Billboard Music Award winner to headline Sandy Springs fest
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. —
Sandy Springs announced that the Billboard Music Award-winning band Lit is headlining Friday night Sept. 26 at the third annual Blue Stone Arts & Music Festival.
The festival will take place in the heart of Sandy Springs Friday, Sept. 26, from 4-10 p.m., and Saturday, Sept. 27, from 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Lit is an American rock band from Orange County,
California, formed in 1988. They are best known for their platinum-selling 1999 power -pop punk album “A Place in the Sun” and its massive hit single “My Own Worst Enemy.”
The band is set to headline the main stage Friday night at 8 p.m.
In addition to Lit, the family-friendly festival features music all day long across multiple stages, an artist market with more than 80 vendors and a Kids Zone.
See LIT, Page 9
Boylston to the east and eliminate a nearby traffic
Realignment construction begins on Hammond-Boylston intersection
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sandy Springs contractors are set to begin work in September on realigning the intersection of Boylston and Hammond drives and removing a redundant traffic light.
The city says work will last around 15 months, and the intersection will remain open during construction, but there will be occasional lane closures so crews can get the work done safely.
Initially, city officials expected the project
to begin in mid-August. No explanation was given.
Currently, there are two separate sets of traffic lights less than 100 feet away from one another, one at the Hammond Glen Retirement Community’s driveway and another at the office building next door.
The new configuration will shift Boylston Drive to the east, aligning it with the Hammond Glen driveway and eliminating the traffic light at the driveway to the office building at 325 Hammond Drive.
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
Motorists line up at the Boylston Drive signal to turn left onto Hammond Drive Aug. 14. Sandy Springs will begin work in September to realign
light.
See BOYLSTON, Page 8
CITY OF SANDY SPRINGS/PROVIDED
Sandy Springs said Billboard Music Award-winning band, Lit, is headlining this year’s festival Sept. 26-27 at City Springs.
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Roswell police, federal agents
ROSWELL, Ga. — More than $750,000 worth of methamphetamines were seized in a joint investigation between the Roswell Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection began the investigation Aug. 2 when a package containing approximately 8 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine was intercepted from Mexico, destined for a Roswell apartment. Roswell detectives linked the package and the recipient to 290 Old Holcomb Bridge Way in the Villas Del Mirasol Apartments.
Detectives then conducted a
controlled delivery of the package Aug. 7. When the resident accepted the delivery and brought the package inside, the team served a search warrant. Two suspects were detained.
During a search of the apartment, a drug operation was found. Detectives found six more bottles of liquid methamphetamine, as well as crystal methamphetamine and cocaine, all with a street value of more than $750,000.
Detectives also found drug packaging ledgers, multiple cell phones, digital scales and more than $10,000 in U.S. currency.
See SEIZE, Page 9
More than $750,000 worth of methamphetamines were seized from a Roswell apartment during an Aug. 7 raid.
Life Time Perimeter opens at site of former fitness club
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Life Time Perimeter opened its doors to members Aug. 8, bringing one of the nation’s premier health and fitness clubs to southern Sandy Springs and the former site of the Concourse Athletic Club.
The new 79,000-square-foot athletic country club offers a luxury wellness experience near the Central Perimeter business district and surrounding family neighborhoods.
The destination marks the ninth Life Time location in Metro Atlanta. It joins a growing list of area destinations that have opened since the company launched in Georgia in 2006. Other clubs include Alpharetta, Sugarloaf, Johns Creek, Woodstock and Peachtree Corners, along with Sandy Springs and Buckhead. The company’s most recent Metro Atlanta opening prior to Perimeter was North Druid Hills, which debuted in December 2024.
Life Time Perimeter is located at 8 Concourse Parkway, situated between Sandy Springs’ landmark King & Queen towers.
LFT Real Estate Company, a development arm of Life Time, bought the property from Concourse Acquisitions & Development LLC for $13.6 million in November 2023,
according to public records.
Life Time says it has completely transformed the former Concourse Athletic Club into a modern, threestory space that caters to the growing needs of health-conscious professionals, couples and active families. With abundant natural light, an open-concept design and expansive indoor and outdoor amenities, Life Time Perimeter
Highlights include:
• Eight outdoor pickleball courts and five tennis courts (four clay and one hard).
