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$300K grant to fund education center at Alpharetta garden By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com

Subira Macharia, 6, paints during the Roswell Arts Festival at City Hall in Roswell Sept. 20. PHOTOS BY KATHERINE DAVIS/APPEN MEDIA

Keith Rosemond II shows a festival attendee his art process book during the Roswell Arts Festival at City Hall in Roswell Sept. 20. Rosemond was awarded Best in Show for the festival’s artist awards.

Roswell Arts Festival celebrates 60 years

By KATHERINE DAVIS newsroom@appenmedia.com ROSWELL, Ga. — The Roswell Arts Festival celebrated its 60th anniversary Sept. 19 and 20 at Roswell City Hall. The free, twoday event featured local artists, live entertainment, family activities, food and community.

Roswell receives awards for outreach ► PAGE 6

What began in the mid-1960s as a community effort to support Roswell’s parks and recreation programs has grown into a tradition. It is the second-oldest community event in Roswell. Over its six decades, the festival has raised more than $1.6 million for community projects.

See FESTIVAL, Page 23

Fulton School Board honors educators ► PAGE 12

Tarik Berbey poses for a portrait at his booth during the Roswell Arts Festival at City Hall in Roswell Sept. 20. Berbey’s business, The Tin Man and Friends, sells art and metal sculptures made entirely of recycled materials.

October in Alpharetta: Music, food, scarecrows ► PAGE 14

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A $300,000 Lowe’s grant will help create an education center at Alpharetta’s community garden. The grant will support the renovation of a house at Old Rucker Farm into a space where children, adults and families can learn, gather and build practical skills, city staff said Sept. 14. Money will go to bringing the building up to code, replacing flooring and mechanical systems, renovating the bathroom and transforming the kitchen into a hands-on teaching space for food preservation, healthy cooking and nutrition. Once completed, the house will provide an indoor, year-round space for sustainable agriculture classes, youth camps, nature-based learning and other community education programs and workshops. The education center will complement the farm’s existing community garden, orchard, apiary, pollinator garden and agricultural education programs. Construction is expected to be completed by March 1. Located at Rucker and Old Rucker roads, the former commercial nursery serves as the city’s home base for its community agriculture program.

See RUCKER, Page 22

2 | September 24, 2026 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

POLICE BLOTTER 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.

All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.

Clinic altercation ends in arrest ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A 19-year -old Pleasantville, New Jersey, woman was arrested Sept. 8 after allegedly slapping another woman at a Webb Bridge Road clinic. She was arrested on a warrant charging her with simple battery and transported to the Alpharetta Detention Center. Alpharetta police said officers were sent to the business about 7:30 p.m. after a physical altercation was reported. A 19-year -old Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, woman reported she was slapped in the face by the Pleasantville woman during an argument about touching personal property, police said. A 37-year old New Brunswick, New Jersey, woman said she witnessed the alleged assault. Officers also reviewed a security camera recording of the incident. — Jon Wilcox

Alpharetta man charged with DUI, fake tag ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A 61-year-old Alpharetta man was arrested Sept. 4 on an intoxicated driving charge after officers allegedly determined his vehicle registration decal was fraudulent. Alpharetta police said officers stopped the driver on North Point Parkway near Executive Drive after determining he had no insurance. A later investigation also determined his registration sticker belonged to another vehicle, police said.

PUBLIC SAFETY Officers began an impaired driving investigation after allegedly smelling alcohol on the man’s breath. The man admitted to drinking several beers, police said. During the tests, officers observed he lacked balance, and his eyes showed signs of intoxication, police said. He was arrested and taken to the Alpharetta Detention Center. A search of his vehicle allegedly found an open container of beer. Officers also charged the man with alteration of a license plate. — Jon Wilcox

Drivers have a road rage incident at midnight ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell police officers responded to a road-rage incident around midnight Sept. 17 between two drivers who offered competing accounts of an incident on Willis Road. The driver of the Hyundai Palisade told officers he was driving behind a Ford Explorer on Willis Road, and they stopped at a traffic signal. He noticed the other driver using a cellphone and honked when the signal turned green to get the driver’s attention. The cars continued driving, and both arrived at the Palisade driver’s subdivision. As he was pulling into his Harlow Circle driveway, the Explorer allegedly attempted to block his entry. The Palisade driver said he continued driving but eventually stopped. The Palisade driver told police the female driver of the Explorer yelled racial slurs at him and his passengers and told them they “don’t belong here.” The Palisade driver then contacted the police. The driver of the Explorer provided a similar story until the traffic signal on Willis Road turned green. The female said the Palisade passed her car and began to brake-check her until they reached a roundabout on Old Roswell Road. The female driver said she followed

the Palisade into the subdivision to get its tag number to share with the police. The woman said the Palisade’s driver started taking photos and videos of her as he approached her car, saying he was going to post them online. She told police he then hit the driver’s-side mirror of the Explorer but did not cause damage. Police did not take any action but informed both drivers of the applicable traffic laws. — Hannah Yahne

Masked men roam neighborhood at night ROSWELL, Ga. —Police received calls after 2 a.m. Sept. 13 from two residents reporting males wearing ski masks and driving in residential areas off Grimes Bridge Road in Roswell. The first call came before 2:10 a.m. when two masked men knocked on the front door of a Tuxedo Court residence and ran away on foot toward the entrance of the neighborhood. The female owner showed police video of the incident recorded by a Ring video doorbell. She said she could not think of a reason for the house being targeted. About 30 minutes later, the same officer received a call from a resident on Grimes Place, which is around the corner from Tuxedo Court. The caller reported sitting on his front porch when he saw four or five masked men exit a black Toyota 4Runner parked down the street. He said the group saw him sitting outside, got back in the vehicle and drove out of the neighborhood. The caller said that, a couple of minutes later, one of the males returned on foot and started to walk toward his home but ran after seeing him again. The caller told police he followed the man around the corner and saw a van driving away from a parking lot. — Hannah Yahne

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AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 24, 2026 | 3

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4 | September 24, 2026 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

NEWS

Local cancer institute looks to catch prostate cancer early By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com ATLANTA — September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and local officials, including a Fulton County commissioner, say early detection is key to preventing and treating the disease. Commissioner Bob Ellis was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year. He credits early detection with presenting a manageable plan for treatment, with no chemotherapy or radiation therapy needed. “It was eye-opening to see … the range of treatment options that are available for prostate cancer,” Ellis said. “It’s so eminently treatable when caught early.” The American Cancer Society says prostate cancer symptoms don’t typically present themselves until the disease’s more advanced stages, which is why annual screenings are so important. Those screenings are particularly important for Black men, who are nearly 70% more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Black men are also more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer compared to white men. Ellis said the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University is leading the charge in researching, preventing, detecting and treating prostate cancer. The commissioner led his colleagues on the Fulton County Board of Commissioners in recently proclaiming Sept. 16 as Winship Cancer Institute Appreciation Day. Among other offerings, the nonprofit cancer research and patient care center has a bus that brings complimentary prostate cancer screenings to communities across Georgia. In August, Ellis hosted a men’s health tailgate at the county’s Health and Human Services Center in Alpharetta. The bus was there, and cancer center personnel performed the screenings — done through blood tests — on 110 men. It was the cancer center’s second-

FULTON COUNTY/PROVIDED

Fulton County officials — including Commissioner Bob Ellis, second from right — present a proclamation to representatives from the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. Ellis, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year, said the institute is leading the charge in researching, preventing, detecting and treating the disease. highest turnout for the free, mobile screenings. The bus launched last year in partnership with the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and Mount Sinai Health System. Blank, the cofounder of Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons, is a prostate cancer survivor and said at the launch that he personally knows the benefits associated with yearly screenings. In the first year of the mobile screening program, Winship personnel screened more than 2,500 men, making 40 prostate cancer diagnoses. The screenings also identified 377 men with elevated prostate-specific antigens for additional testing. Screenings rise, but often too late According to statistics published by the American Cancer Society, new prostate cancer cases are increasing by about 3% each year, driven by a sharp rise in advanced-stage diagnoses. Health officials attributed the rise to more men getting screened but said too many still aren’t being tested early enough. “We’re seeing two things happen at

once — more men are being diagnosed with prostate cancer and a growing share of those cases are happening at a more advanced stage,” Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer for the cancer society, said. “That tells us screening conversations are happening too late for too many men, particularly those at high risk for the disease.” The cancer society recommends men at an average risk for prostate cancer speak with their health care providers about screenings beginning at 50. Men at elevated risk, including Black men and men with a family history of prostate cancer, should talk with their doctors earlier, at 45 or even at 40 if multiple close relatives have been diagnosed with the disease. Dr. Martin Sanda, director of Winship’s prostate cancer program and a urology professor at Emory’s School of Medicine, said men are often afraid of approaching the topic with their doctors. “It is vital for men to understand — or learn — that they can have influence over their own health and well-being,” Sanda said.

