Milton Herald - May 23, 2024

Board unveils Deerfield park concept drafts

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — The unveiling of conceptual sketches for the proposed active park at 300 Deerfield Parkway drew a few residents to the May 16 Milton Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting.

Board members took time to go over plans for the Deerfield property with Parks and Recreation Director Tom McKlveen.

While McKlveen said the completed park is about two years away, the effort to ensure the property fits the needs of the city has begun.

Right now, Crescent Communities owns the site across the street from the Verizon campus between Ga. 9, Windward Parkway and Webb Road. It’s asking for $8 million.

The sale is pending a 90-day due diligence period, with the clock starting April 22. If the city determines the property is a fit for future ball fields, the closing will follow within 30 days after the due diligence period ends.

The city set aside funds for the purchase in two accounts within the capital improvement plan in its 2024 budget.

McKlveen said the two conceptual sketches presented to the citizen-led board are not a part of the formal design process, which will require

See DEERFIELD, Page 23

DEBRA KIELLY/PROVIDED

From left, state Sen. Shawn Still, retired Lt. Col. Archibald “Arch” Kielly and Lt. Governor Burt Jones are all smiles after reading proclamation March 26 to honor Kielly and his lifetime of service.

Kielly, a veteran of three wars, is an adjunct professor of political science at Georgia State University and teaches at various colleges overseas.

Retired local airman receives recognition for serving country

MILTON, Ga. — Archibald “Arch” Kielly, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, former diplomat and Milton resident, has spent a lifetime serving his country and educating its younger generations at state colleges.

Kielly received a resolution and words of praise from Lt. Governor Burt Jones March 26 during the Georgia General Assembly’s 2024 legislative session.

The retired combat pilot served as a diplomat to Central America and a political appointee in two administrations after his 39 years in the Navy.

During the Vietnam War, he served in the 7th Air Force Escape and Evasion unit, piloting jet fighters and gunship helicopters.

Over his military career, Kielly received more than 40 medals and awards for combat, gallantry and service, including four from foreign nations.

His work in the federal government includes advising the Chief of the United States Air Force and the Pentagon’s Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Kielly, an adjunct professor of political science at Georgia State University, once taught at the University of North Georgia and Young Harris College.

During his summer breaks, he teaches at European universities.

Without ever graduating high school, Kielly has served as an inspiration for countless Americans.

Debra Kielly, Arch’s wife, said he is traveling to South America this summer, per a government request, to teach at two of its top universities.

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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.

Driver clocked at 30 mph over posted speed limit

MILTON, Ga. — Police arrested a 41-year-old Smyrna man for driving nearly 30 mph above the posted speed limit on Morris Road May 7.

When police stopped the suspect in his Toyota Scion, the suspect said he was delivering lunch to his daughter at school, distracted by his GPS and not paying attention to the 35-mph speed limit, according to the incident report.

Police confirmed the suspect did not have a valid driver’s license and charged him with speeding and driving while unlicensed. The suspect was transported to the North Fulton County Jail in Alpharetta.

Man defrauded in deal arranged on Facebook

MILTON, Ga. — A Milton man reported to police May 9 he was scammed out of $2,000 for a 2000 Honda Accord that had been posted online by an alleged neighbor.

The man told police the listing was posted on a Facebook page for his subdivision. When the man inquired about the vehicle, he said he was contacted by a woman claiming to be his neighbor’s daughter, according to the incident report.

The man said the suspect told him that several people were interested in buying the vehicle and that he would need to send $2,000 through Zelle to hold the vehicle, the report says. The man told police he sent the payment, received a receipt and was advised that the vehicle be brought to him.

After sending the money, the man

said the neighbor told the Facebook group she had been hacked and that she was not selling the vehicle, the report says.

Police ran the suspect’s phone number in a law enforcement database that showed it was tied to a 59-year-old woman in California.

Local firm defrauded of more than $5,600

MILTON, Ga. — Employees of a business off Birmingham Highway reported to police May 13 that a man had fraudulently made two large purchases in the store, totaling more than $5,600.

A few weeks after the purchases were made, an employee told police she received notice that the credit card company would be withdrawing the amount due to the fraud.

The employee told police she called the man who provided the card numbers, who identified himself. Another employee, who handled the purchases, told police the man who made the purchases was the “driver” for the suspect.

The employee said the driver was sweating and acting abnormally as he attempted to pay for the merchandise, according to the report. She told police after several card numbers had been declined, one had been approved in addition to another card number.

The credit card company did not provide further information for the cardholders, according to the report. But, police identified the possible owner of one of the cards and tied the suspect’s phone number to another woman.

Officers arrest couple for meth possession

ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police arrested a 45-year-old Panama City man for methamphetamine possession May 7 after McDonald’s employees reported him and a woman

for a domestic disturbance.

When officers arrived at the restaurant at 2950 Holcomb Bridge Road, they determined the argument between the two suspects was only verbal.

The incident report did not include information about the female suspect.

Officers said both suspects had drug-related warrants out of Ohio, which were non-extraditable, but they gave consent to search the vehicle.

After officers found used and clean needles, a rubber tourniquet and burnt spoons in the vehicle, they detained the two and read them their Miranda rights.

The male suspect said he purchased and used meth earlier in the day.

The female told officers she is a heroin addict.

During a search of the vehicle, officers found 2 grams of crystal meth and a needle with liquid inside.

Because neither suspect claimed possession, the male suspect admitted to purchasing meth and the female suspect drove the car, officers arrested them.

Officers transported and booked the male at the North Fulton County Jail.

The jail refused the female suspect who was pregnant and high on drugs, according to a nurse.

Officers transported her to the Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center and released her into their custody.

Correction

A previous Appen Media story reported that the cost estimate for the replacement of North Springs High School and construction of a new campus is $108 million. The figure, updated in April, is around $175 million.

THE PICTURE FRAMER

Journalists measure loss of UGA Law’s advocacy on open records, meetings

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

ATHENS, Ga. — Journalists across Georgia are mourning the loss of a crucial service in a new direction taken by the University of Georgia School of Law’s First Amendment Clinic.

Going forward, its staff will no longer provide direct advocacy for open records or open meetings, sources of information that journalists and citizens use to find out what’s going on behind the facades of government.

The First Amendment Clinic was formally launched in August 2020 to “defend and advance the rights of free speech, press, assembly, and petition via regional litigation and advocacy” and to provide law students with realworld experience on First Amendment issues, according to a UGA news release.

In early 2023, the Clinic began reaching out to news organizations around Georgia, ramping up direct advocacy work related to open records after receiving more funding.

The service was free.

“‘Okay, what’s the catch?’” Dan Whisenhunt, publisher and editor of Decaturish, recalled. “I was told, ‘No catch. There’s just money going around. People really care about this sort of thing. So, we’re doing the work.’”