• Five-lane lap and leisure pools in a beach club-style style setting with lounge seating and snack bar.
• Indoor lap pool, four squash courts and running/walking track.
• Four boutique studios for barre, group fitness, hot and traditional yoga and Pilates, along with dedicated spaces for Signature Group Training programs. Overall, more than 100 classes will be offered weekly.
• Expansive fitness floor with best-inclass cardio equipment, resistancetraining machines and free weights.
is designed for everyone seeking to prioritize wellbeing, productivity and community.
Parham Javaheri, executive vice president at Life Time, said the Central Perimeter location is a strategic addition to the company’s Metro Atlanta footprint.
“Bringing our unparalleled healthy way of life experience to an incredibly vibrant community where people live, work and socialize every day,” said. “As people increasingly return to the office, we uniquely serve both weekday routines and weekend activities and are excited to reopen this revitalized destination and welcome previous and new members alike.”
Covering three acres along I-285 and Ga. 400, Life Time Perimeter offers central access for members working or living in Sandy Springs, Dunwoody and the surrounding areas.
• A dedicated recovery space for stretching, innovative water massage and cold therapy chairs, whole body compression technology, percussion devices, metabolic testing and nutrition coaching.
• Luxurious executive-style dressing rooms, coed hydrotherapy suite with cold plunge, whirlpool, two steam rooms, saunas including infrared.
• Life Time Work Club Lounge for calls, meetings and remote work.
• Kids Academy with a built-in infant room, toddler area and language arts studio.
• LifeCafe offering meals and shakes along with a juice bar.
Life Time Perimeter is open to members Monday through Friday, from 4:00 a.m. to midnight, and Saturday and Sunday, between 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.
To learn more, visit Life Time Perimeter’s website or call 770-7433600.
— Hayden Sumlin
LIFE TIME PERIMETER/PROVIDED
Life Time, one of the nation’s premier health and fitness clubs, is opening a new location in Central Perimeter situated between Sandy Springs’ landmark King & Queen towers.
Metro Atlanta golf courses make magazine’s ‘Best’ list
ATLANTA — GOLF magazine released its annual state-by-state course rankings in December, with Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta topping the list of Georgia's best golf courses for 2024-25.
Some courses that made the list are in North Metro Atlanta.
The rankings, compiled by more than 100 panelists, evaluated 609 courses nationwide using an 11-tier scoring system, according to GOLF. Electors ranked courses from top three in the U.S. down to those deserving removal from consideration.
Atlanta Athletic Club had two Metro Atlanta courses named to the list, with Riverside placing 7th and Highlands at the 9 spot.
Johns Creek’s Rivermont Golf Club came in at no. 13.
Augusta National, home of the Masters Tournament and designed by Bobby Jones and Alister MacKenzie,
Rivermont Golf Club in Johns Creek ranks 13th on GOLF magazine’s top 20 golf courses in Georgia.
earned recognition as the state’s best course and one of the magazine's Top 100 Courses in the U.S.
Peachtree Golf Club in Atlanta ranked 2nd, followed by Ohoopee Match Club in Cobbtown. Six of the top 20 courses offer public access.
— Carl Appen
GOLF magazine’s top 20 golf courses in Georgia
Business brings Indian artistry to downtown Alpharetta store
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Ginny & Daughters, a local handcrafted luxury home goods brand, opened its first brickand-mortar store Aug. 6 at 225 Market Street within Alpharetta City Center.
The family-run business, inspired by generations of textile artisans in India, offers a curated collection of highquality, organic, hand block-painted cotton products made with natural dyes and unique design techniques.
Founded by Ginny and Saheb Banga in 2023, Ginny & Daughters began as a passion project to carry on Ginny’s family traditions and honor their two daughters.
The Bangas sold their products at local flea markets around Metro Atlanta before settling on a store location at Alpharetta City Center due to growing demand and interest from their customers.
Ginny & Daughters offers a wide range of home and lifestyle goods, including quilts, shams, bathrobes, cushion covers, table linens, bed sheets and duvet covers.
