County Commission may soon be required to vote twice on items
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Absent a long shot state exemption, Forsyth County commissioners will be forced to vote twice on each agenda item when the new County Administrative Campus opens next year.
State law requires official county legislation be formalized in the county seat, but the new campus lies outside the City of Cumming on Freedom Parkway.
Plans now call for the County Commission to hold its regular meetings at the new campus, then formalize the votes at its current administrative headquarters in downtown Cumming, according Forsyth County Communications Director Russell Brown.
The 130,000-square-foot Freedom Parkway campus will include meeting rooms and offices for 17 departments. Commissioners approved a $114-million construction contract for the campus in January 2024.
See COUNTY, Page 12
ments and
Rabid raccoon bites man along Castleberry Road
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A rabid raccoon was reported in Cumming March 2, biting a resident during an attempted capture.
The raccoon is at least the second rabid animal reported in Forsyth County this year.
The raccoon was found injured along Castleberry Road near the
city’s fairgrounds, said Russell Brown, director for the Forsyth County Department of Communications. It tested positive for the rabies virus.
was treated.
A resident was bitten while trying to place the animal in a crate. A state laboratory test confirmed the presence of the rabies virus in the resident, who
Although rabies is treatable with injections after exposure, the disease always is fatal after symptoms appear, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Symptoms can take one to three months to appear.
Forsyth County public health officials planned to notify any other
people who may have been exposed to the rabid raccoon.
In late January, a rabid cat was reported near Atlanta Highway and McFarland Parkway in southern Forsyth County. The animal tested positive for the virus.
See RACCOON, Page 11
FORSYTH COUNTY/PROVIDED
The new County Administration Campus on Freedom Parkway will house 17 Forsyth County depart-
host County Commission meetings.
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Employee killed outside Cumming Water Department
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Authorities are investigating the death of a pedestrian who was killed March 10 in the parking lot of Cumming’s water department.
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.
Theft of computer monitors reported stolen from home
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A 49-year-old Cumming woman reported a burglary at her home on Autumn Walk Court Feb. 28, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office report.
The woman said she and her roommate, a 75-year-old Cumming man, left the home about 10:30 p.m. the night before to work on her boat. When they returned the next morning, they noted two Hewlett Packard computer screens were missing from the home’s office. The screens were valued at a total of $240.A home security camera in the living room lacked a memory card, so nothing was recorded.
There was no sign of forced entry.
— Jon Wilcox
Family alerts woman to possible tech scam
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — An 82-yearold Cumming woman reported an attempted theft of $15,000 as part of an online scam Feb. 28.
The woman said she had called to cancel a computer support service after realizing there was a monthly subscription fee. She said she called a legitimate number provided to her when she signed up.
A representative for the service told
A 44-year-old woman who worked for Cumming was pronounced dead at the department, 1835 Dahlonega Highway, according to the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.
her she would receive a refund of $150.
As she was filling out an online cancellation form, the computer “glitched” and changed the refund amount from $150 to $15,000, she said.
The service’s representative told her to withdraw the $15,000 from her account and hand it over to a courier, who would visit her home. The woman withdrew the funds from her bank, but her husband and son stopped her from handing over the money. The incident was classified as a felony theft by deception.
— Jon Wilcox
Woman finds recorder hidden in her vehicle
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A 36-year-old Milton woman reported Feb. 24 she had found an audio recording device in her car.
Officers were dispatched to North Point Parkway after an argument between the woman and her husband, according to an Alpharetta police report.
The woman said she and her husband were in the process of a divorce.
The woman searched her car after she heard her husband tell her daughter he would be able to hear her have a conversation.
The woman purchased a device that finds cameras and recording devices and located the recorder in the pocket behind the driver’s seat. Her attorney advised her to report it to police.
The woman turned over the listening device to officers, who entered it into evidence.
The incident was classified as a felony eavesdropping or surveillance.
— Jon Wilcox
Callers reported the woman was struck by a vehicle about 7 a.m.
The sheriff’s Traffic Specialist Unit is investigating.
— Jon Wilcox
Resident says swindler took him for $80,000
ROSWELL, Ga. — A 67-year-old Roswell resident reported he was scammed out of $80,000 Feb. 26 through a fraudulent scheme conducted on the messaging platforms WhatsApp and Telegram.
The victim told officers that he had been messaging a phone number with a 786 area code from MiamiDade County, Florida. He said the unidentified person reached out to him on WhatsApp about a moneymaking opportunity.
