Sandy Springs Crier - September 11, 2025

County Commission tables vote on GOP Elections Board nominees

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

ATLANTA — The Fulton County Board of Commissioners voted along party lines Sept. 3 to “table” a vote on the Republican Party’s nominees to the Registration and Elections Board until a state Appellate Court ruling.

The decision at the end of the

board’s first September meeting came after a lengthy executive session, which commissioners held after seeking the county attorney’s guidance on how to proceed after an Aug. 29 court ruling.

Commissioners voted unanimously on executive session items, including a $90,000 contract in support of compliance with the consent decree pertain -

ing to the Fulton County Jail. Executive sessions are closed to public and media.

In late August, a State Superior Court judge found the Board of Commissioners in civil contempt and imposed a $10,000 per day fine, unless Republican nominees are appointed to the County Elections Board. The judge ruled county commissioners must

Sandy Springs residents, including Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School administrators, parents and students listen during a public hearing to decide whether to allow field lighting for its Oct. 3 Homecoming game. Council members voted to grant a special event permit for the first Friday Nights Lights game in school history.

appoint Elections Board nominees submitted by the Republican Party’s executive officer.

Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts said the county will begin paying daily fines when the state Appellate Court takes up the case, which could be another three months.

Sandy Springs allows 1-time use of lighting at Holy Innocents’ field

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Football legend Champ Bailey told Appen Media he showed up at Sandy Springs City Hall to support Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School’s bid for a Homecoming game with Friday Night Lights.

After the fourth council member signaled their support for lighting the high school football field for a few hours in early October, the former Georgia Bulldog and Hall of Fame cornerback

cracked a smile and a look over to Head of School Paul Barton.

“[Friday Night Lights] is going to be historic,” Barton said after the approval of a one-night permit. “It’s the first time we’ve ever had it on our campus at all.”

Bailey has two children attending Holy Innocents’ Episcopal, and his son is a sophomore cornerback who will play under the lights on Baker Field Oct. 3 against Hapeville Charter School.

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

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Spalding parents group pushes to buy, operate charter school

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Save Spalding Committee announced Sept. 30 that the National Heritage Academies has submitted a letter of intent to purchase the former school building and property in Sandy Springs.

The parent-led committee also announced that National Heritage Academies has been selected as its operating partner as it works to establish a charter school on the site, called the Spalding Academy for Innovation and Learning.

After a six-month review process wrapped up in February, the Fulton County School Board narrowly voted to close Spalding Drive Elementary School citing an aging building and low enrollment.

When neighbors and elected officials rallied around an effort to save the school, many said they though Fulton County Schools officials were not being transparent during community meetings about the school closure.

Fulton County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney, PhD; Chief Operating Officer Noel Maloof and the Board of Education received copies of the letter, committee spokesperson Raymond Grote

The Save Spalding Committee, through a partnership with the National Heritage Academies, is offering to purchase the former elementary school property to operate a charter school.

said in a press release.

“This represents the third attempt by former parents of Spalding Drive Elementary students to acquire or lease the property,” the announcement says. “We trust that this offer will be given the serious and genuine consideration that it deserves.”

The school district announced plans in May to convert the building into ad-

ministrative offices and a consolidated teaching museum, drawing uproar from parents and city officials.

Fulton County School Chief Communications Officer Brian Noyes confirmed in early September that officials received the letter.

“The building is currently in use, with long-term plans to relocate the teaching museum and district archives to the site; however, the offer will be reviewed thoroughly by the superintendent and the Board of Education,” he wrote. “As with any charter school proposal, the school operates independently and may consider multiple facility options.”

Noyes said the school district’s plan

has not changed, adding that virtual education staff has moved into the former school building.

“The proposal from Save Spalding is a request to change that plan and sell it to them. The Board and superintendent will review the proposal and make a decision,” Noyes said. “As far as financial impact, we have not performed a financial impact review of the proposal at this time, so I would not be able to provide any data as a response.”

In the committee announcement, it says the school district has publicly acknowledged the financial challenges it faces, alongside declining enrollment. As a solution to the district’s financial constraints and public mistrust, the committee wants leaders to enter into an agreement to sell the former Spalding Drive facility to a nationally recognized charter school operator.

“Just as importantly, it would bring students back into the public system who have chosen to exit it, a dynamic Save Spalding predicted and which is now evidenced by under-enrollment compared to projections at nearby schools,” the announcement says. “The opening of a new charter school in Sandy Springs is a practical solution that can be executed in a reasonable time frame, bringing an option for education with local control back to our community.”

To view a new webpage for the Spalding Academy for Innovation and Learning Charter School, visit www.sailcharter.org.

Court ruling shuts down Sandy Springs party house

SPRINGS, Ga. — City Attorney Dan Lee announced the Fulton County Superior Court granted the city of Sandy Springs a temporary restraining order and injunction Aug. 28 to abate a nuisance at a short-term rental property off Kenstone Court.

Judge Shukura L. Ingram issued the order, requiring the property owner — Failsafe Data LLC — to immediately cease operating and advertising the short-term rental, according to Lee.

The property owner of 8069 Kenstone Court off Spalding Drive is an Ohiobased company operating the shortterm rental property and alleged “party house.”

Neighbors have submitted multiple complaints regarding excessive noise, increased traffic and parking issues associated with the property, asking the city for help at council meetings in

January.

Sandy Springs Code Enforcement issued a notice of violations to the property owner on Dec. 31, 2024. Despite this, city officials say the owner took no steps to address or correct the violations and failed to appear at two previously scheduled municipal court hearings.

During the Sept. 2 City Council meeting, Lee said the order also mandates that the company pay $7,800 in attorney fees to the city and comply fully with all applicable city ordinances. It is currently pending final signature, according to the city’s Sept. 4 announcement

The city says the legal action follows Failsafe’s failure to obtain both a business license and the required shortterm rental permit.

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

SANDY

— Hayden Sumlin

Tune-Up Projects

Kitchen Tune-Up

Paint Cabinets

New Countertops, Sink & Faucet

New Backsplash

Cut Down 2-level Island

Bathroom Tune-Up

New Countertops, Sink & Faucet

Enlarge Shower Shower Glass Shower Safety Full Remodel

Kitchen Remodel

Total Cabinet Replacement

Large Island

Optimize Cabinet / Appliance Locations

Open Concept –Move Walls

9-5 Mon-Fri • 10-4 Sat

Showroom – Design Center 10591 Old Alabama Rd. Connector Alpharetta, GA

Projects

Bathroom Remodel

New Larger Shower

Vanity Replacement –Cabs, Counter, Sink

Free Standing Tub

Floor Tile, Wall Tile

Plumbing Fixtures

PALS

PERIMETER ADULT LEARNING & SERVICES

FALL 2025

SEPTEMBER 8th – OCTOBER 27th

(No classes September 22nd)

Dunwoody Baptist Church 1445 Mt. Vernon Rd., Dunwoody, GA 30338

10:00 – 11:00

SPIES, SABOTEURS and OTHER EXCITING STORIES of WW2 – DAN O’LONE will discuss discuss three of the most important female spies of WW2, the real James Bond and the D-Day deceptions. He will also present the stories of two men, one a diplomat from a country he’d never seen, the other a British spy, each of whom rescued over ten thousand Jews from the Holocaust.

NOTE: The first 2 weeks will feature a guest presenter dealing with similar topics.

10:00 – 11:00

FOLK MUSIC and the DOO-WOP YEARS (1946 - 1966) –

TOM DELL will finish up the history of Folk Music and then turn to the Doo-Wop years, a genre that began on street corners and subway stations as groups of teens used the natural reverberation of those locales to enhance the songs they created or copied. Some of these groups recorded their songs and became among others the Robins, The Flamingos, The Cadillacs, The Teenagers, The Dell-Vikings, The Midnighters, and The Coasters.

10:00 – 3:00

OPEN MAH JONGG – Bring your own Mah Jongg card and come play. There is no instructor for this weekly session. Play is based on the National Mah Jongg league rules

10:00 – 12:00

OPEN CANASTA – Bring your score sheet and come play. There is no instructor for this weekly session.

