties into high-density multi-family uses. Now, a developer wants to cram 220 apartments onto the small lot on Ashford-Dunwoody where the Life South building sits on a heavily wooded lot. The building will be seven stories tall. It will be farther north than any apartments in Perimeter Center and 95 feet high.
TALK BACK TO THE CRIER
We urge the City Council to reject this rezoning request which is not supported by the long-term Comprehensive Plan or the residents of Dunwoody.
DENNY SHORTAL former mayor
TOM TAYLOR, former City Council member, former state representative
ROBERT WITTENSTEIN, former City Council member
No apologies for MLB action
This morning I read with extreme disappointment Mike Tasos’s column in your latest issue of the Dunwoody Crier titled, “Proud All-Star celebration; where’s the apology?”
Really?! Mr. Tasos expects MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and renowned voting rights activist Stacey Abrams to apologize for heroically opposing Georgia’s so called “Election Integrity Act of 2021” law enacted by Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and his GOP cohorts in the Legislature, which disproportionately affected minority voters and limited access to voting, which was widely referred to as “Jim Crow in the 21st century.” The law was so onerous that it resulted in MLB moving the 2021 All-Star game from Atlanta to Denver based on the league’s fundamental support for voting rights and opposition to restrictions on ballot access.
While Mike Tasos’ column seemingly indicates he approves of
Talk Back to the Crier: The Crier is committed to its role as Dunwoody’s community thread. Talk Back to the Crier by Sunday night and your note will be on page 3 that week. Email letters to newsroom@appenmedia.com. The Crier won’t publish it without explicitly getting your approval.
Georgia’s current Jim Crow Redux movement, I applaud the courageous efforts of Rob Manfred and Stacey Abrams in actively fighting against a blatant act of racial discrimination in voting, as I’m sure John Lewis, Martin Luther King Jr., and Jackie Robinson would join me.
Do better Dunwoody Crier, please don’t transition into another capitulating media outlet.
GARY RAY BETZ
Dunwoody
Dunwoody family celebrates Air Force officer’s promotion
DUNWOODY, Ga. — The Radloffs, a multigenerational military family, celebrated their son Andrew’s promotion as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force in early August.
Lt. Col. Andrew Radloff is the son of Dunwoody residents, ret. U.S. Navy Capt. Wayne Radloff and his wife Debie. Together, the three family members have served in active duty for more than half a century.
Most of the Radloff family attended the ceremony, including Andrew’s parents, his wife Marita, his three sons Revere, Rex and Augustus and his mother-in-law, who is a teacher at a Department of Defense school in Germany.
Lt. Col. Alexander Barwikowski promoted him to his new rank, which fewer than 5 percent of Air Force officers reach, according to a Cornell University study. To achieve the rank, officers typically need around two decades of experience.
When he served as the keynote speaker of Dunwoody’s Veterans Day ceremony in 2021, Radloff was managing more than 2,000 pilots, navigators, and electronic warfare officers as a major at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
He is now assigned to the 1st Airborne Command Control Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska. The squadron flies a modified Boeing 747 aircraft at the National Airborne Operations Center.
Lt. Col. Radloff was born in Chesapeake, Virginia. He began
Tell the Crier: Send your photos, announcements and letters to newsroom@appenmedia.com.
elementary school in Dededo, Guam and graduated from high school in Misawa, Japan. Along the way, he attended schools in northern Virginia, southern California and Washington state. He earned his bachelor’s degree from University of Washington in Seattle.
— Hayden Sumlin
WAYNE RADLOFF/PROVIDED
One of Dunwoody’s multigenerational military families, ret. U.S. Navy Capt. Wayne Radloff, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Andrew Radloff and Debie Radloff, celebrate their son’s recent promotion.
THE POWER OF TRANSFORMATION
Superintendent reflects on three years leading DeKalb Schools
By JIM BASS jim@appenmedia.com
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb County School District Superintendent Devon Horton has been at the helm for three years. With a new extension to 2028, he expects to be here for a while.
But DeKalb County is notorious for cycling through superintendents every few years. There are some signs that the Board of Education is not on the same page as he is. A recent vote to increase his pay was split 4-3. The board voted 6-1 in favor of his contract extension. Horton has weathered controversies in his tenure as well.
Still, Horton is looking forward, and he has the support of one of the school board’s most prominent members.
When Board Chair Deirdre Pierce interviewed Horton in 2023, she was looking for “stable leadership.”
After seeing his commitments to student achievement and teacher motivation, Pierce, who has seen several superintendents go through the DeKalb County School District over the past few decades, was impressed.
“He was speaking to student achievement and the importance of that,” she said. “How to stay focused on that, and how to encourage instructors and teachers to stay motivated… The things that he was talking about were very instrumental for me.”
From Illinois to Georgia
Born and raised in Chicago, Horton attended Chicago Public Schools until eighth grade. For high school, he attended a private boarding school called Culver Academies in Indiana.
Horton attended Jackson State, majoring in education, then returned to Chicago, where he worked as a teacher for five years while pursuing his master’s degree at Chicago State University.
He became a teacher and assistant principal at Wendell Phillips Academy High School, where he was promoted to principal. Horton says he helped turn the school from one of the lowest-performing to one of the highest-performing after three years.
Horton received his first district leading role as the assistant superintendent for East St. Louis School District 189 in Illinois, where he worked for four years, two as assistant and two as deputy superintendent.
East St. Louis is where Horton realized that the district-leading roles can have a greater impact on communities and their students on a larger scale.
“I would say that was my turning point when I realized the power of what you can do when you transform,” Horton said.
East St. Louis Superintendent Arthur Culver became Horton’s “greatest influence,” and Horton said he learned a lot about leadership from him. Culver has been superintendent in East St. Louis since 2011.
In 2017, Horton took on the chief of schools position at Jefferson County School District, working with nearly 100,000 students. From there, he took over as the superintendent of Evanston/ Skokie School District 65, north of Chicago, a prekindergarten through eighth-grade district.
