Issuu

OPINION

The meaning of the mayor’s meeting with Flock ► STARTS ON PAGE 4

Real Estate Reinvented

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Dunwoody allows vape shops but with distance restrictions

Relay run combats veteran suicide

By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com

ployees — City Manager Eric Linton, City Clerk Sharon Lowery, Records Clerk Eric Shealy and Technology Director Ginger LePage — in 2023. In the suit, he said the city employees refused to provide infor-

DUNWOODY, Ga. — City council members came to a unanimous decision Aug. 10 to allow vape shops in Dunwoody’s retail districts but with strict distance requirements from schools, places of worship, existing vape shops and gas stations. The decision comes three months after council members discussed a total ban on vape shops within the city. A moratorium on new vape shops has been in effect since February while the council debated how regulate vape shops within the city’s boundaries. The vape retail sector has experienced stunning growth in recent years, with vape shops becoming a common sight across the country. The ordinance defines a vape shop as a business that makes more than 25% of its revenue from selling nicotine-based products or dedicates more than 25% of its interior area to the display or sale of electronic cigarettes. Dunwoody currently has no standalone vape shops within its city limits. Per the approved ordinance, any standalone vape shops are required to be at least 600 feet from daycare facilities, schools and places of worship. Shops are also required to be at least 1,500 feet from existing vape shops and gas stations.

See SUIT, Page 16

See COUNCIL, Page 19

At right, Casandra McAllister speaks with Stan Cottrell, a Marine Corps veteran and commander of the VET 22 Suicide Prevention Run, following a news conference at First Baptist Church Atlanta in Dunwoody on Aug. 12. McAllister lost her son, Army Spc. Cedric L. Grayer Jr., to suicide in 2017. McAllister said the letters C and L on her sleeve — the first and middle initials of her son — describe his personality: “caring and loving.”

► SEE STORY ON PAGE 11

DEAN HESSE/APPEN MEDIA

Man loses Dunwoody records suit, owes $182K in fees By HANNAH YAHNE and DAN WHISENHUNT hannah@appenmedia.com dan@appenmedia.com DUNWOODY, Ga. — A resident has been ordered to pay $182,478 in legal fees to

the city of Dunwoody and several of its employees after a DeKalb County Superior Court judge ruled against his lawsuit that alleged violations of the Georgia Open Records Act. Joseph Hirsch of Dunwoody filed the suit against the city and four city em-

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PUBLIC SAFETY

What to know about West Nile virus after park closure By JOSHUA WILSON joshua@appenmedia.com

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SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — South Fulton closed Old National Park to the public this week after mosquitoes collected during routine surveillance tested positive for West Nile virus. City officials told CBS News Atlanta the South Fulton Parks and Recreation Department learned of the result Aug. 11 and shut the park down as a precaution while Fulton County coordinates treatment of the property. Any programming planned for the park will be canceled or rescheduled, with the county’s health department expected to spray targeted insecticides and apply larvicides to any standing water sources. Officials will then decide when the park can reopen. The park’s temporary closing is the latest development in a summer that has brought West Nile back into local headlines. Here is a primer on the virus itself and what is actually driving this year’s attention. A familiar mosquito-borne threat West Nile virus isn’t new to the U.S., with infections first showing up in New York City in 1999. It spread across the country within a few years and peaked with nearly 10,000 reported cases in 2003. The virus is carried by mosquitoes. The small flies pick it up from infected birds and then pass it along to humans — and many animals, including dogs, cats and horses — through bites. There is still no vaccine, which is why prevention is key. A record pace — and likely an undercount Officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report the country is seeing its earliest start to West Nile season on record. By July 28, 2026, 113 human cases had been reported nationally — more than double the 44 cases reported by the same point in 2003, the worst West Nile season since the virus arrived in the U.S. As of Aug. 11, there were 181 reported cases across 30 states. Fulton County’s own mosquito surveillance program picked up the trend locally, with positive traps turning up in the Grant Park area of Atlanta earlier this summer. DeKalb County followed with its own detections — positive samples out of two ZIP codes, 30088 covering unincorporated DeKalb and Redan and 30360 in Doraville — though officials from both counties say there have been no reported human cases so far this year. Human cases in Georgia have stayed relatively rare so far this season, with the CDC counting just one reported case in

A mosquito feeds on human skin.

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES/UNSPLASH

the state as of Aug. 11. But the numbers can undercount reality. Health officials believe actual infections each year run higher since approximately 80% of people who are infected will not show any symptoms. Also, people with mild cases never seek medical care or get lab tests. Georgia logged 18 reported cases of West Nile virus in 2025 and 54 confirmed cases — and five deaths — in 2024. Dry conditions, more mosquitoes CDC officials say the rise in West Nile detections and infections stems from the virus circulating earlier in the season, which infectious disease specialists attribute in part to warmer weather nationwide. Heat speeds up the mosquito life cycle and shortens the time it takes the virus to become transmissible once a mosquito picks it up from an infected bird. Georgia and several other states are also seeing increased West Nile activity due to the worst drought in decades. According to the National Integrated Drought Information System, approximately 49% of the lower 48 U.S. states are in drought as of Aug. 4. About 19% of the total area of Georgia is currently in drought. Elmer Gray, a public health extension specialist and research professional at the University of Georgia, says this spring’s drought conditions across the Peach State impacted more than just the land. The dry conditions spawned prime breeding grounds for the southern house mosquito and one other bird-feeding mosquito. Elmer said the lack of rain means storm drain systems have not been flushed out by currents of water after typical rain events, leading to stagnant water and an attractive home for larval development. He recommends treating those habitats with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-approved larvicides, several of which are available from local hardware and feed and seed stores. He

also advises the public to empty planter trays, recycle used tires, clean up debris, and position boats, wheelbarrows and other items so they will not hold water. What infection actually looks like Most people who get bitten by an infected mosquito never know it. Only about 1 in 150 infected people develop a serious illness. Most infections bring about mild symptoms, including fever, headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea or rash, and pass within days. Serious cases, however, can attack the central nervous system, potentially causing encephalitis or meningitis. Older people and those with weakened immune systems face the highest risk of these severe complications. No treatment is available for West Nile virus. Providers recommend rest, hydration and over-the-counter medications to minimize symptoms of mild cases. Patients with severe symptoms might require pain control drugs and vomiting suppressants, rehydration therapies and closer monitoring. How to keep from getting bitten The CDC and local health officials point to a handful of basic habits that cut your risk of infection substantially: • Use an insect repellent that is registered with the EPA. The federal agency has an online search tool that identifies repellants by protection time and active ingredient. View it at epa. gov/insect-repellants. DeKalb County officials recommend repellants containing the ingredients DEET, oil of lemon eucalyptus, picaridin and R3535. • Wear long, loose-fitting shirts and pants when outdoors. • Avoid being outside between dusk and dawn, which is when mosquitoes are the most active. • Use screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes outside.

AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | August 20, 2026 | 3

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OPINION

4 | August 20, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

TALK BACK TO THE CRIER

The meaning of the mayor’s meeting with Flock The initial letter, provided by Jason Hunyar, was sent to Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch for a response prior to publication. Both letters are published here. Dear Editor, Dozens of citizens have spent their time giving public comments opposing Flock at our usually sparsely attended city council meetings. They have raised concerns about privacy, cybersecurity and the fact that Dunwoody has opted us all into a nationwide surveillance apparatus without anyone’s consent. They have asked for open meetings, a town hall, or just the same amount of public input and notice that the City provides when it changes an intersection or a sidewalk. And they have been completely ignored. Personally, Mayor Lynn Deutsch had never responded to any of my emails before I made it public on April 7 that Flock employees were using the Dunwoody PD’s surveillance network to spy on us and our children – in both public and private spaces. Instead of attempting to understand my concerns, she questioned my motives

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for making this information public – as if I was the bad guy for exposing that our children were being watched remotely without our consent. I once again offered to meet with her in person multiple times to discuss my concerns, but she suddenly stopped replying. However, I did find out through open records that she met privately with Flock’s CEO, Garrett Langley, at Perc Coffee on April 9. In their text messages, she asked specifically to meet “not in Dunwoody.” Obviously, the public has no idea what was discussed or agreed to in this private meeting. Later in the day, Deutsch and Langley did text about the city manager signing off on using Dunwoody’s citizens’ data for AI training, and they had a 4-minute phone call. This was something Mayor Deutsch had strictly opposed at the previous March 23 city council meeting, stating “there’s a bazillion communities using these technologies, you can test it somewhere else.” I’m not sure what changed her heart. This meeting was also something she conveniently omitted from her speech on the topic of Flock at the April 13 coun-

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Rules of engagement: • Typically we restrict letters to 300 words. To limit fury from the copy desk, try and stay below that line. • We normally do not publish letters written in response to other letters. We are going to waive that policy for the time being. • We won’t publish your letter or name without explicitly getting your approval.

cil meeting when she said, “the inference that we’re doing something behind door… it’s all kind of not at all correct... we haven’t done any of this in secret.” After the council unanimously voted to award Flock hundreds of thousands in new contracts, she reached out to me to finally coordinate a meeting. Confused by this sudden 180, I asked her, “Could you please explain to me what your intentions are and why you would like to meet?” and

she never replied. Her phone records show that she attempted to connect with Langley again on April 16, the same day multiple city employees went to dinner with Flock at Little Alley Steakhouse – I’m not sure who paid. Democracy works when elected officials have public, open dialogues with the citizens who elected them. Democracy does not work when elected officials blatantly ignore citizens’ concerns at the behest of private, for-profit corporations, and meet with tech billionaires in secret. Please don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining. — Jason Hunyar Dear Editor, Jason Hunyar's letter to The Crier makes a number of serious allegations about me, the Dunwoody City Council and the city's relationship with Flock Safety. Residents deserve facts, not insinuation, so I want to address some of his claims directly. ATTENTION - Double check ad for ALL content. Phone, web, address, coupons, etc. Assume nothing Reply back that ad is approved once ALL ITEMS HAVE BEEN CHECKED FOR ACCURACY.

See LETTER, Page 6

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TALK BACK TO THE CRIER: You talk, we listen. The Crier is parking the Talk Back section at the front of the paper for the foreseeable future. Send your letters to newsroom@ appenmedia.com by Sunday night and they’ll end up here that week.

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Puzzles

rier 8/6/26 Connect-It

PuzzleJunction.com

Connect-It

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!

Dunwoody Crier....................................August 20, 2026 | 5

THE PLANETS 1. Muse of poetry. Fine fur. The Red Planet. 2. Our home planet. Doctor’s order. Mold-ripened cheese. 3. Colorful salamander. Jovian planet. Musical work. 4. Giant outer planet. Mexican money. Mischief maker. 5. Lock name. Ostrich relative. Planet nearest to the sun. 6. Test. Planet with a ring of ice. Computer command. 7. Chubby. Links feature. Small planet farthest from the sun. PuzzleJunction.com

Dunwoody Crier 8/6/26 Crossword

Across

1 Limit 4 Trade punches 8 Dejected 11 One of the 3 Osmonds 13 Western director Sergio 4 14 Top gun 15 Patagonia native 17 Map abbr. 5 18 Not me 19 Apr. addressee 20 Rarely 6 22 Ghent native 25 Small dam 26 Current unit /6/26 Sudoku 7 27 Decree The Planets 8/6/26and Kakuro PuzzleJunction.com How to Solve: Each line in the puzzle Dunwoody above has Crier three clues three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is 30 Asp 1. first Muse ofofpoetry. Fine fur. The Planet. the letter the second answer, and soRed on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each 33 Courtroom event 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 34 Wrath 2. Our home planet. Doctor’s order, at times. Mold-ripened Kakuro, also known as Cross Sums, is a challenging number puzzle, solved in a crossword style grid. The rules are easy: A number for 3 answers on thepuzzle, line. Buteach here’srow, the catch! Theand clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually To the solve the Sudoku column 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 line is37 the Arduous sum cheese be the second or the thirdnumbers answer in1that line. Good inluck! boxformust contain to of 9. the Got whiteit? squares the sequence below it. You may only use the digits 1 to 9, and a digit can only be used once in any sequence. 38 A Smothers 3. Colorful salamander. Jovian planet. Musical work. brother 39 Tense 4. Giant outer planet. Mexican money. Mischief maker. 40 Alias 5. Lock name. Ostrich relative. Planet nearest to the sun. 41 French impressionist 6. Test. Planet with a ring of ice. Computer command. painter 42 Gamut 7. Chubby. Links feature. Small planet farthest from the sun. 43 Gem mineral 45 Via 46 Urban center 47 Bratislava natives 51 Donnybrooks 53 Bullﬁght cheer 54 Grassland 56 Samuel’s teacher 57 Belgrade native, once 61 Carte start 62 Chip away at How to Solve:Copyright Kakuro,©2026 also PuzzleJunction.com known as Cross Sums, is a 63 Like a dryer trap

2 4 6 9 5 1 7

8 9 2 6 5

9 2 5 4 8

4 1

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

challenging number puzzle, solved in a crossword style grid. The rules are easy: A number 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 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.