Free screenings roll into Roswell The Winship screening bus will visit Roswell on Tuesday, Sept. 29, to provide prostate cancer blood tests. The tests are free, and the event is open to the public. The appearance, at the Country Club of Roswell on Club Springs Drive, is part of Drive for the Cure’s 28th annual golf tournament. Since 1999, the nonprofit organization’s tournament has raised nearly $1.5 million to support prostate cancer research. Proceeds benefit the Winship Cancer Institute. Last year, the tournament raised $74,000, which was matched with a contribution from Emory. Organizers said they hope to exceed that number next week. Gil Weiner, one of those organizers, said he hopes men will stop by the bus. “We had some great response to [people visiting the bus] last year,” he said. “About 20% of the men who were screened at the bus actually had some issues that were discovered.” The bus will be at the country club from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. that day. For a calendar of future bus stops and more information, visit winshipcancer.emory.edu.

Voters have until Oct. 5 to register for general election By JOSHUA WILSON joshua@appenmedia.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Georgians have until Oct. 5 to register to vote ahead of the Nov. 3 general election, according to the secretary of state’s office. The deadline applies to residents who want to cast a ballot in the general election, which will decide federal, state and local races across the state. Advance voting for the election runs Oct. 13-30.

To register, Georgia residents must be U.S. citizens, legal residents of their county and at least 18 years old by Election Day. Applicants cannot be serving a sentence for a felony conviction involving moral turpitude or have been declared mentally incompetent by a judge. Residents can register online — download a postage-paid paper application to mail in — through the Secretary of State’s website at registertovote.sos.ga.gov. Those who

have already registered can confirm their status, find their polling place and check ID requirements through the state’s My Voter Page at mvp.sos.ga.gov. Voters who move must update their address with their county’s board of registrars or submit a new registration application before the deadline. Anyone who submits a registration and does not receive a precinct card within three to four weeks should contact their county elections office. A precinct card is not required to vote, but

it shows where a resident’s polling place is located. Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Voters must bring a valid photo ID, such as a driver’s license, passport or state-issued voter ID card. If the Nov. 3 election requires a runoff, that election is set for Dec. 1. The registration deadline for the runoff is also Oct. 5 for most contests, though voters registering solely for a federal runoff race have until Nov. 2.

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 24, 2026 | 5

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6 | September 24, 2026 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

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CITY OF ROSWELL/PROVIDED

The front cover of the 2026 Roswell Roots promotional brochure is displayed. The city of Roswell recently won a national award for its community engagement campaigns, including work done for Roswell Roots and the city’s America250 celebration.

National group honors Roswell for outreach, events ROSWELL, Ga. — The city of Roswell recently earned two national awards for its community engagement work. The awards were presented during the Savvy Awards at the Sept. 9-11 annual conference of the CityCounty Communications & Marketing Association in Denver, Colorado. The awards recognized government communicators — from hundreds of local governing bodies — for their work throughout 2025 and the first half of 2026. The city’s first award, for best campaign outreach to a diverse audience or multicultural campaign, was in recognition of work done for Roswell Roots. The monthlong festival honors the city’s diverse population and celebrates Black History Month. The second award was for best onetime event and was tied to the city’s America250 celebration. “It is always nice to have hard work

and creativity recognized, but to see it recognized as the best among cities across the U.S. is extra special,” said Matt Holmes with the city of Roswell. “These two awards are proof of the diligence and collaboration that are happening across department lines here at City Hall.” Holmes praised the city staffers who “organized and planned so many of these great community events.” “We are grateful to join them in the mission of engaging the residents of Roswell in innovative, meaningful and now award-winning ways,” he added. The city’s contest entries will be added to the communications and marketing association’s searchable database, allowing government communicators from across the country to benefit from those ideas, plans and insights. — Erlandrya Rutledge

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 24, 2026 | 7

8 | September 24, 2026 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

COMMUNITY

Dog Fashion Show takes over Fowler Park in Cumming By KATHERINE DAVIS newsroom@appenmedia.com CUMMING, Ga. — Dogs in princess dresses, silly hats, overalls, and other outfits hit the runway last night at Fowler Park for the Dog Fashion Show & Contest. The event, organized by Lambert High School junior, Sritha Ganti, benefited the Forsyth County Pet Adoption Center and the Humane Society of Forsyth County. Spectators attended for free, while dog participants paid a $25 entry fee. Dogs taking home prizes included second-place winner Sarge, dressed as a farmer, and honorable mention Oscar, dressed as an influencer. Sky Blu won first place for her Dolly Parton costume. Sky Blu and her owner, Sarah Brecher, won a $480 certificate for a weekend retreat at Pet Lodge Pet Resort. Third-place winner Clotile, a toy cavapoo, is no stranger to dressing up. Clotile is a therapy dog and often wears outfits when she goes to school with her owner, Vicky Creighton, a teacher at New Hope Elementary School. Creighton saw a flyer for the contest at Pet Suites, where Clotile attends doggy daycare, and decided to sign Clotile up

PHOTOS BY KATHERINE DAVIS/APPEN MEDIA

Vicky Creighton and her dog, Clotile, show off their matching painted nails during the Dog Fashion Show & Contest at Fowler Park on Sept. 18. Clotile is a therapy dog and won third place at the event. for her runway debut. When explaining why she decided to dress Clotile as a princess, Creighton said, “She’s a diva and she loves pink.” Beyond the competition, Creighton said she enjoyed seeing kids and the community come out to the event. “I think this is a great event,” Creighton said before the winners were announced. “It’s great for the community to come together in a fun way.”

Mohana Osgood poses at the photo booth with her dog, Ivy, during the Dog Fashion Show & Contest at Fowler Park in Cumming, Georgia, on Sept. 18. Ivy was dressed as the North Star.

TAKING FLIGHT Masterworks featuring Paganini Winner Simon Zhu and The Michael O’Neal Singers performing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto and Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite.

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AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 24, 2026 | 9

PHOTOS BY KATHERINE DAVIS/APPEN MEDIA

Bella, dressed as a fairy, is pushed down the runway by her owner, Christine Moore, during the Dog Fashion Show & Contest at Fowler Park in Cumming on Sept. 18. Moore drove all the way from South Carolina for the event after seeing it listed on BringFido, a pet travel resource.

Sarah Brecher puts a wig on her dog Sky Blu before the Dog Fashion Show & Contest at Fowler Park in Cumming on Sept. 18. Sky Blu won first place at the event for her costume, “Doggy Parton.”

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William Conley wears a matching farmer costume with his dog, Sargent, during the Dog Fashion Show & Contest at Fowler Park in Cumming on Friday, Sept. 18. Sargent won third place for the event.

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Just opened? Appen Media publishes New Business Spotlights to highlight local businesses as they get started. Submit yours for free at appenmedia.com/newbusiness. 10 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 24, 2026

NFCC job fair connects local employers and job seekers By ERLANDRYA RUTLEDGE erlandrya@appenmedia.com ROSWELL, Ga. — On Oct. 6 North Fulton Community Charities (NFCC) will host its 2026 Job Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the NFCC Barbara Duffy Center. Sponsored by Wellstar, the free event is open to all job seekers and offers an opportunity to meet directly with local employers, explore career paths and connect with recruiters and hiring representatives. Held at 11275 Elkins Road, business professional attire is encouraged, and attendees should bring copies of their resume. Registering in advance is encouraged. Participating employers include Wellstar Health System, the city of Alpharetta, the city of Roswell, Enterprise Mobility, Right at Home North Atlanta and Solutionz, Inc. “A job can be so much more than a paycheck; it can be a step toward greater stability for an individual and their family,” said Dr. Amy Gates Stroud, President of North Fulton Community Charities. “Our Job Fair is about creating opportunities for people in our community to connect directly with employers, explore what’s possible and take that next step forward in their career.” One past attendee shared that meeting directly with a recruiter gave them the opportunity to receive feedback after their resume was repeatedly rejected through online applications. Others have noted the variety of employers, welcoming environment and opportunity to have meaningful conversations with recruiters.

