Sandy Springs Crier - April 17, 2025 by Appen Media Group

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Ebony Hamlet, president and founder of the Sandy Springs event venue A Space in Time, is loving her life as an entrepreneur after leaving behind corporate America to pursue one of her passions — running her own event venue.

Event planner leaves corporate life to pursue her passions

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Space in Time is an event venue, really two of them, smack dab in the center of Sandy Springs off Hilderbrand Drive that’s available to rent for special events.

Ebony Hamlet is the owner of the event venue, located at 290 Hilderbrand Drive just southeast of the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center and Veterans Park.

“I was always the person in my family who was hosting the baby showers and birthday parties … and just family gather -

ings, I was always the go-to person,” Hamlet said. “My last family reunion that I hosted here in Atlanta, my elders pulled me to the side at brunch and said ‘you should really consider doing this professionally.’”

See SPACE, Page 10

Assistant City Manager resigns from position

By CARL APPEN carl@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The City of Sandy Springs is about to be down a key staff position.

Assistant City Manager Chris Owens is departing the role April 18, Appen Media has learned.

The city’s organizational chart provides for two assistant city managers who work under City Manager Eden Freeman.

Assistant City Manager Kristin Smith heads up neighborhood services, including Community and Economic Development, Information Technology and Communications, Recreation and Parks and the Municipal Court.

The other assistant city manager, currently Chris Owens, oversees public works, facilities and capital construction. He has been in the role since January 2024.

Communications staff for the city confirmed his resignation, saying Owens is leaving, “to accept an equity role in a private sector firm.”

Before joining the City of Sandy Springs, Owens worked as a civil engineer and served on the Alpharetta City Council for eight years.

See OWENS, Page 13

From left, Assistant City Manager Chris Owens , City Attorney Dan Lee and City Manager Eden Freeman sit in a March 2024 Sandy Springs City Council meeting. Owens is departing the role April 18.

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COMPARING POLICE TRANSPARENCY

Sandy Springs vs. Johns Creek

Sandy Springs Johns Creek

Each week Appen Media requests police incident reports to inform residents about the safety of their community. Sandy Springs continues to withhold what it calls the “narrative reports.” It is the only city Appen Media covers that follows this practice, which goes against guidance from the Attorney General, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Sheriff’s Association, Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia and Georgia Press Association. Appen Media will continue pursuing the release of more detailed documents that belong to the public in order to inform residents how safe – or unsafe – their city is.

Care coordinator offers advice on ‘smooth’ hospital discharges

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Discharge planning starts on day one of your loved one’s hospital stay.

That is one resounding takeaway from the April 8 gathering of Adult Children of Aging Parents North Atlanta, a nonprofit offering free in-person programs on the second Tuesday of the month at Dunwoody United Methodist Church.

The support group’s monthly sessions feature a wide variety of experts in the care of older adults, often those whose close relatives fully or partially look after them during the day.

The crowd of around 30 at the April session featured a wide variety of people, some caregivers, a couple industry professionals and others wanting

to find out how they can best care for their loved ones.

One woman’s mother is refusing her suggestions that she increase her care level, while another couple is looking to understand the process more after one of their parents’ recent hospital stays.

ACAP North Atlanta, founded in 2023 as a chapter of a North Carolina-based educational organization, invited Northside Hospital Care Coordinator Rhond Perling to share her insider knowledge and expert strategies to help families navigate post-hospital care for their loved ones.

Before Perling educated the room and dived into nuances, the opening panel of ACAP North Atlanta’s leadership team got the conversation started.

CARE, Page 9

Attendees of Adult Children of Aging Parents’s April 8 session at Dunwoody United Methodist Church listen as Northside Hospital Care Coordinator Rhonda Perling, top center, goes through her checklist on a smooth discharge. The nonprofit support group meets at the church the second Tuesday of each month.

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

Sandy Springs awards parks and recreation grants to nonprofits

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Sandy Springs City Council approved $150,000 in parks and recreation grants April 1 for eight local nonprofits, including the City Springs Theatre Company, Los Niños Primero and LaAmistad.

Following a two-hour debate over First Amendment-related ordinances, elected officials moved onto regular business items.

The grant program began in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic with federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act. During the city’s budget workshops last summer, elected officials set aside $150,000 in fiscal year 2025 after a discussion about possibly expanding the dollar amount.

The city says it received nine requests from nonprofits in February totaling $262,500 for the 2025 Nonprofit Arts and Recreation Grant program, up from $146,000 last year.