11:30 – 12:30

THE HISTORY BEHIND -- BETSY JONES will tell us the whole story behind the song “We Shall Overcome,” which music is based on a 18th century hymn with words first added before the Civil War and then becoming a protest song in the 1940s; as well as “Hold the Line, “a song first sung by The Weavers about a long forgotten week of riots when Paul Robeson came to sing in the little town of Peekskill, NY. Another favorite story is called “The Bench,” a story of faith and perseverance that finally freed an inmate wrongly imprisoned for 18 years in Sing Sing prison. Other topics include the discovery of unknown and untrained great artists, the history behind famous - and sometimes tragic – photographs; and the centuries old source of a line in a Bugs Bunny cartoon!

11:30 – 12:30

PERSUASION -- MICHELE FRIEDMAN will present an exploration of the concept of PERSUASION from the perspectives of psychology, history, literature and film including Jane Austen’s Persuasion.

Georgia feels weight of unsettled economic conditions

ATLANTA — Georgia is enduring its share of fallout from federal layoffs and spending cuts, less tourism from abroad to a pullback in film and TV spending by big Holywood studios.

But the state’s multifaceted economy is also benefiting from a boom in data center construction, continued in-migration of retirees, and an expected boost to the aerospace industry due to European NATO nations pledging to boost defense spending in coming years, according to Rajeev Dhawan of the Economic Forecasting Center at Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business.

Dhawan delivered the semi-annual forecast during his Aug. 28 conference.

Job additions in calendar year 2024 totaled 41,900, much lower than the 66,800 jobs added in 2023. This pace was incidentally half of the rate of job creation seen from 2017 to 2019. In the first half of 2025 the state added only 11,700 jobs.

The biggest reason for this sharp slowdown and anemic job growth performance, Dhawan said, is the stress seen in the white-collar, middlemanagement, service-sector jobs that are battling AI advances, iffy world economic growth, and the changing focus of filmand-television production, where notably Marvel Studios has pulled up stakes for London. Revenue growth in the first half of 2025 for Delta Air Lines, the state’s largest private employer with a big footprint in international travel, was an anemic 1.0 percent, with coach ticket sales dropping by 3.6 percent. “The bread-and-butter of middle-class jobs in three well-paying service sectors — corporate, information technology (including specialized movie production) and wholesale (B2B) — constitute almost one-fourth of the state’s employment base and have lost more than 37,000 jobs since Jan. 2023,” Dhawan said.

Economic highlights

Here are some key economic points from Rajeev Dhawan’s Aug. 28 Economic Forecast for Atlanta and Georgia:

• Georgia jobs: The state added 66,800 jobs in calendar year 2023 and that pace moderated to 41,900 jobs in 2024. Job additions will moderate further to 33,700 jobs in 2025 (3,400 premium). In 2026, the state will add 65,800 jobs (12,500 premium) and then 83,300 jobs in 2027 (19,200 premium).

• Income: Georgia’s nominal personal income will grow 5.4 percent in 2025, a similar rate of 5.3 percent in 2026, then 6 percent in 2027.

• Atlanta jobs: The metro area will add 24,800 jobs in 2025 (2,200 premium). As

Following Dhawan’s “Triangle of Money” logic, the impact of anemic job growth in high-paying service sectors that affects consumer spending is also evident in the rate of growth for sales tax collections at the state level. These collections grew at a solid double-digit level in 2022 but have since fallen to low single-digit levels. Turning to positives in the state’s multifaceted economy, a data center construction boom initiated by technology giants has created an arms race in AI computing. With Georgia having surpassed Northern Virginia as the nation’s most active market for data centers, Dhawan noted that the data center boom has expanded beyond metro Atlanta to locations including Bartow and Richmond counties (home to Cartersville and Augusta, respectively) in the search for cheap land and energy.

“This is good news for construction industry, and other supporting professions (e.g. HVAC technicians, ready-made

recovery takes hold in 2026, the metro area will add a respectable 44,300 jobs (9,900 premium), and 60,500 jobs (14,800 premium) in 2027.

• Housing market: Atlanta housing permitting activity grew by 4.7 percent in 2024; single-family permits increased by 6.5 percent and multifamily permits by 2.0 percent. Total permit numbers will fall by 21.5 percent in 2025 as multifamily permits experience a sharp drop of 40 percent and single-family permits also decrease by 10 percent. In 2026, total permit numbers inch up by 1.3 percent as single-family permits increase by 2.4 percent. Normalcy will return in 2027 when permit activity grows by 13 percent.

concrete suppliers, and electricians) who have had steady work – more – and will continue to do so,” Dhawan said.

As electricity needs rise, more power plants will be constructed outside core Atlanta metro counties, along with the associated construction multiplier. In the interim, the state’s economy must ride the economic swells as best as it can before job growth starts to pick up by early 2026 as tariff rate structure settles, and the expected, and aggressive rate cuts by the Federal Reserve help the housing market.

The state’s aerospace and defense companies, including Lockhead Martin and Gulfstream Aerospace, will also benefit, Dhwan said, due to European NATO nations pledging to raise defense spending to 5 percent of their GDP. More demand for aerospace products will start its own multiplier for suppliers downstream that located all over Georgia.

— Patrick Fox

Springboard Sandy Springs schedules Family Fun Day

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga.— Springboard

Sandy Springs is teaming up with the city to host a “Family Fun Day” in conjunction with the Sandy Springs Farmers Market on Saturday, Sept. 20, from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

The special celebration on the City Green is part of the city’s yearlong 20th anniversary festivities, offering a morning full of activities for families, neighbors and friends.

Family Fun Day is one of 20 events hosted by Springboard Sandy Springs this year to honor two decades of the city’s incorporation. Springboard Sandy Springs is a community initiative of the Civic Roundtable, a nonprofit comprised of nearly 40 partners helping neighbors across the city.

The Sandy Springs Civic Roundtable was formed in 1987, later becoming a program of Leadership Perimeter. Its mission is to create a more vibrant community through collaboration between nonprofits, residents and business partners.

Through its “20 Years Strong | 20 Ways to Connect” initiative, Springboard Sandy Springs is helping residents and businesses connect their passion with purpose through events and volunteer opportunities with local nonprofits.

The event is free and open to the public, including face painting, DJ music, cornhole, Connect Four and other games for children of all ages.

Throughout the morning, representatives from Sandy Springs nonprofits serving health and human services, the

environment, arts and culture, youth programs and community development will have tables circling the City Green. Guests can meet nonprofit leaders, learn about volunteer opportunities and explore ways to make a difference in the community.

“Family Fun Day is a great way to celebrate everything that makes Sandy Springs special — from our strong sense of community to the people and organizations that help it thrive,” Springboard Sandy Springs spokeswoman Jan Paul said. “It’s a chance to have fun, make memories, and discover new ways to get involved in the community we all love.” For more details, visit springboardsandysprings.org.

— Hayden Sumlin

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!

MONSTER MASH

1. Comrade in arms. Exploding star. Scandinavian sea monster.

2. Scottish sea monster. Beige. Vitamin supplement.

3. Clamorous. Abominable Snowman. Oak dropping.

4. Mandolin relative. Kick out. Nordic demon.

5. Boxing venue. Greek female monster. Egg holder.

6. Japanese monster. Store sign. Hospital worker.

7. Kind of community. Wild dog of Australia. Giant monster.

1 Comrade in arms. Exploding star. Scandinavian sea monster

2. Scottish sea monster. Beige. Vitamin supplement.

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. Clamorous. Abominable Snowman Oak dropping.

4. Mandolin relative. Kick out. Nordic demon

5. Boxing venue. Greek female monster. Egg holder

6. Japanese monster. Store sign. Hospital worker

7. Kind

Former CDC officials say public health now at risk

State reps call for backing agency, more discussions on gun violence

By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com

ATLANTA — State legislators and former public health workers called on Republican politicians to stand against the violence directed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

During a Sept. 2 event at the state Capitol, several former CDC employees warned of risks to public health when funding and staff are cut. Public health is embedded in many aspects of daily life, from food to clean drinking water and immunizations.

