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American Legion holds Sept. 11 ceremony
Wildlife mural to adorn Webb Bridge Park pedestrian tunnel
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — American Legion Post 201 in Alpharetta honored the memory of the victims and heroes of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Pentagon and United Airlines Flight 93. More than 160 people attended the Sept. 11 ceremony, which included speeches and a dedication of a new part in the post’s Walk of Memories. A brick was set to remember 16 people with Georgia connections who were killed at the Pentagon and World Trade Center.
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A cooperative effort between city organizations is expected to brighten an Alpharetta park tunnel with art. At a Sept. 14 meeting, the Alpharetta City Council approved the creation of a mural inside a pedestrian tunnel at Webb Bridge Park. Atlanta artist Sarah Emerson will paint local native plants, animals and insects in a design that officials hope will
See LEGION, Page 22
AMERICAN LEGION POST 201/PROVIDED
Retired U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Nicholas Bellenbaum gives an address during a Sept. 11 ceremony at American Legion Post 201.
Roswell scales back proposed tax rate increase By ERLANDRYA RUTLEDGE erlandrya@appenmedia.com ROSWELL, Ga. — The Roswell City Council voted 4-2 on Sept. 14 to set 5.9 mills as a starting point for the 2026 property tax rate, down from the 7.732 mills originally proposed, following extended public comment and debate.
Thirty-four public comments addressed the original proposed rate of 7.732 mills. All residents who spoke were opposed to that rate, which would bring about an approximately 56% tax increase. That rate would break down to 6.549 mills for maintenance and operations and 1.183 mills for debt service. The 2025 millage rate, in total,
was 4.949 mills. Some residents called the 7.732 rate “egregious.” Under it, a home with a fair market value of $575,000 — with an assessed value of $230,000 — would pay an annual city property tax bill of about $1,778. The increase would be about $600 a year.
Pentagon survivor shares 9/11 story
Roswell unveils park pond upgrades
Flock installer calls cops on reporter
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emphasize the park’s natural beauty. Natural Resources Commission Chair Mike Buchanan said the commission connected with Arts Alpharetta and the city after considering using some of its money to create public art in Alpharetta. The commission will provide $2,000 to the overall $30,000 budget. Arts Alpharetta will contribute $6,000. Preparation includes vegetation removal, pressure washing and priming.
See MURAL, Page 22
See TAX, Page 22
JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
Two Alpharetta residents walk through a Webb Bridge Park tunnel Sept. 14 where a mural is planned.
2 | September 17, 2026 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell
PUBLIC SAFETY
Students petition to remove Flock cameras at Alpharetta High 770-442-3278 AppenMedia.com 319 N. Main Street Alpharetta, GA 30009 HANS APPEN Publisher RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus CONTACT NEWS TIPS Contact reporters directly or send story ideas to newsroom@appenmedia.com. LETTERS, EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Send your letters, events and community news to newsroom@appenmedia.com. See appenmedia.com/submit for more guidance. ADVERTISING For information about advertising in the AlpharettaRoswell Herald or other Appen Media properties, email advertising@appenmedia.com or call 770-442-3278. CIRCULATION To start, pause or stop delivery of this newspaper, email circulation@appenmedia.com or call 770-442-3278.
By PATRICK QUINN Atlanta News First ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Students at Alpharetta High School are petitioning to have Flock Safety cameras removed from campus, saying the cameras infringe on their privacy. Flock cameras are installed outside every entrance to the school, capturing footage of each car that comes on and off campus. “We hope that Fulton County takes down every Flock camera,” said Aditya Manchanda, 17, a senior at Alpharetta High School. Manchanda and Henry Jones, 17, started the petition this week. They said they believe the cameras violate the Fourth Amendment, which protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures. “I think the school has a responsibility to protect the privacy of its students. And Flock cameras are directly contradictory to that,” Jones said. Petition cites cost and privacy concerns The petition, titled “Remove flock cameras from Alpharetta High School,” was created Sept. 1 and, as of this report, has 92 signatures. The petition is backed by the Alpharetta Young Democratic Socialists of America. Organizers are calling for the cameras’ removal and proposed alternatives, including increased patrols by security personnel, community-based safety programs, and efforts to strengthen relationships between students, teachers and administrators. District says cameras were approved in 2022 The Fulton County School System said the cameras are not new to campus. They were approved by the school board in September 2022 and are installed at all 104 schools district-
ATLANTA NEWS FIRST/PROVIDED
Students at Alpharetta High School are petitioning to have Flock Safety cameras removed from campus. wide. According to a Fulton County Schools bulletin published Sept. 23, 2022, the cameras are automatic license plate readers, which capture computer-readable images of license plates and vehicle characteristics, not people or faces. According to the district, the system compares plate numbers against those of stolen vehicles or vehicles linked to people suspected of criminal activity and sends real-time alerts to law enforcement when a vehicle associated with a wanted suspect or endangered person passes the camera. “Our goal is to ensure that everyone feels safe on their school campus,” District Superintendent Mike Looney said in the 2022 bulletin. “We are constantly thinking about ways to secure our campuses and protect students and staff, while protecting their privacy.” According to the bulletin, captured camera data is owned by Fulton County
Schools and is not sold or shared with third parties, except when shared with other law enforcement agencies. The bulletin states the data is encrypted, stored in a cloud and permanently deleted after 30 days, and that the cameras are intended to maintain campus safety rather than to enforce minor traffic or parking violations. The district-wide camera installation cost roughly $626,300, paid for through ESPLOST funds, according to a 2022 Flock blog post. The district said at the time it planned to have cameras installed at all schools by January 2023. The school board also authorized an additional $6 million that fiscal year to enhance safety measures further, according to the report. In 2022, Looney said the cameras were intended to track people convicted of sex crimes, those barred from having a gun and those banned from school grounds.
See PETITION, Page 12
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AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 17, 2026 | 3
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4 | September 17, 2026 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell
COMMUNITY
Pentagon survivor shares 9/11 story at Blessed Trinity By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com ROSWELL, Ga. — For the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, U.S. Air Force veteran and federal cybersecurity adviser Kevin Carpenter made the trip from the nation’s capital to Georgia to give a message to the students of Blessed Trinity Catholic High School. The school displayed memorial flags on its lawn for each victim of the attacks and hosted a stadium run earlier that morning. Participating students ran or walked 110 flights in honor of the victims and first responders. It was Carpenter’s second time
publicly telling his story of working in Wedge 1 of the Pentagon when American Airlines Flight 77 struck that segment of the building. The first time was five years prior in the same gymnasium. “I had never spoken about it before, and then the 20th anniversary happened,” Carpenter told Appen Media. “And I remember thinking, ‘I’ve got to do something because there’s people who aren’t here to tell their stories.’ They’re being forgotten about, and it’s the weight of a giant on my shoulders.” Principal Cathy Lancaster introduced Carpenter and detailed his career path from the Air Force to the federal Office of Management
and Budget as a senior cybersecurity policy adviser who assists with incident response. The OMB reports to the president and is responsible for implementing his agenda across the executive branch. “Today, Mr. Carpenter isn’t here to give us a history lesson,” Lancaster said to the crowd. “He is here to share something much more personal — what September 11th felt like through the eyes of someone who was there.” Carpenter said it was an honor to be welcomed back to the school and have the opportunity to share his story. Many students were taking in facts about the attacks they had not previously heard as Carpenter detailed the timeline of that morning at the headquarters of the Department of Defense. The Pentagon is located in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. On Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers flew a Boeing plane into the Pentagon’s western facade at 9:37 a.m., killing 184 people and sparking a fire that took days to fully extinguish. The strike came less than an hour after hijacked jetliners hit the World Trade Center’s twin towers in New York, killing nearly 2,750 people and bringing down both towers. A fourth hijacked plane, United Flight 93, crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers fought to retake control from the hijackers, killing all 40 people aboard. In total, the terror attacks killed 2,977 people.
Carpenter centered his message — encouraging students to take initiative with a servant’s heart — on a regret from that day: ignoring his urge to disobey orders and enter the rubble. The survivor’s guilt that followed was not something the post-9/11 Pentagon’s culture of strength had a name for, but it is what has driven Carpenter to pay it forward ever since. He also recognized the school’s memorial efforts with the nearly 3,000 flags on the lawn. Carpenter shared the stories of several victims, including Michael Gann from Roswell, as well as the story of a family with two young children, a lieutenant general, and a group of three 11-year-old students and their chaperones en route to a National Geographic marine biology field trip. When Carpenter’s speech was over, the entire gymnasium rose for a standing ovation. Students waited in line for nearly an hour to shake his hand. Carpenter said his goal in speaking with the student body was to give them “something they could walk out of this assembly with that they can use and make themselves better human beings.” “If we can get them to go out and touch 10 more people, that’s a win,” he said. “I didn’t spend any time in anger and hate … I would like to believe that [paying it forward] is my contribution and the legacy that [the victims] would want me to portray and convey to others.”
ANNABELLE REITER/APPEN MEDIA
Blessed Trinity Catholic High School faculty and community members stand with Kevin and Angela Carpenter, center, in front of memorial flags placed on the school’s lawn.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 17, 2026 | 5
Listen up: Music Milton to debut second season in October By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com MILTON, Ga. — Music Milton will open its second season on Saturday, Oct. 10 with “Mozart in Milton,” an evening of chamber music featuring The Vega Quartet, pianist William Ransom and clarinetist Laura Ardan. The concert will highlight three of Mozart’s most expressive works: the G Minor Piano Quartet, the Duo for Violin & Viola, and the Clarinet Quintet. The performance marks a meaningful homecoming for Ardan, the retired principal clarinet of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra of 39 years. During her time with the group, she held the endowed Robert Shaw Chair and was awarded the Mabel Dorn Reeder Honorary Chair. Ardan will return to Georgia after three and a half years for this special appearance, sharing her artistry with Milton’s music lovers. “Opening season two with Mozart feels exactly right,” Music Milton’s Artistic Director William Ransom said. “Season one showed us how deeply Milton embraces world‑class music, and I’m thrilled to return with a new season that expands our reach across genres. From Mozart’s brilliance to jazz, bluegrass and holiday traditions, season two reflects our commitment to bringing exceptional musicians and meaningful musical experiences close to home.” The full season two schedule is as follows: • Saturday, Oct. 10 – Mozart in Milton: The Vega Quartet, Laura Ardan, clarinet, and William Ransom, piano, playing a collection of Mozart’s chamber pieces.