Although he had no prior experience in DeKalb County before joining the district, he said it had been on his radar since 2014 after being a finalist for a district position. When the superintendent role opened in 2023, he applied.
“When the opportunity came this last time, I said I'm going to go ahead and step out on faith and put my hat in, and so here I am now serving in my third year,” Horton said.
Board member Pierce was impressed with his speaking skills and motivation during the hiring process.
“What I was looking for was someone who would be kind of a radical transformer, and I use that word seriously,” Pierce said. “We needed someone who just was, I wouldn’t necessarily say fearless, but someone who was innovative.”
Challenges and triumphs
This year, Horton celebrated a district record in graduation rate, 20 of the 24 high schools receiving AP Honors, having a 3 percent attendance rate increase from 91 to 94 percent at the State of the District in March.
The district is also sitting at a teacher vacancy total of nine, a hefty improvement from the nearly 300 vacancies two years ago.
Pierce said she disagrees with Horton sometimes, but she thinks they share the same goal of higher student achievement.
Horton said one challenge the district faces is its effort to gain back the community’s trust.
“I understand what has happened in the past in some of these spaces; people have been burned,” he said. “I think one of the biggest challenges has been getting the buy-in for people to know and accept that this is a new DeKalb County School District.”
District 83 state Rep. Karen Lupton said Horton’s “energetic” personality is positively affecting the district staff.
“He was on the school buses for the first day of school this year, riding the school buses and greeting parents,” Lupton said. “He is in it to win it, and I feel that the DeKalb County Board of Education has better morale.”
DEAN HESSE/APPEN MEDIA
Superintendent Devon Horton interacts with attendees during the DeKalb County School District’s Back-toSchool Rally at the Administrative and Instructional Complex in Stone Mountain on Saturday, July 26.
Horton:
DeKalb County resident and former DCSD employee Kirk Lunde is a frequent critic of the district. He said he thinks Horton has been an “incredible” superintendent but questions whether he will stay longterm.
“We have in this district suffered under superintendents that were locally grown who were just godawful,” Lunde said. “Dr. Horton is not godawful, and he's doing good things.”
Lunde said he wants Horton to change the overall culture of the district and its staff.
“We are just now beginning to apply metrics to things that we should have been doing a decade ago,” Lunde said.
Mistakes and missteps
Horton’s tenure hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Earlier this year, controversy arose after the public learned the district purchased an office building at 2175 Parklake Drive. The $6.5 million purchase quietly occurred at a November School Board meeting, with no public announcement until the news of the purchase leaked on social media.
Community members questioned the secrecy of the move and why the district hadn’t used the funds to make overdue repairs at schools.
A more recent controversy involved 22,000 families being told that a new attendance verification center determined they were located “out-of-district.” The letter said they would need to pay $7,122.53 in tuition.
The district later issued a clarification and apologized to families who received the email, with many rebutting that they did, in fact, live in the district.
Following an executive session July 7, the board voted 4-3 in favor of a $35,000 raise, increasing Horton’s salary to $360,000, and 6-1 in favor of his 2028 extension. Board members Tiffany Hogan, Diijon DaCosta and Awet Eyasu opposed the raise. Hogan cast the dissenting vote for the extension, according to the meeting minutes.
Horton said he is thankful his work with the district continues.
PET OF THE WEEK
Aloha
“I am incredibly grateful to the board for their continued confidence in my leadership and for approving my contract extension,” Horton said in a DCSD statement following the raise and extension. “It is an honor to serve alongside a team so deeply committed to educational excellence.”
Superintendent Devon Horton at DeKalb County School District’s 2025
Back-to-School Rally in Stone Mountain on July 26.
The district’s future
Horton’s profile as a community leader is rising.
Decide DeKalb interviewed Horton on July 22 after being nominated to join their board. Horton would be the development authority’s first representative from the school district in the development authority’s history.
Horton said among his priorities, if appointed, would be to “even the playing fields.”
By 2028, the current end date of his contract, he hopes to be in a position where the district is being “right-sized.” The district is currently undergoing a Student Assignment Plan process that will end with school attendance zones being redrawn to rebalance enrollment across the district.
Horton said he doesn’t have any hobbies outside of being a superintendent and a father, but is considering finding one if time allows. Continued from Page 6
He wants students to have a “much higher percentage” of literacy rates in reading and math.
When he’s not working as superintendent, Horton takes care of a large family that includes his wife, parents, mother-in-law and five children. Horton’s wife watches every board meeting from home.
“I'm still able to stay connected to my children as a dad, even though this job is so intense, because of the family support,” Horton said.
Aloha (ID# 58664093) - Say aloha to one of the cutest puppies around. Aloha is her name and everyone loves her. She’s less than a year old, a great size (34 lbs.) and the total embodiment of the aloha spirit. She really loves everyone she meets, adores attention and is a real people person. She is friendly with other dogs as well and absolutely loves kids. She’s been described as kind, cute, sweet natured, friendly, playful, affectionate, goofy, polite. All that (and more) can be yours by bringing her home.
PROVIDED
Expand your family by 4 furry little feet; meet Aloha and have a loving friend forever. All adoptions include spay/neuter, vaccinations and microchip. All you have to do is provide the love and security that every shelter animal deserves. If you would like more information about Aloha or if you have questions about adopting, fostering or volunteering please email adoption@ dekalbanimalservices.com or call (404) 294-2165; all potential adopters will be screened to ensure Aloha goes to a good home.
PUBLIC NOTICE
2025 DUNWOODY OKTOBERFEST
St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church invites the community to the second annual Dunwoody Oktoberfest on Saturday, September 27, 2025, from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM
This free, family-friendly event supports the community ministries of St. Patrick’s including Malachi’s Storehouse and the Anchor Place Respite Dunwoody
Enjoy carnival games and arts & crafts for kids, live polka bands, food concessions, a biergarten, beer hall, local vendors, and more.