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AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 24, 2026 | 11

Georgia Knows Media training open to community groups ATLANTA — The Georgia chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is rolling out its Georgia Knows Media education program to community organizations across the state. Groups can now request SPJ Georgia’s free training, which helps Georgians combat false and misleading information while also building trust between communities and their newsrooms. The training — which can be delivered through online or in-person formats — is provided by volunteer facilitators, including journalists, journalism educators and certified community members. Participants will leave the training, which runs for about an hour, with practical tools to evaluate news sources and recognize misinformation. They will also have a better understanding of the editorial process and the SPJ Code of Ethics followed by professional journalists. Attendees will receive a certificate of completion and the resources needed to provide their own Georgia Knows Media sessions to friends, family members and other groups. “Our program’s goal is to give people tools to figure out ‘what’s real’ in today’s confusing media landscape,

which is full of AI slop and false information,” said Joshua Wilson, the chapter’s vice president and media literacy chair. Wilson is also the managing editor of Appen Media Group, which owns seven newspapers and numerous digital news properties in metro Atlanta. Learn more SPJ Georgia will host an online Georgia Knows Media session from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15. After the training, there will be time for questions about the program. To register and receive the link to the Zoom session, email spjgeorgia@ gmail.com. Community organizations can also email the chapter to request their own training, but groups are advised to do so at least 30 days in advance of any event. SPJ Georgia is also seeking sponsors interested in helping expand the program. Email the chapter to learn more about those opportunities. For more information, visit spjgeorgia.com/gkm. — Hannah Yahne

12 | September 24, 2026 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

SCHOOLS

Fulton honors educators in annual ceremony By JIM BASS jim@appenmedia.com

She was attending the event as a board member for the fourth time. “It is necessary to recognize those that make a difference in our children's lives every single day,” McCabe said. “I think it's important that we recognize people for the work that they do, celebrate them so they know their value, and how much we appreciate them,” McCabe added. Joining WSB-TV news anchor Wendy Corona and board president Kristin McCabe on the list of speakers, superintendent Mike Looney spoke about the positive impact that a teacher can have on a student, and why it's worth remembering. “Long after our students matriculate through our system, they're going to be

ATLANTA — Fulton County Schools on Sept. 16 rolled out the red carpet to honor more than 200 teachers and school professionals at its annual Legacy of Excellence Awards, held in the Georgia International Convention Center ballroom. A teacher of the year and school or support professional of the year were each honored for each of the 101 schools in the district, walking to the stage in front of more than 1,000 attendees consisting of family, friends, principals and other teachers. Board president Kristin McCabe said it's her favorite event of the year.

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thinking about their public education experience here in Fulton,” Looney said. “They're not going to remember perhaps their bus number, or what they ate at lunch one day, or the lesson that a teacher taught, but what they are going to remember is how we made them feel.” The Westlake High School Jazz Ensemble and New Prospect Elementary School Musical Theatre performed during the lunch hour. The Roswell High School Drumline later escorted the overall teacher of the year to the stage. The district honored its overall teacher of the year award winner: Crabapple Middle School’s Jennifer Priddy. She took home the honor along with overall support professional of the year Vahnesa Jourdan, who is a district human resources employee, and school professional of the year James Grantham of Centennial High School. Priddy, an English Language Arts teacher, first won the schoolwide teacher of the year award after a contest between three finalists was decided by who students would produce the most noise for. Priddy, who leads the school’s student-led news crew for the school, heard she won the overall award during a live show in April. “I was there supporting them, making sure all the kids were behaving themselves and all of a sudden, they turned the announcement around on me,” Priddy said. Priddy has been teaching students since 1996 and joined the district 15 years ago. Crabapple Middle School principal Stephanie Haga said she is

PHOTOS BY: JIM BASS/APPEN MEDIA

Fulton County Schools superintendent Mike Looney speaks at the annual Legacy of Excellence Awards on Sept. 16. special in how she is able to support students by listening to what they want to accomplish instead of giving it to them and helping guide them to those goals. “[Priddy] She seeks to support kids, and she got recognized because of that. She had an opportunity to leave the classroom, and she said, ‘I want to be with the kids. That's where I belong,” Haga said. “I think that is the true teacher's heart.”

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COMMUNITY

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 24, 2026 | 13

Boy Scout’s project aims to house Milton’s bluebirds By ERLANDRYA RUTLEDGE erlandrya@appenmedia.com MILTON, Ga. — Earlier this month, Milton High School student and Boy Scout Saavan Ghelani built 60 birdhouses for bluebirds to nest in throughout the city. Ghelani, 16, is part of Troop 841 and has been a boy scout for about two years. He is a life scout with 27 badges, most of them earned through summer camp at Bert Adams Scout Camp in Covington. He is currently working toward the eagle scout rank. His biggest influence is his brother, Shreyan, who encouraged him to join the scouts. “My favorite part [about being a boy scout] is probably learning a bunch of different skills that I can use in the future, like how to build a campsite [and other outdoor skills]; it helps me out whenever I go camping,” Ghelani said. The city of Milton is the project’s beneficiary. Jen Young, Milton’s outdoor recreation supervisor, helped bring about the opportunity for Ghelani to work with Eastern bluebirds. Young said she enjoys projects where scouts can take a simple idea and create something that will benefit

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birds, families and the community for years to come. “Saavan and his troop’s project exemplify what it looks like when young people take an active role in caring for natural spaces in our community,” Young said. “The bird boxes he created will become homes for wildlife in our parks and in residents’ yards, showing people what stewardship of wildlife is all about. I’m excited to see Saavan’s project give Milton residents another opportunity to get outside, learn about our native birds and become wildlife stewards.” Ghelani originally planned to build 30 birdhouses but discovered that number was too small. He doubled it and has already sent eight of them to Milton City Park and Preserve and seven to Providence Park. In April, 45 of Ghelani’s birdhouses will be distributed to families at Milton’s Earth Day event. “I thought the birds were pretty neat … they have to find their own shelter in the homes that we’re gonna make for them because there’s a lot more deforestation or they can’t find new cavities in the trees,” Ghelani said. “So, we’re basically gonna build artificial cavities for them so they can peacefully lay their eggs and thrive.”

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The birdhouses are built from one 6x6 cedar plank, which is cut seven times into seven different pieces. Each piece correlates with a front panel, back panel, bottom panel, two roof panels and two side panels. The sides are glued to the other panels. Gluing the birdhouse together ensures the wood is less likely to split when adding screws. A door to the birdhouse will allow park maintenance workers to clean it. The project’s equipment cost around $1,500, and Ghelani has created a fundraiser to defray those costs. For more information or to donate, visit troop841.com/saavan. He said he hopes community members will see the birdhouses and be inspired to also help the bird population. “If they’re out in the park and they see one of these birdhouses, they’ll probably think, ‘Maybe I should get one at my house, and maybe I should help out a bird species,’” Ghelani said. His project took more than 80 hours to finish, including the steps for approval. Ghelani said projects like this one take effort and determination. “It’s definitely worth it because you’re helping out your community,” Ghelani said.

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14 | September 24, 2026 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

COMMUNITY

October in Alpharetta: Scarecrows, Wire & Wood, Restaurant Week

at Avalon from 6 to 8 p.m. Logic and G-Eazy perform “The Endless Summer Tour Part II” at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre. Oct. 10 — Wire & Wood continues in Downtown Alpharetta from noon to 11 p.m.; admission is free. The Alpharetta Farmers Market will not be held because of the festival. Alpharetta Restaurant Week begins and runs through Oct. 17, with more than 45 participating restaurants offering multicourse dinner menus for $25 to $60 and, at many, lunch menus for $20 to $35 and up; beverage, tax and gratuity are not included. Oct. 11 — The 6th annual

FitLife Expo brings a free health and wellness event to Alpharetta City Center, 2001 Commerce St., from noon to 5 p.m., with vendors, interactive demos, music, kids’ games and giveaways. The Makers Market Local Artist Fair brings more than 25 local artisans to Avalon from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; admission is free. The next Makers Market is the Holiday Market on Dec. 12. Oct. 13 — Five Finger Death Punch performs at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre. Oct. 15 — Dan + Shay perform “The Young Tour” at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre. Oct. 17 — The Alpharetta

Venues to check out Ameris Bank Amphitheatre — amerisbankampatl.com — hosts five concerts in October Avalon — experienceavalon. com — Avalon Nights Live, Makers Market, Punchline Comedy and Mingle & Mahjong are all here Matildas Music Under the Pines — matildasmusicvenue.com — outdoor concerts in Milton on Oct. 3 and 24 om 5 to 9 p.m.; admission is free.