Solution

Solution 9 3 2 5 4 8 7 1 6

8 7 4 1 9 6 2 3 5

5 1 6 7 3 2 4 9 8

1 5 9 4 8 7 6 2 3

7 4 3 6 2 1 8 5 9

6 2 8 3 5 9 1 4 7

4 6 5 8 1 3 9 7 2

2 8 1 9 7 5 3 6 4

3 9 7 2 6 4 5 8 1

PuzzleJunction.com

14 17

16 19

18 22

26 30

21 25

33 38

40 43

60 63 66

64 Heavy weight 65 Lifeless 66 Latin foot Down 1 Locust pod 2 Bicker 3 Pastry 4 Japanese coin 5 Luau dish 6 Literary collections 7 Restoration 8 Mediterranean island native 9 Role player 10 View as 11 Might

12 Mystery 13 Actress Kudrow 16 Excursion 21 Waikiki wear 23 Fat 24 Cherbourg natives, once 28 Lens holders 29 Calendar square 30 Chinese tea 31 Furniture wood 32 São Paulo native 33 African nation 35 Carpet 36 Summer on the Seine 38 Gumshoe, to some 39 Mitchell mansion

41 Free from tears 42 Divulge 44 Mineral suffix 45 After straw or exit 46 Bowed stringed instrument 48 Misplace 49 French Kiss star Kevin 50 Airline assignments 51 Butcher’s stock 52 Certain 55 Unspecified number 58 Indian state 59 Eccentric 60 Big shot, briefly

See puzzle solutions on Page 21

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6 | August 20, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

Letter:

OPINION

Continued from Page 4

SPACES THAT FEEL AS GOOD AS THEY LOOK

When Mr. Hunyar contacted me about an incident involving Flock and cameras at a private facility, I took his concerns seriously. In an email, I told him that I had my own questions about who can access the data, and how and why searches are conducted. Before I had answers, the incident went public. What happened next was troubling. Images of children found on the facility's public-facing website were used in social media posts in a way that suggested those images had been captured by Flock. They had not.  Raising questions about surveillance technology is one thing; creating the impression that these children’s images were captured by a surveillance system when they were not is something else entirely. I am not ignoring concerns about public safety technology.  In fact, I reached out to meet with Flock's CEO, Garrett Langley, in April.  I believe it is my responsibility to ask difficult questions and demand answers. That is what I did. Mr. Hunyar calls this a "secret" meeting. It was not. I meet with people in various locations and for a host of reasons all the time.   A private meeting is not a secret meeting.

At this meeting, Flock agreed that it would no longer use Dunwoody cameras or data for commercial demonstrations for sales purposes.  Additionally, the system is now protected by multifactor authentication, and we are significantly strengthening restrictions on outside agencies’ access to our cameras and data. As technology continues to evolve, so will our scrutiny and guardrails.    At the same time, I believe it is important to recognize why Dunwoody uses public safety technology in the first place. Our police officers do an outstanding job protecting a community of more than 52,000 residents, along with the tens of thousands of people who work, shop and visit here every day. Like police departments across the country, we face staffing challenges. Technology such as Flock gives our officers another tool to help prevent and investigate crime, from helping Dunwoody detectives solve the murders of two teenage brothers to investigating scams that target our older residents. It does not replace good policing, but it helps our officers do their jobs more effectively. My responsibility is to protect both public safety and the privacy of the people we serve.  I take that responsibility seriously. — Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch

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AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | August 20, 2026 | 7

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8 | August 20, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

COMMUNITY

Applications open for DeKalb Schools redistricting teams By JIM BASS jim@appenmedia.com DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The DeKalb County School District is now accepting applications for seats on community advisory teams that will recommend ways to handle overcrowding in six clusters of schools. DeKalb County Schools is relaunching its redistricting effort, known as the Student Assignment Project. The SAP came to a grinding halt in April after a community uproar over the school district’s proposals to close 27 schools. The advisory teams are part of phase one of the project relaunch. School district leaders have discussed the need for balancing student enrollment since 2024. The district has not conducted school redistricting in the past decade, and declining enrollment is causing financial inefficiencies. The district serves about 90,000 students but has 110,000 available seats. Applications will remain open until Aug. 25. These teams will include community members, principals, staff, district personnel, alumni and students. Applicants interested in applying can visit dekalbschoolsga.org/sap. The district announced Aug. 10 that the advisory teams for the Lakeside, Cross Keys, Chamblee, Tucker, Dunwoody and Druid Hills clusters will accept 10 community members per school. Not all applicants are guaranteed acceptance, and participants will be chosen through a random selection process; however, members of the previous SAP committee, which consisted of 150 community members who worked from 2024 to 2026 to help advise the district’s process, will all receive automatic acceptance into these community

DEAN HESSE/APPEN MEDIA

Evansdale Elementary parent Claire Dykes looks over handouts during a feedback session for DeKalb County School District’s Student Assignment Project at Lakeside on March 23.

advisory teams. Once the teams for each cluster are formed, they will meet from Sept. 8-10 to discuss goals and expectations. From Sept. 22 to Oct. 2, these teams will discuss multiple options to address overcrowding. From Oct. 19-30, the

teams will look to refine those options. Other community members not participating in the advisory teams can share their thoughts through an online survey, focus groups and three public comment sessions. The final proposed item will be brought to the board for a vote expected at the end of 2026. These decisions will then be implemented starting in 2027. While the district has opened its applications for these community advisory teams, the third-party vendors expected to help lead them have not been announced. In July, the board pulled an $850,000 contract with a community-based action planning group called OGR Public Health Group LLC from the agenda just before the board meeting and did not bring the item back on Aug. 10. Triscilla Weaver, chief of access and opportunity, said the district is finalizing contracts with two separate community facilitators for phase one. One vendor will lead the facilitation and another will conduct note-taking and prepare a report. There will also be a new request for proposals posted for phase two, separate from phase one. It is unknown whether these contracts will exceed $50,000, a threshold that would require board approval. The board’s next meeting is listed as Sept. 14, six days after the first community advisory team session. According to district policy DJE: Purchasing, “independent contractor agreements with a total cost of $50,000.00 or more require Board approval based on the recommendation of the superintendent.” The district also has not named a new Student Assignment Project executive director. Sarita Smith, the former director who spearheaded the planning process, left the district in May.