Two types of grants were offered to organizations, $12,500 for continuing programs or $25,000 for new ones.

Recreations and Parks Director Brent Walker said an Evaluation Committee considered whether the nonprofits meet the needs of underserved, diverse and low-to-moderate income residents, how many people they serve, program performance and financial reporting.

“The city created the Nonprofit Arts and Recreation Grant to collaborate with nonprofit organizations that offer new programming or to expand existing recreational programs targeted at underserved populations,” Walker said. “The

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

Sandy Springs City Councilman Andy Bauman lobbies other elected officials to expand nonprofit funding around $75,000 April 1 to complete each local organization’s full request for parks and recreational funding. Bauman announced his run for mayor two days after his motion to bolster nonprofit funding failed.

Evaluation Committee … then convened and determined eight of the applicants were deserving of partial funding as the requests were greater than the budget available.”

Because the Chastain Park Conservancy is located within Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood, city staff said its request failed to satisfy the criteria. A

2025 Nonprofit Arts and Recreation Grants ($150,000)

1. Call for Caring, $27,171

2. City Springs Theatre Company, $13,513

3. The Healthy Youth USA Foundation, $26,290

4. LaAmistad, $14,308

5. Los Niños Primero, $27,504

6. Lost Arts Enrichment Center, $13,997

7. Sandy Springs Mission, $14,222

8. Unique Individual Ranch Corporation, $12,995

city memo says Sandy Springs appreciates the work of Conservancy, but the grants are intended to meet the needs of residents within city limits.

The other eight nonprofits provide a range of services, including childcare, after-school athletics, musical theater training, summer camps, youth health and wellness programs and adult caregiving. Most have a track record of successfully serving communities for years, if not decades.

“These organizations are in some ways an extension of my department, they are able to tap into … a lot of needs in Sandy Springs,” Walker said. “We have a small Recreation and Parks Department that can’t meet all of them, so this is a way to extend those services through city funds into organizations that are in communities already.”

Nonprofits, like Call for Caring, focus on delivering services to people who wouldn’t otherwise receive them, like residents living at home with a disability.

Other new recipients this year include City Springs Theatre Company, Lost Arts Enrichment Center and Sandy Springs Mission out of Mount Vernon Baptist Church.

“We’re seeing a lot of benefit by having this program and getting those funds where they’re needed,” Walker said. “Most of these nonprofits target low-income families, and they are able to determine that through the school system [and] free-and-reduced school lunch programs.”

City Councilman Andy Bauman asked Walker to answer a series of questions about the success of the Nonprofit Arts and Recreation Grant program, which Walker has administered for two years after leaving Dunwoody. Bauman said he wanted to make the necessary motions for the City Council to grant each nonprofit its full request to the city.

The city awarded around $27,500 to Los Niños Primero, a Latino nonprofit serving hundreds in Metro Atlanta with a unique educational summer camp helping students thrive academically.

Bauman said he spoke with Los Niños Primero about its programming which serves around 660 children at an annual cost of $2,500 per student.

“Just to confirm what you said, our Recreation Department feels like we’ve got more demand than the needs we can meet,” Bauman said. “While this is a grant program … it’s sort of like a contract for services although it’s couched through a grant.”

With Atlanta’s Chastain Park Conservancy removed from grant consideration, Walker said the funding shortfall, including each nonprofit, was $87,500.

“I would like to see all of these allocations up to the maximum amount that each category allows,” Bauman. “My motion is to increase the award.”

After a back-and-forth with Mayor Rusty Paul, Bauman amended his original motion to include a budget amendment first with an identified funding source.

City Councilwoman Melody Kelley seconded the motion.

Bauman told Paul and other elected officials that the additional funding, about $88,000, could come from the city’s general fund balance or reserves.

“We’ve spent a lot of time on things that are theoretical … important, but this one affects people,” he said. “We’ve clearly identified that our Recreation and Parks Department cannot at this point meet the needs of our community … qualified families should be able to participate in these activities.”

In a speech to the City Council, Bauman said the city does a lot in the realm of recreational programming, even taking a loss with things like Skate City Springs, and asked council members to support fully funding requests from nonprofits. He also cited other city projects and initiatives that come in over budget.

City Manager Eden Freeman said she is concerned about uncertainty in the national economy, federal funding allocations and potential impacts to planned projects.

“It’d be tough for me to tell you right now what wouldn’t get funded, but I could come up with a list of that probably by tomorrow afternoon of what we couldn’t do,” she said.

