‘American Pie’ legend slated for Sandy Springs July 4 gala
By DYANA BAGBY dyana@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. —
Singer-songwriter Don McLean will headline the July 4 celebration in Sandy Springs and sing his iconic hit “American Pie” before a fireworks show.
The annual Stars & Stripes Fireworks Celebration will be at City Springs. The City Green will open at 4 p.m., and food trucks will open at 6 p.m. The patriotic celebration this year will
honor Independence Day and the country’s 250th anniversary, known as America 250.
McLean will take the stage at 8 p.m., and his concert will be followed by a fireworks show at 9:30 p.m.
Attendees are invited to bring their own picnics or enjoy nearby restaurants. Tents and personal sparklers are not permitted.
Check for updates on parking, rideshare options, and road closures at SandySpringsGA.gov/ Fireworks.
CITY OF SANDY SPRINGS/PROVIDED
Don McLean will sing his iconic hit “American Pie” at this year’s Stars & Stripes Fireworks Celebration on July 4 in Sandy Springs.
Sandy Springs officials prepare 2027 budget
PAGE 3
A site plan for The Providence Group’s planned subdivision in Sandy Springs shows the entrance and exit at Spalding Drive and Pitts Road. At the far right is where the development will extend into the City of Dunwoody, which has yet to approve rezoning for the project.
Developer receives greenlight for Spalding Drive subdivision
By DYANA BAGBY dyana@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — A developer planning to build a new subdivision on busy Spalding Drive where Sandy Springs and Dunwoody connect has cleared its first hurdle. At its May 19 meeting, the Sandy Springs City Council approved rezoning five parcels on Spalding Drive to make way for developer The Providence Group to build 21 new singlefamily homes. The Providence Group, based in Johns Creek, is seeking to rezone two more parcels in Dunwoody to add three houses
to the same development. The Dunwoody Planning Commission will consider the request June 9 before it heads to the full City Council. Plans call for a total of 24 new homes at Spalding Drive and Pitts Road, straddling the Sandy Springs-Dunwoody city limits. There are currently five single-family homes on the Sandy Springs portion of the project. The Dunwoody property currently contains a driveway for a single-family structure located on the North Atlanta Church of Christ property on Roberts Drive.
RACHEL PROVOW
THE PROVIDENCE GROUP/PROVIDED
See SPALDING, Page 11
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Two arrested in possible threat at Morgan Falls Park
By DYANA BAGBY dyana@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Two suspects have been taken into custody following a massive police response to Morgan Falls Overlook Park May 19 to search for a man dressed in "military style gear" and reports of possible gunshots.
The large police presence forced the shutdown of the park and nearby Ison Springs Elementary School, where primary election voting was taking place. Voting was suspended for approximately four hours during the police investigation.
Sandy Springs Police said James Andrew Dutton and Elisha Deaton were taken into custody and face charges of possession of a firearm in a city park and possession of alcohol in a city park.
Dutton was found in the parking lot of Morgan Falls Overlook Park. After an extensive search, Deaton was located in Cobb County, just across the Chattahoochee River near the area of Aven Road and Conway Drive, Sgt. Giovanni Gomez, spokesperson for Sandy Springs Police, said in a news release.
"At this time, there are no known threats to the community. No injuries were reported during the incident," Gomez said.
Police said investigators found no
evidence indicating the incident was related to voting or election activity.
"Investigators are continuing to determine whether the reported gunshots were connected to this incident," Gomez said.
Assisting agencies included FBI Atlanta, Homeland Security Investigations, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Cobb County Police K9, North Fulton SWAT, Forsyth County's Sheriff's Office K9 and Fulton County Police SWAT.
Sandy Springs Police reported at about 11:30 a.m. on May 19 that the park at 200 Morgan Falls Road was closed due to an "active police investigation." The department requested that people avoid the area.
"A short time later, a 911 caller reported hearing possible gunshots in the area," Gomez said.
Ison Springs Elementary School is just over 2 miles from the park. Fulton County voting precincts SS19A and SS22 are located at the public school.
As a result of the incident, the school was placed on a “soft lockdown" and voting was suspended at approximately 11:58 a.m., Fulton County spokesperson Jessica Corbitt said in an email.
Voting resumed at about 4 p.m. and Fulton County received a court order to keep the polls open until 11:02 p.m.
Sheriff’s sergeant accused of attacking detainee
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — A former Fulton County Sheriff’s sergeant is accused of punching a detainee and directing his subordinates to deactivate their bodyworn cameras.
