5,
Milton Mayor marks strides in city’s goals
Jamison lists advances in parks, public safety
By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com
MILTON, Ga. — Mayor Peyton Jamison delivered the annual State of the City address Jan. 28, honoring the people and community that continue to make Milton strong after 20 years.
Some 200 community members, former city leaders, Fulton County officials and mayors of neighboring municipalities filled City Hall for the annual assessment of the city’s posture since its founding in 2006.
Milton’s growth over the past two decades has created a government that is goal-oriented and determined to provide trustworthy service to its constituents, Jamison said.
The city has completed every objective outlined in its 2021-25 strategic plan. Last year, Milton was ranked number one for trust in governance based on data gathered through Polco’s National Community Survey.
“We do not ask for your trust,” Jamison said. “We work hard to earn it every day, decision by decision.”
See CITY, Page 21
Students string along for musical workshop
MILTON, Ga. — Students at Cogburn Woods and Manning Oaks elementary schools in Fulton County Schools were treated to an interactive performance and educational program Jan. 22 led by the Vega Quartet.
The event was sponsored by Music Milton, a nonprofit organization committed to creating exceptional experiences and building community around music.
The Vega Quartet is the quartet-in-residence at Emory University. As Atlanta’s first and only professional string quartet, members perform and engage with the community to cultivate a new generation of chamber music lovers.
During the program, the musicians educated the students on the nuances of how a string quartet works together, explained the function of their instruments, and performed pieces by composers from different style periods including Vivaldi, Beethoven and Ravel.
The performance and educational discussion covered quartet music throughout the centuries across Europe, China, and America, piquing the students’ interest both musically and historically.
— Hannah Yahne
FULTON COUNTY SCHOOLS/PROVIDED Manning Oaks Elementary students Jackson Puchalla, Niyahna Punter, Guru Pavani Gopireddy, Kinsley Dixon and Domnic Martinez-Reye sit in front of members of the Vega Quartet.
HANNAH YAHNE/APPEN MEDIA
Mayor Peyton Jamison speaks to a crowd of nearly 200 people attending the Milton State of the City address Jan. 28 at City Hall. The mayor highlighted progress on park expansion and public safety in his keynote.
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Judge orders city to surrender files
Sandy Springs notches loss in public records lawsuit
By CARL APPEN carl@appenmedia.com
ATLANTA — A Fulton County judge has ordered Sandy Springs to produce documents it previously withheld from Appen Media Group, granting the newspaper’s motion in an ongoing public records lawsuit with the city.
In a Jan. 22 decision, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Melynee Leftridge ruled Sandy Springs must turn over “supplemental” incident and arrest reports tied to Appen’s prior open records requests, including documents connected to cases the city has considered open investigations.
The order mandates the city release those documents as part of the lawsuit’s discovery phase.
The ruling does not end the longrunning legal battle. The city has 60 days to provide the documents, which both parties will use to further adjudicate the case in court.
The lawsuit stems from Appen’s efforts to obtain public police incident reports from the city beginning in October 2022.
State law mandates public records be open to public inspection but allows certain exceptions. Agencies may withhold certain police records that involve ongoing investigations.
However, the law requires initial incident and crime reports be released even if the case is open.
At the center of the Appen lawsuit is the question of what constitutes an “initial incident report.”
For years, Sandy Springs has made available brief reports stating when and where police are dispatched.
Unlike incident reports provided by surrounding jurisdictions, the Sandy Springs reports typically lack details on
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the nature of the crime, an accounting of property damage, injuries associated with a crime, whether there were any victims or any arrests were made, and whether any suspects have been identified.
Sandy Springs admits that officers generally write more detailed reports in a second document, often written the same day. The city claims in its legal defense that this second report is not part of the initial incident report, and therefore can be withheld.
In its complaint, Appen cited examples of Sandy Springs reports in which both documents were created at the same time on the same day. When the newspaper filed open records requests for the reports associated with these incidents, the city only provided the first, one-sentence page.
After trying to mediate the situation, Appen Media brought suit against the city in May 2023 arguing its practice violated the Open Records Act.
After a Fulton County judge ruled in favor of the city in December 2023, Appen appealed the decision to the higher state court. The Court of Appeals then rejected the lower court ruling, stating, “the trial court’s grant of summary judgment was premature. Genuine issues of material fact remain based on this record and thus the trial court erred by granting summary judgment to the City.”
That decision sent the case back to Fulton County Superior Court.
During the initial phase of the suit, Appen Media requested the city provide copies of complete incident reports so the court could compare them with the supposedly abbreviated reports the city gave the newspaper.
