50% off
8 oz. Color Samples January 3-31 3 LOCATIONS! ROSWELL & EAST COBB! OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
inSIDEoutPaintCenters.com
(770) 702-8888
J a n u a r y 2 3 , 2 0 2 5 | A p p e n M e d i a . c o m | A n A p p e n M e d i a G r o u p P u b l i c a t i o n | 5 0 ¢ | Vo l u m e 4 3 , N o . 4
Roswell mayor cites bold steps to advance city By AMRITHA JOSEPH newsroom@appenmedia.com
Marchers carry a banner during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day walk through Alpharetta Jan. 20.
PHOTOS BY: JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
Hundreds brave cold to observe MLK Day By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Hundreds marched through Alpharetta on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in memory of the civil rights activist. Carrying banners and chanting through the megaphones, the crowd braved temperatures in the teens, walking from the St. James United Methodist Church on Webb Bridge Road about 1 mile to Alpharetta City Hall, then to nearby
First Baptist Church of Alpharetta for a reception. Like many in the crowd, Duluth resident Flora Bennett said she was pondering the significance of the day and the man it is named after. “Today, I’m thinking about the sacrifice that was made for our freedoms and all the things that Martin Luther King Jr. did to give us an opportunity to live a better life,” Bennett said during the walk.
The Rev. Tavares Stephens, of St. James UMC, recites his poem, “We Can Be,” on the steps of the Alpharetta City Hall after a Martin Luther King Jr. Day walk Jan. 20.
See MARCH, Page 10
Tax districts back on council’s table
Cities opt out, in to new tax break
► PAGE 4
► PAGE 7
BUSINESS
Downtown pop-up now a city staple ► PAGE 8
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson credits his administration and City Council for reversing a culture of complacency, making Roswell the envy of other municipalities. In his Jan. 17 State of the City address at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, Wilson said that by using the latest technology, investing in economic development and applying an innovative approach to city leadership, Roswell has realized initiatives that were previously a dream. Wilson said that for 20 years, Roswell faced a state of paralysis, knowing what needed to be done but unable to act. “From 2022 to 2024, however, this City Council shattered that cycle of inaction,” he said. Investing in technology for instance, the Roswell Fire Department has implemented automatic vehicle location and fire station placement analysis using GIS processes, resulting in significantly reduced response times, he said. Roswell is also one of the few fire departments selected for the Department of Homeland Security’s $5 million dollar partnership with Qwake Technologies to test see-through and augmented reality imaging systems for firefighter safety and tracking.
See STEPS, Page 10
SAM DIVITO
404.803.5999 | Sam@HOMEgeorgia.com
CAROLINE NALISNICK 404.513.9226 | Caroline@HOMEgeorgia.com