The Dec. 2 runoff elections took place after this paper went to press. Find results and coverage on appenmedia.com or in next week’s edition.
Sandy Springs gathering salutes city’s 20th year
By SARAH DONEHOO newsroom@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — After the last farmers market of the season, Sandy Springs residents enjoyed a sentimental celebration Nov. 22 honoring the 20th anniversary of the city’s founding.
The Picnic in the Park is part of a series of events throughout this year held by local leadership to honor Sandy Springs’ history, development and additions to its infrastructure since becoming an official city.
Mayor Rusty Paul spoke to picnic attendees acknowledging founding Mayor Eva Galambos’ decades-long role in making Sandy Springs what it is today from when the vote for its incorporation was first cast in 2005.
“For almost 40 years before it became a city, she was at the helm and we would not be here today without her leadership and her engagement,”
Much has changed over the last 20 years, but one thing remains the same, our community’s ability to build momentum, our ability to have a shared vision and a common goal about what we aspire it to be”
RUSTY PAUL
Sandy Springs Mayor
Paul said, also thanking City Councilman Tibby DeJulio for his contributions while serving as vice chair for the Committee for Sandy Springs.
See PICNIC, Page 10
County officials tour new Human Services center
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — In just a few months, North Fulton residents will have a new county facility off Ga. 400 in Alpharetta, expanding access to health and human services.
Local leaders gathered at 4770 North
Point Parkway Nov. 18 for a hard-hat tour of the nearly completed Fulton County Health and Human Services North facility.
With renovations of both floors substantially completed, the facility will focus on senior health services when it opens in early 2026.
The Fulton County Health and
Human Services Center North will centralize and expand existing services while making room for new ones, like specialized services for independent seniors and an adult day care for those in assisted living or with caregivers.
Officials last met for a sledgehammer ceremony to kick off renovations in February.
County Commissioner Bridget Thorne said she hopes the Health and Human Services Center becomes a community building, where residents can come enjoy the cafeteria that looks out onto a lake. Thorne said she’s most excited about the facility’s new services for seniors.
See TOUR, Page 10
SARAH DONEHOO/APPEN MEDIA
Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul cuts the first slice of anniversary cake at the Nov. 22 Picnic in the Park at City Springs.
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Community Assistance Center launches employment program
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Community Assistance Center, serving neighbors in Dunwoody in Sandy Springs since the late ’80s, has introduced an employment hub designed to help Metro Atlantans upskill, reskill and secure better paying jobs.
The Central Perimeter nonprofit welcomed local and state leaders to its new Empowerment Center at 1130 Hightower Trail in Sandy Springs Nov. 13. The building is just off Roswell Road (Ga. 9) in Sandy Springs’ North End.
The Empowerment Center expands the nonprofit’s free adult education and career services while introducing new workforce development programs to help clients and community members gain skills needed to secure betterpaying jobs and move more families toward long-term financial stability and independence.
In his opening remarks, CEO Francis K. Horton III said that in 2024, 77 percent of people who sought CAC services were working at least one job.
“They needed to upskill,” Horton said. “They needed to reskill, so they could move their families toward
COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE CENTER/PROVIDED
From left, Community Assistance Center Program Director Doris Pereira; Greater Perimeter Chamber of Commerce CEO Adam Forrand; CAC CEO Francis K. Horton III; U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath of Georgia’s 6th District; Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul; and Karen Leone de Nie, vice president of community and economic development at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, hold onto the scissors at the Nov. 13 ribbon-cutting at the new Empowerment Center off Hightower Trail in Sandy Springs.
financial stability. The Empowerment Center was created in response to this need.”
The Empowerment Center offers free courses, including six levels of English
as a second or other language, financial management and computer skills.
Career services offered include resume building, interview preparation, job coaching from experienced career
advocates and job placement assistance.
The Community Assistance Center is also rolling out Thrive, its new workforce development program for clients facing financial hardships. It seeks to remove barriers that prevent clients from focusing on the skills needed to secure better-paying jobs that can transform their lives. Barriers vary among program participants and can include childcare, transportation, housing and tuition.