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ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Plan ahead for a busy October in Alpharetta. Awesome Alpharetta, the city’s convention and visitors bureau, compiles a list of activities happening in and around the city each month. Here is the October rundown: Oct. 2 — Avalon Nights Live offers free music at The Plaza at Avalon from 6 to 8 p.m. Treaty Oak Revival performs its West Texas Degenerate Tour at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre. Oct. 3 — The Alpharetta Farmers Market continues at the Town Green from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Matildas Music Under the Pines hosts an outdoor concert in Milton from 7 to 9 p.m., featuring The Six One Five Collective and Michelle Malone; admission is required. Home By Dark brings a “listening room” concert to Union Hill Park at 8 p.m.; the ticketed event features music and storytelling. Oct. 5 — Punchline Comedy Night offers a free show at Avalon/Palmer Plaza at 7:30 p.m.; it is the final show of 2026. Oct. 7 — The Alpharetta Scarecrow Display opens throughout Downtown Alpharetta and runs through Nov. 1. More than 100 scarecrows mark the 21st year of Scarecrow Harvest, with a scavenger hunt and a visitor vote for a favorite. Oct. 9 — The Wire & Wood Alpharetta Songwriters Festival begins in Downtown Alpharetta at 6 p.m. The free, two-day festival features more than 30 performances on six or more stages, plus a new Music Market with art and handcrafted goods on music-related themes. Headliners are Corey Smith and Sister Hazel. Avalon Nights Live offers free music at The Plaza

Farmers Market continues at the Town Green from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Boo Bash brings free kids’ activities, food, crafts, games and music to The Grove at Wills Park from 4 to 8 p.m.; scarecrow display winners will be announced at 6:30 p.m. Breaking Benjamin performs at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre. Oct. 20-24 — The Paint The Town Plein Air Festival brings artists from around the country to paint outdoors in Downtown Alpharetta from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily; admission is free. Oct. 22 — Alpharetta Food Truck Alley sets up at 37 Old Roswell St. from 5 to 9 p.m. with food trucks and live music; it is the last Food Truck Alley of the season, and admission is free. Oct. 24 — The Alpharetta Farmers Market continues at the Town Green from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Matildas Music Under the Pines returns to Milton from 7 to 9 p.m.; admission is required. Oct. 29 — Mingle & Mahjong brings an American mahjong night to Avalon; a ticket purchase is required, and tickets go on sale one month before the event. Oct. 31 — The Alpharetta Farmers Market continues at the Town Green from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Find additional details at awesomealpharetta.com/calendar.

By JOSHUA WILSON joshua@appenmedia.com

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 24, 2026 | 15

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APPEN MEDIA/STAFF

Michele Tucker recently celebrated 40 years working for Roswell Dental Care.

Roswell Dental Care office manager celebrates 40 years on the job ROSWELL, Ga. — Michele Tucker has spent 40 years doing the same job and does not plan to stop anytime soon. Tucker’s first day as an employee of Roswell Dental Care was Sept. 1, 1986, when she began work as a dental assistant. Now she’s the office manager. “You know, it’s funny because you start out and you’re seeing the patient, and then the patient brings the child in, and then they bring the grandchild in, so you have like three generations,” she said. When she began, she was working for the original owners, Dr. Robert M. Eberbaugh and Dr. David Remaley. They’ve since sold the practice to Dr. Destinee Hood. Tucker found the job after responding to a help-wanted ad in the newspaper. She moved to Atlanta from Memphis when her husband landed a job in the Atlanta area. She’d already had training as a dental assistant when she worked for an office in Memphis. Before that, she worked at an OB-GYN office in Jacksonville, Fla. She’s a graduate of the Pankey Institute in Key Biscayne, Fla. She wasn’t a novice, but she still had

things to learn about dentistry. Eberbaugh is left-handed, and it affected how she interacted with him around the dentist’s chair. “I used to always squirt him with the water by accident,” she recalled. “And he’d say, ‘Look at me,’ and I’d say, ‘Sorry.’” She quickly got up to speed and eventually moved into a front desk role when another employee was on maternity leave. She kept the job after that employee decided to move away. But Tucker was still wearing multiple hats, being a dental assistant one moment, handling billing the next. Tucker said she grew close to her bosses. “We were like family,” she said. “I honestly felt like they were my big brothers. ... I could come and talk to them about anything.” Eberbaugh said Tucker was a good ambassador for the practice. “She made the patients feel comfortable with us before we even saw them,” he said. Remaley praised Tucker for her

loyalty, honesty and dependability, among other attributes. She’s a hard worker who seldom complains, he said. She’s also not afraid to have tough discussions with patients. “She has not been embarrassed to ask for payment of services because she knows the price is fair for the service delivered,” Remaley said. Eberbaugh said Tucker has outlasted her first two bosses. “She’s worn out two doctors, but she’s still here,” he said. Hood said she was fortunate to inherit someone like Tucker. “A lot of the time she was teaching me, and she has just given me so much insight into how things have run, things that haven’t worked, and ideas on how to correct that,” Hood said. “So I’ve just been very grateful for all of her experience, and I think it says a lot about her as a person.” Tucker remains dedicated to the practice. She has lived in Cartersville for the past 15 years and commutes about an hour each way. She said she has no intention of retiring.

For Hood, Tucker’s longevity represents more than years of service. It reflects the relationships she has built with patients, coworkers and generations of families who have passed through the practice. To mark Tucker’s 40th anniversary, Roswell Dental Care dedicated one of its operatories in her honor; a permanent tribute to an employee whose presence has become part of the identity of the practice. After four decades, Tucker has watched dentistry change, doctors retire and generations of patients grow up. But in many ways, she remains exactly where she wants to be. “I love the people,” Tucker said. “That’s what keeps you here.” And for the patients who still walk through the door and ask the familiar question — “Michelle’s still here?” — the answer, for the foreseeable future, remains the same. “Yeah, I’m here.” To learn more about Roswell Dental visit roswelldentalcare.com/

SPORTS

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 24, 2026 | 19

Blessed Trinity edges Lambert, Milton falls to Greenbrier By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com CUMMING, Ga. — Before nearby thunderstorms canceled the final game of the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic at West Forsyth High School on Sept. 19, Blessed Trinity and Milton opened their seasons with mixed results. The Blessed Trinity Titans are the Division 4A flag football reigning champions, having bested the Milton Eagles in a 21-20 double overtime victory last December. The teams will meet again on Sept. 30, but with the shuffling of regions and divisions, they will not be in the same playoff bracket this year. Division 3 Blessed Trinity opened the day, lucking out to play in the morning sun. The Titans faced off against Division 5 Lambert, whose fourth-quarter surge was not enough to complete a comeback. The Titans emerged victorious, 18-14. The Lambert Longhorns, who are coming off a 2025 region championship, started their season with a tri-match against North and South Cobb Sept. 16. The team is now sitting 2-1, with a tri-match against Cedar Shoals and East Jackson Sept. 23 before a break until their tri-match with Berkmar and Buford Oct. 7. Back against the wall, Lambert quarterback Tessa Sosnin connected with receiver Nevelle Johns for a 38yard touchdown on a fourth down. Johns pulled in both of the Longhorns’ touchdown passes. Sosnin again showed up big, securing the conversion with a minute to go in the game with a completion to star receiver Hadley Sonmez, but Lambert fell four points short in the end. Blessed Trinity was ranked No. 21 in the nation in the Max Preps preseason rankings. Despite graduating their leading receiver, rusher, passer and several major pieces of their defense, head coach Brandon Harwell said “the ghosts of Titans past” don’t haunt them on the field, but their presence instead provides a boost that makes the current team better. Harwell said the seniors are “driving” the team. Many of these players have already proven themselves when the lights are bright against tough opponents. One of those players is Alex Bilson, who won the game’s Robbie Hunter MVP Award for personifying “all-out effort” every time she touched the field. Bilson posted four sacks in the second half, forcing the offense to adjust to her presence. Harwell described Bilson as “selfless