After the conversation switched over to another messaging app, Telegram, the victim said he was asked to buy programs in exchange for a profitable return.
The victim said he continued to send the person more money, until he refused to pay after not receiving any return on his investments.
Based off the officer’s report, it’s unclear when the victim began the interchange and when he ended communication.
When the victim finally refused to pay, he said the person sent him pictures of his residence and told him he would hire a hitman to kill him.
Officers did not identify a victim in their report.
Police said the victim sent a total of $80,000 to the alleged scammer, though the report did not identify how the funds were transferred.
The two felony charges against the perpetrator are theft by deception and terroristic threats.
— Hayden Sumlin
Owner John Hogan & Designer Bobbie Kohm, re-imagining how bath & kitchen remodels are done.
We
Ask
Crowd calls on Ossoff to face his constituents
By DAN WHISENHUNT dan@appenmedia.com
DECATUR, Ga. — Sen. Jon Ossoff's employees showed up to Decatur City Hall on Feb. 25, offering to answer questions about Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, taxes and more.
Even though Ossoff was not scheduled to appear at the constituent services event, the roughly two dozen attendees were left wondering why he wasn't there personally to address the community's concerns.
Ossoff's office declined to comment for this story or identify the staffers who attended the meeting. A representative for his office noted that the event was billed as a constituent services event and not a town hall. The announcement did not say Ossoff would be there. Staffers who hosted the event also declined to comment.
Even so, many of the attendees were left wanting.
"It was pretty much a waste of time," attendee Wardell Castles said. He noted three staffers there who specialized in handing constituent complaints to various federal agencies. "I couldn’t have cared less. There were ... citizens there who had little or no interest in what these three [staffers] specialized in. Most of the comments and questions circled around what Ossoff is doing regarding what’s going on in D.C. today."
He added, "A lot of people are really unhappy."
Attendees Decaturish interviewed wanted to know the senator's thoughts on the recent firings at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and at other government agencies, the flurry of executive orders from President Donald Trump, and his controversial cabinet appointments. That last point was a source of contention when attendees asked why Ossoff did not vote on some cabinet nominations. His record shows he opposed most of the nominations and voted yes on others. A New York Times article listing the vote tally found that Ossoff did not cast a vote on four cabinet nominations, more than any other senator.
"Could you tell us what his stance is?" one attendee asked Ossoff's staffers. "Honestly, I thought I knew what he stood for, but now I don't know. I'm very confused if he didn't vote."
Ossoff has been sending out press releases regularly, often emphasizing bipartisanship. He sent one on Feb. 25, the day of the constituents' meeting, noting he introduced a bipartisan bill to protect Georgia's poultry industry from avian flu outbreaks. He sent another, stating that he pressured the Trump administration to restore scholarship funding for students
studying agriculture at historically Black colleges and universities. And in another press release sent the same day, he announced he was introducing a bill to protect pregnant women in Georgia's prisons and jails.
But his constituents who attended the Feb. 25 meeting don't want to read press releases. They wanted to hear Sen. Ossoff speak to them directly.
Avondale Estates Mayor Jonathan Elmore attended, hoping to make contact with Ossoff's staff. He knew Ossoff wouldn't be there, but he wanted to hear what people had to say.
"I think probably four or five are here for actual constituent service questions, and everybody else is, like, freaked out," Elmore said. "What do we do?"
One attendee, a CDC employee who didn't want their name used, offered to provide the senator with documentation depicting the chaos behind the scenes at the agency.
"I'm not hearing from him at all," the CDC employee said. "I'm hearing him from his office. I want to hear from him."
Decaturish asked Fran Bauer about why she went to the meeting. She said, "I'm here about this s***," and pointed to a sign she was carrying that said, "Stop dismantling our government."
Bauer's daughter and son-in-law are both federal employees, and she and her husband depend on federal retirement benefits, too.
"We're f***ing worried," she said. "Because those monies, I have no trust that they're going to be around. My entire family has built a world upon this, but
Owner John Hogan & Designer Bobbie Kohm
DAN WHISENHUNT/APPEN MEDIA
An anxious, frustrated crowd meets with staffers from Sen. Jon Ossoff’s office during a constituent services meeting in Decatur Feb. 25.
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival wraps 25th anniversary season
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The 25th annual Atlanta Jewish Film Festival wrapped another successful year March 5 with its Closing Night celebration, featuring the heartfelt Brazilian dramedy “Cheers to Life!”
The annual Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is one of the largest cultural events of its kind in the world, celebrating the power of film to foster understanding and strengthen connections between Jewish and diverse global communities.