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Legislators from DeKalb County held a roundtable discussion and press conference with former CDC employees on Sept. 2 to continue shedding light on the agency’s work amid the aftermath of an attack on the CDC. The CDC is located in DeKalb County, on Clifton Road near Emory University.

Six CDC buildings were shot almost 200 times as a shooter relinquished 500 bullets at the agency on Aug. 8. The shooter claimed the COVID-19 vaccine made him depressed and suicidal. The shooter, as well as DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose, died during the incident.

Current and former CDC officials have demanded a stronger reaction from President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Trump has not made a public statement about the shooting. In a statement posted on X following the shooting, Kennedy said, “We know how shaken our public health colleagues feel today. No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others.”

HHS Spokesperson Andrew Nixon has also accused the media of exploiting the shooting for political gain.

AFGE Local 2883, a union representing about 2,300 CDC employees, is calling for additional safety and security measures at the CDC facilities in Atlanta. The union has a list of demands for the agency, including having a seat at the table to reshape safety and security measures.

According to CNN, CDC employees must return to the office in Atlanta on Sept. 15. Many have worked remotely since the attack.

The legislators who represent the areas near and where the CDC is located called on Republican leaders in the General Assembly to take action to address gun violence.

Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D - Decatur) has said that gun violence is the most partisan issue she has dealt with in the General Assembly. Throughout her political career, lawmakers have had bipartisan discussions about gun storage, liability and the need for gun violence prevention.

But legislation has not moved forward in the General Assembly to address gun safety.

“I call upon the Senate leader, Burt Jones, the House leader, Speaker Jon Burns to reconvene a bipartisan hearing and discussion about the bipartisan need for gun violence prevention,” Oliver said. “We are at a point where we know our constituents care about this issue, and we are at a point where an honest discussion is more needed now than it ever has been.”

Lawmakers also called on Gov. Brian Kemp to publicly support the CDC, create state-based public health strategies, build or join multi-state coalitions to defend science and share resources, and reaffirm a commitment to transparency and public trust when it comes to public health.

“On Aug. 8, Gov. Kemp rightly praised Officer Rose for his heroism during the attacks on the CDC campus, but he said nothing about the terror endured by CDC staff, the children and the caregivers at the on-site childcare center, or the ripple of fear felt across nearby institutions,” Rep. Saira Draper (D - Atlanta) said. “That silence matters.”

She added that legislators are calling on Kemp to support the CDC as a cornerstone of the state’s identity and global leadership.

“Express empathy for the staff who have been terrorized, dismissed and demoralized,” Draper said. “Stand with the scientists, the epidemiologists, the data analysts and the community of health workers who have dedicated their lives to protecting ours.”

Decisions about vaccine access are being politicized, and Georgia could develop a state-based vaccine access strategy for purchasing vaccines and allowing state-run clinics to offer essential vaccinations under physician guidance, she added.

‘Death by a 1,000 cuts’

In April, HHS sent layoff notices to thousands of health workers at the CDC and other federal agencies, which was part of an overhaul to shrink the agencies that protect and promote public health, according to CNN.

See SHAKEUP, Page 9

Shakeup:

Those cuts included scientists, doctors, researchers, senior leaders and support staff. In August, about 600 CDC employees received permanent termination notices.

Recently, three directors at the CDC also resigned due to the politicization of public health, according to Healthbeat.

Dr. Dan Jernigan was one of them. He led the National Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases and worked for the CDC for 31 years. He worked through multiple agencies and presidents throughout his career.

He was able to get public health work done during that time, “but we find ourselves now with the difficulty in doing that because of the current secretary,” Jernigan said during the press conference Sept. 2.

“I think you can almost see this as a death by a 1,000 cuts,” Jernigan added. “We’re cutting staff. We’re cutting resources. We're undercutting science, and that's leading to the undermining of trust.”

Jernigan and the other former CDC employees in attendance said that science needs to be put first, and ideology second.

CDC buildings that was hit by gunfire. Employees hid in closets, barricaded offices, and crawled through hallways to avoid the gunshots and waited for hours to be escorted out of the buildings by law enforcement.

Jernigan said that while this was a physical attack, the CDC has been attacked by rhetoric and “the kinds of information put out there really does not lead us to better public health.”

seeks ways to improve, making changes all the time, Jernigan said.

“Right now, however, I was in a situation where I could not stay any longer because the current secretary, and the immediate offices of the secretary, were not following the existing executive order on transparency in gold standard science,” he said.

being followed, he said. Former CDC Director Susan Monarez's firing was the final straw for Jernigan, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis and Dr. Deb Houry.

Houry had been asked to lead the transition to the Trump administration, which meant working with HHS to see how the department’s priorities and the CDC’s goals aligned.

“When I look at how, right now, decisions about vaccines are being made based on opinion and not data or science, that concerns me,” Houry said. “When I see how our non-communicable diseases, like chronic disease and the work we’ve done on overdoses are being defunded and moved, I'm worried we're not going to be prepared for those health threats as well.”

She is concerned about the loss of staff and funding to state and local health departments. The Georgia Department of Public Health and local agencies, like the DeKalb Board of Health, receive federal funding through the CDC.

When Houry was asked to remove scientific documents from the CDC website, she couldn’t do it. She and her colleagues couldn’t stand by as they watched life-saving work be politicized.

“You all matter to us, and we are here because now is the time to look at how we can work together, work as Republicans and Democrats, to make a difference in our community, right here in Atlanta and Georgia,” Houry said. Continued from Page 8

On Aug. 8, Jernigan was in one of the

The CDC is not perfect and constantly

The public and officials need to trust and understand how studies are being done and that objective approaches are

PHOTOS BY: ZOE SEILER/APPEN MEDIA

Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees Drs. Fiona Havers, Abby Tighe, Dan Jernigan and Deb Houry participate in a roundtable discussion regarding the CDC and public health Sept. 2 at the Georgia Capitol.

State Rep. Saira Draper (D - Atlanta), at podium, and several lawmakers call for more support for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as greater conversations about gun violence, during a press conference Sept. 2 at the Georgia Capitol.

Dunwoody Barber Shop sustains small-town feel

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Longtime Dunwoody residents know Ernie “the Barber” Smith but have not been able to get a haircut from the local legend since he experienced health problems last May.

After 40 years of service in Dunwoody, residents only call Smith by his first name. Not too long ago, almost everyone in the city knew Ernie.

The barber shop is on the first floor of the Dunwoody Professional Building at 5064 Nandina Lane next to the Shops of Dunwoody and the Village.

Former City Councilman Terry Nall, an active community member who routinely answers his neighbors’ questions on the Dunwoody Area Community Forum, said Ernie has had some serious health issues some 18 months ago.

“He is known to most people as just Ernie. I doubt many even know his last name,” Nall wrote. “Ernie’s fame by just his first name is similar to Nell, the owner and operator of Nell's Produce Market in Dunwoody and [Johns Creek].”

Sadly, the Proctor family announced Nell’s passing Aug. 29.

Nall said he last heard from Ernie this summer. The community cornerstone lives north of the city in Gwinnett County.

Amid health challenges, Smith sold Ernie’s Barber Shop last May to his right-hand man and fellow hairdresser Kevin Lam, who renamed it the Dunwoody Barber Shop.

The 17-year-old city has changed dramatically since incorporation, but it still has community cornerstones like the Dunwoody Barber Shop. Fewer people are out and about in the community, but that trend is changing after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nandina Lane, which connects Chamblee Dunwoody Road to Mount Vernon at the Village, is now a one-street, causing more traffic congestion at the intersection. The city converted it last year to improve roadway safety and walkability, but traffic congestion remains an issue.