The resource saved Whisenhunt thousands of dollars in legal fees, a big deal for a small business that saw its first full-time employee after seven years of serving residents in Decatur and surrounding areas in Metro Atlanta.

Since Appen Media filed its lawsuit last May against the City of Sandy Springs over access to information on police incident reports, the newspaper has spent more than $35,000 in legal fees.

That figure continues to increase, as Appen Media seeks an appeal to a Fulton County Superior Court judge ruling in December that said it failed to prove it is unlawful for the Sandy Springs Police Department to withhold supplemental information about a crime that police file in a subsequent report, often on the same day and gleaned from the same initial visit to the scene.

The lawyer on the case charges $285 an hour.

Free counsel

Now, Decaturish has three fulltime employees, and the business is profitable, punching above its weight, but Whisenhunt said money is sent toward general expenses and personnel.

“Every spare dollar I have I spend on news,” Whisenhunt said. “News costs money, and it ain’t cheap to produce, especially in this market where we’re in an arms race, where we’re trying to keep people paid well enough so that they can actually live near the communities where they're covering.”

Whisenhunt said the Clinic had its eyes on two to three Decaturish stories. The Clinic has and continues to offer pre-publication review, giving legal guidance to journalists on stories before they go to press.

He also said the Clinic became involved in his request for open records regarding a fire that targeted a genderaffirming medical clinic in downtown Decatur.

“Decatur has been withholding those records for forever under an exemption in the [Georgia Open Records Act],” Whisenhunt said. “That exemption is pretty broad … that probably should be revisited.”

Ultimately, the City of Decatur did not provide the records to Whisenhunt. But, he said the Clinic continued to fight and advocate on his behalf.

He also said the group had been more accessible than other national organizations that provide the same service and went further than the Office of the Attorney General’s Open Government Mediation Program.

“I don’t know what having an attorney on staff is like, but that’s what it’s felt like to me,” Whisenhunt said.

UGA transfers lawsuit

Remaining an educational resource, University Spokesperson Greg Trevor said the Clinic will “refer open records/ open meetings matters that need direct advocacy and representation to qualified legal professionals or agencies.”

The timing of the refocus coincides with UGA’s decision to transfer the lawsuit filed on behalf of nonprofit Atlanta Community Press Collective and Lucy Parsons Labs against the

ADVOCACY, Page 20

Appen Media newsroom staff takes listening tour to Milton

MILTON, Ga. — The newsroom at Appen Media Group stopped at Six Bridges Brewing in Milton May 16 to listen to residents about how to improve local coverage.

This was the fifth stop in the company’s “Listening Tour,” a sevenmonth series touching base in each of Appen Media’s coverage areas. So far, staff have made rounds in Dunwoody, Roswell, Johns Creek and Forsyth County in an effort to gain valuable insight from residents on how to strengthen reporting.

Publisher Hans Appen opened the forum with questions to staff about what brings them to work every day and how they view the future of journalism. Appen also asked about the kinds of myths and stereotypes they see about journalists.

The floor was turned over to the crowd of about a dozen, who suggested topics they would like to see covered in the newspaper like health and traffic concerns.

One guest asked about the open records process, wondering how cities can charge for open records that are public information.

Director of Content and Development Carl Appen, who

Ray Appen, owner of Appen Media, answers a question posed by Publisher Hans Appen at the newspaper’s “Listening Tour” stop in Milton at Six Bridges Brewing May 16.

regularly files open records requests on behalf of the newsroom, said state law allows local governments to charge a reasonable fee for

time and resources used to gather records, though most do not as a courtesy.

Two more stops are scheduled

for the tour, at July Moon Bakery and Café in Alpharetta on June 20 and at Pontoon Brewing Company in Sandy Springs July 18.

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Cities turn focus to Perimeter market

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Representatives with KDC Real Estate Development and Investments were all smiles May 13 after the Dunwoody City Council approved a rezoning at 245 Perimeter Center Parkway.

The property, the last undeveloped parcel on the Park Center campus, was already entitled to 729,613 square feet of office, 33,586 square feet of retail, and 2,833 parking spaces for a Building 4, under conditions set in the city’s 2015 Overall Development Plan

But, because the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the appetite for new office development, KDC applied to change zoning conditions that would allow residential units and a hotel while reducing its office and retail allocation.

The new rezoning cuts the office allocation by more than half and allows for 175 hotel rooms, 22,000 square feet of retail space and 300 multi-family residential units.

Dunwoody’s 2023 Edge City 2.0 report, which focuses on Perimeter area planning, details a community-supported vision for Perimeter Center developments and roadmap for the next 20 years.

Dunwoody planners say the Edge City 2.0 report indicates the need for residential development and the proposed mix of uses would be a benefit to the Park Center campus and the surrounding area.

The shift from stand-alone office towers to mixed-use developments with housing, retail, office and recreational spaces is a hot trend.

Unlike the market for commercial office space, which is oversaturated from decades of overbuilding and low interest rates, the demand for a low supply of new live-work-

play buildings is promising.

Michael Starling, Dunwoody Economic Development director, said public investments in place-making and private investments in redevelopment can revitalize the commercial market.

The Perimeter market is unique with a community improvement district split between two counties, DeKalb and Fulton, and three cities, Brookhaven, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs.

The Perimeter Community Improvement Districts undertook a rebranding initiative late last year, and with the wrap-up of construction at Ga. 400 and I-285, the market is looking to be competitive in the region.

Fulton County side of Perimeter

During a May 7 Sandy Springs City Council work session, real estate consultant Ladson Haddow with Haddow & Company

asked officials to focus on the city’s commercial properties in Perimeter.

Influencing factors on the value of offices include appeals of property values, which can result in a three-year freeze.

An analysis of eight office properties, including the Concourse Office Park, revealed value changes ranging from 3.3 percent to 19 percent, with an average value decline of 14 percent.

While office properties account for roughly 18 percent of the city’s overall property tax revenue, they represent just under 7 percent of all the revenues Sandy Springs receives each year.

Essentially, Haddow said he thinks office building values will continue to fall, but it will not significantly impact the city’s overall revenue.

“You’re pretty much where you were in 2008, you experienced a pretty significant drop in 2013-15, and yet you managed

just fine,” he told councilmembers. “What’s looming or to come has been endured by the city before.”

Unlike the Great Recession and its subsequent economic effect on property values, corporate developers are not scooping up office buildings. Interest rates at a 23-year high and changing work habits have reduced the demand for offices and the ability to acquire the capital to purchase them, Haddow said.

The redevelopment of older office buildings can be encouraged through zoning and other incentives. Removing potential blight, reducing office supply and increasing tax revenue through new developments are ways the city can reduce erosion of the office market and increase its revenue, according to the findings of the Haddow & Company report.