• Sunday, Nov. 1 – Just Jazzin’ Around: Gary Motley, pianist with The Gary Motley Trio, will perform jazz standards and improvisation in a lively, fun and interactive event for the whole family. This is a free family concert. • Friday, Dec. 11 – An Appalachian Christmas: A festive holiday program blending classical, folk and bluegrass traditions performed by multi-Grammy Award-winning artists: violinist, fiddler, composer Mark O’Connor and Grammy-winning violinist and vocalist Maggie O’Connor. • Saturday, Jan. 30, 2027 – Jazz Meets Classics: The spontaneity and energy of jazz performed by internationally acclaimed pianist Matt Herskowitz will be joined by the elegance of classical masterworks with acclaimed violinist Stella Chen and cellist James Kim. • Saturday, April 10, 2027 – Zuill Bailey and Friends: Experience the works of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms as performed by Grammy Award-winning cellist Zuill Bailey, pianist William Ransom, acclaimed violist Yinzi Kong, and internationally recognized violinist Helen Kim. All concerts take place in Milton-area venues. General tickets range from $40 to $50 per concert, except for the Nov. 1 free family concert. Tickets are $10 for students, and ticket purchases include free parking. Music Milton launched in May 2025 with a mission to build communities around world-class musical performances and education. Music Milton aims to welcome audiences from Milton’s surrounding communities of Alpharetta, Cumming, Johns Creek, Roswell and beyond. For more information, to purchase tickets, sign up to be a volunteer or donate, visit www.musicmilton.org.
MUSIC MILTON/PROVIDED
The Vega Quartet will open Music Milton’s second season Oct. 10 as part of “Mozart in Milton,” a collection of three of Mozart’s most expressive works performed with pianist William Ransom and clarinetist Laura Ardan.
6 | September 17, 2026 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell
COMMUNITY
PHOTOS BY: ERLANDRYA RUTLEDGE/APPEN MEDIA
Roswell Area Park Pond shines after $3.1 million in improvements and a Sept. 10 ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Roswell celebrates $3.1M Roswell Area Park Pond upgrade
ERLANDRYA RUTLEDGE/APPEN MEDIA
Officials cut a ribbon at a Sept. 10 ceremony celebrating the completion of $3.1 million in improvements at the Roswell Area Park Pond.
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ROSWELL, Ga. — The city of Roswell held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 10 to celebrate the completion of $3.1 million in improvements at the Roswell Area Park Pond. Elected officials, city staff members, the project team, members of the Roswell Recreation Commission and residents gathered for the occasion. Mayor Mary Robichaux thanked everyone who helped bring the project to completion. “It’s always been a beautiful place; it’s … even more beautiful,” she said. “It reminds us why we continue to invest in Roswell and why we all choose to call this home. You know, it’s places like this that make us unique.” She said the city will continue to nurture projects like this one and will maintain the area for generations to come. The pond project included
construction activities, dredging, reconstruction of the embankment and installation of a new retaining wall. The work created an increased depth in the pond, which provides a better habitat for its fish. The city will soon add 15,000 fish to the pond. Other enhancements included the addition of native and aquatic plants, logs for turtle habitats and 35 trees. Resident Don Conaughty welcomed the pond’s improvements. “They did it on time, on budget … worked all the time to do it … and it’s a huge improvement, especially the stonework around the edge of the pond,” Conaughty said. “It’s a lot better, a lot classier. On a beautiful day like today, it really shines.” The project was funded through a $179.6 million voter-approved 2022 bond program. The overall program funds items related to recreation, parks, bicycle and pedestrian paths, and sidewalks. It also funded the city’s new downtown parking deck and a new public safety headquarters.
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By ERLANDRYA RUTLEDGE erlandrya@appenmedia.com
AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 17, 2026 | 7
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Former pastry chef opens Paris Baguette in Alpharetta By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Franchise owner Layne Alkaasamani opened Paris Baguette in Alpharetta on Wednesday, Sept. 16, bringing an assortment of artisanal pastries, cakes, breads and handcrafted beverages to 4119 Lake Street, Suite 105. After beginning her career as a pastry chef, Alkaasamani brought her passion for baking to Paris Baguette. A native of Brazil who attended culinary school in Switzerland, she opened her first bakery café in Kennesaw. She hopes to grow her portfolio to two or three additional cafés across Georgia. “What really drew me to Paris Baguette was the culture and that neighborhood bakery feel,” Alkaasamani said. “I’m looking forward to bringing that to Alpharetta and giving people a place to come in, enjoy fresh pastries, breads and coffee, and spend time together. I want this café to feel like part of the community and be a place our guests enjoy coming back to.” The Alpharetta location is the 10th Paris Baguette bakery café in Georgia. Paris Baguette is expanding through meaningful partnerships with local entrepreneurs who genuinely want to bring people together over fresh-baked goods and artisanal coffee beverages, officials said. “We’re on a mission to reestablish the neighborhood bakery café as the heart of the community across the U.S., and we’re excited to see Layne bring this to life in her local trade area,” Darren Tipton, CEO of Paris Baguette, said. “In our cafés, we like to say, ‘Happy to see you. Happier to serve you.’ And we know Layne will wholeheartedly embrace this approach in her neighborhood.”
A map shows Paris Baguette locations across metro Atlanta.
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AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 17, 2026 | 9
First Lady Martica Jenkins, Pastor Lee Jenkins, and Mayor Mary Robichaux standing at the grand opening of the Eagles Nest Church.
JULIE YARBROUGH/PROVIDED
Eagles Nest Church Opens $28 Million Roswell Campus By ERLANDRYA RUTLEDGE erlandrya@appenmedia.com ROSWELL, Ga. — On Sept. 6, thousands of Eagles Nest Church members, families and community members celebrated the grand opening of the church’s new Roswell home, completing an approximately $28 million redevelopment of the former Kohl’s property. The milestone represents the church’s journey to a permanent home at 2342 Holcomb Bridge Road. After sitting vacant for nearly a decade, the 80,000-square-foot space has been repurposed as a facility for community use throughout the year. It includes an auditorium seating more than 1,000 people, serving as dedicated spaces for children and students, where flexible areas are designed to accommodate local gatherings. Ahead of the event, Roswell Mayor Mary Robichaux, Eagles Nest Pastor Lee Jenkins, his wife Martica Jenkins, church leaders and community stakeholders held a ceremonial ribbon-cutting. Robichaux recognized the renovations as a significant investment in one of the city’s commercial corridors. “This project demonstrates the power of vision and thoughtful
redevelopment to bring new energy to an underused property,” Robichaux said. “Eagles Nest Church has made a substantial investment in Roswell and created a place that will welcome people, strengthen community connections and contribute to the continued vitality of the Holcomb Bridge Road corridor.” The grand opening marks the first phase of a broader focus on weekly services. Eagles Nest has created an environment intended to remain active throughout the week, beginning with event rentals available this fall. “What happened Sunday was the beginning, not the end, of the vision,” Jenkins said. “We celebrated how far God has brought this ministry, but we also looked ahead to what this entire campus can become. We envision a place that remains active throughout the week, supports complementary businesses and services, creates memorable experiences and becomes an epicenter for how we connect with our community.” Future phases of the campus will bring retail, dining, family-oriented amenities and a daycare partner to the property for North Fulton and the surrounding region. Eagles Nest is a non-
denominational, multi-generational church founded in 2012 by Senior Pastor Lee Jenkins. It began with a small group gathering in a DoubleTree hotel ballroom. Over the next 14 years, as the ministry grew, the church worshiped in several temporary locations. That journey made the celebration especially meaningful for Jenkins, a North Fulton resident who has lived in Roswell for nearly 25 years and envisioned the property’s potential long before Eagles Nest would call it home. Before entering full-time ministry, Jenkins spent 25 years as a Wall Street wealth manager and vice president of investments at firms including Morgan Stanley and Raymond James. “Standing in that room and feeling the energy, gratitude and excitement of thousands of people was a full-circle moment for me and for this entire ministry,” Jenkins said. “Since we first stepped into ministry, we knew the church was never defined by the building we occupied. But this moment showed what can happen when vision, faith and perseverance come together. We did not simply open the doors to a new church. We opened the doors to greater possibilities for how we can serve Roswell, North Fulton and the broader community.”
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AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 17, 2026 | 11
12 | September 17, 2026 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell
Petition: Continued from Page 2 “We want to make sure that we are prepared, that we’ve made smart decisions, and we have trained to be ready to respond,” Looney said in a 2022 interview with Atlanta News First. Police chief says cameras support
investigations Fulton County Schools Police Chief Mark Sulborski provided a statement on Thursday in light of the petition. “Fulton County Schools installed Flock cameras at Alpharetta HS and across the district in 2022. The cameras are now located at all FCS schools and facilities and have supported a variety of safety and investigative matters,” Sulborski said. “Flock cameras are only
PUBLIC SAFETY one component of the district’s comprehensive safety strategy, but they provide an important additional layer of security around the exterior of our campuses. They help our police department identify vehicles connected to potential threats, criminal activity, missing or endangered individuals, and other investigations while supporting our broader goal of protecting students, employees and visitors,” Sulborski said.
“FCS has an established audit protocol to ensure the technology is used appropriately and for authorized public safety purposes,” Sulborski said. Earlier this year, following a shooting outside Palmetto Elementary School, school police used Flock cameras on campus, which helped identify and locate the suspect within hours of the shooting.
