Chatt Hills News ~ September 2020

Official Publication of the City of Chattahoochee Hills, GA

CHATT HILLS NEWS

Issue 7 Volume 1 www.chatthillsga.us

SEPTEMBER 2020 Features

Events

Arts in Chatt Hills

Search and Rescue

Our Community Page 2

Events are starting up!

Page 8

What are our Artists up to?

Page 15

Lost in the Barrens Page 22

Biophilia Poster Contest

BOUCKAERT FARM CoRUNa 5K

YOUR NEWS

Chatt Hills News shares the joy of living, working, and visiting in our unique city that is Deliberately Rural.

Supported through a partnership of resident writers, businesses, and local government, the newsletter includes stories that feature a slice of country life; events, shopping, activities, and places to visit; and municipal news that informs the community.

If you would like to submit a story or event for consideration, please email us here, HERE. CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

1

Trending Topic

BOAT RAMP

OUR NEW BOAT RAMP! Just a quick note this month about some really great news I’ll be discussing further next month.

If you haven’t seen it already, take a moment to look at the fantastic drone video of the new boat ramp installation at Campbellton Park! (You can find the video here: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=mDUF1oxG7qs.)

This boat ramp is being built in partnership with Georgia DNR. The project is the result of the unfailing not-going-to take-no-for-an-answer attitude of our Parks Commission Chair Diana Wilson, along with the amazing support she receives from her fellow Parks Commission members, the Chatt Hills City Council, and most of all, the Public Works Director Darold Wendlandt and his awesome staff. When the ramp is completed,

2

Chatt Hills will have its first superb water access point on the Chattahoochee!

We’ve also finally signed the paperwork and are so close to being able to make another outstanding announcement about a new 260+ acre park further down the river in Chatt Hills. It is a project I’ve been working on for years, and it’s finally about to pay off. Full details will follow soon, but it’s a really big deal, one that will soon allow us to have two access points on the river. You will be able to put in in Campbellton, paddle down the river, and take out—all inside of Chattahoochee Hills—and we’re even talking to outfitters about a shuttle service!

Watch this space for more details coming soon!

Mayor Tom Reed

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

Trending Topic

SWEEP THE HOOCH

SWEEP THE HOOCH VOLUNTEERS CLEAN UP AT CAMPBELLTON PARK Eighteen volunteers from the Cities of Chattahoochee Hills & South Fulton participated in “Sweep the Hooch” at Campbellton Park in Chattahoochee Hills on August 29. Working together, they collected 48 bags of trash, and 4 tires.

The event is hosted by the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper at 40 clean-up locations throughout the 100 miles of the Chattahoochee River and tributaries. In the past nine years, 5,600 volunteers have picked up more than 113 tons of trash.

Diana Wilson, Chatt Hills Parks Commission Chair, coordinated the event at Campbellton Park for the third year.

Volunteers included: Roland Alston, Tom Blum, Kelli Edwards, Felicia Green, Trinity Green, Dave Hanson, Maria Hanson, Shelley Lange, Kay Long, Camille Lowe, Nichole Orogun, Hannah Penn, Tom Reed, Robbie Rokovitz, Joe Schoofs, Laurie Searle, Faith Simpson, Diana Wilson.

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

3

Trending Topic

COMMUNITY BRICKWORKS DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS BID FAREWELL

By Laurie Searle, Chatt Hills Citizen Reporter

Seated on a back porch, enjoying sparkling water and conversation, Sandy Simblist and Diane Hautt paint the idyllic picture of country life. Neither is originally from the country, but both took similar paths that brought them to the same place in Chattahoochee Hills.

On a recommendation and a whim, each visited the Serenbe community at different times with their husbands.

Sandy and Ron visited in 2006. Their friend, Angie Mosier, who had been in charge of the Blue Eyed Daisy Bakeshop, said they must have an oatmeal raisin cookie. From the Daisy, out of curiosity, they went to the sales office. There they found that the vision for the community was so appealing, particularly the arts, they made a deposit on a piece of property and began to build in 2007. Diana and Bill visited in 2010. After lunch at the Daisy, they eventually purchased a townhouse at the urging of their Atlanta son and family. The couples laughed when they later learned that the unofficial slogan of Serenbe is, “Come for lunch, and buy a home.”

In 2012, the two friends began traveling down another path together that led them to volunteer at Community Brickworks. Little did they know this would lead them on a journey of the heart.

The Story of Community Brickworks The year was 2006 when resident Judy Henderson set her mind to rescuing the soon-to-be-closed Rico Recreation facility (now Chatt Hills City Hall). She contacted Fulton County and volunteered to keep the facility open as a Cultural Center, providing arts & crafts, recreation, and other programs run by volunteers. The County agreed, and before long Judy had the keys and began recruiting help.

Judy asked the County about bringing its Book Mobile to the center and was told it would cost (her) $86,000.

At the same time, the head of the Fulton County Library suggested Judy start her own library, and so they sent two collections of books to get her started.

With the Rico Cultural Center well under way, Judy enlisted the help of two close friends to formalize a nonprofit. Judy, who had not yet retired from her teaching career, realized the importance of providing programs that supported education. Her two friends, Pastor Joyce 4

Sandy Simblist and Diane Hautt are thankful for their opportunity to serve Chattahoochee Hills through Community Brickworks.

Williamson and Pastor Donna Bailey, realized the importance of filling the gaps like home schooling, tutoring, and cultural enrichment programs. The idea came to them that they could provide the “missing bricks” and help build a stronger foundation for the community. And with that, they filed a certificate of incorporation with the State of Georgia on October 12, 2006, for their nonprofit organization, Community Brickworks.

Sandy and Diane’s Journey By 2012, Community Brickworks was well-established. Its ever-growing library filled two rooms and a hallway, and it pulled double-duty as space for homeschooling, tutoring, crafts, and the budding food pantry. A few smaller rooms served as storage, more tutoring space, and other purposes.

While Judy had several volunteers, Community Brickworks always needed more help. Mayor Tom Reed happened to mention this need to his Serenbe neighbor Bess Heiberger, who in turn offered to help recruit some neighbors.

“We came with Bess and were a bit clueless when we first started,” Sandy said. “So, we’d just show up and lend a hand wherever help was needed. Initially we both helped process the new books, but overtime we moved into positions that were so suitable to our skills and desires.”

Diane was especially excited to volunteer in the library. “I had volunteered in an upstart community library for years while living in Austin Texas,” she said, “and by the time I had left, they were in the process of building a state-of-the-art public library. It was so gratifying to be a part of its development.”

As Diane continued working in the Brickworks library, the need for expanded record keeping became obvious.

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

Trending Topic

COMMUNITY BRICKWORKS

Grocery shopping for the food pantry.

Jana Swenson, Sandy and Diana load items for the food pantry.

“We needed a portable data system which could go home with whomever was working on a project,” she said, “so I developed a simple system of binders to manually record information.” Spending time with Brickworks patrons each week enabled Diane to maintain information on growing needs in the community. The Binder system proved invaluable over time, especially during holidays when Brickworks volunteers prepared food bags and toys for families in need throughout the community. Volunteers could simply look in the binder to see who received what last year, and plan accordingly.

Both Diane and Sandy also helped with the food pantry, but eventually it became Sandy’s responsibility. Sandy recalls that early on the food pantry was no more than a few shelves of food located in the same book cases as the library books. When more donations were received, they were added to the shelves. Another volunteer was responsible for the pantry until he started a new job. At that point, Judy asked Sandy to take that responsibility.