After the 88 in-theatre screenings across six venues in two weeks, some 1,000 patrons packed the Byers Theatre at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center.
Before spending most of the film giggling, reading subtitles and releasing some tears, the audience was treated to a quarter-century celebration of international film in the Jewish center of the South.
Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul, welcoming the audience and film festival organizers, promoted the city’s Performing Arts Center as a hub for exploring different cultures.
In a major announcement, festival organizers revealed an upcoming onenight-only concert Oct. 20 in partnership
Moderator Holly Firfer, at left, conducts a post-film discussion at Closing Night in Sandy Springs’ Byers Theatre March 5 with the cast and crew of the comedy drama “Cheers to Life!”
with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Turner Classic Movies. The concert is at Atlanta Symphony Hall in the Woodruff Arts Center with TCM’s Ben Mankiewicz hosting.
“I’ve been coming to the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival for years, and I couldn’t be more excited for this extraordinary celebration of film and music,” Mankiewicz said. “Iconic scores from classic Jewish cinema performed live? That’s a night you don’t want to miss.”
A panel of filmmakers, journalists,
students and industry experts determine the Jury Awards, honoring outstanding achievements in Jewish cinema across six categories.
The 2025 winners are: “Pink Lady” for Narrative Feature, “Riefenstahl” for Documentary Feature, “The Sacred Society” for Short Film, “Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round” for the Building Bridges Award, “Sapir” for the Human Rights Award and Tom Nesher as Emerging Filmmaker for “Come Closer.”
James Alexander, a marketing executive and the next president of AJFF, announced Coca-Cola’s $250,000 investment in the festival’s Kenny Blank Vision Initiative, a $2.5 million capital campaign designed to expand the festival’s impact beyond its annual programming.
Kenny Blank, AJFF’s executive and artistic director, said the 25th anniversary is a defining moment for the nonprofit.
“We are grateful to our audiences, supporters and partners for making this milestone so special,” Blank said. “We look forward to building on this momentum as AJFF continues to evolve, expand and elevate its impact in the years ahead,”
During the North American premier of the 2024 Brazilian film “Cheers to Life,” the Portuguese language was no hurdle to understanding and enjoying the film’s
characters, familial themes and lifeaffirming message.
The 103-minute narrative feature blends a young woman’s exploration of her identity and familial history with comedic missteps and chance revelations during an adventure to Israel.
Audiences meet the main character of the film, Jessica, a disillusioned antique shop employee who finds a locket that leads her to seek out her grandparents living in Tel Aviv.
The film is drama, thriller and comedy all set in the backdrop of Israel. The country is almost a character in the story as Jessica and her companions search from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for her grandmother.
The Closing Night celebration was in the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center’s Byers Theatre, featuring a post-film Q&A panel with the Brazilian cast and crew, including director Chris D’Amato, producer Júlio Uchoa and three main actors from the film.
Rodrigo Simas, who plays Jessica’s sidekick as she tracks down her grandparents, said his character Gabriel receives the help and companionship he needed as his character assists Jessica track down her family.
See FILM, Page 11
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
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6 | Forsyth Herald | March 13, 2025
Cigar ‘chateau’ builds community amid sanctuary for connoisseurs
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The joy of a good cigar is about more than savoring the rich flavor of aged tobacco.
At The Chateau Cigar Lounge, it’s about camaraderie, connection and company.
“I first thought I was selling cigars, beer and wine, but we sell community,” owner Jeff Curry said. “You can come in here as a stranger, but you won’t leave as one.”
When Curry purchased The Chateau in 2018, the business was struggling, he said. The location at 9700 Medlock Bridge Road had little more than a dozen cigars, beer coolers, televisions and furniture. The meager cigar inventory and less-than welcoming environment had stolen customers’ trust, he said.
So, when Curry announced the change in ownership, few were impressed.
“We were getting snarky replies. ‘Oh, really, you actually have cigars?’” he recalled hearing.
There was plenty of work to be done, and Curry, who had spent the previous 15 years in software sales, first recruited Staci Gibbs, an employee of the former owner. Gibbs now serves as general manager.
Together, they worked to make The Chateau a welcoming place where patrons could gather, relax and explore the world of fine tobacco.
Today, the business boasts close to a thousand cigars in its humidor. It’s also cultivated a cult customer base, who routinely visit to play poker, participate in raffles, watch sports and socialize.
“I have a customer who came here 340 times last year,” Curry said.