Freeman said the city’s reserves are around 27 percent of the general fund budget, or more than $32 million.

The motion to amend the city’s budget failed, along with the request to fully fund the grant program, after only Bauman supported it.

HIGH POINT CIVIC ASSOCIATION/PROVIDED

From left, Daffodil project founder Andrea Videlefsky receives an award commemorating her nonprofit’s planting from High Point Civic Association Neighborhood Liaison Sallie Duncan and President Mary Ford at last year’s annual meeting.

High Point Civic Association to host state and local officials

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The High Point Civic Association, a nonprofit neighborhood organization of Sandy Springs residents who live east of Roswell Road (Ga. 9) and south of I-285, scheduled an annual meeting for April 23.

The evening begins with a meet-andgreet at 5:30 p.m. for neighbors at the Church of the Redeemer off Peachtree Dunwoody Road.

Just like last year’s annual meeting, President Mary Ford said a slate of state and local officials are set to speak. They include principals from local Fulton County Schools, Sandy Springs staff like City Manager Eden Freeman and Police Chief Kenneth DeSimone, state Sen. Josh McLaurin and state Rep. Betsy Holland.

Ford also said while the meeting is neighborhood-focused, anyone is welcome to attend.

Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul and other council members are also expected to attend the annual meeting. Last year, City Councilman Tibby DeJulio discussed his journey from president of the High Point Civic Association decades ago to one of the city’s founders and longest serving elected officials.

The nonprofit group also encourages donations to its Riverwood Scholarship Fund for Title 1 students at Riverwood International Charter School. Each year, the civic association provides two $3,000 college scholarships to one male and female student who have attended either High Point Elementary or Ridgeview Middle schools.

Last year’s recipients were Oglethorpe University’s Aylin Aguilar and Kennesaw State University’s Jennifer Damian. Only $780 is needed to fund this year’s scholarships for the class of 2025, according to the High Point Civic Association’s website.

For more information about the nonprofit, visit www.highpointcivic.org/home.

For questions about the annual meeting, contact highpointcivicatl@gmail.com.

13 candidates now running for Sandy Springs office

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sandy Springs, approaching its 20th anniversary as the state’s seventh most populous city, holds non-partisan municipal elections every four years. All seats on the City Council and the mayor’s position are up for election at the same time. There are no staggered terms.

Qualifying for the November 4 election will be Aug. 18-Aug. 21 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and Aug. 22 between 8:30 a.m. and noon.

While official qualification takes place in August, candidates often announce their intentions earlier in the race. They also must file finance reports at certain intervals leading up to the vote. In order to collect campaign donations, they must file a Declaration of Intention form, and then periodic updates on collections and expenditures. Alternatively, candidates can file an Affidavit of Exemption pledge to not raise or spend over $2,500, which exempts them from future financial reporting.

These filings and announcements from the candidates themselves can offer a heads up on who plans to run for which seats.

Regardless of who has filed or an-

CITY OF SANDY SPRINGS/PROVIDED

Sandy Springs residents will vote for all six City Council seats and the mayor this November. Council seats are broken up into six districts, with voters casting ballots for the representative of their district. The mayoral race is citywide.

nounced their candidacy, anyone eligible for office can choose to enter the race and submit official qualifying documents in August.

Candidates for mayor must pay $1,260, and qualifying fees for council seats are $780.

To qualify to run in the municipal elections, individuals must be a resident of Sandy Springs for a period of at least 12 months immediately prior to election day, as well as be registered and qualified to vote in the city.

The Sandy Springs mayoral race already has five candidates who have declared their intentions or filed financial paperwork.

City Councilman Andy Bauman is the latest to announce a run for the chief executive spot.

Bauman’s April 3 announcement and accompanying press release cited “a growing call for a change of leadership that engages, takes initiative, and delivers results.”

He is a graduate of Emory University, attorney and co-founder of the Sandy Springs Farmers Market. Bauman was elected to the District 6 seat in 2013.

Last September, Mayor Rusty Paul announced his plans to run for his fourth and final term, citing unfinished transportation and development priorities. Paul is the city’s second mayor, defeating one challenger in 2013, winning reelection unopposed in 2017 and taking more than two thirds of the vote in 2021.

“Sandy Springs is an excellent place to raise a family, and one of my top priorities has been keeping it that way,” his campaign’s March 14 Facebook post says. “I have a proven record of keeping our community safe for us and our children.”

More online

Explore the campaign finance filings and learn more about the Sandy Springs races at appenmedia.com.