As the need for a more organized space became apparent, a room with an abundance of space was cleared and filled by several Serenbe volunteers, and the Food Pantry, as it is known today, was born. Sandy was soon (unofficially) crowned the Dollar Tree Queen for her many thrifty shopping trips to keep the pantry stocked.

One other turning point for Brickworks was when it expanded its board of directors. Bess’s husband, Joe Heiberger, came on as treasurer, and working together with board member Don Fedor, they helped prepare the organizational records so they could apply for grants. Soon

after, Brickworks received a grant that helped fund its Food Pantry. Today, Brickworks receives food from Midwest Food Bank in Peachtree City, donations from the Palmetto Foodbank, church food drives, and grant funds.

A Journey of the Heart While volunteering for Community Brickworks has been a rewarding experience, Diane and Sandy say the heart of their work has been getting to know their patrons, working with other volunteers, and having the privilege of supporting their community. As they both prepare to embark on their next journey (coincidentally, they are both moving to new cities within the next few months), they leave with both sad—and happy—hearts.

Diane said, “When I think about moving, I wonder how I am going to leave this part of my heart behind? This community and Brickworks has meant so much to me. It’s been a privilege to serve, and in turn, I have received such a loving gift. It’s a comfort knowing Brickworks will continue in many very capable, talented hands.

Sandy said, “I am so grateful for where Community Brickworks is today. Through Judy’s vision, and her and the Board’s leadership, Brickworks seems to just grow and thrive organically. Serving the community and Brickworks has been the best part of my 12 years here in Chattahoochee Hills.”

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

5

Trending Topic

COMMUNITY CREATING A PATCHWORK TRAIL OF BARN QUILTS IN CHATT HILLS

By Laurie Searle, Chatt Hills Citizen Reporter

I’ll admit it. I wasn’t all that excited about my husband’s plan to build a yard shed in the back corner of our pasture.

“We’ll see it from our kitchen table,” I complained. “It will spoil our view.”

But 40 years of marriage and knowing which buttons to push gave him an idea. “Why don’t you paint a barn quilt?” he suggested. And just like that, my frown was turned upside down.

Laurie Searle painted a compass design for her first barn quilt.

Sewing the Seeds of My Quilting Obession My love for quilting got a late start in life. I made my first quilt in 1975, but believe you me, it was no masterpiece. Having just taught myself to sew, my quilt consisted of 12-inch-wide strips of fabrics sewn at the sides, stuffed with batting, then woven in and out like a basket, and secured with knots of yarn. It was pretty— pretty rough, that is.

Quilting left me totally uninspired until years later when we stopped by a roadside shop in West Virginia called Tamarack. It featured retail artisan products by juried Appalachian artists, including handmade quilts that were works of art. Their geometric designs and bold colors, their tiny hand-stitched quilting layering art upon art – those magnificent art quilts cast a spell on me like love at first sight. I purchased two, and vowed to someday make quilts as beautiful as those.

Quilt Heritage in Chatt Hills Years later, after moving to Chattahoochee Hills, I discovered art quilts of a different nature. Stored in barns and attics and covered on beds and laps were beautiful quilts stitched together by family members as functional works of art.

During a visit to Charles & Thelma Jackson’s farm, I saw a large quilt displayed in their barn and a picture of ladies in the Goodes Community back in the day at a quilting bee. At a Rico Community historic gathering, Ken Langley showed a friendship quilt autographed by the ladies who stitched it together. At a church mission trip, Betty Ann Lyle and Dessie Kinser gifted the many lap quilts they had made to residents in a nursing home. These quilts, and many more, inspired me to take quilting classes and learn from others, so I could make quilts that were both artful and functional.

6

The Art of Painted Quilts In addition to quilting, I loved other crafts including painted furniture, decorative wall finishes, and stenciled floorcloths, but it had never occurred to me to paint a quilt, until we took a road trip to visit my family.

We were on our way to Chicago, approaching our stopping point for the day near Paducah, Kentucky. I was in a hypnotic daze, burry-eyed from our 12-hour drive, when something caught my eye on the side of a barn. It was a painted quilt! Miles down the road we saw another, then another, and then a quilt sign that pointed the way to the National Quilt Museum in Paducah.

We stopped at the Museum for a visit. While I was blown away by the exhibits inside the building, it was the painted quilt on the outside of the building that drew my attention. I asked the tour guide about the painting and about those quilts I saw on the nearby barns. She said Paducah has a Barn Quilt Trail that features 32 barn quilts.

She offered a brochure that included the history of barn quilts.

The Quilt Block Trail project began in Adams County, Ohio, when Donna Sue Groves, field representative for Ohio Arts Council, decided she wanted a quilt square painted on her barn to honor her mother, a lifelong quilter.

Donna Sue shared her idea with friends in the community who offered their help. They decided if they were going to paint one quilt square on a barn, they might as well paint twenty and create a driving tour to attract tourists to their rural community.

Since those humble beginnings in 1989, more than 9,000 barn quilts have been created in 49 states, organized

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

on his outbuilding painted by his father. And Annella & Henry Branan have a sampler barn quilt he painted for their workshop.

into 120 Barn Quilt Trails, making this one of the fastest-growing grassroots public art movements in the United States.

What Exactly is a Barn Quilt Trail?

According to Barn Quilt Info, a barn quilt trail is a collection of painted quilt blocks on a series of barns that are on a walking or driving trail. The quilt patterns don’t have to be on barns, though. The quilt designs can be on the side of any buildings the quilter sees fit to put them on.

The barn quilts are generally chosen from a family’s own colorful quilt pattern that has been passed down through the years. Then the family’s quilt pattern is turned into public art on their own barn or other building, and it becomes part of a quilt trail. Barn quilt sizes range from 8x8 feet for those on barns to smaller barn quilts for sheds and porches

According to the barnquiltinfo.org, the purpose in developing a quilt trail in your community is to:

• Honor the quilting tradition

• Honor farming traditions

• Beautify the community

• Promote cultural heritage tourism

• Promote quilt-related crafts Barn Quilts in Chatt Hills After painting the barn quilt on our shed, I wondered if others might be interested in starting a Barn Quilt Trail in Chatt Hills.

I drove around the city to see how many barns and points of interests might be included. Do you know what I discovered? There are already a number of barn quilts in Chatt Hills—and each has its own story.

Beverly Coggin painted some barn quilts to sell at craft fairs, and she displays one inside her sewing room and several on her property. Brian Gross has a barn quilt

Barn Quilts 101 On Your Own - If you’d like to try painting a barn quilt, I recommend taking a class, such as the one offered by Muletown Designs on October 10 in Carrollton. (see: https://www.muletowndesigns.com).

I attended one of their classes last month, and in a matter of hours, I made a beautiful small barn quilt. All of the materials are provided, and the instructor walks you through the steps which include: 1. Select and prime the board 2. Select a quilt pattern 3. Draw the pattern on the board (it’s easy after drawing grids) 4. Tape sections of the pattern as you paint (there are a

few tips) 5. Paint each section, one color at a time 6. Hang and display your painted quilt Join the Trail - If you’d like to be a part of a Chattahoochee Hills Barn Quilt Trail, there are many ways you can participate: 1. Serve on the Chatt Hills Barn Quilt Trail committee 2. Apply to a have barn quilt on your property 3. Help paint barn quilts 4. Help install barn quilts 5. Help raise funds for the Chatt Hills Barn Quilt Trail 6. Attend the meeting at City Hall on September 25 at 6:30 p.m.