Participants benefit from Thrive’s holistic approach which integrates career training, personalized care management, financial assistance and access to the CAC’s full suite of wraparound services.
“Our new Thrive program is an exciting and bold new step for CAC,” Horton said. “This program will help facilitate transformational change in families, which means transformational change in our community.”
Horton emphasized that transformational change is generational change.
“Through this workforce development program, CAC has a significant opportunity to positively impact generations of Sandy Springs and Dunwoody residents,” he said.
See PROGRAM, Page 7
Chamber luncheon explores future of hiring in Perimeter
By JAMIE GODIN newsroom@appenmedia.com
PERIMETER, Ga — Nearly 100 hiring professionals gathered at City Springs in Sandy Springs Nov. 19 for the Greater Perimeter Chamber’s Signature Luncheon, sponsored by Atlanta International School.
The discussion focused on how shifts in skills, technology and worker expectations are changing hiring strategies for major employers in the Perimeter market.
The panel featured Cathy Manginelli, chief talent officer at TriNet; Teal Edmeade, who leads talent acquisition and HR operations at Northside Hospital; and Nancy Whatley, senior director of global talent acquisition and learning at Veritiv Corporation. Greater Perimeter Chamber CEO Adam Forrand moderated.
Across sectors, the panelists said employers are placing greater emphasis on human-centered abilities that cannot be automated. Manginelli, whose company provides HR services and support to small and mid-sized businesses, described TriNet’s focus on adaptability and confidence in uncertain situations.
“You have to be agile, a problem solver, someone who is going to lean in when there are challenges,” she said. She added that the company looks for what it calls self-efficacy, “believing in yourself when you do not know the road ahead.”
Edmeade, whose organization is one of the region’s largest hospital systems, said Northside prioritizes people who bring values-driven decision-making to patient care. She pointed to the
commitment shown during Atlanta snowstorms, when workers stayed at the hospital for days to care for patients.
“The same way they are committed to taking care of those who need care, we need as an organization to provide the care to them,” she said.
Whatley, whose company designs and manufactures digital infrastructure and industrial solutions, noted that data literacy has become essential across Veritiv’s workforce, from warehouse employees to sales teams.
“It does not matter what kind of job you are in,” she said. “It is all about the data you are collecting and how you choose to use it.”
Technology is also changing how companies hire. Manginelli said
TriNet uses automation in parts of its recruitment process, but views AI as a tool rather than a replacement.
“Is it going to replace certain parts of jobs? Yes,” she said. “Is it going to help certain tasks be automated so that you can focus on other stuff? Yes. And we are already seeing that.”
Flexibility continues to shape employee expectations. Manginelli said TriNet has adopted a core-hours model in its Atlanta office, creating a 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. overlap while allowing employees to shift their schedules. The company also provides six remote days each month. Whatley said Veritiv’s flexibility varies by role, with warehouse workers and drivers required on site while sales and corporate positions have more options.
Development programs are
becoming a major retention tool.
Edmeade said Northside offers scholarships, residencies and structured career-pathing for employees seeking new specialties. “We take about 1,200 nurses every year and put them through those programs,” she said.
TriNet is building out a 150,000-square-foot office in Dunwoody’s High Street, planning to add 750 jobs over five years. Veritiv is also growing following recent acquisitions, and demand across the region’s healthcare systems remains strong.
Despite differences in industry, the panelists agreed that investing in people, through culture, training and flexibility remains the most reliable strategy.
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From left, Greater Perimeter Chamber CEO Adam Forrand, Teal Edmeade of Northside Hospital, Cathy Manginelli of TriNet and Nancy Whatley of Veritiv appear Nov. 19 at Sandy Springs City Hall during a workforce panel which highlighted in-demand skills, employee flexibility and technology-driven hiring strategies
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!
PAINTERS
1. Angler’s bait. “Haystacks” painter. Mouse-like mammal.
2. “Christina’s World” painter. Longing. Hare Krishna, e.g.