Visit www.dunwoodyoktoberfest.com for full event details, sponsorship, and volunteer opportunities.
Location:
St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church 4755 N Peachtree Rd, Dunwoody, GA 30338
DEAN HESSE/APPEN MEDIA
CONGRATS DAWGS! BACK TO BACK CHAMPIONSHIPS
Atlanta
Every doctor you will meet is focused on your needs as a patient and works with every manufacturer to provide
a personalized fitting. Each location utilizes state of the art technology and family-oriented care to help guide our patients to the best hearing devices and information on hearing healthcare.
We also partner with different agencies to provide audiological care to veterans, ATF officers, reservists, police departments, Cochlear implants recipients, and community wellness groups.
We accept all major insurances for patients who have a hearing healthcare benefit that they are eligible to use.
Our offices are located in Atlanta, Decatur, Dunwoody, Lake Oconee, and Milledgevile.
Navigating senior living
A dedicated Home Helpers caregiver provides the immediate response only oneon-one care can offer.
The need for senior care often presents families with a daunting decision: should their older loved one stay at home with supportive care, or would an assisted living community better serve their needs? The basic activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, fall prevention, nurturing social ties and ensuring good nutrition are critical considerations. It’s also important to look ahead to when these needs become more intensive and difficult, called high acuity.
Home Helpers offers one-on-one dedicated care for your loved ones needs, allowing them to age in place in the comfort and safety of home even as acuity needs progress.
Assisted Living Communities (ALCs) offer a balance of independence and assistance, with social opportunities and scheduled activities, positioned between independent living and nursing homes. They do not provide one-on-one care, with an average assisted living tenure of 22 months. Here are questions to help plan for high acuity needs and what comes next.
How quickly will a call for assistance be answered and how often each day?
When your loved one pushes an ALC button and now needs help with incontinence or transferring from a bed to a chair, an hour wait versus a prompt response makes a major difference in their sense of dignity, personal cleanliness and well-being. Georgia requires a minimum of one awake direct-care daytime staff member for every 15 residents and one per 20 residents overnight. Quality communities keep response times under 10 minutes. Ask how much total time a caregiver will spend daily with a resident and the ratio of direct care staff to residents.
If your fall risk increases, what happens? Falls are the leading cause of injury among older adults. At an ALC you may have to advance to a different level of care there, leave for another facility, or have the added cost of hiring your own private caregiver to supplement care. A daytime fall risk could mean 12 hours of added private care, or 24 hours if night time fall care is also needed.
There is no set level of care you have to fit in with Home Helpers, only the care plan that’s right for your safety. We can adjust your care level if you’re recuperating from surgery, need more support at night, or include other providers such as in-home nursing support if necessary.
How do you recruit and what kind of training does the care staff receive? Some ALCs no longer do their own recruiting and now use an outside staffing agency, depending on an outside resource to vet their caregivers.
We know the importance of carefully recruiting heart centered caregivers with strong skills, who are key to our earning the Best Home Care for Seniors in North Atlanta Award 8 years running.
How stable is the ownership and management? A change of ALC ownership could mean changes in levels of continued high acuity care. Take a close look at the history and financial health of the facility.
A proud member of our community for 13 years, we know how important it is for the promise of care to be one that is delivered. We’re here to help, from six hours a day, several days a week to 24/7 care. For a free consultation call Home Helpers of Alpharetta and North Atlanta at (770) 681-0323.
Importance of skin checks for mature skin
Brought to you by - Dr. Kehinde Olumesi of Epiphany DermatologyBrookhaven
As skin matures, it undergoes various changes that necessitate regular skin checks to ensure overall skin health. Differentiating between age spots, healthy moles and potential skin cancers is crucial. Age spots, often appearing as flat, brown, or black spots on sun-exposed areas, are generally harmless but can be mistaken for more serious conditions. Early detection of skin cancer, including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, significantly increases the chances of successful treatment. Therefore, routine skin examinations are essential for mature skin to maintain health and catch any issues early.
Addressing skin conditions and rejuvenation procedures
Dermatologists can assist with a variety of skin conditions and rejuvenation procedures for mature skin. Common issues such as dryness, age-related pigmentation and conditions like rosacea, psoriasis and eczema, which can persist or develop with age, are also addressed with specialized care plans.
In addition to treating conditions, dermatologists offer rejuvenating procedures to enhance the appearance and health of mature skin. Treatments such as chemical peels, laser rejuvenation and injectable treatments like BOTOX® Cosmetic and dermal fillers can reduce the appearance of wrinkles, improve skin texture and promote collagen production. These procedures not only rejuvenate the skin but also boost confidence and overall well-being. Establishing a relationship with a dermatologist ensures that your skin receives comprehensive care tailored to its evolving needs, promoting longterm skin health and vitality.
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From Brows to Brazilians, we’ve got you covered from head to toe.
A woman and veteran-owned waxing and skincare studio offering expert services for all genders in a clean, welcoming space.
• Inclusive, judgement-free enviroment
• Convenient Dunwoody Village location, open 7 days a week
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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.
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Brought to You by – Waxing the City Dunwoody
PROVIDED
Back to school care
Checking in on your child’s health
Brought to you by – Wellstar
As your family begins the new school year, help your child start off strong. Make sure their health is up to date by scheduling a checkup.
Before heading back to the classroom, prioritize your child’s physical and emotional well-being with a visit to your family’s Wellstar pediatrician. Our compassionate pediatricians share your goal of keeping children healthy as they grow.
“I believe in treating the whole child. What I mean by that is their physical health is very important, but I also feel that their emotional health is imperative,” said Wellstar Pediatrician Dr. Brandi Lewis. “My goal is for all my patients to be resilient, happy and healthy. My role is to work
LEWIS
with families to help accomplish that goal.”
Preventative check-ups and screenings help children stay ahead of health issues. Our pediatricians will ensure your child is up to date on their vaccines and discuss which immunizations are needed to prevent disease. Your family’s pediatrician can also help you navigate health requirements at your child’s school.