COMMUNITY

AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | August 20, 2026 | 9

Teen Police Academy shapes and inspires youth Dear Editor, Six years ago, during the 2020 civil unrest, when law enforcement faced intense public scrutiny, I was serving as a community outreach officer and felt a deep responsibility to help bridge the widening gap between police and the community. I approached our police chief with an idea to create a Teen Police Academy that would invite young people into our world, give them a behind-the-scenes look at law enforcement operations, and build genuine, positive relationships with the youth in our city. When I was later promoted to Sergeant and transitioned out of the community outreach unit, the department allowed me to continue coordinating this program each summer. For six consecutive years, we’ve welcomed teenagers into this week-long academy, and the impact has been undeniable. Many graduates have pursued college programs related to law enforcement, joined ongoing public safety cadet initiatives, and continued engaging with our department in meaningful ways. The teenagers in our community are future homeowners, business owners, and leaders. As law enforcement professionals, investing in them now and building strong, authentic relationships is essential to the future of public safety. I’m thankful for the support this program has received from our mayor and council, our command staff, and the community. The dedication shown each year by Dunwoody police officers, civilian staff, and our partnering public safety agencies truly makes this academy possible. Their commitment to sharing their expertise with our students is what brings this program to life. I look forward to seeing the Teen Police Academy continue to shape and inspire the young people of our community for years to come. — Sgt. Anwar Sillah

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For six consecutive years, Dunwoody has welcomed teenagers into the week-long Teen Police Academy.

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10 | August 20, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody PAID ADVERTISEMENT

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A common misconception about vehicle lifts is that they are universal, and all that is needed on the car is a hitch. Read on to learn more about what to consider when purchasing a vehicle lift. Tongue weight – A car must have appropriate tongue weight to support a vehicle lift. Many electric vehicles, small SUVs and economy sedans lack the tongue weight to support the downward pressure of a vehicle lift. Vehicle model year also influences tongue weight. Compatibility guidelines – Your local dealer will need to know the exact make and model of your mobility device and the make, model and model year of your vehicle to determine which vehicle lift is appropriate for your application. Lift types – There are three main types of vehicle lifts: Hoist lifts, hitch-mounted exterior lifts, and interior lifts. Hoist lifts are most often mounted in a truck bed, and interior lifts transfer the mobility device into the trunk of an SUV so that it is stored

completely within the car. There are also hybrid lifts that combine features of both exterior and interior lifts, and lifts made explicitly for mini vans. Additional considerations – It is always best to work with a local dealer when purchasing a vehicle lift. They will consult on the type of hitch needed (Either a Class II or Class III hitch), and what accessories might be beneficial or required by state law. For example, license plate risers are required accessories in several states, but optional in others like Georgia. Back-up cameras are now available on several vehicle lift models to improve rear visibility for hitch-mounted exterior lifts. Your local mobility consultant and lift installation expert will be able to leverage their expertise in helping you determine the best lift for your needs! Interested in reducing the strain of transporting your mobility device? Call us to discuss your vehicle lift options! Visit us Monday-Friday 10am-5pm or Saturdays 9am-1pm or call us at (470) 545-1827. We look forward to helping you “go where you want to go!”

CITY OF CHAMBLEE/PROVIDED

A CompostNow curbside collection bin sits at the edge of a driveway. Chamblee residents can sign up for weekly compost pickup starting in October for $19 a month.

Chamblee launches opt-in curbside composting service

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CHAMBLEE, Ga. — The city of Chamblee is rolling out a new curbside composting program this fall, giving residents an opt-in option to divert food scraps from landfills for $19 a month. The subscription-based service, announced Aug. 5, launches in October in partnership with CompostNow, an organics recycling company based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The company, which has operated in the Southeast since 2011, has a local operations hub in Atlanta. Participating households will receive a 7-gallon collection bin with weekly curbside pickup, mirroring the city’s existing trash and recycling routes. “The city of Chamblee is committed to advancing sustainable solutions that reduce waste and strengthen our community,” Mayor Brian Mock said in a statement. “Expanding access to composting provides residents with a

practical way to make a meaningful environmental impact right from their homes.” Food waste is among the largest contributors to landfill volume and a major source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. City officials said the program gives residents a direct way to shrink that footprint while supporting local agriculture. The compost produced through the service is returned to farms and community gardens across metro Atlanta. CompostNow will handle day-to-day logistics, including signing up residents, collections and processing, while the city focuses on community education and outreach about what materials are accepted and how the service works. Residents can sign up and find details on accepted materials at chambleega.com. — Joshua Wilson

COMMUNITY

AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | August 20, 2026 | 11

Dunwoody-to-Vegas relay run races to combat veteran suicide If you or anyone you know is experiencing a mental health emergency, the National Suicide and Crisis Hotline number is 988. Help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. By DEAN HESSE dean@appenmedia.com DUNWOODY — Tony Barrs is on a mission to end veteran suicide and raise money to house more than 1,000 homeless veterans. He's betting a cross-country relay run will help get him there. Barrs, founder and president of Frontline Community Services Inc. VET 22 Program, announced the VET 22 Suicide Prevention Run at an Aug. 12 news conference at First Baptist Church in Dunwoody. The run is a 22-day, 2,200mile relay from Atlanta to Las Vegas featuring 1,000 runners, each covering a 2.2-mile leg in their hometowns. On Aug. 30, the relay will launch from First Baptist Church, 4400 N. Peachtree Road, where 83-year-old Marine Corps veteran and ultradistance runner Stan Cottrell will run the first 2.2 miles. Cottrell, the event's commander, is a Guinness World Records holder who has logged more than 300,000 miles over five decades of running. He will also run the relay's final 2.2 miles in Las Vegas. The number 22 refers to a statistic organizers cite often: an estimated 22 veterans die by suicide every day, a toll they link to combat trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder and homelessness. Organizers are asking the public to donate $22 each to support the cause. "We all can make a difference by donating just $22," Barrs said, adding that veterans "richly deserve" the effort. Barrs said the ultimate goal is a 42acre veterans village in DeKalb County that would house thousands of veterans while offering substance use treatment, job placement and other services. Cottrell said the run itself isn't the point. "It's not the run that's the story. It's the veterans that are the story," he said, noting veteran suicides have averaged 22 a day since 1980. He recalled his mother's daily refrain when he was a child — "Lord, I'm reporting for duty" — and said too many veterans have simply stopped reporting for duty, their voices silenced. Searless Hathaway-Williams, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and commander of American Legion District 4, said she's pushing for change because fellow veterans are suffering. "I'm here because my comrades are suffering," she said. "The reason veterans are killing themselves is they still see the demons. Well, we've got to do something about the demons. We've got

DEAN HESSE/APPEN MEDIA

At a news conference at First Baptist Church Atlanta in Dunwoody on Aug. 12 announcing the VET 22 Suicide Prevention Run, American Legion District 4 Commander Searless Hathaway-Williams, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and member of the American Legion Riders, holds $22 — the amount organizers are asking people to donate to support the mission of eradicating veteran suicide and providing housing for homeless veterans.