See FLOCK, Page 13
NOTICE OF PROPERTY TAX INCREASE The Mayor and Council of the City of Roswell have tentatively adopted a millage rate which will require an increase in property taxes by 65.08% percent. All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings on this tax increase to be held at the City of Roswell Council Chambers, City Hall, 38 Hill Street, Roswell, Georgia, 30075, on the following dates and times: September 14, 2026 – 7:00 p.m. September 21, 2026 – 6:00 p.m. September 28, 2026 – 7:00 p.m. . This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 7.732 mills, an increase of 2.5 mills. Without this tentative tax increase, the millage rate will be no more than 5.232 mills. The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $575,000 is approximately $575 and the proposed tax increase for non-homestead property with a fair market value of $500,000 is approximately $500. Randy D. Knighton City Administrator
Mary Robichaux Mayor
CITY OF ROSWELL NOTICE OF PROPERTY TAX INCREASE EXPLANATION In an effort to increase the level of service for residents of Roswell, bolster the public safety apparatus and address critical transportation and infrastructure needs, the City of Roswell is proposing a millage rate for 2026 of 7.732. If approved, this year’s proposed increase would fund a variety of essential needs related to deferred maintenance of city facilities and equipment, transportation and road improvements, and vital public safety investments. “We didn’t come to the decision to raise taxes lightly, but this comes after a thorough review of our city’s near- and long-term needs,” said Roswell Mayor Mary Robichaux. “We owe it to our brave men and women in uniform to give them the tools they need to keep our city safe. We owe it to the people who drive our roads to ensure they aren’t riddled with potholes. We owe it to the residents who play in our parks to have grass cut and restrooms clean. This proposed millage rate would allow us to honor those commitments.” The City of Roswell is proposing to increase its property tax rate (also called a millage rate) for Tax Year 2026. Roswell’s property tax rate has remained relatively flat for more than a decade. Just as costs have risen for all Americans in the last several years, those same costs have risen for the city. Roswell is tentatively adopting a millage rate of 7.732 mills for 2026 Tax Year compared to the prior rate of 4.949 mills. There are two parts to the millage rate: Maintenance & Operations (M&O) and Debt Service. The M&O portion, proposed at 6.549 mills, funds the City’s day-to-day services, including public safety (police, fire, and E-911), recreation and parks, transportation, and general government services such as administration, finance, and community and economic development. The Debt Service portion, proposed at 1.183 mills, goes toward repaying the bond program approved by Roswell voters in November 2022, which has funded major capital projects such as the construction of the city’s new parking deck, Public Safety Headquarters, E-911 Center, and many parks and connectivity projects. With the city’s proposed 7.732 millage rate, a Roswell homeowner whose property has a fair market value of $575,000 (assessed value of $230,000) would pay about $1,778 in City property taxes. Homeowners with exemptions will pay even less. Approximately $272 of that amount goes directly toward paying debt service. For more details about Roswell’s millage rate, visit www.RoswellGov.com/Property-Taxes. Randy D. Knighton City Administrator
Mary Robichaux Mayor
PUBLIC SAFETY
AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 17, 2026 | 13
Petition: Continued from Page 12 “Even if they’ve helped in investigations, the cons outweigh the pros,” said Manchanda. Students plan to bring petition to principal The students said public safety should not come at the cost of public privacy. They said they hope their effort brings change to schools across Fulton County and beyond. “Hopefully if we start with our campus, it can spread to the wider Alpharetta and hopefully
the rest of the United States, and we can get more regulation on these kinds of cameras,” Jones said. Students have also raised concerns about who has access to the camera footage. The district did not specify who has access to the footage but said it audits the system to ensure it is being used appropriately. The two students plan to continue gathering signatures and hope to bring the petition to their principal within the next week. Appen Media partner Atlanta News First published this story Sept. 3.
DEAN HESSE/APPEN MEDIA
A Flock Safety automated license plate reader is shown on Main Street in Tucker. The readers scan passing license plates and capture the plate number, location, date, time and photographs of the vehicle. This information is uploaded to a central database that users across the country can access.
NOTICE The City of Roswell Mayor and Council does hereby announce that the millage rate will be set at meetings to be held at Roswell City Hall, 38 Hill Street, Roswell, Georgia 30075 on September 14, 2026 at 7:00 PM, September 21, 2026 at 6:00 PM, and September 28, 2026 at 7:00 PM and pursuant to the requirements of O.C.G.A. Section 48-5-32 does hereby publish the following presentation of the current year’s tax digest and levy, along with the history of the tax digest and levy for the past five years.
CURRENT 2026 TAX DIGEST AND 5 YEAR HISTORY OF LEVY
Randy D. Knighton City Administrator
Mary Robichaux Mayor
14 | September 17, 2026 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell
COMMUNITY
Johns Creek City Council renames Newtown Park amphitheater By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A Newtown Park amphitheater will no longer carry the name of a former state representative who played a key role in the city’s founding. At a July 13 meeting, city council members approved renaming the Mark Burkhalter Amphitheater. The venue, which has hosted events ranging from concerts to holiday celebrations, is now Founders Amphitheater. Burkhalter said he was honored when the amphitheater was named after him but is in support of the name change, which he said might attract private sponsors to fund events there. “I would encourage the arts and cultural committee to find ways to monetize and/or rebrand the Mark Burkhalter Amphitheater with private sponsors, even if it involves removing my name,” he said. Burkhalter authored the bill that led to the incorporation of Johns Creek in 2006. According to a social media post, the city named the venue in Burkhalter’s honor in September 2016. A 2017 city policy prohibits naming facilities after living people. In a July 13, 2026, memo to the Johns Creek mayor and city council,
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The amphitheater at Newtown Park, seen here during a 2026 Juneteenth celebration, was renamed Founders Amphitheater after a July 13 council vote. city staffers said the amphitheater at Newtown Park had never been officially named by the council. The amphitheater was named “administratively,” said Jennifer Chapman, the city’s communications director. The discovery was made during the naming process for The Boardwalk at Town Center. The city received no complaints about Burkhalter’s name on the amphitheater from city residents, she said. At the council’s request, the city’s arts, culture and entertainment committee
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provided three recommendations for names, including Founders Amphitheater, Freedom Amphitheater and Heroes Amphitheater. The council opted for Founders Amphitheater and asked city staff members to wait to explore potential corporate sponsorships and other monetization opportunities. Burkhalter, who served for 18 years in the Georgia General Assembly representing north Fulton County, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the American ambassador to Moldova, a former Soviet republic, in a 51-47 vote
Aug. 7. He was nominated to that post by President Donald J. Trump, who, during his first presidential term, nominated Burkhalter to serve as ambassador to Norway. That nomination never advanced in the Senate. Then-Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, and NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson rallied against the nomination because of Burkhalter’s role in a 1994 political campaign. During that race for a seat on the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, Burkhalter, according to an ABC News report, “helped distribute a racist campaign flyer right before the election that distorted the image of Gordon Joyner, the Democratic incumbent.” The news report said that, according to a lawsuit, Burkhalter and others discussed how white voters in north Fulton County were unaware that Joyner is Black. The flyers, distributed to more than 100,000 white voters, darkened Joyner’s skin, painted on an afro, distorted one eye and made his lips thicker. Burkhalter, according to ABC News, settled a libel lawsuit over the matter, paid a civil penalty for violating Georgia House ethics laws and apologized to Joyner.
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COMMUNITY
AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 17, 2026 | 15
EOS Fitness coming to North Point Commons anchor spot By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. — EOS Fitness is expanding to Alpharetta, bringing its brand of affordable, high-value fitness to North Point Drive. The company signed a long-term lease for a 38,419-square-foot gym at 965 North Point Drive, an EOS representative said Sept. 3. The company’s website says the gym will open in 2027. The gym will serve as an anchor tenant for the North Point Commons retail property. JoAnn Fabrics was the previous tenant. That company, after its bankruptcy and sale to a private equity firm, closed all 800 of its locations in 2025. With more than 225 locations open and on the way nationwide, EOS Fitness offers premium cardio and strength equipment, recovery solutions, group fitness and personal training. Memberships start at $9.99 a month. The gym has locations in Roswell and Austell. A second Alpharetta location, at 700 McFarland Parkway, is planned to open in 2028, according to the company’s website.
JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
A EOS Fitness member exercises in this promotional image provided by the company. The gym will soon open an Alpharetta location at 965 North Point Drive.
16 | September 17, 2026 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell
NEWS
BRENDAN KEEFE/ATLANTA NEWS FIRST
In mid-August, a worker updating this Flock Safety camera in suburban Atlanta — not far from the home of Atlanta News First investigative reporter Brendan Keefe — called 911 after Keefe tried to record video.
Flock installer calls police on reporter filming in Milton By EMILY FEATHERSTON and BRENDAN KEEFE Atlanta News First MILTON, Ga. — Flock Safety has felt the heat this summer from coast to coast as criticism of its automated license plate readers and AI-powered security technology has increased, and a growing number of alleged misuse cases have further turned up the temperature on the debate. The company announced changes it said address the heart of the majority’s concern — privacy — but civil rights activists and many community leaders remain unconvinced. Numerous communities have canceled their contracts with Flock in recent weeks, and lawmakers at all levels of government have discussed or already implemented outright bans on ALPR technology in response to public pressure. However, there are many places where local law enforcement’s relationship with Flock and its network of roughly 120,000 license plate readers have continued or been reaffirmed, with the company telling one trade publication its growth has outpaced cancellations 10-to-1.
That means new devices continue to appear as jurisdictions add to their inventory or upgrade their equipment, including one that was being installed on Aug. 19 on a suburban street outside of Atlanta, not far from the home of Atlanta News First Chief Investigator Brendan Keefe. Three police cars ended up in the national investigative reporter’s rearview mirror that Wednesday afternoon after he tried to film the technician installing an upgraded camera on a public street. The stop is one of at least two documented cases this year in which those working for Flock Safety called police on people engaging in the same category of public recording into which the company asserts its technology fits. Police stop ANF reporter in Milton After a family member spotted the Flock camera being worked on, Keefe drove to the location to document the camera being set up. Keefe parked on the public street at a distance, donned a yellow safety vest and a hat emblazoned with the logo of Atlanta News First, displayed a press placard on his dashboard and then pulled out a camera to record the installation.