Heading back to school healthy
Teach your child healthy habits so they can feel their best throughout the school year.
• Practice good hygiene. Show children how to
wash their hands properly and remind them to do it frequently. Do not send your children to school if they are sick.
• Get moving. Children should have about 30 to 60 minutes of moderate activity every day. Staying active can be as simple as a fun family bike ride around the block, a game of tag in the yard or going for a walk in the park.
• Eat healthy. Teach children about good nutrition by encouraging them to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables and by limiting sugary drinks.
• Get plenty of sleep. Children ages 3 to 5 should get about 10 to 13 hours of sleep a day. Children 6 to 12 years old should get nine to 12 hours, and teenagers need about 8 to 10 hours.
While the end of summer is often a busy time, planning ahead now will help ensure the entire family has a healthy, successful year.
Find a Wellstar pediatrician near you at wellstar.org/kidcare.
Tips for dealing with defiant behavior
Brought to you by –
Summit Counseling Center
If your child is struggling with defiant, aggressive, impulsive, irritable behaviors and can be especially difficult with obeying rules and respecting authority these may be signs of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) symptoms. Raising kids can be challenging but it can be even more of a challenge when setting structure for your child and they refuse to follow it. Listed below are suggestions to help parents if the behaviors listed above are present or if parents have received a diagnosis of ODD.
1. Try to separate their behavior from their identity. They are likely not engaging in the behavior intentionally, but it may be a response to some internal struggles they are experiencing.
2. Try not to compare your struggles to theirs. Adults have a stronger threshold because they have lived longer. In this case, do not compete against what they may be going through with what you have experienced or may be experiencing now. Listen and understand the challenges they may face so you can hear how things look and feel from their perspective. It is not about anyone being right or wrong. Healthy relationships require us to understand others’ struggles and viewpoints to support them in those areas. For example, if the child thinks no one listens to them, it would be helpful to carve out intentional time to let them speak without offering any comments but just letting them talk. This does not mean they were right or that anyone was wrong, but this is an identified area where we can provide support.
3. Remember the positives and try to speak about them as much
as possible. You may say things like “You are so amazing at articulating how you feel, and it helps me when you do that.” Avoid saying aggressive or negative things. You can still be assertive by saying “No” but avoid name-calling. Sometimes they may not want to get in trouble even though they know the behavior can lead to trouble. Impulsivity for negative behaviors is common for a variety of reasons, including control or attention.
4. Pick your battles. It could be helpful to create a discipline system that prevents you from having to engage in arguments. If they did not do the dishes and the consequence is there is no screen time for the night, you can avoid having to argue or go back and forth even if the child tries to disagree. Decide the rules (write them down) and be consistent with them. Try not to add or change anything. You can create a daily routine or checklist to earn rewards
when items are completed.
5. Unfortunately, their struggles may be triggered by aggressive or negative talk and negative attention. Responding in these ways will only feed and continue the cycle. The idea is to break the cycle and create a healthier one.
These things are time-consuming. However, these steps are designed
to help parents maintain peace and create balance in the household. Rules are healthy for every child. Our goal is to learn how to implement them so the child can grasp and understand. Parents starting individual therapy can be helpful to have a safe space to practice self-care and confront personal emotions that could be arising.
PROVIDED
Shaquanta “Shelley” Danjoint, M.S.
PAST TENSE
Remembering Chamblee Mayor Johnson Wavery (Dub) Brown
VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF
Columnist
Johnson Wavery Brown, known as Dub, was born in 1925 in Atlanta, near where the Lindbergh MARTA Station is now located. His family decided to move to north DeKalb County and start a dairy farm. They bought a 100-acre farm in Chamblee along Buford Highway. (DeKalb History Center archives, Dub Brown oral history, 1987)
Brown described their journey: “When I was two years old, they rounded the cows up, and they had the other dairy barn built, and we drove the cows from that location, through little trails and small roads to the new site…”
Brown had two brothers and two sisters. Everyone worked on the farm. Dub drove the farm truck when he was around 10 years old, while his brothers threw hay on the bed of the truck. The dairy trucks were driven into the middle of a creek when they needed to be washed.
The Brown children attended Chamblee Grammar and Chamblee High School. In Dub’s last year of high school, the main building of Chamblee High School burned down. Some recall the fire happening on Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1941. The Atlanta Constitution newspaper reported that the tragic fire began on December 8, 1941.
Around this same time, dairy cooperatives started to form in DeKalb County, putting the Brown dairy and others out of business. Eventually, the only dairies left in Chamblee were Irvindale, W. O. Pierce and Tuggle’s. His family moved closer to the town of Chamblee, across the street from where City Hall was later built.
Brown and his brother delivered the Atlanta Constitution to Naval Air Station Atlanta, Lawson General Hospital and other parts of Chamblee. Brown served two years and nine months in the Navy during World War
PROVIDED
From left, MARTA Board Chair David Chesnut, Chamblee Mayor Dub Brown, George Ivey and Doraville Mayor Gene Lively prepare for the first ride from the Chamblee MARTA station in 1987. (Chamblee, GA-A Centennial Portrait, 1908-2008)
II.
“I was in the amphibious force, and we carried the 1st Division in on D-Day at Normandy.” Before he left to serve, he married the woman who became his wife of 72 years, Doris.
On June 6, 1944, his LCI (L) 487 landing craft landed in the Easy Red Sector of Omaha Beach on the coast of Normandy, France. There were 36 soldiers on board from Company M and 167 from Company K, 18th Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. The landing craft was struck with mortar as the soldiers were exiting. Wounded were being pulled aboard, and the captain ordered the crew to abandon ship. The craft was at risk of flooding. Brown stayed on board working to patch holes below the deck with mattresses and anything else he could find. (AJC, April 17, 2012, “Decades after D-Day, vet finally honored” by Patrick Fox)
He received the Legion of Honor medal from France after the war. In 2012, he received eight additional medals and honors for his service and heroism. Dub and Doris Brown’s
daughter, Melanie Curtis, sought the recognition he deserved for eight years. Brown, who seldom spoke of that day, said, “We had 200 fully armed servicemen, and we got hit on both ramps. We pulled the wounded back on-board ship, but we were stuck on the beach.” Twelve hours later, the tide rose enough for the ship to return to water.
