Dunwoody Crier - April 2, 2026

Top-ranked talent

Dunwoody teen Londyn McCord is the top-ranked girls tennis player in Georgia. She has recently entered the International Tennis Federation’s World Tennis Junior Rankings Top 200. See story, page 10.

Dunwoody defers vote on city’s Flock contract

By DYANA BAGBY dyana@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga. — The Dunwoody City Council agreed to delay for a second time voting on a controversial Flock Safety contract for the Police Department March 23. The vote is now set for April 13.

Last month, the council postponed the vote on the Flock 911 system contract after raising questions about privacy and security of the data collected by the company’s AI-driven surveillance technology.

The delay will allow the city’s legal team time to finish negotiating a “master service agreement” with Flock to address concerns about data security.

A master service agreement is the contract that outlines the scope of the relationship between Dunwoody and Flock, including terms and conditions for current and future activities and responsibilities, said Jill Dunn, an attorney with Atlanta-based Freeman Mathis & Gary and outside counsel for the City of Dunwoody.

About 20 people packed City Hall to speak in opposition to the Flock contract at the council’s March 23 meeting. Speaking during public comment, they said Flock, an Atlanta-based company used by hundreds of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies across the country, is creating a national mass surveillance system.

The private company is building a mass surveillance network by collecting video footage and other information from public areas, they said. And, the $7.5 billion company is making its money from tax dollars from cities like Dunwoody that pay for its automated license plate readers, drones, gunshot detectors and other surveillance technology.

Benn Jordan, a popular YouTube creator who has investigated Flock in depth, told the council he was able to take control of some of the company’s ALPR cameras.

See FLOCK, Page 16

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7-year-old dies in accidental shooting

By ATLANTA NEWS FIRST STAFF newsroom@appenmedia.com

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — DeKalb County police are investigating an accidental shooting that killed a 7-year-old child March 25.

Authorities identified the child as Anthony Bernard Jones III.

The shooting happened on Loveless Drive, just off Bouldercrest Road.

Investigators spent several hours at

the scene, questioning witnesses and collecting evidence. Investigators went in and out of a house that sits off the street.

Police have not confirmed details about the circumstances that led to the death.

This is a developing story. Please stay with Atlanta News First as we learn more.

Appen Media partner Atlanta News First provided this story.

Resident rips officials for declining to condemn ICE

By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A DeKalb County resident criticized county commissioners at their March 24 meeting for refusing to condemn Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. She said the commission will be remembered for its inaction.

Earlier this year, the County Commission considered a resolution that condemned recent immigration enforcement efforts following shootings in Minneapolis by ICE agents. The resolution also said that immigration tactical teams were not welcome in DeKalb County.

At the Feb. 10 meeting, Commissioner Ted Terry moved to approve the resolution, and Commissioner Michelle Long Spears seconded. Commissioner Robert Patrick made a substitute motion to withdraw the resolution from the agenda, and Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson seconded.

The withdrawal passed 4-3. Terry, Spears and Commissioner LaDena Bolton opposed the withdrawal. Patrick, Davis Johnson and commissioners Nicole Massiah and Chakira Johnson supported the withdrawal.

“Like so many other people in our country, I was at the time, and still am, wrestling with profound anger, grief and fear about the state of due process and

civil rights in our country,” resident Ashley Heredia said. “When this resolution was proposed by Terry, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a while. I felt hope, relief. I was proud of my county for bringing this issue forth.”

The resolution mattered, and the commissioners had the opportunity to clearly say that DeKalb chooses civil rights over fear, due process over brutality, community safety over intimidation, she added.

“You all spent far too long discussing the fact that as a county government you could do very little, if anything, to control ICE or the actions of the federal government,” Heredia said. “We understand the limitations of the county government as opposed to the federal government. We know that a resolution is a statement, not a more substantive action.”

Residents were not asking for protection from the federal government when advocating for the resolution but wanted commissioners to clearly state where they stood.

“This resolution was not symbolic. It was a declaration of values,” Heredia said. “It would have told our residents that this county sees them, believes them, will speak up.”

She said that when thousands of residents demand accountability, a public statement from their elected officials

carries weight.

“Leaders will be remembered not for what they can control but what they chose to speak about, and you guys will be remembered,” Heredia said.

Land swap with Stonecrest

In other business March 24, the County Commission approved a land exchange between the county and City of Stonecrest to facilitate construction of a new DeKalb County fire station at Covington Highway and Hillvale Road. The city will convey about 2 acres at 5845 Hillvale Road, which is part of the Southeast Athletic Complex, to the county. The county would convey about 1.19 acres at 6589 Covington Highway to Stonecrest. The property is near the athletic complex.

The intersection and the athletic complex's entrance and parking will need to be reconfigured because of the land swap. The intersection relocation requires approval from the Georgia Department of Transportation.

The commission also:

• Approved a $5.6 million contract with BenchMark Management for preconstruction services, construction inspection, and other field services during the replacement of a section of the Shoal Creek trunk sewer.

See ICE, Page 15

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When will Google Fiber come to Dunwoody?

By DYANA BAGBY dyana@appenmedia.com

After more than a decade of waiting, people living and working in Dunwoody could soon have access to Google Fiber, the high-speed internet service.

Google Fiber, also known as GFiber, is set to begin installation of its fiber optic cable in the city in the next few weeks, according to city officials. A dedicated website for people and businesses who have questions about Google Fiber construction is at dunwoodyga.gov/community/googlefiber.

The Dunwoody City Council approved a franchise agreement with Google Fiber in November that gives the company access to city right-ofway for installation of its fiber optic cable.

City Manager Eric Linton told the City Council at its March 9 meeting that Google Fiber installation “comes with its challenges” as the company’s crews dig up yards and along city roads.

“We are working with them closely to try to minimize the impact,” Linton

said. “They are a utility. We don't have a choice in the matter. They have the right to put their … internet in but we will work with them to make sure they follow all the guidelines.”

Public Works Director Michael Smith told the City Council that installation was expected to begin on Hammond Drive before moving into residential areas.

The city is also working with Google Fiber to make sure the company’s construction and installations are done along roads before the roads are paved as part of the 2026 paving plan, Smith said.

When Google Fiber announced in 2015 it would be expanding its fiber optic network to Atlanta, it included the suburban cities of Avondale

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Estates, Brookhaven, College Park, Decatur, East Point, Hapeville, Sandy Springs and Smyrna. Since then, Google Fiber was added to Alpharetta, Chamblee and East Point.

Dunwoody officials had been in talks with Google Fiber for some time before approving the franchise agreement four months ago.

The Google Fiber rollout in Atlanta and surrounding cities was expected to be completed in a couple years. But building the fiber-optic network was more difficult than anticipated, resulting in a slow-down of getting the service into the Atlanta suburbs.