As Keefe began to shoot video, the installer saw him and immediately packed up his equipment and drove away, so Keefe also returned to his car and followed several cars behind, hoping to document the next stop. The technician called 911. “I work with Flock Safety. And I called originally because I’m getting followed,” the installer can be heard telling a dispatcher in the recording of the call obtained by Atlanta News First Investigates. “I was getting harassed, pretty much. Taking videos and pictures. And now, the same vehicle that pulled over where I was working at has been following me.” He described Keefe’s car and, later, Keefe himself, down to his hat and highvisibility vest. Minutes later, after entering Milton, a police officer pulled Keefe over and was later joined by two other units. When the officer approached, Keefe explained who he was and what he was doing. “I’m a member of the press, and I was following at a distance because I’m documenting them putting up Flock cameras. I’m an investigative reporter,” Keefe can be heard saying on video from both his own dashboard camera
and police body camera obtained from police. Body camera footage shows that while Keefe waited on the shoulder, the officer called a supervisor to explain the situation. “When I came up to them, he was behind him but not like right on his bumper,” the officer said as she reported the details to the supervisor. “He said that, yeah, he was following him to where he was trying to catch this person on video setting up the Flock cameras, but it was not to where you know so close as to break any laws or give the appearance he was stalking him, or anything like that. Yeah, he was following him, but he was not chasing him.” The officer told Keefe the installer was concerned about being identified. “He said that he did see you coming out, bringing your camera out and everything,” the officer said. According to the officer, those given the job of installing Flock cameras have been “told just to not engage” in such situations. The officer said the installer was also concerned about privacy.
See FLOCK, Page 17
Flock: Continued from Page 16 “And his worry more than anything is that, you know, he’s just an employee. Anybody like you and me. And now he’s going to be in the news and he doesn’t know if it’s going to be targeted at him or his family,” the officer said. Keefe asked if the officer was suggesting the installer was entitled to privacy while working in public. “So just to be clear, he’s entitled to his privacy in a public place?” Keefe asked. “Isn’t that the whole argument that people are criticizing Flock for?” “I’m not saying that. I’m just letting you know what he’s concerned about,” the officer said. “I’m not telling you how to interpret that.” However, during the exchange, the officer did make a comment about press coverage. “I know, media, you know, the First Amendment and all of that,” she said. “But also, we should probably be a little more careful on who we put on TV and stuff like that.” About 17 minutes after the stop began, the responding officers returned to their vehicles and Keefe was allowed to drive away. In an emailed response to our questions about documenting installation of Flock devices and if the company has guidance or policies surrounding how employees or contractors are instructed to respond, a spokesperson said: “We do not object to members of the public or press photographing Flock cameras or personnel in public. Employees and contractors working in the field are expected to prioritize their safety and may contact law enforcement when they believe they are being threatened, harassed, followed, or otherwise face a safety concern.” Content creators questioned after filming at distribution center The Milton stop was not the first time this summer someone working for Flock Safety summoned police over a camera. On June 5, police in Smyrna responded to a 911 call from a Flock employee after a group of YouTube creators began filming outside the company’s distribution center located in the Atlanta suburb. In the recording of the 911 call, the caller identifies himself as a Flock Safety employee, going on to note the company’s relationship with law enforcement. “What’s the name of the business?” the dispatcher asked. “It’s Flock Safety. We do the license plate reading cameras that solve 20%
NEWS of crime across America,” the caller replied. “Fantastic. Of course, of course,” said the dispatcher. “And we appreciate y’all.” “No, thank you,” the caller said in return, laughing. “We need a favor.” The caller claimed the group filming had “been driving around the perimeter, basically harassing everyone” working at the facility. “Three young white males, probably mid-20s, I’m not sure if they’re armed. And they’re carrying filming equipment as well,” the caller said. Three times during the call he raised the possibility the people filming might be armed; although, when asked, he told the dispatcher he had not seen any weapons. When police arrived, body camera footage shows the employee was inside the building, but over the phone identified himself as James Boyce, the distribution site’s quality manager. Boyce, holding a cellphone, said he was recording. “Everybody’s recording,” the officer replied. During the encounter, one of the YouTube creators confronted Boyce on how calling the police about being filmed seemed hypocritical. “That’s what you guys do to us, without our consent,” he said. “And I think it’s interesting, when you guys have this happen, you call the police and make us get stopped. But then you do it and it’s okay?” In their emailed statement, a Flock spokesperson claimed the trio’s encounter occurred shortly after another incident at the company’s headquarters where the spokesperson alleged individuals had claimed to have an interview with CEO Garrett Langley and attempted to gain access to the building. “That understandably raised legitimate security concerns for our employees and our facilities. Those concerns also exist in a broader environment in which Flock employees and contractors have received threats or been subjected to violent rhetoric,” the spokesperson said, referencing social media threads and the arrest of a California man who is accused of threatening a Flock camera installer with a knife and vandalizing the installer’s vehicle. “We fully support people expressing criticism, asking tough questions, and making their voices heard. Threats of violence, or rhetoric that encourages or celebrates violence against employees, should never be part of that discourse,” the spokesperson said. No one was charged in the YouTuber group, though the individuals were ordered to leave the premises under an official trespass warning.
AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 17, 2026 | 17
That’s what you guys do to us, without our consent. And I think it’s interesting, when you guys have this happen, you call the police and make us get stopped. But then you do it and it’s okay?” — YouTube creator ordered to leave Flock Safety distribution center premises after filming Researcher cites ‘absurd’ situation Benn Jordan was among those outside the warehouse and identified himself to officers as a security researcher working with the YouTube creators. Jordan, an online content creator himself, has been digging into a variety of privacy and security concerns across the technology spectrum for the last few years. Months before the incident in Smyrna, Jordan spoke with Atlanta News First about his previous video report that identified encryption vulnerabilities that would allow anyone to access dozens of Flock camera feeds. Flock said it determined the vulnerability was present in just 60 to 70 of its AI-powered video cameras and blamed an internet service provider for sending the wrong SIM cards. Even after the encryption vulnerability was fixed, use of that type of camera in certain sensitive public venues continued to draw scrutiny. Jordan said during the interview that growing negative attention has led some within the company to take extreme measures to hide their personal information. “That’s the most absurd part of it ... their response to this controversy is scrubbing data as a company that literally collects data every single time you pass a camera and sends it to law enforcement,” he said. Flock blocks press from law enforcement conference The heat of growing public backlash — and above-average Georgia summer temperatures — didn’t deter Flock from rolling out the red carpet at the company’s annual law enforcement
conference. Held Aug. 18-20 in Atlanta, Flock Forward 2026 was billed as a chance for public safety and security professionals to gather for “three days of real cases, practical playbooks, and peer-led conversations.” Jordan tried to attend the conference but was ultimately turned away, as was Atlanta News First. In a video he released following the event, Jordan detailed how his registration and hotel booking were canceled four days prior to the event. Drone video and photos taken by ANF from an elevated public walkway that provided a view into a rooftop reception at the event showed law enforcement officers, including some wearing their badges, socializing and perusing Flock items on display. When ANF inquired about attending in a journalistic capacity — a common practice and one that other national law enforcement events offer — a spokesperson said: “Flock Forward is a customer event and not open to the media.” During an interview in April, Keefe actually asked Flock Safety’s Chief Communications Officer Josh Thomas whether the company considers law enforcement agencies to be its customers or citizens. “So ultimately, I would argue that the whole community is our customer,” Thomas said at the time. But while Flock as a private company had the ability to limit documentation of its multiday event — where promotional materials said public safety entities would be able to discuss with the company “how to prepare for city council conversations” and leave with “practical takeaways” such as “ideas for investigations, deployment, connected response, and measurable impact” — frustration continues to grow in many communities where it’s largely impossible to opt out of Flock’s technology documenting everyday movements. “Why can’t I opt out? Why can’t the spouse or ex-spouse of a police officer opt out of this kind of data collection on their movements?” Keefe asked Thomas during the April interview. “Why can’t the person opt out? It’s because if your car gets stolen, if something were to happen, moreover, the government requires you to have a license plate. It’s the law. And it’s plain-view information,” Thomas said. “Your license plate is part of the plain view. And so why can’t you opt out. You can, if you want to opt out of society.” This article was republished as part of a content sharing agreement with Atlanta News First. The station first published this story on their website, atlantanewsfirst.com, Sept. 8.
18 | September 17, 2026 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell
SPORTS
Centennial alum Diaz returns to coach against Alpharetta By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com ROSWELL, Ga. — Centennial volleyball alumna and head coach Olivia Diaz is in her first year back with the program and faced a familiar group when her former team, Alpharetta, came to Roswell for a match. Alpharetta has been nationally ranked for several years, the last two of which Diaz joined the staff first as an assistant then as co-head coach last season. When the job opened at her alma mater, she couldn’t turn down the opportunity to give back to a place that shaped her. “I love the girls, I love the program, I love the school,” Diaz said. “I love Alpharetta, too; I’m always going to support them, even if I’m on the other side of the net rooting for Centennial. It’s really fun to have that rivalry now.” Diaz was named to the Prep Volleyball Class of 2019 Watchlist during her time as a Knights libero and defensive specialist before she went on to play for UNC. “No doubt the Centennial volleyball program will greatly benefit from Olivia’s leadership,” reads a comment on a Facebook post announcing her hire. She’s not the first Centennial alum to come back and take over at the helm, demonstrating the strength of the school’s community. Several dozen students attended the game in a student section similar to that seen on the gridiron. “Just seeing how supportive all the fans are … we have fans at every single game,” Diaz said. “Win or lose, they’re in here, and that’s just what Centennial is about. It’s really fun to be part of that culture and build up volleyball players that get to experience that and know that people care about volleyball.” The Knights went 11-19 last year and have nine seniors on the team this season. Diaz has coaching experience at one of the most highly regarded clubs in the country, A5, so she is expected to elevate her alma mater’s program. Diaz said she feels the program’s 6-17 record does not “reflect the team that they are.” “A lot of those losses were just mindset,” she said. “Now, they’re starting to develop a mindset where they’re expecting to go out and play hard. Where towards the beginning of the season, as soon as the other team would start getting ahead, they would think ‘we’ve already lost.’”
ANNABELLE REITER/APPEN MEDIA
Centennial volleyball head coach Olivia Diaz smiles after a Knights point, signaling to a player which attack to run. Diaz, a 2019 Centennial graduate, went on to play for the University of North Carolina. She said she does not want her team to define themselves by their mistakes and that she is proud of how they uplift each other. “They have so much fun when they win, so I push that on them,” Diaz said. “But I don’t sit here and harp on them for how many losses they have and how many wins they have. I just want to see them grow as people and as players.” The match against Alpharetta ended in a sweep, but the Knights improved their point total by more than 10 compared to last year’s meeting. The second set, which ended 25-21, was especially back and forth, with Centennial leading at times. Alpharetta has a new look this year, coming off a loss to Walton in the title game last season and two back-to-back 6A championships the years before that. They hired Georgia State volleyball alumna Jordan Screen to fill Diaz’s absence. The team had received news before the season began that star outside hitter Leilani Lamar would not be available after sustaining multiple injuries during the club season. Lamar is ranked as the No. 2 player in the junior class and committed to the University of Pittsburgh in June.