PROVIDED
Ginny & Daughters, a luxury home goods brand, sells a range of home and lifestyle goods inspired by generations of textile artisans in India. See GINNY, Page 9
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ROB SAYE/PROVIDED
Tony “Mr. College Football” Barnhart and his wife Maria, a four-time president of the Dunwoody Woman’s Club, enjoy a trip to Gainesville, Florida July 26 for a reception honoring the legendary sportswriter and the couple’s friends Jerri and Steve Spurrier. After his 50th season covering the sport, Barnhart will retire to family, writing and charitable work.
Veteran college football writer previews season at breakfast
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
DUNWOODY, Ga. — If someone watches Southeastern Conference schools compete in the fall, they call 30-year Dunwoody resident Tony Barnhart “Mr. College Football.”
The legendary sportswriter stopped by his hometown Aug. 11 to chat with the Village Mill ROMEOs, a group of “retired old men eating out” once a month on Monday mornings at J. Christophers.
Dunwoody resident David Gordon, a South African immigrant, said it’s mindboggling to follow a sport where players cycle through every couple of years, but he’s working on it.
For most of the audience, listening to Barnhart talk college football is a sign the heat and humidity are waning.
After half a century covering college football, Mr. College Football said his 50th season covering the sport for newspapers, radio, television and the internet will be his last.
Barnhart has worked for the flagships of sports media: CBS Sports, ESPN’s SEC Network and College Gameday, as well as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He is currently a columnist for TMG College Sports and a contributor to a weekly SEC radio show.
In a letter shared with the ROMEOs, Barnhart said his 92-year-old mother told him that 50 is a nice round number.
“I will work through the CFP National
Championship game in Miami on Monday, Jan. 19. Then I will retire,” he wrote. “I never thought I would write those words.”
Mr. College Football’s season preview at the Village went through the state of the sport and its relationship with the NCAA, his predictions for each round of the 12-team playoff and some insider information on recruiting classes and new players.
“The irony with all the problems that we’re having in college football …,” Barnhart said. “While there’s financial issues going on, the game on the field is better than it’s ever been.”
He said Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals and a wide-open transfer portal is a big challenge for the sport that will require legislation or collective bargaining to resolve. Barnhart said no one knows the solution.
If the playoffs are going to expand from 12 to 16 teams across the country in a couple of years, he said the two most prolific conferences — the SEC and the Big Ten — are going to need to agree on a format.
His top four teams at the end of this upcoming season with a first-round bye in the playoffs are the Texas Longhorns, the Penn State Nittany Lions, the Clemson Tigers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Texas quarterback Arch Manning was impressive during the 2025 SEC Football Media Days in July, he said.
Owner John Hogan & Designer Bobbie Kohm
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!
WHO’S ON FIRST?
1. Muse of poetry. Clothing. Actor McQueen or Zahn
2. Actress Blanchett or Cohen. Nervous. Dig up.
3. Seabird. Parsley unit.
Actress Hamilton or Hunt
4. Actor Quaid or Hopper. Court panel. Three feet.
5. Light on one’s feet. Actor Brolin or Spader. Hayseed.
6. Austrian peaks. Actress Ryder or Keegan. Goulash.
7. Japanese robe. Aleutian island. Actor Gooding Jr. or singer Gooding Sr.
1 Muse of poetry. Clothing. Actor McQueen or Zahn.
2. Actress Blanchett or Cohen. Nervous. Dig up
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. Seabird. Parsley unit. Actress Hamilton or Hunt
4. Actor Quaid or Hopper. Court panel. Three feet
5. Light on one’s feet. Actor Brolin or Spader. Hayseed
6. Austrian peaks. Actress Ryder or Keegan. Goulash.
7. Japanese robe. Aleutian island. Actor Gooding, Jr. or singer Gooding, Sr.
Boylston:
Continued from Page 1
The city says the office building will have new vehicle access from the Hammond Glen driveway. Plans also include streetscaping and a side path along Boylston Drive.
Sandy Springs says the total cost of the project is $2.98 million, funded through a combination of local capital funds and a grant and loan from the Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank.