The city did not complete that request. Its justification largely mirrored the city’s defense for not handing them over in the first place. Sandy Springs said the underlying cases involve open investigations and therefore, it claims, are exempt from release.
Following the appellate ruling and ahead of upcoming trial proceedings, Appen filed a motion requesting the court order the city to provide those outstanding documents.
It argued the materials will help cure deficiencies identified by the appeals court.
“We cannot say as a matter of law that a narrative report is not part of the initial incident report subject to disclosure … Based upon the record before us which was simply not fully developed as to that issue,” the appellate court stated.
Citing that ruling, Appen’s motion argued the newspaper, “is entitled to these reports to fully develop the record as to whether these reports should have been initially produced as Appen alleges in its Complaint.”
The city petitioned the court to deny Appen’s request.
Following a Jan 6. hearing, the judge sided with Appen Media.
In her order, Judge Leftridge said the Court of Appeals decision entitled Appen Media to all incident reports related to its requests, “regardless of how they are labeled by the City,” so the record could be fully developed.
The judge concluded the city failed to fully respond to discovery requests despite Appen Media’s attempts to resolve the dispute without court intervention.
See FILES, Page 21
Editor’s Note: Carl Appen is a representative of Appen Media, which publishes the Sandy Springs Crier. He is also a deposed witness in the case. This article attempts to offer an unbiased update on the status of the lawsuit.
Fulton County organization counts number
Volunteers aid needy ahead of ice storm
By AMRITHA ALLADI JOSEPH newsroom@appenmedia.com
ROSWELL, Ga. — On the eve of a winter storm expected to ice power lines and roads, volunteers donning coats and beanies waited outdoors, scanning parking lots, ready to serve hot meals to the unhoused.
Their mission: To get an accurate count of Fulton County’s homeless population by offering them warm meals, toiletry kits and blankets.
The annual Point-In-Time survey of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness is underway in Fulton County. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires federally funded Continuums of Care (CoC) to survey people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. The Fulton County CoC represents a network of service providers and government agencies committed to ending homelessness across the county. It excludes the city of Atlanta. Last year, the county identified 241 homeless
Fulton County Point-In-Time survey volunteer Kathleen Cherry picks up a toiletry kit at the Roswell Senior Center Friday, Jan. 23, for distribution to the homeless.
individuals. More than 40 percent were unsheltered.
“The Point-In-Time count night is
technically January 22, so you have to ask people if they were unhoused or unsheltered on January 22,”
Fulton County Continuum of Care Board Chair Maggie Goldman said. She was addressing volunteers at the Point-in-Time Command Center at the Roswell Senior Center on Friday, Jan. 23.
With icy conditions forecast through the weekend, volunteers asked where they could direct unsheltered people. North Fulton 2026 Pointin-Time Co-Chair Kelvin Thompson cited Sandy Springs and Cumming as the nearest warming centers, both notably far for some residents.
“We’re in a desert of sorts around some of those services,” Thompson said.
Fulton County District 4 Commissioner Mo Ivory agreed.
homeless
“Unfortunately, that’s a failure,” she said.
Ivory and District 1 Commissioner Bridget Thorne participated in the volunteer welcome on Friday. They shared recent developments and challenges in funding services for homeless populations. Thorne said Fulton County’s recently passed budget allocates $4.8 million for permanent supportive housing. That total reinstates $2.1 million in the budget for additional supportive housing projects following public outcry that the county honor a previous agreement with Atlanta to fund the services.
“All of those numbers are fantastic, but it’s not enough,” Ivory said. “We had to put a lot of pressure on our commission to approve the $2.1 million for permanent supportive housing that was left out for the city of Atlanta. We do have resources that we could be pouring in.”
Efforts such as the Point-In-Time survey allow the county to get a clearer picture of the needs of people experiencing homelessness, Ivory said.
Outside of the Walmart on Mansell Road, volunteers waited with aluminum trays, ready to spoon out food to those who could use a hot meal.
Roswell resident Courtney Rozear has participated in previous brown bag efforts offering food to unhoused people, but she said the weather report for the weekend compelled her to do something more.
Alpharetta resident Kathleen Cherry said she was looking for ways to get more involved in the community.
“I feel like we have individuals in our community that are in need, and they are open to receiving resources and help,” she said. “If we approach them in the right way and are compassionate and kind, we’re going to be able to build the right connections tonight, hopefully, and then identify what resources we need in this community.”
AMRITHA ALLADI JOSEPH/APPEN MEDIA
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Fulton officials made preparations to release election records in raid
By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com
UNION CITY, Ga. — Ahead of a Federal Bureau of Investigation search, Fulton County officials were already planning to turn over 2020 election documents as part of an ongoing court case.