Tucked into the first floor of a small row of shops, The Chateau offers a refuge from the congested traffic of nearby Medlock Bridge and State Bridge roads.
A sweet smell of smoke lingers in the spacious interior, which features stained-wood flooring and high ceilings.
The space is perfect for hanging out, Curry said. Floorto-ceiling windows flood the room with natural light. A fully stocked bar serves beer, wine, top-shelf liquors and craft cocktails. Some days, food trucks populate the ample parking lot. Plush leather armchairs invite visitors to
See CIGAR, Page 7
General Manager Staci Gibbs and owner Jeff Curry stand in the humidor of The Chateau Cigar Lounge at 9799 Medlock Bridge Road in Johns Creek.
Cigar:
Continued from Page 6
unwind alone or in groups. A state-of-the-art ventilation system facilitates indoor smoking, but many opt for the patio when the weather is nice.
“It’s a beautiful thing to watch when … new faces come in here,” Gibbs said. “Maybe five minutes will pass before somebody walks up and strikes up a conversation. Then, they move their seats together.”
One popular informal event, a weekly “cigar bible study,” allows connoisseurs to analyze and evaluate flavors. Customers are welcome to enter their thoughts about a smoking experience into a handsomely bound leather tome and mark the flavors, whether they be of coffee, fruit, spice, nuts, earth or vanilla.
“What our people do is they sit around, and they smoke cigars, and they go, ‘OK, here’s the name of the cigar I had. This is what it’s like,’” Curry said.
There are plenty of opportunities to explore all manner of cigars from tried-and-true favorites to limited editions in The Chateau’s humidor.
The narrow, wood-paneled room is climate controlled and dehumidified to extend the tobacco’s shelf life almost indefinitely.
Curry said the inventory caters to new and experienced customers.
For those who are just getting into tobacco, he recommends the Perdomo brand, which are like the “Johnson & Johnson” of cigars, he said.
“Whether you’re an experienced cigar smoker or novice, no one’s going to smoke that cigar and say they don’t like it,” he said.
Figuring out personal tastes is a big part of the fun for beginners, he said.
“It’s just seeking out where are you in your journey. Where are you in your experience?” he said. “And then, let us give you variations within that same flavor profile.”
For those who know what they like, The Chateau offers some exciting options from premium cigars that can range into the hundreds of dollars to rarer batches.
Curry maintains personal relationships with suppliers to ensure he gets the latest and greatest.
The shop boasts cigars from all
over the world, including brands such as La Flor Dominicana, Sin Compromiso, Oliva, Mi Querida, Plasencia and many more.
The Chateau Cigar Lounge is located at 9700 Medlock Bridge Road No. 114 in Johns Creek. For more information, visit thechateaucigarbar.com or call 678-822-0912
On one shelf, Gibbs keeps a special stash, which she sometimes allows patrons to smoke from if they’re lucky.
“Some of the best cigars on the planet are sitting right down there in those boxes,” Curry said.
For Curry, now retired from sales, owning The Chateau has been a dream. He frequents the shop almost seven days a week, chatting up regulars and meeting new faces.
Curry admits he may not make as much money as he used to, but there’s something special about running a business that provides real satisfaction to customers.
“We took something that was dead, and we managed to regrow the business,” he said.
Curry said he certainly enjoys indulging in a good cigar, but the real joy is being a part of the community the shop has fostered.
“I quit my day job at the end of 2020,” he said. “I haven’t set an alarm clock in years, and it’s been like, we got real a business here.”
JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
Owner Jeff Curry holds a premium cigar in the humidor of The Chateau Cigar Lounge at 9799 Medlock Bridge Road in Johns Creek.
Make colon health your habit
Brought to you by
- Wellstar
For many people, talking about colon health can be a little uncomfortable, but potential medical issues don’t just go away if you ignore them.
Being proactive about your wellbeing with preventative care can help catch colorectal cancer or another serious condition early—often before it becomes a bigger problem.
Wellstar is committed to keeping your colon healthy with preventative screenings and expert care, so you can continue to live well.
Catch colon cancer early
Early detection is the best prevention, especially when it comes to colon cancer. People at average risk should start colonoscopies at age 45. Those with a higher risk or a family history of colorectal cancer may need
to start screening sooner. Partner with your care team to create a personalized screening plan—and stick with it to stay ahead of the disease.
The death rate for colon cancer in older adults has been decreasing for the past several decades due to screenings, according to the American Cancer Society. Screenings can identify polyps before they become cancerous and can catch cancer earlier when it is more easily treatable. However, in people under 55, death rates from colon cancer have been increasing by about 1% per year since the mid2000s.