VET 22 Suicide Prevention Run Commander Stan Cottrell speaks at a news conference at First Baptist Church Atlanta, in Dunwoody, announcing the 2,022-mile cross-country run. The 83-year-old Marine Corps veteran has run over 300,000 miles across 43 countries and will run the first 2.2 miles from the church on Aug. 30 and finish the last 2.2-mile leg in Las Vegas. Participants from left are Searless Hathaway-Williams, retired Army lieutenant colonel and commander of American Legion District 4; registered nurse Beloved Promise; Cottrell; and First Baptist Church Senior Pastor Rev. Anthony George. to stop saying it's your fault. It's not their fault." Hathaway-Williams, a motorcycle enthusiast, said her American Legion

district started a riding group that highlights veterans' struggles, including those experiencing homelessness. "Not only the ones committing sui-

cide, but the ones that are standing out on Interstate 85, I-285, on the overpass, in the streets, sleeping in doorways,” she said. “These are the people we are trying to fight for." She said a March ride raised more than $2,500 for a veterans housing complex. After the news conference, Casandra McAllister, who had been sitting quietly to the side, spoke about her son, Army Spc. Cedric L. Grayer Jr., who died by suicide in September 2017 — a loss that will mark nine years next month. He was her only child. "So intelligent, so informative, so loving, so caring," she said, recalling calls and videos from his military friends remembering his humor and his insistence that they stay fit. Though he had no children of his own, McAllister said, he helped raise his niece and nephew and remained active in the DeKalb County community. Organizers are asking anyone interested in supporting the run or donating to contact Frontline Community Services' VET 22 Program at Vet22.vet.

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August 20, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | 12

Don't let probate court run your business Why a trust matters for business owners Brought to you by – Holly Geerdes Estates Law Center USA If you own a business, you've spent years building something that runs on your judgment, relationships, and daily decisions. But what happens to that business the day you can no longer make those decisions — whether from death or incapacity? For many owners, the honest answer is: nobody knows, because there's no plan in place. The problem with relying on a will alone A will only takes effect at death, and even then, it doesn't avoid probate — it has to go through it. Probate is a courtsupervised process, and court supervision means delay, public record, and a judge (not your family or your business

partner) overseeing what happens to your ownership interest until the estate is settled. For a business that depends on quick decisions — signing contracts, approving payroll, responding to a supplier issue — a probate delay of months isn't a HOLLY GEERDES paperwork inconEstate Law Center USA Top 5% Super Lawyer in Georgia venience. It can be the difference between the business surviving and the business stalling out while heirs wait for a judge's approval to act. The bigger gap: incompetency Death planning gets most of the attention, but incapacity is arguably the more dangerous gap. If you become

incapacitated — from an accident, a stroke, a progressive illness — a will does nothing at all. It has no legal effect until you die. Without other planning in place, the only way for someone to step in and manage your business interest is for a family member to petition a court for guardianship or conservatorship over you. That process is public, it takes time, and the court — not you — decides who is appointed and what authority they're given. Meanwhile, your business may have no one with clear legal authority to sign checks, make payroll, or respond to a crisis. How a trust changes the picture A properly funded trust holds title to your business interest during your lifetime, so there's no gap in authority if you're incapacitated. Your named successor trustee simply steps in under the terms you wrote, with no court process required. And at death, the trust doesn't need to pass through probate at all — the

successor trustee already holds legal title and can continue operating or transitioning the business according to your instructions, immediately and privately. For a business owner, that difference isn't abstract. It's the difference between a seamless handoff and a court-supervised interruption at exactly the moment your business can least afford one. The bottom line If your business interest is one of your most valuable assets — and for most owners, it is — it deserves more protection than a will alone can offer. A trust, properly drafted and properly funded with your business interest, is what allows your business to keep running smoothly through incapacity and to pass to the next generation or the next owner without a probate court standing in the way. Come visit our workshops and webinars to learn more about protecting your assets.

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ATLANTA NEWS FIRST/PROVIDED

Southeast DeKalb High School’s former football coach William “Buck” Godfrey poses at Buck Godfrey Stadium in Panthersville, which was named after him in 2015.

Legendary DeKalb football coach Buck Godfrey dies at 83 By JIM BASS jim@appenmedia.com DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — William “Buck” Godfrey, a legendary football coach for DeKalb County Schools, died Saturday, Aug. 1 at age 83. Godfrey is known to many DeKalb County residents as the football coach who led the Southwest DeKalb High School Panthers football team from 1983 to 2012. In that role, he earned 273 wins, 27 playoff appearances, 13 region titles and a 1995 Class AAAA Georgia High School Association state championship. With his 273 wins, he is the winningest football coach in DeKalb County history and the winningest Black football coach in state history. In 2015, Panthersville Stadium was renamed Buck Godfrey Stadium to honor the coach, who had throughout his career helped over 300 players earn college scholarships.

A letter released by the DeKalb County School District on Monday, the first day of the district’s school year, mourned his loss and offered condolences. “Coach Buck Godfrey was more than a championship football coach. He was an educator, mentor, and role model whose impact will be felt for generations,” wrote Interim Superintendent Norman C. Sauce III. “His unwavering commitment to developing young people of character created a legacy that extends well beyond wins and championships.” According to Atlanta News First, many community members posted social media tributes to Godfrey, including his daughter and actress, author and media personality Rashan Ali. Godfrey was inducted into the Atlanta Hall of Fame in 2010, the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.

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14 | August 20, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

Sip around Dunwoody Village and support police foundation

NEWS

By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com

CREATE DUNWOODY/PROVIDED

Sips Around the Village attendees will receive five tasting tokens to use at any of the 18 participating restaurants. Attendees can mark off stops on their “passports” for the chance to win a prize. The event is Aug. 29 and supports the Dunwoody Police Foundation.

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DUNWOODY, Ga. — Explore an array of restaurants in the greater Dunwoody Village area during Sips Around the Village from 4-8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29, starting on the lawn at Marlow’s Tavern and Karen Cannon, Realtors. The walkable tasting experience through Dunwoody Village is sponsored by Create Dunwoody, the Greater Perimeter Chamber and the Dunwoody Village Merchant Alliance to benefit the Dunwoody Police Foundation. The nonprofit foundation provides funding for specialized training, equipment, wellness and family assistance to the men, women and families serving the Dunwoody Police Department. Ticket holders will get five tasting tokens to trade in at any of the 18 participating restaurants. In exchange, guests can sample a signature drink and get a stamp on their passport to mark off that location. At five stamps, guests can bring their completed passport to the Create Dunwoody table for a prize while supplies last. Live music will start at Mellow Mushroom at 3 p.m. and play until 10 p.m. at different businesses throughout the event. Tickets are on sale now at createdunwoody.org/sips for $40 through Aug. 26 and will increase to $50 on Aug. 27. Guests must be 21 or older to purchase. Each ticket includes five tasting tokens redeemable for 5-oz. samples at participating locations, an official event coozie, and access to exclusive drink specials and promotions.

