Mental health, environmental advocate challenges District 3 council incumbent
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — As it stands in late July, the District 3 race in Sandy Springs is between incumbent City Councilwoman Melissa Mular and challenger Tara Overzat.
Every four years, Sandy Springs holds nonpartisan municipal elections for all seats on the City Council and
the mayor’s position. Unlike many surrounding jurisdictions, there are no staggered terms.
District 3 includes neighborhoods and commercial areas north of I-285 in Sandy Springs, excluding a part of District 5 south of Hammond Drive and some of District 6 west of Riverside Drive.
The City Springs downtown district and Sandy Springs City Hall are in the
County Commissioner Bob Ellis says a bid to allow Fulton County to raise property taxes by 12 percent this year makes no sense. Ellis, who represents the western half of North Fulton, says the financial picture for 2025 remains strong. The County Commission will formally adopt a property tax rate Aug. 6.
heart of District 3.
To the east, the district borders the city of Dunwoody and the Central Perimeter business district.
Its northern boundary zig zags across the center of the city, along Abernathy Road, Mount Vernon Highway and Dalrymple Road, to the Chattahoochee River just north of Johnson Ferry Road.
County commissioner blasts proposed property tax hike
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Fulton County
Commissioner Bob Ellis said he is “vehemently opposed” to increasing the property tax rate above its current 8.87 mills.
The rate has remained flat since 2022.
In a 4-3 vote June 18, the Board of Commissioners tentatively adopted a 2025 millage rate of 9.87 mills – a full mill higher. If formally adopted Aug. 6, the levy would represent a tax increase of 12.5 percent over the rollback rate.
Georgia law requires that a rollback millage rate be computed that will produce the same revenue as last year’s rate would have produced had no reassessments occurred. Even if commissioners
keep the rate flat, property owners will likely still pay more.
Commission Chairman Robb Pitts, a Democrat, joined North Fulton’s Republican commissioners Ellis and Bridget Thorne, to oppose capping this year’s levy 1 mill higher than county staff’s recommendation.
Property owners pay taxes to help finance the county’s general fund, which pays for maintenance and operations. The general fund budget is expected to total $974 million this year. Property taxes make up the fund’s largest revenue source, taking in close to $700 million.
If commissioners raise the property tax rate by 1 mill, revenues are expected to increase just under $80 million.
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City sets hearings to establish property tax rate
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sandy Springs officials announced their intention to keep the property tax rate flat at 4.731 mills, a move that is estimated to raise city tax bills by 0.71 percentage over the rollback millage rate.
For the city to generate the same property tax revenue as last year, it would need to set the millage rate at 4.697 mills. By proposing to keep the rate flat, property owners will see an increase of 0.1015 mills over the rollback millage rate.
The Fulton County Board of Tax Assessors is required by law to redetermine values of all taxable property in the city and adjust the
assessment if trends indicate there has been a change in the fair market value of recently sold properties.
After the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires that a rollback millage rate be computed that will produce the same revenue as last year’s rate would have produced had no reassessments occurred.
Throughout the city’s nearly 20-year history, Sandy Springs has maintained a millage rate of 4.731 mills.
In 2020, property taxes generated around $42.5 million for the city’s general fund. This year, it is expected to generate around $52.4
million.
Most of the increase in property tax revenue came amid higher reassessments from 2021-24, but revenues are expected to increase by less than half a percent this year.
The city says because the 2026 budget adopted by the mayor and City Council requires revenue higher than the rollback millage rate would produce, it is not proposing to keep the amount of property taxes it collects the same as last year.
The proposed tax increase for a residential property with a homestead exemption and a fair market value of $685,000 will be around $91. For a non-homesteaded
property with the same fair market value, the tax increase would be around $96.
Before the city can finalize the tentative budget and set a final millage rate, state law also requires three public hearings to allow citizens an opportunity to express their opinions on the increase.
All residents are invited to public hearings on the tax increase at Sandy Springs City Hall, 1 Galambos Way:
• August 5 at 8:30 a.m.
• August 5 at 5 p.m.
• August 19 at 6 p.m.
— Hayden Sumlin
Planners advance bid for Whataburger on Roswell Road
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Sandy Springs Planning Commission recommended a conditional use permit for a 24-hour Whataburger drive-thru restaurant at 8721 Roswell Road.
The 1.36-acre site is zoned for commercial use up to three stories (CX-3) and the new fast-food chain requires the approval of a permit for its drive-thru facility.
Placing a popular 24-hour drive-thru restaurant on one of the city’s busiest roadways raised initial alarm at a series of community meetings the city held with developers in March. But company representatives say motorist access to the restaurant will be via a side street off Roswell Road.
The City Council is set to vote on the permit Aug. 19, which would give the city its first Whataburger, a popular San Antonio-based chain specializing in burgers.
There is just one Whataburger inside the I-285 Perimeter at Cumberland, and the chain is expanding across Metro Atlanta with locations in Alpharetta, Cumming and Roswell.
The existing building was constructed as a drive-thru bank in the early 1990s and has been vacant for more than a year after Wells Fargo shuttered the location last summer.
The property is an outparcel of the Dunwoody Place shopping center, which is anchored by a Publix just north of Huntcliff and Huntington Place.
City staff said the proposal fits with the goals of the Comprehensive and North End Redevelopment plans.
According to data from Fulton County Board of Assessors, the applicant purchased the site for $2.8 million last October. The property owner, listed as MTO RE Sandy Springs Roswell Rd LLC, is a subsidiary of Texas-based Whataburger franchisee — Made To Order Holdings LLC.