Haddow then discussed what is attracting commercial tenants to properties and what environments have shown the most promise in Metro Atlanta.

The Perimeter office submarket in Sandy Springs contains the highest amount of sublease space and the second highest vacancy rate in Metro Atlanta, behind Buckhead.

The price per square foot for a sublease space is often 33 percent less than rent on a direct lease, Haddow said.

Often when tenants come up for a renewal of their lease, they reduce their office footprint.

“It’s hard to say what the future holds,” Haddow said. “In our opinion, it’s not a trend that’s going to reverse itself anytime soon.”

Live, work and play

Haddow & Company identified a post-

See MARKET, Page 12

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

Michael Starling, economic development director for the City of Dunwoody, gives the first in a series of quarterly updates on the city’s commercial areas. Starling said public investments in place-making and private investments in redevelopment can revitalize the commercial market.

Community Party

BIG

OPEN-TO-ALL COMMUNITY PARTY ANNOUNCED FOR ALPHA LOOP SATURDAY JUNE 1 SAVE THE DATE:

Save the date - actually, the entire day – Saturday, June 1 for three big events in Alpharetta. Start your day with a swing by the Alpharetta Farmers Market from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM - one of the most popular Farmer’s Markets in the region - packed with food, crafts, and something for everyone! Next, explore the new section of the Alpha Loop from 10 AM

to noon and celebrate its grand opening with food trucks, music, and face painting- a fun time of the whole family! Last but not least, spend Saturday evening at Alpharetta’s Brew Moon Fest concert and street festival.

For more details about the Alph Loop visit alphaloopfoundation.org

Alpharetta Farmers Market by Alpharetta Business Association

When: 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Where: Alpharetta Town Green; 30 South Main St. Alpharetta, GA 30009

For more information and a list of vendors, see alpharettafarmersmarket.com

Alpha Loop Grand Opening Party by The Alpha Loop Foundation and sponsored by Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau

When: 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Where: Along the new section of the Alpha Loop; Parking and food trucks at 2500 Northwinds Pkwy. Alpharetta, GA 30009

Want to learn more about the Alpha Loop? Visit alphaloopfoundation.org

Brew Moon Fest by the Alpharetta Business Association

When: 6:00 PM to 10:30 PM

Where: Milton Avenue (between Hwy 9 and Roswell/Canton Street) Alpharetta, GA 30009

Purchase tickets in advance at alpharettabusinessassociation.com

Saturday, June 1, 2024

6:00 PM - 10:30 PM

Downtown Alpharetta-Milton Avenue (between Hwy 9 and Roswell/Canton Street)

The band, Chuck Martin and the Line Up, are back by popular demand.

SPONSORS:

Alpharetta Brew Moon Fest to benefit new Wacky World

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Brew Moon Fest, a bi-annual event featuring beer, food and live music, is returning June 1.

In its 11th year, the Alpharetta Business Association’s “Dancing in the Street” party on Milton Avenue downtown will be from 6 to 10:30 p.m. with live music provided by Chuck Martin and the Line Up.

Proceeds from the fest will go toward the ABA’s multi-year donation to the Wacky World rebuild.

Wacky World was a 1-acre wood playground at Wills Park, built by more than 2,600 volunteers over six days in 1997. A farewell party was held April 28 with hundreds of residents in attendance, ushering in the new.

Scheduled for opening in October, the new Wacky World will be roughly

18,000 square feet. It will include features requested by Alpharetta students, who submitted dream designs on drawing forms.

The playground, to be built by volunteers, will feature a tower, obstacle course, racing slides and zipline. It will also be ADA compliant and feature adaptive equipment.

The Wacky World rebuild is partly funded through the city’s 2021 parks bond referendum, which allocated $4 million for work at Wills Park. It is also receiving help from sponsorships and donations.

Single tickets for Brew Moon Fest are $10. Including admission, a table for six costs $180, and a table for eight costs $240. To purchase tickets or tables, visit alpharettabusinessassociation.com.

Revolutionary War Patriots Marker April

Veteran Memorial Walk in Newtown Park. The marker is a part of an effort to spread awareness about the 250th anniversary of the United States of America in 2026.

Female patriots unveil America 250 marker

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The local Patriots of Liberty Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution unveiled its Revolutionary War Patriots Marker April 27.

The marker is at the entrance to the Johns Creek Veteran Memorial Walk in Newtown Park off Old Alabama Road.

Daughters of the American Revolution is the first heritage society to formally partner with America250, the nationwide commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026 led by the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission.

Kielly, the wife of Milton veteran Archibald “Arch” Kielly, is the regent of the Patriots of Liberty Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

She said the chapter includes ladies

from Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton and Roswell.

Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry, state Sen. Shawn Still and Lt. Governor Burt Jones attended the April 27 dedication along with several community members.

The markers are being placed across the country to highlight the sacrifice of American patriots in the fight for independence and freedom from the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

The United States Semiquincentennial will be the 250th anniversary of the 1776 United States Declaration of Independence. Festivities will be scheduled to mark various events leading up to the anniversary on July 4, 2026.

PATRIOTS OF LIBERTY CHAPTER/PROVIDED

From left, Stephanie Endres, state Sen. Shawn Still, Debra Kielly, Linda Absher, Vicki Gardocki and Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry gather around the

27 at

School Board members give tentative approval to 2025 spending plan

By BEECHER TUTTLE newsroom@appenmedia.com

NORTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – The Fulton County Board of Education May 15 tentatively adopted a proposed budget for fiscal year 2025, one that increases com-pensation for teachers and other staffers despite another projected drop in en-rollment.

The budget, set for final vote June 11, calls for a 4.5 percent raise in compensation for eligible employees in an effort to recruit and retain top talent, according to a detailed recommendation from Schools Superintendent Mike Looney. While the population of Fulton County has increased roughly 10 percent over the past dec-ade, total school enrollment has decreased by 7 percent, or 6,855 students.

The tentative budget passed by a 6-1 vote.

In total, the proposed 2025 spending plan includes an estimate of roughly $2.293 billion in spending from all funds, up from the projected $1.844 billion this year. However, the school allotment guidelines also proposed a property tax rate of 17.13 mills, down from 17.14 mills last year. Property taxes are expected to bring in some $839 million to help fund the 2025 budget.

The final adopted millage rate will depend on the county’s official tax digest –which charts the value of taxable residential and commercial property – due out soon, possibly before the June 11 School Board meeting.

The tentative adoption May 15 will enable staff to post budget figures on the dis-trict’s public website as well as allow staff to work with tax officials to ensure prop-erty tax bills are sent on time.

Meanwhile, the anticipated highlight of

the meeting never quite materialized.

Board members were prepared to hear from the public for a second time following the rollout of the initial budget in March and April, but no one raised their hand on Wednesday.