7. Contact Laurie Searle to learn more

Phone: (770) 463-5169 Email: Laurie.Searle@chatthillsga.us

Chatt Hills Barn Quilt Trail Community Meeting September 25, 6:30 p.m., City Hall, 6505 Rico Rd *Please wear a mask, and please check city’s website for updates due to COVID-19

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

7

Trending Topic

BIOPHILIA International Biophilia Poster Competition & Exhibition

Sept. 10–Oct. 4 Free and Open to Public Displayed in the woods along nature trails and suspended between trees, this outdoor, open-air exhibition will feature 100+ poster finalists by artists and graphic designers from across the world who are inspired by biophilia, the innate connection between humans and nature. Organized by BrandCulture and PosterTerritory, the Biophilia Poster Competition launched in February 2020 and received more than 3,500 submissions from 165 countries.

Biophilia expresses a human’s innate connection to nature and comes at a time when people are generally separated from the natural world. Biophilic design – designing with this relationship in mind – can benefit both the health of the planet and people. When parks, buildings, and spaces are designed with nature in mind, people tend to feel restored and more balanced.

“There’s been a renewed appreciation for poster art and graphic design given the ubiquity of digital media,” says Jon Hutson, Managing Director at BrandCulture. “During this time, we think it’s great to think about nature and how it affects lives, our wellbeing and sustainability for the future.”

A jury of internationally distinguished design and biophilic experts, including Serenbe’s esteemed land planner Dr. Phill Tabb joined Elizabeth Calabrese, Bill Browning, Lisa Babb and David Carson, to select 100 poster finalists to be featured in the 8

Barkin Oktay, Turkey, Nature and Human

Samantha YueYue, Pei-Wen-Cheah, Malaysia

traveling exhibition. Debuting at Serenbe on September 10, it will be on view in the woods for 4 weeks before traveling to Ponce City Market in mid-October. The series will then be showcased at Helms Design Center in Los Angeles and Poster Territory in Barcelona, Spain.

The outdoor exhibition is free and open to the public and will give people plenty of space to appreciate design while also respecting social distancing. The exhibition will be located in the Mado neighborhood of Serenbe, off Prom Field Road and along nature trails. To help guests and employees remain in compliance with health and safety guidelines, face coverings are encouragee to be worn while viewing the exhibition as well as social distancing of at least six feet.

For more information on the contest and organizers please visit: web: brandculture.com blog: brandculturetalk.com

Chatt Hills Artist Co-op Members Included in the Exhibition The Chatt Hills Gallery members included are: Adrienne Anbinder, Morgan Boszilkov, Christina Blum, Logynn Ferrall, GH Harper, Bob Lederman, Julie McKinney and Judy Walker.

If you are interested in joining the co-op email: heyjwalker@gmail.com www.Chatthillsgalleryserenbe.com

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

Trending Topic

SERENBE SHOWHOUSE

Announcing 7th Annual Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Designer Showhouse The 2020 Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Serenbe Designer Showhouse will be everything we need right now: beautiful, collaborative, creative, and most importantly, safe. Set in the Mado neighborhood of Serenbe, this year’s house may have a few extra safety precautions, but it will still be just as fabulous as ever.

The 7th Annual Designer Showhouse is a custom three-bedroom home designed by Serenbe Planning & Design and built by award-winning builder South Haven with interior selections by Lorraine Enwright of Intuitive Dwellings, lead showhouse designer. “This project is the result of a fantastic group effort with the builders. We’ve collaborated with South Haven on previous homes in the neighborhood and have always enjoyed working with them,” says Steve Dray of Serenbe Planning & Design.

Eight of Atlanta’s top interior designers will be featured throughout the home, from the quintessential covered front porch, through the expansive foyer with lightfilled ceilings, to the screened back porch.

“The concept for this particular custom home was to maximize the use of space across one level inside a modest-sized footprint. By securing all three bedrooms to one side, we had the advantage of creating interesting nooks and varying ceiling heights to enhance a very generous open living area,” says Dray. “The drama continues to the rear screened porch to make this home very ‘social’.

Different from past show homes, there is no distinct view of a wooded forest or bucolic pasture but rather social connectivity of a gallery of neighboring homes and sidewalks to the front and rear. Because the surrounding architecture of Serenbe is special, I believe this is an added bonus.”

The showhouse will be open for tours September 10 through October 4, Thursday-Sunday, 10am to 4pm with Private Tours available for bookings on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Advanced tickets will offer a 3-hour window that we encourage you to arrive within, and guests may arrive ANY TIME between the hours of 10am-4pm for onsite tickets. We encourage buying tickets early, as pricing is $20 online before September 9th and $25 thereafter online and at the door. TICKETS

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

9

Trending Topic

SEPTEMBER EVENTS Redwine Plantation Redwine Plantation

LATE LATE

SUMMER SUMMER

2

SESSION SESSION

REDWINE PLANTATION Late-Summer Session with Keith Robinson SEPT 2, 9AM-2PM Creating a Beautiful Buffet

For each session attendees will depart armed with the menu (complete with recipes), a food item created in the class, and a floral/decorative component. A carefully curated selection of housewares (platters, bowls, andaccompanying decorative items) will be available for you to add to your collection at the end of each session.

With Keith Robinson With Keith Robinson

13125 Hutchenson Ferry Road, Palmetto, GA 30268 Email: Redwinesessions@gmail.com

Session Three

Creating a Beautiful Buffet

Of course we all know a buffet to be a meal presented such that everyone can prepare their own plates from the selection of foods on offer. From the simplest of elements to the most sublime, a buffet can offer flexibility in the execution of your event. Breakfast, brunch, luncheon, or dinner, a buffet can be a beautiful way to create a memorable meal using a myriad of shortcuts and tips from my years of event execution.

Lecture: “The Ingredients” d Occasion d Menu d Beverage d Location d Setup d Presentation d Floral/Decor d Theme Practicum: Hands on creation of a buffet including styling, building a buffet, executing a simple floral decor, team execution of menu elements, and finishing the buffet Lunch: Luncheon served will include elements of the buffet menu 10

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

Trending Topic

SEPTEMBER EVENTS

10 The Greenspace Experience September 10-October 4 An exhibition celebrating 100+ poster finalists exploring the relationship of nature and the living, built-world through graphic design.

This national poster exhibition opens September 10th and will be set within the woods of Serenbe, displayed from the trees and along the nature trails of the Mado neighborhood.

The exhibit will be a short walk from Halsa restaurant and coincides with the 7th Annual Serenbe Designer Showhouse tours. Self guided tours will be available dawn to dusk with special programming is to be announced.

14

19

7th Annual Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Serenbe Designer Showhouse Tours Sept. 14-30, 10am-4pm Thursday-Sunday TICKETS $20 Tickets are $20 per person before September 1st and increase on September 1st to $25 per person both online and at the door. All tickets purchased in-person must be paid for with a CREDIT/DEBIT card. No cash will be accepted at the door. Sharing of tickets is prohibited.

Tickets are non-refundable; can be transfered to another date/time or person.

Rico Scout Hut Clearance Sept. 19, 8am – Noon At the corner of Rico Rd & Upper Wooten Rd We’re cleaning out the Scout Hut in preparation for its next adventure.

All items inside are free for the taking.