3. Attention getter. “Naked Maja” painter. Sci-fi character.
4. Guinness, e.g. Cash holder. “Sugaring Off” painter.
5. Hard roe. Crucifix. “The Persistence of Memory” painter.
6. “The Ballet Class” painter. Bone dry. Wooden shoe.
7. Norse thunder god. Le Cirque painter. Muddy up (the water).
1 Angler’s bait. “Haystacks” painter. Mouse-like mammal.
2. “Christina’s World” painter. Longing. Hare Krishna, e.g.
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. Attention getter. “Naked Maja” painter. Sci-fi character.
4. Guinness, e.g. Cash holder. “Sugaring Off” painter
5. Hard roe. Crucifix. “The Persistence of Memory” painter.
6. “The Ballet Class” painter. Bone dry. Wooden shoe.
7. Norse thunder god “The Circus” (Le Cirque) painter. Muddy up (the water).
A graph shows decreased enrollment numbers in Fulton County schools from 2022 through 2026. Lower student enrollment can lead to reduced funding and resources from the state.
Fulton Schools reviews strategy to avoid looming budget deficit
BY HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — As enrollment continues to decline, Fulton County Schools is considering a strategy to keep its budget in the black as costs rise and tax revenues fall.
At its Nov. 20 meeting, the School Board heard proposals that could help the district through a special costsavings strategy known as Growth Opportunities, Lean Operations, Investment in Innovation, Diversify Revenue and Enhance Efficiency, or G.L.I.D.E.
The school system expects annual costs to exceed revenue every year in the coming five years, creating a deficit of nearly $94 million by 2030. Chief Financial Officer Marvin Dereef outlined rising healthcare costs for staff, decreased enrollment and a drop in local tax revenues as three issues facing the district.
To help offset the projected budget shortfall, proposed interventions include reducing specific operational expenses and eliminating 140 staff positions by July 1, 2026. This would result in approximately $93-95 million in savings over the next five years.
“At the end of the day, we have to make some tough decisions,” Superintendent Mike Looney said. “… these reductions alone will not cover all of the ground that we need to make up … to be in a good, strong financial position over the next five years … this is just part of the bigger picture.”
The district anticipates reducing the number of school-based employees by at least 100 positions and the number of central office district-level positions by at least 140. Decisions will be made through a transparent and systematic process that would include public input, Looney said. Nearly 1,000
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residents have offered feedback and participated in the district’s online thought exchange platform. School Board members have conducted 14 community meetings and will continue fostering stakeholder engagement.
For those who want to provide public feedback, visit tejoin.com and take the survey using the code 354522171. A link and more information are available on Fulton County Schools’ website.
Reductions will begin by eliminating non-essential positions that are currently vacant and by not immediately filling vacant positions that are deemed necessary. Looney said Fulton Schools’ will offer eligible employees a retirement incentive, and those who are not eligible will be offered separation agreements if their positions are eliminated.
Costs for providing Fulton County Schools’ employees with healthcare has nearly doubled over the past four years, Board President Kristin McCabe said. It is vital that the community and district employees understand the financial strains the school system is facing, McCabe said.
School Board member Lillie Pozatek said it’s important to note that Fulton County Schools’ general fund balance fully pays for its programs for special needs students. Currently, the district is spending over $215 million to fund programs for its largest rising population of students.
McCabe added that while the federal government is supposed to fund 40 percent of special needs program, the district receives 9-11 percent of the funding promised.
In a related presentation, Chief Financial Officer Dereef said the district proposes a $10 decrease to the amount allocated per pupil to $120. The district projects to save around $850,000 with each $10 reduction, Dereef said, further enhancing the district’s ability to allocate resources.
In other action at the meeting, the School Board approved the consent agenda, which included contracts to renovate Autrey Mill Middle School and installing new audio and visual equipment at three high schools. The first read of Fulton County Schools’ 2027-28 instructional calendar was approved, nearly solidifying the weeklong breaks scheduled for September and February.
All legal, land and student personnel matters discussed in the executive session that took place before the meeting were approved by the School Board.
Bourbon and Sinatra: Podcast honors two of America’s best
By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com
MILTON, Ga. — Luke Boggs and Chris Reynolds need just three songs and three pours of bourbon to record an episode of their podcast devoted to Frank Sinatra and America’s native spirit.