Dunwoody resident Mike Palumbo, who moved to Dunwoody from Gwinnett County just after the city incorporated in 2008, said he remembers seeing members of the Dunwoody City Council and the Crier’s founder Dick Williams talking about local news, community rumors and Atlanta sports with a room packed full of neighbors and friends.

“When I go in … [Lam] says that business is slow, and people are still wondering what happened to Ernie,” Palumbo said. “Due to the language barrier, he thinks people don’t fully understand what happened and that he was friends with Ernie and worked for him.”

Lam, a Woodstock resident, speaks and understands English, but it is not his native tongue. The Vietnamese entrepreneur fled political persecution and hardship via boat in 1980 following the end of American involvement in the war in 1975. Lam said it wasn’t too tough after his boat made it to a refugee camp in Indonesia.

“I’ve been cutting hair for more than 35 years,” he said. “I went to an old barber school.”

Lam told Appen Media he first started working with Ernie in 2013 after cutting hair up Ga. 400 in Cumming. He said Ernie was having a very hard time

In early September, Appen Media met with the father-and-son duo at the barber shop for a routine cut.

“I started coming here because I’m from New York, so I like old school,” Palumbo said, letting his northern accent show a little. “I like the barber shop; I don’t like the Supercuts thing.”

James, an eighth grader at Peachtree Charter Middle School, said he gets good reviews from schoolmates after a fresh haircut.

More than a decade ago, the Dunwoody Crier’s office sat above the Barber Shop, serving as a central location near the Dunwoody Village for community members to hang out, get to know one another and enjoy each other’s company.

“Back when it was Ernie working here, all the city officials were coming,” Palumbo said, smiling as he recounted the shop’s former glory. “This was like the place you could find out a lot of that stuff going on in the community. There was a lot of people who came here … everybody knew Ernie.”

before he sold to him last May.

Lam said he wanted the community to know that Ernie’s Barber Shop is still open. With a new name and owner, he said he enjoys running a one-man operation.

With more support from the community, Lam said he could hire someone to help.

Palumbo said he has been a patron since moving to the city, and his 14-year-old son James got his first haircut from Ernie as a baby.

There aren’t many barber shops left in Dunwoody, and many residents cross the county line into Sandy Springs for a haircut.

“There are no real barbershops around anymore, and we would hate to lose this one in the heart of our community where my kids received their first haircuts as small children many years ago by Ernie,” Palumbo said. “We all would love to thank Ernie for the many years of service!”

PHOTOS BY: HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

From left, James and Mike Palumbo get a haircut from Kevin Lam, the new owner of the Dunwoody Barber Shop, after community legend Ernie “the Barber” Smith sold it amid health challenges last year. Lam said he needs the Dunwoody community’s support to keep the barber shop afloat.

The Dunwoody Barber Shop, a four-chair traditional salon within in the Nandina Lane business park, is under the new ownership of Woodstock resident Kevin Lam.

Buzz-ness provides entry point for those exploring beekeeping

By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — They produce a nutritious food from flower nectar. Their sound may have a calming effect on the mind. They play a vital role in the natural environment.

And they are surprisingly low maintenance, said Brian Hudes, owner of Big Creek Bees in Forsyth County.

“Bees are very resilient,” Hudes said. “If you don't bother them, for the most part, they don't really care about you.”

Bees may be the perfect neighbor, and Hudes’ business aims to make their care even easier. He sells everything amateur and veteran beekeepers need to care for the insects. He also provides a concierge service, installing and caring for bees to anyone willing to host them.

“You will produce so much honey for yourself and your friends that they'll all get tired of getting all your honey,” he said.

Hudes, who grew up in the suburbs of Long Island, may be a relative newcomer to the art of beekeeping, but he has learned fast. The gastroenterologist decided to start his business to exercise his problem-solving skills while working with living things.

“To me, beekeeping was another patient, another sort of spectrum of treatments. It's right in my wheelhouse,” Hudes said. “It just feels good taking care of the bees. Plus, it's fun.”

He also likes the idea of leaving the planet in a better place than he found it.

An important insect

Bees have been around for about 130 million years, forming an essential part of the evolutionary development of 400,000 species of flowering plants, the World Wildlife Fund said.

About a third of the world’s food production relies on bees’ ability to transport pollen from one flower to another, the United Nations Environment Programme said.

Unfortunately, bee populations are in a precarious place.

An extensive study found between June 2024 and January 2025 that about 62 percent of commercial bee colonies in the U.S. died, marking the largest dieoff on record, according to an extensive survey, the Apiary Inspectors of America said. It followed a 55 percent die-off from the previous winter.

Pesticides play a significant role in the troubling population decline.

Bees can travel up to 5-6 miles a day in search of food. During those travels, they can easily pick up pesticides from yards and fields, transporting them back to the hive.

“They come back, and they mix in with

the other bees, and then all of a sudden, your bees die,” Hudes said.

It’s an easily overlooked tragedy, especially when considering how much bees have to offer humans.

Programs such as Virginia’s HIVES, or Honeybee Initiative for Veterans Empowerment and Support, are exploring the practice of beekeeping to help veterans manage their PTSD, anxiety and depression. Scientific studies suggest the sound of buzzing bees may have a calming effect, potentially easing symptoms of anxious thinking.

Hudes said he has witnessed that healing effect firsthand.

“It’s very calming,” he said.

The sting that heals

Bee stings, although relatively rare, also have been shown to have healing properties.

Studies have shown bee venom and honey are anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal, according to a 2023 scientific paper.

Big Creek Bees may soon relocate its brick-and-mortar location at 5695 Ga. 400 near Cumming, but it also operates an online store. The business sells everything would-be beekeepers need to host bees.

Hudes said he wants to connect with residents who would be willing to allow him to relocate somewhere on Ga. 400 between Alpharetta and Coal Mountain.

Hudes is particularly proud of his beehive boxes and frames fashioned out of wood double dipped in wax and pieced together with dovetail joints. The result is a structure that repeatedly withstands temperature and moisture swings.

Hudes also sells bee food, smokers and other tools and protective suits, which often are unnecessary given bees’ surprisingly docile nature.

“A lot of beekeepers don't even wear bee suits or gloves,” Hudes said. “You'll see the bees crawling all over them.”

Hands-on help

For those looking for an even more hands-off experience, Hudes is willing to install bee hives on properties and care for them. He splits the honey with the host.

Beekeeping enjoys enormous protections in Georgia. State law prohibits cities and counties from banning beekeeping, although it allows municipalities to regulate the practice through zoning ordinances.

Suburban beekeeping is hardly a fantasy considering the number of flowers in subdivisions and urban

For more information about Big Creek Bees or to make a purchase, visit bigcreekbees.com.

The business maintains a storefront at 5695 Ga. 400 near Cumming but is looking to relocate somewhere on the state highway between Alpharetta and Coal Mountain.

environments, Hudes said. A hives’ tens of thousands of bees can cover up to 80 square miles in search of food, navigating with landmarks, the sun and internal vectoring.

“Any of these fancy, upscale subdivisions, they have a lot of flowers,” Hudes said. “The bees are very happy with that.”

Hudes said his journey into the world of bees may only be about a year old, but already he has found incredible satisfaction and numerous benefits in his newfound fascination.

Beekeeping may seem difficult to learn and hard to keep up with, but Hudes promises it is actually far easier and more rewarding than many realize.

“That's why people spend all day in their beehives,” he said. “Because it becomes almost addicting.”

NEW BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Name: Concept Home Rugs

Owner: Ebrahim Mahdavi

Description: With over 40 years of expertise in the oriental carpet industry, we’re excited to open our new showroom, offering a wide selection of authentic, high-quality handmade and power-loom rugs, new, semi antique and antique oriental rugs from around the world,

including Persia, India, China, Turkey, and Egypt.

Opened: July 2025

Address: 11266 State Bridge Road, Suite 300, Alpharetta, GA 30022

Phone: 678-404-7555

Web Address: https:// concepthomerugs.com/ Email: ebrahim@concepthomerugs. com

BRIAN HUDES/PROVIDED

Brian Hudes, owner of Big Creek Bees, stands in a south Georgia field that is home to dozens of bee hives.