With a younger team compared to past years, the two seniors on the squad have stepped up in major ways. Bella Thompson, who played right side for the Raiders last year, has moved into the role of outside hitter at the advisement of Coach Screen, who also played right side and outside hitter in her college career. Fellow senior Ava Tillman serves as a team captain with Thompson. Thompson reflected on playing against her former coach. “We still love [Coach Diaz], and it was a really great game,” Thompson told Appen Media. “She’s great competition; it was really fun to see her again.” Alpharetta is focused on rebounding after a tournament brought an eligibility issue to a head. One of their new players was identified as having “pending” eligibility, requiring the team to forfeit their first seven wins. All members of the Alpharetta roster are now deemed eligible to compete by the Georgia High School Association. Co-head coach Elizabeth Margeson explained how they are recovering from the miscommunication. “[We’re] definitely building
resilience with a young team,” she said. Screen said every challenge is an opportunity. “I love a young team,” she said. “They’re hungry, they’re ready to learn and they have a ton of energy. I think people are underestimating Alpharetta because we graduated a lot of important pieces, but I’m excited to show them how resilient they are and how important defense is.” Margeson also highlighted defense as a highlight of this year’s squad. Sophomore outside Sydney Taylor led the team, posting 22 digs and 14 kills. The Raiders are headed into three region matchups against Milton, Johns Creek and Riverwood, then an upcoming tournament Sept. 26. They will wrap up their regular season Oct. 1 with a tri-match against rivals Cartersville and Marist. Centennial has two region matches left, against St. Pius X and Chattahoochee, and five non-region matchups, with two coming against St. Francis. If they can pull off an upset on a region team, perhaps Chattahoochee who has just one more win in-region, they will have an opportunity to improve upon last season’s 11-19 finish.
SPORTS
AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 17, 2026 | 19
Hooch hosts Legacy Night alongside double overtime thriller By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Chattahoochee High was bustling Sept. 4 while hosting Legacy Night to honor the 2010 state championship team, and the Cougars delivered on excitement with a double overtime 29-26 win over Forsyth Central. Legacy Night joined three generations of Cougar football — the 2010 state champions, the current team and the feeder program. The current team discussed what it means to leave a legacy at practice ahead of their Week 2 matchup, and head coach Austin Hamilton closed the pregame huddle by telling them to put on a show and light the place up. The 2010 head coach Terry Crowder and quarterback Timmy Byerly both shared wisdom with the team before Hamilton spoke. Crowder recalled that in their championship season, their second game also came against Forsyth Central. Byerly recounted how the best season in school history came down to a receiver being able to make a play on a poor throw and a 51-yard field goal with three seconds on the clock. Byerly played feeder football for the Cougars, set the school record for passing yards at 3,987, and went on to play for Middle Tennessee and Georgia Tech after high school. “You hear that term all the time about families, but that’s exactly what we were,” Byerly said in the locker room. “We were backed up to the 1-yard line in the championship game, we had a freshman running back they put in the game, he broke two or three tackles and got us 20 yards up the field to get better field position. That’s what it’s gonna take, it’s not just you, it’s gonna be everybody on this team.” Crowder, whose pregame speech centered around telling the team to fight through everything and keep the “next play” mentality, helped open Denmark High School after leaving Chattahoochee and retired from Kings Ridge Christian. In his retirement, his calling to make an impact with youth still spoke to him, and he now works as a bus driver. The former Cougars head coach told Appen Media that it had been 16 years since he had seen some of the former players at Legacy Night, but he was comforted to know he recognized everyone. “Just awesome to be here at Chattahoochee, which is a special
ROB MADDEN/PROVIDED
Coaching staff and members of the 2010 state champion Chattahoochee football team stand in the current team’s locker room ahead of the Cougars’ matchup with Forsyth Central Sept. 4. Like the 2010 titleholders, the Week 2 game against Forsyth Central ended with the Cougars on top. place to us,” Crowder said. He said the team had his support along with that of the entire state championship team and that he was looking forward to seeing the Cougars find their way. Coach Hamilton said it was the “perfect ending” to a great night for three generations of Chattahoochee football. “Never once did I say it was going to be easy,” he said. “Never once did I say that there wasn’t going to be faults or hardships where we might falter a little bit. But I felt like we gave the greatest show that we could have for the fans, for the 2010 team, and even the Junior Cougars.” Quarterback Jay Slaughter led the effort, putting up 346 yards in total with 262 passing and 84 on the ground and a touchdown in each place. Senior Bryce Henry caught six passes for 107 yards to help power the offense and won player of the game. Coach Hamilton also highlighted Rayon Sexton, Philip Zametin and Dorian Powell, who played every offensive snap and didn’t show their fatigue on the other side of the ball, where they also made significant contributions.
Former Chattahoochee and Georgia Tech quarterback Timmy Byerly delivers a message to the Cougars before their game. The team took it to heart, outlasting Forsyth Central 29-26 in a double overtime thriller.
20 | September 17, 2026 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Exhibit invites Johns Creek to think beyond borders By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A woman with a skin of green leaves detangles an exasperated Black girl’s hair. A smiling Korean grandfather clenches a pipe in his teeth and carries a cage of live chickens on his back. A man wearing a crown of flowers walks in the sundrenched streets of a Latvian city. These are some of the images showcased in the latest exhibit at The Art Center at Johns Creek, 6290 Abbotts Bridge Road, Building 700. “Beyond Borders II” features dozens of works from artists inside and outside Johns Creek from Sept. 11 to Oct. 17. Free to see, the works are intended to get viewers to think about what makes people different, the richness of their unique cultures and individualities of their communities, said Althea Foster, curator and program director. “We wanted to start conversations,” Foster said, adding, “We were hoping to inspire tolerance and understanding and to have someone ask questions like, ‘Why are they painting her hair?’ Well, there’s a reason for that.” Framed by bobos, or elastic hair ties with plastic balls, “Thread That Pulls Too Tight” draws on memories of Dominican hair care and the pressure to manage it into what is considered presentable. Dominican-born artist Reinilda Blair was raised in New York but is now based in Alpharetta. Foster said Blair remembers the often physically painful and mentally uncomfortable experience of getting her hair done. “In the Dominican Republic and in African American culture, traditionally you wanted your hair to be as straight as possible, which is not what it wants to do,” Foster said. “So you have people pulling, pulling your hair.” “Feathers and Fortune,” by Alabama-based artist Mina Duffie, shows a rural slice of Korean life. Using hanji, a traditional Korean paper made from mulberry bark, Duffie fashioned a silver-haired grandfather and a little girl. Wearing evocative expressions, the pair walk together carrying eggs and chickens, a celebration of Korea’s agricultural roots. “Everything you see there is paper,” Foster said. Leslie Murphy, an artist who also teaches at the Arts Center, said she wanted her work to make viewers think about uncomfortable truths. “Sacrificial Lambs” depicts three sets of girls arranged on angled panels. As the viewer changes position, another set of girls reveals
PHOTOS BY: JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
“Thread That Pulls Too Tight” by Reinilda Blair was inspired by the Dominican artist’s memories of having her hair fixed during her childhood. itself. Too often, people in the U.S. may be unaware of the harsh realities that women and girls suffer through elsewhere, she said. “It is important to shock people and make them confront realities of the rest of the world,” Murphy said. One set of girls represents those who have gone into detention at Immigration and Customs Enforcement sites. The image also includes marigolds, a symbol of loss and grief. A second image shows girls representing those who were victims of child sex abuse. Murphy said she wanted those girls to stare at the viewers as if they are confronting them. A third set depicts Iranian schoolgirls killed in U.S. air strikes during Operation Epic Fury. The image also shows rectangles reminiscent of the reconnaissance photos of mass graves dug after the February bombing of an Iranian girls’ primary school. “I was trying to convey stolen innocence, vulnerability and little girls being collateral damage of decisions made by powerful men,” Murphy said. The Beyond Borders exhibit is one part of a larger effort to widen perspectives within the Johns Creek
“Feathers and Fortune” by Alabama-based artist Mina Duffie is made with traditional Korean hanji mulberry bark paper. community. The Art Center also is hosting a global art week, a series of art classes from Sept. 22-25. The series includes workshops exploring drawing styles from around the world, a pairing of collaging
inspired by Japanese food, traditional Indian folk painting styles, and a Ukrainian method of creating intricate designs on eggs using dyes and waxes. Participants can sign up for the classes online at itstheartcenter.org.
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Tax:
NEWS
Continued from Page 1 Council Member Allen Sells motioned for a 2026 rate of 5.232 mills, with 4.049 set aside for maintenance and operations and 1.183 for debt service. Council Member Christine Hall joined in that effort, but the rest of the council voted against it. Council Member Sarah Beeson then motioned to move forward with the 7.732 rate, receiving a second from Council Member Eren Brumley. This also failed. Council Member Jennifer Phillippi then motioned for the 5.9 rate, receiving a second from Beeson. Phillippi, Beeson, Brumley and Council Member Chris Zack voted in favor of this rate, with Sells and Hall voting against it. The 5.9 rate is not final. A statemandated public hearing is set for 6 p.m. Sept. 21 at Roswell City Hall, and a final vote is scheduled for Sept. 28. Mayor Mary Robichaux presented the 7.732 rate after talking with city staffers about the “aging city’s” immediate needs. The mayor, during an interview with Appen Media, identified the need for new fleet vehicles, including fire engines, and road resurfacing work as pressing matters. She said during that interview she was against issuing additional bonds to finance those needs.
Mural: Continued from Page 1 Painting is expected to take two to four weeks, weather permitting. The city will incorporate the mural into its ongoing public art maintenance plan to ensure long-term preservation. The tunnel painting will join dozens of sculptures and murals on paths and walls throughout the city, said Kim Zane, Alpharetta cultural services manager. Those artworks improve residents’ lives by adding enjoyment to daily life, she said. They also enhance walkability and provide landmarks for wayfinding. Buchanan said commission members felt promoting public art could dovetail with their mission of promoting and protecting natural resources such as trees.