In September 2024, the City Council approved the purchase of just over $200,000 in required environmental mitigation credits from the GeorgiaAlabama Land Trust for permanent impacts to 135 linear feet of a year-round stream just east of the intersection. The legal requirements are outlined in Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.
In April 2025, the City Council awarded a $1.88 million contract to Excellere Construction, below the cityprovided engineer’s estimate of $2.3 million. Sandy Springs received two lower bids from contractors that failed to submit all necessary documentation. Three other bids from contractors ranged from $1.89 million to $2.4 million.
Communications Director Carter Long said Excellere Construction is also working with the city on the Mount Vernon Highway corridor improvement project on the other end of Boylston Drive, which broke ground in April 2024.
The Mountain Vernon Highway corridor improvements include a multiuse path on the south shoulder, a
sidewalk on the north side and new turn lanes from Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church across Ga. 400 to the MARTA station off Abernathy Road.
The corridor improvements have a sister project, a reconfiguration of Johnson Ferry Road and Mount Vernon Highway just east of Roswell Road (Ga. 9) at Veterans Park. That project includes the construction of Spruill Lane between the two east-west connectors, ongoing traffic congestion and lane closures, as well as some upset neighbors and hundreds of felled trees.
The cost of both projects, labeled TS191 and TS192 on the city website, is just under $30 million.
Restoring both east-west corridors, Johnson Ferry Road and Mount Vernon Highway, to two-way traffic will eliminate the need for motorists to turn onto Roswell Road and alleviate congestion near City Springs, officials said before the projects commenced.
It will also provide multi-modal connectivity from City Springs to public transit at Perimeter Center, eventually connecting into PATH 400 and proposed paths on Peachtree Dunwoody.
Long said the goal is to complete both projects next summer.
The intersection realignment project at Hammond and Boylston drives ties into an estimated $60 million widening of Hammond Drive from the new intersection to Glenridge Drive.
“The Hammond Drive project is in the final design phase, and we anticipate that’ll kick off in early 2026,” Long said. “The Mount Vernon Corridor and Johnson Ferry Road projects are about halfway through, and the goal is to wrap up around summer next year.”
A map shows design plans for an intersection realignment at Boylston and Hammond drives, including the elimination of a redundance traffic light, streetscapes and sidewalks. Sandy Springs estimated construction will take 15 months.
CITY OF SANDY SPRINGS/PROVIDED
Barnhart:
Continued from Page 6
“The four first-round games are played on campus at the home of the higher seed,” Barnhart said. “And basically, they said give us more oncampus games.”
He said he predicts the University of Georgia to match up with the University of Miami in Athens, setting up former Bulldog quarterback Carson Beck to face his replacement, Gunner Stockton.
“I’m just imagining that he will receive a warm reception as he drives onto Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium,” Barnhardt said. “This would be perfect, [Beck] drives on the field in his
Lamborghini and Gunner Stockton drives on with his ’79 Ford pick-up.”
A few hours later, college football fans got the first top 25 poll of the 202526 season from the Associated Press. Reporters from around the country agreed with Mr. College Football, ranking the Manning-led Longhorns as the nation’s preseason top team for the first time in history.
After the 2026 National Championship Jan. 19 at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, Barnhart is planning to retire, write some more books, work with his wife Maria on charitable endeavors and spend time with their two grandchildren.
He said the first book after his retirement will be a collection of essays from each stop on his “Thank You” tour
the opportunity to see our full range of elegant, first-class products in person, seven days a week.”
of some of his favorite spots across schools in the Southeastern Conference.
Mr. College Football is a 1976 graduate of the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism. He got his first full-time job in the newspaper business as a one-person sports department for the Union City Times in South Carolina.
Of his six published books, the most recent, “The 19 of Greene: Football, Friendship, and Change in the Fall of 1970,” recounts his experience with racial integration in small-town Georgia as a member of the county’s first integrated football team.
Tony and his wife Maria moved to Dunwoody in 1994. Today, there are four generations of Barnharts living in Dunwoody with no plans of leaving
Terrafirma Ceramics, a studio based in New York City offering a collection of handmade, hand-painted ceramics.
anytime soon.