The average fixed broadband download speed in the U.S. is approximately 172 megabits per second while Google Fiber provides gigabit internet connections of 1,000 megabits per second.

DeKalb considers removing definition of data center campus

By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The DeKalb County Commission is considering a resolution that asks the county staff to remove the definition of data center campus from the draft zoning regulations.

The County Commission, at its March 24 meeting, deferred the resolution and a couple of other data center items until April 28, with a stop in committee on April 14. The motion to defer passed 6-0 with Commissioner Michelle Long Spears abstaining.

The resolution will go back to committee even though the Planning, Economic Development and Community Services Committee recommended approval at its Feb. 26 meeting.

DeKalb County has been working to put regulations in place that address land use and where data centers can or cannot be located. The goal of the ordinance is to establish land-use regulations for data centers that protect against potential adverse impacts from the facilities. Planning Deputy Director Rachel Bragg said she thinks the current draft ordinance accomplishes that goal. It includes requirements about permitted locations, plans to be submitted with an application, architecture, noise and maintenance. The draft consists of a use table listing four permitted classifications for industrial areas.

Proposed restrictions

The current draft ordinance restricts facilities to industrial areas and requires a special land-use permit in most cases. It defines data centers of various sizes. Commissioner Ted Terry suggested

a change to remove the data center campus definition, effectively capping data centers at 500,000 square feet.

Terry’s amendment would also require special land use permits, or SLUPs, for all data center applications and incentivize all new data center operations to use 100 percent renewable energy.

During the March 24 meeting, he additionally suggested adding language to give the newly formed Environmental Justice Advisory Board some oversight authority over any data center special land use permits.

“That was going to be my suggestion for how we approach the auditing and oversight of some of the regulations after the fact,” Terry said. “The nature of this resolution was focused on specifically the amendments that seem to be the consensus from the community about limiting the size, requiring a special land use permit and incentives for renewable energy.”

Public comments

A few residents wearing “No data center campus” shirts have become a fixture at County Commission meetings to urge officials to remove the definition of data center campus from the proposed regulations and to add compliance enforcement and distance requirements.

Jan Dunaway, a DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor, noted that the draft ordinance does not include protections against chemically treated water discharged from data centers. Water treatment plants are not equipped to remove chemicals and heavy metals from water, she said.

“You must protect the citizens and our downstream neighbors,” Dunaway said.

Resident Donna Priest Brown said that a special land use permit requires developers to agree to certain conditions, but the community is concerned

about what happens after a permit is approved.

“Currently, once an applicant is approved to operate under a SLUP, there appears to be very little to no follow-up process to verify ongoing compliance with the conditions that were agreed upon,” Brown said.

She added that the concern applies to all SLUP approvals, not only to potential data centers.

“When compliance is not tracked, enforced, or revisited, the conditions written in the SLUP approvals risk becoming symbolic rather than enforceable,” Brown said. “This is particularly concerning when discussing developments such as data centers, which may have impacts related to land use, water usage, energy consumption and so forth and so on.”

Brown asked the commission to establish a formal compliance review process, require periodic reporting from developers, ensure monitoring and enforcement mechanisms are in place, create measurable benchmarks and provide public transparency on compliance.

Resident Gina Mangham suggested that the commission establish distance requirements so that facilities can’t be located too close to one another or to residences. She noted a loophole in the current draft that, with a 500foot buffer, would allow data centers to be located close together, essentially creating a campus. She would like to restrict it to a one-mile buffer.

“What's the point of having a limitation in size and eliminating the campus designation if you can create a campus by putting data centers next to one another,” Mangham said. “It defeats the entire purpose.”

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 4, 5 and 5 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!

ISLAND HOPPING

1. Oranjestad’s island. Whip. Cheese in a ball.

2. Practical joke. Wading bird of Egypt. Hawaiian island.

3. Ticked off. Viti Levu Island is part of it. British topper.

4. Volcanic Indonesian island. Gold bar. Young pigeon.

5. Trade. French Polynesian island. Annoyance.

6. Engage. Moonfish. Trinidad’s island kin.

7. Verdant. Main Philippines island. Suite spot.

1 Oranjestad’s island Whip. Cheese in a ball.

2. Practical joke. Wading bird of Egypt. Hawaiian island.

How to Solve: Each line in the puzzle above has three clues and three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is the first letter of the second answer, and so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 4, 5 and 5 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, which each number containing 3 clues for the 3 answers on the line. But here’s the catch! The clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually be for the second or third answer in that line. Got it? Good luck!

3. Ticked off. Viti Levu Island is part of it. British topper.

4. Volvanic Indonesian island. Gold bar. Young pigeon.

5. Trade. French Polynesian island. Annoyance

6. Engage. Moonfish. Trinidad’s island kin

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. How to Solve: To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

Legislation would make some DeKalb elections nonpartisan

ATLANTA — As the Georgia legislative session winds down, the time when bill descriptions don’t match the context ramps up.

Lawmakers passed a bill Friday, March 27, that initially pertained to regulating food trucks, but is now an elections overhaul, making a majority of local races in Metro Atlanta nonpartisan.

House Bill 369 shifts elections for county commissioners, tax commissioners, district attorneys, superior court clerks, solicitors general and others to nonpartisan races rather than Democratic or Republican primaries. The bill would change the elections in DeKalb, Clayton, Cobb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties beginning in 2028.

The elections would be held during the primary in even-numbered years. County sheriffs and the DeKalb County Commission are exempt from the new nonpartisan requirement.

HB 369 passed the House with a narrow majority, 93-64. At least 91 votes in the House

are needed for a bill to pass. HB 369 heads to Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk for signature, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

A previous version of the legislation would have only targeted district attorneys, but that bill failed in the state Senate. Republican sponsors then expanded the bill to include other offices, the AJC reported.

In a statement, DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston urged Kemp to veto the bill; otherwise, she and her colleagues would file a legal challenge.

“I am appalled that Republicans in the state Legislature want to hide information from Georgia voters in local elections because they no longer control offices in the state’s largest counties,” Boston said. “This bill is a blatant attempt to steal power from democratically elected Black leaders in metro Atlanta.”

According to the AJC, all five district attorneys in Metro Atlanta are Black women.

— Zoe Seiler

Resurfacing work begins on 32 Dunwoody streets

DUNWOODY, Ga. — The City of Dunwoody has launched its 2026 paving plan that will include 32 streets covering 13.8 lane miles.

The city will spend $2.75 million in Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax funds for the project. The Georgia Department of Transportation will provide another $564,000 through its Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant program.

City officials plan to complete resurfacing of all city streets by the end of 2029, meeting a commitment made by the city’s founders to maintain a 20-year paving cycle. So far, crews have paved 271 lane miles, or 89 percent of the goal.