School Board

You can find the full FY ‘25 budget recommendation at ful-tonschools. org/budgetservices

President Kimberly Dove said the board takes comment from its constituents outside of public forums, including email.

One piece missing from the meeting was Superintendent Looney, who was –ironically – representing Fulton County at the White House to discuss the nation-wide issue of chronic absenteeism among students.

County honors its stars

With the end of school fast approaching, each of the seven board members touched on a few highlights from their district. Some of the most noteworthy in-cluded River Trail Middle School Chess Team winning the 2024 State of Georgia Chess Tournament for the second year in a row; Fulton County Schools College & Career Academy Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Pathway finishing first in the statewide High School Aviation Challenge; and John’s Creek High’s boy’s team winning the Class 6A tennis championship for an unparalleled sixth consecutive time.

Market:

Continued from Page 8

COVID trend in the market, which shows a potential path forward for the commercial real estate industry.

“Companies are looking for walkability, they’re looking for access to walkable amenities, the Beltline,” Haddow said.

“When you look at Sandy Springs’ office stock, it’s older and it’s not nearly as walkable, that’s a negative moving forward and a reality.”

He mentioned Dunwoody’s Campus 244 and High Street as examples of promising

redevelopments.

The mixed-use developments mirror others in midtown Atlanta, the Old Fourth Ward and Ponce City Market, which Haddow said sport the lowest vacancy rates in Metro Atlanta. City officials can encourage redevelopments through changes to land use and rezoning regulations.

“If I had to guess in the next couple years, the movement is going to be redevelopment of some of these office buildings that are low density,” he said. “Some people refer to it as a fried egg, when you look at a building that’s in the middle of a site that has surface parking all around it… that’s not going to be an office property moving forward.”

Retired major general in Marines to speak at Memorial Day Tribute

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Two-star Maj. Gen. Julian “Dale” Alford, an Alpharetta resident who retired after 37 years in the U.S. Marines, is scheduled to speak at the city’s Memorial Day Tribute May 27.

In addition to sharing stories, Alford said he plans to remind guests the purpose of Memorial Day, honoring those who died in combat.

The program at City Hall will begin at 9 a.m. and feature an invocation, the national anthem, the Pledge of Allegiance and “Taps.” In its 10th year, the Memorial Day Tribute has seen up to 500 in attendance.

“Memorial Day is about those who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” Alford said. “... It ain’t to go to the lake, even though that’s a good thing that everybody does, but not enough Americans really understand what Memorial Day is for.”

Alford enlisted in the reserves in 1985, becoming skillful at leading men during tough times and accumulating a number of medals.

His first assignment was in Panama as a rifle platoon commander. Alford also led a mortar platoon during Desert Storm. In 1996, he served as a captain in Liberia, then went on three tours in Iraq and three tours in Afghanistan.

As a major, Alford led a battalion in the March to Baghdad, “a real fight.” Battalions typically consist of 900 members, he said, and leading them was a career highlight.

Alford eventually returned to Iraq and Afghanistan, increasing his rank to colonel. As colonel, he commanded the

Basic School at Quantico, one of three locations Marines are “made.” Alford said the other two locations are Parris Island and San Diego.

He was reminded of how tough it was for his family, a wife and two children — 22 moves in 37 years. Alford said it is a “family business,” though not a good one. His son was in the Marines for five years.

“Every senior officer I know has a kid that was in the Marine Corps,” Alford said.

He endearingly called the Marines the “best brainwashers in the world,” acknowledging how often it is that he sees American flags and Marine Corps flags waving around in front yards.

“We build a culture like no other service does,” he said.

The inception of an annual Memorial Day Tribute in Alpharetta was the idea of City Councilman John Hipes. The inaugural ceremony was held in 2015.

William Perkins, longtime Rotary Club of Alpharetta member and Hipes’ No. 2 on the project, recalled the impact of stories he heard from a World War II veteran as a kid. Perkins, alongside Councilman Donald Mitchell, also came up with the idea in 2012 to install the Veterans Memorial at Brooke Street Park.

“He never talked about it as a sacrifice that he made, but the stories that he told about being in combat and that kind of thing — it just stuck with me my whole life,” Perkins said. “… He went out, and all these other people went out, and … took the risk. Every day, somebody’s out there on the firing line in a cold, dark place to make it where we can have our regular life.”

DALE ALFORD/PROVIDED

Two-star Maj. Gen. Julian “Dale” Alford, guest speaker for the Alpharetta Memorial Day Tribute this year, stands with his son Connor, daughter Alex and wife Jen at his retirement ceremony at Brooke Street Park in fall 2022 after 37 years of service in the U.S. Marines.

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

Ladson Haddow, managing partner of a local real estate consulting firm, discusses the commercial market in Perimeter at the May 7 Sandy Springs City Council meeting. Haddow said the worst-case scenario for the office market would drop city revenues less than 3 percent.

Comprehensive Internal Medicine

Serving as the Medical Home for Roswell, Alpharetta, Milton, & Johns Creek, for over 20 years

through young adulthood through elder years.

What is a medical home?

A medical home is an approach to providing comprehensive and high-quality primary care, in a coordinated fashion with specialists and consultants.

A medical home is patient-centered with many aspects that contribute to improved healthcare outcomes

• Accessibility: Care is easy for the patient to obtain, including geographic access and insurance accommodation.

• Family-centered: The patient and family are recognized and acknowledged, ensuring that all medical decisions are made in true partnership.

• Continuous: The same primary care clinician cares for patient, aiding and support

• Comprehensive: Preventive, primary and specialty care are provided.

• Coordinated: A care plan is created in partnership with the patient and communicated with all health care clinicians.

• Compassionate: Genuine concern for the well-being of the patient is emphasized and addressed.

At Comprehensive Internal Medicine, we involve many team members at various levels to coordinate and provide patient care. Our doctors lead all clinical decision-making in a team approach, collaborating with the patient to tailor care in an individualized manner.

Understanding the intricacies of our patient’s care brings a deeper knowledge of the long-term care plan. Our team of administrative professionals strives to answer

each call quickly, avoiding voice mail or a phone tree.

Our scheduling department quickly accommodates each patient’s scheduling needs.

We save appointment times for same-day appointments and are always welcoming new patients.

Whereas it may be convenient to see

Alpharetta: (678) 205-9004

Urgent Care, we believe seeing your regular doctor brings your healthcare to a higher level, being seen quickly when needs arise prevents worsening medical symptoms. Call today to establish with one of our many doctors. We have physicians who focus on young adult care, and others who have special training in the care of geriatric patients.

3180 North Point Pkwy | Suite 303 | Alpharetta, GA - 30005

Providing Medical Care Including the Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Diseases

Comprehensive Internal Medicine has been serving the Alpharetta community for 20 years, celebrating this milestone anniversary in 2023.