Plans call for demolishing the existing vacant building and drive-thru facilities before
CITY OF SANDY SPRINGS/PROVIDED Renderings show a proposed Whataburger at 8721 Roswell Road, the site of a former Wells Fargo bank branch within the Dunwoody Place shopping center. The Sandy Springs Planning Commission recommended approval of permit to allow a 24-hour drive-thru at the city’s first Whataburger, setting it up for the City Council’s approval Aug. 19.
constructing a new 3,200-square-foot restaurant.
Additions include an outdoor patio and bike rack, 20 parking spaces with accessibility for disabled people, an enclosed dumpster, landscaping and a drive-thru entrance shielded from Roswell Road.
Also at the March community meeting, surrounding residents asked about a number of homeless people seen on the property in recent months.
Whataburger representatives told them they completed a traffic study and submitted it to the city, adding that they will contact Sandy Springs Police if homeless people become disruptive.
Because of prior accidents at the former bank, residents wanted to know how the franchisee plans
to handle traffic flow.
The entrance to the property will be from a private side street separating the shopping center from the restaurant.
City planners and the franchisee said left turns onto Roswell Road are not allowed from the side street, but there will be “ample signage.” Also, they said future work along Roswell Road (Ga. 9) calls for a stop light at the intersection.
The city’s planning staff said the proposal has minimal impact and would meet and exceed all district standards related to the conditional use permit. Staff’s recommendation was approval of the request with three conditions.
Newspaper Delivery Route Openings with Appen Media Group
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Requirements: Must have a perfect driving record and background check, reliable transportation, honest, hard-working and positive attitude.
For more information or to apply, email heidi@appenmedia.com and include a paragraph or two about who you are and any relevant background/experience. In the subject line of the email please put “Delivery Route Application.” See WHATABURGER, Page 6
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TOOLS
1. River feature. Croupier’s tool. Hate.
2. Fireman’s tool. Family member. Conundrum.
3. Small whirlpool. Carpenter’s tool. Man of morals.
4. Dentist’s tool. Chess piece. Wanderer.
5. Saintly topper. Plumber’s tool. Killer whale.
6. Sculptor’s tool. Voting group. Sign of healing.
7. Command to a horse. Priest’s superior. Farmer’s tool.
1 River feature. Croupier’s tool. Hate
2. Fireman’s tool. Family member. Conundrum
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. Small whirlpool. Carpenter’s tool. Man of morals
4. Dentist’s tool. Chess piece. Wanderer
5. Saintly topper. Plumber’s tool. Killer whale
6. Sculptor’s tool. Voting group. Sign of healing
7. Command to a horse. Priest’s superior. Farmer’s tool
What is the cost of living in Fulton County?
Community engagement is an essential part of Appen Media’s newsroom strategy. That’s why reporters for the Herald and Crier newspapers seek out all sorts of reader questions. Sometimes those inquiries don’t lead to standalone stories because of time constraints or, more simply, the answers can be short.
Here is a question Appen has received and the answer your reporter dug up.
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
NORTH METRO ATLANTA —Essential workers in North Fulton cities, including teachers, public safety personnel and mechanics, often live outside of the region in more affordable communities.
In early May, Roswell resident Courtney Rozear asked a series of questions about housing attainability and average wages for workers after the city shut down the Economy Hotel off Old Dogwood Road.
The cost of living for the average family of four in Fulton County requires an annual household income of $107,508, according to a 2022 study from United for ALICE.
In comparison, the “household survival budget” for a family of four in Butts County is $77,856.
Georgia United Ways produced the statewide report documenting the number of households below the federal poverty level.
The report also included the number of ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households, which earn above poverty levels but not enough to afford the
basics in the communities where they live.
The North Fulton Improvement Network, a local think tank dedicated to workforce housing, income and employment, transportation, child well-being and food security, cited the study in a June 2025 report.
In North Fulton cities, Sandy Springs leads the pack with 8 percent of households below poverty level and 32 percent of them ALICE.
Have a question?
Send your story tips and ideas to newsroom@appenmedia.com. Ask questions about the community at appenmedia.com/ask and we’ll do our best to find the answer.
Financial hardship varies by location, and there are not cost of living estimates for individual North Fulton cities.
Roswell is in the middle of the pack in North Fulton with 5 percent of households below poverty level and 31 percent of them ALICE.
Johns Creek has the lowest percentage of households below poverty level in the region, while Milton has the lowest percentage of ALICE households.
Across Fulton County, 67 percent of individuals under age 25 are below poverty level or unable to afford necessities in their community. But when compared to the 13-county metro area, Fulton has the least amount of young people in the category.
Cities join Milton campaign to overturn lawsuit ruling
By SARAH COYNE sarah@appenmedia.com
MILTON, Ga. — More than 61 cities have signed onto a friend of the court brief supporting the City of Milton in a $35 million wrongful death lawsuit.
The joint amicus brief, or letter of support, comes as the Georgia Supreme Court is poised to review the case sometime in late October.
The case is Chang v. City of Milton.
Whataburger:
Continued from Page 4
On Nov. 18, 2016, Josh Chang, a Yale University student, was killed in a single-car accident after his car struck a concrete planter on the shoulder of Batesville Road in Milton.
Chang’s parents sued the city for wrongful death and won after a Fulton County State Court jury ruled in their favor, ordering the city to pay more than $32.5 million in damages. According to the ruling, the court found enough evidence of negligence
The first condition, later removed by members of the Planning Commission, restricted hours of operation Sunday-Wednesday from 5 a.m. to 12 a.m. and ThursdaySaturday from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. After Whataburger representatives told commission members that all their locations are open 24 hours a day, the motion to approve the permit with all three conditions failed.