Maria has served as president of the Dunwoody Woman’s Club, a local branch of the international service organization, four times. Tony and Maria are involved in several charities, including the annual Honduras Outreach International Golf Tournament in May and the Big Game Ball Aug. 27 to benefit the National Down Syndrome Congress.
Maria said she is passionate about the work of the NDSC and programs for individuals with Down syndrome because of her younger brother who was diagnosed.
As for her husband’s retirement announcement and her relationship with Steve Spurrier, Maria said the reception honoring both college football legends was as exceptional as their legacies.
shops and restaurants.
Continued from Page 5
All products are made with non-toxic inks and hand-stitched, ensuring they are safe for children to use as well.
Ginny Banga said her goal is to create products that feel good, look beautiful and honor the people and process behind them.
“We’re grateful to our loyal customer base here in Metro Atlanta, whose continued support has created the need for a physical store location,” Banga said. “We are thrilled to open our doors at ACC and give shoppers
Seize:
Continued from Page 3
Mayor Kurt Wilson said detectives suspect the apartment was used as a drug conversion lab.
“Our mission is not just to seize drugs, it's to protect the people of Roswell,” Mayor Kurt Wilson said. “Especially our families and children, and especially from the criminals who try to poison our community.”
Drawing on her familial textile heritage in India, Ginny designs each product herself, partnering with skilled artisans to bring her vision to life. The pieces are made in a factory in India that has been in operation for over 100 years, and every product is hand-printed using traditional block printing methods, high-quality breathable cotton and ecofriendly materials.
The store also partners with select artisans and makers, including Le Jacquard Français, a French textile manufacturer known for its high-end table linens and home goods, and
Both suspects were taken into custody and transported to the Fulton County Jail, where they both face charges of trafficking methamphetamine and trafficking cocaine.
Roswell Police have said that the investigation is still active. The investigator urges anyone with additional information to contact the Police Department at 770640-4100. The public can also provide anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-TIPS(8477) or online at www.StopCrimeATL.org.
— Sarah Coyne
people and pups is now open for $35 at RunSignUp.com/Race/GA/Atlanta/ BlueStone5k9
Islanna McNeally, property manager at Alpharetta City Center, said the shop’s thoughtfully made products will be a great addition to the community, reflecting the quality and character visitors value.
Alpharetta City Center is a 26-acre mixed-use development in downtown Alpharetta, including the new City Hall, luxury living community Amorance and more than 30
Also new downtown is Sunset Alpharetta, a restaurant blending chef-crafted cuisines and an immersive cocktail and wine program.
Ginny & Daughters will be open Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.
For more information, visit ginnyanddaughters.com.
— Hayden Sumlin
Continued from Page 1
Festivities will span across the City Springs District, encompassing the City Green, Blue Stone Road and the surrounding areas. Admission to the festival is free.
The weekend also includes the Blue Stone 5K-9 Saturday, Sept. 27, hosted by the Sandy Springs Recreation and Parks Department.
Registration for the road race for
The 5K-9 is a part of the city’s Adaptive Recreation Program offerings in collaboration with Catalyst Sports. For those interested in reserving adaptive hand cycles and foot pedal bikes, contact desiree@catalystsports.org.
A full schedule, including the complete calendar of events and musical line-up, will be announced in the upcoming weeks.
For further details, visit bluestonefest.com.
MID-SUMMER SALE
LABOR DAY SALE
PAST TENSE
Remembering Chamblee Mayor Johnson Wavery (Dub) Brown
VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist
Johnson Wavery Brown, known as Dub, was born in 1925 in Atlanta, near where the Lindbergh MARTA Station is now located. His family decided to move to north DeKalb County and start a dairy farm. They bought a 100-acre farm in Chamblee along Buford Highway. (DeKalb History Center archives, Dub Brown oral history, 1987)
Brown described their journey: “When I was two years old, they rounded the cows up, and they had the other dairy barn built, and we drove the cows from that location, through little trails and small roads to the new site…”
Brown had two brothers and two sisters. Everyone worked on the farm. Dub drove the farm truck when he was around 10 years old, while his brothers threw hay on the bed of the truck. The dairy trucks were driven into the middle of a creek when they needed to be washed.