The FBI executed a search warrant at 5600 Campbellton Fairburn Rd. in Union City on Wednesday, Jan. 28. Agents were at the facility until about 9 p.m., Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts said.
A court order signed by Magistrate Judge Catherine M. Salinas authorized agents to seize all physical ballots from the 2020 election in Fulton County, all ballot images and Fulton County’s 2020 voter rolls, the Georgia Recorder reported.
During a press conference on Jan. 29, Fulton Elections Board Chair Sherri Allen said 700 boxes of documents were taken. She added that agents also looked at other documents “that we did not believe had anything to do with 2020.”
Officials do not know exactly what was taken, why they were taken or where agents are taking the documents. Allen said nothing has been explained to Fulton officials and it was difficult for them to see the warrant.
“One of the strangest things about this case is these records were the subject of active litigation and, quite frankly, were likely to be unsealed and turned over in a matter of weeks. All he had to do was ask the judge to do so, but albeit in a much more orderly manner. We in Fulton County have nothing, nothing, nothing to hide,” Pitts said.
The effort will not change the outcome of the 2020 election, he added.
The United States Justice Department’s civil rights division sued Fulton County Court Clerk Che Alexander in December 2025.
The lawsuit claims that Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to the Fulton County Elections Board in October 2025 demanding records responsive to a State Election Board resolution. A subpoena requested “all used and void ballots, stubs of all ballots, signature envelopes and corresponding envelope digital files from the 2020 general election in Fulton County.”
The letter from the attorney general’s office said the request was meant to determine the state’s compliance with federal election laws, and cited transparency concerns.
“The Civil Rights Division sends this request consistent with its ongoing obligations to ensure all citizens’ voting rights have been and are protected in all
last year.
elections,” the letter says.
The Fulton Elections Board said the ballots, stubs and absentee ballot envelopes from 2020 were in the possession of the Superior Court clerk and sealed under Georgia law. They could not be produced without a court order.
The search on Jan. 28 follows County Attorney Ann Brumbaugh’s admission that Fulton election officials did not properly sign tabulator tapes after the 2020 election. The tabulator tapes are essentially receipts printed from ballot tabulation machines to verify the number of voters matches the number of votes.
A hearing was scheduled for Feb. 9 regarding the transfer of the 2020 election documents to the state.
“We wanted to make sure that we had transferred everything [with the state] and the state would have been present as well, so it wouldn’t be something that we just handed them. Everyone would have been where the records were kept, copies would have been made and everyone would have seen that. That’s not what happened yesterday,” Allen said.
She added that some election officials knew what the records were, and that she was involved in negotiating the document transfer and in ensuring that Fulton Elections could maintain copies, but that was not allowed yesterday.
Pitts maintained that every audit and review of the 2020 election results have been confirmed.
“Our elections were fair and accurate and every legal vote was counted. These ongoing efforts are about intimidation and distraction, not facts,” Pitts said.
Fulton County has held 17 elections since 2020, and no major problems were reported.
“We will continue to be vigilant,” Allen said. “Fulton County will remain strong. We won’t take our eye off the ball.”
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts speaks to constituents at the Customer Service Center off Maxwell Road in April
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Sandy Springs continues fight to keep citizens in the dark
Enough is enough.
As a Sandy Springs resident and taxpayer, I’m outraged that our city officials continue to spend our money fighting Appen Media’s open records lawsuit.
I’m looking at you
Mayor Rusty Paul and City Attorney Dan Lee.
Open records are the PEOPLE’S records; they don’t belong to an overzealous city attorney who believes he’s above the law. They don’t belong to a police chief who has long enjoyed unfettered power under the current administration. They belong to us.
When crime happens in our neighborhoods, the public deserves to know what actually happened, not a sanitized or heavily redacted version of events.
Protecting an active investigation makes sense. Blaming routine police report narratives for failed prosecutions doesn’t.
As a beat reporter who covered Sandy Springs for more than a decade, I can empathize with my friends at Appen Media. Part of my job involved reviewing dozens of online police reports every day to identify newsworthy incidents.
Instead of complying with the law, they’re doubling down.
Instead of doing the right thing, they targeted Appen, passing an ordinance that blocks overnight delivery of their papers, raising the company’s costs, all while justifying it as a measure to stop neo-Nazis from spreading propaganda.
I have deep respect for the officers at Sandy Springs Police and count many of them as friends. This isn’t a criticism of their work. This is about the decisionmakers keeping that work hidden from the public.
Sandy Springs leaders should remember what happened after my former WSB-TV colleague, newsroom legend Richard Belcher exposed obfuscation inside the Atlanta Watershed.