In early January, City Councilwoman Jody Reichel announced her run for mayor, citing similar goals as Bauman like collaboration and forward-looking growth.

Appen Media asked her why she decided to run for mayor instead of for the District 4 seat this November.

“We’ve been running in place, and when you do that, you get left behind,” Reichel said. My campaign is about moving Sandy Springs forward, continuing to make it better and better, to ensure that Sandy Springs is a city where families want to plant roots and growth, where seniors feel supported and future generations can thrive.”

The two other candidates who have already announced their candidacies for mayor would be newcomers to Sandy Springs City Hall.

Alex Somer, a 36-year-old University of Miami graduate with a master’s in business administration, announced his run during public comment at the March 4 City Council meeting.

Somer said he plans to continue speaking to elected officials and asking questions during his allotted public comment time. He says in a county that has voted heavily for Democrats in the last two presidential election cycles, younger and more liberal candidates are more representative.

Dontaye Carter, who received just over 30 percent of the vote as the sole mayoral candidate running against the incumbent Paul in 2021, announced his plans Jan. 19, becoming the third candidate to join the race.

Carter has an extensive resume, including work with the Atlanta NAACP, the Vice Chair of the School Governance Council, PTO member at Dunwoody Springs Elementary and chair of the North Fulton Democrats.

Appen Media asked Carter what he thinks about his run for mayor this year. He said several of the mayor’s colleagues running says more than he ever could and that city leadership is stuck in the past.

“This campaign is about humanity; It’s about building a city where families can afford to live, where every child — no matter their zip code — has access to a quality education and where leadership means listening and serving with compassion,” he said. “I’m not here to preserve the status quo — I’m here to help shape a city that works for all of us.”

Last minute bill limiting Open Records Act fails

By JILL NOLAN Georgia Recorder

ATLANTA — A proposed last-minute attempt to limit the public’s access to police reports and communications with state lawmakers was abandoned April 4 as quickly as it emerged.

The proposed changes to the state’s open records law had popped up unexpectedly Wednesday April 2 in the gatekeeping House Rules Committee, bypassing the usual legislative committee process.

Rep. Rob Leverett, an Elberton Republican, said he had seen the proposed changes as just “extensions of existing law and were not really reflecting any new policy.”

But the proposal, Senate Bill 12, was immediately met with opposition from First Amendment advocates who warned the changes would weaken transparency laws.

Under the proposal, police departments would be able to shield almost all information about officers’ stops, arrests and incident responses. And it would have created broad new exemptions to prevent public disclosure of the General Assembly’s activities, including communication with other parts of state government.

The change narrowing what police records are available for public inspection appeared to be in response to a lawsuit filed by the Appen Media Group against Sandy Springs that accused the city of withholding public police reports. The state Court of Appeals had recently ruled in Appen’s favor.

Gov. Brian Kemp also seemed cool to the proposal Friday.

“I haven’t seen what the Legislature has done other than just reading a blip in the paper about it,” Kemp told reporters. “But we’ll look at the legislation today. We’ll see what ends up passing or not passing. But I think the General Assembly knows that I’m a pretty transparent person, as you can see being out here answering your questions today.”

The House ultimately retreated from the changes Friday and passed a version that was more in line with the original proposal – to the relief of the bill’s sponsor, Danielsville Republican Sen. Frank Ginn.

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City Springs Theatre Company announces 2025-26 schedule

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Metro Atlanta’s fastest-growing performing arts organization, the City Springs Theatre Company, announced its eighth season of musicals at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center’s Byers Theatre.

New subscriptions for the 2025-26 season go on sale May 1, offering a diverse lineup of entertainment, including hit musicals from American comedy legends Mel Brooks and Tina Fey, and a stage adaptation of a Hollywood classic.

City Springs Theatre Company’s productions have garnered nationwide attention with acclaimed, locally produced productions of “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Jersey Boys,” “The Music Man” and “A Chorus Line.”

Executive Director Natalie DeLancey and Artistic Director and Tony Awardwinner Shuler Hensley lead the nonprofit community theater, focused on youth training, attracting audiences and highquality productions.

“Our subscribers and patrons have come to expect two things from our com-

pany — to be entertained and to experience production values that rival what they might see on Broadway,”

DeLancey said. “Over the years it has been inspiring to watch as our audiences grow and begin to take a sense of ownership and pride in our company.”

Hensley has directed one production each season since 2022, a tradition he is set to continue when the company presents the newest title in its upcoming season, the hit musical “Come From Away.”