The two men, who met online last year, meet monthly in Downtown Alpharetta to tape “Frankly Drinking with Friends: The Swell Frank Sinatra and Bourbon Podcast.” Their formula is simple: a song between every sample, and neither knows what the other has chosen until they hit record.
“When Chris is talking about the whiskey and he’s sharing it with me, I’m really sitting in for the friends that are listening to the show,” Boggs said. “And on the flip side, Chris can ask me questions about the song, about the album and he’s also representing the listener.”
Since launching in September 2024, the duo has released 23 episodes and attracted listeners from as far away as New Zealand.
Boggs dove into Sinatra’s discography in the early ’90s and eventually bought nearly every CD that Sinatra released, including his live recordings.
“There’s something about this period of music, Sinatra and his contemporaries, that’s particularly interesting to me because of the expertise and the craft that was put into the songs,” Boggs said. “I really appreciate it and … it’s an emotional connection to that kind of music.”
Reynolds, full of handwritten research about tonight’s whiskey samples. After each music sample, Boggs will launch into the backstory of the song or describe the creative process surrounding it as he name-drops some of the most well-known contributors to the Great American Songbook.
Reynolds breaks open the first bottle and pours them each enough for three sips: the first to acclimate the taste buds, a second that should coat one’s mouth and allow them to start noticing hints of what’s in the drink, and the third sip that will provide the full flavor profile.
As the men sip at their own pace, Reynolds tells the story of the Blackened brand. The name comes from a 1988 Metallica song and is reflected in the black barrels used to finish the whiskey.
Karen Leone de Nie, vice president of community and economic development at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, delivered the keynote address.
Her team conducts research and builds networks of leaders who support economic opportunities for low- and moderate-income families.
She noted that a recent National Skills Coalition study found that 90 percent of Georgia jobs across all industries require digital skills, yet one-third of workers lack the foundational digital literacy needed to be successful.
“Addressing the skills gap benefits everyone,” Leone de Nie said. “Programs like CAC’s Empowerment Center can bridge that gap and better meet evolving employment needs.”
Reynolds found his passion for bourbon in exploring the numerous decisions that go into producing a single bottle. The way the liquor evolves in the barrel into an accumulation of flavors fascinates him.
“It takes years to know if you have a good product,” Reynolds said. “It’s real work, it’s real magic.”
After becoming a chartered master whiskey taster at Whiskey University and an executive bourbon steward at the Stave & Thief Society, Reynolds brings the “bourbon firepower” Boggs said he was searching for to make this show work.
When it’s time to record, Boggs places a script on both sides of the microphone as Reynolds takes on his role of “Whiskey Whisperer” and unveils his selections for the episode. The two men banter and laugh throughout the hour-long session, recording their live reactions to each song and bottle.
For the recording of this Valentine’s Day episode, Boggs strays from the show’s traditional opening and plays ‘My Foolish Heart’ while Reynolds wonders how well his selection of Blackened, Metallica’s whiskey brand, will pair with it.
A notebook lies flat in front of
The lobby of the Community Assistance Center’s new Empowerment Center is at 1130 Hightower Trail in Sandy Springs, billing itself as the regional hub for Metro Atlantans to find the connections and skills they need to secure better paying jobs.
Leone de Nie said the labor market represents a relationship between employers and jobseekers but not a simple one. In discussing solutions to achieving maximum employment in communities, she highlighted
her team’s focus on the “three Cs”— community, capital and careers.
“It requires connectors like CAC to bridge the distance between employers’ needs and workers’ goals, especially as workforce needs evolve,” she said.
Metallica worked with Dave Pickerell, former master distiller of Maker’s Mark whiskey, to develop the recipe that was released in 2018. Now, Rob Dietrich oversees the whiskey in Columbus, Ohio, ensuring that every batch is “Metallicized,” as Reynolds described it. Each batch is sonically enhanced to extract more flavor from the charred oak staves of the barrel, heightening flavors like caramel, vanilla and dried fruit.