The medical practice offers a very comfortable environment and serves a medical home where patients are seen for their wellness examinations (checkups) and for the management of multiple medical problems. Same-day appointments are always available.

We welcome new patients, take most insurance plans and discounts for self-pay patients.

Dr. Obiora has a special interest in managing medical issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. He also specializes in diabetes prevention and weight loss.

In addition, he brings expertise in allergy treatment and managing allergic rhinitis, sinusitis and asthma, and can schedule allergy testing to determine the best way to treat allergy symptoms.

Dr. Nandi is fellowship trained in geriatrics and looking to add elders to her patient base.

She also has a special interest in the management of women’s health, diabetes, and the management of obesity.

• High Blood Pressure

• Diabetes

• Women’s Health

• Thyroid Disease

• Obesity/Weight Loss

• Arthritis

• High Cholesterol

• Seasonal Allergies

Dr Pervaiz is specifically trained as a family physician with specialty in young adults and sports physicals.

manages many college students in the Atlanta area as well as remotely through telemedicine.

• Asthma

• Heart Disease

• Acute Illnesses such as: sore throat, flu, cough, common cold, etc.

Jeffrey Obiora, M.D.

Sudeshna Nandi M.D.

She

Sumera Pervaiz, M.D.

Dr Bozof specializes in men’s health as well as asthma and allergy patients.

He has expertise in cardiovascular risk reduction and management of high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol.

Ryan Bozof, M.D.

Anju Bhushan, M.D.

• Alexis Buelow , MSN,APRN,FNP-C. • Laurae Carpenetti, M.D.

Arezou Fatemi, M.D.

Petula Gunn, APRN

Carol Hector, M.D.

Raphael Lopez, M.D.

Shima Mansouri, P.A.-C

• Jacqueline T. Pearson, M.D., M.S.

Brought to you by – Comprehensive Internal Medicine

Benzoyl Peroxide danger – fact

or fiction?

Benzoyl peroxide or “BPO” is a dermatologist’s old standby. It is a triedand-true effective ingredient to treat acne including pimples and clogged pores and is found in both over the counter acne washes as well as prescription acne products. Given its extensive use and presence in so many over-the-counter products, it came as a shock to the world and the medical community when a company named Valisure recently argued that BPO too easily breaks down into benzene, a cancer-causing chemical known to cause leukemia and other types of cancer. Valisure advocated for the recall of over-the-counter acne products containing BPO.

Is Valisure right? What is the truth? The answer is complicated and interesting.

BPO’s potential to cause cancer was suggested in the 1980s when animal studies suggested that it might make skin tumors grow. BPO is a very reactive molecule and works at least in part by reacting with proteins of skin bacteria and killing the bacteria that cause acne. BPO has long been known to be destructive. The question is whether it is only destructive to bacteria or also to humans.

In 1991 new concerning animal data caused the FDA to formally declare that additional studies were necessary on BPO safety, but the data was weak, and sales of BPO products continued to be permitted. During the ensuing years, a concerted effort was made through multiple studies to verify BPO’s safety. In 2010, the FDA reviewed available data and voted to label BPO as GRASE (Generally Recognized as Safe and Effective). Recent data had been reassuring.

Fast forward to the present day and we have a curveball. A company named Valisure studied the potential of BPO to form benzene at elevated temperatures. Valisure tested benzene levels after exposing BPO products to 98.6, 122, and 158-degrees Fahrenheit for two weeks or more. As the temperature went up, so did the level of benzene. These are temperatures that BPO may be exposed to in real life situations such as being left in a hot car or during shipment from manufacturing sites.

Valisure appears to have proven that BPO has the potential to form benzene, particularly if exposed to high temperatures. How often this happens and how frequently this has caused

cancer remains unknown. Even if someone could guarantee that their BPO had never been exposed to heat, BPO left on someone’s shelf for long periods might eventually form significant levels of benzene over time.

Is Valisure a white knight rescuing the public from a serious threat?

One concerning conflict of interest is that Valisure’s president, David Light, filed a patent in 2023 for a method to prevent BPO from breaking down into benzene.

Timelines matter. Did Valisure know of BPO’s potential risks but wait to disclose them and request a recall until after they had filed for a patent for the fix? Valisure’s homepage states that they are a company focused on “transparency,” but Valisure’s mention of its patent application was buried on page 26 of a 34 page “Citizen Petition.” Acknowledgment of this patent application as a conflict of interest was nowhere to be found in that Citizen Petition. Valisure states that their goal is to provide “independent certification” of product safety, but when they stand to profit from finding dangers, then they are not as independent as they should be.

No recall has been issued. At least one manufacturer, Clearasil™, has responded by claiming that its products are safe when stored correctly and stated “The findings presented by an independent lab reflect unrealistic scenarios rather than real-world conditions” according to an article in Chemistry World.

And of course, class action lawsuits have already arisen.

One can argue about whether Valisure’s citizen petition for a recall was premature or whether it is motivated by its patent and a desire to force companies to use Valisure’s BPO stabilizer in BPO products to Valisure’s financial gain. The only thing that is certain is that with the filing of a patent, Valisure ceased to be the independent company that we wish it were.

What are doctors and patients to do? At the least, throw away expired BPO. Throw away BPO that has been exposed to high temperatures. Talk with your doctor about alternatives to BPO. We are in the fortunate position of having many alternatives to BPO available while the true safety of BPO and potential for benzene formation gets sorted out. Two over the counter alternatives to consider are adapalene or salicylic acid. For more stubborn acne including acne that is causing scarring, see a specialist in dermatology. And stay tuned for future updates on BPO.

Insist

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 18 years experience as a Dermatology PA. We are excited to welcome her, as she brings with her experience in general dermatology 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.

Kathryn Filipek, PA-C

Brought to you by – Dr. Brent Taylor, Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta

OPINION

The distinguished Mansell family (Part 1)

The Mansell family has been well known in North Fulton for more than a century. They have been successful farmers employing the latest farming techniques. They have been astute and creative businessmen and were committed to their churches, and in some cases, became quite wealthy yet were always frugal. This column is a tribute to this remarkable family.

I am indebted to several people who have documented various aspects of Mansell history. First, Linda Mansell Martin who wrote “The Great Generation of Mansell’s of N. Georgia,” the definitive history of the Mansell family. Her brother Jody Mansell, deceased, wrote stories about his experiences with his grandfather. Maude Dorris Mansell, (1883-1977) had her granddaughter compile some facts of her life for her descendants. Finally, I appreciate the help of Barry Mansell a retired BellSouth executive, Kathy Beck of the Milton Historical Society and many articles in local newspapers about various members of the family.