ANNABELLE REITER/APPEN MEDIA

Blessed Trinity seniors, from left, Catherine Darr, Reese Jackson, Alex Bilson, Addy Wilson and Chelsea Lewis celebrate kicking the season off with an 18-14 win over Lambert during the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic at West Forsyth High School on Sept. 19. Bilson, center, took home the Robbie Hunter MVP Award after wreaking havoc on the Longhorns’ offense with four sacks in the second half. in everything that she does.” “She gives of herself to others in every way,” Harwell said. “Alex is willing to do what she needs to do to make us better, and she’s always enthusiastic.” Bilson is the type of player you would find running sprints on her own after practice was canceled, according to a story Harwell recounted about a rainy morning. “[She does it] just to get better and try to get ready,” he said. “And I think that just epitomizes who she is and what she brings to our team, and I think that rubs off on her teammates. This is a worker group; we still got a long way to go, but I think we’ve got the pieces to put something special together.” Senior Addy Wilson, who checked in at quarterback, running back, wide receiver and linebacker, said the team’s sights are set on the program’s third state title. “We’re a family; that’s what we’ve been all four years I’ve been here, and nothing’s different this year,” she said. “Everyone’s a leader; everyone picks each other up, no matter what.” Wilson, who scored her team’s third touchdown via a pick-6 in the first half, is committed to UNC-Charlotte for softball. Harwell and Blessed Trinity have made a habit of taking advantage of the arms available to them after

seeing such success with Addie Spak, who is now a freshman playing softball for Washington University in St. Louis. Milton opens season with loss Under the beating afternoon sun, the impromptu last game of the day was between Milton and Max Preps’ No. 9 team in the nation, Greenbrier. The game was between two of the top teams in Division 4. Greenbrier quarterback Addisen Odom was named to the first-team all-state last year and led the team to a Division 2 championship. It was the Eagles’ first time taking two straight losses since 2023. Head coach Clark Nixon said fall break this week will help his team reset their mindset and come back stronger. “You don’t win a state championship the first game of the season,” Nixon said. “[We have to] focus on ourselves, keep working every single day, building it brick by brick.” Nixon said frankly his team “didn’t deserve” to win a game where they had a first-and-goal opportunity with five yards to go and couldn’t score. If they want to compete for a title again this year, they need to be a team that finds the push to make a big-time play in the moments they need it, he said. Milton, like Blessed Trinity,

graduated their quarterback and several other major contributors. Nixon said he is confident in his new personnel and highlighted two returning receivers who have continued to be major pillars. Senior receiver/safety Caroline Marshall, who is committed to Clemson for lacrosse, is a two-time all-state honoree. Fellow senior Amelia White is also already proven. She put up over 800 receiving yards last year in the Eagles’ title game run. Greenbrier won the battle of timing for possessions, finding the end zone for the first time in the second half with just a minute left on the clock. Milton, who had connected on their conversion to give them a 1-point edge, didn’t have enough time to make it back to the end zone, and the game ended 13-7. Milton has a tri-match scheduled Sept. 28 against Centennial and River Ridge before going to Blessed Trinity for a tri-match with Langston Hughes Sept. 30. This year, area groupings for flag football are the same as the regions for other major sports. Every team in Region 7-6A (Area 7-Division 4 for flag) competes in flag football, but several other regions have fewer teams than normal to account for those schools that do not have a full flag football team.

Puzzles

Dunwoody Crier 9/10/26 Connect-It

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Alpharetta-Roswell Herald............September 24, 2026 | 20 Dunwoody Crier 9/10/26 Crossword

Across

1 Figure out 6 Ice cover 11 Bawl 14 Bay window 15 Dog-___ 16 Hasten 17 Falling stock prices, at times 19 Belief 20 Sphere 21 Pick up the tab 22 Evita role 23 ___ gin ﬁzz 25 Soft leather 28 Boy 31 Cockpit reading (Abbr.) 32 Honey maker 33 Self-image 34 Walk through wet snow 37 Wedding rings 40 Harbor boats 42 G.I. entertainers 43 Stir up 44 18-wheelers 46 ___ cotta 49 Altdorf is its capital 50 Broke bread 51 Nurse a drink 52 Asian holiday 53 Medical image 57 1961 space chimp 59 ___ Baba 60 Heart valves 62 French possessive 65 Apart (Preﬁx) 66 Certain sweaters

1. Pooh creator. Nervous. Tempest. 2. Resting place. English race place. Little Lulu creator. 3. Not crazy. Addy Capp creator. Former spouses. 4. School assignment. Frost. Popeye creator. 5. Dracula creator. Burden of proof. Ready to pick. 6. Large sword. Out for the night. Garfield creator. 7. Sherlock Holmes creator. Ballet attire. Everglades wader. PuzzleJunction.com

CREATORS

24 31

21 23

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!

18 20

45 50

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Dunwoody Crier 9/10/26 Sudoku7 68

69 Rodent 70 On the briny 71 Eagle’s home 72 Sharp curve 73 Microscopic 74 Feather Down 1 See 11 Across 2 Creme cookie 3 Yarn spinner 4 Action words 5 Stately tree 6 Uncover through investigation 7 Gardening tool

8 Mountain nymph 9 Brawl 10 Six-pointers, for short 11 Back down from a ﬁght 12 Hindu sage 13 Red Sea land 18 Coral reef 24 ___ Tunas, Cuba 26 Abate 27 Scorch 28 Permits 29 Chills and fever 30 Zealots 35 Compass pt. 36 Roughhousing

3. Not crazy. Addy Capp creator. Former spouses.

38 Calamitous 39 Buttonhole, e.g. 41 Grabs a chair 45 Dry, as wine 47 Wash cycle 48 G.I.’s address 53 Inner circle 54 Assumed name 55 Critical 56 Hospital ﬁgure 58 Girder material 61 British gun 63 Beige 64 Remove cream 66 Make lace 67 40 winks 68 Behold

4. School assignment. Frost. Popeye creator.

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See puzzle solutions on Page 28

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black square is the sum of the white squares to the right of it. A number below the diagonal line is the sum of the white squares in the sequence below it. You may only use the digits 1 to 9, and a digit can only be used once in any sequence.

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Crier clues 9/10/26 PuzzleJu How to Solve: Each line in the puzzle Dunwoody above has three andKakuro three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is 1. first Pooh creator. Nervous. Tempest. the letter of the second answer, and so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 4, 5 and 5 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, which each number containing 3 clues Kakuro, alsoLittle known as are Cross is a challenging number puzzle, style grid. The rules are easy 2. Resting racerow, place. Lulu creator. for 3 answers on the English line. But each here’s the catch! The clues notSums, in order - so the first clue in Line 1solved may in(ora crossword may not) actually Tothe solve the place. Sudoku puzzle, column and above the diagonal line in a black square is the sum of the white squares to the right of it. A number below the diagonal li be formust the second or the thirdnumbers answer in 1that line. Got it? Good luck! box contain to of 9. the white squares in the sequence below it. You may only use the digits 1 to 9, and a digit can only be used once in an

Solution

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AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 24, 2026 | 21

ALYSSA RIVES/CONTRIBUTED

Alyssa Rives competes in a past “American Ninja Warrior” season. The Milton physical therapist, who competed in the NBC show’s 11th and 13th seasons, will appear in 2027’s season 19.