Seasonal skin care matters in Atlanta

Brought to you by – Dr. Kehinde Olumesi, Epiphany Dermatology

As we welcome September and National Skincare Awareness Month, it’s important to remember that your skin’s needs change with the seasons. Here in Atlanta, the transition from humid summer days to cooler, drier fall air often brings new challenges for the skin.

Dryness, eczema flare-ups, and contact dermatitis from seasonal triggers are especially common this time of year. For some, cooler air means tight, flaky skin. For others, the shift in weather can worsen chronic conditions, leaving them uncomfortable or even painful. Environmental changes, combined with irritants like pollen or fragrances, can also trigger bouts of contact dermatitis.

The good news is that with the right care, you can get ahead of these seasonal

skin concerns. Partnering with a boardcertified dermatologist is the best way to create a plan tailored to your needs. Whether that means adjusting your skincare regimen, prescribing targeted treatments for eczema, or identifying and avoiding triggers, we can help keep your skin healthy and comfortable year-round.

National Skincare Awareness Month is also the perfect reminder to schedule your annual skin exam. In addition to treating troublesome conditions, dermatologists play a vital role in detecting skin cancer early and helping you prevent long-term sun damage. And for those interested in cosmetic dermatology, this season is an ideal time to explore rejuvenating treatments before the busy holiday months.

Your skin is unique—treat it that way. Don’t wait until flare-ups disrupt your life. This fall, take proactive steps to protect, treat, and renew your skin.

Keeping your balance with fall prevention

Brought to you by

September is National Falls Prevention and Awareness Month, an often underrated issue that is extremely important for you or your older loved one. Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans, with over 2.8 million emergency room visits annually. The National Commission On Aging (NCOA) reports that every 11 seconds an older adult is seen in an emergency room for a fall, and one in four seniors fall each year. Every 19 minutes an older adult dies from a fall.

Many of these falls result in serious injuries such as hip fractures, broken bones, and head injuries, which can have lasting consequences on independence and quality of life. More than 70% of all falls happen in the home, with bathrooms and bedrooms accounting for 80% of these incidents - highlighting the need to be proactive.

Be attentive to early warning signs in older loved ones, such as frequently holding onto chairs or walls while walking, struggling to rise from a seated position without support, or exhibiting muscle weakness. These behaviors can signal underlying balance or mobility challenges. Additional risk factors include adverse effects from multiple medications, vision issues, and problems with gait or dizziness from chronic health issues.

Often, the place that feels safest— one’s longtime home—can present hid-

den dangers. Clutter, poorly arranged furniture, inadequate lighting, throw rugs and uneven stairs can all contribute to falls. Simple home modifications like grab bars, shower chairs, improved lighting and addressing health concerns can make a significant difference in reducing these risks.

A skilled, heart-centered Home Helpers caregiver can play a vital role in fall prevention. Caregivers can assist with bathing and grooming—two activities of daily living that present significant hazards, especially in slippery bathrooms. Their expertise helps minimize risks, ensuring these tasks are performed safely. They assist with all personal care, help around the house, can accompany you on doctor’s visits and provide specialized care for Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s support.

A dedicated caregiver can also provide support after a stroke, surgery or extended hospital stay. Encouraging balance and therapy exercises prescribed to improve strength and stability with consistent follow-up is essential for recovery and preserving mobility. For those in assisted living communities who become high fall risks, in-home care can make all the difference. With personalized care plans to meet individual needs, an older loved one can continue living in the community they love.

For a free consultation and exceptional care management from six hours a day, several days a week to 24/7 and live-in care, please call Home Helpers of Alpharetta and North Atlanta Suburbs at (770) 681-0323.

ISTOCK

Lighting:

Continued from Page 1

Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School has been a pillar of the Sandy Springs community for nearly seven decades, and its football program’s 20th anniversary aligns with the celebration of the city’s incorporation.

The Sandy Springs City Council voted 5-1 Sept. 2 to approve a special event permit for Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School’s Homecoming game on campus.

Less than nine months ago, council members voted 3-3 on whether to allow permanent field lighting at the Mount Vernon School’s Ron Hill Field. The zoning change failed after Mayor Rusty Paul cast the tiebreaking vote to deny.

Paul, speaking just before the Sept. 2 vote on the permit, said he wanted to thank the private school for reaching out to neighbors. Paul and his family attend Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church.

“You did something that the previous applicant who showed up here looking for illumination in the evenings didn’t do, you at least talked to your neighbors,” Paul said. “The process led to … if not unanimous agreement, at least a consensus in your favor.”

Like the Mount Vernon School, Holy Innocents’ is not allowed to have “Friday Night Lights” on campus because of zoning conditions specifically barring the installation of field lighting. Surrounding neighbors have lobbied to keep the restrictions in place since a 2009 agreement, which allowed Holy Innocents’ Episcopal to expand its school and church campus with code variances in exchange for restrictions on things that impact surrounding neighbors like field lighting.

Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School first applied for a special event permit in early July. The private school, located south of I-285 at Mount Vernon Highway and Powers Ferry Road, applied for the permit to hold the Homecoming game, as it has the past five years.

Because of a later kickoff time requiring temporary field lighting this year, Community Development Director Ginger Sottile and City Manager Eden Freeman denied the request on separate occasions, citing restrictions agreed upon in 2009. After the city manager’s rejection, the school appealed to the City Council.

There was some confusion about whether the school notified surrounding neighbors after a resident off North Devereux Court near the athletic field told council members he never heard from Holy Innocents’ officials about the planned special event permit. The resident asked elected officials to require a meeting before approving the permit.

Holy Innocents’ representatives said they reached out to surrounding HOA leaders to spread the word but did not notify individuals. They also said Temple Sinai, which abuts the property, supports the permit, as well as a majority of surrounding homeowners.

Steve Leeds, president of the Aria West Homeowners Association, said he is in opposition to the special event permit because he does not think a Homecoming game qualifies as one.

“I don’t believe it is an appropriate application because of the potential precedent it may set for others to use this mechanism as an easy way around the zoning rules and specific limitations in a conditional use permit granted after wide public commentary,” he said.

Leeds lives about 3.5 miles from Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School but his street is a few hundred yards away from the Mount Vernon School’s athletic field.

Sandy Springs Council of Neighborhoods President

A map shows the layout of Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School for its Oct. 3 community tailgate and first-ever Homecoming game under the lights. The Sandy Springs City Council approved a special event permit Sept. 2 for temporary field lighting at Baker Field.

Rhonda Smith also asked council members to deny the special event permit because “a decision to allow even a day of temporary lighting sets a dangerous slippery slope precedent.”

“In 2009, the school was granted many, many exceptions to and variances from a whole host of regulations that afforded opportunities to develop the campus in the most advantageous way possible for the school,” Smith said. “Nobody from the community ever came back, nor can they now ever come back to argue the semantics of the 11 concurrent variances granted in 2009.”

Amy Hillman, an attorney with Tatum Hillman & Powell representing Holy Innocents, said she thinks it would be unconstitutional to deny the school the right to apply for a special event permit because of prior zoning and use conditions.

“It also yields to absurd result that rather than trying this once with a special events permit, that their only alternative is to apply to have permanent lights all the time,” Hillman said. “It does not contravene the zoning ordinance. We are not rezoning the property.”

City Councilwoman Melissa Mular said she could not support the special event permit because field

lighting for one night only sets a precedent for similar requests in future.

“I don’t think it should be presented as a trial run, and I think it’s very dangerous to start saying ‘that’s okay just one time,’” Mular said. “I don’t know if downstream consequences always exist for every ordinance, but if you start allowing that, I don’t know what’s next and that gives me pause.”

City Attorney Dan Lee said the uniqueness of the application is that it seeks to do something that an existing ordinance prohibits, adding that staff gave proper notice of the zoning issue and the school’s appeal of the denied permit.