Legion: Continued from Page 1 The walk was built to honor the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in conflicts since the end of the Vietnam War. Bricks were also placed in memory of
ERLANDRYA RUTLEDGE/APPEN MEDIA
Residents applaud after the Roswell City Council voted 4-2 on Sept. 14 to set a starting 2026 property tax rate of 5.9 mills, rejecting the 7.732-mill rate originally proposed.
not be spent this year but would go into the city’s reserves. “We’re asking our residents, we’re asking our friends here, to disgorge $18 million for us to put in our checking account,” Sells said. Finance Director Adam Novotney said the city expects to finish 2026 about $5 million ahead of its budgeted projections. He said that surplus would be formally recognized through a year-end budget amendment and redirected toward the list of proposed capital projects.
Roswell voters approved a $179.6 million bond program in 2022. The bond funded major projects — including the city’s new parking deck, Public Safety Headquarters, E-911 Center and park improvements — but did not back routine maintenance, the mayor said, which had been deferred “for various reasons.” During the Sept. 14 meeting, resident Carmel Sardone pointed to the city’s cash reserves. She said Roswell has “over $46 million in unrestricted reserves, which is $24 million over our legally mandated 25% floor.” She suggested using those funds to pay for the roughly $18 million in priority projects identified by Robichaux and her administration. Another resident, Claire Snedeker, said the timing of the tax hike is “suspect at best.” “Just a month ago, the second-quarter
budget update … told the facts. Revenues are running higher than budgeted, expenses are running lower than budgeted, with an expected outcome of $5 million better than budget, a potential fund balance surplus for the year 2026 … but now all of a sudden the sky is falling,” she said. “And why would that be? This is not what good governance looks like.” Resident Karen Parrish called for greater “transparency” in future spending plans. “Giving us a list of [potential projects] is not transparency,” she said. “Transparency is showing us the arithmetic.” Sells clarified some points from an Aug. 11 budget presentation should have been better explained before announcing the 7.732 rate. The council member said if that millage rate passes, the extra $18 million collected from taxpayers would
What else? In other business, council members: • Unanimously approved a modified zoning condition with concurrent variances for Champions Place, a group home facility for physically challenged young adults at 9460 Nesbit Ferry Road. With the approval, the building will be expanded, allowing the facility to house up to 20 people. A trash and recycling collection area will be placed at the front of the building, and a new parking lot will be built. Additionally, a new 6-foot retaining wall will be built, along with an upgraded outdoor pavilion. • Unanimously approved a Metropolitan River Protection Act certificate for 9350 Indian Springs Drive. The act creates a 2,000-foot buffer from the Chattahoochee River, where new development is subject to additional regulations and limitations.
“We hope it inspires them to understand the connections between art and nature,” Buchanan said. “Through the art, we hope people not just walk through the trail but look at the trees and skies. We hope when they get out of the tunnel they feel more connected to nature.” Emerson’s mural depicts natural views visible from the tunnel — a panorama of green trees, with a blue pond and bright blue sky above. It also features flowers, butterflies, a sleeping fawn, a hummingbird, an owl, a cardinal and other creatures. Buchanan said he hopes parents will make a game with their children to look for the animals in the park. A 1998 graduate of Atlanta College of Art, Emerson has painted wall and tunnel murals throughout the Atlanta area. Her style includes stylized renditions of nature, combining
geometric patterns and mythic archetypes to examine contemporary landscapes. Currently teaching at Agnes Scott College, she has exhibited paintings in galleries throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. Nate Hand, parks project manager, said Webb Bridge Park provides residents a unique experience with its vast amount of tree shade and natural beauty. The city has more than two dozen other parks. It also offers a unique aesthetic with a feng shui-like “flow” that invites visitors to explore, he said. On the day of the council vote, numerous residents were using the park, stretching their legs, playing sports and enjoying fresh air. Kari Yuhas, cross country coach and English teacher at William and Reed Academy, said she recently learned
about the mural from some city workers. That afternoon, she and her students were running hill intervals, using the tunnel as a starting point. Yuhas, who is always looking for teaching moments, said she was recently thrilled when a sculpture at the park’s entrance sparked a discussion between her students. “One of the boys was like, ‘That seems so out of place here,’ and one of the girls said, ‘But that’s what makes it really unique,’” said Yuhas, beaming. “They had such a good conversation about it.” Yuhas said public art like the upcoming mural enlivens the city and creates a sense of community. As a fan of Webb Bridge Park, she said she looks forward to seeing the artwork completed. “I’m not upset that we don’t have a track because we get to come here and enjoy this park,” she said.
Sgt. Major George Wallace, who was killed in the attack on the Pentagon, Flight 93 co-pilot Leroy Holmes and Army Captain Tyler Feehan of Cobb County, who was killed in July in a missile attack on his military post in Jordan. Wallace was a close friend of current Post Commander Tom Richardson. Holmes was an Air Force Academy classmate of former Post Commander
Fred Mahoney. Feehan’s relatives, Betty and David Feehan, placed his brick. Nicholas Bellenbaum, a retired Navy SEAL and chief petty officer who served more than 20 years and deployed multiple times with SEAL teams 1, 2 and 8, gave the keynote address. Bellenbaum said he has seen the consequences of years of combat and multiple deployments on military service
members. Those consequences too often include mental health challenges, he said. “For a long time, our military culture has taught us how to endure almost anything, which is a necessary trait in combat, but sometimes the same people who run to danger to help someone else have difficulty asking for help when they need it,” he said. “We need to change that.”
Puzzles
rier 9/17/26 Connect-It
PuzzleJunction.com
Connect-It
Copyright ©2026 PuzzleJunction.com
Each line in the puzzle below 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 5, 5 and 4 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, with each number containing 3 clues for the 3 answers on the line. But here’s the catch! The clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually be for the second or third answer in that line. Got it? Good luck!
Alpharetta-Roswell Herald............September 17, 2026 | 23
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4 2 6 8 9 3 5 1 7 7 3 8 5 1 4 2 9 6 5 1 9 6 7 2 3 4 8 1 7 4 9 6 5 8 3 2 3 8 5 4 2 7 9 6 1 9 6 2 3 8 1 7 5 4 6 9 1 2 3 8 4 7 5 3 SHELTERS | ONE DAY ONLY 8 4 7 | 1FREE 5 9 DOG 6 2 ADOPTIONS 3 2 5 3 7 4 6 1 8 9
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24 | September 17, 2026 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell
PRESERVING THE PAST
OPINION
A log cabin for the history books In 1928, a group of vocational agriculture students from 18 states met at the Baltimore Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, during the American Royal Livestock Show and founded the Future BOB MEYERS Farmers of America. Columnist Their goal was to provide future generations with the skills necessary to feed a growing American population. The 33 original founders knew that agriculture is more than planting and harvesting; it is a science and a business. The effort was made possible by the Smith-Hughes National Vocational Education Act of 1917, which provided federal funds for vocational education in agriculture, trades, industry and homemaking. The government's plan was to provide middle and high school students in rural areas with "agricultural leadership, character, thrift, scholarship, cooperation, citizenship and patriotism." The organization was later renamed the National FFA Organization. The FFA is still active today. Today in Georgia, the FFA has more than 390 local chapters in middle and high schools, more than 80,000 students and 700 agricultural teachers. Georgia is the third-largest FFA state in the nation. Nationwide, the FFA has more than 1 million members in 9,600 chapters. In 1935, the Milton High School senior class decided to build a log cabin. About 100 students from farm families who were FFA members, along with some local volunteers, built it. The students designed the cabin as they went along, since there were no original plans. The FFA had a very active chapter at Milton High School from the 1930s to 1970. Huey Ellington, president of the FFA chapter in 1958-59 during his senior year, said, "I have so many wonderful memories of the cabin. The FFA was a vibrant and active organization at Milton High for many years." Vocational agriculture teacher Pierce L. Elkins led the cabin construction and is credited with founding the Milton FFA chapter. He was one of the first Georgia educators trained under the SmithHughes Act. When he was appointed to the school in the 1930s, north Fulton was overwhelmingly rural, and vocational agricultural teachers were expected to be knowledgeable and able to teach about agronomy and livestock,
BEN HOLLINGSWORTH/PROVIDED
Log cabin in route to its new home. It was previously located on the campus of Milton High School. to be builders and craftsmen and to be involved in the community. Elkins fit the role perfectly. Huey Ellington recalled Elkins as a "great man." "He was my favorite teacher and taught me so many things," he said. His son, John Ellington, said he is impressed by "how community, students and business partners worked together for almost a century to provide a special place." Historian Connie Mashburn said the cabin served the high school in several ways. "The cabin was used for various purposes by the high school," she said. "Social clubs held meetings there, community events were held in the cabin and during the Great Depression the junior/senior prom was held there." Tim Worley, now a member of the Alpharetta Historical Society Board of Directors, joined the high school's Social Science Forum in 1974. The forum adopted the log cabin, which had fallen into disrepair. Worley chaired the forum's Restoration Committee, which made extensive repairs to the cabin. The forum gave several well-attended public demonstrations on Saturdays, including log hewing, spinning wheels and woodworking, among others. Worley's brothers Phil and John served as presidents of the Milton High School
FFA chapter in the late 1960s. Ben Hollingsworth, historian and master quilter, remembers when the 82-year-old cabin was moved about 500 feet from Milton High School on Oct. 14, 2017. Bishop House Movers moved it to a property the city of Alpharetta purchased from Louise and Caroll Beavers, now deceased. Caroll served as principal at Milton High, and Louise taught home economics. Hollingsworth also recalled a plastic cup full of Coke that was accidentally left on a chair on the back of the moving rig that transported the cabin. "There was a slight decline in the street and on the property, yet the cup was still there and not a drop of Coke had spilled when the cabin arrived. The cup became a celebrity because it didn't fall," he said. Traffic was blocked on Milton Avenue for a full hour while the move took place. Local residents gathered to watch the big event. The nearby Masonic Lodge set up tables with snacks and drinks for the onlookers. Bob Nesbit's farm, located where North Point Mall is today, provided most of the lumber for the cabin. Some logs came from the school campus. Mashburn's book, "Alpharetta, Milton County – The Early Years," includes some comments from a June 10, 2001, article in the Neighbor Newspaper
quoting student and cabin builder Edwin Chester, now deceased. "He would wake up every Saturday at 6 a.m. and drive with classmates to Bob Nesbit's farm," the article stated. "He would saw down the pine trees and load the logs onto a wagon pulled by a mule to the high school. At the school, Chester and his classmates would peel the bark off the logs by hand." Every log cabin is unique, and each requires experts to move it. Most cabins have to be partially or completely dismantled before moving. Old, frail cabins have extensive interior wood or metal braces installed. This was a lucky cabin. It was moved in one piece, which was efficient and less costly, although some interior braces were installed before the move. The Alpharetta and Old Milton County Historical Society organized a fundraising campaign to pay for the move and restoration. The campaign raised more than $200,000, Mashburn said. That included $50,000 from the city of Alpharetta and a $15,000 gift from the Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau, plus numerous donations by individuals and businesses. Once in place, the cabin was fitted with a new roof, covered porch, small kitchen, fireplace, bathroom, a basement and some landscaping. Pat Miller, president of the Alpharetta and Old Milton County Historical Society at the time, hoped the community would use the cabin for events. That has been the case, said Shack Lewis, the historical society's current president. "The Historical Society and the City of Alpharetta are working in harmony to gussy up the FFA log cabin and archives so that it will become another shining star on the list of protected historical places on the downtown Alpharetta stage," Lewis said. "I think of this place as our community's very own time machine. Climb aboard!" The historical society will host an event in the log cabin honoring the students who built the cabin and the FFA at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17. The event will include a presentation of some artifacts and a history of the FFA in the area. The cabin is located at 210 Milton Ave., across from the Innovation Academy. Lewis said the public is welcome. You can email Bob at bobmey@ bellsouth.net. To learn more about the Milton Historical Society, go to miltonhistoricalsociety-georgia.org.