Milton mom readies for third ‘American Ninja Warrior’ run By ERLANDRYA RUTLEDGE erlandrya@appenmedia.com MILTON, Ga. — Milton resident Alyssa Rives is returning for her third run on “American Ninja Warrior,” the popular NBC sports entertainment and reality game show competition. She will be featured in 2027’s season 19, which will air next summer. Filming begins this month. Rives previously competed in seasons 11 (2019) and 13 (2021) of the show. She planned to compete in 2022’s season 14 but, before filming started, found out she was pregnant with her daughter. After her pregnancy, she injured her knee, again delaying her return. In “Ninja Warrior,” contestants complete difficult obstacle courses for the chance to win a jackpot. Rives said she knew she had to be completely healthy to win the competition, and, after knee surgery and the birth of her second daughter, she is ready for another run. “I’ve been back in the gym, and I feel like it’s finally my time to return to ‘Ninja Warrior,’” Rives said. “I feel healthy enough … my knee feels healthy enough … I have recovered from having two babies, and I just feel like this is the year.” She said she is not scared of the show’s obstacle courses but does worry

about leaving her children behind for the show’s filming period and being injured again. Rives said she hopes her daughters understand that women and moms can chase their dreams and accomplish their goals. “A lot of women in my generation and previous generations grew up with the societal standards that women shouldn’t be fit, and I don’t really agree,” Rives said. “I’ve always wanted my children to know that women can be strong and have muscles. Women can run fast and do really hard things.” Rives said people see fitness professionals compete on “Ninja Warrior” and think they can also complete the courses but that the obstacles are technical in nature. “You can be a super strong person and be an incredible athlete in another sport, and it does not translate to ‘Ninja Warrior,’” she said. “There’s a lot of specific technique that is involved.” For example, she noted, hanging from a bar with one arm requires shoulder stability and grip strength. While competing in season 11, she encountered the “ferris wheel” obstacle, which features two large wheels 3 feet apart, each with 12 swinging handles competitors must climb across to reach the landing platform. Each time a competitor tops out on a wheel, it rotates roughly 120 degrees clockwise under

their weight. “That’s the obstacle I fell on just because it was a really strenuous obstacle; I think I was on it for like two to three minutes just hanging there,” Rives said. “I would love to try that obstacle again because I think I could conquer it this time. I think that my grip, upper body endurance and stamina is strong enough to crush that obstacle this time around.” Balancing obstacles — like a floating bridge — are “sketchy” to Rives. She said in those obstacles, nothing is stationary, and competitors must be quick on their feet. “You have to be perfectly aligned, with your head and shoulders in a straight line over your feet, and you’ve gotta step right in the middle of each of those obstacles to clear it,” Rives said. “If you’re a little bit off-balance or if your shoulders are too far forward or to one side, you’re going to fall off of it.” Rives said if she could go back to 2019 and give first-time competitor Rives advice, she would say to not be too hard on herself. “Even stepping out onto the course is a win; you don’t have to clear every single obstacle,” Rives said. “You don’t have to make it to the national finals. I think it’s a big deal to have the courage to get on the course and attempt it.” Motherhood has changed her

definition of what being strong means, Rives said. “Before, I would say strong was purely a physical thing,” she said. “Now, I would say there’s a lot more to that … not just physical but also mental and emotional … I think there’s many definitions of strong and how somebody could interpret that. I think you need to have strength in multiple areas.” Rives, a physical therapist, founded Momumental Physical Therapy & Performance, a concierge women’s health practice in Cumming. There, she specializes in pelvic floor and orthopedic physical therapy, birth preparation, and personal training for women during and after pregnancy. She also offers free monthly “baby + me” classes at Bell Memorial Park. The classes focus on restorative and functional movements to rebuild core and hip strength. These low-impact movements — squats, lunges, overhead presses and glute bridges, all completed while holding a baby — can then be replicated at home. “[After pregnancy, you find] your body is changed, your body is different,” Rives said. “You go see your doctor at a six-week checkup, and they’re like, ‘OK, you’re all good to get back to exercise,’ but you don’t really know where to start. So, I wanted to create baby + me to give that experience to moms.”

22 | September 24, 2026 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

COMMUNITY JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA

Lyric, an adoptable dog, enjoys a day out with LifeLine Animal Project at Pup-a-Palooza at Newtown Park on Sept. 19.

Tails wag and treats flow at annual Johns Creek dog event By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Getting out of the house on a Saturday afternoon is important whether you have two legs or four. Brittany Nyzio, Thomas Bertling and their dog Ted were among many other local residents and their furry best friends who were doing just that at Pup-a-Palooza Sept. 19. The poochfriendly event attracted hundreds to Newtown Park with vendors and events from artisanal dog treat sellers to bestdressed and best-trick contests. For Nyzio and Bertling, taking Ted, who they think is 14, out on the weekends is an essential activity. They

Rucker: Continued from Page 1 The grant is part of Lowe’s grant programs that promise to improve community spaces by spending $20 million nationwide. Amanda Musilli, Alpharetta’s community agriculture and sustainability manager, described the grant as transformative, saying it would create year-round learning opportunities by bringing outdoor learning inside. “For years, we have envisioned the farm’s house as a place where people could come together to learn, create, share food and connect with the land,” Musilli said. “Lowe’s is helping us turn that vision into a reality.” Community Agriculture Program supporter and community member Richard Lebovitz said the project

adopted the small, potato-shaped dog about a year ago. “We only have Ted for a short time,” Nyzio said. “We want him to experience life.” At the event, Ted enjoyed treats like frozen cucumbers and homemade peanut butter cups. He took a photo with Nyzio at a doggy kissing booth photo stand. He also made some fellow canine friends. “There were balls, lots of balls,” Nyzio said. “Everyone is so friendly. All the vendors have a ton of treats. It’s just like the perfect thing on a Saturday.” Under the pavilion, Sarah Brasington spent the day selling dog treats out of her Ballpark Biscuits stand. She said she was happy to give out free samples

to passing dogs, who eagerly obliged. The homemade treats were made with real ingredients like whole wheat flour, peanut butter and a “touch” of cinnamon. Brasington said dogs, like humans, can taste when a treat is made with love and care. Some dogs lingered around her table hoping for seconds. “They eat them up, and they want more,” she said, smiling. The festival also was host to local nonprofit organizations, some of which were hoping to find homes for rescued dogs. LifeLine Animal Project showed off several pups from their shelter, including Lyric who had been at the shelter since July.

LifeLine operates with Fulton and DeKalb counties’ animal shelters in an effort to find owners for surrendered and stray pets. Brantlee Vickers, offsite events manager, said she was eagerly telling passersby about the nonprofit’s volunteer opportunities and events. They offer an adopt for a day program. “You can literally just check a dog out, like a library book, and take them out of the shelter just to give them a break,” she said. Vickers said she and her nonprofit are dedicated to their work because every dog is worth saving. “She deserves it,” Vickers said, looking at Lyric. “They all deserve it. They all deserve to have a loving home.”

completes a longtime vision to reach the farmhouse’s full potential. Lebovitz, a member of the Georgia Native Plant Society, introduced Alpharetta staff to the Lowe’s Community Impact opportunity four years ago. “I remember seeing the potential of this place years ago and thinking about what the farm’s house could become,” Lebovitz said. “Kay and I love Old Rucker Park, and we have watched this program grow into something that is truly special for Alpharetta.” Councilmember John Hipes said he sees the grant as much more than a building improvement. To him, the project represents an investment in the work the farm has undertaken and will continue. “We are incredibly grateful to Lowe’s for recognizing the value of what is happening at Old Rucker Farm and for helping the city create a space where those opportunities can grow for generations to come,” he said.

A $300,000 Lowe’s grant will support converting a house at Old Rucker Farm into a learning center.

CITY OF ALPHARETTA/PROVIDED

COMMUNITY

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 24, 2026 | 23

PHOTOS BY KATHERINE DAVIS/APPEN MEDIA

Ethan Johnson, 3, paints during the Roswell Arts Festival at City Hall in Roswell Sept. 20. The children’s area activities included painting, face paint and sand art.

Jamie Calkin paints in his tent during the Roswell Arts Festival at City Hall in Roswell Sept. 20. Calkin is an Athens-based ink and watercolor artist.

A dance group from the Tolbert Yilmaz School of Dance performs during the Roswell Arts Festival at City Hall in Roswell Sept. 20. The festival celebrated its 60th anniversary this year.

Festival: Continued from Page 1 Visitors browsed vendor booths, chatted with artists and participated in activities throughout the festival, while performers provided

entertainment throughout the weekend. Performances included local dancers from the Tolbert Yilmaz School of Dance, musicians from Centennial and Roswell High Schools and other local entertainers. Participating artists also competed for Artists Awards in categories including 2D, 3D, Crafts and Best in Show.