Hensley said he and others continue to be impressed by the city’s talent.

“We have an amazing community of performers, including some Broadway veterans like myself who call Metro Atlanta home,” he said. “From our lead performers to our ensemble dancers, they all have contributed significantly to the success of our company.”

For more information about shows and ticket, visit www.cityspringstheatre.com.

— Hayden Sumlin

City Springs Theatre Company’s 2025-26 Season Lineup

• Sept. 5-21, 2025:

“The Producers: A Mel Brooks Musical” Still the winningest show in the history of the Tony Awards and arguably the funniest musical ever on Broadway, “The Producers” has delighted audiences worldwide. Based on Mel Brooks’ 1968 film of the same name, the plot is simple: a down-on-his-luck producer and his mild-mannered accountant come up with a scheme to produce the biggest flop in Broadway history, thereby bilking their investors (all of whom are “lonely, little old ladies”) and then running away to Rio. The play skewers Broadway traditions and sets the standard for modern, outrageous, in-your-face humor on Broadway. The production contains adult language and content and is recommended for ages 13 and older.

• Dec. 12-28, 2025:

“The Wizard of Oz”

This December, the yellow brick road leads to the Byers Theatre for an enchanting stage adaptation of the 1939 movie classic “The Wizard of Oz,” directed and choreographed by Broadway legend and Tony Award-recipient Baayork Lee. The timeless tale of teenager Dorothy Gale, who travels from Kansas to the magical Land of Oz retains the timeless songs from the film including “Over the Rainbow,” “If I Only Had a Brain/a Heart/the Nerve,” “We’re Off to See the Wizard” and “The Merry Old Land of Oz.” The play is suitable for all ages and will feature a special 1 p.m. Christmas Eve performance.

• March 13-29, 2026:

“Come From Away”

Based on an incredible, true story of the isolated town of Gander, Newfoundland, as the community came together to welcome 38 planes diverted from their destinations on September 11, 2001. What begins as an average day, turns into an international sleepover, as the people of Gander cheer the stranded travelers with music, an open bar and the recognition that we’re all part of a global family. Tony Award-winner Shuler Hensley, artistic director of City Springs Theatre Company, is set to direct the production, which is a regional premier. The book, music and lyrics come from Irene Sankoff and David Hein. The play contains some adult language and adult themes and is recommended for ages 10 and older.

• May 1-17, 2026:

“Mean Girls: The Musical”

From the mind of comedy superstar Tina Fey, the multi-Emmy-winning star and writer of TV’s Saturday Night Live and the series 30 Rock. “Mean Girls” is the brutally hilarious hit musical based on her popular 2004 film of the same name. Teenager Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the wild and vicious ways of her strange new home in suburban Illinois. The play took Broadway by storm when it opened in 2018. The production contains adult themes and is recommended for ages 10 and older.

Owner John Hogan & Designer Bobbie Kohm

Care:

Continued from Page 3

Dr. Melissa Black, a geriatrician with her own practice, Empower Family Medicine of Decatur, said her decade with the Emory School of Medicine and in her own practice has taught her a lot about hospitals and medical insurance.

“I have a lot of experience working both in and outside of the hospital,” she said. “What people need to know as caregivers from the hospital’s perspective is that discharge planning starts on day one, and that is a universal saying.”

Black also said that hospitals want patients discharged as soon as possible, usually in less than three days, but it is not all doom and gloom because hospital visits are the most expensive form of care. Besides, people usually want to be home.

Rhonda Perling, the keynote speaker, is intimately familiar with the discharge process as supervisor of Northside Hospital’s Care Coordination Process.

“First thing I want you to do if anyone you love ends up in the hospital is get ahold of your case manager,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what you call them, discharge planners, care coordinators, case managers, we really don’t care as long as you call us.”

They are often the only healthcare workers “rounding,” or conducting regular visits to patients’ bedsides to assess, communicate and respond to their needs.

Often, doctors and surgeons do not have the full intricate knowledge of healthcare policy nuances necessary to provide patients with a complete picture of their options, including tradeoffs and financial implications.

Perling provided an example of when a physician’s decision on a Friday afternoon ran into a speed bump when

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

Northside Hospital Care Coordinator Rhonda Perling describes her role as a social worker assigned to help folks with a smooth discharge and provide patients with their options at the April 8 session of Adult Children of Aging Parents. Perling said discharge planning begins on day one of someone’s hospital visit, and caregivers need to understand options for rehabilitation, palliative care or a return to home.

she notified him that the insurance office was closed, preventing her from verifying benefits, and her team was unlikely to find the patient a rehabilitation center over the weekend.