When he came home, Brown decided to work as a mechanic for Delta Airlines. He entered a training program but soon returned to Chamblee to work alongside his brother. Dub Brown bought a half interest in his brother’s service station along the railroad, which they operated together for 13 years. Brown continued in the auto service business for a total of 62 years.
He bought 7 acres on Hart’s Mill Road, which was called Sexton Road at the time. He and his wife built their family home on that property.
Brown said he first went into politics because his house was on a dusty dirt road, and they did not have
running water.
“I couldn’t get anybody to listen to me about paving the roads or running water out there…”
He started a petition and got enough signatures to get the City of Chamblee to annex the area. Soon they had paved roads and city water.
Dub Brown became mayor of Chamblee in 1980 following the death of Mayor Woody Malone. Malone served from 1948 until 1980, in a system that left many decisions to the mayor. That system continued with Mayor Brown until a new City Council charter went into effect in 1993. He was mayor of Chamblee until 1998. (Chamblee, GA A Centennial Portrait, 1908-2008)
Dub Brown died in 2015 and is buried at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, Ga.
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.
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Montana has tan-and-yellow hoppers but no redbugs
Last time, you’ll recall, the topic was redbugs. Also known as chiggers, they are those nefarious little creatures that live in the grass and like to eat things like you and me. The sneaky little devils creep up on you and then enjoy dinner, leaving you with red bite spots and an itch of Biblical proportions.
When I get to Heaven, I would like to ask why redbugs were part of the plan. Might we have been just as well off without them? Inquiring minds want to know.
But I digress. The burning (itching) question that I left you with was this: Would I find redbugs in Montana, too?
I asked our host and guide, Craig DeMark of On DeMark Lodge (an incredible place, if I may say so) if redbugs were a thing in Montana. He said no. That was good to hear, because I wanted to spend the last hour of daylight fishing from the bank. I’d be walking through the tall grass along the river’s edge. At home, it would be Redbug City.
And so, once we finished another extraordinary dinner prepared by Craig’s wife Becky, I set off down the gravel road to the water to look for trout.
“Take your time,” my wife said, and so off I went.
My plan was to cast a grasshopper imitation into the current close to the bank in hopes that a big brown or rainbow trout might be lurking there waiting for a nice, juicy hopper to come floating by. I’d be casting the same hopper imitation I’d used earlier in the day, and it had brought me several nice fish already. That fly had the power, it seemed! The thick grass along the river was perfect hopper habitat (now there’s a phrase that rolls smoothly off the tongue), and I hoped that the evening breeze might blow enough of the real bugs into the river to make the fish interested in my optimistic imitation.
But tall grass, I thought to myself…
Craig had said redbugs were not an issue. And so, relieved and reassured, I set off down the hill.
We had floated through this section of the river earlier in the day, and I tried to remember what I’d seen from the perspective of the boat. There was deep water there, and a good edge where fish might hold there, and we
had seen fish working there. There was plenty of water to explore, and I could reach a lot of it from the bank without even getting my feet wet.
I worked my way down to within a few feet of the water’s edge. At that moment, there was a gust of wind. But it eased up quickly, allowing me to cast in the relative calm.
I did, and the cast was not a bad one. The fly line rolled out and settled to the river’s surface. I lifted the rod
tall, tall grass that I had been worried about.
Of course, the grass was in a place where I could not retrieve the fly. I fiddled with it from a distance, for a bit, but finally gave up and broke it off.
If you happen to find a tan and yellow grasshopper fly stuck in the grass on the Missouri River near Cascade, Montana, it’s mine. But you can keep it. It’s a lucky one.
Anyway, grasshopper gone, I switched to a minnow imitation called a “Sparkle Minnow.” It’s a spectacularly flashy fly, sure to grab the attention of any nearby fish. That’s my kind of fly!
I cast the streamer out-and-across, let it sink a few seconds, and then began to retrieve it in regular foot-long strips. Strip…strip…strip…
The strike was strong, hard, and definite. I lifted the rod and felt the pull as the rod bent into the fish. Wow! Upriver it ran, then it turned and headed out toward the middle and then dashed downstream. I lifted the rod to keep the line away from snags. Through the line, I felt the unseen fish shake its head and then felt another surging run as it once more took off across the flow.
But the fish was tiring. I could tell. Time to think about landing it. Redbugs forgotten, I moved up the bank into a better position to bring it to the net. “Please hold, knot!” I said half out loud. Admonition? Prayer? Both?
Maybe my knot was good, or maybe the same God that made redbugs heard my plea and smiled on my line. For everything stayed together, and four minutes later a beautiful Montana brown trout of about 19 inches was resting in my net.
I admired the fish, measuring it against my rod so I’d know for sure, and then eased it gently back into the water.
What a wonderful way to end a Montana day. And there was not a single redbug bite. God really does work in mysterious ways.
and pulled in line to keep things tight, and then – as I reached to retrieve a little more line – there came what I’ve come to call a “Missouri River strike” and a monster of a fish nailed the fly, and I tried to set the hook. Adrenaline surged! But adrenaline does bad things to one’s cast, especially if one is not used to such things, and I yanked the fly right out of the fish’s mouth and sent it zooming at supersonic speed into some of that same
Later, I told her about the fish. I told her about the cast, and the lost hopper, and the switch to the streamer, and the other cast and the strike and the battle.
“And,” I told her, “there were no redbugs!”
She looked at me in that way that she does.
Later, I dreamt of big rivers and big trout and the goodness of it all. Everything comes together, doesn’t it?
But I still don’t know why we have redbugs.