“Regular resurfacing is essential to keeping our road network in good condition,” Public Works Director Michael Smith said in a news release. “More than 90 percent of the city’s streets are in fair or better condition, and pavement repair costs have been cut in half as a result of the city’s steady investment in resurfacing.”

Streets scheduled for resurfacing in 2026 include Atcheson Lane, Cedarhurst Drive, Chamblee Dunwoody Road north of Roberts Drive, Coach Lane, Dunwoody Junction, Dunwoody Station Drive, Framons Court, Glaze Drive, Hidden Branches Court, Jett Ferry Road, Layfield Court, Layfield Drive, Manget Court, Manoah Court, Manor Oaks Court, Mile Post Drive, Mount Vernon Way north of Mount Vernon Road, Promontory Court, Pullman Court, Redbark Place, Redbark Way, Redfield Road east of Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Redstone Lane, Redstone Terrace, Ridgeview Road north end, Santa Fe Station, Topeka Court, Trailridge Drive, Whitehall Pointe, Whitehall Walk, Winter Rose Court and Winterhaven Court.

A citywide paving assessment completed in 2023 prioritized resurfacing needs and outlines plans through 2028. Project updates and schedules are available on the city’s website, dunwoodyga.gov.

— Dyana Bagby

Chamblee girls lacrosse comes out on top of ‘Battle of the Bulldogs’

By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com

CHAMBLEE, Ga. — Chamblee girls lacrosse held strong against Decatur for all 48 minutes, never trailing en route to a 14-11 victory March 25.

Both teams came in with an undefeated region record. They share a common non-region loss to East Forsyth. Now the teams have seven wins apiece this year. Chamblee has four losses while Decatur has five.

Chamblee got off to a hot start, taking a 10-2 lead going into halftime thanks to dominance at the draw. After a few defensive lapses where Decatur cut the deficit in half, the game settled down in the fourth quarter.

While Chamblee ran the clock down, several players passed up shots to keep the more precious resource — time — on their side.

Chamblee had the game under control to the point that even two goals in the final three minutes of the game did not sway the final ending.

Head coach Bethany Yamamoto beat Decatur for the first time since taking the lead position three years ago. As good as it felt to see her team

right before they stepped onto the field, that’s been a big thing for us this season and I think that we saw it tonight.”

Captain Ashley Nelson said after playing on the varsity team since eighth grade, she has never before beaten Decatur.

“It feels really good,” she said. “Since they’re in the neighborhood… there’s just a lot of excitement around the games and since we’ve never beaten them. The team has come a long way since my eighth grade year.”

Nelson’s strong performance at the draw helped to get her team out to an 8-goal lead at halftime. She scored five of her team’s 14 goals. Junior Mary Hensarling was right behind with four goals and one assist.

through after they have worked hard for this win, it was bittersweet for the victory to be against, “one of my closest friends,” in Decatur head coach Alex Powers.

“We started off the game pretty strong, and the girls were ready to work and ready to hustle,” Yamamoto said. “What was important was that they made it a point to get their minds

Decatur head coach Alex Powers has been with the team for eight years and in the head coaching role for four. After graduating from DHS, she played attack for Reinhardt University before returning to coach for the Bulldogs. Powers highlighted senior attacker Maeve Downey, who got the momentum going in the second half.

See LACROSSE, Page 19

Dunwoody teen makes a splash on the clay

By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Londyn McCord knew before she started elementary school that tennis was her calling.

Twelve years later, she has entered the International Tennis Federation’s World Tennis Junior Rankings Top 200.

Recovering from an elbow injury that came after a nine-month period of climbing nearly 800 spots into the top 300 of the rankings took as much mental work as physical.

McCord, 16, reflected on the injury period and what she gained from the experience.

“I learned that, number one, I’m not just tennis,” she said. “Tennis doesn’t define me, and there will be an after tennis. I need to find another hobby because I’m not going to be playing tennis seriously for my whole life.”

When she was ready to return to competition, the rankings had adjusted to her absence, and McCord fell out of the top 1,000 players.

But, she came back with a fire, jumping even more in the rankings in a fraction of the time. In eight weeks since returning, she has achieved a career-high ranking at No. 192 as of March 23. The streak has reaffirmed her Blue Chip 5-star status.

McCord described the process of ascending the rankings. She’s also No. 1 in Georgia.

“I would only check in with my mom maybe once a month or so, because I wasn’t really paying attention to the ranking,” she said. “I was just focused on my development physically and mentally, and the results just came.”

The youngest of parents Terry and Trish’s three daughters and two sons, Londyn is ranked the No. 3 recruit in the Southeast region and the No. 10 recruit in the country.

Her oldest sister attends Troy University studying sports management and law, but she has been able to get away to take a few trips with Londyn to attend tennis matches or tournaments.

Londyn has attended online school via Institute for Champions & Leaders (ICL) Academy since sixth grade. Many of her online classmates are top performers in acting, dance or sports like tennis, golf, figure skating or volleyball.

Londyn attended Dunwoody Elementary School and Peachtree Middle before starting at ICL. The McCord family relocated to Dunwoody to be in the same neighborhood as Londyn’s former trainer, Fred Haynes.

Londyn’s four favorite tennis players are Roger Federer, Carlos Alcaraz, Serena Williams and Aryna

developed, it just means a lot.”

Two months after Londyn picked up tennis, the McCord family got in contact with trainer Fred Haynes.

Fred’s daughter Angela was a professional tennis player on the WTA tour. He raised his children in Compton, California, at times training alongside their neighbors, the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena.

Angela’s last professional match was at Wimbledon against her childhood friend, Serena.

Fred says Londyn reminded him of Serena as a child. He remarked of Londyn’s success that he is “happy but not surprised,” and also said we haven’t seen her peak just yet.

“Londyn was one of the strongest players that I’ve ever coached, I’ve never coached anyone like her, she’s just on another level physical-wise,” he said. “I just knew that she would be special. Londyn has what you can’t teach.”

The McCords became family to Fred, living just two blocks apart for the nearly 10 years Londyn would spend five days a week training with him.

Mom Trish said Londyn’s weapons with her forehand and serve are what set her apart as a player, but tennis has given her daughter more than just technical skills with a racket.

“The opportunity that tennis has given Londyn in terms of becoming a young lady off the court,” she said. “Preparing her for life outside of tennis, being disciplined, being able to make decisions on her own. That’s what the sport is teaching her and exposing her to other cultures.”

Trish said an especially meaningful and “eye-opening” part of the journey has been watching the transition from seeing her daughter take photos with famous athletes, to now being approached by fans for autographs.

Londyn said the journey has been long, full of hard work, but it has been worth it.