Perling said it’s probably not if someone will have to take care of one of their aging loved ones at some point in their life, but when. Luckily, she said there are several ways to make the process smoother.

Hospitals employ care coordinators, including registered nurses and social workers, to manage patients' healthcare needs, facilitate communication between patients and providers and ensure appropriate care settings and post-hospital needs are met.

“The one thing that we have to do immediately upon meeting you is gain trust,” Perling said, admitting not every industry professional is as dedicated as her team. “You’re scared, you’re in crisis and you don’t know what to do; Our job is to let you know what your options are, what your rights are … Medicare has rights.”

She also said it’s important that people know who has their medical power of attorney, in case they are unable to make healthcare decisions by themselves. Once a crisis has happened and you or your loved one is in the hospital, it’s hard to make rational decisions and meet legal requirements.

“I think it’s really important for every single one of y’all to talk to your next of kin,” Perling said, sharing some horror stories about some of her experiences. “Once you get it done, download it to your phone … do the same thing with your medication list.”

Seconding the Aging Children of Adult Children panel, she said discharge planning really does start on stay one of any hospital visit, regardless of the level of care.

The next support session is titled “Living with Dementia and an Update on Medical Treatments,” set for May 13 in Dunwoody United Methodist Church’s Asbury Room, accessible from the back parking lot.

The speakers are Dr. Melissa Black from Empower Family Medicine and Lynn Ross, a retired social worker who worked with the older adult population in home care and for the Center of Movement Challenges.

For more information, visit www.acapcommunity.org.

HELP IS HERE

If you live in Georgia, you can still get help with recovery from Helene or Debby through housing assistance, loans, resources and more. Stay in touch and check your application for updates.

Ways FEMA Can Help

Housing: FEMA may call for more information from an unfamiliar number. Be sure to answer, as FEMA may be able to help with immediate housing, additional support and information on housing opportunities.

Home Inspection: Inspectors will make an appointment before they visit and will show your application number and their photo ID.

SBA Centers: FEMA staff is available to assist at Small Business Administration centers in Coffee, Jeff Davis, Lowndes, Richmond, Screven, Telfair and Toombs counties.

Center for Rural Entrepreneurship:

208 E. 1st St., Vidalia, GA 30474

Jeff Davis Rec Dept: 83 Buford Rd., Hazlehurst, GA 31539

McDuffie Woods CC: 3431 Old McDuffie Rd., Augusta, GA 30906

Satilla Library:

200 S. Madison Ave., Douglas, GA 31533

Screven County Library: 106 South Community Dr., Sylvania, GA 30467

Telfair CSC: 91 Telfair Ave., #D, McRae-Helena, GA 31055

VSU Foundation: 901 N. Patterson St., Valdosta, GA 31601

Keep Your Recovery On Track

Read your FEMA letter carefully. If you’ve applied for FEMA disaster assistance and were not approved, you may need to send additional documentation.

Scan the QR code or go to fema.gov/HelpIsHere and select “check your status” to upload documents, track your application, update contact information, get directions or get help.

fema.gov/HelpIsHere

Stay in Touch

ONLINE: fema.gov/HelpIsHere

DOWNLOAD: The FEMA App CALL: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362)

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Space:

Continued from Page 1

She said at first it wasn’t clear if she could turn her passion for coordinating and creating seamless events for her loved ones into a career.

In February, Visit Sandy Springs published an article “Black-Owned Business and Restaurants in Sandy Springs,” featuring a snapshot of some of the city’s entrepreneurs. Her advice to others considering a jump to entrepreneurship is to not let that thing go once it’s been found.

Hamlet worked at Priority Technology Holdings for nearly a decade before she was let go in summer 2020. Hamlet said a phone call from her sister helped with a shift in her mind set and an eventual pursuit of her dreams.

“I called her, along with some other people, and the first thing they would say is ‘oh my gosh, what are you going to do? …I’m so sorry this happened to you,’” she said. “Well, my sister dropped a gem on me; the first thing she said was ‘congratulations, what are you going to do now?’”

Hamlet said a lot of her life was tied to her job in corporate America, but her sister’s words encouraged her to take the first steps.

She spent most of the second half of 2020 traveling and studying venues across Europe and Brazil, including art galleries, coffee shops and banquet halls.

• Does my Will protect my “stuff”? (It does not.)

• Should I upgrade my Will to a Trust?

• What do I need to know about Revocable Living Trusts?