Artist Chouaieb Saidi draws a portrait of Caroline Cayce during the Roswell Arts Festival at City Hall in Roswell Sept. 20. The festival celebrated its 60th anniversary this year.

24 | September 24, 2026 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

OPINION

Our trip down the Danube – river of dreams My wife, Christina, and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary on one of those riverboat tours floating down the Danube. We started in the Czech Republic, RAY APPEN in Prague. But Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com before the boat, we celebrated with a vow renewal at our church, Alpharetta Presbyterian — a most wonderful openhearted church with broad welcoming shoulders. It was a fitting celebration of a first pass at this thing called life together, and the beginning of a second wind — looking and moving forward into the unknown. A river of dreams, then. Sometimes full of light, but other times without light — like banks of dark and threatening thunderheads wrapped in chaos. Black dogs, the old name for the darkness that settles over a person and won't lift. The light or the darkness, both reflections in a mirror. One is a point in time — "now," this hour, this minute. The other is sometimes a thousand years prior, like a matrix in concurrent but unequal layers. Since we have only limited travel experience, these nearly two weeks on the Danube with Gate 1 Travel guiding our itinerary were all new. Everything. I think we went through five countries — the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Slovakia and Hungary — ending in Budapest. The boat crew numbered about 30. We passengers were around 125. By the end, we all knew one another, and we made friends we will see again. In each city, our guides lectured as we walked and listened and tried to absorb where we were, how and why. Our guides made the trip. Their knowledge — the canvas for the paint — provided the context, the beating hearts of the humanity we witnessed. It's so different from reading about or studying history and geography, or people, from books or via lectures in a classroom. This, in contrast, was in many ways real time — see it, touch it, feel it, sense it, imagine it. Thousand-year -old churches that changed sides every few centuries or so. Narrow cobblestone streets. Church organs with thousands of pipes. Stained-glass windows of infinite color. Kings and queens, wars and empires. Plagues. All close, all almost within arm's reach. All

Ray and Christina Appen at the Lennon Wall in Prague.

PHOTOS BY: RAY APPEN/APPEN MEDIA

Our travel brought us closer to a reality that was not - and never has been - on our personal radar. It drove home that we — the US — is not the center of the universe. It helped us recognize that we are collectively one village - a village that aspires, lives, and dies the same way.” somehow personal, relevant. Our guides took us to Terezin — known to the Nazis as Theresienstadt — about 40 miles north of Prague, where we passed through iron gates to tiny cells with and without light. We walked the hard stone floors. We saw the photographs: in the ghetto, the condemned Jews awaiting transport; next door in the Small Fortress, the Gestapo's political prisoners, the Czech resistance fighters and the others who fought back or opposed. All of them chattel, crated, boxed, packaged, ready for disposal. Terezin was a "transit" concentration camp through which prisoners passed on the way to the extermination camps, including Auschwitz, Treblinka and Chelmno. It was the camp where 51 prisoners, primarily young resistance fighters in their 20s, were executed May 2, 1945, over a two-hour period — three days before the SS guards abandoned the camp and six days before Soviet troops liberated it. Karl Rahm, the last commandant of the ghetto,

was hanged in April 1947. Heinrich Jöckel, who ran the adjoining Small Fortress, was hanged in October 1946. Walking through Terezin was chilling. We saw things made of stone and steel, as well as ideas made from values and faith. And we saw the spoils of those who won and those who lost — the things that obscured, the cataracts of history. We just had no idea. We were blindsided by Hungary, where we spent a day touring the shelters, the bunkers, the radiation-proof underground escapes that were everywhere in Budapest. Today, we listen to the news about the war in Ukraine daily; we all do, I think. There are the wars in Iran and Gaza, too. But those wars, and that trauma for all the humanity involved, stay remote, out of reach, impersonal — and almost not real. The shelters we experienced in Budapest erased much of that distance for us. Many of the bunkers in Budapest were built during World War II. Some were large enough to hold 20,000

Plzen, also known in English and German as Pilsen, is a city in the Czech Republic people for weeks, if not months. Many others were built during the Cold War of the 1950s and '60s in anticipation of a nuclear war. There were bunkers for the military and civilian leaders, and they tended to be better equipped. There were bunkers for the general population. Underground hospitals, schools, kitchens, power stations, food storage, living quarters, water storage and systems and dining halls. We spent more than an hour in one of the bunkers, going through it room by room. What made these bunkers so powerful to me was twofold. No. 1: the sheer quantity of the shelters. Our guide told us Budapest alone has an estimated 3,000 shelters today, with the capacity to hold about 490,000 people. No. 2: the bunkers and shelters, especially those built during the Cold War, are only roughly 60 to 70 years old. That is, this "way of life" — this living in the shadow of a probable nuclear war, as evidenced by the bunkers — is, or was, so real and so much a part of life, especially for baby boomers in Budapest and Hungary, today. Our travel brought us closer to a reality that was not - and never has been - on our personal radar. It drove home that we — the US — is not the center of the universe. It helped us recognize that we are collectively one village - a village that aspires, lives, and dies the same way.

GARDEN BUZZ

OPINION

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 24, 2026 | 25

How lasagna gardening saved my 81-year-old back I am too old to dig! After turning 81 this year, I have realized that digging garden beds is just about over for me. However, I still want to create new garden beds. For those with similar physical JUDY PEACOCK limitations, I found Guest Columnist a solution: lasagna gardening, also known as sheet-compost gardening. This is a “no-dig” gardening method. One area of my yard needed definition. I wanted to create a bed of various shrubs and flowers. But when I attempted to dig holes, I found that previous owners had put gravel there and grass had grown over it. Every hole I tried to dig was like excavating into cement. So, I thought a berm would be the solution, but building a berm would require a lot of soil. Upon doing some research, I discovered the concept of lasagna beds, which use layers of different compostable materials to build rich soil. Here is the process to implement a lasagna bed: • Clear the area: Remove large weeds and tall grasses from the footprint of your future bed. • Lay down cardboard: Gather enough cardboard to cover the entire spot. You can also use five to six layers of black-and-white newspaper. Avoid sections with color print. The cardboard smothers the grass and weeds, gradually breaks down to add carbon to the soil, and creates a cool, dark place for earthworms to congregate. Wetting the cardboard down helps hold it in place, but it is not required. • Add woody debris: Collect and cover the cardboard with fallen twigs and dead branches found around your property. • Layer the green waste: Collect grass clippings and add them to the pile. If your lawn has been treated with chemical herbicides, do not use the clippings. You can also mix kitchen scraps and coffee grounds directly into this layer. • Finish with topsoil: The final layer is made up of bags of topsoil and compost. Essentially, you are building a large compost pile shaped directly into a planting bed. A successful sheet-compost system relies on a specific ratio of three key components: • Two-thirds brown material (carbon):

BECK DIAMOND/PROVIDED

A chart showing the layers in lasagna gardening.

This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Judy Peacock, a master gardener for fifteen years. A former resident of Atlanta now retired and living in Ellijay, GA., she graduated from the University of Georgia majoring in Art Education and has volunteered at the High Museum of Art in the Department of Children’s Education. Judy loves gardening and composing flower arrangements. She is a member of the Speakers Bureau of the North Fulton Master Gardeners.