OPINION
AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 17, 2026 | 25
From a beloved Faulkner scholar, a truly lasting legacy
JOSHUA WILSON Managing Editor joshua@appenmedia.com
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about legacy. I guess it has to do with a number of prominent people dying — like Dolly Parton, Tim Curry or Gloria Steinem — but the thoughts really intensified when a close friend from my home state of Mississippi passed
away Sept. 5. Lorie Watkins Massey was a professor of English at my alma mater, William Carey University. She was a beloved academic and one of the foremost scholars in all things William Faulkner. Faulkner, too, was a native son of the Magnolia State, and he won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1949. His novels and short stories were set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi. Lorie could not only pronounce that place’s name, but she knew all the ins and outs of Faulkner’s sometimes tedious (to me, anyway) works. Her work kept Faulkner’s legacy alive and introduced him to dozens of
JOSHUA WILSON/PROVIDED
Lorie Watkins Massey and Joshua Wilson goof around in a pair of pillories during a 2012 William Carey University field trip built around the works of William Faulkner. new students each and every school term. She was a truly lovely person. As an undergraduate student, I studied history and English at William Carey, and I was drawn to Lorie’s humor and way of explaining things. Like me, she was born and raised in the Deep South, and she had the Southern charm needed to introduce a reluctant college student to Faulkner. She could, with her slight drawl and captivating manner, break down the drollest (to me, anyway)
of subjects. After I graduated with my bachelor’s degree, I took a full-time job at the university while working on my master’s degree. Lorie needed a chaperone for a field trip she was taking with her undergrads, and I happily signed up. Of course, the subject matter was all things Faulkner, but I didn’t mind. We had a blast. I have pictures of us in a mock pillory at one stop. I don’t remember what the significance of that stop was for the trip, but it might have just been
a way for Lorie to have fun. Lorie faced years of health challenges but was always upbeat. She had time for every student, colleague and person who would stop by her office or send her a note. When I learned of her passing, I posted a message about her on my Facebook page and was quickly inundated with comments about how she had changed this person or that person’s life. That, my friends, is the textbook definition of a meaningful legacy. She was only 54, and in that time she left more of a mark than most people manage in twice as long. I’m grateful for the time I had with her. I know so many others are, too. People with such powerful legacies leave behind huge holes, and we can only hope to live up to their examples. I’ve been blessed throughout my life to be surrounded by wonderful legacy makers. They have laid out clear examples of how to live. I hope I can rise to the challenge, and I hope I can be an example of a positive legacy for others. Thank you for reading my words about my friend. I hope that you, too, will consider legacy and what you’re doing to rise up and honor the positive ones left around you.
AIKENOMICS
If you’re going to be a bear…be a grizzly Each week I write about what I see happening in the real estate and mortgage markets. Sometimes it’s rates, loan programs or strategies for buyers and sellers. Every once in a while, however, I see someD.C. AIKEN thing that concerns Guest Columnist dcaiken.com me. Today is one of those days ... and I’ll begin by saying I hope I’m wrong. Let’s go back to 2001-2005. Things were great. Home prices soared 54%, mortgage rates averaged roughly 6.2%, and getting a mortgage was ... how should I put this? ... about as difficult as fogging a mirror. I’m kidding ... but not by much. Those were the days of stated income, stated assets, 100% financing and frighteningly relaxed underwriting. Homeowners watched their equity explode and began believing home prices had nowhere to go but up. Sound familiar? The problem wasn’t simply that prices had risen dramatically. Sellers began believing those gains were permanent.
Someone who gained $200,000 in equity in five years ... sometimes for little more than keeping the lights on and mowing the grass ... wouldn’t consider lowering the price $20,000 or offering $10,000 toward closing costs. Why should they? Their house was worth what they said it was worth. Until it wasn’t. Trees don’t grow to the sky Around 2008, I was quoted in a national newspaper expressing concern about the euphoria surrounding housing. My comment was simple: “Trees don’t grow to the sky.” Neither do home prices. National home prices ultimately declined more than 25% from the housing-market peak to the bottom in early 2012, and that’s where my concern about today begins. From 2020 through 2025, U.S. home prices increased roughly 50% to 55% — eerily similar to the extraordinary appreciation of the early 2000s. There is one huge difference: Mortgage underwriting today is substantially more responsible. We don’t have anything resembling the widespread stated-income, no-document lending environment of 2005-2007. But underwriting isn’t what has my attention.
Seller psychology is. Homes in metro Atlanta are now taking close to 60 days to sell in many areas. Just a few years ago, homes sold in days with multiple offers, often above asking price. Today we’re seeing longer marketing times, price reductions and increasing seller concessions. Sellers are adjusting. I’m just not convinced they’re adjusting quickly enough. Consider the owner of a $700,000 home who has experienced roughly 50% appreciation since 2020. They may be sitting on hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional equity, yet refuse a $20,000 price reduction or $15,000 closing-cost contribution. Here’s where history gets uncomfortable. A 25% decline on a $700,000 home takes the value to approximately $525,000. Suddenly dropping your price $30,000 today doesn’t sound so bad, does it? I’m not predicting another 2008. Today’s market has tighter lending standards, substantial homeowner equity and a very different inventory situation. But markets don’t need identical circumstances to correct. Sometimes prices simply get
too far ahead of affordability. Create the market — don’t chase it If competing homes are listed at $700,000 and aren’t selling, listing yours at $699,000 probably isn’t a strategy. Maybe it’s $675,000. Maybe it’s $650,000. Maybe it’s an aggressive sellerpaid rate buydown. Give buyers a compelling financial reason to choose your house instead of the other 15 sitting on the market. I’ve watched this movie before. I hope this time the ending is different. But if you’re selling in a market beginning to favor buyers and you’re finally ready to become bearish on your asking price ... Don’t be a teddy bear. Be a grizzly bear. DC Aiken is Senior Vice President of Lending for CrossCountry Mortgage, NMLS#658790. For more insights, you can subscribe to his newsletter at dcaiken.com. The opinions expressed within this article may not reflect the opinions or views of CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC or its affiliates.
26 | September 17, 2026 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell
GET OUTSIDE GEORGIA
OPINION
Look for me. Can you see me now? OK, I admit it. It’s too hot to go outside. Should I change the name of this thing to “Get Inside, Georgia, and Enjoy the Air Conditioning”? I’m tempted. How hot is it? I think of that STEVE HUDSON scene from “Good Columnist Morning Vietnam” — you know, that movie where Robin Williams (who plays a DJ named Adrian Cronauer) is asking a soldier named Roosevelt about the weather. It goes like this: “What’s the weather like out there?” Cronauer asks, and Roosevelt replies, “It’s hot. Dam’ hot!” Yeah. It’s like that. And I’m glad I didn’t end up in Vietnam, though I missed it by a whisker. But a buddy of mine, an Army Ranger, did make the trip. When he shipped out he was a happy soul, but he came back ... changed. I asked him once if he saw much action. “Some,” was all he said. Then he added the strangest thing, and I remember it clear as day. He added, “But I saw some purty flowers.” I wasn’t expecting that, just like I wasn’t expecting this particular memory to drift back into view just now. What is it about flowers? I’ve never been quite sure, though I think my favorites are the ones growing wild. I’m especially partial to daffodils, being as they are the universal harbingers of spring. Remember spring? When it was not so hot? I do, vaguely. Eventually it’ll come around again, I’m sure, and when it does, the daffodils will return. Spring. Thinking of it makes things cooler.
Last spring, we went to England, to the Lake District in the northern part of the country, a magic place. It’s the home of poet William Wordsworth of daffodil poem fame — you know, “I wandered lonely as a cloud ...” Wandering is fun. It’s always fun to wander about in England. Sometimes it’s fun, as here, to wander around in the world of words too. In fact, I think I’ll just wander through the memories of that trip now (it’s still too hot to do much else) and see where that might take me. So hold on. Along with clothes for all seasons (a good plan if you’re England-bound in early spring), we packed the binoculars. “They’re not heavy,” I said, “and they might come in handy in case you want to look at something important.” But you don’t need binoculars to see That’s how we found ourselves, daffodils. a day or two later, wandering the “How I hope,” she had said more English countryside looking for a than once before we left, “that the patch of yellow flowers made immortal daffodils might be blooming.” by a 19th-century poem. We found Have you figured out yet that she it, too, a fantasia of golden yellow likes flowers? She is especially fond close by the shore of Ullswater Lake’s of roses, which I delight to bring her. Glencoyne Bay. We walked a while on Those come from the store. Storecozy footpaths, soaking it in. Then we bought roses are good to bring to the stopped, and she turned to me and one you love. spoke the poem out loud: Oh, but they pale beside English “I wandered lonely as a cloud ...” daffodils. The earth whispered with her then, As it turned out, we were in luck. I think — a gentle rustling of leaves, Daffodils were blooming everywhere, a soft lapping of water on the lake’s glowing with regal exuberance as only shore — but I heard only her voice and British flowers can do. They waved at a poem about flowers. us along the highway as we drove north “... And then my heart with pleasure out of Manchester. They smiled at us as fills,” she concluded, “and dances with we turned onto the country lane that the daffodils.” led to our cottage (a stone cottage, of What does poetry mean? I’m of course), and they cheered as we parked the opinion that meaning comes from and waved in welcome along the garden context, and context comes from who walkway that led to our door. you are and who she is and where and But the real prize — the one that when and, well, all of it. would absolutely, positively make the Finding meaning is grand. trip — would be to find the very field of We stood there a moment more. flowers that Wordsworth immortalized Then we turned and walked back up in the poem. theDeath shore, to the car, to our cottage, to T:\Obits Death Notices\2026 Notices
Wandering is fun. It’s always fun to wander about in England. Sometimes it’s fun, as here, to wander around in the world of words too.