The Mansell story begins like that of many local families. The first Mansell’s in America came from England, Ireland and some from Germany in the 18th century. They settled in Virginia and the Carolinas. The first Mansell to settle in Georgia emigrated from South Carolina. Robert Henry Mansell Sr. (1820-1862) and his wife Hanna Maude McCollum (1815-1903) settled in Fields Crossroads in Milton County, at one time a thriving community.

Robert Sr.’s grandson, also named Robert Henry Mansell (1873-1950), was born in Crabapple and was married to Maude Dorris Mansell (1883-1977). People called him Bob. He is noted for the farmhouse he built in 1911 on what is now Mansell Road in Roswell from trees grown on his property. He gradually amassed some 700 acres and lived in the house until 1949 when he retired. In addition to farming, Bob was a successful businessman with an interest in two cotton gins and a sawmill. He also sold his produce from the back of a truck with his grandson Jody every Saturday in Atlanta.

Bob gave each of his five children approximately 60 acres depending on its location and built for each child a house with the understanding that they could never sell their property or take out a mortgage on it. The exception was James

The Mansell House was built in 1911 by Bob Mansell from trees from his property on today’s Mansell Road. In 1990 the house was donated to the Alpharetta Historical Society. It was moved to its present location on Old Milton Parkway where it was updated and modernized and today serves as a special event facility and headquarters of the Alpharetta and Old Milton County Historical Society.

Earl Mansell (1910-2002) who received a larger plot because he was the only one of the children interested in farming.

Earl Mansell and his wife Lillian Shirley Mansell [1911-2002] moved into the home. Over the years the Mansells added to the property and raised four sons on the farm: Bob, a retired professor at Florida State University; Marcus, owner of the Mansell Home and Garden Center at Mansell Road and Highway 9 and an extended stay motel in Woodstock (1940-2019); Denny (1948-2013); and Barry. Barry recalls getting up very early every morning to milk the cows before going to school. Before she was married, Lillian Mansell

was a teacher in Crabapple and rented a room in the historic Reese House in the Crabapple crossroads.

Earl sold his 135-acre property to the Herman Miller Company, a manufacturer of office furniture, in 1980 after farming the property for 33 years. The company donated the 10-room Mansell farmhouse to the Alpharetta Historical Society in 1990. The society moved it to its current location on Old Milton Parkway where it serves as a special event facility and headquarters of the Alpharetta and Old Milton County Historical Society. Earl and Lillian retired to a house on Upper Hembree Road. In addition to Earl, Bob had three other sons, Joe, Walter and

Mansell, one of four sons of Bob and Maude Dorris Mansell lived in the house built in 1911 by his father. For 33 years Earl was a respected and highly successful farmer, land investor and businessman. Here he is shown in 1938 at age 28 in his cornfield.

C.B., and a daughter, Pauline. Bob Mansell’s grandson Jody wrote some short stories about his grandfather who was very close to Jody as he grew up. The stories are included in Linda Mansell Martin’s fascinating book. One story written in 1910 was about Mitch & Madeline, a black tenant farmer and his wife who lived on Bob’s farm. Mitch helped Bob with all his farm work: plowing, planting, harvesting, hog killing – whatever needed to be done. Madeline helped Maude with cooking, cleaning, canning, etcetera. The two couples were good friends.

One day, Jody reported, Bob said to the couple “The two of you deserve a place of your own…lets go see if we can find one.”

Jody recalled that they found a house and that the Martins lived in the house until they passed away years later. After their deaths, their son lived in the house until his death. When Bob died, the Atlanta Journal referred to him as “one of North Fulton county’s most wellknown citizens.”

In the next column I will discuss Bob’s four sons and daughter and some other interesting members of one of the most fascinating families in this area.

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

PHOTOS BY MANSELL FAMILY/PROVIDED

Portrait of Robert (Bob) and Maude Dorris Mansell, parents of five children who played an important role in the history of North Fulton. When Bob died in 1950, the Atlanta Journal referred to him as “one of North Fulton county’s most wellknown citizens.”

Earl

Milton Friends of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Raised Over $255,000 during the 2nd Annual

DOWN & DERBY

Presented by The Jenny Doyle Group & Berkeley Access

On Saturday, May 4, 2024, over 500 guests of the Milton Friends of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta gathered for The 2nd Annual Down & Derby, to raise funds for the Summer Camps program, Artist-in-Residence and Music Therapy programs at Children’s. The event was co-sponsored by The Jenny Doyle Group and Berkeley Access.

This year, the Milton community raised more than $255,000 in a record-breaking day of philanthropy and community. Guests donned classic Derby attire, Including fascinators and beautiful dresses—but also cowboy hats and cowboy boots. Down & Derby has been described as a Kentucky-Derby-Meets Georgia event.

In addition to a live band, live and silent auctions, dinner and games, guests enjoyed signature mint juleps upon arrival from the Pour Pony mobile bar, wagering on the Kentucky Derby, broadcast on a giant screen, and professional event photography by Rachel Yatteau Photography.

In addition to the co-presenting sponsors, Down & Derby was supported by over 50 other sponsors and community partners. For a complete list of sponsors, please visit choa.org/downandderby.

The 3rd Annual Down & Derby will take place on May 3, 2025. Please contact friendsofchoamilton@gmail.com for additional Information, or to get Involved

For sale: TikTok (to anyone other than China)

I try to stay current with my news. That is, I try to know at least a little about what is going on in the world. That being said, I can’t keep this idea about forcing TikTok’s U.S. operations to be sold out of my mind.

As most of you know, in the recent legislation for funding support for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, there is a provision included that requires TikTok – which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance –to be sold or, if not sold, banned in the United States. The fear is that the Chinese government is using, or

could use, data generated by TikTok.

That is the point that I don’t get. How does a change in ownership safeguard any data that TikTok generates? Seriously?

At least five companies have expressed interest at one time or another in TikTok – Microsoft, Oracle, Meta (Facebook), Alphabet (Google) and Amazon – all big tech companies with significant interest in data management, data generation, and directly or indirectly, the sale of data/information.

“Data” today is the oil of yesterday. Data is money, pure and simple. It is where the money is and where the money will go.

“Data” is the backbone, foundation, primary component in AI, Artificial Intelligence. Without data, there is no AI. AI is the future.

It’s driving the stock market right now – the prospect of the massive profits that big tech expects to reap from the build-out of AI throughout our economic system. There can be talk about restricting and regulating the use of AI, but that just isn’t going to happen; that train left the station a long time ago. The “talk” is just that – talk.

So here is the rub. Data is a commodity, just like any other commodity. Since data is arguably the most valuable commodity in today’s world, it will, no matter what, be sold directly or indirectly to the highest bidder – just as oil is today. Just look at the U.S. embargo on Russian or Iranian oil that has now been in place for years. That oil is still getting to market despite the sanctions. It always will. Even

the idea of suggesting that the use of economic sanctions in todays interconnected globalized world has much impact at all seems ludicrous.