Louis Brown III, a 41-year-old Smyrna resident, was arraigned May 15, the U.S. Department of Justice said. A federal grand jury indicted Brown May 12 on a charge of depriving a person of civil rights under color of law.
Brown was working at the Fulton
County Courthouse June 4 when he allegedly repeatedly punched and slapped a handcuffed detainee. Brown ordered deputies to turn off their cameras in order to get away with the assault, the department said.
Nevertheless, one deputy’s camera recorded the attack and showed the detainee was compliant and nonthreatening, the department said.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office useof-force policy forbids force when a person
is compliant and not resisting arrest.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said law enforcement officers who violate the public’s trust must be held accountable.
“Brown allegedly betrayed his badge by punching a handcuffed detainee without justification and by directing his subordinates to turn off their body-worn cameras to try to get away with his crime,” he said.
— Jon Wilcox
ASK APPEN
SANDY SPRINGS POLICE/PROVIDED A Sandy Springs Police officer in tactical gear patrols Morgan Falls Overlook Park May 19 after several law enforcement agencies responded to a report of possible shots fired and a suspicious person.
Sandy Springs braces for future revenue uncertainty
By DYANA BAGBY dyana@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sandy Springs staff project the city will collect $140.5 million in general fund revenue in 2027, a 7 percent increase over this year’s revised budget.
The figures were presented May 19 at the City Council’s second budget workshop.
The revenues come from property taxes, local option sales taxes, business license fees and permits, service charges, municipal court fines and investment returns on cash reserves. The money goes into the general fund to support the city’s day-to-day operations, including public safety, parks and recreation and administrative services.
Sandy Springs operates on a fiscal year budget which runs from July 1 through June 30. The council is hearing from staff to review projections and hear department requests before approving the 2027 budget. A complete proposed budget will be presented at the council's third workshop on May 26 at 2 p.m. The first public hearing is scheduled for the council’s June 2 meeting at 6 p.m., with the final public hearing and budget adoption set for June 16 at 6 p.m.
Property taxes are expected to be the largest source of general fund revenue, bringing in a projected $47.75 million — about 35 percent of the total. The secondlargest source is the Local Option Sales Tax at an estimated $36 million, just over 25 percent of the total.
Both sources of revenue, however, are expected to be impacted by Fulton County legislation approved three years ago and a property tax bill approved by the Georgia General Assembly this year.
LOST revenue
LOST is the 1 percent sales tax levied on retail transactions in most Georgia counties to offset property taxes. Every 10 years, counties and cities negotiate how the funds will be divided for the next decade. In 2022, Fulton County negotiated with the 15 cities to increase its share of LOST revenue from nearly 5 percent to 12.5 percent.
City Manager Eden Freeman said while she is projecting an increase in LOST revenue in 2027, the number is still less than what was projected for 2026.
“Our rationale for that is because … during the local option sales tax negotiations three years ago, Fulton County negotiated an increase to their percentage of collections that will phase up over the
10-year period,” she said. “We're accounting for that is in this number here.”
Property tax revenue
Looming over the budget process is uncertainty about the General Assembly’s direction on property taxes. The Legislature this year passed Senate Bill 33 that mandates all local governments and school districts cap their homestead property tax increases to not exceed the rate of inflation.
House Speaker Jon Burns had proposed eliminating homestead property taxes altogether. He recently appointed a House Blue Ribbon Study Committee to evaluate local funding mechanisms “and increase the fiscal accountability of local governments,” according to a Georgia House news release.
City Manager Freeman told council members that SB 33 is not expected to have a “significant negative impact” on the city because it already has six different floating homestead exemptions that have been in place since incorporation.
“However, I am being very cautious on the amount that I've put in this year for property taxes, because I do believe that [fiscal year 2027] may become viewed as the base year going forward on property taxes for the purposes of the General Assembly,” she said. “We're watching it, we're
actively engaged in following what is happening.”
Freeman said the city is also advocating that Rep. Burns’ study committee have actual local government practitioners, such as elected officials or city administrators, advise the panel.
“…So that we can come up with a system that will actually work, instead of depleting the budgets of municipalities across the state,” she said.
Mayor Rusty Paul, a former state senator, noted a new slate of statewide elected officials will take office in January. Property tax relief is expected to remain at the top of the legislative agenda, and Sandy Springs needs to brace for what may come.