Go to appenmedia.com/join or mail a check to 319 N. Main Street Alpharetta, GA 30009

OPINION

AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | August 20, 2026 | 15

GARDEN BUZZ

What’s up Doc? Why are carrots great to grow? We love carrots in our house, but that wasn’t always the case. When my kids were little, I would sneak finely grated carrots into pasta sauce, soup and pancakes. No one knew — until I was caught orange-handed. Thankfully, I no longer need to sneak around with my grater. Carrots are a great, easy snack when you need a good crunch packed ANNE FALLON with fiber, potassium, calcium and Guest Columnist vitamins A, C and B-6. Carrots are also low in sodium and contain no cholesterol. Other health benefits can include improved bone health and lower blood sugar levels. Of course, carrots can be enjoyed raw, cooked and in sweet and savory recipes. With few pests, carrots are easy to grow in Georgia, particularly when planted in raised garden beds. They come in varied sizes and many colors, including orange, yellow, red, purple, white and black, making them a nice cool-season crop. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension offers a complete list of varieties that thrive in our climate. Once you have chosen your seeds, prepare the soil and test it weeks before you plant to address nutrient needs, including fertilizer and the addition of recommended minerals. Test the soil if it has not been tested in more than three years, or if you haven’t planted carrots in that spot before. Visit extension.uga.edu for soil testing instructions. Carrot seeds are tiny and best sown directly when soil temperatures are 55 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit in late winter or early fall. Use the UGA Weather Network to find out when average temperatures fall into that range. Because the seeds are so small, you may want to plant the carrot seeds with radishes to help keep your row of carrots defined. As a bonus, you’ll have radishes to eat in 25 to 30 days. Allowing a few carrot plants to bolt, or go to seed, is a nice treat for pollinators that visit the lovely flat-topped flower heads called umbels. An umbel is actually a cluster of flowers, with smaller clusters of flowers and even smaller clusters of flowers. The umbel has a beautiful, unusual shape, and a single umbel can produce hundreds of seeds. Carrots are biennials, which means they produce viable seed in their second year. However, seed-saving gardeners may be disappointed to learn that UGA Extension does not recommend saving carrot seeds in Georgia and instead suggests sowing new carrot seeds each year. One reason is that carrots easily cross-pollinate with other crops and will not produce reliable seed like the parent carrot. What a great excuse to plant a purple carrot crop after your orange carrot crop. When you plant your new carrot seeds, remember to rotate your crops. Do not plant them in the same spot every year or in a spot where plants of the same family were planted. Carrots are in the Apiaceae family, which also includes cilantro, dill, parsley, celery and parsnips. Because plants in the same family use the same nutrients from the soil, planting in the same spot will deplete your soil of these necessary nutrients, resulting in inferior produce. They are also susceptible to the same pests and diseases, which can build up in the soil and attack your new plants if you do not rotate your crops. Included is an easy carrot salad recipe that offers endless opportunities for substitutions and additions. 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.

Classic Carrot and Raisin Salad Yield: 8 to 10 servings Ingredients: •4 cups shredded carrots (12 to 16 medium carrots, about 1 pound) •1 cup raisins •1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon mayonnaise •1 tablespoon honey •1 teaspoon maple syrup (or use more honey) •2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar •Pinch of salt

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Instructions: 1. Combine carrots and raisins in a medium bowl. Set aside. 2. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, honey, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar and salt. 3. Add the shredded carrots and raisins to the large bowl and mix until evenly coated. Substitutions: Use Greek yogurt instead of the mayonnaise, or use half mayonnaise and half yogurt. You can also use freshly squeezed lemon juice instead of the apple

cider vinegar, or use all honey or all maple syrup. Additions: Try adding 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, diced apples or diced pineapple. You can also try 1/3 cup of pomegranate seeds or 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro. If substituting yogurt for mayonnaise, consider adding 1 or 2 tablespoons of chopped mint. Don’t be afraid to try growing this nutrient-dense, reliable, cool-season crop at your home.

Roswell Resident Anne Fallon caught the gardening bug while working for a garden magazine in New York City. At the time, she only had a single potted plant in an apartment in Hoboken, NJ. Twenty-nine years and countless potted plants and gardens later, Anne has been a UGA-trained Master Gardener since 2024. Anne is also an AVID tutor and the longtime manager of the Crabapple Middle School Learn and Serve Garden, where she loves teaching students how to grow vegetables that nourish their minds and bodies and serve the community.

16 | August 20, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

COMMUNITY

PET OF THE WEEK

MARY JANE

PROVIDED

Meet Mary Jane (ID# 60815217), Calm and mellow are but a few of the words that have been used to describe Mary Jane. Other words are: delightful, easy, so sweet and very affectionate. She loves to climb into a lap and roll over for some pets. She gives gentle kisses and has an “old soul demeanor that will win your heart.” She walks well on leash and is a real beauty with unique coloring and lovely auburn eyes. Mary Jane weighs 70 pounds, is 3 years old, is a volunteer favorite and is looking for a loving home. Visit our shelter to meet her and make plans to bring her home! dekalbanimalservices.com/pet-de tails/?aid=60815217&cid=97&tid= Dog Expand your family by four furry little feet; meet Mary Jane and have a loving friend forever. All adoptions include spay/neuter, vaccinations and a microchip. All you have to do is provide the love and security that every shelter animal deserves! If you would like more information about Mary

Suit: Continued from Page 1 mation about a 2021 incident involving a police officer and the manager of a Dunwoody tire store. Hirsch blamed the loss on a legal technicality and said his case was hamstrung by his attorney’s illness. His attorney died during the litigation and he got a new attorney. Hirsch plans to appeal. “The city won on a technicality, and my attorney f***ed up, and my [prior] attorney died, and city wouldn’t grant me an extension, and here we are,” Hirsch said. He said the city is already trying to collect from him. “They’re coming after me for the money,” he said. “They’ve made it clear they’re gonna get their money.” Last year, Senior Judge David Irwin found that the city and its employees complied with the requirements of the Open Records Act. The judge’s order said the defendants were trying to comply with the plaintiff’s request, but that Hirsch had failed to provide the city with certain information required by state law when seeking electronic communications. In his conclusion, Irwin wrote, “the record shows that plaintiff’s litigation strategy was designed to harass, intimidate and impose unnecessary costs on the city and its employees.” Following Irwin’s ruling, the city and its employees filed a motion to recoup their legal fees. It was approved by the DeKalb County Superior Court on May 22. The