“This [podcast] is just sharing things we’re passionate about,” Boggs said, “and getting to talk about them and, kind of, experience them together.”
The podcast “Frankly Drinking with Friends: The Swell Frank Sinatra and Bourbon Podcast” is free and available on Apple Music, Spotify and other major podcast platforms.
“When communities collaborate and capital targets effective solutions, career pathways become more accessible to more people.”
The Empowerment Center aligns community partnerships, targeted resources and career support, putting the three Cs framework into action.
The celebration also featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony and facility tours.
Distinguished guests included, Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul, Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch, Sandy Springs council members Melissa Mular and John Paulson, Greater Perimeter Chamber of Commerce CEO Adam Forrand and U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath of Georgia’s 6th District.
“Atlanta ranks dead last out of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in economic mobility,” McBath said. “In a state that touts its number 1 status for doing business, we should strive to move Atlanta to the top of the economic mobility list, too.”
PHOTOS BY: HANNAH YAHNE/APPEN MEDIA
Luke Boggs, left, and Chris Reynolds, right, laugh as they record their podcast, “Frankly Drinking with Friends: The Swell Frank Sinatra and Bourbon Podcast,” at Thrive Coworking Nov. 19 in Downtown Alpharetta.
COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE CENTER/PROVIDED
The most dangerous place for seniors
Brought to you by – Bath and Kitchen Galleria
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.
Grab Bars: Strategically placed sturdy, professional-grade grab bars are critical. They must be securely anchored into wall studs, not just
the drywall. Placement is key: near the toilet to assist with sitting and standing, and both inside and just outside the shower/tub for secure entry and exit. Modern grab bars come in a variety of stylish finishes to seamlessly blend with your décor.
Toilet Area: A standard toilet can be difficult to use for those with limited mobility. Installing a comfort-height or raised toilet seat reduces the strain on joints and makes the transition from sitting to standing much easier. Pairing this with well-placed grab bars provides a significant boost in stability.
Flooring and Lighting: Replace slippery tile or remove loose bath mats 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-thenight 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.
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Picnic:
Continued from Page 1
“Much has changed over the last 20 years but one thing remains the same: our community’s ability to build momentum, our ability to have a shared vision and a common goal about what we aspire it to be,” Paul said. “We’re bringing neighbors together in the heart of the city and honoring two decades of growth, resilience and civic pride.”
The Sandy Springs Community Assistance Center and Solidarity Sandy Springs had volunteers collecting nonperishable food items for families experiencing food insecurity.
After a blessing of the food from Rev. Lyndsay Slocum of Kairos Presbyterian Church, organizers showed a heartwarming video composed of elementary schoolers in
Tour:
Continued from Page 1
“I just see that as a need for seniors to have facilities close by,” she said. “I’m excited about having events and activities here for them to bring our seniors together, mainly to engage with them and understand what their needs are.”
The building will also house departments addressing adult behavioral health, developmental disabilities, DUI-related services and real estate and asset management.
The upstairs includes access to vital records, supplemental programming for women, infants and children (WIC), emergency preparedness, nursing and wraparound services for children and adolescents.
Designed for easy navigation
With multiple departments and dozens of services packed into one building, the project management team with Atlanta-based construction firm Beck designed the renovation to fit the specific services slated for each room.
Jason Smith, project manager and architect at Beck, said each department’s lobby is color-coded to help people navigate the winding hallways. Corresponding signage and wayfinding are still down the road.
The county purchased the roughly 24-acre site, containing an existing 180,000-square-foot commercial office building, surface parking lot and lake, in fall 2019.
When the pandemic hit months later, the county used the building to
Sandy Springs asking older residents questions about the community.
Attendees had the choice to bring their own meal or to get a plate of food served by Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center Executive Chef Karl Elliott’s team.
Aldo Cardenas, Director of Food and Beverage, explained that the menu consisted of both breakfast and lunch items to make a nice brunch for the community, saying that the overall response was good.
“We’re always ready to do a great job,” he said.
The Performing Arts Center’s catering team also served food at last month’s OktoberFEAST.