Why colonoscopies work
During a colonoscopy, a Wellstar gastroenterologist will view the inside of your colon and look for polyps or any other abnormal tissue that could be cancerous. This preventative testing is key to catching colorectal issues at
the start. Polyps take about five to 15 years to evolve into an invasive cancer, so regular colonoscopies can catch polyps before they become cancerous. The procedure itself is not painful.
Signs of colorectal cancer
Colon cancer is typically discovered when a patient has a colonoscopy, but it’s important to watch for these warning signs:
• A change in your bowel habits, such as persistent diarrhea or constipation
• Bloody stools or rectal bleeding
• Abdominal discomfort, such as cramps, gas and pain
• Feeling like you are unable to empty your bowels completely
• Weakness or fatigue
• Unexplained weight loss
If you experience any of these symptoms, contact your care team right away.
Colorectal cancer care at Wellstar
If you have been diagnosed with colorectal cancer, count on Wellstar for comprehensive, personalized care. Our specialists will work together with you to form a tailored treatment plan and offer support every step of the way.
Wellstar offers medical expertise close to home, clinical trials and state-of-the-art surgical procedures to treat colorectal cancer. We also have a multidisciplinary gastrointestinal (GI) tumor board that diagnoses and creates treatment plans collaboratively.
Along with cancer surgeons, medical oncologists and other experts, our care team also includes nurse navigators, dietitians, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists and counselors to provide complete care and support.
Visit wellstar.org/gastro to learn more about gastroenterology care.
At Wellstar, you’ll find a multidisciplinary team of cancer care experts built around your needs and dedicated to comprehensive, personalized treatment.
We are a leader in cancer care, embracing innovation to improve patient outcomes. Our surgeons perform a variety of minimally invasive procedures—providing patients with smoother recoveries and less pain. We also support patients during their cancer journeys with STAT Clinics, which bring cancer care clinicians together and put people at the center of their treatment. With this multidisciplinary approach, patients start care sooner, optimizing treatment and outcomes. wellstar.org/northfultoncancercare
Honored to be Voted: Best Dermatologist and Best Vein Specialist
Insist on the
BEST
Dr. Brent Taylor is a Board-Certified Dermatologist, a Fellowship-Trained Mohs Surgeon, and is certified by the Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine in the field of Vein Care.
He is an expert in skin cancer and melanoma treatment, endovenous laser ablation, minimally invasive vein procedures and cosmetics procedures such as Botox and injectables.
Kathryn is a certified physician assistant with over 22 years experience as a Dermatology PA and cosmetic dermatology.
Her specialties include general dermatology such as acne, eczema, rashes, hair loss, full body skin exams, abnormal growths etc. Kathryn also specializes in cosmetic dermatology including lasers, injectables, micro-needling, PRP, facial peels, sclerotherapy for spider veins and at home skin care.
Is Lidocaine a secret weapon against cancer?
We always worry about the negative side-effects that a medicine might have. At the end of a pharmaceutical company’s commercials, an auctioneer very quickly states the twenty terrible things that might happen if you take the advertised medicine. Side effects range from your ear falling off when you sneeze to the belief that you are Elvis. Side-effects make almost any medicine sound scary. But occasionally, a positive side effect emerges. Sometimes, we discover something wonderful about a medicine that is wholly unexpected. Examples of positive side-effects are not hard to find. The medicine finasteride was first being used to help decrease the size of the prostate in men who were having difficulty urinating. An unexpected positive side-effect was discovered when it was noticed that many of the men were re-growing their scalp hair. With finasteride, male pattern baldness was often partially reversed or stopped in its tracks.
One of the most recent medications discovered to have a possible positive side effect is lidocaine, which has been around since 1943. Lidocaine is an injectable anesthetic. We use lidocaine for skin biopsies, excisions, Mohs surgeries and countless other procedures every day in the dermatology office. Amazingly, lidocaine may be more than an anesthetic. It may also have anti-cancer effects.
center study, but it is intriguing enough to warrant further investigation. The authors reported that injecting lidocaine around breast cancer before removing it increased survival in their study.
What made the surgeons perform this study in the first place? Why lidocaine? Over the last few years, researchers have discovered that electrical gradients maintained across the membranes of cancer cells are important to their ability to metastasize or spread. Our cells have pumps in them called “ion channels.” They allow certain ions to pass across the cell membrane. The resulting ion concentration gradient creates an electrical charge across a cell. This gradient affects the way other proteins in the cell function. Importantly, some of the proteins affected by the charge across a cell membrane are important for healthy cells’ growth and development as well as for cancers’ ability to grow and spread.