Bring your facemasks, work gloves, and a flashlight.

Also bring your suggestions for the next use of this historic building. Park at Rico Park across the street.

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

11

Trending Topic

Trending Topic

SEPTEMBER EVENTS

NEW BUSINESSES

Typo Market 9133 Selborne Lane Everything from paper goods to candles to gardening supplies, whether it’s a gift for you or someone else.

21 Nygren Placemaking Conference

https://www.typomarket. com/

September 21-23 Experience, explore, and discuss the unique aspects of Serenbe. Learn the nuts and bolts of planning and building a walkable community where residential, retail, and farming thrive.

Discover how Serenbe’s unique features better conserve natural resources and provide greater financial returns for the developer and the home owner.

This seminar will supply best practices for facts and figures. Lab sessions will provide a look at the amenities that make this a flourishing development that has enjoyed growth during the recession.

CONFERENCE: $1,195, ALL MEALS INCLUDED. For further information please contact kara@ serenbe.com.

12

Chai Vegan Spa Collection + Salon 11110 Serenbe Lane Chai means “life” in Hebrew, and Chai Vegan is dedicated to the life of your hair and skin. Their products are free of harsh chemicals, mineral oil, petroleum, and parabens, and they are cruelty free.

The Brainery 11134 Serenbe Lane

Studio 13 Pilates 11126 Serenbe Lane

These chiropractic physicians have curated a healing space for mind, body, and spirit, so that your body can effortlessly move between states of balance and dynamic change.

Their full-service Pilates studio provides a peaceful and restorative environment for you to cultivate deep wellness while nurturing your mind, body, and spirit.

https://thebraineryatl.com/

https://www.studio13serenbe.com/

https://www.shopchai.com/

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

Trending Topic

LOCAL BUSINESS

CHATT HILLS MUSIC Interview by Sam Harrison

Whether it’s jazz, classical, rock, Americana, you name it, Chatt Hills Music, under the direction of Ron and Sandy Simblist, has brought many outstanding musicians and performers to Chattahoochee Hills. From the first concert in 2008, featuring The Brubeck Brothers in Hutcheson Ferry Park, to the performance of the legendary Colonel Bruce Hampton that closed down Selborne Lane with dancing in the streets, Ron and Sandy have arranged unforgettable musical experiences for everyone, both young an old, in the Chatt Hills community.

Ron not only found and attracted these wonderful musical artists to Serenbe, he and Sandy usually lodged, fed, and entertained them while they were here. Now the Simblists will be leaving the area in October to undertake the next chapter of their lives in North Carolina. We recently spoke with Ron about his involvement with Chatt Hills Music.

Ron, we are sad to see you and Sandy leave the community and Chatt Hills Music.

Leaving is bittersweet, but Sandy and I plan to say involved with Chatt Hills Music. And our 501c3 non-profit will continue to bring music to the community as well as Acton Academy at Serenbe and Chattahoochee Hills Charter School.

George Danusis and Judy Walker will continue to be part of the lead team that keeps the music playing in perpetuity here in Chattahoochee Hills.

How have you able to attract such remarkable talent to our somewhat remote community?

We pay musicians well—in many cases, more than they earn at clubs in Atlanta and elsewhere. We treat them fairly, house them and feed them. The vibe of the wonderful people in this area does the rest!

Do you have musical talents?

I play claps! Truth is, I have a lifelong passion for music, especially jazz since as a teen seeing Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Ella Fitzgerald and other greats.

I became active in the Atlanta music scene in the mid-90s, when I realized musicians were often not being treated fairly or compensated properly. So I formed a collaborative called “In The Spirit,” and our artists won several awards and were twice on the main stage of the Atlanta Jazz Festival.

In a late-night jam session after a festival, I discovered 20-year-old vocalist Lizz Wright and got her signed to Verve Records. I also managed Grammy nominee Rene Marie and several other performers who are now fairly high profile.

How can residents continue to keep Chatt Hills Music alive?

Attend events and also make a tax-deductible contribution to Chatt Hills Music www.chatthillsmusic/ donate.

We wish you and Sandy all the best.

We are happy to leave behind the legacy of Chatt Hills Music as we drive off to begin a new chapter in our highway of life.

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

13

Trending Topic

LOCAL BUSINESS

Pick Your Muscadines & Scuppernongs right here in your Chattahoochee Hills community.

Come to the Tangled Vines Muscadine Farm at the corner of Hutcheson Ferry & Watkins Rd. (8450 Watkins Rd, Chatt Hills.) You will find several varieties of muscadines and scuppernongs in a beautiful and easy-to-pick area. If wine making is your interest, this is the place to be! Carols and Dixie Red for white wine and Noble Black for Red. Don’t miss out; the season is only 6 weeks long! Tangled Vines Farm is open for picking beginning August 30. Tuesday – Saturday, 9am – 6pm. Call Susan Edmondson for more information, 678-469-5649.

14

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

Arts Section Hills & Hamlets Bookshop Hills & Hamlets Bookshop is a charming neighborhood bookstore in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia, created by Josh Niesse and Megan Bell, the couple behind Underground Books in nearby Carrollton. Currently closed to browsing due to the COVID-19 epidemic, we’re open 24/7 online at www.bookshop.org/shop/undergroundbooks and at info@hillsandhamlets. com.

September Selections from Hills & Hamlets Bookshop and Underground Books: New in Nature: Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald “An essential writer on nature, humanity, and loss. Macdonald fills her narratives with vivid descriptions of the wildlife that surrounds us.”—Time Fans of Helen Macdonald’s bestselling debut H Is for Hawk will rejoice, as will any lover of first-rate nature writing. In her new essay collection Vesper Flights, Helen Macdonald plumbs the depths of the meanings man has spun around animal life. Buy here: https:// bookshop.org/a/45/9780802128812

New in Nonfiction: Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an rarely studied phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings.

Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people’s lives and behavior and the nation’s fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Beautifully written, original, and revealing, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents is an eye-opening story of people and history, and a reexamination of what lies under the surface of ordinary lives and of American life today. Buy here: https://bookshop.org/a/45/9780593230251

New in Books for Kids: Dog Man: Grime and Punishment by Dav Pilkey The next great Dog Man adventure from the worldwide bestselling author and artist Dav Pilkey. You’ll howl with laughter!

The Supa Buddies bamboozled the baddies, but all’s not right in the world. Dog Man has a new problem to pound, and he’s going to need his entire pack to help him. Will he go barking up the wrong tree? Buy here: https://bookshop.org/a/45/9781338535624

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

15

Arts Section Nancy Hardwick

Nancy is a native of Atlanta, having grown up with connections to the woods of North Georgia and the beaches of St. Simons Island. She received a BFA in painting and drawing from the University of Georgia and has lived on St. Simons Island, Georgia and Santa Fe, New Mexico. She recently returned to Georgia from New Mexico to live in Chatt Hills. Nancy’s is a life-long love of the arts, an appreciation fostered by her grandfather, who was the first President of the Atlanta Arts Alliance. Having been adopted at a young age, she discovered later in her life that her love of art was inherited as well, for her biological father was an architect, sculptor, and illustrator; and her great-grandfather an instructor at the Art Institute of Chicago.

“There is a wonderful simplicity to the paintings of Nancy Hardwick. She captures the atmosphere with minimal value change and color that creates compositional shapes. Her paintings reflect her love of color and natural soundings. Somehow you can feel the air vibrating with promise.”