The Brown children attended Chamblee Grammar and Chamblee High School. In Dub’s last year of high school, the main building of Chamblee High School burned down. Some recall the fire happening on Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1941. The Atlanta Constitution newspaper reported that the tragic fire began on December 8, 1941.
Around this same time, dairy cooperatives started to form in DeKalb County, putting the Brown dairy and others out of business. Eventually, the only dairies left in Chamblee were Irvindale, W. O. Pierce and Tuggle’s. His family moved closer to the town of Chamblee, across the street from where City Hall was later built.
Brown and his brother delivered the Atlanta Constitution to Naval Air Station Atlanta, Lawson General Hospital and other parts of Chamblee. Brown served two years and nine months in the Navy during World War
PROVIDED From left, MARTA Board Chair David Chesnut, Chamblee Mayor Dub Brown, George Ivey and Doraville Mayor Gene Lively prepare for the first ride from the Chamblee MARTA station in 1987. (Chamblee, GA-A Centennial Portrait, 1908-2008)
II.
“I was in the amphibious force, and we carried the 1st Division in on D-Day at Normandy.” Before he left to serve, he married the woman who became his wife of 72 years, Doris.
On June 6, 1944, his LCI (L) 487 landing craft landed in the Easy Red Sector of Omaha Beach on the coast of Normandy, France. There were 36 soldiers on board from Company M and 167 from Company K, 18th Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. The landing craft was struck with mortar as the soldiers were exiting. Wounded were being pulled aboard, and the captain ordered the crew to abandon ship. The craft was at risk of flooding. Brown stayed on board working to patch holes below the deck with mattresses and anything else he could find. (AJC, April 17, 2012, “Decades after D-Day, vet finally honored” by Patrick Fox)
He received the Legion of Honor medal from France after the war. In 2012, he received eight additional medals and honors for his service and heroism. Dub and Doris Brown’s
daughter, Melanie Curtis, sought the recognition he deserved for eight years. Brown, who seldom spoke of that day, said, “We had 200 fully armed servicemen, and we got hit on both ramps. We pulled the wounded back on-board ship, but we were stuck on the beach.” Twelve hours later, the tide rose enough for the ship to return to water.
When he came home, Brown decided to work as a mechanic for Delta Airlines. He entered a training program but soon returned to Chamblee to work alongside his brother. Dub Brown bought a half interest in his brother’s service station along the railroad, which they operated together for 13 years. Brown continued in the auto service business for a total of 62 years.
He bought 7 acres on Hart’s Mill Road, which was called Sexton Road at the time. He and his wife built their family home on that property.
Brown said he first went into politics because his house was on a dusty dirt road, and they did not have
running water.
“I couldn’t get anybody to listen to me about paving the roads or running water out there…”
He started a petition and got enough signatures to get the City of Chamblee to annex the area. Soon they had paved roads and city water.
Dub Brown became mayor of Chamblee in 1980 following the death of Mayor Woody Malone. Malone served from 1948 until 1980, in a system that left many decisions to the mayor. That system continued with Mayor Brown until a new City Council charter went into effect in 1993. He was mayor of Chamblee until 1998. (Chamblee, GA A Centennial Portrait, 1908-2008)
Dub Brown died in 2015 and is buried at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, Ga.
Award-winning author Valerie Biggerstaff is a longtime columnist for Appen Media and the Dunwoody Crier. She lives in Atlanta. You can email Valerie at pasttensega@gmail.com or visit her website at pasttensega.com.
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PRESERVING THE PAST
Young Men’s Service League grows wings – The Ultimate Gift
High school goes by quickly. How do students make the most of those fleeting years? How do they prepare for future challenges of college, the work force and families? There are many ways: academics, athletics, school clubs, school service, such as the school newspaper, part time jobs – the list goes on.
For a select group of high school boys and their mothers, the fouryear Young Men’s Service League (YMSL) provides a unique way to serve their communities and grow in their relationship. The organization was established 25 years ago in Plano, Texas, as a 501(c)(3) non-profit national organization by founder and still President Pam Rosener.