PHOTOS BY STEVE HUDSON/APPEN MEDIA
The Missouri River near Cascade, Montana, features fine fishing, but no redbugs.
STEVE HUDSON Columnist
The On DeMark Lodge sits within a short walk to exciting fishing.
OPINION
AIKENOMICS
Don’t be fooled again: the illusion of improved affordability
Let’s turn back the clock to July 30, 2023. In Metro Atlanta, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was hovering just below 7%. Industry forecasts were awash with optimism. We were told rates would be falling soon — perhaps below 6% by year-end, with some even speculating that a 5.5% mortgage was within reach. And with that drop came the promise of increased affordability.
Two years later, reality tells a different story.
It’s now July 30, 2025. Mortgage rates remain stubbornly high, still hovering just under 7%, with only fleeting moments below 6.5%. Despite numerous economic headlines and policy pivots, the needle
has barely moved on financing costs. In that same window, Metro Atlanta home prices haven’t waited. They’ve appreciated approximately 5% across most segments of the market — some even more in desirable in-town neighborhoods and strong suburban school districts.
Let’s quantify that. A $500,000 home in July 2023 is now selling for closer to $525,000. Assuming a 5% down payment and a 6.75% fixed rate in both years, the monthly principal and interest payment today is over $150 higher than it would have been in 2023. So much for the “wait and it will be more affordable” strategy. And yet, we’re hearing the same narrative again in 2025: rates will fall, affordability will return, and home prices will stabilize. While there’s reasonable expectation that rates may soften into the high-5% range over the next 12 months, this does not necessarily equate to a better buying opportunity. Quite the opposite.
If lower rates do materialize, Atlanta — like many competitive metros — will likely see an uptick in demand. Homes that have been sitting for 60+ days could see offers in a matter of weeks. Days on the market will compress. And prices? They may not just hold — they could rise again.
This is the “double-edged sword” Atlanta buyers must contend with: lower rates reduce borrowing costs, but increased competition can drive up prices, neutralizing or even reversing the benefit. It’s a moment that reinforces a timeless principle in housing economics: “Marry the house, date the rate.”
Had a buyer followed this advice two years ago in Atlanta, not only would they have secured a lower monthly payment, but they’d also be sitting on $25,000+ in equity growth. And with a possible refinance opportunity on the horizon, monthly savings could increase further.
The bigger takeaway: Don’t be fooled
again. Atlanta’s housing market today offers something we haven’t seen in years — negotiation power. Sellers are offering closing cost incentives. Inventory is sitting longer. And while prices haven’t dropped dramatically, the lack of bidding wars has restored balance in favor of the buyer.
If you’ve been waiting on the sidelines for “the right time,” consider this: the best time to buy isn’t always when rates are at their lowest — it’s when competition is manageable, prices are still negotiable, and you have room to make the right long-term move.
That time could very well be now.
DC Aiken is Senior Vice President of Lending for CrossCountry Mortgage, NMLS # 658790. For more insights, you can subscribe to his newsletter at dcaiken.com.
The opinions expressed within this article may not reflect the opinions or views of CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC or its affiliates.
Personal choice may help keep AI genie in the bottle
RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com
I have written about this more than a few times. Technological growth continues to outpace our ability to process what that technology provides – personally and as a society. We keep trying to play catchup, but the gap keeps growing. And AI is only the next big leap in tech, one of many more to come.
“Information” is the foundation. It feels like that amount of information available to us is growing exponentially while our ability to deal with it is growing arithmetically. Thus, information is creating brave new worlds; it is also destroying worlds. It is a paradox that I keep thinking about but one that is way outside my ability to really understand.
The central paradox to me is the idea that scarcity is the foundation – or part of the core basis – of “value.” Something that is very abundant – like for example, sand – is worth much less than something that is acutely scarce – like diamonds or a cure for cancer.
While AI doesn’t actually create or substantially increase the amount of information in existence, it does increase our access to greater amounts of information – something that feels like close to the same thing. And greater abundance means less value. And since our lives are so information-centric, a greater abundance of information must suggest that our lives
have less value – or that the quality of our lives is decreasing. Bear with me.
Herbert Simon, 1978 Nobel Prize winner in economics, described my paradox succinctly. He said that “In an information-rich world, the wealth of information means a dearth of something else: a scarcity of whatever it is that information consumes. What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence, a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention and a need to allocate that attention efficiently among the overabundance of information resources that might consume it.”
That is, this technology-driven, everincreasing amount of information that we are trying to process is taking our “pie” –the amount of time and attention that we have at our disposal – compressing it and slicing it into smaller and smaller pieces which, in turn, is making our lives less connected, less meaningful, less engaged and less happy. A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.
So collectively, I don’t believe that we can go home again. We cannot undo technological advancement; it is already too hard-wired into society – all aspects of it. However, is it possible that we can –individually – roll back the clock, at least a little? Perhaps that is the $64 question. Can we? What do you think?
It is hard for me not to think about the Amish and their way of life. Isn’t that what they have done – choose to avoid at least some of this modern high-tech world and remain more or less “analogue” – and still
function relatively successfully?
What the Amish have done involves making choices, and isn’t it fair to believe that our ability to make choices remains relatively in place despite the avalanche of technology that threatens to swallow “life as we know it” whole? Is it realistic to consider this possibility? I want to think that it may be – within a measured expectation. Yes, there is more information permeating life as we know it than ever before in the history of the world. Yes, we cannot sweep it out the back door or sequester it somewhere underground like radioactive fuel rods. But can’t we make small,
personal, manageable and wise incremental choices that walk back some of the weight of all that information on our lives – and replace it with choices that do enhance and nurture who we are and how we live? Can we not be intentional about this? Surely, we have ability to see what is happening.
The noise of AI is deafening. Technology never sleeps. It is our world today, but surely, we do have the ability to protect some of what we know to be missioncritical for our kind – to muddle forward in a “more/most” sustainable way. Isn’t that choice still out there?