Belcher sought open records on water bills tied to then-Mayor Kasim Reed and his family. A whistleblower leaked texts in which a public information officer instructed her staff to stall the request, to be as “unhelpful as possible,” and to provide records in the most “confusing format available.”
Belcher’s subsequent reporting, including a brilliant on-camera confrontation with the public information officer, led to the first known criminal prosecution of a PIO for violating Sunshine laws and a large monetary settlement.
At one point, when I received the same heavily redacted incident reports, I resorted to requesting 911 audio to understand what actually happened, a loophole city leaders later closed once they caught on to my workaround.
Years later, the same leaders are apparently still at it, sanitizing Sandy Springs crime to keep up appearances rather than educating the electorate about the world around them.
Paul, Lee, and the City Council would be wise to avoid ending up in the crosshairs of an attorney general’s investigation.
There’s real merit to the Washington Post mantra, “Democracy Dies in Darkness,” and it’s time for Sandy Springs to finally see the light.
Mike Petchenik is a Sandy Springs resident and a veteran reporter formerly with WSB-TV.
A Fulton County judge has ordered Sandy Springs to produce documents it previously withheld from Appen Media Group, granting the newspaper’s motion in a long-running lawsuit over access to police records.
MIKE PETCHENIK Guest Columnist
Sponsored Section
Love where you live, work, and play
Brought to you by – Peachtree Town & Country
February is a reminder that home is more than an address—it’s where life unfolds, relationships deepen, and memories are made. It’s where mornings begin, holidays are celebrated, and the rhythms of everyday life take shape. To truly love where you live, work, and play is to feel connected not just to your home, but to the lifestyle and community that surround it.
At Peachtree Town & Country, we believe loving where you live is one of life’s quiet luxuries. It’s not about perfection—it’s about comfort, intention, and
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After all, home satisfaction is one of the strongest contributors to overall well-being. Loving where you live isn’t just about real estate—it’s about creating a life that feels balanced, grounded, and genuinely fulfilling. This February, we invite you to reflect on what “home” means to you—and how it can better support the way you live, work, and play.
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Experience is the advantage
What working at home luxury real estate has given my clients
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In a market that continues to shift, one thing has become increasingly clear: experience matters. Buyers and sellers aren’t just looking for someone to open doors or manage paperwork; they want guidance from a professional who understands market cycles, pricing strategy, negotiation, and the nuances that don’t always show up in the data. My time at HOME has strengthened exactly that kind of service, and the impact has been felt most by my clients.
HOME is built on the idea that real estate is a craft, not a transaction. It’s a brokerage made up of seasoned professionals who value integrity, preparation, and long-term relationships over short-term wins. Being part of this environment has sharpened my approach
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One of the greatest advantages of working at HOME is access to collective experience. The agents here bring decades of knowledge across resale, new construction, development, and luxury markets. That depth allows us to pressure-test strategies before they ever reach a client. Whether it’s pricing a home in a changing market, structuring an offer to stand out without overexposure, or navigating inspection and appraisal challenges, decisions are informed by realworld experience, not guesswork.
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Ultimately, being at HOME has elevated how I serve. It has reinforced the importance of staying educated, being strategic, and operating with professionalism at every turn. Real estate decisions carry real consequences, and clients deserve an advisor who understands the full landscape, from market data to human dynamics.
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Don’t go breaking my heart: Real estate, emotions, and smarter moves
Buying or selling a home is a lot like falling in love. It starts with excitement and possibility—late-night scrolling, imagining future dinners, picturing yourself walking through the front door after a long day. There are butterflies and big emotions, and that feeling of this could be it. And just like love, if you rush it, ignore red flags, or lean on the wrong advice… don’t go breaking my heart.
I see real estate heartbreak all the time. Buyers fall hard for the prettiest house they tour—the one with the perfect staging, the trendy finishes, the wow factor—and overlook everything else. Sellers, on the other hand, often hold onto a price tied to memories rather than market reality. Emotion is a natural part of real estate, but it can’t be the only thing guiding your decisions.
Real estate is emotional—but it can’t just be emotional.
One of the biggest mistakes I see buyers make is skipping over a truly great home simply because it doesn’t
Lara Dolan
have the instant “love at first sight” feeling. I’ve watched buyers walk away from solid homes with great layouts, strong bones, ideal locations, or longterm potential—just because the finishes weren’t trendy, or the curb appeal wasn’t
perfect. What those homes lacked in beauty, they often made up for in value, flexibility, and opportunity.