The recommendation to approve the permit still carries the other two conditions, which require a minimum number of “stacking spaces” per drive-thru lane and adherence to the submitted site plan.
In other business during the July Planning Commission meeting, members also recommended approval of a rezoning at 5375 Northland Drive to subdivide the 1.98-acre property into three residential lots. The rezoning is from a residential estate with a 1-acre lot minimum (RE-1) to residential detached with a
and cited inconsistent testimony on the part of Milton.
The City of Milton appealed the decision but was unsuccessful after the Georgia Court of Appeals upheld the lower court’s ruling last September.
An attorney for the Chang family said at the time he estimated the interest accrued on the award was around $3.5 million and would continue to grow around $10,000 a day.
7,500-square-foot minimum (RD-7.5).
The property, west of Ga. 400 and south of I-285 in the High Point neighborhood, has an existing postWWII ranch home and is largely wooded, according to staff’s analysis.
The three new parcels will range from 0.42 acres to 0.73 acres, representing a mild increase in density.
One commissioner asked staff about whether the proposed parcels, two of which are flag-shaped lots, fit with the city’s Next Ten Comprehensive Plan.
Because the lot abuts an age-
After the decision, more than 58 cities joined an amicus brief to have the Georgia Supreme Court review and overturn the verdict. In late June, the court agreed to hear the case and has assigned it to the October 2025 oral argument calendar. The trial could be held on either Oct. 21, 22 or 23.
The cities of Sandy Springs, Roswell, Tucker, Johns Creek and Dunwoody are among those who have approved participation in the brief.
restricted residential multi-unit site to the north and residential detached from the south, staff said they think the proposed rezoning properly manages land-use transitions. Also, the increase in single-family lots increases opportunities for homeownership, which is a goal of city planning documents.
The developer and nearby staff said residents got on board with the rezoning during community meetings.
The next Sandy Springs Planning Commission meeting is Aug. 20 at City Hall.
ILLUSTRATION BY: DIONNA WILLIAMS/APPEN MEDIA
Historic Black school redevelopment plan remains at standstill
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The historic Bailey-Johnson School remains shuttered and in disrepair three years after the Alpharetta Development Authority approved a tax abatement bond arrangement for its redevelopment.
Construction originally was set to begin in mid-2022 and be completed by the end of 2023.
On July 21, doors to the school remained padlocked. The red-brick exterior showed no sign of renovation progress, and weeds grew through cracks in the parking lot.
Alpharetta City Administrator Chris Lagerbloom said the city is not certain about the project’s future.
“I don’t think that project ever happens,” he said. “I’ve heard different development concepts, but it will require another public process to determine.”
In July 2022, the Development Authority agreed to temporarily take ownership of the property through a bond-for-title deal, allowing North Crescent Communities to make reduced payments in lieu of taxes.
Under the agreement, the North Carolina-based developer pays 50 percent of the property tax obligation in the first year.
Payments increase 5 percent annually over 10 years until the developer assumes the full obligation.
Crescent Communities partnered with Kimball Bridge Venture Partners to create 160,000 square feet of office space and retain much of the school’s size and design.
The project value at the time was estimated at $70 million.
Venture declined to answer questions about the project.
Katie Harris, Crescent PR senior account executive, said the developer is working through “predevelopment efforts,” but offered no additional details.
“We’ll be sure to share updates as soon as we can on the site’s activity and how the team plans to celebrate the history of the Bailey-Johnson School,” she said.
Located at 154 Kimball Bridge Road just south of Avalon, the Bailey Johnson School was North Fulton County’s first Black school, offering an education opportunity for grade 1-12 students before desegregation.
Originally named the Alpharetta Colored School, it was renamed the Bailey-Johnson School three years after its opening in honor of Alpharetta blacksmith George Bailey and former slave Warren Johnson.
Venture Partners and Crescent Communities have dubbed the project “Garren on Kimball,” as an homage to
the two men’s first names.
Former student Charles Grogan said he has fond memories of his time at the school from 1957 to 1965.
“I hate to see it torn down and forgotten all together,” he said.
The site serves as a powerful reminder of a history that matters to him and Alpharetta, he said. He hopes to one day show his great-granddaughter the renovated school.
“I’m going to bring my offspring, my people, to see where I went to school,” he said. “It’s important to me for her to know where her great-grandaddy went to school.”
Development Authority Chairman Jack Nugent said plans called for
transforming the 21,321-square-foot school into a studio creative office space. He described the project as exciting and an asset for the city.
It is one of more than 20 properties that the Development Authority in Alpharetta is involved in. The assessed value of those properties is more than $430 million.
“When they came to us with that proposal, that was a signature project for Alpharetta,” said Nugent, who was with the Development Authority in 2022.
Nugent said he thinks the project has remained paused for 18-24 months because of supply chain problems and rising costs. Nevertheless, he hopes the project will be completed.
“It is still on our docket for wanting to see this through,” Nugent said. “My guess is that they will probably come back at some point in the not-toodistant future hopefully, and you’ll have some modifications to it.”
Nugent said he still considers the original bond deal a success for the Development Authority.
“The way it works when we get involved is a developer will come to us and say, essentially we’d like your help in getting this project done,” he said. “They asked us to be a vehicle for enabling this to happen … We will be the vehicle that issues bonds.”
Purchased from the Fulton County School District, the site originally generated no taxes as a public property. In 2024, the property paid $36,855 in taxes.
If the developers decide they cannot complete the project and sell the property, a new bond deal would likely need to be obtained, he said.