–Judy Walker

16

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

Arts Section Karin Slaton Adrienne Anbinder

Robert Lederman

9057 Selborne Lane For Appointment: 818.434.5436

Judy Walker

Malinda Lively

Logynn B Ferrall

Christina Oros Blum

Wanda Hughes

Co-op members are: Adrienne Anbinder, Malinda Lively-Arnold, Janice Barton, Morgan Boszilkov, Christina Oros Blum, Logynn B Ferrall, GW Harper, Gail Foster, Wanda Hughes, Ann Jackson, Robert Lederman, Julie McKinney, Amy Peterson, Karin Slaton, Tom Swanston, Judy Walker.

www.chatthillsgalleryserenbe.com CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

17

Logynn Ferrall

HEALTHY

Food, Water, and Relaxation!

Tangerines (raw)

so patients should check with their doc-

- Nutritional fitness score: 0.67

tors before consuming whole grapefruit or

- Known for being: Rich in carbo-

grapefruit juice.

hydrates - Price per 100 grams: $0.29

Spinach (frozen)

Originating in Tangier, Morocco,

- Nutritional fitness score: 0.64

tangerines are a cousin to the

- Known for being: Low-calorie

mandarin orange, but they are

- Price per 100 grams: $1.35

smaller with softer skin. Like

While fresh over frozen is often the first

most citrus fruits, they are high in

choice, frozen spinach contains more

vitamin C, as well as folate and

nutrients than raw spinach. Spinach con-

beta-carotene. Less sweet than

denses when cooked or frozen, so a small

oranges, they have a stronger

container of frozen spinach has a higher

flavor and work well in salads or

volume and therefore more nutrition. Aside

can be peeled and eaten as a

from salads or sandwich toppings, frozen

healthy snack.

spinach works in nearly any recipe that

Food. Not just any food, but the most

calls for fresh and is an easy addition to

nutritious food helps to promote good

Red cabbage (raw)

soups, dips, or baked main dishes.

health. Water. Not just any water, but the

- Nutritional fitness score: 0.65

cleanest water you can drink hydrates

- Known for being: Low-calorie

add some produce to your program, and

and heals the body inside and out. And

- Price per 100 grams: $0.12

you will be boosting your nutrition like a

relaxation, not just any state of being,

Red or purple cabbage is a cruciferous

champ. Use each the way the notations

but the state of peaceful feelings reduces

vegetable grown all over Europe, Asia,

instruct: “raw“ could mean simply add to

all-around stress and improves vitality and

and Africa. It contains essential nutrients

a smoothie with some blueberries, and

longevity.

such as vitamins A, D, and K, along

“cooked” could mean just sauté, such as

with folate, niacin, and fiber. Cruciferous

spinach with young green onions, an easy

Beet greens (raw)

vegetables may lower the risk of some

favorite of mine (so is is adding watercress

- Nutritional fitness score: 0.70

cancers, including breast cancer and

or dandelion greens to a salad, a quick

- Known for being: Low-calorie

colorectal cancer.

and interesting way to get an added dose

- Price per 100 grams: $0.48

From beet greens to spinach, just

of iron!). All these vegetables and fruits

The leafy top of the beetroot plant, beet

Pink and red grapefruit (raw)

provide high-density nutrition. Good

greens have more nutritional value than

- Nutritional fitness score: 0.64

eating, everyone!

the root itself. They are high in vitamins

- Known for being: Rich in carbohydrates

A, C, and K, flavonoids, B-carotene,

- Price per 100 grams: $0.27

and lutein, which may help in cancer

Like their paler siblings, pink and red

prevention. They can be found at farmer’s

grapefruits are full of nutrients and

markets and groceries year-round and can

antioxidants. But this colorful fruit also has

be added raw to salads and smoothies or

the bonus of the carotenoid phytonutrient

eaten baked or sautéed.

lycopene, which is thought to help prevent

logynnbferrall@mac.com

certain cancers. Grapefruit can sometimes

my.doterra.com/logynnbferrall

Logynn Ferrall, 281 658 5036

have a countereffect when interacting with

Logynn Ferrall teaches healthy, natural

medications, especially those used to

ways to improve the quality of your life.

treat high blood pressure or cholesterol, 18

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

Taking Care of You!

Please Complete the 2020 Census Questionnaire As the nation adjusts to a new normal with COVID-19, the 2020 Census remains as important as ever. An accurate count directly determines equitable representation as well as the federal funding the City of Chattahoochee Hills receives. Stand up and be counted.

To complete the 2020 U.S. Census online, visit: https://my2020census.gov

Census GiveAway Chattahoochee Hills City Councilmembers Ruby Foster & Laurie Searle joined a host of public servants in the 2020 Census GiveAway at the Palmetto Library parking lot on August 26.

The public services helped residents complete their census and then offered free chicken sausages, milk, bread, cookies, and face masks.

Many thanks to those who served including: Joe Carn, Fulton County Commissioner Dist. 6; Mandisha Thomas, State Representative Elect Dist. 65; Teresa Smith and Tara Miller, Palmetto City Councilmembers , Ms. King, and others not pictured.

CDC Get the latest Coronavirus (COVID-19) information HERE.

The State of Georgia has a new COVID-19 hotline.

If you believe that you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or have been exposed to the novel coronavirus, please contact your primary care doctor or an urgent care clinic. Please do not show up unannounced at an emergency room or health care facility.

CALL THIS HOTLINE: (844) 442-2681

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

19

Southern Comfort & Grace Sometimes “big dreams” fall apart, so that Bigger Dreams can come together Welcome again to Southern Comfort and Grace! It’s still hot and humid and over 80 degrees! As a G.R.I.T.S (Girl Raised in the South), hot and humid and a few showers go hand in hand. The rain is truly grace unfolding. Besides, I’ve been given even more grace and mercy because September is my birth month, the beautiful Indian summer month!

Well, since the last issue of my article, I have been shown a huge amount of grace and have given out just as much. You see, I was a candidate for a school board race in this district. Wow, it was a grueling and tedious undertaking, and it physically and mentally swamped me. So many times during this undertaking I was given Grace just by having the sun not shine so brightly when I was holding up yard signs at polling places. Many times I was drenched with sweat only to have a cool breeze occur! My, oh my, what a relief! God certainly looked down on my team and said possibly, “Let me give this woman some shade before she passes out from yelling and screaming, ‘You can’t go wrong if you vote right!’” I had quite a “big” team—a team of three! Yep, one, two, three! Yes, that was Grace! I was given even more Grace when I looked at my campaign finances, and I heard a voice say inside of me—Silly Rabbit tricks are for kids! This is no trick—I got you! Whew!

As I thought about this, I thought about a TV series that I loved, Ally McBeal! Ally would always have these songs and voices inside of her head—and so did I! However, my voices are always uplifting!

I know my team showed a lot of Grace during the campaign when we were yelling out my campaign slogan and folks shouted, “I’m not going to vote for you, I’m going to vote for ___! I mustered up so much Grace it was ridiculous! You see, I’m a G.R.I.T.S., and we don’t show our tail, as my momma used to say! “Don’t go out there and embarrass me,” is what she meant, so I didn’t. I’m a Lady and a true D.I.V.A.A. (Divinely Inspired, Victorious, and Always Authentic)!