Come visit us at the Alpharetta Farmers Market and the Sandy Springs Farmers Market. We will also have a booth at the Crabapple Festival in Milton on October 3, 2026. This includes cardboard, newspaper, shredded paper, dead leaves, straw, twigs, small sticks, wood ash or sawdust. • One-third green material (nitrogen): This includes untreated grass clippings, plant cuttings free of disease, and kitchen scraps like coffee grounds, eggshells, fruits and vegetables. Avoid meat or animal fats, which attract pests. • Water and air: Microorganisms need oxygen to breathe and water to digest materials. The pile must remain consistently moist, like a wrung-out sponge, but never soggy. Composting begins when microorganisms feed on the materials added to the compost pile. They use carbon and nitrogen to grow and reproduce, water to digest materials and oxygen to breathe. Planting and maintenance You can start a lasagna garden anytime, but the best time is in the fall, when brown leaves are abundant. Try to make the entire pile at least 3 feet tall since it will shrink to half that size as everything starts to decompose. Covering the pile with a tarp or black plastic helps prevent weed seeds from germinating,

JUDY PEACOCK/PROVIDED

Lasagna bed gardens supports plants and shrubs.

keeps heavy rains from washing away nutrients and traps heat to speed up the breakdown. When I was ready to plant, I added additional compost to each hole I dug as total breakdown had not yet occurred. The decomposition process is complete when the layers are indistinguishable. It typically takes six months to one year. I now have a pink weigela, pink quince and a viburnum growing nicely in this bed. I also added some bulbs and a pink Japanese anemone. I mulched the whole bed in pine straw. This fall, when the leaves begin to drop, I will sweep them into the bed to continue to build the soil. As the various elements break down into soil, I will top-dress with compost as I

would any of my garden beds. And again, cover the bed in pine straw to tidy it up. Best of all, as I age, I can keep creating new gardens without the backbreak. By letting nature's decomposers do the heavy lifting, lasagna gardening allows you to expand your landscape easily, one layer at a time. Happy Gardening! North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose purpose is to educate its members and the public in the areas of horticulture and ecology in order to promote and foster community enrichment. Master Gardener Volunteers are trained and certified by The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Learn more at nfmg.net. Previous Garden Buzz columns are featured at https://appenmedia.com/ opinion/columnists/garden_buzz/.

OPINION

26 | September 24, 2026 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

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, D.C. AIKEN I see something that Guest Columnist dcaiken.com concerns 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.

IMAGE PROVIDED TO APPEN MEDIA

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

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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 12050 Crabapple Road • Roswell, GA 30075 views of CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC or its affiliates. T:\Obits Death Notices\2026 Death Notices

DEATH NOTICES James Exparza, age 91, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on September 7, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

LuAnn Gumkowski, age 73, of Roswell, GA passed away on September 15, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Clement Pereira, age 81, of Roswell, GA passed away on September 7, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Karen Freeman, age 87, of Milton, GA passed away on September 14, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Pauline Hahn, age 97, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on September 13, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Tyler Preston, age 30, of Roswell, GA passed away on September 9, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

OPINION

PAST TENSE

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | September 24, 2026 | 27

Celebrating 20 years of writing Past Tense In the early 2000s, I enjoyed reading the Past Tense columns of Jim Perkins in the Dunwoody Crier newspaper. He authored the column from 1994 until 2006. His articles about the Hightower VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Trail, Roswell Railroad and history of local Columnist road names made me curious to learn more. In 2006, Dick Williams owned the Dunwoody Crier and Cathy Cobbs was managing editor. I noticed an article by Cobbs in the Crier letting readers know they needed someone to take over writing the Past Tense column. Because of health issues, Jim Perkins was retiring from his position as “unofficial historian.” He would mentor the person who took over the column. As a person who loved local history and writing, I didn’t take long to consider and put my name in the hat. One of Perkins’ article suggestions for my trial run was the history of the land where DeKalb-Peachtree Airport is located. My first Past Tense article, “DeKalbPeachtree Airport’s past life,” was published Sept. 13, 2006. I wrote about World War I Camp Gordon and World War II Naval Air Station Atlanta, both of which were once on the land that is the airport today. Since my mom was born in DeKalb County and was interested in family and local history, I asked her what she knew

Randy Knighton City Administrator

about Camp Gordon. She said my paternal grandfather was sent there for training in 1918. That sparked my interest even more, and Camp Gordon became the subject I have written about most frequently over the years. I also learned the Naval Air Station was used to train reserves during the Korean War. Nick Nicodemus emailed, saying he had been stationed there and recalled the introduction of jet aircraft and the limited size of the runways. Perkins was an immense help in those early years, providing topic ideas and sharing his book and map collection with me. He always added fun to our history talks by telling a joke or two. There have been many people from the generation before mine who shared their stories growing up in the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s. Ken Anderson, who had a day named for him by the city of Dunwoody, was the person I relied on the most for those stories. Ken and his sisters, Carolyn and Jane, recalled the celebration at Dunwoody Grammar School when the class completed their World War II savings bond books. Carlton Renfroe remembered when electricity came to Dunwoody. His parents bought a home on Tilly Mill Road in the 1930s, but his mother would not make the move to Dunwoody from Atlanta until the road was paved and electricity was available. They moved to Dunwoody in 1941. Many people have shared their memories, family historiesofand photographs T:\ADS_2026\City Roswell Legals\ with me through the years. There are too many Comm-Dev

City of Roswell Notice of Public Hearing

Mary Robichaux Mayor

The following item will be heard at a public hearing held by the Historic Preservation Commission on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, 6:00 PM, at Roswell City Hall, Council Chambers, 38 Hill Street, Roswell, Georgia 30075. a.

ZHPC-0526-000019– 1072 Alpharetta Street The applicant, Farid Termei, is requesting a Certificate of Appropriateness for a rear addition and exterior renovation; land lot 412.

The following item will be heard at a public hearing held by the Board of Zoning Appeals on Thursday, October 15, 2026, 7:00 PM, at Roswell City Hall, Council Chambers, 38 Hill Street, Roswell, Georgia 30075. a.

SBVA-0726-000028 – 660 Windwalk Drive The applicant, Ali Dag, is requesting a stream buffer variance for an addition; land lot 481.

The complete file is available for public view at the Roswell Planning & Zoning Office, 38 Hill Street, Suite G-30, Roswell, GA, (770) 817-6720 or planningandzoning@roswellgov.com. Refer to www.roswellgov.com.

to name, but I am grateful to each one. They have helped me gather history from Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Chamblee, Brookhaven and Doraville. When I first started writing Past Tense, it seemed events that happened in my early life were too recent to be considered history. As time went by, subjects such as skating rinks, movie theaters, Rich’s pink pig and telephone party lines became more frequent in the Past Tense column. I know there are others who also enjoy reminiscing about these because thankfully I hear from them by email. Their memories often become part of a follow-up article. Authoring Past Tense also led to my becoming a volunteer and board member of Dunwoody Preservation Trust, where I continue to volunteer. I am now in my fourth year on the board of DeKalb History Center. Am I living in the past? Only when I research and write about local history. The rest of the time it seems crucial to try to keep up with the times, even though I am not always successful with that effort. I still love to hear stories of days gone by, watch old movies and listen to old music. Well, music from the 1960s and 1970s, not so long ago. One more thing you need to know — the photo you see today is the same one

THE ANDERSON FAMILY/PROVIDED

This 1937 photograph in front of the Carpenter home includes, left to right, Amanda Carpenter, Carolyn Andrson Parker, Lucy Carpenter Anderson holding baby Ken, Jane Anderson Autry sitting with Ambry Carpenter. that appeared in September 2006. Somehow 20 years have gone by, but I have not aged at all. Award-winning author Valerie Biggerstaff is a longtime columnist for Appen Media and the Dunwoody Crier. She lives in Atlanta. Write her at pasttensega@gmail. com. Learn more at pasttensega.com.

In Memoriam

Charles Henry McGinnis

November 24, 1934 – August 14, 2026

Dr. Charles Henry McGinnis, Jr., 91, of Roswell, Georgia, passed away peacefully on August 14, 2026. He was born on November 24, 1934 in Belleville, New Jersey. Chuck earned his Ph.D. in avian physiology from Michigan State University (1965), where he was inducted into Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society. He holds an M.S. from Purdue and a B.S. from Rutgers. He taught veterinary science at the University of Minnesota, worked with Hess & Clark (Ohio) and retired from Rhone Poulenc (Georgia) in 1998. Joining the Air Force as a lieutenant in 1956, he became a pilot and was honorably discharged from the reserves as a captain in 1971. He served in the Presbyterian church as a deacon, elder, youth leader, Sunday

school teacher and was active most recently at Roswell Presbyterian Church. Chuck was an avid ham radio operator, earning his Extra Class license. He enjoyed playing harmonica and dulcimer, woodworking, biking, and walking his beloved Welsh terrier. Chuck is survived by his wife of 70 years, Gertrude “Trudy” (Westenburger) McGinnis; children, Cailin Thelen ( Jeff ) and Todd McGinnis (Georgia); and granddaughters, Olivia McGinnis and Valentina Thelen. He was preceded in death by his parents, Margaret (Sergel) and Charles Henry McGinnis, Sr., and sister, Margaret “Pat” Brown. A memorial service and reception will be held at Roswell Presbyterian Church, September 25th, 11:00 am, in the historic sanctuary.

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