Nugent said the Development Authority has limited tools when it comes to ensuring progress of the project.
“We essentially require the developer to take the lead, and our steps kind of fall in place as the developer moves forward with the project,” he said. “We cannot be proactive about a development. We have to react as a development moves forward.”
Until then, progress remains paused at the school, which sits empty, overgrown and locked.
PHOTOS BY: JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
The doors to the Bailey-Johnson School are padlocked July 21 as progress for a redevelopment project remains on pause.
The Bailey-Johnson School appears in disrepair July 21, years after the Development Authority took ownership to allow a redevelopment project.
Milton home baker turns passion into business
By SARAH COYNE sarah@appenmedia.com
MILTON, Ga. — While juggling the busy stay-at-home mom life with her three children, Karen Bates still finds time for her passion, baking.
In her kitchen, Bates bakes up a storm, creating delicious art for friends, family and customers. Bates’s micro bakery, Karen B Cakes, sells custom-made cakes, cupcakes and loaves of sourdough. Soon, she will add muffins and macarons to the menu.
Although Bates has been baking her whole life, the idea to share her gift with others started when her daughter had her second birthday while they lived abroad in China for her husband’s job.
“I was really craving American cake,” she said.
She found some ingredients to make the cake, and the rest is history.
“That’s kind of where it started, where I started really being like ‘Oh I like this,’” Bates said.
When her family moved to Singapore, Bates was able to sell her first cake to someone she didn’t know. A Milton resident for the past decade, Bates transformed her passion into an LLC in January.
She operates on a cottage food license, which allows her to run her bakery out of her home, so long as she adheres to certain requirements such as cleanliness and food labels.
She brainstorms her recipes with her family and now offers 13 cake flavors, such as Cookie Monster, which consists of a chocolate chip vanilla cake covered in cookie dough buttercream or Razzmatazz, which includes vanilla cake filled with raspberry preserves and raspberry buttercream iced in vanilla.
“A lot of it is what my family likes,” she said.
Buttercream rules
Her business is an all-buttercream micro bakery that does not use any fondant. For custom-made cakes, Bates tries to decorate her pieces with all edible materials, using a range of sprinkles, frosting, rice paper and spring roll wrappers.
“Sometimes they take on a life of their own,” Bates said. “I love that it is edible art. You can do really fun things with it, and then it goes away.”
Her favorite part about the job is seeing people’s reactions to the edible art.
“It makes them so happy,” she said.
To Bates, her micro bakery is more than just a side hustle, it’s a way to make traditions, just like her ancestors who immigrated from Armenia to the United States.
“When they came over from Armenia,
KAREN BATES/PROVIDED
Karen Bates creates custom-made cakes for all celebrations, including her daughter’s birthday.
said.
Bates said she hopes the cupcake decorating course will allow parents and their children to create new traditions. In the course, attendees will learn how to fill a piping bag, create designs, decorate with sprinkles and create colored buttercream. Supplies will be provided for guests. The course will be held once a month, on a Saturday, from 10-11 a.m.
“I really feel like it can be something that can help build your confidence,” she said.
The sourdough course will simplify the process of making loaves. Bates will teach how to feed the starter, how to bake sourdough bread on a schedule and how to mix, fold and score dough and what equipment is needed. Classes will be held one Saturday each month at 7 p.m.
they stopped speaking Armenian and only spoke English,” Bates said. “The only thing that they did keep, though, was the food. I feel like that’s a really strong thing.”
The “B” in Karen B Cakes is a symbol for her loved ones, reminding people that family comes first. The “B” represents her grandfather who was an entrepreneur and beekeeper.
“It just really makes me think about him and how hard he worked,” Bates said.
The spirit of entrepreneurship is something she hopes will live on in her family.
“I hope that it inspires them to know
that they can do something, that if they have an interest that they can take it into the community,” she said.
Bates said that being able to gift her passion for baking to the community is a blessing.
Sharing her craft
In October, she will begin to offer sourdough and cupcake decorating classes through the City of Milton’s Parks and Recreation Department.
“I hope that through the classes that I can bless other people, and they can find something that they’re excited about,” she
Bates said her small business has been a slow growth process, since her three children are her main priority. She hopes the business will grow steadily and become a city staple by the time her 9-year-old reaches high school, but for now she finds her number of customers perfect.
“I’m still a busy mom,” she said. “I love being able to do things here and there on the side, which is what makes it so perfect, because I can kind of have it be whatever I want.”
Those interested in ordering baked goods from Bates can visit her website, karenbcakes.com
SARAH COYNE/APPEN MEDIA
Karen Bates, owner of Karen B. Cakes, stands in her kitchen next to a custom-made cake she made for her 9-year-old daughter’s birthday.
SARAH COYNE/APPEN MEDIA
Homemade chocolate chip cookies sit in Karen Bates’ kitchen.
Fulton County’s fiscal year begins in January, meaning the budget is fed with revenues collected in the fall. Before the county can collect taxes, it must set a millage rate.
The county commissioners voting in favor of the 1-mill rate cap – Marvin Arrington Jr., Dana Barrett, Mo Ivory and Khadijah Abdur-Rahman – cited a need to fund jail improvements and other programs amid potential cuts in federal funding.
Ellis, who has represented District 1 since 2015, said addressing the Fulton County Jail and its federally mandated upgrades will be handled in upcoming budget cycles. He said if the county collects an additional $80 million this year, the budget will have to be adjusted to spend the funds.
solid fund balance,” Ellis said. “Yes, we have needs ahead of us that people want to point to and say, ‘oh, the county somehow in crisis and all that.’ But these are generally things that we’re going to be doing from a capital standpoint. They don’t have anything to do with the 2025 budget.”