My role is to help buyers see past the surface. Paint is temporary. Fixtures can change. Square footage, lot size, location, and structure are much harder— and far more expensive—to replace. Sometimes the best home isn’t the one that sparks instant emotion, but the one that quietly supports your life, your finances, and your future.
For sellers, heartbreak looks different. Pricing too high, skipping preparation, or resisting honest feedback can cause a home to sit on the market. And the longer a home sits, the more leverage buyers gain. I always tell my clients: the strongest position you’ll ever have is before your home hits the market. Getting the price, presentation, and timing right from the start matters far more than trying to “test” the market and adjust later.
Timing itself can be tricky. Falling in love with a home that’s just out of reach. Waiting for the “perfect” market. Wondering if “now” is the right moment or if you should hold off. A big part of what I do is help bring clarity to those
moments—separating fear from fact and emotion from opportunity.
So how do you protect your heart? You balance emotion with information. You look beyond first impressions. You make decisions based on both how a home feels and how it fits into your long-term goals. And you work with someone who will tell you the truth, even when it’s not the easiest thing to hear. I believe the best real estate relationships are built on trust, honesty, and calm guidance—especially when emotions are running high.
A home should support your life, not strain it. It should feel exciting, yes—but also sustainable, smart, and aligned with where you’re headed. When heart and strategy work together, real estate stops feeling overwhelming and starts feeling empowering.
If you’re thinking about buying, selling, or even just wondering what your next move could look like, I’d love to be a resource for you. Let’s talk through your goals, your concerns, and your timeline—no pressure, no rushed decisions. Because real estate should build your future… not break your heart.
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The most dangerous place for seniors
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The bathroom, a place we take for granted, transforms into one of the most hazardous areas in the home for aging seniors. With slippery surfaces, high tub walls, and the need for frequent maneuvering, the risk of falls—the leading cause of injury among older adults— spikes dramatically. John Hogan, President of Bath and Kitchen Galleria and Aging in Place Expert says, “Proactive bathroom modifications are not merely an upgrade; they are an essential investment in the long-term safety, independence, and dignity of our seniors.”
To mitigate the dangers, several specific aspects of the bathroom should be modified to create a supportive and accessible environment:
Shower and Bathtub: The single greatest fall risk is often stepping over a high tub wall. The ideal solution is a curbless or low-threshold walk-in shower to eliminate this barrier entirely. For added security, install a permanent shower seat or bench and a handheld showerhead to allow for comfortable, seated bathing. Shower floor should have non-slip tile surfaces.
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Flooring and Lighting: Replace slippery tile or remove loose bathmats and throw rugs, which are tripping hazards. Install slip-resistant flooring throughout the bathroom. Finally, good lighting is paramount. Bright, even lighting—including motion-sensor nightlights— helps seniors navigate safely, especially during middle-of-the-night trips. By implementing these thoughtful changes, the bathroom can evolve from a high-risk area into a secure, comfortable, and accessible space that supports an aging senior's desire to age in place safely at home. For more information visit Bath and Kitchen Galleria’s showroom at 10591 Old Alabama Rd Connector in Alpharetta (no appointment needed) or call them at 678-459-2292.
Is this your situation: Confused about starting estate planning
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Most people do not like to think about estate planning, but it’s important for everyone to have their affairs in order and assets protected, especially if they have family or loved ones. As the saying goes, “hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.”
Consider the following stress-free tips to help you plan your estate.
Involve your loved ones
Although your family may not like the conversation, it’s essential to make your requests known and allow them the opportunity to share their wishes as well. Explaining your plan to your family could reduce the burden they feel when it’s time to make tough decisions.
Start early
It’s better to have a plan and not need it than to leave your family unprepared should anything unfortunate happen. Even if you’re earning an entry-level salary or paying off debts, it’s important to clarify your wishes. This is particularly vital if you are married or have young children.
Meet with an estate-planning professional
When you meet with an estate-planning
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Update your estate plan annually
Your life can change dramatically in the course of a few years. Ensure that your will is current and accurately reflects your wishes. Most professionals recommend updating your estate plan annually so that you can be ready for any of life’s twists and turns.
Regardless of your age, it’s important to plan ahead to spare your family the difficult decisions involved in handling your affairs. Start planning today and protect yourself and your loved ones. Give us a call, and we’ll be happy to go over your particular situation and advise you on the next steps.
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Pennies, pee-cans and puh-kahns
STEVE HUDSON Columnist
I found myself thinking about Grandma’s house the other day. It was a big ol’ white frame house, or at least it seemed big to elementary-age eyes. But of course, most everything seemed big back then. That’s part of the magic of being a kid, I guess.