D.C. AIKEN Guest Columnist dcaiken.com
PRESERVING THE PAST
Young Men’s Service League grows wings – The Ultimate Gift
High school goes by quickly. How do students make the most of those fleeting years? How do they prepare for future challenges of college, the work force and families? There are many ways: academics, athletics, school clubs, school service, such as the school newspaper, part time jobs – the list goes on.
For a select group of high school boys and their mothers, the fouryear Young Men’s Service League (YMSL) provides a unique way to serve their communities and grow in their relationship. The organization was established 25 years ago in Plano, Texas, as a 501(c)(3) non-profit national organization by founder and still President Pam Rosener.
The Young Men’s Service League has experienced dramatic growth in recent years. Rosener told me that, last year, 25 new chapters were established, making a total of 199 chapters in 23 states. Georgia boasts 17 chapters, mostly in Atlanta and northward including Crabapple, Milton, Dunwoody, Johns Creek, Sandy Springs and North Fulton. Nationwide, members provided 750,000 service hours last year.
“We started with 60 boys based on the principle of service,” Pam Rosener says. “We wanted to teach boys things that they don’t learn in school, church or Scouts while incorporating leadership opportunities in the process. We quickly learned that moms are the secret sauce that made the program successful. After a while I thought the program could grow nationwide.”
When Pam says that moms are the secret sauce, she means that just as mothers keep their families together, they also do so in the organization.
”They believe that they are helping their sons, but they become inspired and also grow, strengthening the organization,” she says. “They are our secret to success. It is hard to be a teen these days, and our program develops leadership skills which, in turn, foster a sense of responsibility.”
Each year, one chapter is awarded the “Ultimate Gift,” to recognize an outstanding project. The impetus for the award was a novel of the same name by Jim Stovall. In the book, a self-centered young man expects to inherit a fortune when his wealthy grandfather dies. Instead, his grandfather leaves him 12 “gifts,” which are really assignments he must complete over a period of months
PROVIDED
The mother-son team of Karen and Wyatt Stewart of Milton take part in a Young Men’s Service League project cleaning tombstones, some well over 100 years old, in the Boiling Springs Primitive Baptist Church cemetery. The Young Men’s Service League is a national non-profit organization whose members take part in community service projects throughout a student’s high school years. Mothers and sons work together on the projects. There are 1999 chapters in 23 states.
to claim his inheritance. The grandson enters on a journey of self-discovery and learns the rewards of serving others.
The book became an award-winning movie in 2006 starring James Garner (his last movie), Lee Meriwether, Drew Fuller and Bill Cobbs. In 2024, Jim Stoval and Pam Rosener collaborated on a sequel book, “Giving the Ultimate Gift.”
On July 26 a group of students and moms from Milton’s YMSL and the Milton Historical Society teamed up to clean gravestones at the Boiling Springs Primitive Baptist Church which dates back to 1837. Pat Miller, president of the Alpharetta and Old Milton County Historical Society and an
Cover of the book
“Giving the Ultimate Gift,” by Jim Stoval and Pam Rosner.
The book is a sequel to Stoval’s celebrated novel, “The Ultimate Gift,” which was made into a successful movie.
Johns Creek to honor fallen American service members. The cemetery at Boiling Springs Primitive Baptist Church is one of the local cemeteries participating and has approximately 30 veterans buried there. Volunteers will be provided by the Patriots of Liberty chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Karen Stewart and her son Wyatt were among the volunteers at the church cemetery. Wyatt is a senior at Milton High School and is starting center for the Milton Eagles football team. He is spending his summer working in the Horst Shewmaker law firm in Alpharetta. This is the fourth year that Wyatt and his mom have worked together on a wide range of projects for the benefit of the community. Wyatt’s brother Will, a student at Georgia Tech, was previously a member of the Milton YMSL.
Projects have included Meals on Wheels, letters to troops, foster care support, playing baseball and tennis with the mentally disabled and Blessings in a Backpack food program for underprivileged children.
The Milton YMSL chapter was established 15 years ago and has close to 100 moms and sons, which is the maximum number of participants allowed in any chapter. Once the limit is reached a new chapter is formed.
expert in cleaning cemetery tombstones, instructed the volunteers how to effectively go about the task. Using brushes, D2 cleaner and water, many illegible tombstones, some well over 100 years old, were gradually made legible again.
James Farris, cemetery chairman of the Milton Historical Society says “the event was rewarding for all who participated at one of the oldest churches in Milton. It is a virtue to touch something from the past that honors the generations that went before us.”
On Dec. 13, Wreaths Across America, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, will place wreaths on veterans’ graves in 10 cemeteries in Milton, Alpharetta and
Karen says,“Giving back to the community not only enriches the lives of others, but it has strengthened the bond with my boys by allowing us to do something meaningful for others. It’s led to some great conversations around compassion and opened our eyes to the needs of those in our community.”
For more information about Young Men’s Service League their website is ymsl.org.
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.
BOB MEYERS Columnist
Tanzania:
Continued from Page 1
Gordon was encouraged by a former grantee to apply and completed a rigorous process that included writing essays, securing letters of recommendation and interviewing.
Rudisch discovered the opportunity through an internal staff bulletin and felt immediately drawn to it, especially due to her international school’s diverse student population.
“Because I work at an international school, we have students from all over the world, and many come from the continent of Africa, and I was very curious to learn more about their backgrounds and what their cultures are like,” Rudisch said. “What appealed to me was that we were learning specifically about Tanzania, but we were also learning about life in Africa and how it has evolved in different areas.”
Gordon added that her school has two students from Tanzania, but Swahili is the third-largest language spoken in the school district. She was excited to learn more about the language. According to a report from UNICEF, Swahili and English are the official languages in Tanzania.
During their 33-day trip, the educators visited a variety of schools, from overcrowded public schools with limited resources to small private pre-schools filled with eager learners.