City Councilman Andy Bauman said he wants to be clear that he supports the one-night permit for field lighting but does not intend to change the property’s zoning conditions.

“This is a one-time approval. I appreciate the concerns, but I’ve seen the school work very hard to take steps to mitigate potential impacts, and there have been a few neighbors who voiced concerns,” Bauman said. “It’s a special event, not a permanent request. As some on this council might say, it’s about the kids. It’s about the families.’

Right before the motion to table passed, Pitts said he wants everyone to understand the motion to table was “until the Appellate Court rules.”

In the court order, Senior Judge David Emerson wrote “local legislation does not include language authorizing the Commission to veto the selection of any qualified nominee,” and that the Commission “shall” appoint the nominees submitted by the party’s executive officer if they are otherwise qualified.

“As was recently the argument by the defendant Fulton County in Adams v. Fulton County, [Julie] Adams had a mandatory duty to certify election results because of the word ‘shall’ is ‘generally a word of command,’” the judge wrote.

The Fulton County Republican Party’s nominees are Julie Adams, a sitting member of the Registration and Elections Board, and twice-nominated Adam Frazier.

In Adams elections results lawsuit, she was required to certify the 2024 primary results after a court ruling.

tone that if a judge or if a court issues a ruling that he disagrees with, he just ignores it and does what he wants to do,” Pitts said. “I make my own decisions; I do my research and use my best judgment in terms of what I believe is in the best interest of the people of Fulton County.”

Pitts said the issue should be resolved in court, and he laid out three options for commissioners: vote to deny the nominees, appoint them or table the decision.

“There are two names before us that we’ve rejected in the past, and I voted to reject them in the past,” he said. “We are stuck with Julie Adams, I don’t think there can be any disagreement about that until such time as the Republican Party, even though her term has expired, she’s going to be on that board until such time as she is replaced.”

District 2 County Commissioner Bob Ellis, a Republican first elected in 2014, said it’s no surprise that Republicans and Democrats disagree on election policy. Ellis said he would approve the appointments if they were put to a vote.

vastly different perspectives on the Republican Party’s proposed nominees, reflecting hardline partisan disagreements common in American politics.

A group of state Democratic lawmakers sent a letter before the meeting that urged the five commissioners in their party to block the GOP appointments, alleging a conspiracy that the nominees seek to undermine elections and voter confidence.

District 4 County Commissioner Mo Ivory said the Republican Party’s nominees are a part of a broader national conspiracy to disenfranchise their political opponents and repeal the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

rejection of Frazier’s nomination in 2023.

“Even by today’s standards, the extent of the continuing hypocrisy required to refuse to comply with the plain language of Georgia law and an order of a Superior Court judge is breathtaking,” McKoon said. “I never want to hear any of these Democrats breathe a word about respect for the rule of law again.” Continued from Page 1

Frazier has also sued the Fulton County Registration and Elections Board, but he withdrew the suit last year after alleging violations of state and federal law for failing to remove ineligible voters in a timely manner.

To open the discussion, Pitts said he thinks a lot of what is happening is because of President Donald Trump and his administration, while acknowledging the legal fight’s potential cost to taxpayers.

“I think we can all agree that we are a nation of laws, but we’re at a moment in history in which even the president of United States himself has set the

“The law as I read it, and as a judge has interpreted it and ruled on it, was that we had an obligation to review the criteria of the people you know, that were put up for nomination, the very specific criteria,” Ellis said. “If those were met, then we had an obligation to ratify those, and up until that point in time that had been our practice…”

He said that he recalled prior times when Elections Board appointments had been ratified on the consent agenda, with no fanfare.

According to Georgia law, nominees to the county election board must be a resident of Fulton County, a registered voter in the state and not seek or hold elected office.

Other county commissioners had

“Just believe they’ll do exactly what they said they would do because they are … Bye-bye to the Voting Rights Act because that’s what this is about,” Ivory said. “You should be concerned about what’s going to happen when everybody gets in the voting booth in ’26, because it’s being worked on right now, in front of your face, and when someone shows you who they are, believe them. Our residents deserve appointees who are unquestionably committed to fairness, transparency and ethical standards in election administration.”

District 1 County Commissioner Bridget Thorne, who also spoke in favor of appointing the Republican nominees, said the county party did not have the funds to fight against the Board’s first

“Now … the Republican National Committee is paying, so they’re ready to fight all the way down the appeal process, all the way we want to go,” Thorne said. “I feel like it’s a fake controversy, just trying to drum up a fake thing that these people are somehow going to ‘bye, bye’ to your Voting Rights Act. You’re not going to be able to vote anymore … It’s so ridiculous.”

Thorne said she would hold Frazier and Adams accountable if they “did anything that was illegal or harmful or falsely removed anybody.”

“Nobody wants to deny anybody’s vote. We’re all up here. We all want fair, independent, accountable and transparent elections.” Thorne said. “That’s what was stated that you guys want. [The] Republican Party wants the exact same thing.”

Georgia Republican Party Chairman Josh McKoon said he will seek to hold Democrats on the Board of Commissioners accountable to the law.

Dunwoody family farms meant all hands on deck

VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist

Richard Adams was born in 1934 in a home along what is now Dunwoody Club Drive. He recalled working in the fields during the summer and fall months as a child. Everyone in the family would contribute and work together.

“Mother would prepare food so that no time would be lost going back home.” (Richard Adams memoirs, Dunwoody Preservation Trust)

When Adams was a baby, his parents would bring him along and put him on a quilt in the shade. Adams remembered. “As I grew, my daddy would give me a hoe to work cleaning the terraces.” One of his jobs was getting water for everyone by walking to the home’s well and filling as many jars as he could carry.

Canning was the principal source for preserving food, which was needed to sustain the family during the winter months. At the end of a long day working in the field, the family enjoyed a satisfying meal back at the house.

ANDERSON FAMILY/PROVIDED

Circa 1945, from left, Kathryne, Ambrey and Effie Carpenter sit in front of their home at Tilly Mill and Mt. Vernon Road.

As AJC newspaper closes, our newsroom has your back

CARL APPEN Director of Content and Development carl@appenmedia.com

The Atlanta JournalConstitution announced last week, through The New York Times, that the Dec. 31 print edition will be its last. After 157 years of newspapers, the company will cease to print. You can read more about it in Atlanta's Saporta Report.

It's a bittersweet moment for everyone in the South, and those around the country who follow closely the local news industry. I'm sure you'll hear in coming weeks how AJC staff and readers are responding to the announcement.

I wanted to take the moment to share some good news in the face of today's alert: at Appen Media, we're growing. We are dedicated to doing what we can to support a robust news environment here in Metro Atlanta. It's critically important.

One specific bright spot? A few months after buying the staple Decaturish.com (and hiring on their staff) we launched a brand new newspaper - Decaturish Ink. That's right - print news. The best part? Twice in the last month or so Hans (our publisher and my brother) has had to increase the press runs for Ink. The paper has been so popular we have had trouble keeping the racks full and homes delivered.

Support local news

You can help our newsroom by contributing to our fall fundraiser at appenmedia.com/join or mailing a check to Appen Media, 319 North Main St. Alpharetta, GA 30009.

campaigns soon, but you can get ahead of it today by making a contribution to support:

• the northern regions via the Appen Press Club at appenmedia.com/join

The AJC's announcement said they currently have around 40,000 print subscribers. Today at Appen we deliver 114,000 papers. A couple years ago we were doing 75,000. Then we bought the Dunwoody Crier, started the Sandy Springs Crier and launched Decaturish Ink.

It just goes to show that the appetite, importance and place of local news (including newspapers) isn't going anywhere. At least, not as long as our crew is around.

We're hiring a new staff reporter to

help cover local government. We're looking for delivery drivers to help distribute our papers. We're gearing up for a wildly busy municipal election season. We're in it for the long haul, but we're going to need your help.