“The Senate is going to have a huge turnover. The House is dead set on cutting homestead property taxes, so we’re going to take a hit here,” he said. “The question is, how much and what can we negotiate to replace it?”
SB 33 allows municipalities to levy a floating local option sales tax or local homestead option tax as replacement revenue mechanisms. But those require negotiations with Fulton County, other cities, holding a countywide referendum and time, Paul said.
“The impact is going to really hit in the next fiscal year,” he said.
Sandy Springs fire chief takes new post with city
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The City of Sandy Springs announced the appointment of Fire Chief Keith Sanders to assistant city manager for infrastructure and capital program delivery.
Division Chief Jesse Bernard was promoted to interim fire chief. Both appointments are effective May 21.
“Chief Sanders has served the City of Sandy Springs since 2014, building a distinguished record of leadership, operational excellence and dedicated service to our community,” City Manager Eden Freeman said in a statement. “His experience and institutional knowledge position him to step seamlessly into this expanded role. He leaves the Fire Department in an exceptional position under Interim Fire Chief Jesse Bernard, whose combination of operational depth, administrative experience and professional preparation make him well suited to lead the Fire Department through this transition.”
Sanders’ career in fire service spans 47 years. In his new role, he will oversee the Public Works and Facilities and Capital Construction departments. He will also serve as the senior staff lead in evaluating and implementing water reliability
DRIVEWAYS & CONCRETE
options, a strategic priority for Sandy Springs as the city plans for the longterm needs of its growing community. Sanders holds a Master of Public
Administration degree from Columbus State University and a Bachelor of Science from Toccoa Falls College. He is a graduate of the FBI National
DRIVEWAYS
Academy, Class 255 and holds the certified public manager designation from the University of Georgia.
Interim Chief Bernard joined the Sandy Springs Fire Department in 2015 and served as deputy fire marshal, where he helped lead the transition of the Fire Marshal’s Office and played a key role in developing the city’s Next 10 Comprehensive Plan.
In 2021, he became chief building official and facilities life safety analyst at Nebraska Medicine, where he gained experience in code compliance, permitting and capital facilities operations. He returned to the Sandy Springs Fire Department in 2023 and most recently served as division chief, overseeing daily operations, recruitment, succession planning and strategic planning initiatives.
Bernard holds a Master of Science in management from Troy University, a Project Management Professional certification from Georgia Tech and national fire service credentials, including chief fire officer and fire marshal designations from the Center for Public Safety Excellence.
Dyana Bagby
DYANA BAGBY/APPEN MEDIA
Sandy Springs Fire Chief Keith Sanders has been appointed assistant city manager for infrastructure and capital program delivery.
in the
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 5, 5 and 4 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, with 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!
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
1. Wander. Kind of tube. Jiddah denizen.
2. Tough. Corinth native. Military wear.
3. Suva resident. Squabble. Exploding star.
4. Scat. Marine NCO abbr. South African native.
5. Foot part. Mombasa native. California wine valley.
7. Pak Kret native. Stiff-upper-lip type. Citadel student.
Is Where the Heart Is
1 Wander. Kind of tube. Jiddah denizen
2. Tough. Corinth native. Military wear.
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. Suva resident. Squabble. Exploding star.
4. Scat. Marine NCO abbr. So. African native.
5. Foot part. Mombasa native. California wine valley.
Webb Bridge Middle School students celebrate with Fulton County Schools officials May 19 after reading the most minutes during the district-wide 10-million-minute reading challenge.
Webb Bridge Middle students win district reading challenge
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Webb Bridge Middle School students celebrated May 19 after reading for more than 983,000 minutes throughout the school year and becoming the top school in the districtwide reading challenge.
The school and its media and educational tech instructor Nan Brown were recognized with a banner and trophy by district officials. For winning
the challenge, students got to spray the school district’s Superintendent Mike Looney with Silly String.
This past school year, Fulton County Schools set a district-wide goal to read a collective 10 million minutes by May 1. Students logged books throughout the year to help represent their school in the challenge.
Fulton County libraries promote summer reading
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Libraries across Fulton County will host kick-off parties to encourage young readers to unearth a story as part of the annual Summer Reading Program starting June 1.
Those who participate in the twomonth Summer Reading Program are encouraged to improve their reading skills by cracking the covers on new books or revisiting old ones for a chance to win prizes.
Families can log their reading progress on Beanstack, a mobile app or website that connects to reading programs at local libraries. Participants can track how many pages or how long they read and earn prizes from their library.
Visit fultoncounty.beanstack.com/
reader365 and register an individual, family or reading group to participate.
Upcoming summer reading kickoff parties at North Fulton libraries include:
May 30 – East Roswell Branch, 2301 Holcomb Bridge Road, from 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
June 1 – Milton Branch, 855 Mayfield Road, from 1–3 p.m.; Ocee Branch, 5090 Abbotts Bridge Road, from 2–3 p.m.; Northeast/Spruill Oaks Branch, 9560 Spruill Road, from 11 a.m.–noon; Sandy Springs Branch, 395 Mount Vernon Highway, from 11–11:45 a.m. and from 3:30–4:30 p.m.
Hannah Yahne
Hannah Yahne
FULTON
What to know when Hollywood comes knocking
By GALYN CHATMAN decaturish@appenmedia.com
DECATUR, Ga. – Production season is back and Georgia neighborhoods are buzzing with activity. More than 20 projects, including "Southern Bastards," "Scooby-Doo: Origins," and "Turpentine," are currently filming, according to the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
And while many residents welcome Hollywood in their community, they also hope that filming won't disrupt their daily lives—a sentiment that industry veterans said is all too real.
Making first contact
During "production season," location managers and scouts are sent to find places fitting a film's narrative and creative vision. Once given guidelines by the creative team, they visit neighborhoods, knock on doors, and leave letters notifying of their prospective projects.
"It's my job to introduce the reason I'm knocking on someone's door," said Dodd Vickers, a location manager, scout, and member of the Television Academy, as well as the Location Managers Guild International.
"In Decatur, for example, I made it a point to speak with someone from the economic development office so that if someone from the community called, the city could say they knew who I was," Vickers recalled about filming "See You When I See You," a 2026 Duplass Brothers film. Professionals in the industry understand they are guests in residential communities.
When Fulton County resident Ricky Gaines was approached by scouts from FX's "English Teacher,” he wondered what he was getting into.
"When the scout explained they were filming a TV show in the neighborhood, he detailed why my house was a fit for what they were looking for," Gaines recalled. "It was definitely a leap of faith."
The production crew began staging an in-progress pool build—requiring removing sod, digging a massive hole in his backyard, and taking down part of his fence. But the production team's upfront communication put him at ease.
"They explained how long they needed it to be there, and what restoration would look like afterward. That made all the difference— and of course they explained the compensation," Gaines said.
Kadesha McCastle, another Atlantaarea location manager, said this level of communication should be standard practice.
"It's crucial to outline what the
production is looking for," she said. "Knowing what the timeline is, what areas of your home will be used and modified, helps homeowners feel more comfortable and prepared. They shouldn't have to guess or worry about what's happening in their own space."
Respecting the community
Netflix's "Tulsa King" recently wrapped its fourth season after filming across multiple DeKalb County locations. John Weeks, the show's construction coordinator, brings a perspective sometimes missing between residents and production operations.
"I love being a cheerleader for the film industry, but we also understand that we're sometimes speaking a whole other language from a whole other universe that people don't see every day," Weeks said. "And it just rolls into communities like a circus."
Weeks emphasized the genuine commitment crews feel to being respectful guests.
"We're all parents. Family people. And it sucks to us too if we have to leave someone waiting who has to take their child to Girl Scouts," he said. "People are justifiably concerned with how our presence is going to impact their daily lives. So, we just know to respect that they want us out of their driveway as quickly as possible."
Todd Brunsvold, vice president of zoning for the Inman Park Neighborhood Association (IPNA), works at the intersection of resident concerns and production needs.
"We embrace being a community that invites everybody in. We want to share our history and architecture," Brunsvold said. However, he said the neighborhood does not accept unlimited disruption. "IPNA welcomes productions, but we also don't want anyone to have a problem getting to the grocery store just because filming is happening."
When filming wraps
Location teams commit to resetting homes to their original state, so McCastle and Vickers encourage residents to view the location department as a concierge.
"I joke that I'm a professional guest," Vickers said. "We fold the towels, make the beds, and leave everything as we found it. When production crews are good guests, the community is happy, and when the community is happy, we get to make entertainment."
For homeowners interested in listing their properties as filming locations, visit the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
DODD VICKERS/PROVIDED
Dodd Vickers poses with his location team in cone hats as they celebrate wrapping on the Decatur set of "See You When I See You." Pictured, front row from left: Juan Espinosa, Elizabeth Franklin, Dodd Vickers and Brandon Wigley. Back row from left: Jimnard Campbell, Connor O'Donnell and Gary Ivey.
Special Section
May 28, 2026
Sandy Springs Crier | 8
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How to get what you want, made simple
"Never Split the Difference" by Chris Voss is a book that should probably be required reading for everyone. I am sure of this. However, I am not sure if it should be read in elementary school, middle school or high school. Or maybe it should be required in every corporation at every level.
It's not a new book. I read it almost 10 years ago and am rereading it now. I reread books that I think are important or magical — such as "One Hundred Years of Solitude" or "The Overstory."
In "Never Split the Difference," Voss shares the methods he used as one of the FBI's top hostage negotiators. That was his job: talking people who had kidnapped others and held them
PAST TENSE
for ransom — under threat of death — into releasing their hostages alive. There may be no bigger ask than that. Failure is not an option.
The book is engaging, highly readable and filled with accounts of actual hostage negotiations from around the world — rebel armies, prison revolts and hijackings. But its lessons are not limited to dangerous or traumatic situations. At its core, hostage negotiation is really nothing more than advocating for your wants and needs to others. In that light, consider negotiating a major software contract with a Fortune 500 company, convincing your boss to promote you with a raise or persuading your child not to quit piano lessons or drop off the travel team.
At the end of the day, life is driven by wants and needs. This book is about how to recognize them and respond appropriately, efficiently and successfully.
What this book is not, however,
is one of those formulaic bestsellers promising to teach you how to sell anything to anybody. It is not that. Alongside "Never Split the Difference," another book has recently resurfaced in my memory — one I have read at least three times over the years: "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman. Both books are about how people make decisions, how they think, and how they process information. Think Malcolm Gladwell — "The Tipping Point," "Blink," "Outliers" and all his other books. To be clear, though, Gladwell rode to fame on the shoulders of Kahneman — as did Voss.
Voss's message is simple, profound and accessible. Getting your way with another person involves basic, teachable skills — listening better, practicing empathy, building trust and seeing the world through the other person's eyes. Step by practical step, Voss shares techniques for achieving these things, and most of what he
suggests is little more than common sense. The problem is that most of us have forgotten how to connect effectively with others because we are too busy, too distracted or not focused on what matters most to the other person. We are too self-centered.
He brings the core pieces together and shows how each connects to the others — teaching both context and execution. It is not rocket science. It requires practice, focus and a genuine desire to achieve goals that depend on another person or organization.
Usually something happens that reminds me that wisdom from a past book needs to be revisited. Sometimes I am the one who needs the refresher course. Sometimes it is people in my orbit. In this case, it's the "other people" who sparked the memory and the motivation to reread it. They are dealing with life curveballs at the moment, and reading and internalizing the book will help them navigate forward more successfully.
Thornwell Jacobs and T.K. Peters, the Crypt of Civilization
T.K. Peters moved from Ohio to Atlanta in 1938 to work on the Crypt of Civilization project with Oglethorpe University President Thornwell Jacobs.
The idea of the crypt first came to Jacobs in 1936. His goal was to preserve ancient history for future generations.
Oglethorpe was previously located in Midway, Georgia, but was damaged and closed during the Civil War.
Jacobs, who received a Doctor of Letters degree after earning his Master of Arts degree from Presbyterian College of South Carolina in 1895, began his campaign to reopen the university along Peachtree Road in Brookhaven in 1912. He achieved that goal and served as president from 1915 to 1943.
T.K. Peters worked in the film industry in the early 20th century. He traveled the world taking photographs and movies and used the footage to make travel films. He also worked on special effects for Hollywood movies. He was particularly proud of his
work on the 1923 film, “The Ten Commandments,” where he created the parting of the Red Sea scene with special effects. He had the knowledge and talent needed to assist Jacobs.
The crypt is like a time capsule, but much larger. Items are kept in a room 20 by 10 feet wide and 10 feet high. It is a sealed steel and stone vault in the basement of Phoebe Hearst Hall on the campus of Oglethorpe University. There is no gold, jewelry or other items of value in the crypt.
The purpose of the time capsule was to preserve ancient history and to give a representation of life in the 1930s. Eight hundred textbooks were microfilmed by Peters and placed in the crypt. Modern inventions, such as motion pictures and a projector to show these films were included. Encyclopedias and phonograph records were added.
Items representing everyday life were included, such as assorted kitchen items, a fishing pole, a whistle, Butterick dress pattern, Schick electric razor, fly swatter, beer and cigarette holder. A Lionel model train and Lincoln Logs were among the toys included to represent the time. For the complete list of items in the time capsule, visit oglethorpe. edu/about/history/crypt/inventory/.
T.
The Crypt of Civilization was dedicated in 1938 as part of the commencement program. David Sarnoff, president of the Radio Corporation of America gave the dedication. The program was broadcast on WSB Radio. (Atlanta Journal, May 29, 1938, “Oglethorpe crypt door dedicated by Sarnoff”)
The metal doors of the crypt were sealed on May 28, 1940, with a planned year for opening of 8113. Jacobs arrived at this date by taking the number of years since civilization began, according to the Egyptian calendar, 6,177, and adding that
number to 1936 to arrive at year 8113.
T.K. Peters stayed in the area after the dedication, making his home along Roberts Drive in Dunwoody, where the Dunwoody Nature Center is today. Peters bought the land in 1945 and deeded half the property to his wife Grace. While they had the house built, the couple lived in a small house still standing on the land.
They remained in the home until 1971. Peters described the property for sale as “…six acres, fine, rich soil, slopes down to a stream with a waterfall, magnificent beech trees. Main residence is constructed of blocks, capable of sustaining six thousand pounds to the square inch.”
For more information on the Crypt of Civilization, which Oglethorpe describes as “The oldest millennial time capsule in conception and the largest in the world,” visit their website, oglethorpe.edu/about/ history/crypt/.
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.
VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist
PHOTO FROM “THE STORY OF DUNWOODY,” BY ETHEL W. SPRUILL AND ELIZABETH L. DAVIS
K. Peters prepares items for the Crypt of Civilization at Oglethorpe University.
RAY APPEN
Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com
OPINION
The self-care routines of a workaholic
DAN WHISENHUNT Editor dan@appenmedia.com
Dear readers, When you find your self-worth in your work, as I do, self-care can be a chore.
As a selfdescribed workaholic, I have spent many hours in therapy trying to separate my personal from my professional satisfaction. They are entwined like a pile of jumbled wires. Untangling the pile can be a tedious, discouraging experience. It’s often easier to just “roll with it” and hope you can find your pleasures where you can.
But self-care, like therapy, is important work. It can save your life.
There are a few activities I’ve discovered I can’t do without. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, here are the self-care routines that I find valuable. I hope you will find them valuable, too.
Walking
Before I started my therapy journey, I weighed 300 pounds. I’m at a respectable 235 now.
Food became my go-to source of comfort during COVID, when I was running my own company. I deluded myself into thinking my dangerous eating habits were OK because I wasn’t retreating into substance abuse like so many of us were then. I was eating my way through the pandemic. It wasn’t until I was in therapy and had an embarrassing
Spalding:
Continued from Page 1
Spalding Drive is a major eastwest thoroughfare that connects Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Peachtree Corners and Norcross and is heavily traveled by commuters. A traffic study conducted by Kimley Horn as part of the rezoning applications for both cities found nearly 11,000 vehicles traveled Spalding Drive west of Pitts Road daily.
Many Sandy Springs residents have raised concerns about the homes adding to traffic along the busy stretch of road. But over the course of several community meetings, The Providence Group agreed to install turn lanes at the subdivision’s entrance at the signalized intersection of Spalding
flare-up of gout that I decided to make a change.
So, I began walking and kept going. I set a goal of walking 10,000 steps (about five miles) every day. The first few weeks of this were excruciating. My legs throbbed and the gout continued gnawing at my toes. My brother, who is a CrossFit trainer, kept me focused through calorie counting and exercises designed to increase my range of movement.
After a while, the walking became easier. Then it became mission critical. I began to cherish my time away from my screen and in the sunshine. (Avoiding screens will be a recurring theme of this column.) I began walking extra miles just for my own enjoyment. Last year, I walked all the way from Decatur to the Atlanta Beltline.
My community looks so different when I’m walking through it. I see the architecture subtly change as I go from neighborhood to neighborhood. I notice the clever yard signs, the people holding new babies while walking their jilted dogs, the smell of freshly cut grass in the spring and the shuffling piles of leaves in the fall. In the summer, I wake up earlier when I can to avoid the worst of the heat. But when I sleep in, I hydrate more and endure.