During a July 23 interview with Appen Media, Ellis said the proposed tax hike affects residents countywide, not just District 1 in North Fulton.
Citing data shared with county commissioners in May, he said expenses are tracking below budget, coming in around 35 percent through 42 percent of the fiscal year.
“I think it’s totally unnecessary, and it flies in the face of the budget we adopted,” Ellis said. “There is no gap in revenue needed to meet our budget if we hold it at 8.87 [mills].”
A tax rate of 1 mill represents a tax liability of $1 per $1,000 of assessed value on property.
to increase more than the inflation rate each year, no matter how much the home gains in real value, property owners are not protected from a hike in the millage rate.
Both North Fulton commissioners told Appen Media in July they think District 6 Commissioner Abdur-Rahman will vote to keep the millage rate flat, after her response to public opposition. Four votes are needed to adopt a final rate.
County Commissioner Ivory, representing Midtown and downtown Atlanta in District 4, indicated she is looking for three other commissioners to join her motion to adopt the 1-mill increase.
Some Fulton County residents — homeowners and renters — have made it clear that they cannot afford a tax hike and may have to move.
Zoom.
Chairman Pitts, in a July 15 meeting recap, said he has received hundreds of emails from constituents voicing their strong opposition to the tax hike.
“During my tenure with Fulton County, I can tell you that this amount of participation in public comment is truly unprecedented,” Pitts said, adding that he agrees with public opposition. “The participants hailed from every city and all corners of Fulton County, and the overwhelming majority of them have one thing in common — they are downright angry that the Board of Commissioners has proposed a property tax increase of over 12 percent.”
Pitts called the 1-mill increase “unwise and unjust,” adding that county staff advised elected officials that there is no need for an increase.
“Our finances are in solid shape. We’ve got solid credit ratings [and] a
The third and final public hearing before adoption of the 2025 millage rate will take place during the Aug. 6 Board of Commissioners meeting. Following the public hearing, county commissioners will vote to adopt the official rate. Continued from Page 1
Election:
Continued from Page 1
District 4’s irregular shape excludes neighborhoods to the east in District 4 like Mount Vernon Woods, which are in between Roswell Road and Glenridge Drive but south of Abernathy Road.
It also includes neighborhoods to the west as far north as Dalrymple Road, which border district 2 and 4.
Residents can search their address and determine which district they live in by clicking here, or visiting the city’s website.
The Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page will show you your sample ballot and polling location. Go to mvp. sos.ga.gov/s/.
The incumbent, City Councilwoman Melissa Mular, is a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., and a 25-year Sandy Springs resident. She retired as a technology executive and project manager with IBM after two decades of international leadership experience.
During the fall 2021 election, Mular defeated two challengers with just over 50 percent of the vote. Before joining the Sandy Springs City Council
While new state laws do not allow the taxable value of a homesteaded property
in 2022, she served for a decade on the board of the Autumn Chase Homeowners Association.
Her campaign website list focus areas, including public safety, neighborhood preservation, improving quality of life through recreation and revitalizing outdated commercial properties.
“Public safety and neighborhoods are what makes Sandy Springs what we are,” Mular said. “When I knocked on doors in 2021, I ran into so many families who had moved from Buckhead to come to Sandy Springs because it was safe.”
Mular said her attention is on some of the city’s aging infrastructure, particularly fire stations, and maintaining lines of communications with residents in her district, especially on upcoming construction work. She also said the city will begin an 18-month process to rewrite its Next Ten Comprehensive Plan sometime this fall.
Nearly 50 people stopped by Assembly Hall off Pryor Street in downtown Atlanta July 9 to speak in opposition to the proposed tax increase. Another 274 signed up to comment via
“Neighborhood preservation was the number one goal out of 10,” Mular said. “Housing is important and that’s not even in the top 10 from 2017, so I think you may see some shifting, but neighborhood preservation will still be there.”
One of her endorsements comes from Karen Meinzen McEnerny, former District 6 council member. Mular said McEnerny keeps her in the loop on tree canopy issues, one of the former council member’s passions.
To learn more about her reelection campaign, visit mularforcitycouncil. com.
As of June 30, the end of the last reporting period for campaign fundraising, the District 3 race has picked up more than $40,000 in contributions. Mular raised more than $28,000, nearly double her opponents $10,804.
Tara Overzat, who moved to the city with her husband in 2019, holds a doctorate degree and is a licensed mental health professional. She is a small business owner, educator and therapist, focusing her campaign for the District 3 seat on helping neighbors and families thrive in Sandy Springs.
“Sandy Springs is more than where I live — it’s where I’ve built my life, my business and my family,” Overzat said. “I’ve taught and trained hundreds of graduate students and therapists so that they too can serve our communities. And now, I’m ready
to take that service to City Hall.” Her campaign website lists her priorities as sustainability, expanded access to youth recreational programs and a variety of affordable housing options to help keep seniors and young people in the city.
The campaign is run by FTR Political Strategies, a local “left-ofcenter” campaign consulting firm. She said her slogan, “Protecting What We Love, Building What We Need,” requires a creative balance with redevelopment.
Overzat told Appen Media that she decided to run for the District 3 seat a few months ago after the encouragement of neighbors who noticed her mental health and environmental advocacy work in the community.
“I decided yes, I would like to run to help Sandy Springs be a more sustainable place … where families of all backgrounds and people of all generations … can all live, work and play,” Overzat said. “I’m focusing on things like the walkability of the city, the tree canopy and making sure things are more accessible for residents.”