The Young Men’s Service League has experienced dramatic growth in recent years. Rosener told me that, last year, 25 new chapters were established, making a total of 199 chapters in 23 states. Georgia boasts 17 chapters, mostly in Atlanta and northward including Crabapple, Milton, Dunwoody, Johns Creek, Sandy Springs and North Fulton. Nationwide, members provided 750,000 service hours last year.
“We started with 60 boys based on the principle of service,” Pam Rosener says. “We wanted to teach boys things that they don’t learn in school, church or Scouts while incorporating leadership opportunities in the process. We quickly learned that moms are the secret sauce that made the program successful. After a while I thought the program could grow nationwide.”
When Pam says that moms are the secret sauce, she means that just as mothers keep their families together, they also do so in the organization.
”They believe that they are helping their sons, but they become inspired and also grow, strengthening the organization,” she says. “They are our secret to success. It is hard to be a teen these days, and our program develops leadership skills which, in turn, foster a sense of responsibility.”
Each year, one chapter is awarded the “Ultimate Gift,” to recognize an outstanding project. The impetus for the award was a novel of the same name by Jim Stovall. In the book, a self-centered young man expects to inherit a fortune when his wealthy grandfather dies. Instead, his grandfather leaves him 12 “gifts,” which are really assignments he must complete over a period of months
PROVIDED
The mother-son team of Karen and Wyatt Stewart of Milton take part in a Young Men’s Service League project cleaning tombstones, some well over 100 years old, in the Boiling Springs Primitive Baptist Church cemetery. The Young Men’s Service League is a national non-profit organization whose members take part in community service projects throughout a student’s high school years. Mothers and sons work together on the projects. There are 1999 chapters in 23 states.
to claim his inheritance. The grandson enters on a journey of self-discovery and learns the rewards of serving others.
The book became an award-winning movie in 2006 starring James Garner (his last movie), Lee Meriwether, Drew Fuller and Bill Cobbs. In 2024, Jim Stoval and Pam Rosener collaborated on a sequel book, “Giving the Ultimate Gift.”
On July 26 a group of students and moms from Milton’s YMSL and the Milton Historical Society teamed up to clean gravestones at the Boiling Springs Primitive Baptist Church which dates back to 1837. Pat Miller, president of the Alpharetta and Old Milton County Historical Society and an
Cover of the book
“Giving the Ultimate Gift,” by Jim Stoval and Pam Rosner. The book is a sequel to Stoval’s celebrated novel, “The Ultimate Gift,” which was made into a successful movie.
Johns Creek to honor fallen American service members. The cemetery at Boiling Springs Primitive Baptist Church is one of the local cemeteries participating and has approximately 30 veterans buried there. Volunteers will be provided by the Patriots of Liberty chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Karen Stewart and her son Wyatt were among the volunteers at the church cemetery. Wyatt is a senior at Milton High School and is starting center for the Milton Eagles football team. He is spending his summer working in the Horst Shewmaker law firm in Alpharetta. This is the fourth year that Wyatt and his mom have worked together on a wide range of projects for the benefit of the community. Wyatt’s brother Will, a student at Georgia Tech, was previously a member of the Milton YMSL.
Projects have included Meals on Wheels, letters to troops, foster care support, playing baseball and tennis with the mentally disabled and Blessings in a Backpack food program for underprivileged children.
The Milton YMSL chapter was established 15 years ago and has close to 100 moms and sons, which is the maximum number of participants allowed in any chapter. Once the limit is reached a new chapter is formed.
expert in cleaning cemetery tombstones, instructed the volunteers how to effectively go about the task. Using brushes, D2 cleaner and water, many illegible tombstones, some well over 100 years old, were gradually made legible again.
James Farris, cemetery chairman of the Milton Historical Society says “the event was rewarding for all who participated at one of the oldest churches in Milton. It is a virtue to touch something from the past that honors the generations that went before us.”
On Dec. 13, Wreaths Across America, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, will place wreaths on veterans’ graves in 10 cemeteries in Milton, Alpharetta and
Karen says,“Giving back to the community not only enriches the lives of others, but it has strengthened the bond with my boys by allowing us to do something meaningful for others. It’s led to some great conversations around compassion and opened our eyes to the needs of those in our community.”