Anyway, the house was classic in that way that grandma’s houses always are. This one sat a few yards off East Ponce de Leon Avenue between Clarkston and Stone Mountain. Daddy talked about it a lot, about how he’d hunt quail and rabbits in the fields around it growing up. Sometimes he’d talk about taking the streetcar from the house into town – to Atlanta, I always assumed, though it occurs to me just now that he might have had somewhere else in mind.
The house had a porch. On the porch were three or four springy metal yard chairs, chalky white in the way that only old metal porch chairs can be. If you sat in one, it left a mark on your jeans. But those chairs had bounce. You could get ‘em going pretty good if you tried. But usually, you just sat and talked to Grandma or whoever else happened by, content just to be there on the porch.
That’s when maybe, if you were lucky, you got to see a train.
Ahh, the trains! Just across the road from Grandma’s was the rail line, where trains passed several times a day.
Kids love trains, and I was a card-carrying kid. Sometimes, when I figured nobody was looking, I’d sneak across the road and find a path
through the blackberry bushes and up to the tracks. Yeah, it was dumb. But it’s not like you never did that too…
Anyway, once at the track, I’d find that certain crosstie, the one with the crooked spike different from all the rest, the one that was easy to spot. That was the marker, and that’s where I’d put the penny. Why? Well, that should be obvious. Squashed pennies are lucky. Sometimes, it was rumored, they even turned to gold.
Anyway, penny placed, I’d return to the porch – and the wait would begin.
Sooner or later, a train would come along, screaming mechanical shrieks as it flew by the house oblivious to the kid watching from the porch. It would roar off down the track, fading away to nothing as the loud and belligerent often do, eventually. Then it would be gone.
And then I’d wait for my chance to return to the track and that one certain rail tie. I’d look for the squashed penny until I found it, savoring the notion of the luck it would surely bring, though I was always a little disappointed that it had not turned to gold. Maybe if I’d first slapped on a little gold paint? Nah, it’d probably still just be a squashed penny. Adding fake color wouldn’t (doesn’t) make any difference at all.
But a squashed penny doesn’t need gold. It’s got great value all its own. It’s real. And because it was real, it would still bring me luck. Wouldn’t it?
Sure it would! With just a little luck, maybe I’d find a chest of gold bars. After all, there was that legend that somebody or other had buried some Confederate gold thereabouts. Somebody, someday, surely had to find it. Why not today, and why not me?
Or if that squashed penny brought me a little more luck, well, then maybe Kelly Sue, angel of the third grade, would give me a kiss. They were pretty much the same, the gold and that kiss, and pretty much equally unobtainable, though I’d have been happy with either one.
But I digress.
What I started out to tell you about is the great debate, the greatest debate of all, that scion of all debates past, present and future and the one among them all that will surely shape the history of humankind:
Is it pecan, or is it pecan?
Actually, I should clarify: Is it “puh-KAHN,” as in something that makes pralines and pies, or is it “PEEcann,” as in that thing Uncle Rudolph kept under his bed?
Yeah, I thought that’d make you sit up and pay attention.
Anyway, it was all this recollecting about Grandma’s house that made me think of pecans (notice how adroitly I’ve sidestepped the whole pronunciation thing?) because, in the side yard, there had for many millennia been three enormous pecan trees. I’m told I played among them as a young child, for I did a lot of my early growing up in a little brick house next to Grandma’s. The pecan trees would have been just across her back yard, patrolled by the chickens which came to chow down on the birdseed that Grandma liked to pour out on a big, round, white metal table that might, at one time, have gone with those porch chairs.
Big trees…giant trees…were they really as big as I thought?
There was just one way to find out. I’d have to make a pilgrimage. I’d have to go see if what I remembered was what I remembered.
“Let us go to the Land of My Youth,” I said to her at supper the other day. “Let us go see where Grandma lived, and see where trains turned pennies to gold, and see if the pecan trees were big as Olympian gods. Let us go and see what remains, see what stirs memories, see what there is there which might be bigger than memory itself!”
(I didn’t really say it that way, though I could have. But that’s pretty much the gist of it.)
And so off we went, off to that place on the road from Clarkston to Stone Mountain.
We drove down 575 and then 75 and then around 285 and past 85 and then on to the exit for East Ponce de Leon Avenue, where we left the Interstate and headed east. Now and then, but not nearly as often as I’d have liked, I saw something that made memory flicker.
“We’re getting closer,” I’d say, hoping – though mostly we drove through a landscape that wasn’t familiar at all, a landscape far from even my most flexible recollections.
But then there it was: the place, the track, the whole thing. It was right there. Only it wasn’t.
It wasn’t.