Lidocaine works by blocking sodium channels in cell membranes. Disrupting the electric charge across a cancer cell membrane was suspected to have the potential to weaken the cancer itself. Preclinical studies supported this hypothesis, and the breast cancer surgeons took the next step of performing a trial with breast cancer patients and peritumoral lidocaine injections.
Accepting
A team of surgeons in India operating on breast cancer divided patients into two groups. One group had standard breast cancer surgery. The other group received a lidocaine injection around the tumor 7-10 minutes prior to surgery. During the 5 years after surgery, the group that received the lidocaine injection had an 8.5% rate of the cancer recurring (popping up again) at a distant site versus an 11.6% rate of distant recurrence in the surgeryonly (no lidocaine) group. The study has some limitations including not being a double-blind trial and being a single-
I don’t know if breast cancer surgeons in the United States consider these results valid, are awaiting confirmatory studies or are already injecting lidocaine. However, in dermatology, these results are exciting because, for now, we do not need to change anything that we are already doing. Every day that I perform Mohs surgery, we inject the area around a tumor with lidocaine prior to surgically removing the cancer. If lidocaine is more than an anesthetic, then our patients are likely already benefiting from any anti-cancer properties that lidocaine has.
Mohs surgery is the gold standard for treating most skin cancers and has a cure rate that is usually at or above 99%. Perhaps lidocaine is one of the secrets to this success.
Dr. Brent Taylor
Kathryn Filipek, PA-C
Brought to you by – Dr. Brent Taylor, Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta
Let’s talk about social media & screen time
Brought
to you by -
Alyssa Kiss, M.A., Summit Counseling Center
Parents raising a teen in today’s world of technology can often experience confusion, stress, and judgement from others for their decisions surrounding social media use and screen time. There are mixed messages, a lack of sufficient research, and little support out there to help parents navigate these tough decisions. As a therapist who primarily works with adolescents, teens, and young adults, I am surrounded by the issue of social media and phone addiction. Often, I work with parents who say the same thing – “I don’t want them to be on their phones so much, but I also don’t want them to be isolated from their friends.”
There is no doubt that screen time and social media are impacting us all, especially kids and adolescents. This age group is inundated with screen time which is causing issues with attention and the brain’s reward system. The research we currently have clearly shows that excessive screen time can impact social-emotional development, language development, and executive functioning. These can deeply impact adolescents who are already struggling with increased academic pressure and developing peer relationships. So, what can we do about it? I have often found myself after a day of sessions with adolescents just wishing that I could wake up and social media would have vanished. I see the impact it has on these students while also knowing it is unrealistic to believe that it can be completely cut out of anyone’s life. Here are a few tips about navigating this difficult topic.
1. Have an open discussion. Help educate your child on the impact of social media and screen
time. Oftentimes kids don’t understand or fully realize why their parents are limiting their screen time. Take some time to openly talk to your child about the ways that social media and screen time impact them without using judgements.
2. Educate yourself on the issue. This is a very complex issue with lots of different things to consider. Take some time to read up on the research and tips from leaders in the field. Here are a few recommendations:
a. Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and survive) in Their Digital World by Dr. Devorah Heitner
b. The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World by Adam Gazzaley and Larry D. Rosen
3. Model the relationship with your phone that you want your child to have.
Kids are constantly watching their parents to learn about the world around them. This is no different when it comes to screen time and social media use. By modeling the relationship with technology that you would like your child to have, it can help your kids learn how to navigate their use of technology.
4. Implement screen time limits that your child is actively involved in. Use collaboration with your child to set screen time limits that they can understand and feel a part of. Giving a teen or adolescent a level of autonomy in their own screen time typically helps them adhere to the rules set. This varies given the child’s age and is best suited for middle and high school students.
5. Give yourself grace and be flexible. We are in unprecedented times as we all learn to navigate the way technology has so prevalently impacted our lives. Remember to be kind to yourself and maintain a flexible mindset. As we learn new things in this area, give yourself space to adjust your stance or approach.
Film:
Continued from Page 5
“It’s a pleasure to be here in Atlanta, this is the first time out of Brazil with the movie and it’s a great honor to make a Brazilian movie in Israel,” Simas said. “Watching and learning … with our elder characters, not just in the movie but life too, makes us look forward to life and appreciate it.”