Sabalenka. Being able to meet athletes like Sabalenka, Tiafoe and Coco Gauff has made Londyn realize her dream is closer than she thought.

Londyn reflected on earlier years, while she was in kindergarten watching Williams play on television.

“She is who I want to be,” Londyn recalled thinking to herself. “I want to make people feel like this when they see me play.”

She said her goal to be on the pro tour has been in the back of her mind as long as she can remember playing tennis.

Londyn says she has an open mind about her next steps, college or otherwise.

She said her primary goal right now is to break the top 100 in the ITF junior rankings to secure direct entry into the four Junior Grand Slam tournaments, Wimbledon and the U.S., French and Australian Open.

Dad Terry was described as a gentle giant. He reminisced on how far his daughter has come since first picking up a racket.

“At 4 years old, she was just hitting the ball in the air, and to go from where she is now, it’s been a real journey,” he said. “It’s been probably one of the best experiences of my life. She’s competing at a high level, at such an early age to see the dedication and hard work that she put in, to see the way she’s

“Looking back, all I can see is constant growth and that motivates me every single day to keep pushing, no matter if I’m having a bad day or a bad week,” she said. “It just keeps me pushing because I can go back and see how much I’ve grown, and it’s just constant motivation for me.”

Off the court, Londyn enjoys cooking and baking, watching gothic romance movies, shopping and spending time with family when she gets the chance to have some free time. She collects vinyl records, and her favorite movie is “Shrek 2.”

Londyn will return to the United States in mid-April for some rest after several weeks competing in South America.

Dunwoody, Chamblee parents question DeKalb School closures

By JIM BASS jim@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody and Chamblee parents filed into Dunwoody High School March 26 to express frustrations and ask about the DeKalb County School District’s latest Student Assignment Project scenario.

A majority of Dunwoody attendees wore blue in support of Vanderlyn Elementary, marked for shortterm closure in both the round one and two scenarios. Chamblee parents wore green in support of Ashford Park Elementary, also facing potential closure.

Despite being a feedback session, several parents said they would leave the district if the proposed closures go through.

“We’re fighting for our schools, but we are also fighting for our community,” one Chamblee parent said.

In response, Interim Superintendent Norman Sauce said, “I hear you loud and clear. I hear you loud and clear.”

The district is contemplating a major change through SAP to become more financially efficient amid declining student enrollment nationwide. Currently, the district serves about 90,000 students and has 110,000 seats.

The second proposal was announced on March 20 and featured closure list changes, potential modernization projects and a plan to turn multiple high schools into sixth-to-12th grade schools.

The district scheduled six feedback sessions for regions of the district and the meeting at Dunwoody High covered the Dunwoody, Chamblee and Cross Keys clusters.

Throughout the evening, district representatives repeatedly said the scenarios were not final, with the soonest final decisions coming in late fall 2026. Changes would also not take place until the 202728 school year. Some parents called the timeline “aggressive.”

According to a district spokesperson, the session had the second-highest total of the five sessions held thus far, with 389 people attending. Of those, 180 came for Chamblee and 203 came for Dunwoody. Six came for Cross Keys, which is not facing any closures.

A session in Lithonia High School held at the same time had 85 attendees, with 55 representing Lithonia, 13 representing Miller Grove and 17 representing Redan, all of which are facing closures or mergers of middle and high schools to become 6-12 schools.

Lakeside High School held the first feedback session on March 23 with 511 attendees, 413 representing Lakeside, 85 representing Tucker and 13 representing Druid Hills.

Sessions in round two are structured for small groups, with classrooms of 25 people divided into clusters. Even after taking the signs down, cluster rooms could be easily recognized by sorting the colors: green or blue.

Concerns by cluster

A wide range of questions flowed through each room, with few answers from the room moderators. SAP representatives, board member Andrew Ziffer and Sauce jumped from room to room, but often their answers only prompted more questions.

The district hired HPM, a third-party vendor, to assist with its capital projects. The firm has taken a leading role in the district’s effort to potentially close schools. Multiple HPM representatives were also on

JIM BASS/APPEN MEDIA

DeKalb Schools Interim Superintendent Norman Sauce speaks to Chamblee parents in Dunwoody High School’s feedback session about the Student Assignment Project process on March 26.

standby to answer the more technical questions raised. Attendees cast doubt on HPM’s data, reasoning and why the district is using them to lead the charge.

“We are fighting for our school, and data does not put that into quantifiable statistics that HPM can vote on,” one Ashford Park parent said.

Sauce said he would visit Ashford Park Elementary soon, but later said he was not there to defend HPM. He has found the HPM team to be informative and responsive. He also emphasized that they were not making the decisions.

“I can’t say enough that no third-party consulting firm is going to make any decisions for us,” Sauce said. “They’re there to give counsel to allow us to lean on their expertise for the school district to then make decisions with their counsel and expertise as support, but they’re not going to decide anything for us.”

In response to one parent asking why the district wants to move away from smaller schools and have elementary schools have over 600 students each, Ziffer said, “fewer roofs, more teachers.”

“I know there’s lots of discussion about small versus big, but it’s not anything we could do just because of the trends of what’s happening right now and the affordability of making sure we have enough resources in the classroom. It’s less roofs, more teachers,” Ziffer said. “Think about it. Do you want to spend money on a roof or teachers?”

Many Chamblee parents questioned the possible closure of Ashford Park Elementary, which was described as a high-achieving and overcrowded school. Most conversations swirled around the property’s acreage, which was deemed too small for expansion by the district.

Currently, Ashford Park is listed at 7.02 acres and the district would want over 10 acres to expand. In the district’s handout outlining future considerations, it stated that it could consider acquiring the right of way and adjacent parcels to rebuild Ashford Park to accommodate 900 students.

Kittredge Magnet School parents also expressed concern about the potential move of the school farther from the cluster. Programs will be evaluated once school buildings are finalized and redistricting considerations are completed.

“I’d be lying to you if I told you that every answer is available this evening. It’s not,” Sauce said. “But we don’t have any intent to dismantle or do away with

those programs, but we have to continue to figure out how to make them accessible in ways that make sense.”

Several Dunwoody rooms focused on Vanderlyn Elementary. The school, which was also described as high-performing, is slated to close and partially merge with Kingsley Elementary, which is also on the closure list a few years after Vanderlyn.

“I don’t think the phase two proposal makes sense because it proposes closing Vanderlyn and moving kids to another school on the closure list,” parent Helene Elliott said.

“I think that’s unacceptable,” Elliott added. “I think that DeKalb is going to lose a lot of families to private schools that are unwilling to move their family unit to three different schools in elementary.”

When asked why the order is Vanderlyn and then Kingsley, Ziffer said, “The only reason I got for you is this idea of a ninth-grade annex,” adding that both buildings need a lot of work.