In a few days we are launching two Fall Fundraisers. The Appen Press Club is trying to raise $25,000 to support our work in the "northern" region of our coverage - from Forsyth County down to Dunwoody. Decaturish Subscribers want to raise $40,000 for the "southern" regions. You'll hear more from the team about those

• the southern regions via Decaturish Subscribers at Decaturish.com/support Let me be clear. I have immense respect for the AJC crew. I've had the paper delivered to my house my entire life. Our Managing Editor (and one of the most brilliant, hard-working and influential news people I've known) Pat Fox spent a big part of his career at the AJC. Losing that newspaper will be a damper for us all. I hope the folks in charge are doing it for the right reasons, and I have no reason to think otherwise.

I know our local newsroom will continue to have your back, as long as you have ours.

Consider showing your support today by giving to the Appen Press Club or the Decaturish Subscribers.

I thought she was long dead: notes on a friend who is alive

I was going through the address book on my phone and texting folks to remind them to vote. At present I am through the letter “J.” Her name was in the Cs and initially I skipped her because, frankly, I was fairly sure that she was not with the living. The last time I had seen her she had serious health problems. Then one day she had put a note on the door of her business which said she was “done” – closed – out of the blue. It had been, I think, somewhere close to 10 years, and I had encountered nothing from or about her. I asked folks and no one knew anything. That’s why I was so surprised when – a short time after I messaged her, I got a reply.

It was almost like getting a second chance.

Oddly enough, that happened to us once before – years ago. A dear friend was in hospice in his home in Florida and was not expected to live much longer. We got

the dreaded call – “Johnie passed.” Even though we knew it was coming, it felt like we had been punched in the stomach. Later that night, the phone rang again. It was the same person who had given us the awful news. This time the message was different – “Johnie didn’t die. He is alive. It was a mistake.”

We went into shock. What? How? It was now past midnight.

“What are you doing,” our son Carl demanded? We just looked at him. What was he talking about?

“You’re going to bed instead of getting dressed and driving down tonight to be with Johnnie” he almost shouted. You see, Johnie was part of all our lives; he was just as important to Carl as he was to us. “How many times do you get a second chance to be with someone you love after they have died,” he asked. Carl – cool head in windy spaces. Of course, of course Carl, what are we thinking?

We left about 30 minutes later, around 1 a.m. The eight-hour drive to Oviedo –just outside of Orlando – seemed to go by in a blink of an eye. I think we were in shock the entire way; time stalled –stopped. We arrived just before dawn. One moment we were in our living room in

Alpharetta getting ready for bed and being lectured to by our son. The next moment we were by Johnie’s bedside.

“You’re looking more beautiful than ever, Christina,” were the first words from his mouth when he noticed us walk in. I thought I was going to pass out and looked around furtively for something to land on just in case.

When we finally took our gaze off him, we realized that our other friends were also there in the living room – the ones who counted most – the ones who had received the same wonderful magical call. Noone seemed to be anxious or in a hurry or distracted. We talked. We held his hand. We ate. We waited. We circled up without touching and just were there. And he didn’t seem to understand why all his friends were making such a fuss about him. That was just how he was.

The sparkle in his eyes still showed through, undiminished. The imp in him that always seemed to be just on the other side of the curtain, seemed to be watching us, ready to poke fun. And he made each one of us feel as if we were the only ones in the room and the only focus of his attention. He was concerned that we needed sleep and asked Glenda – his wife – to

make sure we were all OK/taken care of. Getting the text from Ann was a gift –just like the one from Johnie. We met for coffee the next day and talked for hours. She lives near South Carolina now on a small farm. When I last saw her, she was not in great shape and was the worse for wear from years of work in her businesses. Now she works out every day and reads a lot about world news and hikes. She just finished a 500-mile hike in Portugal and is planning what sounds like an amazing trek to Egypt. I think she is really focused on making up for lost time, although it is hard for me to consider what she did “before” as lost.

So, don’t overthink life. Covet time with friends. Don’t wait until someone dies to start to appreciate them and wish you had made the time while they were still alive. And don’t forget how random things seem to magically occur when you step outside your regular envelope and decide to remind people to vote or something equally generous.

I think I need to give Ann a shout and see if she doesn’t want to go hike a few miles of the AT. I’d like that – and so would she.

Carpe diem.

APPEN MEDIA FILE PHOTO

Appen Media Publisher Hans Appen leads a Q&A session for the newsroom’s “Listening Tour” in 2024.

A guide to understanding the politics of local fish

So we’re back from Montana. It was unbelievable. The landscape was spectacular. The people we met were first-class. The lodge where we stayed was perfect. And the fishing was beyond description.

Craig DeMark, owner of On DeMark Lodge, where we stayed, did a stellar job of putting us on some memorable fish. In the final analysis, a rare thing happened, and I ended up having caught the most, though by only the smallest of margins. But she hooked the biggest. It was an enormous rainbow, maybe two feet long, or longer. It hit a size 22 dry fly (that’s fly fishing talk for tiny) and stayed on the line for a good five minutes before finally, cruelly, decided to dive at the last minute and tear off under the boat.

“I couldn’t do anything,” she said, “unless I was going to jump in and go after it!”

In the end, we were stoic about it. It happens. And besides, if it gets away, it can be as big as you want it to be. But the fact is that neither of us was prepared for such as fish. Sometimes you just have to learn as you go, for there is no way on God’s green earth (or clear river) to really understand those fish until you have one on the line.

If you’ve been a fly fisher as long as I have, you tend to think that you know it all, or at least that you know all of it that really matters. That may be true as long as you stay close to home. But if you venture afield, if you venture as far as the Land of the Big Sky, you learn that you really do still have a lot to learn.

I figured that out right away. Here’s how it happened.

“I think,” I said after supper on our first night there, “that I’d like to fish a little before calling it a day.” Postsupper fishing was to prove to be remarkably easy since the gin-clear waters of the Missouri River were but a five-minute stroll from the door. It would become an addiction, but just then it was only a tantalizing promise of great things and greater fish to come.

So, I reached for the flyrod, then turned to Craig with the Big Question:

“What fly should I use?”

Craig is a remarkable fellow, a rare combination of world-class expert and aw-shucks humility. He’s unfailingly helpful, delightfully positive and sublimely skilled at what he does, which is to say he darn sure knows how to make this Bubba from the South connect with some of the most mythic trout of the western world.

Farms:

Continued from Page 16

Horace DeLong lived with his parents, 10 brothers and two sisters in a home along what is now Spalding Drive. His family had cotton fields close to the Chattahoochee River. Horace and his twin brother Doris were the youngest children. After spending a long day picking cotton, the children would sometimes cool off in the river. Horace DeLong also picked cotton for Adam Jett, who lived on the other side of the

He didn’t hesitate.

“I’d try one of these,” he said, handing me a couple of truly tiny flies, each barely a quarter inch long.

Tiny flies, eh? I use small flies at home, though they’re not that small. Neither are they as finely executed nor as precise in every detail. Here, at home, just getting the size right is often all it takes. If it’s the right size and vaguely buggy, and if you don’t scare the fish as you approach the water, odds are that you’ll get a strike. But on the Missouri the fish have apparently been to bug school. They know what they’re looking for, and if you don’t give it to them (right down to the number of fibers in the tail, it seems) they turn up their noses and laugh and laugh and laugh as they swim back into the cold, clear depths. That’s humbling, let me tell you. But that’s the way it is.

Over the next few days, those tiny flies (they imitated some sort of mayfly) would prove to be the patterns of choice at some point on pretty much every single day. The natural insects were everywhere, densifying the air in huge clouds that must be seen to be believed. Sometimes they got in your eyes and your mouth and your hair. Then, after mating, they’d fall to the water and drift along, drifting until they caught the eye of a big trout and the surface exploded and there was one fewer mayfly in the world.

By the end of the trip, I had several of those flies in my fly box. I carried a couple of them home with me, too, where they reappeared when I opened up the box just

river. (Dunwoody Preservation Trust, oral history archives)

Kathryne Carpenter, born in 1909 to Ambrey Monroe and Effie Spruill Carpenter, grew up at the intersection of Mount Vernon and Tilly Mill Roads. According to Kathryne, “We raised all our vegetables. We just about raised everything we ate.” They kept chickens, cows and hogs. (Dunwoody Crier, April 20, 1978, “Happy Birthday Effie).