April/May Workshops:

Thurs., Apr 17 - 12pm (lunch and learn)

Tues., Apr 29 - 4pm

Thurs., May 1 - 12pm (lunch and learn)

Tues., May 13 - 4pm

Fri., May 16 - 12 pm (lunch and learn)

Tues., May 27 - 4 pm

Thurs., May 29 - 12 pm (lunch and learn)

• How do Irrevocable Trusts work?

• Medicaid. What’s true and what’s not?

• How do I protect my assets for my family and legacy?

• How do I remain in control?

• How do I avoid losing everything to nursing home costs?

• How can my family avoid probate?

“I sort of became a student of event spaces and how to open one,” Hamlet said. “Their restaurants and coffee shops are very quaint, but they make the most out of the space; I always knew I didn’t want a huge space, but I wanted an intimate one for the venue.”

With its location in the heart of Sandy Springs, Hamlet said she thinks the business’s Atlanta address, common throughout the nearly 20-year-old city, helps attract some interested customers looking to celebrate something while staying in the state capital.

Plus, she said there’s ample free parking, which is hard to find in central Atlanta.

“I actually signed my lease in November 2020, but I needed renovations to be done, so the lease wouldn’t start until February,” Hamlet said. “I have heard about the golden years of owning an event space and how lucrative it is was, and I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve experienced that.”

Through the last four years, she said there have been highs and lows. Right now, Hamlet said she has one open weekend open coming up, which is a rarity. May is typically one of the busiest months for event planners and venues like Hamlet and Space in Time.

“You have a bunch of graduations … weddings, baby showers happening,” she said. “That’s usually a jam-packed month, and I’m not seeing that right now.”

The first space, Suite I, is more than

Balloons, chandeliers and formal place settings stick out in Suite I and II at Space in Time, an event venue and small business run by local entrepreneur Ebony Hamlet. The venues are just 10 feet away from one another off Hilderbrand Drive in Sandy Springs.

1,880 square feet and holds up to 125 seated guests for special gatherings like birthday celebrations, retirement parties, holiday mixers, baby showers, graduation parties and bridal showers.

Located in the same plaza with an adjoining courtyard, Suite II is slightly larger at 2,246 square feet and capable of holding up 150 guests.

Hamlet said the larger facility can host things like weddings, book signings, receptions and art shows with the space next door available, which can save the cost of turning over the same room for another event.

While Hamlet said she thinks people may be holding onto their cash now, Space in Time has a lot going for it.

“I think what makes Space in Time unique is I have two venues in one plaza,” she said. “If you’ve ever attended a wedding, a lot of times in those venues they have to flip the room … changing it from the wedding ceremony to the reception …. We eliminate that.”

Hamlet also said she likes the intimacy of both spaces but has created distinct aesthetics for each that “quaint and whimsical.”

Baby showers are the number one event type, followed by weddings.

Clients come from all over, but one of the notable events at Space in Time was when Fulton County District Fani Willis hosted a two-day conference with local law enforcement and prosecutors to lay out a game plan to combat crimes across the region.

While speaking with Appen Media April 10, Hamlet said she had three tours that afternoon. She said they’re most likely looking to grab that open weekend in May.

For more information about Space in Time and its owner Ebony Hamlet, visit spaceintimeatl.com

Holy Week and Easter Services All are welcome!

Palm Sunday, April 13

8:00AM and 10:30AM Holy Eucharist 7:00PM Artists Presentation of the Stations of the Cross

Wednesday, April 16: 7:00PM Tenebrae Service

Thursday, April 17: 7:00PM Maundy Thursday Foot Washing and Holy Eucharist

Friday, April 18: Good Friday Services 12:00PM Good Friday Liturgy, 6:00PM Every Person’s Way of the Cross, 7:00PM Good Friday Liturgy

Saturday, April 19: Holy Saturday 10:00AM Service, 6:30PM Easter Vigil and Holy Eucharist

Easter Sunday, April 20

8:30-10:00AM Breakfast, 9:45AM Easter Egg Hunt, 10:30AM Holy Eucharist

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Election:

Continued from Page 6

The mayor’s race is not the only one on the ballot this November. All City Council seats will be open for the taking.

Sandy Springs is broken up into six City Council districts. Candidates for each seat must have lived in the city since Nov. 4, 2024 and within the specific district starting May 4 of this year.

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Incumbents District 1 City Councilman John Paulson, District 2 City Councilwoman Melody Kelley and District 5 City Councilman Tibby DeJulio have filed paperwork indicating they are seeking reelection. So far no one else has announced their intentions to run for those seats.