Again, Grace has the power to do something that nothing else can do: transform you at the causal core of who you are as a human being, your heart. My heart allows me to care about my community and the children within this community as I bestow a large amount of love and grace on them. That was my focus for seeking this 20

Sandra Wright, PhD (470) 588-1986 Southerncomfortandgrace20@gmail.com http://www.sandracollinswright.com

position, because I care and wanted to make a change in this community for the children. I once heard a quote from Teddy Roosevelt that said, “No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Isn’t that certainly a quote worth comparing to Grace?

Even during this quarantine, so many of you supported my efforts for this run; you gave me such encouraging words, financial support, too—no matter how small! You cared and showed so much grace! I did not yield the results that I wanted, but you were there!

“Okay, Doc,” you may be thinking, “how can I find Grace for myself?” For many people that is hard to find.

Perhaps overcoming the guilt trap can help. Stop allowing the enemies’ voices to rent space in your head: evict them immediately! Give yourself the same kind of forgiveness and kindness you would a BFF! Finally, Grace can JUST BE, so stop overthinking every single thing!

Again, tell me your recipe for Southern Comfort, and let me know how Grace has impacted you!

I hope you’ll find something to make your life a little easier…And we hope you’ll join me soon for a cocktail.

Here’s my monthly Southern Comfort recipe: September Slammer The September Slammer is a classic cocktail recipe featuring Southern Comfort. It’s also got amaretto, orange juice and sloe gin, so it’s a sweet, fruity drink that’s hard not to love.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce Southern Comfort

• 1 ounce amaretto

• 1 ounce sloe gin

• 2 ounces orange juice Instructions

1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice cubes.

2. Pour in all the ingredients and shake well.

3. Fill a highball glass with ice.

4. Strain the mixture into it.

5. Garnish with a cherry and an orange wheel.

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

Community

OUR CHURCHES Campbellton Baptist Church 8660 Campbellton Fairburn Rd Friendship Baptist Church 6090 Cochran Mill Rd www.friendshipbaptistchatthills.com Interfaith Fellowship at Serenbe www.facebook.com/ groups/1964824926878340/ New Hope United Methodist Church 7875 Atlanta Newnan Rd

Providence Baptist Church 6402 Campbellton Redwine Rd www.pbcrico.org Rico United Methodist Church 6475 Rico Rd Rivertown United Methodist Church 9325 Rivertown Rd Sardis Baptist Church 8400 Sardis Rd www.sardisbaptistch.com

Southern Crescent Unitarian Universalist Fellowship www.facebook.com/SouthernCrescentUUFellowship/ Vernon Grove Baptist Church 8440 Vernon Grove Rd OTHER CHURCHES IN CHATT HILLS Many churches have suspended services and activities due to the COVID-19 precautions. Please check with the individual churches to get an update on their schedules.

Community

WELCOME NEW PASTORS

Rev. Craig Brown and his wife Pamela

Sardis Baptist Church Welcomes New Pastor Sardis Baptist Church would like to welcome our new pastor Rev. Craig Brown and his wife Pamela. We are excited to see what God has in store for Pastor Craig as he leads Sardis to an exciting future. Please come meet Rev. Craig Sunday Mornings for Worship Service at 11:00 a.m. (all health and safety guidelines are being followed). They will be living in Chattahoochee Hills.

Craig joined the staff at Sardis in August of 2020. Prior to Sardis, Craig served as a Student Pastor, Lead Pastor & Church Planter. He has a passion to help people discover their true identity in Christ as well as connecting them into community and helping them find the best place to serve others with the gifts and abilities God has given them. Craig is a gifted communicator with a unique blend of theology and humor.

Craig attended New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and McNeese State University in Lake Charles, LA. (Go Cowboys!)

Craig and his wife Pamela love to renovate! Whether it’s houses, cars, or boats, they love fixer-uppers! They have been married since 1985 and have a son Corey & wife Christina, who live in Covington, LA and a daughter Heather & husband Kellum, who live in Avondale Estates, GA. New Hope United Methodist Church Welcomes New Pastor Abby Norman lives on the east side of Atlanta with her husband of 15 years, their two daughters, and a very bad dog. In addition to pastoring at New Hope, she also is a teacher at Georgia Cyber Academy. Abby loves to paint and write and is excited about her new book coming out in May. This is her 4th year pastoring in the NGUMC, and she loves nothing more than to get to know a new church. Abby is very much looking forward to the barbeque in October!

Rev. Abby Norman CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

21

City Government Lost in the Barrens: Search and Rescue in Cochran Mill Park The darkness of the deep woods closed in around the three hikers. A few night peepers called above the sound of rushing water from Henry Mill Falls. Fatigue had long since joined forces with a stormy downpour causing enough desperation for the father to phone 911. Now, he and his two daughters waited.

This story plays out in Cochran Mill Park more often than you may know. Not exactly like Farley Mowat’s novel Lost In the Barrens, but some aspects get close. For Cochran Mill Park, a search and rescue typically starts with a 911 phone call reporting lost or injured park guests; what follows is a response plan initiated by Chattahoochee Hills Public Safety departments. Hikers, bikers, first-time visitors, veteran outdoor enthusiasts, families, horseback riders, adults, children—the variety of persons and needs is more than can be listed here. Most have one thing in common: their enthusiasm for enjoying Cochran Mill Park has run afoul of safety and they need help.

Presently, Chattahoochee Hills Fire Rescue responds to an average of three search-and-rescue incidents monthly in Cochran Mill Park (although a recent July weekend alone had three incidents). Many skills are required to facilitate safe recovery during such incidents, in addition to the physical toughness required to deal with terrain and transport. Search and rescue operations can occur at any hour of day or night, they can take place anywhere in the park and frequently several miles into the park’s trail system, and operations often involve difficult terrain or water hazards such as the rushing water of swollen streams or even steep falls.

Knowledge of the park trail system is essential for all first responders, whether Fire/EMS personnel or Police Officers. GPS units, mapping, and radios play a big role in effective response, but training plays the biggest role in search and rescue. Search teams may be composed of one Fire/EMS person and one Police Officer, but at other times two Fire/EMS personnel make up search teams, and Police assist with Command functions like communication and orienteering. Each incident has its own set of dynamics; some incidents require minimal intervention or effort by rescuers on behalf of those being rescued, while other 22

incidents can be very dramatic, involving considerable rescuer knowledge of the park and its environs to facilitate positive intervention by rescue operators.

The story described above is an actual incident that began to unfold at 6:30 PM on a Friday. A father and two daughters hiked deep into the park and became disoriented during a thunderstorm; darkness added to their confusion. Fortunately, the three hikers were at higher elevation and able to phone 911. They didn’t phone for help until just before 10PM. Likewise, good fortune was on their side when a savvy Dispatcher was able to secure a latitude/ longitude location from mobile phone data. A Fire/EMS search team reached the hikers quickly, but only after a rigorous hike through rough terrain and a swift water crossing of Bear Creek. Equally difficult was the challenge of extracting the rescued hikers from the park, since retracing steps through the hazardous areas and injury complicated progress. The hikers were recovered to a nearby roadway and received medical attention just after midnight.

Search and rescue (SAR) training and proper equipment are the cornerstones of good incident outcomes.

Fire/EMS crew members receive expert training on the park

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

City Government

topography and its hazards, as well as on the necessary tools and equipment. SAR packs with special inventory, medical packs, and lightweight patient litters are vital since most incidents are undertaken completely on foot. Further, training involves using land navigation tools and tactics and also involves coordinating with Dispatchers at Fulton’s Emergency Services dispatch center in downtown Atlanta.