Where’s the money?

Parent Karen Quiros, who has students at both Dunwoody High and Chamblee High, said she was in support of the SAP process saying that it is not just a Dunwoody problem, but a DeKalb County problem.

“I understand that everybody wants to protect their school, but we can’t realistically,” Quiros said. “Long term, schools are going to have to close and kids are going to have to move.”

Quiros, however, asked the looming question she felt had not yet been addressed. “How are they going to pay for it?”

“Where does this magical money to blow up Chestnut [Elementary] and double it in size and all that? Like, there’s no money for that,” Quiros said. “We don’t have the money for the facilities we already have, right? But nobody can answer that question yet.”

Tracy Brisson, a candidate for the District 4 board seat, called it “fiscally unsound and morally appalling” to ask the board to make these changes using the Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST VII), which is coming to a vote in November and is already filling up.

“I think in [ESPLOST VII], 30 to 40 percent of that is already taken for projects that have been approved and then you are going to have IT and buses with big transportation issues …,” Brisson said. “So, you really only have one or two construction projects you can fund, and then everything else would have to go in about six years. So what are we doing here?”

Brisson wondered whether the district would have enough money in 2031 to fund ESPLOST VIII. The district is still working on projects under ESPLOST VI.

What is next?

As the second round of feedback sessions comes to a close, with the last at McNair High School on March 30, many questions remain about the project timeline.

In response to one Dunwoody parent, Ziffer said that after a third scenario is released in April, district staff will revise and evaluate feedback over the summer. He said there will be “lots more iterations” of scenarios following, but didn’t give a number.

“This is a five-to-10-year project planning what we’re doing for the next five or 10 years,” Ziffer said. “I don’t think people kind of grasp that, but we are talking about this all as if it’s happening tomorrow. It’s not happening tomorrow. It’s going to happen over a very long period of time.”

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How does the probate process actually start?

Brought to you by

– Estates Law Center USA

Many people assume the court automatically begins probate when someone passes away. But that’s not how it works. Probate usually begins when someone needs legal access or title to assets—such as a home, vehicle, or financial accounts. When families try to transfer ownership, they often discover that probate must first be opened through the court.

In most cases, nothing actually happens with the estate until someone files paperwork with the probate court to officially open the case. This is usually done by a family member, an executor named in the will, or sometimes an attorney assisting the family.

Once probate is opened, the court oversees the legal process of

identifying assets, paying debts, and eventually distributing what remains to heirs or beneficiaries. While this process may sound straightforward, it often becomes lengthy and expensive.

Many families are surprised to learn that probate can take 1–2 years or longer to fully complete. During that time, assets can be tied

up in court, and loved ones may not have immediate access to funds or property.

In addition to the time involved, probate can also be costly. In many cases, probate expenses can total 5–15% of the value of the estate when court costs, attorney fees, administrative expenses, and delays

are considered. That means a significant portion of what someone spent their life building can be lost to the probate process.

For example, an estate worth $500,000 could potentially see $25,000–$75,000 or more consumed by probate-related costs and delays.

This is one of the reasons many families choose to plan ahead.

With proper planning, it is often possible to avoid probate entirely. One of the most effective ways to do this is by establishing a living trust, which allows assets to pass directly to beneficiaries without the delays, costs, and court involvement of probate.

Instead of assets being tied up in court for years, a trust allows families to maintain privacy, reduce expenses, and ensure a smoother transfer of wealth to loved ones.

Understanding how probate works—and how it can negatively impact your family is an important part of estate planning.

If you'd like to learn more about how probate works and how to avoid it, we walk through the process stepby-step in our educational workshops or one on one consultations.

•

• Should I upgrade my Will to a

• What do I need to know about Revocable Living Trusts?

work?

•

•

• How do I avoid losing everything to nursing home costs?

probate?

Electronics recycling scheduled for April 11

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody's next electronics recycling event will be Saturday, April 11 from 9 a.m. to noon in the back parking lot at Saint Luke's Presbyterian Church, 1978 Mt. Vernon Road.

Because of an expected heavy turnout, the city is asking people to sign up for a time slot. Registrations are limited to 150 cars per hour. Each registration equals one vehicle. The number of items is not needed to sign up.

Items accepted for recycling include monitors, desktops, laptops, smart phones, household batteries, tablets, keyboards, mice, servers, networking gear, circuit boards, RAM & CPU, wires and cables, hard drives and memory cards (HDD, SSD, SD), CRT and LCD TVs, digital cameras, GPS

ICE:

• Approved a $21 million contract with Southeast Pipe Survey to address sanitary sewer maintenance and rehabilitation needs that are part of the Ongoing Sewer Assessment and Rehabilitation Program and Maintenance Management System Program.

• Approved a $19 million contract with GS Construction to install and maintain water valves that are failing.

• Approved an allocation up to $300,000 for an analysis of the county’s water and sewer system to determine how its function can be best managed and whether optimum service delivery could be achieved through a Water and Sewer Authority.

• Deferred a resolution requesting that county staff amend its proposed data center regulations to remove the definition of data center campus.

units, speakers, copiers, ink and toner, scanners, projectors, game consoles, phone systems, lab and medical equipment, point of sale systems, microwaves, DVD players and barcode scanners.

Items that are not accepted include cracked LCD TVs and monitors, broken/bare CRT TVs and monitors, light bulbs, radioactive material, hazardous waste, any liquid such as paint.

Hard drives are transported to another location where they are wiped clean of data.

There will be no paper shredding at the event.

Email Allegra DeNooyer at allegra. denooyer@dunwoodyga.gov for more information.

— Dyana Bagby

Dunwoody’s popular electronic recycling event is set for April 11.

facilities to industrial areas and requires a special land-use permit in most cases. The draft defines data centers of various sizes, and this amendment would remove the data center campus definition, effectively capping data centers at 500,000 square feet.

The commission also deferred resolution establishing a DeKalb "For The People AI Tech Dividend Fund" and Fiscal Stability Policy, which would allocate 50 percent of tax revenue generated by high-technology data centers to support resident equity and environmental restorations. Continued from Page 2

DeKalb County has been working to put regulations in place that address land use and where data centers can or cannot be located. The goal of the ordinance is to establish landuse regulations for data centers. It includes requirements about permitted

locations, plans to be submitted with an application, architecture, noise and maintenance. The draft consists of a use table listing four permitted classifications for industrial areas.

The current draft ordinance restricts

The amendment would also require SLUPs for all data center applications and incentivize all new data center operations to use 100 percent renewable energy.

• Deferred a resolution requiring a baseline assessment of the county’s health, socio-economic and environmental status and a third-party analysis of the county’s proposed data center regulations before any land disturbance permits could be issued for data centers.