DEATH NOTICES Holly Christian, age 60, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on September 1, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Jacqueline Dohm, age 86, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on September 2, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Marynelle Criswell, age 87, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on September 5, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
James Exparza, age 91, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on September 7, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Joy Strachan, age 77, of Roswell, GA passed away on September 2, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
our home away from home. Another day or two later I decided to go hiking. I decided to climb Helm Crag, the local mountain. I could see it from the cottage, and it called me. So I packed my daypack with cheese and water and readied my walking stick, the one my friend gave me years ago, locking its sections into place. Two leg-stretching hours later I was at the top. There were no daffodils at the summit of Helm Crag, though now and then a warplane flew by at eye level, practicing for whatever might come next. In that moment I missed her. Then I had an idea, even as another jet roared by. Out came the cellphone. In seconds I heard her voice. “Hi!” I said. “Hi to you too,” she replied. “How’s the hike?” “Good,” I said, and I added, “Want to try something?” “Sure! What?” “Grab the binoculars and go outside and look at the top of Helm Crag.” “OK — give me just a second.” From my perch on the mountain, I squinted toward the cottage, barely visible in the distance. I didn’t see when she stepped outside and turned the binoculars my way. But I heard her voice over the phone. “What do I look for?” she asked. “Look for me,” I said. “I’m on the ridgeline waving my walking stick. Can you see me?” There was a moment of silence. Then — “Yes. Yes! I see you!” Well. How about that. Binoculars are wonderful things. They help you see. They bring you close. Yeah, they do. Just like daffodils.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
OPINION
AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 17, 2026 | 27
The graying of North Fulton County Look around north Fulton. The people who built our communities are getting older. And the young adults who will become the next generation of homeowners, parents, workers and civic leaders aren’t arriving — or staying — at the same rate. It is a demographic shift that deserves our attention. North Fulton is made up of six cities: Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park, Roswell and Sandy Springs. The latest census estimates show that these six communities now have approximately 49,200 residents between the ages of 25 and 34. They also have approximately 51,500 residents age 65 and older. For the first time, older adults outnumber young adults in the six-city north Fulton area. That isn’t necessarily bad news. An aging population reflects people choosing to stay in the communities they love. Many of north Fulton’s older residents have lived here for decades. They have raised children, built businesses, volunteered, paid taxes and invested their time and money in making these communities successful. We should celebrate that. But we should also ask an uncomfortable question: Where will the next generation of north Fulton residents live? People in their late 20s and early 30s are typically beginning careers, getting married, starting families and buying their first homes. They are teachers, nurses, police officers, firefighters, small-business owners, engineers and professionals working in the companies that make north Fulton one of Georgia’s economic engines. Yet many increasingly face a difficult choice: pay a substantial premium to live here or move somewhere else. That isn’t simply a housing problem. It is a workforce problem. It is an economic development problem. And ultimately, it is a community problem. North Fulton has been extraordinarily successful at building attractive communities of single-family homes. But many of those homes are large and increasingly expensive. Between an apartment and a large detached house, there are surprisingly few choices. That’s what housing planners call the “missing middle.” It includes smaller homes, townhomes, duplexes, triplexes and accessory dwelling units — housing that can provide a bridge between renting an apartment and buying
a large single-family home. The need exists at both ends of the age spectrum. Consider the older couple whose children have grown up and left home. They may have four bedrooms, a large yard and a staircase they no longer want to navigate. They may want to downsize without leaving the neighborhood where they have spent 30 or 40 years. Now consider their adult children. They may want to move back to north Fulton. They may have a good job. They may want to raise their own children here. But they may not be able to afford the house next door. An accessory dwelling unit could provide one answer. A smaller starter home could provide another. Townhomes and other forms of modest, carefully designed housing can provide additional choices. None of these solutions requires north Fulton to abandon the characteristics that made these communities successful. The issue isn’t whether north Fulton should become dramatically denser. It is whether we can make room for earlycareer families by building more kinds of homes. That distinction matters. If we want older residents to have the option of aging in the communities they helped build, we need housing that works for them. If we want young adults to become homeowners and raise families here, we need housing they can afford. And if we want north Fulton businesses to continue attracting the workers they need, those workers need somewhere to live. The demographic trend gives us a warning. The latest census data show that the number of residents 65 and older has now surpassed the number of residents between 25 and 34 across
Because communities don’t remain successful simply because the people who built them stay. They remain successful when the next generation can afford to become part of them.
— Kathy Swahn, Nancy Diamond and Jack Murphy
ISTOCK
north Fulton’s six cities. That doesn’t mean young people are disappearing. It means the balance is changing. And that change should cause us to rethink what we mean when we talk about housing. Housing isn’t just about where people sleep. It determines who can live in a community, who can work there, who can raise a family there and whether the people who grow up here can afford to come home. North Fulton doesn’t need to become Atlanta. We can preserve the character of our cities while making room for the next generation. The people who built north Fulton deserve choices that allow them to age here. And the young adults who will carry north Fulton into the future deserve choices that allow them to live here, too. The question isn’t whether north Fulton is getting older. It is. We are in a talent battle with surrounding cities and counties. They all have jobs for nurses, teachers and public safety people. They have great schools and wonderful amenities. The communities that offer housing options that meet the budgets of these essential workers will win.
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Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 decennial census; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 20192023 5-Year Estimates, Table S0101 (Age and Sex). Six-city totals calculated by combining age-group estimates for Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park, Roswell and Sandy Springs. Because ACS estimates are subject to margins of error, figures are rounded to the nearest 100 in the article.
Notice of Application to Relocate a Branch of a National Bank Notice is given that Fifth Third Bank, National Association, a federally chartered depository institution with its main office located at 38 Fountain Square Plaza, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, has filed an application with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on or about September 17, 2026, as specified in 12 CFR Part 5, for permission to relocate a staffed branch (“Saddlebrook BM”) from its current location of 10945 State Bridge Road, Alpharetta, Georgia 30022 to its new location of 4303 State Bridge Road, Alpharetta, Georgia 30022 (“Old Milton Parkway BC”) . Any person wishing to comment on this application may file comments in writing with the Director for Large Bank Licensing, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 7 Times Square, 10 th Floor Mailroom, New York, New York 10036 or by email to licensingpubliccomments@ occ.treas.gov, within thirty (30) days of the date of this publication. Written requests for a copy of the public portion of the application should be sent to the Director for Large Bank Licensing at licensingpubliccomments@occ. treas.gov. The public may find additional information regarding this application in the OCC’s Weekly Bulletin at www.occ.gov. Dated: September 17, 2026 Fifth Third Bank, National Association Cincinnati, Ohio
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Full-time Veeam Software Corporation in Alpharetta, GA seeks Principal Engineer, Salesforce. Lead custom dvlpmnt & ongoing enhancement of the Salesforce platform to ensure alignment with Veeam’s business goals, technical, & security standards. Must hold Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I certification. Some telecommuting permitted (hybrid). $152,131 to $186,586.85/yr. To apply, send resume to Veeam.HR.NA.Paperwork@ veeam.com specifying job code 92132. EOE. Lead System Engineering needed by AT&T Services, Inc. in Alpharetta, Georgia to define designs and provide technical enablement for application components and subsystems for applications. Apply at http://att.jobs/, select JOB SEARCH and APPLY and select Search by Requisition Number at the left bottom of the page and enter Job Number: R-120051.
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CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER WANTED Established Milton/Alpharetta exercise studio specializing in SuperSlow training, serving mature clientele. Exhibit enthusiasm for teaching and coaching. All sessions are by appointment. Friendly, professional team environment. Onboarding provided. Luis 404-545-1443.
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Consumer Cellular - same reliable, nationwide coverage as the largest carriers. No long-term contract, no hidden fees free activation. All plans feature unlimited talk & text, starting at just $20/mo. Call 1-877-751-0866
Pest control: Protect your home from pests safely. Roaches, Bed Bugs, Rodent, Termite, Spiders & more. Locally owned &affordable. For service or inspection today! 877-916-2103 Have zip code ready!
Inflation is at 40 year highs. Interest rates are way up. Credit cards. Medical bills. Car loans. Do you have $10k or more in debt? Call National Debt Relief and find out how to pay off your debt for significantly less than what you owe! Free quote: Call 1-844-955-4930 TOP DOLLAR PAID for old vintage guitars! Gibson, Fender, Martin, Grecsch, Rickenbacker, Epiphone, Etc. 1930’s to 1980’s. Call 866-433-8277
Professional lawn service: Fertilization, weed control, seeding, aeration & mosquito control. Free quote. Ask about first application special! 877-484-8583 Peace of mind & early detection-Now more than ever, it’s important to get screened for Stroke & Cardiovascular Disease risk. Life LineScreening is simple & painless. 833-970-4172
SunSetter. America’s Number One Awning! Instant shade at the touch of a button. Transform your deck or patio into an outdoor oasis. Up to10year limited warranty. Save $350 today! 855-914-1148
End your tax worries today. Let us make your tax problem our priority. Scared, stuck with high tax amounts? Our A+ tax professionals can help. Free consultation. Priority Tax 855-959-2267
32 | September 17, 2026 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell
*FMLS Detached Homes, Alpharetta