Paul ceremoniously cut the first slice of the city’s 20th anniversary cake from Baker’s Man Inc.
“We have a phenomenal chef here in Sandy Springs and he and his team put the brunch together and everyone seemed to love it,” Paul said.
Fulton County Commissioner Bridget Thorne shares her excitement for the new Fulton County Health and Human Services Center North off North Point Parkway in Alpharetta during a Nov. 18 hard hat tour with city and county officials. Thorne said the facility will provide extensive senior services and house her new office where she can interact with constituents.
store personal protective equipment before turning it into the one of largest COVID-19 testing and vaccination centers in the area, second only to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
County Manager Dick Anderson said the renovation of 4770 North Point Parkway was fortuitous.
“The mission fundamentally … was to make a statement for North Fulton,” Anderson said.
“We provide a number of services … one of them is public health, which is on Royal Drive [just a couple blocks away].”
The other county-provided service relocating is behavioral health at the North Fulton Service Center along Roswell Road in Sandy Springs.
“Those are the two primary ones moving,” Anderson said. “Behavioral health and some of the additional Board of Health services, like women, infants and children (WIC)) are new.”
Getting the word out
Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin observed that many residents in his city are unaware of the services the county makes available to them. He
said he is grateful for Fulton County investment in Alpharetta.
“We have a lot of requests for these types of services that are more convenient for residents, but it’s difficult for individual cities to provide those services individually,” Gilvin said. “This is a game changer for Fulton County, for North Fulton specifically, and our residents.”
County Commissioner Bob Ellis, representing the western half of North Fulton in District 2, said the facility will have a meaningful impact on the lives of local residents who take advantage of county services.
While the site is in District 1 on the east side of North Fulton, Ellis said the site was chosen because of its proximity to Ga. 400 and central location in North Fulton.
“When we get this thing close to being active, help us to publicize the services so people are aware of them and come in here and take advantage of them,” Ellis said.
The county is moving forward with plans for a sister facility in South Fulton.
Anderson said staff is recommending the County Commission to select a 40-acre site across from the South Fulton Service Center off Stonewall Tell Road in College Park.
The site was formerly used to house roadway paving equipment before the City of South Fulton incorporated and took over the routine maintenance.
“It’s a great place, and feasibility studies showed that’s where a large part of the population is concentrated,” Anderson said. “The land is already owned, and it’s collocated with another government facility.”
SARAH DONEHOO/APPEN MEDIA
Kids play on the City Springs Green after Picnic in The Park Nov. 22. Two decades removed from its incorporation, Sandy Springs has built out its own downtown at Mount Vernon Highway and Roswell Road (Ga. 9).
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
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Railroad turntable stands as marvel of the past
Once upon a time, when I was just a wee lad, I wanted to be a titan of the railroad industry. And I was not alone. My vision was shared by tens of thousands of my peers, and the Sears Wishbook (remember that one?) fed my addiction with endless pages of model train sets. I pored over those pages for hours. If I was good enough, I told myself, maybe Santa would bring me one of those treasured flat boxes, loaded with dozen pieces of HO-gauge track and a tiny locomotive and maybe as many as a half dozen rail cars (boxcars and flatbeds and a tanker car, too, not to mention the prize of prizes…a red caboose!).
Cut to the chase: How good was I? Good enough, apparently, for that’s what appeared under the tree one year. Woohoo!
I remember it well, After Christmas morning chaos had settled down, I cleared out a spot and opened the box and meticulously put it all together. No NASA project was ever handled with such care and attention to detail, and soon my railroad was ready to go. It went round in an oval about 3 feet across and 4 feet long – not quite intercontinental, not yet anyway, but more than enough for an 8-year-old rail magnate-to-be.
A few days after Christmas, we even went to the local hobby shop (remember those?) where I spent my $2 in cash, a gift from Uncle Somebody-or-Other, and bought a green and gray plastic mountain with a tunnel right through the middle. Back home, I lovingly placed the mountain over the straight part of the track. My little train purred through that tunnel perhaps a thousand times, though it always went round left-toright in the same unvarying circle. Though I really had been good, I guess I hadn’t been good enough for one of the big sets with the switch tracks – unfortunate, for in railroading as in life it’s occasionally helpful to change directions.