Thati Lopez, speaking Portuguese to the audience, said she grew into her character and said Jessica’s transformation throughout the film attracted her to the role.
Raccoon:
Continued from Page 1
The rabies virus can be transmitted to animals and humans only when introduced into bite wounds, open cuts or mucous membranes, such as the eyes or mouth.
Rabies infections inflame the brain, leading to death.
Wildlife is the most likely potential source of infection for both humans and domesticated animals in the U.S. The most common carriers
The atmosphere of the Byers Theatre did not change after the credits rolled. The audience, actors and crew laughed through the difficulties of translating in real-time.
Guests leaving the theater overwhelmingly said they loved the film with men and women in the audience split with affection for the leading couple.
An all-access streaming pass is available March 7-16 to Georgians who want to follow along from home with 21 feature films and 14 short films from the festival. Some are only available for exclusive in-theater presentation.
To learn more and stream, visit https://ajff.org.
are raccoons, skunks, coyotes, foxes and bats.
State law mandates every cat and dog be vaccinated for rabies by a licensed veterinarian.
— Jon Wilcox
KISS
Lions, tigers and bears oh my
RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com
We’re off to see the wizard, the wonderful… Nope. That may be how it feels, but, well, nope. Ain’t no heart for the lion, nor brains for the scarecrow, just smoke and mirrors and a distant, vague memory of a better time, and then, perhaps, the giant con. Tariffs and trade, tariffs and trade, oh my. Make us great again, make us great again, oh my. And who doesn’t long for that – those times? Anybody? Bueller? Off to find the wizard.
As kids, we used to look forward to seeing “The Wizard of Oz.” Back then, it only came on occasionally, maybe once or twice a year. The same was true for “Snoopy’s Christmas” or “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” around Halloween. “Gone with the Wind” was often aired once a year.
Now they are available 24/7, everywhere – no longer something to look forward to –something lost.
It was a great time to remember; it was a good time to know – and a giant raw-nerve sucking sound, mostly inaudible – for those who don’t know it, never knew it. And that is somewhere close to where the reality of our dilemma is found today.
Back then, we all enjoyed the fruits of the greatest generation – single household incomes, a car in every driveway, and driveways as far as the eye could see, thousands of affordable homes in all those subdivisions, courtesy of Levitt & Sons (Levittown) and the like.
And jobs everywhere. They weren’t sexy or transitory like the high-paying tech and health jobs we see today; think working for Ma Bell (AT&T), P&G, the Deere Company, General Motors or even the local bank. They paid a living wage that afforded those homes, a family with three or four kids, and their education – along with two weeks’ vacation at Disney, Silver Springs or “out west” with the camper trailer in tow.
Yes, those jobs are around today, but the affordable homes, that affordable family, the careers, the affordable trip to Disneyworld and Yosemite aren’t to most. Ditto for that stability, security and predictability of the past. And we really, really don’t like living in an unsecure, unpredictable world. No one does. It is hyper-toxic. Hence, “find the wizard.”
Life really was arguably “great” before. You went to college and got a degree. You went out and found a job that became a career; you stayed with that company for about 30 years, and then you (mandatorily) retired at 65. You were able to buy that affordable home you purchased shortly after starting your career, the one you raised your young family in that you grew out of, and which led to that larger one with a pool perhaps – the one you then sold to downsize and retire to the condo in Sarasota.
Do you remember?
Of course, you don’t remember if you were born say after about 1970 or so, a little bit after the last of the boomers were born. And if you can remember those times, you … well … you are old, like I am. My generation has the benefit of those experiences being part and parcel to our frame of reference, our world
Ossoff:
Continued from Page 4
they're doing important work."
Like other attendees, she was unsatisfied with Ossoff's response to their concerns about the Trump administration.
"I've made phone calls and also emails, and then I've also had some responses that were not pertinent to what I brought up," Bauer said. "So I'm not really getting any clear idea of what his plan is."
Another constituent, Lisa Strube, was initially afraid to give her name as she voiced her frustration at Ossoff's absence.
view, our perspective. So what?
So, we are obviously in a period of change – perhaps a massive one – socially, politically and geo-politically. Expectations and past experience (the driver of expectations) surges across the country in a seemingly random pattern or no pattern at all. Those expectations – and perhaps that missing frame of reference – are in large part responsible for what is going on today, right now. Meanwhile, one of the 800-pound gorillas in the room – technology – is evolving at a blinding pace while our social evolution –our ability to understand, manage, and deal with technology – is evolving at a snail’s pace.