I pulled off the road, stopped, looked. Everything was different. Everything was gone. And the pecan trees were nowhere to be seen.
After a while, and with a long, slow sigh, I put the car in gear. We turned back onto East Ponce de Leon, turned right, turned toward home.
The ride back was quieter than usual.
“I wonder what happened to the pee-cann trees?” I said at last.
“‘Puh-kahn,’” she said gently. I guess I’ll never know.
TYPE CAST
1. Loser’s trick. Type of punch. Not bold.
2. Versifier’s output. Ape. Type of case.
3. Type of training. Shopping aid. Ort.
4. Bay window. Type of wolf. Stringed instrument.
5. Type of shelter. The Good Book. Proclamation.
6. Like cold, blustery weather. Type of helmit. Grab.
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7. Type of horse. Say something. Pound sound.
1 Loser’s trick. Type of punch. Not bold
2. Versifier’s output. Ape. Type of case
To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.
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. Type of training. Shopping aid. Ort.
4. Bay window. Type of wolf. Stringed instrument
5. Type of shelter. The Good Book. Proclamation.
6. Like cold, blustery weather. Type of helmit. Grab
7. Type of horse. Say somethin
Namesakes for Pitts Road have
VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist
The namesake of Pitts Road was James Stanford Pitts. Born in 1872, Pitts worked at Morgan Falls for Georgia Railway and Electric Company (later Georgia Power) in the early 1900s. Later, he was a bus driver for North Fulton High School and Liberty Guinn School.
James S. Pitts is an ancestor of Gail Pitts, who graciously shared her family history with me. She confirmed that Pitts Road in Sandy Springs was named after her great-granduncle James Stanford Pitts.
He was born in Cobb County to James Thomas (Jim) Pitts and Mary Ann Elizabeth Maudlin-Rutherford. Rutherford was Jim’s second wife. Gail Pitts’ great grandfather Namon Francis Pitts was the son of Jim’s first wife, Samantha Alzira Hardman. Jim and Namon were stepbrothers.
James S. Pitts married Martha Jane (Mattie) Black in 1905. According to the 1920 census, the couple lived
on Morgan Falls Road with their three young children. James was employed as a laborer in the electric plant. Their neighbors along Morgan Falls Road were also working at the electric plant. By 1930, census records indicate the road name was Bull Sluice, the name of the lake at Morgan Falls. They had four children and two lodgers at home.
In 1940, James S. Pitts lived on Roswell Road in the Grogan’s district of Fulton County. Two daughters, Zelma and Frances, lived with him, and he was employed as a school bus driver. In 1950, James and daughter Zelma lived on Pitts Drive, which would become known as Pitts Road. The road ran between Spalding Drive and Roswell Road. (U.S. census archives, 1940 and 1950)
When James S. Pitts died in 1954, his funeral was held at First Baptist Church at Roswell. He was buried at the Roswell Methodist Cemetery. His obituary states, “He formerly was associated with Georgia Power Company. Pitts Road was named for him.” (Atlanta Journal, June 25, 1954)
Family records show that when Jim Pitts died in 1891, his children purchased some of the property in his estate. James S. Pitts deeded a portion of the land he bought to Post Oak Methodist Church on Post Oak Road in Marietta.
Gail Pitts is the daughter of Roy Clifton Pitts and Juanita Ruby Clemmer. Many of her Pitts and Sullivan ancestors have a connection with Morgan Falls and Georgia Power.
Roy Clifton Pitts and his brother Curvin Thomas both attended Morgan Falls School, located along Roswell Road near where the Fulton County North Service Center stands today. Curvin worked for the Atlanta Journal; Roy worked for Georgia Power for 50 years, retiring in 1984 as supervisor of the Hammond Plant
Falls
in Rome. (Atlanta Journal, July 18, 1987)
The brothers were both veterans of World War II. Curvin served with the 102nd Infantry, also known as the Ozarks. Roy served in the Army, primarily in the Aleutian Islands.
Gail’s grandparents, Roy Thomas Pitts and Irene Sullivan, married on April 28, 1918. Six months later, Roy was sent to serve in World War I, first at Camp Gordon in Chamblee for training and then overseas. He was part of the Replacement Draft, Company D, 161st Infantry. In 1950, he was working as a
machinist with Georgia Power.
The next Past Tense will tell the history of others in Gail Pitts’ family tree who worked at Morgan Falls, including W. Cliff Sullivan. Sullivan became superintendent of all six of Georgia Power’s North Georgia Plants in the 1930s.
Award-winning author Valerie Biggerstaff is a longtime columnist for Appen Media and the Dunwoody Crier. She lives in Atlanta. You can email Valerie at pasttensega@gmail.com or visit her website at pasttensega.com.