Changing who the owner of TikTok is and the data that TikTok generates will not change the availability of the data; it will be sold to the highest bidder even if the buyer is the Chinese government. Does anyone think, for another example, that Mr. Zuckerberg does not sell any/all the data that his social media platforms generate to anyone who is willing to write him the check? Don’t think so.

So, I just don’t get it. It just doesn’t make sense if one is looking for rational logic or a legitimate motive to force ByteDance to sell its U.S. operations of TikTok. Something else must be driving this dance.

Wishing for a little more time with Mom

A misguided cynic once opined that Mother’s Day was nothing but a “Hallmark holiday.”

Oh, what I wouldn’t give for one more Mother’s Day Sunday with my mom. She left us way too soon.

Oh, what I wouldn’t give to wake up to the aroma of a bacon and egg breakfast, my sleep ending with her cooking and serenading me with some nonsensical song. It was beautiful, always sung off-key. Fractured lyrics completed the early-morning concert.

Oh, what I wouldn’t give for one more conversation about anything. Trust me, if your mom is alive, quit reading this and get in touch with her.

Oh, what I wouldn’t give to hear her say “Michael, make Mom proud.” Often, those words seemed like a

bother, a nuisance. I didn’t latch on to that nearly enough. I hope and pray she and her angel friends are okay with what I’ve done and written.

Mom was seemingly forever pleading with me to be a good big brother and watch out for Matt and Marty. I took that to heart. I was a good big brother until they both grew up and became less in need of me.

It was cancer that ultimately took her. A lifelong cigarette habit was the catalyst for her demise. She didn’t go without a fight. I have memories of that wicked left hand. No matter the infraction, she couldn’t stay mad for very long. Somehow, I had a gift for always making her laugh.

Punishment at our house involved pulling weeds. It was because of Mom that I detest yardwork. It seemed that we boys could never finish clearing a miniscule patch without there being an epic dirt clod battle, that despite her warnings, never resulted in anyone losing an eye.

She endured the pain of having an alcoholic husband (my father) who was terribly abusive. In a time when divorce was a scourge, she freed herself of that pain and went to work at Thrifty Drug. She worked her way free of having no money, bought her own car and paid for our simple house. She beamed when she saved enough to take her boys to Disneyland.

She remarried in 1970 and I think there were some good times that weren’t so good later on. Bill, my stepdad, had just lost his wife to cancer and he had three kids, who needed a mom. I learned reallife sharing as Mom never became a stepmom. My stepbrother and stepsisters couldn’t have had a better mom for all those years.

She’s been gone for 15 years, and somewhere I have the eulogy I delivered on a cold November morning to a packed house in that Oklahoma church. Mom was a simple woman, never having graduated from high school. Staying

with that theme, I eulogized her by drawing a parallel with her and Winnie The Pooh quotes. She loved that bear, and those Oklahoma folks loved her.

Oh, what I wouldn’t give for a Saturday morning phone conversation after I’d played golf. A recent conversation with a longtime friend turned to his mom and how Alzheimer’s has robbed her of her wit and vitality. He said she has an attention span of about two minutes.

Oh, what I wouldn’t give for two minutes with Mom. Even if she didn’t know who I was, I’d use that two minutes for making sure to say “I love you” as many times as I could. I’d squeeze her hand, hug her neck and make sure to say “Thank you” for all you did.

Mike Tasos has lived in Forsyth County for more than 30 years. He’s an American by birth and considers himself a Southerner by the grace of God. He can be reached at miketasos55@gmail.com.

RAY APPEN

Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com

MIKE TASOS Columnist

Memorial Day – Remember & Honor Monday, May 27, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Visit the Post’s “Walk of Memories” Bring Family & Friends – Learn About the Exhibits Meet Some of Those Who Have Served

“A Tribute to The Ed Sullivan Show“ Friday, May 31, 8 p.m.; Doors Open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30 per person

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Advocacy:

Atlanta Police Foundation.

The Atlanta Police Foundation, a nonprofit that supports the Atlanta Police Department and works closely with the City of Atlanta, is largely responsible for funding the $90 million Atlanta Public Safety Training Center set for 85 acres of the South River region in DeKalb County.

The suit, now under the wings of a new pro bono attorney, alleges that the foundation failed to respond to open records requests related to the project, dubbed “Cop City” by critics who say it will fuel police brutality and contribute to climate change by destroying a vital forest.

Sam Barnes, researcher with the Atlanta Community Press Collective, said plaintiffs were told about the transfer and that the Clinic would “refine its purview” in an early April meeting, and it was at the request of Bo Rutledge, dean of the UGA School of Law.

“I personally have some of my own suspicions on the matter,” Barnes said. Barnes first requested assistance from the Clinic in fall 2022 after the collective received a “nonparty request” for documents from former

Blackhall Studios CEO Ryan Millsap’s attorney, regarding a lawsuit filed by environmental groups that challenged DeKalb County’s swap of parkland with the developer.

With the Clinic’s legal representation, the collective prevailed in the free-press battle.

Necessary step

Barnes continued to seek support from the Clinic in 2023, with calls at least once a week for assistance on open records and open meetings.

It provided guidance to Barnes on entrance to the Capitol when SB63 was being weighed, which has since been signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp to broaden the scope of offenses requiring cash bail and to prohibit individuals and organizations from posting cash bail more than three times a year, with an exception for bail bondsmen.

Barnes, who uses they/them pronouns, said officials would not grant them a one-day media pass, though it was an open meeting.

“The clinic was very helpful in making sure that happened, and helping me understand what my rights were,” Barnes said.

While the collective is in a better financial position now, Barnes said there was no way for the news organization to afford the level of support the Clinic provided early on,

which enabled its work to be what it is today.

Barnes said they have become a better reporter, learning how to negotiate, asserting new knowledge. They began to lean on the group less.

But, Barnes described the unfortunate and often necessary step of leveraging a lawyer’s letterhead on a document to government agencies that provides details of the law they already know.

“And, then it’s like, ‘Oh, shucks, I guess we have to comply with the law now,’” Barnes said.

The Clinic’s decision to move away from direct advocacy has affected Atlanta Community Press’ publishing schedule. Barnes is sitting on a story that has been ready to go for months, but an open records request dating to November has not been filled after back-and-forth with a government agency.

Now, Barnes is figuring out how much it will cost to get legal support, scheduling meetings with attorneys.

“I’m more than happy to pay an open records lawyer an equitable rate, the rate they deserve for the work,” Barnes said. “But, it’s basically going to come down to can we afford to publish this story that is a story that absolutely deserves to be told.”