PAST TENSE

Amy Miles was first to deliver mail in Sandy Springs

The first mail carrier in Sandy Springs was Amy Miles. She delivered the mail to the “town’s busy business area,” walking a three-hour route beginning in 1959. There was no mail delivery to homes yet, although some neighbors had requested delivery. The Sandy Springs Postmaster was Benjamin Woodruff, and Miles was a three-year employee before she became the first postal carrier. (Atlanta Journal, Oct. 30, 1959, “The Postman is a Lady!”)

Amy Miles was originally from Detroit, Michigan, born in 1920 as Amy Reece. She married Fred Miles, who I wrote about in May 2025. He was a World War II veteran, the son of Nancy and Fred Miles, Sr. His family moved from Atlanta to the corner of Dalrymple and Brandon Mill Road in 1915. The property became known as Lost Corners and is now Lost Corners Preserve. In 1959, the couple lived at 166 Hilderbrand Ave.

The route through Sandy Springs business district was easy for Amy, who stayed active taking care of two young boys aged 10 and 13. She also helped with her son’s Boy Scout troops. Both

Flock:

Continued from Page 1

One of the Flock livestreams he exposed was from the Peachtree Creek Greenway in neighboring Brookhaven.

“I was able to access zoomed-in footage of every single person who walked on that trail over the last 30 days without using a password,” Jordan said. “I want someone to help me understand, given the evidence that we produced, how anyone would think signing more contracts with a third-party surveillance vendor would be a good idea without setting up an independent security and ethics audit first. I can’t open a Chick-fil-A or a barber shop without a safety inspection.”

Cold reception from crowd

The Flock opponents jeered when Flock representatives answered questions from the council. Mayor Lynn Deutsch banged the gavel several times to bring order to the meeting, pleading with the crowd to let the City Council do

boys attended Hammond School in Sandy Springs.

Miles enthusiastically began the job with a postal carrier cap on her head and a leather satchel on her shoulder. She became interested in stamps after she became a postal carrier, starting her own collection.

The post office in Sandy Springs began with the local name Oak Grove, switching to Burdal in 1924. Burdal

its work.

Councilman Tom Lambert asked Flock’s Chief Legal Officer Dan Haley, who attended via online streaming, how he responds to documented evidence of breaches in its system while the company says no breaches have occurred.

Haley said the footage Jordan accessed of the Peachtree Creek Greenway was through Verizon and insisted it was not a Flock data breach.

He said the camera that Jordan “obtained illicitly” was not connected to Flock’s network.

“Our system has never been breached,” Haley said, but he noted breaches would be taken seriously.

Dunwoody outside attorney Dunn said the new contract would include language to define a breach.

City Attorney Ken Bernard said the new contract would not allow Flock to determine what a breach is versus a disclosure.

“I think what I am hearing is when someone is accessing our stuff, we want to be notified – period,” Bernard said. “We’re going to get away from the designation of what does the word

part of 1933. George Adolphus was postmaster between 1934 and 1955, followed by Benjamin Woodruff. The post office name was officially changed from Burdal to Sandy Springs in 1941. (National Archives, U. S. Appointment of Postmasters)

The National Archives lists the Sandy Springs post office as discontinued in 1964, but it reemerges with a permanent building at 6097 Boylston Drive. Today, the city’s post office is in the City Walk Sandy Springs Shopping Center.

Sadly, Amy Miles died in 1962. Fred Miles died in 1974, and they are both buried at Arlington Memorial Cemetery in Sandy Springs.

was a combination of the names Burdett and Dalrymple. Burdett’s Store was home to the early post office. (Images of America: Sandy Springs, Kimberly M. Brigance and Morris V. Moore)

The next post office was inside Dr. Griffith’s pharmacy at the southeast corner of Mt. Vernon and Roswell Road. Lester Castleberry was postmaster four years, and Eugene Scott took over for

breach mean. It’s kind of like what the meaning of is is.”

Concerns over shared data

City Council members continue to press Flock officials on who has access to Dunwoody’s data. They fear the Police Department’s agreement to open its data to more than 1,000 federal and local agencies in the U.S. could lead to abuse.

But the abuse can also happen locally. Dunwoody terminated a police officer’s employment in February after an internal affairs investigation, obtained by Appen Media, concluded she allegedly violated city policy and state law. The findings allege she misused the department’s access to state and national law enforcement databases and the Flock network, conducting searches for an individual which the agency deemed inappropriate. Those actions reportedly took place in late 2025.

Ginger LePage, head of Dunwoody’s Information Technology Department, presented a Flock Safety Security Assessment. Based on the department’s review of the company’s data protection, user access and authentication, operational resilience, and privacy and

The first woman mail carrier in Georgia was Bessie E. Winter from Brooks County. She delivered mail on rural routes of the county until 1935. Originally from the Norcross and Chamblee areas of Georgia, she was the daughter of Jeremiah Winter, namesake of Winters Chapel United Methodist Church and Winters Chapel Road. (Valdosta Daily Times, Aug. 3, 1961, obituary)

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

compliance administration, using Flock for the police 911 system is a proven value to public safety operations.

The Dunwoody Police Department is using the Flock 911 system now, and it essentially takes out the “middleman” when a 911 call comes in, she said. Through Flock 911, officers can listen to the call in real time and respond quicker to emergencies.

She said the IT Department also evaluated risk versus reward of using Flock’s public safety surveillance network. Over the years, she said, Flock has helped the Dunwoody Police Department solve a double homicide and stopped a jewelry robbery crew operating along the East Coast when it targeted a local store. The Flock drone has been used to locate two missing people. LePage said Flock’s AI-driven technology also helps officers close criminal cases in about two weeks rather than hundreds of days.

Police Chief Mike Carlson told the council the department would increase audits of Flock automated license plate readers monthly instead of annually.

Carl Appen contributed to this report.

Things to know before you go to the Garden Faire

By MARY LYN PAOLELLA & CHRISTINE WILLIAMS

If you are a gardening enthusiast, come see us at the 25th anniversary of the North Fulton Master Gardeners’ annual Garden Faire!

This free event will be held at The Grove at Wills Park on Saturday, April 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. We are excited to be partnering with Alpharetta Community Agriculture Program/Old Rucker Farm, the Georgia Native Plant Society-North Metro Atlanta Chapter and the City of Alpharetta Recreation, Parks and Cultural Services. Garden Faire 2026 will provide one-stop shopping for garden enthusiasts with a large selection of shade and sun perennials, native plants, indoor plants, tomatoes and other culinary offerings, as well as two horticultural education sessions and a space for children’s gardening activities.

This year, the Master Gardener volunteer team is focused on bringing the community a wide breadth of passalong plants from their gardens or the gardens of friends, family and neighbors. These passalong plants include a variety of ground covers, perennials, hostas, irises and daylilies, along with some select vines, shrubs and trees. Look for interpretive signage over many of the plants that provides tips on caring for them.

The Master Gardeners UGA Extension Volunteers’ primary mission is horticultural education and environmental stewardship. These volunteers will be on hand to help with your gardening questions and needs. This is your opportunity to pick their brains — and the Master Gardeners love that! Look for their booth, volunteer T-shirts, Master Gardener aprons or distinct name tags.

Through the marketplace, you will find garden-related vendors offering hard-tofind plants — including sweet-smelling roses, colorful native azaleas, lush hostas, succulents, daylilies, begonias, camellias, hydrangeas, pollinator plants, trees, shrubs, carnivorous plants and other natives — as well as nature-inspired pottery, gardening gifts, seeds, tools, birdhouses, feeders, educational offerings and more.

Adding to festive atmosphere:

• Two educational talks on gardening topics with expanded Q&A sessions

• Food vendors providing light bites

Garden

• More plants than you can imagine

• The Fleatique, showcasing gently used, secondhand garden and home treasures

• A booth dedicated to garden-related crafts produced by North Fulton Master Gardeners

• Live music from Cedar Hill Bluegrass Band

If you bring young ones, look for the Children’s Gardening Corner in the center of the action from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Children will be engaged in a handson gardening craft, coloring activity or perhaps learning about carnivorous plants.

Garden Faire will feature two Garden Talk sessions hosted by expert speakers:

• 9:30-11 a.m.: Steps for Successful

Garden Design, Selection and Installation

— Keying off Your Vision

• 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Vegetable Gardening 2.0 — Good Practices from Soil to Seed to Sustenance

In addition to extended Q&A segments at each talk, attendees can expect a door prize or two and packets of seeds. The Garden Talks are free; registration is recommended at Eventbrite. How do you get there: The Grove at Wills Park is at 175 Roswell St., Alpharetta, Ga. Park at the Alpharetta Community Center or follow signs to overflow parking at Amana Academy, 285 S. Main St., Alpharetta, Ga. 30009. A free shuttle will transport attendees to and from Garden Faire, running continuously

About the authors: This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnists are Mary Lyn Paolella and Christine Williams, co-chairs of the 2026 Garden Faire. A Master Gardener since 2021, Mary Lyn has always had a passion for plants and nature. As a child, her dad would take her to his garden in the fields of North Carolina where she first experienced the value of multigenerational “passing along” of plants and knowledge.

Mary Lyn is an enthusiastic dahlia grower and gardening explorer.

A lifelong nature lover, Christine Williams relishes getting dirty. From a young age, she loved exploring in any nearby woods, meadows or open fields.

A Master Gardener Extension Volunteer with Fulton County since 2011, she received her Certificate of Native Plants from the UGA/State Botanical Garden of Georgia in 2024.

from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with a short break from noon to 12:30 p.m.

A limited number of carts and wagons will be available for those who forget to bring their own. A secure area is available to hold purchases near the Alpharetta Community Center parking lot while you retrieve your car.

This event is a major fundraiser for all participating partners. Proceeds support educational activities for children and adults, community outreach, and restoration of public gardens and green spaces. The North Fulton Master Gardeners also fund annual scholarships to the University of Georgia School of Horticulture, Gwinnett Technical College Horticulture Program and the Georgia 4-H Foundation Collegiate Scholarship Fund.

We look forward to seeing you at Garden Faire on April 11 at The Grove at Wills Park in Alpharetta!

North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization whose purpose is to educate its members and the public in horticulture and ecology 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.

Visit North Fulton Master Gardeners at these events throughout the year:

• Alpharetta Farmers Market (starting April 18)

• Sandy Springs Farmers Market: Diggin’ in the Dirt kids’ activities

• Crabapple Festival in Milton this fall

PRESERVING THE PAST

The history of Easter egg hunts in Georgia and elsewhere

I can’t think of anyone I know who has not been exposed to the ancient tradition of easter egg hunting.

Egg hunts began in earnest in the 16th and 17th centuries among Christians. Martin Luther, the key figure of the Protestant Reformation, is often said to have organized egg hunts for his congregations where men hid eggs for women and children to find. Early Christians used eggs to symbolize the tomb of Christ. The hard shell symbolized the sealed tomb; when cracked open the shell represented the resurrection.

While most Easter traditions are of Christian origin, the long-eared rabbit known as the Easter Bunny who delivers eggs to children on Easter is not mentioned in the Bible. According to History.com, it is not known how the Easter Bunny became an important Easter symbol, although it is known that rabbits are prolific procreators and are an ancient symbol of fertility and new life.

One account traces the Easter Bunny to German and Dutch immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania in the 1700s and brought with them the tale of the Oschter Haws, a hare that laid eggs in the grass. Children made decorated nests in the grass in hopes that the hare would lay colored eggs there. Over time the tradition became very popular. Gradually, treats and candies were added.

Originally, Easter eggs were dyed red to represent the blood of Christ on the cross. Colors were gradually added by early Christian missionaries with each color representing a different aspect of the Easter story. So, when children today crack open a plastic egg to reveal a candy treat, they are participating in an ancient tradition.

Another tradition is the White House Easter Egg Roll. Each year thousands of children take part via an online lottery. 30,000 eggs will be used for the egg roll and egg hunt. Each child will receive a souvenir wooden egg with a White House logo. The first White House Easter Egg Roll was held in 1878. President Rutherford B. Hayes welcomed children to the South Lawn who had been denied access to the U.S. Capitol grounds.

In Georgia some of the early recorded easter egg hunts were at the Smith Plantation in Roswell. Lizzie Smith (1831-1915) organized easter egg hunts for local children in the early 1900s. The annual event was open to the public. Children went home with a collection of candy-filled treats and a photo with the Easter Bunny.

Newspapers began writing about egg hunts in the late 1800s. The Atlanta Constitution and newspapers in Savannah, Augusta and other cities wrote about Easter celebrations in private gardens. Clothing stores advertised children’s, women’s and men’s clothing for Easter special events such as parades. Eggs were typically hard boiled and colored with vegetable dyes which were extensively advertised in newspapers. The Atlanta Constitution described many small, private events hosted by families or Sunday school teachers. Some early examples from the Atlanta Constitution:

April 2, 1885 “The members of the Park Street

Methodist Church, of West End, have arranged for a pleasant entertainment Saturday afternoon next. At that time there will be an Easter egg hunt in the grounds of the church in which there will be many participants…Admission to the ground will be ten cents, the proceeds to go towards buying a carpet for the new church.”

April 2, 1893 “A delightful Easter egg hunt will be given for the benefit of the children of St. Luke’s Sunday school tomorrow afternoon. It will occur at the residence of Mrs. Mackey, next to the Ballard house on Peachtree street…the occasion promised to be one of unusual merriment.”

April 6, 1890 “The grove at the corner of Georgia avenue and Pryor street, presented a lively picture yesterday afternoon. About two hundred children were enjoying an Easter egg hunt…The children enjoyed the fun of hunting the hidden nests of gaily colored eggs to the utmost, and when the frolic ended each carried away from one to a half dozen as trophies of the day.”

Many events will take place in North Fulton and surrounding area to celebrate Easter 2026. Be sure to check your local information sources if you want to take part.

Bob is a member of the City of Alpharetta Historic Preservation Commission, director emeritus of the Milton Historical Society and member of the Alpharetta and Old Milton County Historical Society. You can email him at bobmey@bellsouth.net. Bob welcomes suggestions for future columns about local history.

Thanking anonymous mystery good Samaritans

I wrote a recent column about how bad/strong my coffee is and how I never measure how much coffee I put in the filter to brew it. This week, in my mailbox, I found a very nice Tupperware coffee container complete with a measuring cup that attaches to the top. In the container was a generous portion of obviously exceptionally good / bold coffee – thinking Sumatra - ready to be brewed. The measuring cup attached to the top of the container even has a mark made by a sharpie that shows one exactly how much coffee to put in the cup to put into the filter to be brewed.

I sense a kind, generous, caring person who wants to help spare my guests from being exposed to my awful strong coffee and who also optimistically thinks that this old dog actually is capable of learning new tricks or, at a minimum, can be cleaned up and presented in a slightly improved way to the public. There is hope for me I think – especially when others volunteer to help manage me – although I am not sure my wife

Lacrosse:

Continued from Page 9

Chamblee defense just could not stop her.

Normally a facilitator and the team’s leader in assists, against Chamblee she went off to tie the game-high five goals and was a major source of energy for her team. She secured a hat trick with Decatur’s first three goals of the game.

In the third quarter, Decatur was

DEATH NOTICES

Barbara Bacarella, age 83, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on March 19, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Margie Gonzalez, age 81, of Roswell, GA passed away on March 22, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Christina would agree.

So, thank you mysterious donor! You made my day and gave me a smile that lasted all day long!

And speaking of good coffee, I want to give a shout out to the business I order my beans from. It’s called Café Campesino (CafeCampesino.com). Here is a little bit about them:

“Founded in 1998, Cafe Campesino is Georgia's first and only 100% fair trade, organic specialty coffee company. We are a cooperative importer, roaster, wholesalerdistributor, and online retailer located in Americus, Georgia - the birthplace of Koinonia Partners and Habitat for Humanity International and about 9 miles east of Plains, home to former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn.

HOW WE BUY OUR COFFEE

MATTERS. We import all of our coffee directly from small landholder coffee farmer cooperatives via a unique, principle-driven supply chain called Cooperative Coffees that we cofounded in 1998. Cooperative Coffees is the only fair trade green bean roaster cooperative of its kind in North America, employing common-sense, respectful, mutually beneficial terms of trade for sourcing organic green coffee

able to finish on a free position shot by junior Audrey Mosser for their fourth goal of the game. Getting the wheels spinning for multiple players allowed Decatur to cut the lead by going on a 7-2 run in the third quarter.

“I think our fight was there in the second half,” Powers said. “[Downey] caught a good bit of fire at the end, and that definitely helped ramp up that second half comeback. I just think we needed to do a better job of coming out with that same energy and intensity at the beginning of the

Scott “Marc” Hunt, age 62, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on March 23, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Doris Ramsay, age 92, of Milton, GA passed away on March 22, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

fairly, directly, and transparently from farming communities who we have known for years.

So, I want to tell you another local story that is another anonymous mystery good Samaritan story!

My friend Ralph, who many of you know, was in Publix recently buying supplies for the small outreach mission in Kentucky that he has supported for years. His shopping cart was full of diapers, wipes, formula, bottles, infant food, cereals, canned food, and related stuff – none of it cheap. The cart was full. While Ralph is waiting in line, the man behind him strikes up a conversation and asks him about his purchases. So, Ralph is in his 80s and I guess all that infant stuff was puzzling to the man. Ralph explained about the ministry he supports and the fact that he makes the ten-hour round-trip drive to deliver the supplies about once a month in his F250. It’s a long drive that I have made once with him.

Anyway, the cashier rings up the supplies and Ralph reaches into his back pocket for his wallet. “No, you’re not paying for that,” said the man behind Ralph, “I am,” as he hands the cashier his credit card. Ralph tries to use his card, but the man insists.

As Ralph walks out of Publix, the man follows him. “Ralph, wait

game, so we don’t have to come back from a deficit of seven goals.”

Captain Fiona Sullivan facilitated communication of the defensive end for the Bulldogs. Junior defender Ellie Green was another stronghold for Decatur’s defense. Green plays club lacrosse with Eagle Stix in Milton.

Brown sisters Chloe, a senior captain, and Lily, a freshman, were major contributors on the circle. Lily led the team in draw wins with six and Chloe posted five draw controls.

If Chamblee can remain

Susan Rosser, age 86, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on March 21, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Donald Vining, Sr., age 93, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on March 20, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

here please, “the man says. Ralph looks puzzled. “Just please wait for me, I’ll be right back,” and he walks back into Publix. A short time later, the man walks back out with his own shopping cart brimming full of groceries - diapers, wipes, formula, bottles, infant food, cereals, canned food. “Please take these too,” he asks Ralph as he follows Ralph back out to his truck.

He asks Ralph for his card and Ralph gives it to him, and then they both drive away.

When Ralph shared the story with me over the phone he sounded somewhat distraught. “What’s wrong Ralph,” I asked. “Well,” he said, “I never got the fellow’s name or phone number so I could thank him.”

“You already thanked him,” I told Ralph. “You thank him every time you make that drive and you were gracious enough to allow him to pitch in and help too.”

And we can all thank Ralph too. Today’s world can feel just awful – full of chaos, and conflict, and darkness. And the way past and out of that darkness is thru individual acts of charity and caring – and love - by individuals like Ralph and his mysterious benefactor.

One small act. One person. Every day. With love.

undefeated in-region through two more games against No. 4 Dunwoody and No. 3 Riverwood, they will win the region championship and take a No. 1 seed going into the 2A state tournament. Last season, Chamblee fell in the Elite Eight to eventual runner-up Creekview.

Decatur has now wrapped region play and has just four games left in the regular season before the playoffs. Riverwood would need to beat Chamblee April 15 to move up to No. 2 and take playoff home field advantage from Decatur.

David Westbrook, age 77, of Roswell, GA passed away on March 20, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

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