Kathryne said when she and her siblings, Lucy and A.M. Jr., came home from school, “We didn’t have to ask what to do. We would change clothes, get something to eat and head outside to

yesterday to choose a fly for some afternoon bream fishing on our favorite local stream.

For a moment, I considered foregoing the Montana mayflies in favor of our usual pink foam spider. Foam spiders worked. Always. But I was still in a Montana frame of mind. Tying on a Montana fly would take me west again, if only in my mind. And who knows? Maybe the Georgia fish would enjoy them too.

So, tie one on is what I did. On the first cast I had a strike, which I missed. On the second I did a better job, slowing down my hookset, and the reward was a big hand-sized sunfish. In fact, it was a giant fish for that little creek. It was a sunfish of western proportions, if there is such a thing, and if there’s not then there should be.

I should really have expected nothing less on a Montana fly, I suppose.

I caught several more fish on that Montana pattern. In fact, I had a pretty good run.

As we spread out a picnic a little later (picnics are always best beside a stream full of fish, aren’t they?) I found myself thinking that I might even come out on top later on when we totaled up the numbers.

“How’d you do?” she asked me when we came together a half hour later for fried chicken on a creekside gravel bar. “How many?”

“Sixteen!” I proclaimed. “You?”

Uh oh. I recognized that look.

“Twenty-one,” she said. “Sometimes it’s good to be home.”

We sat there munching chicken and coleslaw, enjoying it all, and I thought about things. I thought about flies and the politics of trout.

Those Madison River trout, I reflected, really are different from anything I knew. They have their own way of doing things. They have their own priorities and their own opinions. They have their own outlook on life, and by God you do it their way or you don’t do it at all.

And sometimes they like to eat tiny bugs.

Well, it seems that my hometown sunfish like tiny bugs, too, the very same tiny bugs so favored by their Montana counterparts. How about that. Do they know that by doing so they’re identifying with fellow creatures who are so radically different? Do they know that, even in such a little thing, they may be much less different and much more the same?

They swim in different waters, but they swim in different waters together.

If creatures with brains the size of a green pea can deal with that, why can’t we?

help with all the chores.”

Ambrey and Effie Carpenter sold much of what they grew on a peddling route, following in the tradition of Ambrey’s parents. Every Friday, they took their goods to Atlanta, using a “spring wagon which had a top on it and side curtains which could be rolled up or let down.”

It was pulled by their gentle mule Roudi. The wagon was loaded at 1 a.m. with eggs, buttermilk, chicken, fruit and vegetables. In later years, a Model T car was used for the peddling route.

Jeff Porter was 8 years old in 1939 when his family decided to move to the

country. They chose land in Dunwoody where MJCC is located today. They kept a cow, horse, lamb and pig, along with chickens, turkeys, ducks and sometimes guineas as well. They grew corn, potatoes and watermelon. In addition, the family planted peach trees, assorted berries and 20 chestnut trees. (Interview with Jeff Porter, 2009)

Award-winning author Valerie Biggerstaff is a longtime columnist for Appen Media and the Dunwoody Crier. She lives in Atlanta. You can email Valerie at pasttensega@gmail.com or visit her website at pasttensega.com.

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From left, On DeMark Lodge owner Craig DeMark and the author with one that didn’t get away fishing the Missouri.

STEVE HUDSON Columnist

What is creating all the tunnels in my yard?

Could it be moles or voles? If you’re like me, you’ve probably been told the difference between these two small rodents and have since forgotten. I just learned a wonderful way to help remember the difference using a mnemonic or memory device. Moles begin with an “m” and are meat eaters. These small creatures spend their entire life underground, searching for earthworms, grubs and small insects. As they search for their next meal, they create a series of tunnels much to the distress of homeowners.

The word vole begins with a “v.” Voles, on the other hand, are vegetarians and search underground to find roots or aboveground to find stems to provide the nourishment to survive. When voles begin to search underground, they create an opening about the size of a golf ball and do not create a continuous tunnel underground. Sometimes they skip the task of digging a tunnel and use former mole tunnels. Vole tunnels are usually deeper than mole tunnels and cannot be seen from the surface.

Take a look at the pictures that accompany this column, and you can see how the bodies of moles are adapted for survival. The mole has the most unique set of front legs. They are paddle-shaped with five digging claws that enable them to form the tunnels necessary to find their food underground. They are highoctane diggers! They can plow through your grass, creating 150 feet of tunnels in one day, a necessity since they need to find the equivalent of 60% to 100% of their body weight in food each day.

Mole senses are modified for life underground. They have an excellent sense of smell and touch but no exterior ears, and as a result, they have poor hearing. They are color-blind and have small eyes that allow them to differentiate between light and dark. Recently it was discovered they are sensitive to light even with their eyes closed. Another adaptation is their pointed snout, which they use to accomplish the task of tunneling through their underground world in search of worms, insect larvae and other small invertebrates.

Voles are about the same size and appearance as a field mouse but have strong jaws and sharp, orange front teeth that enable them to chew through woody roots as well as soft herbaceous roots. Because they destroy the roots of plants, one day a plant will be healthy and the next day it will show no signs of life as a

Note its adaptations for digging, its pointed nose and its paddle-like front

Note a vole has mouse-like features because they live above and belowground. They have brown fur and are usually 5 inches long. Mice are smaller and are usually 3 inches long.

result of its damaged root system. I hate to suggest killing anything, but there is no other solution to the mole/ vole problem. Some wild animals can be captured and released, but this is not suggested for moles or voles. If you find the opening the vole uses to enter its underground world, you can place a mouse trap at the entrance. Load the trap with peanut butter, apples or oatmeal and add a shoe box or similar size box on top of it and secure it with wire to prevent any harm to domestic animals. Do not try to kill them with poison, as this can also be

a risk to pets. If you find a vole or mole in the trap, use gloves to remove the animal from the trap and dispose of the animal by placing it in a sealed plastic bag along with the gloves and disposing of the bag in the trash to avoid spreading any possible disease they might carry.

Before you decide to take drastic measures to remove moles from your property, I have read that taking a firm foot to flatten each and every one of their tunnels will discourage them from continuing to tunnel through your lawn, landscape plants and shrubs. The only problem is they need to eat and will probably move on to your neighbor’s property. Another issue is that they can live three to six years, and they will reproduce and have offspring! The best way to eliminate mole damage is to use a trap. Please consult your county Extension agent for the best way to use these traps and where to place 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/.

About the author

This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Carole MacMullan, a North Fulton Master Gardener and a Milton resident. She taught biology for 35 years in the Pittsburgh area. In 2012 after moving to Milton, Carole completed the Master Gardener training program and joined the North Fulton Master Gardeners (NFMG) and the Milton Garden Club. Carole uses her teaching skills to create a variety of presentations on gardening topics for the NFMG Lecture Series and Speakers Bureau. She also volunteers weekly at the Assistance League of Atlanta (ALA) thrift store and acts as chair of their Links to Education scholarship program. Her favorite hobbies are gardening, hiking, biking and reading.

CAROLE MACMULLAN Guest Columnist

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The Administrative & HR Coordinator takes initiative, can multi-task and remain very organized. The role requires exceptional organizational skills, discretion with confidential information, and the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.

ESL Contractor Instructor (Evening)

NFCC is seeking an Evening ESL Contractor Instructor to teach English classes through our Adult Education program, serving students throughout North Fulton and surrounding counties. Our ESL Program runs three sessions annually, with comprehensive lessons covering speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills, along with regular assessments to track student progress.

We’re looking for an instructor who is available to teach evening classes. The ideal candidate will be committed to maintaining strong enrollment of at least ten students per class and who can create an engaging learning environment that supports adult learners in achieving their English language goals.

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