To learn more about her campaign, visit overzatforsandysprings.com.
PAST TENSE
Sandy Springs road named in honor of Dr. Leila Denmark
VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist
A road which runs between Boylston Drive and Roswell Road was named for Dr. Leila Daughtry Denmark in 2018. Leila
Daughtry was born on a farm in Bulloch County, Georgia, in 1898. She studied at Tift College in Forsyth, Georgia, and Mercer University in Macon. She was the third woman graduate of the Medical College of Georgia, graduating in 1928.
Dr. Denmark participated in pioneering research on whooping cough after an epidemic hit Atlanta in 1932. She worked with Eli Lilly and researchers at Emory University to help develop a successful vaccine for the
deadly illness.
According to the 1940 census, Leila and husband John Eustace Denmark lived in the city of Atlanta. They built a home in Sandy Springs a few years later. The couple first met in elementary school. John Denmark was a banker and became an officer with the Federal Reserve.
Dr. Denmark was named “Woman of the Year in Professions” in 1954, honored because of her work as a pediatrician and her contributions to the field of medicine. She had an office in the family home at 5605 Glenridge Drive, where she could work and be close to their daughter. (Atlanta Journal, Jan. 14, 1954, “Dr. Leila Denmark Woman of the Year”)
A newspaper article written in 1986 tells of Dr. Denmark’s thriving practice that year, when she was 88 years old. In
1985, Leila and John Denmark moved to a 100-year-old Forsyth County farmhouse. She continued to practice as a pediatrician, running her office from the farmhouse. Jack Wilkinson wrote, “The parking lot beside the old white farmhouse was full. The cars came from Cobb and Gwinnett, Floyd and Fulton, DeKalb and Cherokee counties. Some people had driven an hour to get here.” (Atlanta Constitution, April 1, 1986, “Nothing is forgotten in Dr. Denmark’s office”)
My mother never took me or my brother to Dr. Denmark, but she spoke of her often and had a copy of her book, “Every Child Should Have a Chance.” The book was published in 1971. Tucked inside my mom’s copy of the book was the April 1,1986 newspaper article about the doctor, something my mom often did with books. I love to find
these hidden treasures.
The parents who were in the office the day Wilkinson visited spoke of their concern over what they would do once Dr. Denmark could no longer be their children’s doctor. Her personalized care and concern for every child, plus her years of experience, made her a special doctor. She also charged a lower fee than most other doctors in 1985.
When Denmark began practicing medicine in 1928, she was the eighth pediatrician in Atlanta. She continued her work until the age of 103. Dr. Denmark died in 2012 at the age of 114.
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.
Once confusing Southern sayings make perfect sense
As we slog these humid days that serve to turn sitting on the deck as close to a steam bath you’re ever going to get while fullyclothed, my mind started wandering about some sayings.
Here in the South, we have plenty of little pearls that if “you ain’t from around here” will make little or no sense. It took me awhile to become adept at making sense of some phrase that, until I became an enlightened Southerner, would have given me a headache.
Now, after happily embracing where the Good Lord has placed me for more than half of my 70 years, I find myself using some of these amusing, often nonsensical ditties. I should have known this was my pre-ordained fate.
After all, I was raised on country music, sold sausage to Merle Haggard and taught Buck Owens to play racquetball.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Here are some of my favorite phrases that…
“Tickle me pink.” I have no idea what this means, and I certainly am not a fan of being tickled. And I see no benefit of losing any type of tan that results from being on a motorcycle ride and turning pink.
“He ain’t got the sense that God gave a goose.” Okay, I double dog dare you to make any sense of that one. First, I would hope God has more things to worry about than whether his geese creatures are making sound decisions. Second, I’ve ran into geese on the golf course back in the day. I’ve only seen them hiss at me, try to attack (incidentally, a 3-iron is a good deterrent for goose aggression; I could never hit a golf ball with that club, but it saved me on a few occasions from getting goosenipped), and poop on the greens.
“That’s a tough row to hoe.” Huh? Okay Leroy, why don’t you go to Home Depot and arm yourself with a better tool. Better yet, go out to the shed and pick out one that will tame that row and double as a goose-smacker too.
Speaking of sheds, when someone said: “I’m going to take you out behind the woodshed,” there’s no way I’m going anywhere near that woodshed. There might be spiders. See if you can entice the belligerent goose to go instead.
“He’s full of prunes.” You don’t have to be a genius to know that you’re not talking honest-to-goodness wrinkled prunes. The subject of this derision is probably full of what that is full of before dumping the load on a putting surface.
I’ve never eaten a goose, but all this goose talk has made me hungry. How hungry, you ask? “I could eat the south end of a northbound horse.” Or you can substitute “wooden hobby horse” for “northbound horse.” Either way, no way I’ll be eating a horse of any ilk, wooden or otherwise.
I get tickled pink when I hear “I’ll stomp a mudhole in your butt.” Now wait a minute! I watched plenty of rasslin’ in my day and the only way I see anyone accomplishing this feat is to use the old “loaded boot” tactic.
No stomping necessary. In fact, I’d hope we could be a bit more civil. Better
Thank you Bob Meyers for Celestine Sibley column
To the editor, I thoroughly enjoyed Bob Meyers's article on Celestine Sibley. I loved her articles in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. I shared her concerned that Crabapple was losing its charm and Southern roots with "unchecked growth.”
I was honored to meet her when my leadership North Fulton toured the Atlanta Journal Constitution, and met
many of the writers including the very talented editorial cartoonist, Mike Lukovich.