PITTS FAMILY COLLECTION/PROVIDED
The James S. Pitts family in front of their Morgan Falls Road home, circa 1921. From left front: Zelma Lee Pitts, Martha Jane “Mattie” Pitts, Martha Frances Pitts in Mattie’s lap, John Thomas Pitts; Back row, from left: James S. Pitts and James Clarence Pitts.
Johns Creek soccer tournament hosts top talent
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The Silverbacks Park Creek Cup soccer tournament will host 16 teams in Johns Creek for “the most competitive soccer tournament in Georgia” Feb. 12-14.
Chattahoochee, Dunwoody, Johns Creek and Northview have their work cut out for them going up against the stiff competition attending the tournament.
Games will be played at both Johns Creek and Northview High Schools.
City:
Continued from Page 1
Public safety remains a priority as Milton works with Fulton County Schools to expand its implementation of having a visible law enforcement presence at every school in the city.
A new fire station, Station No. 45,
Headlining the event is Campbell, which won the 6A title last season over Grayson 1-0. Gavin Banks, who scored the only point in that game, returns to Campbell for his senior season. The pass came from Trey Cline who returns as a junior.
Banks was filling in for an injured player and playing out of his normal position when he scored the championshipwinning goal to beat a team ranked in the top-five in the country.
will begin construction later this year at Windward Parkway and Ga. 9 which will strengthen coverage and reduce response times for the area.
Projects within the Deerfield District continue to evolve as staff move forward with plans for an indoor community recreation center. It’s intentional placement, Jamison said, as Milton works to protect its rural land and shape expectations for developments.
One of Campbell’s six losses last year came to Carrollton, who they may meet in the gold bracket.
Carrollton, who was seeded first in Region 2 of 6A, took a heartbreaking 3-1 loss in the first round to Discovery. The Trojans are eager to avenge last season’s ending.
Lee Co. also suffered an upset loss in the first round, to Jackson Co that was a 3-seed.
Johns Creek had a long playoff run,
“This was not about building fast, it was about building right,” Jamison said.
The mayor highlighted the difference between investing in places where families can play and permanently protecting land that should never be developed, “because once open space is gone, it’s gone for good.”
Milton has taken action over the past year to preserve 700 acres of
making the Final Four in the 5A tournament. They lost to runners-up Sprayberry 6-2.
Also competing will be Gilmer, Georgia Military College, Islands, Kell and Tallulah High Schools.
Tickets can be purchased through GoFan. There are separate tickets for each day of the tournament and location. Any kid who wears a club jersey will receive free admission to the tournament.
—Annabelle Reiter
green space between granting protections for Birmingham Park and doubling the size of Providence Park. The city expects to have a ribbon cutting on the second phase of the Milton City Park and Preserve in the north part of the city in the coming weeks.
Jamison addressed the pending decision of the Georgia Supreme Court in its liability case that could have statewide implications and set the city back $32.5 million. While a Fulton County jury found Milton at fault for the death of a college senior when his car struck a planter in the city right of way, more than 80 cities have shown support for the city, some filing amicus (friend of the court) briefs in the case.
The decision, expected to come in March, may set a precedent that could affect municipalities and taxpayers across the state, Jamison said. Regardless of the outcome, he said Milton is prepared to protect taxpayers and the city’s ability to provide service.
“Milton is built deliberately, not just by the decisions in City Hall, but by the daily investment in the people,” Jamison said. “I am confident we’re ready for the next chapter.”
PUBLIC NOTICE
Continued from Page 2
She also noted the discovery request sought, “nonprivileged and relevant information.”
As a result, the court granted the
motion to compel and ordered the city to produce the previously withheld materials.
Under the order, Sandy Springs must provide the documents within 60 days of receiving the ruling. Leftridge also authorized Appen Media to submit an affidavit seeking reimbursement for reasonable attorney fees and expenses
incurred in pursuing the motion.
Since the Jan. 22 ruling, the city has filed two new motions. The first is a request for immediate review and the second petitions the court to reconsider its decision to compel discovery.
Appen Media has filed a response. Meanwhile, the newspaper awaits the city’s documents as the case plays out.
THE CITY OF MILTON WILL HOLD A SPECIAL CALLED CITY COUNCIL MEETING IN LIEU OF THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED WORK SESSION MEETING FEBRUARY 9, 2026 6:00 PM AT CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS 2006 HERITAGE WALK MILTON, GEORGIA 30004
HANNAH YAHNE/APPEN MEDIA
Nearly 200 community members and area officials listen to the State of the City address Jan. 28 at Milton’s City Hall.
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