Some incidents even require the use of a helicopter or tracking dogs.

“Just knowing exactly where the hikers think they are located is not so easy,” explains Fire Chief Greg Brett.

“Add darkness, weather, and injury into that formula and things get pretty dicey sometimes.

All in all, we overcome the odds. Fortunately, the percentage of really bad outcomes is kept very low.”

Chief Brett describes the variety of incidents as a “mixed bag of tricks.” Chattahoochee Hills’ public safety teams have handled everything from lost persons, child drownings, biker injuries, traumatic accidents in waterways, and wandering Alzheimer patients, to injured pets and everyday “boo boos.”

“Sometimes it’s local folk who get turned around in the

Greg Brett, Chief of Fire, EMS & Emergency Management City of Chattahoochee Hills, GA Greg.Brett@chatthillsga.us

park,” Chief Brett says. “Somehow our parks have become more popular during the pandemic. It takes mental focus, better tactics, and the right ‘tools’ more than ever before to maintain our edge.

We’re getting pretty good at it.

When we add a drone with infrared camera and an all-terrain-vehicle we’re hoping for, the only remaining piece will be improving cellular communication throughout the park.”

Chief Brett offers these helpful tips for outdoor visitors who intend to explore the trails of Cochran Mill Park: • Download the “Park in the Palm” app at http://cochranmillpark.com/#download-ios-section (an android phone version is coming soon).

• Get printed maps at the Cochran Mill Park kiosk, the City’s website, or at City Hall.

• “Be real” about your hiking experience and outdoor skills: don’t go beyond your capabilities.

• Starting a hike early is more advisable than later in the day.

• Check the weather forecast before you hike.

• Don’t waste mobile phone battery power; you may need it later.

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

23

City Government Coweta County Boundary Change You may have seen signs from a group called the ‘Chatt Hills Coalition” about moving to Coweta for better schools and wondered what that was about, the idea of the City leaving Fulton County and joining Coweta County instead.

The Mayor and Council addressed the issue in the most recent Work Session this past Thursday; we share that conversation here. Please note, the following text was transcribed from the audio recording of the City Council work session on August 27. It is marked (audio unclear) in places where the speaker could not be understood.

Mayor Tom Reed—Overview of Coweta County Boundary Change The next thing on the Agenda was a conversation about the Chatt Hills Coalition. I know that everybody has seen the signs going up, and I’ve gotten a ton of calls, as I’m sure everybody has, asking, “What’s that about?” And, before we talked about it, I wanted to offer a little bit of historical perspective.

There is a section in the code of Georgia about how boundary alignments can be changed between counties.

The way it is written, it looks like it was made for things like when a river changes course or whatever, and results in a need to change the county line. But it allows changes in county boundaries, period. And there’s an involved process by which that happens. A petitioner, that owns land in the area that wants to be changed, petitions the courts in both the county they’re wanting to leave and the county they want to come into. It’s a legal process. Basically, you’re filing a legal pleading to make that change.

There’s a requirement that both of the counties impanel a grand jury that hears that case. There’s an application (filed by the petitioner) to make the arguments about why it makes sense to do this thing, and both of those grand juries hear it, and they have to agree that that makes sense, and it must pass by a two-thirds vote. The grand juries in each of the counties has to hear that, and then once the grand juries have signed off saying it’s in the public interest for this to happen, then the County Commissions in both of the Counties also need to sign off on that. And then it just happens. The State of Georgia makes the appropriate changes, sends that information back to the counties, and it’s done.

24

Over the course of time, there have been at least three efforts to make that happen here in the area that is Chattahoochee Hills. Or at least the part of Chattahoochee Hills that was going to be Chattahoochee Hills before the city was formed, which actually included more land than it does now. Those efforts basically went the same route that this one is going. A bunch of people in the community got together and started looking into this, started talking to the politicians on both sides of the line about how that would happen. Again, 20 years ago—actually longer than that now—it happened, and a lot of the people in the community that worked on that are still involved with it.

And then after the City was formed, after the city vote happened, we looked at it again, the Mayor and Council and me in my role as the President of the Civic Association.

In the previous efforts, at some time it became obvious at some point in the process that one of the counties or the other was not going to accept it, and those efforts didn’t go through the whole process. This is a conversation that has been bubbling in the city ever since, and it’s a conversation I’ve had with people on a regular basis since then.

There is a new citizen’s group that has formed (called the Coweta Coalition) that is pushing that forward again. At least a couple of the council people and I have had meetings with some people, helping to inform the conversation, and that is the very high-level background of this effort.

The most common argument, and the one that easiest for people to relate to, is the idea that the schools are better in Coweta County—that’s a fact. Another one is that services would be easier to get to. Newnan is much easier to get to than Atlanta, because we shop there anyway. And that’s kind of the very high-level overview.

We have talked a lot to the City Attorney about this, and the way that this process works, it’s inappropriate for the City to get involved with this in any way. So any work that is to be done needs to be done at a personal level, and the City has not taken a position on this issue. And that’s all I’ve got. I know Troy and Richie probably have some things to say as well.

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

COUNCIL DISCUSSION

Councilmember Troy Bettis - It’s not clear what I can and can’t say. But it looks good. That’s what I’m hearing from them. Paul Pool is a friend of mine; we eat breakfast together periodically (he is a commissioner in Coweta County) (audio unclear). So things look good.

Mayor Reed – It feels important to me to help people get good data, without again, (personally) taking a position on it.

Councilmember Richie Schmidt – The City is in a better situation than last time, when Coweta didn’t want us.

(Audio unclear.) My personal opinion is that Chattahoochee Hills cannot grow in Fulton County. Our census data proves that. (Audio unclear). Another good reason is the COVID-19 (Fulton County not distributing a rightful share to its municipalities for reimbursement). Bottom line is that I’d rather be in a place we can grow in. The twenty-year census shows we can’t grow in Fulton County.

Councilmember Betis – One of the concerns is with (Chattahoochee Hills) staff. I want you to know our staff will not be affected. You all’s positions are not in jeopardy.

This community loves you all. There is no way that anyone would even propose anything. I don’t think there is a better fire department in the state of Georgia. I mean, you call Greg (Fire Chief Brett), and he’s there. And the Chief of Police, he’s great too. I’ve heard people say that you all might not understand that. (Audio unclear.)

Councilmember Schmidt – The only change I understand, Troy, is that we re-draw the Commission line.

Councilmember Laurie Searle – I did want to mention that at our Dist. 3 Town Hall meeting next month, we did invite someone from that Coalition to come answer questions. It might be best for Tom to give that generic legal kind of thing. And then whoever, I think Rebekah, is going to come answer questions. However we decide to do that is OK. A question I have about, as a councilperson, I want to learn more about it. But as I have questions that deal with city stuff, I’m not quite sure it’s really not appropriate for me to go to those committee meetings. Like for tonight, we just had that whole presentation on the Transportation Plan, and I heard Ms. Kerri say, if you’re not in this, if the eight cities don’t agree to it, it doesn’t move forward. And if (your city’s) not in it, you’re not eligible for federal funding.

Say, that we’re all in, and this thing (the boundary change) may take a couple of years, and it happens. Then are we in this limbo for a while, while we transition into Coweta County? If we’re not in Fulton County, and we don’t have a plan anymore, and Coweta’s already done their plan. I have those kinds of operational questions, how that transition works.