Thank you, Bob for a wonderful article. – Marsha Spear
yet, let’s go have a few drinks. My treat. With any luck, you might be “drunker than Cooter Brown.” Hold it! Just who is Cooter Brown and with him being so popular despite liking to imbibe more than Otis Campbell, I say we show some compassion and get ol’ Cooter into some type of 12-step program.
Finally, we have perfected being sensitive and kind here. When someone describes a particularly less-than attractive baby by saying: “Isn’t she precious?” instead of being truthful, Southern diplomacy and kindness usually shines through, lest the daddy threatens to “beat you like a red-headed stepchild.”
Anyone threatens me like that, I’m going to find them a cantankerous goose. Or maybe I’ll just leave before someone says: Don’t let the door hit you where the Good Lord split you.”
Mike Tasos has lived in Forsyth County for more than 30 years. He’s an American by birth and considers himself a Southerner by the grace of God. He can be reached at miketasos55@gmail.com.
Opinions
Appen Media aims to present a variety of views in its opinion pages. Send your thoughts, questions and letters to newsroom@appenmedia.com.
MIKE TASOS Columnist
OPINION
Tips for engaging children in gardening activities
Gardening is more than just a fun outdoor activity. It’s an excellent way to engage children in hands-on learning and teach them valuable life skills. From sowing seeds to watching plants grow, gardening provides an immersive experience that fosters a love for nature, curiosity and responsibility. Here's how you can engage children in gardening and make it an exciting, educational journey.
Start simple with easy-to-grow plants
For beginners, it’s important to choose plants that are easy for children to handle. Flowers like sunflowers, marigolds, or zinnias are vibrant and grow quickly, offering instant gratification. Vegetables like tomatoes, beans, radishes, carrots or lettuce are also rewarding, as children can harvest their crops in a few weeks. Let children participate in every step of the gardening process: digging, planting, watering and caring for the plants. Children are more likely to eat vegetables they grow themselves. A 4-year-old may surprise you and eat a radish or lettuce when you never thought she would.
Incorporate fun, creativity in projects
Gardening doesn’t have to be all about the plants themselves. Children love creativity, so incorporate fun projects like designing a themed garden. Create a Fairy Garden with miniature decorations, or build a vegetable garden in the shape of a star or plant. Plant a Pizza Garden in the shape of a pizza. You could plant tomatoes, basil and peppers in the garden that you can use making a pizza.
Let kids use colorful plant markers to label their plants or design their own garden signs. You can even create a seed bomb by mixing clay, compost and wildflower seeds into small balls, which children can leave in various areas of the garden for the rain to wash the clay away and germinate wildflowers.
Teach valuable lessons about nature
Gardening offers a unique opportunity to teach children about the environment and the science of plant growth. You can explain how plants need sunlight, water and soil to thrive, and show how these elements work together. In addition, you can introduce basic concepts like photosynthesis, pollination and composting. Your child may already know these words if they are in elementary school.
Teaching children about beneficial insects such as bees, butterflies and ladybugs can also spark their interest in the ecosystem and biodiversity. By introducing them to the plant growth cycle, you help them understand the interconnectedness of all living things. Consider participating in the Great Southeast Pollinator Census on August 22-23. You can do this at home or attend one of the many public events in your area, such as the one on Saturday, Aug. 23 at the Sandy Springs Farmers Market, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs, GA 30328. Children can help us count and do fun activities. Visit https://gsepc.org/ for details about doing the Pollinator Census at home.
Foster responsibility and patience
Gardening instills a sense of responsibility as children take on the task of caring for their plants. Wa-
ADAMS/PROVIDED
Planting tomatoes at the Sandy Springs Farmers Market
tering them regularly, checking for pests and ensuring the soil remains healthy all require consistent attention. Additionally, gardening teaches patience. Unlike many instant gratification activities, gardening takes time. Watching a plant grow slowly from a tiny seed into a blooming flower or a ripening tomato can teach children the value of persistence and the rewards of waiting.
Incorporate learning opportunities
Use gardening as an educational tool beyond science. Introduce or enhance math skills by measuring plant growth or counting seeds and plants. Gardening can also help with reading and language skills, particularly if you have children label plants or read gardening books together. Check out books at your local library, and read them together. Fun books include “The Great Pollinator Census” by Susan Edwards Richmond and “The Saved Seed” by Brenda Moore.
Create a sense of accomplishment
One of the most rewarding aspects of gardening is the sense of accomplishment that children feel when they see their plants flourish. Whether it's picking ripe fruit, seeing flowers bloom or simply admiring the beauty of a well-tended garden, these moments can boost a child's self-esteem and provide a sense of pride.
Gardening is a powerful tool for engaging children in meaningful outdoor activities while also fostering a deeper connection with the environment. By combining
Dressed up and ready to count pollinators at Lost Corner Preserve
creativity, learning and responsibility, gardening provides a wonderful opportunity for kids to explore the natural world and develop essential life skills. Through gardening, children not only learn how to care for plants but also gain a greater appreciation for the world around them. Happy Gardening!
North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose purpose is to educate its members and the public in the areas of horticulture and ecology in order to promote and foster community enrichment. Master Gardener Volunteers are trained and certified by The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Learn more at nfmg.net. Previous Garden Buzz columns are featured at https://appenmedia.com/ opinion/columnists/garden_buzz/.
Save the Date: The 2025 Great Southeast Pollinator Census is August 22-23.
About the author
This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Chris Adams, a Master Gardener for almost 20 years and a Sandy Springs resident. She loves to teach gardening classes, especially to children. She can be found once a month April-October at the Sandy Springs Farmers Market helping the children with a fun nature-based activity.