District 3 City Councilwoman Melissa Mular has filed paperwork indicating she will run for the seat. So far one other person, Tara Bernadette Overzat, has also announced a campaign for District 3.

Bauman and Reichel will vacate districts 4 and 6 as they run for mayor. So far one person each has filed their intentions to seek those seats; David Michael Flynn for District 4 and Andrew Chinsky for District 6.

Appen Media will continue to follow the races as developments occur and new candidates enter the fold. Send campaign announcements, focuses for the election and questions about running for office to newsroom@appenmedia.com.

Bill:

Continued from Page 7

“You don’t want to get into an argument with people that buy ink by the train car load,” Ginn said, referring to concerns from newspapers and others.

Ginn said he was trying to pass a “pro-business bill.” His proposal came in response to a Georgia Supreme Court ruling last year that unanimously found that a private contractor working for a public entity is still subject to the law and can be sent requests for public records they may possess.

Senate Bill 12 said that requests for those public records should go through the local governmental agencies that contracted with those third parties. This version is what now sits on the governor’s desk.

This story comes to Appen Media through a reporting partnership with Georgia Recorder, a nonprofit newsroom that covers statewide issues.

is the

letter of

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on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the

of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 4,

and 5 letters). The

are

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with each

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!

CARTOON CHARACTERS

1. The Gem State. Peter Pan villain. Uniform fabric.

2. One of the 7 Dwarfs. Charity. Wine bottle designation.

3. Charlie Brown loves him. Small whirlpool. Lock name.

4. Brouhaha. Moonfish. One of TV’s Simpsons.

5. Get-up-and-go. Coffee order. Bugs bugs him.

6. Church official. The “Oyl” in Popeye cartoons. Smell really bad.

7. Golf bag gadgets. High-hatter. Dear me, it’s a deer.

1 The Gem State. Peter Pan villain. Uniform fabric

2. One of the 7 Dwarfs. Charity. Wine bottle designation

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. Charlie Brown loves him. Small whirlpool. Lock name

4. Brouhaha. Moonfish. One of TV’s Simpsons

5. Get-up-and-go. Coffee order. Bugs bugs him

6. Church offical. The “Oyl” in Popeye cartoons. Smell really, really bad.

7. Golf bag gadgets. High-hatter. Dear me, it’s a deer.

Owens:

Continued from Page 1

The city has since posted a job listing, seeking a new Assistant City Manager for Infrastructure and Capital Program Delivery.

It’s not the first recent departure for the position.

In December 2023, Appen Media learned through an Open Records Request that Leonard Housley resigned the post after three months on the job.

The city gave Housley a three-month severance totaling $47,196.06, or $15,732.03 per month, according to other documents obtained by the newspaper.

The exit package exceeded his monthly salary, presumedly because of his car allowance and insurance benefits.

At the time, Sandy Springs city officials were unresponsive when asked for more information about Housley’s departure and the severance details.

“It is the city's long-standing practice not to comment on personnel matters,” then-interim Communications Director Dan Coffer responded in an email.

Appen Media has requested Owens’ resignation letter and any potential severance agreement.

As of press time, the city has not yet fulfilled that request.

Return to appenmedia.com or the Crier for updates.

Full-Time Vice President of Community Engagement

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Handyman

Matthew the Handyman - Carpentry, painting, drywall, plumbing. Electrical and small jobs. 404-547-2079.

NFCC is seeking a qualified candidate to fill the fulltime Vice President of Community Engagement position. The Vice President of Community Engagement (VPCE) is a senior leadership role responsible for developing and implementing strategies to build meaningful relationships with the community, donors, and stakeholders.

The VPCE will lead initiatives to increase awareness, partnerships, and financial support for the organization’s mission. This position oversees community engagement, marketing, public relations, and volunteer programs to ensure alignment with organizational goals.

If this sounds like the role for you, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your resume to jobs@nfcchelp.org

Part-Time Thrift Shop Associate – Bilingual Preferred

NFCC is seeking a qualified candidate to fill the part-time Thrift Shop Associate position. One of the primary responsibilities of this role is to provide a high level of customer service in the Thrift Shop. The associate is responsible for all cash register and client clothing program transactions and keeping the merchandise in the store neat, clean, and organized. The role requires a friendly and customer-focused demeanor where all shoppers are treated with dignity and compassion.

If this sounds like the role for you, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your resume to jobs@nfcchelp.org