Anyway, my miniature rail empire remained a favorite pastime for quite a while. Then other things came along to distract me. I grew older, and now I’m grown, though the call of the rails still softly echoes from some dusty corner of memory.
Anyway, the other day I had a call from a friend.
“Want to go see the trains?” he asked.
Engine No 4501, a lovingly maintained steam locomotive, takes a
“The trains” referred to a model railroad layout of near-Biblical proportions, the creation of a mutual friend who had remained true to the Railroad Way from childhood on. As an adult, he had created a model train layout which filled his entire basement. Within that tangle of track were many, many switches, and his trains could go in any direction you could imagine.
It was all impressive, every single bit of it, but the star of his show was what he called “the turntable.”
A railway turntable is just what the name suggests: a rotating railroad-sized table designed to turn a locomotive so it points in a new direction.
How’s that? Well, say your train has come to the end of the line. You need to turn it around and go back from whence you came – and the easiest way to do that is to build a giant turntable and simply turn that locomotive around.
Fans of railroad lore are quick
to tell you that there really are such turntables. In fact, one of them is alive and well and still turning in Summerville, Ga., just up the road.
The Summerville turntable was built in 1916 in Birmingham, Ala., for the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and has been described as “a marvel of its time.” The rotating portion of track, which measured some 100 feet long, could point trains in any of about three dozen different directions.
The turntable stayed busy for years, handling such legendary passenger trains as the Pan American and the Florida Arrow. Eventually, when it finally went out of service in the late 1990s, it was donated to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) and eventually relocated to J.R. “Dick” Dowdy Park just off US 27 in Summerville, where it was restored. Now owned by the City of Summerville and operated by the museum, it is one of the few operating turntables in the
United States.
Many railroad history fans visit to see the old turntable. If they’re lucky and their timing is right, they may also get to see one of a pair of lovingly maintained steam locomotives that use the track – the 114-year-old No. 4501 and the 121-year-old No. 630. Those locomotives pull steam train excursions from Chattanooga to Summerville and back during spring, summer and fall, though TVRM’s Penelope Gault points out that with 100-plus-year-old rolling stock “there will occasionally be a day or two when one or the other is not available to run.”
I ask her how the turntable works.
“When we pull into Summerville,” she says, “guests get off the train.”
Some wander into town for lunch, but many (especially the serious railroad history fans) stay to see what’s about to happen next. And that is this:
First, the locomotive is disconnected from the train itself. It pulls slowly onto the turntable, stopping at the center. Then the electrically driven turntable begins its slow rotation, gradually turning the locomotive around until it’s pointing back the way it came. The locomotive then pulls off the turntable and makes its way up a separate section of track to what becomes the front of the train. Everything is reconnected, and the train is ready to return to Chattanooga. The whole process takes just a few minutes.
To see the turntable in action, you’ll want to visit when the trips from Chattanooga are running. Those start in late spring and continue through summer with a couple of trips a month; later, come fall, trips run every weekend through early November. You can just drop by Summerville, or you can jump in with both feet and book a spot on one of the Chattanooga-to-Summerville excursions. Either way, start by getting current schedule info from the museum’s website at tvrail.com.
This time of year, if you just want to get in a little train time, you might check out the popular “Summerville Santa” trips. These shorter dieselpowered excursions, which run in December, start in Summerville and take you a few miles up the track to Trion and back. They don’t involve the turntable, but they do give you a chance to take a train trip with Santa. What could be better than that? A few seats may still be available on some of these trips; again, you can find out by visiting tvrail.com
By the way, if you do happen to see Santa on the train, put in a good word for me. Tell him I’ve been good.
I’ll do the same for you.
TRAVIS D. GORDON/PROVIDED
breather on the track in Summerville.
STEVE HUDSON Columnist
STEVE HUDSON/APPEN MEDIA
An overview shows the massive sweep of the Summerville railroad turntable, one of the few remaining in the country.
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