Empowering citizens

Without the First Amendment Clinic, the McIntosh County Commission may have continued to hold open meetings in the county courthouse — a location that had become an issue because access is under the discretion of the sheriff.

The Current, a nonprofit news organization that covers counties in Coastal Georgia, sought legal assistance from the Clinic when the sheriff barred the public from taking purses and recording devices into McIntosh County

Commission meetings. The meetings concerned rezoning Hogg Hummock on Sapelo Island, the final intact Gullah Geechee community on the Atlantic Coast.

The County Commission would go on to approve larger dwelling sizes up to 3,000 square feet, double previous sizes allowed, posing a threat toward generations-old families who could be taxed off their land.

“You have, you know, about 150 people there representing Sapelo Island, basically saying, ‘We don’t want this to happen,’ … and there was no way to record it except with a pen and paper, and that’s against the law,” said Susan Catron, managing editor for The Current.

Prohibition on recording devices continued through two meetings, lifted on the third, after the Clinic wrote a letter to the county attorney, the County Commission and the Attorney General’s Office.

Commission meetings have been permanently moved to Darien City Hall because of the combined effort of The Current and the Clinic, though the public must be a paid subscriber to the local cable provider to watch meeting recordings.

“We’re working on that part,” Catron said.

Catron said the Clinic had to step into a number of open records situations for the three-and-half-yearold startup, preceding the Sapelo Island zoning case.

“It’s not good for the citizens,” Catron said of the Clinic’s decision to quit direct advocacy. “It’s not good for the journalists, but it’s mostly not good for the citizens.”

The issue is bigger than journalism, she said.

“It’s ensuring everyone’s rights to transparency and documents and the work that their government is doing.”

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

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The City of Milton City Council will hold a public hearing for the applications for alcohol licenses listed below on Monday, June 3, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers on the First Floor of City Hall located at 2006 Heritage Walk, Milton, Georgia 30004. All interested persons are encouraged to attend the public hearing.

PH-24-AB-08 - Smoke on the Farm LLC d/b/a Smoke on the Farm has made an application for a license to sell Wine, Malt Beverages, and Distilled Spirits for Consumption On-Premises, to be a Resident Caterer, and for Sunday Sales at its place of business located at 12635 Crabapple Road, Suite 210, Milton, Georgia 30004.

Invitation to Bid

In-Car, Body Worn, and Interview Room Camera System. ITB NUMBER 24-PD02

Bid Due Date: June 12, 2024

Electronic submission via: www.miltonga.gov

Submissions will be publicly announced via a virtual bid opening on the above date at approximately 2:30 PM at the City of Milton City Hall located at 2006 Heritage Walk, Milton, GA 30004. The City reserves the right to reject any and all bids. If the contract is awarded, it will be awarded to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder whose bid meets the requirements and criteria set forth in the invitation for bids.

The City of Milton is requesting bids from interested parties to provide goods and services for Milton's police in-car, body worn, and interview room camera system. All qualified bids will receive consideration without regard to age, handicap, religion, creed or belief, political affiliation, race, color, sex, or national origin.

The request for electronic bids for ITB 24-PD02 In-Car, Body Worn, and Interview Room Camera System will be posted on the following websites the week of May 23, 2024:

http://www.miltonga.gov and http://ssl.doas.state.ga.us/PRS app/PR index.jsp

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Applicants must complete an application prior to 5 PM, June 7, 2024. Apply online: www.sawnee.coop/careers. If you require a paper application or an alternate format, please contact us at 770-887-2363 extension 7568.

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Deerfield:

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requests for proposals later.

The purpose of unveiling the sketches, which McKlveen said he received the evening before, is to get feedback from board members and the public.

The two renderings contain the same amount of active park space, including two large athletic fields, four baseball diamonds, 16 pickleball courts and a couple tennis courts. The plan also calls for three playgrounds, a maintenance facility, multiple driveways and concession stands.

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The first conceptual sketch, designated as “interparcel connectivity,” includes a roadway through the middle of the property to the parking lot of the shuttered Fry’s Electronics store. The idea is to connect the active park to Ga. 9.

The second sketch, designated as “maximized recreation,” sets rectangular fields at the back center of the property and includes more parking spaces.

Some of the primary notes and concerns from board members revolved around traffic, parking and children’s safety.

Board Chair Scott Stachowski introduced a scenario where two opposing baseball teams are leaving a field after a game with two more teams headed to the same field. Stachowski said parking and traffic may become an issue during such times.

When McKlveen floated the potential to host pickleball tournaments at the future park, board members reached a loose consensus on carefully pursuing that route, which they said could increase traffic congestion and parking shortages.

Other concerns about a central roadway through the site, seen on the first conceptual sketch, centered around pedestrian safety, especially for children.

Board members seemed to settle on including the “interparcel connectivity” because it may open the Fry’s Electronics site for future mixed-use redevelopment and overflow parking.

Public Works Director Sara Leaders said vehicular connectivity between Ga. 9 and Deerfield would reduce traffic congestion in front of the park. She also said there are city plans for redevelopment of the Deerfield district, which would fit well with the active park.

If there is a roadway through the middle of the active park, then speed controls, raised crosswalks, curbside parking and other measures can

RENDERINGS BY CITY OF MILTON/PROVIDED

A conceptual rendering of the property at 300 Deerfield Parkway shows plans for four baseball diamonds and two rectangular fields. Members of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board discussed the number of pickleball and tennis courts, safety measures and connectivity to Ga. 9.

An alternative to the conceptual rendering for the property at 300 Deerfield Parkway shows the site without a thoroughfare between the parkway and Ga. 9. Some members of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board said they think the alternative may be safer for young children running around the park.

discourage drivers from speeding through, board members said.

Residents gave diverse feedback on the sketches.

One resident advocated for a velodrome to replace one of the rectangular fields, citing the abundance of cyclists in North Fulton County.

Jon Lundstedt, a frequent attendee of parks-related meetings, said he really wants the opportunity to work out for the city. He also said he thinks canceling the citizen-led committee may be a mistake if the effort to build an active park at 300 Deerfield Parkway fails.

One resident who lives in the Lake Deerfield Townhome Community across the street from the proposed park said she is worried about increased traffic congestion and the loss of trees on the property.

She also said she understands the city intends to move forward but hopes they decide to save as many trees as possible.

Some board members said they would like to see a tree buffer maintained along Deerfield Parkway and as many trees saved as possible.

McKlveen said he’s just looking

From left, Parks and Recreation

Director Tom McKlveen and Public Works Director Sara Leaders discuss the proposed 21-acre park at 300 Deerfield Parkway. Leaders said the park’s connectivity to Ga. 9 fits with city plans for the commercial area surrounding the site.

for general feedback on the facilities at the active park before the next Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting in June.

“We’re going to go back to the consultants and gather some feedback from today and come back with a final sketch,” he said.

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA