County jail system remains a focus for commissioners
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A sweetgum tree, estimated at 100 years old, stands smothered in English ivy on Arlington Memorial Park property near Sandy Springs United Methodist Church.
Resident mounts effort to resuscitate sweetgum
By HAYDEN SUMLIN | hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Thanks to observant and active community members, a century-old Sweetgum tree covered in English ivy has a second chance at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs.
While the tree isn’t out of the weeds yet, it has a fighting chance, thanks to a community-led effort.
Karen Meinzen McEnerny, known during her years on the City Council championing tree advocacy, said she noticed a mature hardwood covered in ivy while driving along Mount Vernon Highway about a year ago.
See SWEETGUM, Page 12
Sandy Springs repeals ordinance establishing personal buffer zone
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Sandy Springs City Council voted unanimously May 20 to repeal the state’s first and only 8-foot personal buffer ordinance, which critics claim placed limits on First Amendment freedoms.
It is no longer disorderly conduct for a person to remain within 8 feet of someone who objects in Sandy Springs. It’s not clear what ultimately changed city leaders’ minds, but a staff memo referred to potential litigation.
Cory Isaacson, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia, said her team worked with City Attorney Dan Lee and the Anti-Defamation League to recommend a repeal of the ordinance enacted during an April 1 public hearing. She said all parties listened to one another and cooperated.
“I want to address briefly why this ordinance is dangerous in addition to it being unlawful,” Isaacson said. “Often times, restrictions on speech are done in the name of protecting vulnerable communities, and I believe that’s what the council’s intent was here … We’ve seen in our history and around the world that when government restricts
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
Sandy Springs City Attorney Dan Lee speaks on his recommendation to repeal an ordinance that created a disorderly conduct charge for anyone remaining within 8 feet of a person who objects. Lee told the City Council May 20 that the move would avoid possible litigation.
speech, all of us become less free, and vulnerable communities are often the ones suffer the brunt.”
The buffer ordinance was one of three the council passed at its April 1 meeting, but one stood out to ALCU. The city’s last-minute changes to the ADL’s model language for the ordinance removed a clause tying the buffer to a geographic point, specifically within 50 feet of a house of worship, educational institution or public rights of way.
The ACLU notified city offi -
cials in a letter hours before the April 1 meeting, citing its First Amendment concerns.
City Councilwoman Melody Kelley said she had expressed concern about the broad nature of the model ordinance before the April 1 vote. In response, Lee changed the wording to extend the restriction everywhere in the city. Kelley and City Councilwoman Jody Reichel cast the only votes against the buffer ordinance.
See ORDINANCE, Page 12
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
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State school superintendent honors North Springs seniors
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — State School Superintendent Richard Woods and the Georgia Department of Education honored two North Springs High School seniors at an April 29 ceremony for statewide recognitions.
Dior Athj earned the Georgia International Skills Diploma Seal, and Beck Ballowe received the Georgia Seal of Biliteracy. North Springs officials said the prestigious recognitions will appear on the graduates’ diplomas and transcripts.
The Georgia Department of Education grants the International Skills Diploma Seal to students who complete a globally focused curriculum, including coursework in world languages. The recipients must also participate in community service and extracurricular activities with a global focus.
Among several high achievers, North Springs staff selected Athj as its 2025 International Skills Diploma Seal Star Student, a special distinction for students who exhibit exceptional leadership and impact in promoting international understanding.
Athj, who plans to attend Rice University on a pre-med track this fall, said she thinks her knowledge of the Spanish language and Hispanic culture will be valuable in her future career as a travel nurse.
“I’ve always been passionate about learning other cultures and understanding different perspectives,” she said. “This recognition encourages me to keep exploring the world and using those insights to make a positive impact.”
See WOODS, Page 11
State School Superintendent Richard Woods presents the Georgia International Skills Diploma Seal to North Springs High School senior Dior Athj April 29. Athj said she plans to pursue a premed track at Rice University this fall.
Fulton County officials stress progress on jail facilities
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
ATLANTA — The Fulton County Commission heard updates May 21 on organizations that affect the more than one million people living in Georgia’s largest county.
Fulton County’s justice system involves several organizations that operate independently, including the District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office, Superior and State courts and the Solicitor General.
Justice System Programs Director Steve Nawrocki told commissioners the average monthly inmate population across all county jail facilities continues to increase each month.
Nawrocki said the population of unindicted inmates is ticking up in 2025 but the average length of stay, around 214 days as of mid-May, is down more than a week since March.
“Looking at the upcoming activities, refining the options and costs are targeted for the month of June with a final report in July, and then a presentation to the board in August,” Nawrocki said. “Overall, we’re tracking on schedule and continue to make good progress.”
Priorities include continuing to report data on the justice system, automating the jail population analysis and collaborating with the courts.
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District 5 County Commissioner Marvin Arington asked if county staff is working with the consent decree monitor, Kathleen Kenney, to develop the capital projects and plan needed to address the dangerous and unhealthy conditions at the Fulton County Jail.
There are long-standing problems at the Rice Street jail requiring a lengthy and costly process with a consent decree monitor reviewing conditions to ensure the rights of incarcerated citizens are not violated.
The probe into the county’s Rice Street facility and three annexes, including one in Alpharetta, began in 2023 after the murder of an unindicted inmate who had been in custody for eight months.
Nawrocki said the county does plan to engage the monitor. The capital improvements to the jail began before the federal consent decree, he said, and the county is making progress.
“We know the monitor is now engaged with the county,” Nawrocki said. “We will engage with them as we refine the scope to ensure that we are hitting compliance, these are meeting the humanitarian needs.”
Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts seconded Arington’s push to involve the monitor.
“The question though is, is everything we’re doing consistent with what we should be doing based on the report?” Pitts asked.
Nawrocki said the issues will be addressed in the current capital pro -
gram or an upcoming one.
The overall jail population remains much lower than it was in summer 2023. A part of the reason is an ongoing “Jail Blitz” capital repair program, which is expected to wrap up in August. The maintenance has put some 500 beds out of service.
Joseph Davis, director of the county’s Real Estate and Asset Management Department, said the number of monthly work orders at the jail varies between 950-1,700 individual requests.
Davis said coordination with the Sherriff’s Office to ensure contractors are safe while on-site has been working well and allowing the timely delivery of upgrades.
Last August, commissioners approved $3.2 million to upgrade fire alarms, modernize elevators and replace appliances. Davis said the remaining work is going out for bids.
Because a lot of the damage inside the jail is caused by inmates, District 1 Commissioner Bridget Thorne asked if the behavior is being addressed. Davis responded that the Sheriff’s Office brings additional charges based on the level of damage.
In other business at the commission meeting, representatives from MARTA and Atlanta Beltline gave updates on capital projects, user and ridership data and follow-through with affordable housing goals.
While both organizations are focused on completing projects for the 2026 World Cup, Commissioner Thorne shared her support for path and trail connectivity and asked about plans to connect the Beltline with North Fulton.
Federal funding cuts jeopardize plans from both organizations, and both representatives reported they are preparing for the worst to ensure projects have the capital to move along.
The PATH Foundation’s multi-use trail along Ga. 400, a key to connect the Beltline’s Northwest Trail to Buckhead and Central Perimeter north of I-285 has the federal funding required to complete construction in the next four years.
From there, trail networks throughout Sandy Springs and Roswell could eventually connect into Alpharetta’s Alpha Loop farther north.
“I’m a long-time advocator for the paths and connecting the communities,” said Thorne, who sat on a vision board for the Alpha Loop. “I’d like to look at the impact on the whole region on how the Beltline is going to have that ‘halo effect,’ connect other cities and benefit the taxpayers from the entire county, from North to South.”
APPEN MEDIA FILE PHOTO
The Alpharetta jail is one correctional facility used in Fulton County. As of May 23 the Sheriff’s Office reports a total jail population of 2,764, with 40 in the Alpharetta location.
Envision Perimeter pitches business district as Atlanta’s headquarters
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Elected leaders and a few hundred members of the business community gathered May 20 for the inaugural Envision Perimeter on the 12th floor of the King building.
Envision Perimeter is the product of several groups coming together, the Perimeter Community Improvement Districts, the new Greater Perimeter Chamber and the business community that backs both.
Since commercial owners rallied together to form a self-taxing commercial district just north of I-285 in 1999, Central Perimeter has gone from farmland to one of the largest edge cities in the United States.
Central Perimeter sports some of Metro Atlanta’s newest Class A office space.
According to data from global commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield, the commercial district outperformed all Metro Atlanta submarkets in leasing activity throughout 2024. With more than 1.3 million square feet of new leasing and the largest year-over-year increase, Perimeter just beat out midtown Atlanta. Cushman & Wakefield cites proximity to downtown Atlanta, relative affordability when compared to the urban core and a strong talent base as reasons for a spur in demand.
The event was thrown as a community celebration of progress within the business district, which encompasses pieces of the cities of Brookhaven, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs.
Regent Partner Principal John Bell, whose team leases the King building, is an Atlanta native, Marist graduate and member of the Perimeter CIDs’ Fulton County Board. He said he’s had a front row seat to Central Perimeter’s growth, from farmland to urban streetscape.
“This development has long been a part of the Perimeter story,” Bell said. “An icon, a landmark? Yes, but also a symbol of what this district is: established, resilient and forward-moving.”
The theme of the summit was “Every Piece in Place,” a nod to the wrap up of major enhancements to the Ga. 400 and I-285 interchange just north of “Pill Hill” in Sandy Springs.
Getting infrastructure on par
Situated at Ga. 400 and I-285, the King and Queen buildings off Concourse Parkway gave attendees a 360-degree view of Central Perimeter with the Buckhead and Atlanta skylines on the horizon.
Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russel McMurray said the wrap-up of the $800 million Transform 285/400 project at the major intersection is the first critical piece of the puzzle for mobility improvements within Metro Atlanta.
“Today is a full circle moment. This is where we did a ceremonial ground-break-
Tristan Cleveland, an urban planner with the firm
the inaugural Envision Perimeter on the 12th floor of the
for the community celebration of the business district’s progress.
ing, too long ago I might add, for this big project,” McMurray said. “Back when we were struggling to figure out how to fund [the project] … PCID came through with a $10 million investment to help us advance the project.”
That project broke ground in 2017, indicating the protracted timeline that typically goes with major infrastructure improvement projects.
McMurray said the ongoing progress on PATH400 is one piece of the puzzle and an example of several organizations and cities coming together. The multi-use trail along Ga. 400 checks a lot of boxes for regional trail advocates. When completed, it will allow pedestrians and cyclists to get from Central Perimeter to Buckhead and the Atlanta Beltline.
The Georgia Department of Transportation built a part of the trail system through one of the busiest interchanges in the country, allowing each Central Perimeter city to build their own connections. Sandy Springs has its portion of PATH400 funded up to Central Perimeter.
The
PHOTOS BY: HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
Happy Cities, discusses successful redevelopments and retrofits May 20 at
King building.
Central Perimeter business community gathered
Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurray discusses the wrap up of the Transform Ga. 400 and I-285 project while previewing work on elevated express planes along Ga. 400 from the North Springs MARTA station to Forsyth County.
PHOTOS BY: HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch and Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul discuss how both sides of the county line are investing in Central Perimeter’s growth, making Central Perimeter a more attractive commercial district.
Envision:
Continued from Page 6
McMurray wrapped up by mentioning the kickoff of work on the Ga. 400 Express Lanes project, from the North Springs MARTA station in Sandy Springs to McFarland Parkway in Forsyth County.
“We’re going to give you a reprieve from orange barrels for a little bit,” he said. “Enjoy the Transform 285/400 for now … there’s more investment coming in future mobility that will continue to make this Perimeter Center thrive economically and competitively.”
Picking Central Perimeter
Perimeter CIDs Executive Director Ann Hanlon said another critical piece of the puzzle is public safety, which the commercial district financially supports.
“We’re all really trying really hard to make this a great place,” Hanlon said. “But the foundation of that success, one of the things that makes our job easy, is that Perimeter is the safest, most accessible market in Metro Atlanta.”
Hanlon then introduced the police chiefs in Brookhaven, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs to discuss how their departments partner with the Perimeter CIDs and each other to ensure they’re where they need to be in the community.
While the Dunwoody Police Chief Mike Carlson touted camera technology and drone usage, Sandy Springs Police Chief Kenneth DeSimone touted his department’s new electric motorcycles and bicycles for patrols along PATH400 and throughout Central Perimeter.
Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul said it’s hard to believe that a quarter of the 21st century is already behind us and it’s his job to prepare for the next 25 years.
“This is one of the most important economic regions for the whole Southeastern region,” Paul said. “That doesn’t mean we can rest on our laurels. We’ve got to do a refresh and look at what demands are going to be in the next 25-30 years to be able to hold onto what we have here, expand it and grow it.”
One panel during the summit featured Cushman Wakefield Executive Director
Ken Ashley, a Dunwoody native, in conversation with representatives of new Central Perimeter tenants like Newell Brands, TriNet and Marketwave.
Each corporate leader spoke on what attracted them to Central Perimeter, citing the district’s amenities, transportation options and community energy.
Another panel, “The Perimeter Experience: Culture, Community & Belonging,” promoted sponsorships and community service at the Dunwoody Nature Center and commuting shuttles through the CIDs’ Perimeter Connects program.
Looking at next steps
Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch introduced the keynote speaker, citing intentional public and private investment that seeks to balance density in Central Perimeter.
“Projects like High Street and Ashford Lane show that density done well has tremendous positives, and we plan for much more of this in the future of Dunwoody” Deutsch said. “Dunwoody is thriving to be a happy, connected city.”
Tristan Cleveland, an urban planner with a doctorate in philosophy from Dalhousie University’s Healthy Populations Institute, said suburban retrofitting began in Miami-Dade County in the early 1990s.
“All of this great works that’s happening across Atlanta of bringing walkability and transportation design, it can thank this change,” Cleveland said.
With urbanization and growth comes resistance from some residents of Central Perimeter cities. Whether it’s apartment renters being priced out with ongoing redevelopment or homeowners frustrated with neighborhood encroachment, some people are not on board.
Cleveland said skyrocketing housing values is an issue for low-income people, but it also increases the commercial tax base and decreases the residential burden.
In Dunwoody, residents fight city plans to put 12-foot-wide paths in front of singlefamily homes. In Sandy Springs, homeowners and schools fight over field lighting.
Two things that seem popular among a large majority of residents across north Metro Atlanta are increasing walkability in commercial areas with paths and expanding access to natural landscapes with trails.
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TriNet establishes footprint within High Street district
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
DUNWOODY, Ga. — Hours after announcing TriNet’s 150,000-square-foot lease at High Street May 15, journalists and culinary influencers toured restaurants and entertainment venues.
While the heart of Dunwoody is the Village at Mount Vernon and Chamblee Dunwoody roads, the mixed-use area between Perimeter Center West and Hammond Drive is offering something new.
The vision for the High Street masterplan is to create an urban district incorporating a variety of commercial uses set among plazas, water features, restaurants, outdoor dining and retail. Instead of surface parking lots, High Street has decks that blend into the district’s mid-rises which are full of retail, chef-driven dining, luxury residences and lofted office space.
High Street sits in one of Dunwoody’s entertainment districts, allowing the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages in public within set boundaries. The Perimeter Center Entertainment District at the Fulton-DeKalb County border also includes Perimeter Mall, Ashford Lane, Park Place and Campus 244. The city’s only other entertainment district surrounds the Dunwoody Village.
GID Development Group and its partners recently completed the $415 million first phase of High Street, introducing a “town center” to the Central Perimeter business district. Phase one includes two luxury apartment buildings featuring resort-level amenities, 320,000 square feet of office and 150,000 square feet of retail, restaurants, entertainment and shopping.
During the tour, the High Street marketing team reported apartments are 87 percent occupied.
In March, Dunwoody Mayor Lynn
HIGH STREET/PROVIDED California-based TriNet reports it’s signing a 150,000-square-foot office lease within GID Development Group’s mixed-use district High Street.
restaurants and retailers work with High Street to throw resident-only and public gatherings.
Velvet Taco, specializing in TexMex cuisine with fresh, never frozen ingredients, was the Food Tour’s first stop at Middle Street and Perimeter Center Parkway on the southern end of the development.
Metro Atlanta food influencers were among several digital creators on the tour, which weaved through some of the new restaurants open within the district.
Deutsch announced California-based TriNet’s plans to invest $15.4 million and add 750 jobs over the next five years at a 150,000-sqaure-foot space in the city.
The publicly traded company serves as an outsourced human resources department for small and medium-sized businesses and provides a technology platform for managing payroll processing and compliance.
TriNet Chief People Officer Catherine
Wragg said the company evaluated numerous locations in its multi-state search.
“The state of Georgia has been a great partner, and Mayor Deutsch, along with High Street, worked diligently to help meet our office expansion objectives,” Wragg said. “In addition to being close to strong universities and a prosperous small business community, High Street offers a truly unique and exciting opportunity for our business and our people to thrive.”
Several restaurants and retailers are already open, including Velvet Taco, Cuddlefish and Nando’s PERi-PERi.
The Hampton Social, a restaurant and bar concept from Chicago with coastalinspired dishes and an emphasis on rosé, is to open later this year.
Dunwoody Economic Development
Director Michael Starling cites the flight-to-quality trend in commercial real estate, with older retail and office properties struggling to attract tenants.
High Street is specifically designed for the post-pandemic market because investors and tenants are seeking amenity-rich, well-located and highquality properties.
The two-hour “High Street Food Tour” kicked off on the development’s central greenspace and stopped by six of the development’s new restaurants and venues. The marketing team said
After the angus brisket bowl at Velvet Taco, the group stopped by Cuddlefish to try some of Michelin-starred chef Jason Liang hand-rolled sushi before grabbing an ice cream sample at Ben & Jerry’s.
While High Street residents enjoyed a live DJ and cornhole during a community event on the central greenspace, the Food Tour headed to Puttshack located on the development’s second story terrace.
Puttshack is a technology-infused mini golf experience, offering world-class dining and entertainment. It’s like Top Golf but for putting.
The most crowded stop during the tour was at Agave Bandido. On Thursday, the south Florida-based restaurant offers a Ladies Night deal with free select drinks after paying a $1 entry.
The quietest stop along the tour was at Nando’s PERi-PERi. Everyone sat in silence, enjoying flame-grilled chicken with South African spices.
More restaurants are scheduled to open through the year.
A central lawn and additional public spaces offer residents, workers and visitors access to abundant community events such as holiday experiences, outdoor fitness classes, and concerts.
At full build-out, the $2 billion 36acre project will feature 10 city blocks with a pedestrian-friendly street grid across the street from the Dunwoody MARTA station and Perimeter Mall.
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
Velvet Taco sits at the corner of Middle Street and Perimeter Center Parkway within GID Development Group’s mixed-use destination High Street. During a May 15 tour, journalists and content creators stopped by several of High Street’s restaurants and venues, including Nando’s PERi PERi, Agave Bandido, Cuddlefish, Ben & Jerry’s and Puttshack.
BOOK EVENTS
Wendy Wax’s Roswell launch gets beach-read season going
By KATHY DES JARDINS CIOFFI newsroom@appenmedia.com
Readers bound for sand, surf and sun have long known to pack Wendy Wax’s seaside stories. The author, born and raised in Florida, moved back in 2022 after decades in Atlanta. She has the word “beach” in the title of six of her 17 novels and two novellas, and numerous others feature beaches on the cover and/or as the setting.
Fittingly, “Just Beachy” is the author’s latest release. Wax will return to Georgia for the book’s Roswell launch June 7 and a series of additional appearances around the metro area sponsored by Bookmiser.
The new novel’s name aside, however, Wax’s books are far more than “beach reads.”
“My protagonists are primarily female,” the USA Today bestselling author said, “and I write journeys of self-discovery and the bonds of friendship that get us through the toughest times. I deal with serious subjects. I just believe that Mary Poppins had it right. A spoonful of humor helps the harsh realities go down.”
Wax first hit on that winning formula for contemporary women’s fiction in the early 2000s. After graduating from the University of Georgia and following a broadcasting career as a television writer,
Tuesday, June 3, Rita Daniels on “Harriet Tubman: Military Scout and Tenacious Visionary: From Her Roots in Ghana to Her Legacy on the Eastern Shore.” Friends of the Sandy Springs Library and Bookmiser will spotlight Daniels, a Tubman descendent, at 5:30 p.m. Free. Sandy Springs Library, 395 Mount Vernon Highway Northeast. 770509-5611. bookmiser.net/events.html
Saturday, June 7; Monday, June 9, Wendy Wax Georgia launch week sponsored by Bookmiser. On June 7, Atlanta Authors will present Wax in conversation with Karen White at 2 p.m. Roswell Adult Recreation Center, 830 Grimes Bridge Road. On June 9, Friends of the Sandy Springs Library will feature Wax at 6 p.m. with Colleen Oakley. Sandy Springs Library, 395 Mount Vernon Highway Northeast. Two additional appearances will be held in Newnan and Dahlonega. All are free. 770-509-5611. bookmiser.net/events. html
Saturday, June 7, illustrating books with Rob McClurkan, children’s book author and illustrator. 4 p.m. Free. Hampton Park Library, 5345 Settingdown Road, Cumming. 770-781-9840. forsythpl.org/event/13298617
USA Today bestselling author Wendy Wax will launch her latest novel, “Just Beachy” June 7 in Roswell.
producer and on-camera talent, she was at home with a newborn and a 2-year-old when she decided to write a novel.
“I chalk that up to post-pregnancy hormones and lack of sleep,” she joked. “I didn't realize how hard it would be, but I needed something creative to focus on in the midst of changing diapers and cleaning up messes.”
And focus she did – to the tune of nearly a book a year since 2003.
As something of a thank-you for that diligence, Atlanta is rolling out the red carpet for “Just Beachy.” The book launches with an afternoon tea in Roswell alongside New York Times bestseller Karen White on June 7, followed by additional appearances in Sandy Springs, Dahlonega and Newnan.
Details about Wax’s North Fulton events are below, along with other June events.
Wednesday, June 11, Emily Carpenter with Kimberly Belle, discussing Carpenter’s latest thriller, “Gothictown.” 5:30 p.m. Free. Poe & Company Bookstore, 1890 Heritage Walk, Suite P101, Milton. 770-797-5566. Poeandcompanybookstore.com
Tuesday, June 24, Johns Creek Books and Gwinnett County Public Library will host Katherine Scott Crawford with her May release, “The Miniaturist's Assistant.” 6 p.m. Free. Duluth Library, 3180 Main Street, Duluth. 770-696-9999. johnscreekbooks.com
Friday, Saturday and Monday, June 27, 28 and 30, Friends of the Roswell Library Book Sale. See website for hours and details. Roswell Library, 115 Norcross St., Roswell. 404-612-9700. forl.net
Sunday, June 29, Books & Brews with Christopher Swann. Hosted by Read It Again Bookstore at Pontoon Brewing, Sandy Springs. 1 p.m. Free. Pontoon Brewing, 500, 8601 Dunwoody Place, Sandy Springs. read-it-again.com
To submit an author event for the upcoming month, email Kathy Des Jardins Cioffi at kathydesjardins3@gmail.com by the 15th.
Memberships
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PRESERVING THE PAST
A historic house comes out of the woods
BOB MEYERS Columnist
For many years motorists traveling east on Mayfield Road in Alpharetta would pass a small densely wooded lot as they crossed Canton Street en route to Highway 9. Diagonally across the street is the Alpharetta Arts Center. Along Canton Street are many houses, some old, some new.
Not very long ago the woods were stripped from the land and a boarded-up house was revealed. It is a house with a story worth telling. A two-headed calf is part of the story.
The house was most likely originally built between 1910 and 1920. Early owners were Homer and Clara Weatherford. Homer was a farmer and the family had a barn on the property. They were well known locally and attracted considerable attention in the early 20th century because they had a two-headed calf that they kept in the barn. For $1.00 they would allow a person to enter the barn to see the calf.
Two-headed calves, a condition called polycephaly, occur when an embryo attempts to split into two separate embryos, but the split is incomplete. The condition is very rare, estimated to be 1 in 400 million, and calves are usually stillborn or die within a few days. The longest recorded polycephaly calf lived for 40 days, so Homer and Clara’s business venture did not last very long.
The Weatherford House was built in the Folk Victorian style which was popular in the United States and Europe between 1870 and 1910. Folk Victorian is less elaborate than true Victorian and some other subsets of Victorian such as Queen Anne style.
Shack Lewis, local historian and realtor, grew up across the road on Canton Street and has some memories of the house and the people who lived there. As a child, Shack called the residence the Wills House because he knew Belle Wills (18981987), the wife of William H. Wills (1879-1964), the owner at the time. Shack and his brother Clay would stop at the house on their way home from school and swing on Miss Wills’ porch swing and visit with her. “She was a nice lady and always had cookies,” says Shack. William Wills sold the house in 1983 to David J. Woodward.
Lifelong Alpharetta resident
John and Annie Weatherford operated a dairy farm when they owned the historic Weatherford House. After many years of neglect the home will be preserved and restored as a designated historic structure by the City of Alpharetta. It is located at 193 Canton Street and will be part of the new development of Jackson Park.
Elsie Knight remembers the dairy owned by John C. Weatherford (1870-1937) and Annie Weatherford (1871-1931) that occupied much of the original property. John was Elsie’s grandmother’s brother. The dairy probably had 20 or 25 cows according to Elsie, given the size of the property. She and her husband Howard (1930-2010) kept horses on the farm because Howard was a member of the Reactivated Confederate Calvary and rode in
patriotic parades. John’s niece Gladys Wood and her husband Andy lived on the edge of the property on today’s Highway 9. Andy fought in World War 1 and was gassed and never fully recovered. Elsie recalls that Clark Weatherford lived in a house at one time on the other side of the pasture on Hopewell Road.
Valerie Mote rented the house from 1993 to 1999 from then owner David J. Woodard, She attended Milton High School in the late 1970s where she
played in the band with Shack Lewis. She remembers the swing on the front porch that her father hung for her. The house boasted beautiful heart pine floors, tongue and groove walls in its bedrooms, a front sitting/living room and fireplaces in every room. Valerie did not use the fireplaces because of their age. A well sat on the small back porch. A small rental house was in back of the main house. The original windows with wavy glass were a highlight for Valerie. She and the roommate with whom she shared the house parked their cars under a large oak tree next to the front porch.
The historic Weatherford House will be part of a new development to be called Jackson Park. Built by Canton Mayfield Development, it will fully occupy the 2.9-acre parcel. It will consist of 16 new singlefamily homes and the restored and rehabilitated Weatherford House. The house has been vacant for about 25 years.
The Jackson family of developers has deep roots in Alpharetta. George Jackson lV was raised in Alpharetta. He is a partner on the project and is in charge of sales of the residences. His father, George Jackson lll is a principal. Chris Davis is the third partner. The partners have developed Teasley Place, Alpharetta Lofts and Fourteen Park Place in downtown Alpharetta. George lV says “My family is committed to the success of downtown Alpharetta.”
Bob is director emeritus of the Milton Historical Society and a Member of the City of Alpharetta Historic Preservation Commission. You can email him at bobmey@bellsouth. net. Bob welcomes suggestions for future columns about local history.
BOB MEYERS/APPEN MEDIA
The historic Weatherford House as it appears today. Built in Folk Victorian style in the early 1900s, the house will be restored and rehabilitated as part of a new community to be built in Alpharetta. The house is valuable piece of the city’s architectural heritage.
FIND A GRAVE/PROVIDED
Tombstone of John and Annie Weatherford in Midway United Methodist Church Cemetery in Forsyth County.
PHOTO EXCERPTED FROM DAYS GONE BY IN ALPHARETTA AND ROSWELL GA BY CAROLYNE DILLMAN
State School Superintendent
Woods presents the Georgia Seal of Biliteracy to North Springs High School senior Beck Ballowe April 29. Ballowe said she loved her unique experience learning the Latin language at North Springs.
Woods:
Continued from Page 3
The Seal of Biliteracy Star Student award indicates language proficiency and signals businesses and educational agencies that the recipient has achieved, at minimum, proficiency in both English and at least one world language.
Ballowe is North Springs’ 2025 Seal of Biliteracy Star Student.
“Latin at North Springs is so much more than just the language — the community I have found here, and the amazing teaching is what motivated me to keep going as far as I have,” Ballowe said. “I love the language itself. We really have something special here.”
The diploma seal honors are reserved for a small percentage of Georgia graduates. Schools identify qualified students who must apply and fulfill award requirements. Both recognitions are part of Georgia’s broader effort to prepare students for success in an interconnected world.
“These accomplishments are a testament to our students’ initiative, resilience, and readiness to contribute to a global society,” North Springs language teacher Julie Ferris said. “We are proud of Dior and Beck for their hard work and the example they set for our school community.”
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Sweetgum:
Continued from Page 1
McEnerny called her work on the sweetgum, “Releasing Prometheus from Bondage,” a nod to the figure in Greek mythology who stole fire from the gods and gave it to humans. “Prometheus tree” also references a nearly 5,000-year-old pine cut down by the United States Forest Service in 1964. The graduate student who felled the tree was not aware that it could have been the oldest living organism on Earth, sparking controversy that echoes to this day.
McEnerny and representatives from Arlington and Sandy Springs United Methodist Church gathered at the base of the sweetgum at 9:30 a.m. May 22 to watch an arborist attempt to save the 100-year-old native tree.
McEnerny held the District 6 seat in Sandy Springs from 2006-2013, advocating to preserve tree canopy and greenspace.
While she’s not a certified arborist, her lifetime of knowledge about the natural environment helped her develop a plan to clear hundreds of pounds of water weight, leaves and roots from the tree.
First, cut a 2-foot gap in the ivy, like the traditional method of girdling, without damaging the trunk of the sweetgum.
Next, spread a chemical defoliate on both sides of the 2-foot gap. Before selecting the specific solution, McEnerny said she contacted Sandy Springs Urban Forest
Ordinance:
Continued from Page 1
City Attorney Lee said he now recommends reappealing the ordinance because his legal department removed language from the ADL’s model ordinance.
“I chose to take it out and bring that before the council,” Lee said. “Since you all passed that, ADL and ACLU, two groups who I place great stock in the study of First Amendment rights, have been discussing it, and I’m convinced that a challenge to the ordinance would be not worth the gain from it.”
Lee said the Sandy Springs Police Department is on board with his recommendation to repeal the buffer ordinance.
At the same time, he said value remains in the other two ordinances passed at the April 1 hearings, one restricting the overnight delivery of unsolicited printed materials to residences and the other prohibiting people or groups from blocking public access to private property.
At the time, Mayor Rusty Paul and Lee said it was not necessary to tie the buffer to any specific place in the city. Instead, elected officials voted to approve the buffer ordinance with language applying it citywide.
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From left, naturalist Karen Meinzen McEnerny ; Sandy Springs United Methodist Church members Kathy Keeton and Kathy Wright ; and Arlington Memorial Park General Manager Morgan Gentry-Eubanks stand before a recovering sweetgum after a ring of English ivy was removed from the trunk.
Coordinator Willie Park and a friend at Aborguard, who both signed off on the strategy.
Once the roots of the English ivy are severed around the base of the tree, the hundreds of pounds of roots, leaves and vines above will ideally dry out, die and fall away.
The hope is that by autumn, folks driving past Arlington Memorial Park at Mount Vernon Highway and Lake Forrest Drive will see the sweetgum’s bright yellow leaves.
Some of the roots removed by an Arlington Memorial Park arborist were the
While council members Andy Bauman, Tibby DeJuilo, John Paulson and Melissa Mular all voted in favor of the ordinance, Lee assured them the legal language held up. After 50 days, conversations with First Amendment watchdogs and the threat of a lawsuit, they all voted to repeal it.
“We explained in our previous letter to this council why the ordinance is unconstitutional,” the ACLU’s Isaacson said during general public comment May 20. “Any time, place or manner restriction on speech has to be narrowly tailored and it has to allow open, ample alternative methods of communication. This ordinance does neither.”
Isaacson’s comments were interrupted by a short power outage that doused the lights.
She picked up the thread when power was restored.
“[The buffer ordinance] shuts down speech and expression across the whole city,” she said. “Ordinances like this that have attempted to do something similar have only been found constitutional when speech is restricted very specifically and in a limited and particularly sensitive location.”
After the meeting, Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul said the city had the right intent with the ordinance, to give guidance to law enforcement and prohibit protesters from getting close to one another and
size of a forearm.
As he was wrapping up work with a machete and a steel lopper, the arborist told McEnerny and her church friends that he needed a chainsaw.
English ivy is abundant throughout Metro Atlanta, particularly in neglected right of ways. It’s an invasive species in a friendly environment with warm and humid weather.
McEnerny terms the ivy and kudzucovered trees as green columns. Despite the green, eventually the invasive species overtakes and kills the trees. Once the trees are gone, so is the green.
escalating disagreements into conflict. Paul said concerns from First Amendment watchdogs were a result of the last-minute changes to the ordinance language, but the problems weren’t caught until after it passed.
Regarding the other two ordinances, Paul said he feels good about them.
The first ordinance prohibits the overnight distribution of uncontracted for literature. While intent behind the ordinance is to punish those who harass others with hate mail, like documented instances of antisemitic fliers, it also limits when the Crier can be delivered.
When City Councilwoman Reichel asked about the constitutionality of the other two ordinances, Lee said there’s been conversations, and he thinks they will be upheld.
The third ordinance, the only to pass unanimously, prohibits individuals from blocking public access to private property, like a house of worship or educational institution.
During the official public hearing, the ACLU’s Issacson said the changes that were made to the ADL’s third model ordinance made it “exceptionally egregious in its unconstitutionality having no parameters at all.”
Isaacson said even with the model ordinance language, including the 50-foot distance from public walkways, was also
Judging from the look of the tree May 22, McEnerny had little time to act. It’s not yet clear if the native sweetgum will survive the clean-up and treatment.
McEnerny, whose late husband is buried at the memorial park, said she approached her friends at Sandy Springs United Methodist Church about whether something could be done to save the tree. Because she first thought the tree was on church property, she reached out to the church’s liaison to Arlington, Kathy Keeton.
Sandy Springs UMC owns several acres on both sides of Mount Vernon Highway, including its church building, traditional cemetery and the site of the water tower.
Keeton and church member Kathy Wright approached Arlington Memorial Park Executive Director Morgan GentryEubanks proposing to save the tree.
Keeton, Wright and Gentry-Eubanks said credit for the tree-saving effort goes to McEnerny’s passion for environmental stewardship.
Arlington Memorial Park is off Mount Vernon Highway near City Springs and covers 122 acres of rolling hills, centuryold trees and two lakes. Memorial parks are a modern take on cemeteries, using flat markers rather than traditional headstones.
McEnerny, while chatting with church members and memorial park staff, said she thinks Lake Forrest Drive used to be the old cemetery’s main entrance back in the 1920s when the community began burying its loved ones there.
overly broad and could be read as applying to most of the city.
“I do want to note for the council that even the previous version of the (buffer) ordinance that was before this council, we saw as very constitutionally problematic as well,” she said.
Isaacson made no comment about the other two ordinances passed April 1.
City Councilwoman Melody Kelley said she wished the city’s legal department had done its homework before bringing the ordinance for a vote. She said the repeal is encouraging, and she hopes the lesson has been learned.
Kelly said that when she originally questioned the buffer ordinance’s initial language that included public right of way, the wording was eliminated, and the restriction was extended to include the whole city.
City Councilman Bauman, who voted in favor of each ordinance after pressing the city attorney on their constitutionality, said the ordinance saga is a failure of leadership.
“The question I keep asking is how we got here. This so-called buffer ordinance originated in December when it was first proposed and brought forward by the mayor,” Bauman said. “Council was asked to vote on language that is now clearly understood to have not been fully vetted.”
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!
PARTNERS
1. Jekyll’s partner. Like some gas. Garbage.
2. Sea bird. Valuable fur. Clark’s partner
3. Poe’s bird. Lum’s partner. Like a busybody.
4. Hardy’s partner. Small salmon. Kind of test.
5. Musical mark. Fibber McGee’s partner. Territory in North-Eastern Canada.
6. Baby buggy. Popeye’s partner. Latin American Dance.
7. Bird venerated by ancient Egyptians. Delilah’s partner. Half-moon tide.
1 Jekyll’s partner. Like some gas. Garbage
2. Sea bird. Valuable fur. Clark’s partner.
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. Poe’s bird. Lum’s partner. Like a busybody
4. Hardy’s partner. Small salmon. Kind of test
5. Musical mark. Fibber McGee’s partner. Territory in NorthEastern Canada.
6. Baby buggy. Popeye’s partner. Latin American dance
7. Bird venerated by ancient Egyptians. Delilah’s partner. Halfmoon tide.
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