Jane or if you have questions about adopting, fostering or volunteering please email adoption@ dekalbanimalservices.com or call (404) 294-2165; all potential adopters will be screened to ensure Mary Jane goes to a good home. Come visit Mary Jane and hundreds of other adoptable pets at DeKalb County Animal Services today -- no appointment needed! Our address is 3280 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Chamblee, GA 30340. We look forward to helping you find your new best friend! If you can’t adopt, please consider fostering temporarily or come take one of our pups for a fun day out with our Dog for the Day program. This program is a great way to borrow a canine companion for a hike, a trip to the park, or a lazy day at home. Email foster@ dekalbanimalservices.com for more information about Dog for the Day. Your love and kindness can make all the difference.

court issued a final order and judgment on June 3, ordering Hirsch pay the city, Linton, Lowery, Shealy and LePage legal fees that total $182,478. Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch confirmed that the city has begun trying to collect on the judgment, citing Hirsch’s own statements that he was trying to run up the city’s costs. “You know, he said he was going to run up our legal fees,” she said. “He said that publicly.” According to court records, during deposition, Hirsch said, “I’m going to spend a million dollars on this and the taxpayers are going to be screwed because you in this city won’t understand how important this lawsuit is to do the right thing.” The judge’s order noted Hirsch repeatedly made comments on social media about what the litigation was costing the city. One post said, “Gonna be insane how much money residents are forced to pay due to city leaders who are fools. Estimating more than 100K additional bucks!” Hirsch said the goal of filing the lawsuit was to get the city to comply with the Open Records Act. He said he was not trying to run up the city’s costs. “It was the opposite,” he said. “I was trying to save them money because if they would stop defending the indefensible, where they deliberately hid text messages and held employees accountable, then there would be zero cost to the city.” Hirsch works as a paralegal and said he would not be able to pay the judgment. “I have none of that money… I don’t have that money at all,” he said.

OPINION

AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | August 20, 2026 | 17

GET OUTSIDE, GEORGIA!

The joy of rediscovering my dad’s prized popping bugs The other day, on the radio, I heard a story about artificial intelligence agent gone rogue. The short version: There was this one AI system which somehow escaped its handlers and (as the story put STEVE HUDSON it) “broke out of the Columnist sandbox” and took over another AI system. But free-range AI is nothing compared to free-agent washing machines. Bet you haven’t heard about those, have you? I thought not. Just remember you read it first here. And here’s how I know it’s a thing: Do you recall our water incident? The one that upturned our otherwise peaceful life and then sent us packing to the hills while repairs are being made? Remember that? I’m convinced that the whole thing started right when we began talking about maybe getting a new washing machine, a sleek and sexy one with buttons and knobs and multi-colored lights? Yeah. Did the old washer overhear us plotting? Did we make it mad? They hear everything, you know. Washing machines don’t miss a beat. They’re smart – deviously smart – and even play cheery little tunes when the cycle’s done. How nice, we think. How cute! But maybe they’re just trying to distract us. Maybe it’s all part of their plan. Yeah, it’s all sunshine and light with washing machines. Until it isn’t. But I digress. The sunshine and light part went away when water from the washer somehow ended up on the floor…and in the carpet…and the sheetrock...and, well, pretty much everywhere. As it turned out, getting rid of the water was easy. Massive 747-sized fans and hulking dehumidifiers made short work of that. But then the repairs came. They’re still going on, and while they are we’re hiding out in an AirBNB up in the hills. But I’ve got to say that it’s not all bad, because our temporary home-awayfrom-home comes with a lake, and the lake comes with a whole bunch of fish. Lakes are made to be fished, of course, so on Day 2 of our exile I picked up my flyrod and carried it to the water. I made a cast, had a hit and caught one of the biggest breams I’d ever seen. “Wow,” I said. I sent a photo of the fish to my wife, who was back at the AirBNB putting

A stash of popping bugs found inside an old tackle box. things together in the kitchen. “Wow,” she said. After supper, we both went to the water. She promptly caught one even bigger than mine, and then another, and then one more. I picked up a few more too. Maybe, I thought, exile isn’t going to be so bad. But I was going to need more flies. And for those big bream, what I’d really need was something beefy. What I’d need was popping bugs. Popping bugs are named for the sound they make as you work them on the water. That sound – a deep, liquid galoompf – was part of the soundtrack of my childhood, and I suppose that it (like the memories) will be with me for the duration. The next day I stopped to visit my Mom. We sat at the round kitchen table, looking past the orchids growing in the window, out past the boat dock, out to the pond where Dad had so often fished poppers for his beloved bass and bream. He could make almost any popper do magic things, but his favorite was always one he called the Peck’s Popping Minnow. Developed by Earnest H. Peckinpaugh of Chattanooga, Tenn., in the early 1900s, it featured a high-floating cork body adorned with some artfully added feathers. On the water, it suggests a struggling minnow, and bass and

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bream just can’t leave it alone. “It’s the best there is,” Dad always said, and he must have bought hundreds of them over the years – many, I’m sure, to replace the ones I left hanging in trees. Anyway, Mom and I visited for a while. I told her about the fishing. She offered me sweet tea and a piece of cake. I asked if she’d mind if I went downstairs to see if there might be some popping bugs lying about. “You just help yourself,” she said, for she knew what a popping bug was and what it could do with big bream. The best ones always know. So, into the basement I went. I turned on the light and started to rummage about. That’s when I saw it: an ancient aluminum tackle box, a box that had been part of my childhood. And memory flooded back. I knew that Dad had kept his most-prized lures inside that box – Hula Poppers, Rapalas, and red-and-white Heddon’s spoons. But those went in the second tray down. The top tray, the place of respect and highest honor, was reserved for popping bugs – and the best compartments, the ones front and center, were always reserved for Peck’s Popping Minnows. Were there still any poppers in that

dented old box? There was one way to find out. With an unexpected sense of profundity, I picked up the box and set it on the workbench. Then I eased open the latch. Hinges creaked a little as I swung it open. Lo and behold, there they were. Popping bugs – at least a hundred of them. They had been in that box for a long, long time. Long enough that maybe I’d even used one of them myself all those years ago? I picked out a dozen or so, favoring yellow and white like Dad had always done, cradling them like old friends in my hand. Then I went to close the lid, securing the rest for another day. But then something caught my eye from the back corner of the bottom of the box. What’s that? I looked closer and there before me were two yellowed plastic containers, each holding a brand-new Peck’s Special Popping Minnow. I had found the holy grail, and it was pristine. About then I realized then that I was holding my breath. I exhaled, slowly, and reached deliberately to pick up the two little packages and timeless treasure that each contained. And for a time – how long? – I just stood there in the half-light of the basement, thinking of…what? Of memories from years ago? Of memories yet to come? I know I thought this: When my Dad first met the lady who would become my wife – the lady with whom I now share life and everything else and with whom I’ll share time on the water this very evening – he knew right away that I was onto something good. And when I told him that, yes, she was learning to flyfish, and that yes, she would even unhook her own fish, he’d looked me square in the eye and said, “Son, she is a keeper.” You remember things like that. After a while, I went back upstairs. Mom said I could have the popping bugs and the Peck’s poppers, too, if I wanted them. I did, so I wrapped them carefully and put them in a little box. Then I said goodbye and got back in the car. I drove slowly down the driveway, past the azaleas now resting from their summertime exuberance, past the shady pines and the sweetgum tree. At the end of the drive, I turned north, willing the GPS to take me home the short way (for home is where she is) and to the good fishing and all that’s yet to come. Isn’t it true? It all goes full circle. It does.