CHRIS ADAMS Guest Columnist
PHOTOS BY: CHRIS
GET OUTSIDE, GEORGIA!
You’ll encounter danger in the tall, tall grass!
The nicest thing about these blazing hot July days is that exquisite hour or so of not-quite-so-hot that comes just as the sun is about to go down. That trusty ol’ star settles lower and lower onto the horizon, going from blinding white to yellow and orange and then red. They say red is a danger color, but I kind of like it in the sky on a late July evening.
Late evening is our favorite time for fishing too. Just the other day we fished our way from suppertime to dark, and the later it got the better it got. The fish were bluegill, big and scrappy, and just before dark we were getting a hit on those little foam spiders on almost every cast. And yes, since you asked, she outfished me again.
But you can’t fish all the time. Sometimes you’d rather hike, and that hour right at dusk is a great time for hiking too.
A couple of days ago, I decided on some evening hiking in an area that’s new to me – the Tallapoosa River Wildlife Management Area located between Cedartown and Buchanan. A relatively recent addition to Georgia’s catalog of public lands, this 3,053acre tract is made up of two separate parcels and offers lots of different opportunities for enjoying the out-ofdoors. It’s primarily a hunting area. However, this time of year, the hunting seasons are closed and it’s a great place for a ramble in the woods.
Note that you’ll need either a hunting license, a fishing license, or a lands pass to access this property… and yes, they do check.
Tallapoosa River WMA is a little bit of a trip from home, but as things
DEATH NOTICES
Bennett Boyd, age 55, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on July 17, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Sydney DeSouza, age 88, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on July 18, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
work out, I have plenty of time to make the trip. Since this area is new to me, I have no particular destination. I figure I’ll just find an old woods road or something. Then I’ll strap on the hiking shoes and see where it leads. All I have to do is pick a route and go.
Driving along on one of the gravel roads which provides access to the western portion of the WMA, I see coming up ahead of me a wide spot with room enough to pull over and park – and right next to what appears to be the start of an overgrown old road.
I stop the car and get out for a better look, stepping into knee-high grass that reaches my knees. The old road appears to go downhill, perhaps down toward the river perhaps? Down toward a future place to fish?
I’ll never know if I don’t check it out. I should carry a fishing rod. Just in case.
I walk around to the back of the car and open the rear hatch, grass gently tickling my legs as I do. It takes a few minutes to find the rod I want and another few to rig it up.
I close the back hatch and turn to go but then realize I’ve left my water bottle up front. I walk back through the grass back to the driver-side door, open it, and retrieve the water. With every step, I feel as much as hear the rustle of the grass blades against my jeans.
Ready at last, I set out. I follow the old pathway for a while, enjoying the walk as it meanders in and out of shade, in and out of more patches of grass. But I stop too often (to watch a deer and two fawns, to stand stock-still as a cottontail rabbit nibbles grass, to get a close look at a flower I’d not seen before) and my time gets away long before I ever get to the water.
I’ll just have to come back.
Turning back at last, I retrace my
Richard Dey, age 90, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on July 22, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Patrick Hawes, age 77 of Roswell, GA passed away on July 16, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
route – back up the hill, back through the patches of grass and undergrowth, back to the car. I put up the rod, walk back through the grass to the driver’sside door, open it up and settle me in.
The drive home is restful.
The itching doesn’t start till later.
At first, it’s just one little itchy spot down on my lower leg. Being an enthusiastic scratcher of itches, I level it with a few determined swipes of a finger. I know, I know…
Then comes another, also on the lower leg…exactly where, it occurs to me, I felt all those tickles from that grass.
And then there are three…and eight…and 15…and oh no. A word comes to mind, a word to strike terror into the heart of even the most intrepid outdoor adventurer.
Red bugs. Trombiculidae. Chiggers. Oh no.
Chiggers, relatives of ticks, are the larval form of a bug that likes to eat things like us. They tend to hang out in groups in (you saw this coming, didn’t you?) grass and similar environs, waiting for dinner (in the form of you or me) to wander by. When that happens, they waste no time in relocating and digging in. Specifically, they settle in to feed on our skin cells (Ours! Mine!). They don’t actually bite, which should be comforting to know but is not. Instead, they excavate a hole (which scientist types call a stylostome) in one’s skin, which they then use to access and nibble on our inner skin.
And as they do, their digestive enzymes start to cause what one source helpfully describes as “intensely itchy welts.”
Yeah.
Eventually, the well-fed nymph has its fill and drops off. And then the itching begins. Then it gets real.
It was real for several days. Parts
Shaila Pandit, age 80, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on July 18, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Susan Stinecipher, age 53, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on July 17, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
of me looked like I’d been shot by a shotgun loaded with red ink. I have (mostly) resisted the temptation to claw away great expanses of skin, particularly wherever there are creases or folds or tight places. Use your imagination. If you’ve ever had ‘em, you know what I mean.
Yeah.
What can you do to keep chiggers on the grass and off you? Long sleeves and long pants, with pants tucked into your boots or at least your socks, will help. Repellents containing DEET or permethrin may help, too, but I suspect they may just weed out the weak ones. The best thing is to avoid chigger habitat (tall grass, for example…I know, I know), particularly during the cooler parts of the day like sunset when chiggers are most active. As I write this redbug reminiscence, we’re sitting in the Denver airport on our way to Montana. We’re going fishing. Will she outfish me again? I think I know the answer to that one. One unanswered question remains, however.
Are there chiggers in Montana? I’ll let you know.
Elizabeth Towater, age 80, of Milton, GA passed away on July 19, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Lori Young, 66, Roswell, GA passed away on July 21, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
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