Contrast and compare
Different as the settings were, both Gordon and Rudisch noted that educators in Tanzania and the United States face
Thurmond:
Continued from Page 1
“Washington Republicans have put 750,000 Georgians’ access to healthcare at risk and cut critical food assistance to struggling families – but the fight is just beginning. Let’s put our boots on Georgia ground to get the job done.”
Thurmond was elected labor commissioner in 1998, becoming the first non-incumbent African American to be elected to statewide office. Thurmond served two terms as DeKalb County CEO, from 2017 to 2024, and was succeeded by current CEO Lorraine CochranJohnson. Before that, he was interim superintendent of the DeKalb County
similar challenges.
“We actually had a thought exchange at St. John’s University, where we spoke with teachers and pre-service students. Our teachers complain about having 30 to 40 kids. These teachers have 150. They have an issue with recruitment and retention and salaries,” Gordon said. “I walked away from the experience saying the problems are universal.”
Still, there were notable differences. In Tanzanian public schools, students are taught in Swahili until seventh grade, when education abruptly shifts to English. This often leads to higher dropout rates due to the language barrier. Private school students, however, typically begin learning English by age three or four.
Another contrast was the lack of basic resources. Many of the schools Rudisch visited had no running water or electricity.
“One of them, I think, had a whiteboard, but the rest just had chalkboards,” she said. “Some had dirt floors, no curtains, no glass in the windows, and some had restrooms, and the restrooms were holes in the ground, often porcelain holes.”
Despite the limited resources, the students were vibrant, engaged and eager to learn.
“I was so impressed with what these people could do with no electricity, no running water, and they were still learning,” Rudisch said. “I thought of all the reliance that we have on technology, and how we will sit there and complain that the internet is slow, and they don’t have electricity.”
The duo shared moving stories of the people and places that affected them the most.
Gordon recalled a visit to a Montessori training program and a private pre-school
School District from 2013 to 2015, leading it when the district’s accreditation was in jeopardy.
The news release says Thurmond has a “proven record of uniting diverse communities to deliver results for working families.”
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He joins a crowded field for the Democratic nomination, which includes Sen. Jason Esteves, state Rep. Derrick Jackson, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and businessman/pastor Olu Brown, Decaturish media partner Atlanta News First reported.
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where the school’s owner lovingly referred to her students as “my babies.” She was moved by the joy she witnessed in classrooms with few modern resources.
Rudisch shared a story of Sharon, a young woman she met in Bagamogo. Raised in an orphanage due to family struggles, Sharon graduated from college and was now working in tourism.
“She had to be one of the strongest, bravest young women I have ever met, and she persevered,” Rudisch said. “And this is one other thing that really impressed me about Tanzania, they don’t seem to dwell on hardship.”
Beyond observing, both educators also taught in local classrooms. Rudisch led a creative writing lesson at White Lake High School, helping students explore fiction and use their imagination.
“Their students are very good with math, and they’re getting better at science, and they’re able to memorize things and recall, but independent thinking, or the idea of questioning what they’re hearing is not part of the educational system,” Rudisch said.
She gave students sentence fragments or sentences. They rated it and then created sentences they thought were great.
Meanwhile, Gordon shared ESOL strategies like using visuals, scaffolding language and slowing speech, which were techniques used by Tanzanian educators.
Both educators described the experience as deeply transformative.
Starting a conversation
“Not only do they not have the resources, they’re very resourceful with what they don’t have. And so that put things in perspective for me,” Gordon said.
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Residents, some living in rental and owner-occupied communities near the site, said they are opposed because the proposed density and building height does not match surrounding properties. The Dunwoody Homeowners Association also lobbied elected officials to deny the application.
The City Council was also scheduled to hold a public hearing to consider an amendment to city code, clarifying the definition of a community residence.
Another hearing was scheduled for the rezoning of 4570 Ashford Dunwoody Road from officeinstitution (O-I) to Perimeter Center (PC-1), which staff recommended. During the Planning Commission process, the applicant separated a special permit for drive-thru facilities from the rezoning request. Planning staff has not recommended
They noted the collective spirit of Tanzanian culture, which is a significant contrast to the individualism often found in the U.S.
“Something that was different culturally is America is a very I-centered place, and Tanzania is a group and a we-focused place,” Rudisch said. “In Tanzania, you always begin with a greeting, and it may be multiple greetings that you have to go through before you get to the meat of the conversation.”
Swahili, they agreed, is a poetic and gentle language that reflects the kindness they encountered daily. Whether it was being welcomed to weddings and birthday celebrations or joining in on late-night soccer games in peaceful neighborhoods, the culture radiated kindness, humility, and a strong sense of community.
Gordon and Rudisch plan to incorporate their experiences into their classrooms and coaching. Gordon hopes to emphasize gratitude and resourcefulness, while Rudisch is introducing group claps to celebrate student success and experimenting with letting students stand to answer.
For those considering the Fulbright journey, both women urge openness, humility and curiosity. Also, doing research ahead of time about the culture and making connections with people before you arrive in a foreign country.
“Don’t treat it like a vacation,” Gordon advised. “It’s an immersive experience. Think about what you’ll take away and what you can leave behind.”
“And talk to people,” Rudisch added. “Connections matter. Buy a T-shirt. Start a conversation. You never know where it’ll lead.”
To read the Crier’s reporting from the Aug. 11 Dunwoody City Council meeting, visit appenmedia.com.
the drive-thru facility at the site but did say the rezoning fits future plans.
Other scheduled hearings on the agenda included a special permit with variances for a drive-thru oil change facility at 4515 Chamblee Dunwoody Road and a rezoning of 64 and 66 Perimeter Center East off I-285 to allow for an office-toresidential conversion, rental units and owner-occupied townhomes.
In other matters, elected officials were set to vote on a midyear budget amendment, which eliminates the city’s use of reserves this year.
Dunwoody officials were also set to discuss funding this year’s Holiday Lights display at Brook Run Park and contracts for major municipal services, beginning in January.
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