Mayor Reed – Those are the kind of questions I’m trying to answer. I’m talking to Fulton’s school superintendent, Coweta’s, etc., because there are a lot of technical questions around losing TSPLOST, LOST, and the question is: how quickly you can resolve that impact? If you think back to when the city as formed, it took us a couple of years to get into the tax programs that other people were getting.

We just didn’t have access to those funds. But those impacts are all questions that have answers, and we’re trying to get those answers together, so that it’s a fully informed conversation.

Councilmember Schmidt – (Audio unclear.) This conversation is nothing new. This is a continuation of previous conversations. The only thing that has changes is the city is on more level ground (audio unclear). Yes, there is a gap, we’ll miss out on TSPLOST. But TSPLOST is not figured in our budget. (Audio unclear.)

Mayor Reed – To Richie’s point, people are irate about Fulton County spending the CARE funds and not distributing them equitably. None of the cities are getting what they want out of this deal. The (COVID-19) testing facilities they did and all that; that was all good. People got tested. But that’s a small part of the money. They’re doing things like giving stuff to jails and things like that.

And the biggest issue we’ve had, the one we’ve been going back and forth around, is this: you know the CARES act law assumed that all of your public safety spending during COVID was COVID related—that all of your CARES act money can go toward funding regular operations of your public safety. And for a city like ours, that’s losing money through Local Option Sales Tax and TSPLOST right now, which has an impact on our budget we need to off-set, some of that using that money will have been a huge benefit to filling that gap. A city like Roswell that has a lot of money has different needs than we do – we should have been able to make those decisions locally. We’re just throwing all (of our) money at our roads. It proves a point (about Fulton County) for sure.

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

25

City Government

District 3 Townhall Meeting Hosted by City Council Member Laurie Searle

September 17, 2020 6:00 PM Chatt Hills City Hall 6505 Rico Rd Chattahoochee Hills

Come learn the latest updates about the City of Chattahoochee Hills and your District 3.

Topics of Discussion will include: Staff Updates: • City Finances: Budget results of COVID, Property Taxes • Public Safety: Strengthening your Neighborhood Watch, Crime Prevention • Fire & Rescue: Burn Bans, Fire Hydrant Release, Health Services • Public Works: Gravel & Paved Roads Maintenance • Parks: New Boat Ramp, New River Park, Cochran Mill Park Update • Community Development: New Construction, Subdivisions in Chatt Hills Hot Button Issues: • Internet Services in Chatt Hills • Citizen-Led Initiative to move City’s Boundary into Coweta County • Carroll County Rock Quarry Update on What’s Happening Near You • Chatt Hills Barn Quilt Trail • Cedar Grove Community Center • Garretts Ferry Bridge • Rico Scout Hut City Hall meeting room will be set up to allow for social distancing.

Facemasks are recommended. Meeting will also be available via ZOOM. Please check City’s Website prior to attending www.chatthillsga.us.

For more info: Laurie Searle at (770) 463-5169 or Laurie.Searle@chatthillsga.us.

26

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

City Government Update from the City of Chatt Hills Each year, the board of tax assessors for Fulton County is required to review the assessed value for property tax purposes of taxable property in the county. When the trend of prices on recently-sold properties in the county indicates there has been an increase in the fair market value of any specific property, the board of tax assessors is required by law to re-determine the value of such property and adjust the assessment. This is called a reassessment.

The City of Chattahoochee Hills does not play a role in how properties are assessed. The City has to adopt a millage rate that provides the mechanism for the County to collect the property taxes based on the assessed value.

The City of Chattahoochee Hills Mayor & Council held a public meeting in advance of setting its 2020 millage rate. The current millage rate which has not changed in the last three years is 10.00. According to the Fulton County Tax Commissioner’s Office, the Net Digest increased 10% from $192,868,744 to $211,748,965. This increase yielded a rollback calculation of .29 mills from 10.00 to 9.71 to remain “revenue neutral”. However, the recommendation is to maintain the current millage rate. Even though that is the current rate, the increase in property values creates a 2.99% difference in millage rates between 10.00 and 9.71.

By law, this requires three Public Hearings.

All concerned citizens were invited to two public hearings on Thursday, August 20th at 11:00 am and 5:00 pm.

The third public hearing was held at a regularly advertised City Council meeting at City Hall, 6505 Rico Road, Chat-

Robert T. Rokovitz, MPA, ICMA-CM

tahoochee Hills, GA on August 27th, 2020 at 6:00 PM. The final adoption of this millage rate was after this third and final public hearing at City Hall, 6505 Rico Road, Chattahoochee Hills, GA. This tentative recommendation will result in a millage rate of 10.00 mills. Property taxes are based on 40% of the assessed value less any exemptions and then multiplied by the set millage rate. The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $125,000 is approximately $15.00 and the proposed tax increase for a non-homesteaded property with a fair market value of $300,000 is approximately $36.

The City offers a homestead exemption of $15,000 which must be filed prior to April 1st of the respective tax year. There are additional exemptions for seniors aged 65 and older and aged 70 and older. Seniors in those age brackets may also qualify for additional exemptions up to and including a full exemption after age 70 under certain income restrictions.

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS

27

Trending Topic

Community & City

City of Chattahoochee Hills, City Hall, 6505 Rico Rd, Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30268, Phone: (770) 463-8881, www.chatthillsga.us

City of Chatt Hills: www.chatthillsga.us Chatt Hills Charter School: http://www.chatthillscharter.org/calendar Community Brickworks: www.communitybrickworks.org Serenbe Community: www.serenbe.com Acton Academy at Serenbe: http://actonacademyatserenbe.com/#ourstory

Event

We will be scheduling Special Called City Council meetings as dictated by circumstances - these will be virtual, and open to the public.

City Council Meeting - Tues. Sept. 1, 6:00 pm City Hall - 6505 Rico Road, Chatt Hills, GA 30268

The City will take the following safety precautions: • The City Council room will be set up so that the council and staff are all at least 6’ apart.

• Any citizen attendees that want to attend in person will also be separated by at least 6’; capacity will be limited to the number of seats that can fit in the room under those conditions.

• The meeting will be streamed live. Check details on the City’s website.

Parks Commission Meeting - Tues., Sept. 8, 6:00pm City Hall - 6505 Rico Road, Chatt Hills, GA 30268 Planning Comission Meeting - Thurs., Sept. 10, 6:30 pm City Hall - 6505 Rico Road, Chatt Hills, GA 30268 Historic Commission Meeting - Mon., Sept. 14, 6:00pm City Hall - 6505 Rico Road, Chatt Hills, GA 30268 City Council Work Session - Thurs., Sept. 24, 6:00 pm City Hall - 6505 Rico Road, Chatt Hills, GA 30268

About Chatt Hills News The official newsletter of the City of Chattahoochee Hills, Chatt Hills News, is published monthly. This publication is compiled from submissions from the community and is available in public locations around the City, at City Hall, or via email subscriptions.

Email Subscriptions: To subscribe via email visit the City’s Website: www.chatthillsga.us Or subscribe directly at this link: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/w9cGwxA Print Copies: Residents of Chatt Hills who do not have Internet may request mailed copies by calling City Hall (770) 463-8881.

Article / Event Submissions: If you have a story, event, or suggestion for future articles, we’d like to hear from you. Please submit your information by the 15th of every month for publication on the 1st of the month to: chatthillsnews@chatthillsga.us

28

CHATT HILLS NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2020 - SUBSCRIBE TO CHATT HILLS NEWS