For more information about Young Men’s Service League their website is ymsl.org.
Bob is director emeritus of the Milton Historical Society and a Member of the City of Alpharetta Historic Preservation Commission. You can email him at bobmey@bellsouth.net. Bob welcomes suggestions for future columns about local history.
BOB MEYERS Columnist
Personal choice may help keep AI genie in the bottle
I have written about this more than a few times.
Technological growth continues to outpace our ability to process what that technology provides – personally and as a society. We keep trying to play catch-up, but the gap keeps growing. And
AI is only the next big leap in tech, one of many more to come.
value – or that the quality of our lives is decreasing.
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DEATH NOTICES
Christine Beldowicz, 54, of Roswell, passed away on July 31, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Donna Dutkiewicz, 61, of Roswell, passed away on July 24, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Dora Freeman, 93, of Roswell, passed away on July 27, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
“Information” is the foundation. It feels like that amount of information available to us is growing exponentially while our ability to deal with it is growing arithmetically. Thus, information is creating brave new worlds; it is also destroying worlds. It is a paradox that I keep thinking about but one that is way outside my ability to really understand.
The central paradox to me is the idea that scarcity is the foundation –or part of the core basis – of “value.”
Something that is very abundant – like for example, sand – is worth much less than something that is acutely scarce –like diamonds or a cure for cancer.
While AI doesn’t actually create or substantially increase the amount of information in existence, it does increase our access to greater amounts of information – something that feels like close to the same thing. And greater abundance means less value. And since our lives are so information-centric, a greater abundance of information must suggest that our lives have less
Samuel Harrington, 90, of Roswell, passed away on July 24, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Robert McGarry, 84, of Alpharetta, passed away on July 26, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
James Puckett, 72, of Roswell, passed away on July 28, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Bear with me.
Herbert Simon, 1978 Nobel Prize winner in economics, described my paradox succinctly. He said that “In an information-rich world, the wealth of information means a dearth of something else: a scarcity of whatever it is that information consumes. What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence, a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention and a need to allocate that attention efficiently among the overabundance of information resources that might consume it.”
That is, this technology-driven, ever-increasing amount of information that we are trying to process is taking our “pie” – the amount of time and attention that we have at our disposal – compressing it and slicing it into smaller and smaller pieces which, in turn, is making our lives less connected, less meaningful, less engaged and less happy. A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.
So collectively, I don’t believe that we can go home again. We cannot undo technological advancement; it is already too hard-wired into society – all aspects of it. However, is it possible that we can – individually – roll back the clock, at least a little? Perhaps that is the $64 question. Can we? What do you think?
It is hard for me not to think about the Amish and their way of life. Isn’t that what they have done – choose to avoid at least some of this modern
Lavone Rippeon, 86, of Roswell, passed away on July 26, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Donald Slappey, 74, of Roswell, passed away on July 25, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Nancy Veasy, 76, of Alpharetta, passed away on July 25, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
high-tech world and remain more or less “analogue” – and still function relatively successfully?
What the Amish have done involves making choices, and isn’t it fair to believe that our ability to make choices remains relatively in place despite the avalanche of technology that threatens to swallow “life as we know it” whole? Is it realistic to consider this possibility? I want to think that it may be – within a measured expectation.
Yes, there is more information permeating life as we know it than ever before in the history of the world. Yes, we cannot sweep it out the back door or sequester it somewhere underground like radioactive fuel rods. But can’t we make small, personal, manageable and wise incremental choices that walk back some of the weight of all that information on our lives – and replace it with choices that do enhance and nurture who we are and how we live? Can we not be intentional about this? Surely, we have ability to see what is happening.
The noise of AI is deafening. Technology never sleeps. It is our world today, but surely, we do have the ability to protect some of what we know to be mission-critical for our kind – to muddle forward in a “more/most” sustainable way. Isn’t that choice still out there?
Delouris West, 82, of Roswell, passed away on July 26, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Malcolm Young, 54, of Alpharetta, passed away on July 23, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
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