The walking sustains me. It gives me clarity of thought and focus. I get some of my best ideas when I’m listening to my music and feeling the warmth of the sun on my neck.
When I miss a day or two of walking, I get antsy. It’s an essential
Drive and Pitts Road.
Melinda Cobb, who lives in the Spalding Springs subdivision across the street from the planned development, said residents supported the project after The Providence Group promised to install the turn lanes. The Spalding Drive and Pitts Road intersection will be the only entrance and exit for the new subdivision.
“We have a very substantial traffic problem that happens from Pitts Road to Roberts Drive by the [Sandy Springs] fire station … and there does need to be a turn lane and mitigating traffic efforts made in light of this neighborhood going in,” she told the council at the May 19 meeting.
Ronda Smith, president of the Sandy Springs Council of Neighborhoods, said the organization also supports the development with
activity for me. I swear by it.
Playing piano
I taught myself to play piano not long after my son was born. I learned a few tunes that make for great party tricks. I’m told my singing voice is nice. When I’m at the keyboard and belting out Chappell Roan or Tom Petty, I feel free, as ifsome enormous weight has been removed from my shoulders.
When I sold Decaturish to Appen Media Group, the one extravagance I indulged was obtaining an old piano. It’s a brown wooden upright I call my granny piano. It can’t hold a tune longer than a few months, and the keys stick in the upper ranges. Sometimes, on a Saturday morning when my family is sleeping, I’ll gently roll through chord progressions before moving into slow pop songs, waiting for my wife and son to come down the stairs. We make coffee. I sing. They listen. Then we go on about our day.
I love pop music. I’m learning to play “Rainbow” by Kacey Musgraves. It’s hard, but every time I learn a new section, I have to step away so my brain can rest and rewire itself. It’s the kind of challenge that I don’t mind dipping back into. I am not overly critical of myself or my playing, unlike with my job. It’s just for fun.
Cooking
A gourmand, I am not, but I like what I like. This is peak dad energy, but there are few things more satisfying than mowing my lawn,
the installation of turn lanes.
“Installation of these [turn lanes] will ensure that those waiting for ingress will not negatively impact an already difficult corridor that today handles in excess of 10,000 cars per day,” Smith told the council.
“This application really is a study in how to solve concerns in light of what will be a significant change from five lots to 21 plus the three on the other side of the city line in Dunwoody,” she said. “The applicant worked very hard to mitigate the community’s concerns, and I’d like to thank staff and the community for their cooperation to get to this point.”
Sandy Springs City Councilman John Paulson said the city has made some improvements to improve traffic flow on Pitts Road and Spalding Drive, but the result was more cars stacking up on Roberts Drive.
then looking at my mowed lawn while I grill a steak. I’ve become something of a nerd about cooking steak, though inflation has limited my ability to indulge my hobby. When it’s in my budget, I inspect juicy cuts of beef behind glass the way a handyman judges the straightness of a two-by-four.
I often watch food YouTubers. I’m fascinated by the people who do these weird dry-aged beef experiments like encasing a steak in butter for three months, before proclaiming, “and then this happened!” Spoiler alert: Most of the time, what happened is a culinary abomination. Better your ribeye than mine.
My favorite food YouTuber is Max Miller, who hosts “Tasting History.” He’s ridiculously charming and a great reporter at heart. He does his own research, rather than mindlessly regurgitating Wikipedia. Miller’s series on homefront cooking during World War II is simply outstanding. He makes a strong case that food history is human history.
These are some of the self-care methods I recommend. They are not cures for unhappiness. But I can’t do without them. I’d love to know what you do for self-care and what gives you peace amid life's pressures. Drop me a line: dan@appenmedia.com. I may include some of your routines in next year’s Mental Health Awareness month column.
I remain your humble and grateful community news editor. – Dano Dan Whisenhunt, editor and founder
“As a city, we’re going to have to look at traffic on Spalding Drive in this area because at 5 o’clock it’s very hard to get through here,” he said.
City planners said in a report to the council the new development will help meet the increased demand for single-family detached housing in Sandy Springs.
“Demand in the metro, especially communities located in the inner rings of the metro such as Sandy Springs, has outpaced production,” the report said. “As Sandy Springs has become increasingly built out, available land is increasingly scarce for net new construction of detached units. This proposal will establish a new single-family community of 21 homes that will help meet the demand and desire for homeownership opportunities in Sandy Springs.”
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