Roughly half the country, about 170 million people born after 1970, have not known and have no concept of that “car in every driveway, three kids and retire to Florida” experience. The lack of “stability” and “predictability” is probably that other 800-pound gorilla in the room today.
All those born after 1970 know is that, generally, they are not very happy about “now,” and they are not really sure why or what is causing that unhappiness.* They want something better. And all that most of them see is a train leaving the station, and they are not on it.
So, they are off to find the “wizard” for solutions. I don’t blame them. I would too. But I hope when they find that solution –when they find that wizard – it’s not just some con man hiding behind a curtain in Oz, but it may well be. Time will tell. Be careful what you ask for; you might just get it.
Bueller? Bueller?
*Bob Dylan - as usual - nailed our current dilemma in his song “Ballad of a Thin Man,” written in 1965. If you are interested, Google “lyrics Ballad of a Thin Man Dylan.”
PS: The current Bob Dylan movie (“A Complete Unknown” is fabulous! Well scripted, well-acted, and very entertaining!
rights, diversity and issues affecting disabled people like herself. Strube noted that being in the minority didn't impede Republicans from exercising their power when Democrats controlled the Senate.
"I want to know what he's going to do, because Mitch McConnell did a lot of stuff when they had a minority," she said. "So what do you do when we have a minority in Congress? Like, why can't we get dirty like the Republicans?"
As she listened to a reporter work to get other attendees to go on record, Strube said, "You know what? Throw my name on there."
County:
Continued from Page 1
Brown said he is not aware of any bill filed this legislative session that would allow Forsyth County to conduct official business outside the boundaries of its county seat. Attempts to reach the eight members of the county’s legislative delegation, which includes two state senators and six state representatives, were unsuccessful.
The county will retain its current administrative building, which is planned to house the sheriff’s office.
“A separate public meeting would be required in the county site, which the county would utilize the current building’s meeting room … to ratify the actions voted upon during previous meetings,” Brown said.
The Freedom Parkway campus will feature two primary board rooms with technological advancements for public meetings and conference rooms for meetings with residents.
Construction of the center began in March and is expected to be completed in early 2026.
Brown said the County Commission plans to first meet and vote in chambers at the new campus before ratifying decisions during a second meeting at the current building at 110 E. Main St. in Cumming.
Commissioners approved a resolution Jan. 14 requesting a legislative change to allow official business outside the county seat. The county notified its state legislative delegation of the request for the change, Brown said.
“Having the (County Commission) finalize action on their voting decisions in the same location where business is conducted is ideal, however, it is not necessary for the same level of efficiency and guiding decisions to be made to lead the county,” Brown said.
In November 2024, the Cumming City Council signed a resolution saying they “strongly opposed” a change to the law.
"I came here to voice my concerns, and I was expecting Jon Ossoff to be here, and I'm very disappointed that he is not, especially during a time like this," Strube said.
She wanted to talk to him about women's
"I do represent people with disabilities," Strube said. "I represent women's rights. I am concerned about human rights."
Many people at the constituent services event shared those concerns and after the meeting, a group of attendees stayed behind to share names and contact information.
Cumming City Manager Phil Higgins said the city opposes the relocation because the administration building benefits the city’s economy. According to U.S. Census data, Cumming had a population of about 9,400 in 2023.
Forsyth County employs about 1,800 full-time and seasonal staff.
Connect-It
Each line in the puzzle below 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, 6 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. Got it? Good luck!
BY
ANY OTHER NAME
1. It’s a sheep. Down in the dumps. Gumbo vegetable.
2. Kitten’s plaything. It’s an Asian deer. Precious gem.
3. Gambler’s wish. It’s a venomous snake. Kick out.
4. Verdant. It’s a horse, of course. Tidings.
5. Kind of nerve. Sidekick in Juarez. It’s an alpaca or llama offspring
6. Like a maple leaf. It’s a fly or gnat. Small whirlpool.
7. Garden structure. Vow. It’s a marine food related to cod
By Any Other Name
1 It’s a sheep. Down in the dumps. Gumbo vegetable.
2. Kitten’s plaything. It’s an Asian deer. Precious gem
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. Gambler’s wish. It’s a venomous snake. Kick out.
4. Verdant. It’s a horse, of course. Tidings
5. Kind of nerve. Sidekick in Juarez. It’s an alpaca or llama offspring.
6. Like a maple leaf. It’s a fly or gnat. Small whirlpool.
7. Garden structure. Vow. It’s a marine
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