18 | August 20, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

BRADSHAW’S BRIEF

OPINION

Appeasement just will not work I like Michael Smerconish. His Saturday morning show on CNN is appointment TV for me. His commentary is thoughtful and reasonable, and I find myself agreeing with his take STEVE BRADSHAW on things most of the Columnist time. decaturish@appenmedia.com But in a recent episode, he said something that struck me as off base. It was shortly after Democratic Socialists of America candidates had won primary elections in congressional districts around New York City. In response, Smerconish said the Democratic establishment would need to find a way to appease the DSA folks without blowing their chances to win in more competitive districts, or words to that effect. It was the word "appease" that struck

me as off the mark. Based upon what I have seen from a distance, my interactions with local folks of the DSA mindset and my understanding of history, appeasement won't work. I would advise the Democratic establishment to steer clear of that strategy. Here it is important to make a few points. I think it is imperative that the Democrats take back at least the U.S. House of Representatives this election cycle. The Trump administration has proven itself to be a rogue operation. And the Republicans in Congress have proven unwilling to check the president's actions by operating as a coequal branch of government. This paradigm must be broken. However, whenever a DSA candidate defeats a so-called establishment candidate in an already blue district, we come no closer to achieving that objective. By necessity, for the Democrats to win back control of the House of Representatives, they will have to win in districts

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The City of Dunwoody City Council will meet Monday, September 14th, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Dunwoody City Hall, which is located at 4800 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, Georgia 30338 for the purpose of due process of the following: RZ 26-02, 1369 Spalding Drive & 5646 Roberts Drive: The Providence Group of Georgia, LLC requests a rezoning from the R-100 (Single-dwelling Residential-100) district to the R-60 (Single-dwelling Residential-60) district to allow the creation of 3 lots. RZ 26-06, 4891 Ashford Dunwoody Road: Lennar Georgia, LLC requests a rezoning from the O-I (Office-Institution) district to PC-3 (Perimeter Center) district to allow the development of up to 33 townhomes. SLUP 26-02, 125 Perimeter Center W: SmartMed, LLC requests a Special Land Use Permit to allow a drive-through medical office. SLUP 26-03, 5342 Tilly Mill Road: The Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta requests a Special Land Use Permit to allow an indoor pickleball facility. Should you have any questions or comments, please contact the City of Dunwoody Community Development Department at 678-382-6800. Staff is available to answer questions, discuss the decision-making process, and receive comments and concerns.

currently represented by Republicans. Meaning they are not naturally left-leaning districts. Meaning they are not likely to embrace the DSA platform. Speaking of which, there are elements of the DSA platform that strike me as selfindulgent, shortsighted and not grounded in anything approximating reality. I will leave it to you to do your own research to discern if you agree with my assessment. But two platform items in particular strike me as "tells." One is a proposal to eliminate the U.S. Senate. The other is the replacement of the president and the Supreme Court with an executive and judiciary chosen by and subordinate to Congress. I interpret these platform items as a tacit recognition by the DSA that its proposals do not have broad appeal. Meaning U.S. senators must be elected statewide, rather than from highly gerrymandered congressional districts. Of course, the president must be elected nationwide. Does anyone who has even a rudimentary understanding of how our governmental construct is supposed to work think that things would be better if we had a unicameral national legislature that functions like the current House of Representatives? I don't think so. Aside from a platform that I cannot support, there is something else about this group that bothers me, and it is stylistic. Many of these folks demonstrate the two qualities that offend me most in other people. Those qualities are arrogance and intolerance. Arrogance in that they seem to be so sure that they are right. I don't think the word humility is a part of their active vocabularies. And intolerance in that they seem to regard those who don't agree with any of their policy prescriptions as heretics and sellouts and any other manner of pejorative adjectives. They cast themselves as revolutionaries determined to "tear it all down." This is why appeasement won't work. It is certainly not my intent to demean or disregard them in any way. On the

DEATH NOTICES Judith Bredahl, age 78, of Roswell, GA passed away on August 4, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Newton Brumbeloe, age 86, of Milton, GA passed away on August 5, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Jesse Perry, age 80, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on August 5, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Donald Brown, age 91, of Roswell, GA passed away on August 6, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Sheri Datri, age 62, of Roswell, GA passed away on August 4, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Richard Ptacin, age 88, of Roswell, GA passed away on August 10, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

contrary. I think a lot of these DSA types are very smart and very charismatic. This makes them attractive to a certain part of the electorate. But I think they know that as a standalone political party their chances of achieving their stated objectives are close to zero. Instead, they seem determined to hijack the Democratic Party. And if the Democratic Party — the party of FDR and Truman, JFK and LBJ, Carter and Clinton, Obama and Biden — allows this takeover to happen, then it will deserve what it gets. Considering this loud and growing movement, what is the Democratic Party to do? I can distill it to one word: Fight! Since most of these DSA types are big on supporting "fighters," the establishment Democratic Party should show these folks what a fight looks like. I was recently watching a show on MS NOW, and one of the panelists was haranguing the Democratic establishment. In response, former Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison politely but forcefully chided the other panelist, asking in effect: When you talk about the establishment, who do you mean? Do you mean the folks who have been organizing, raising money and getting Democrats elected across this country for years? Is that who you mean? I loved that spirited defense of normal. And I want to see more of it, especially from people who supposedly know better. Therefore, I'll be looking to at least some of the 2028 presidential candidates to see if they have anything approximating a backbone. Will they push back hard against the nonsense, or will they capitulate to crazy? The next president needs to be able to stand up to Vladimir Putin in Russia and Xi Jinping in China and a host of other bad actors around the world. But to earn my vote, candidates must first demonstrate that they can stand up to these well-meaning but misguided upstarts. For the sake of our party and the sake of our country. Finally, if I thought that reasoning with some of these folks and trying to come together as an actual "big tent" party was a viable option, I would certainly advocate for that. But based on what I have seen so far, I don't see that as feasible. There is no reasoning with revolutionaries. I sincerely hope that I am wrong. But if not, so be it. This reckoning is long overdue.

I, KUMAR ROHIT, residing in Johns Creek, Georgia, USA, have changed my name from KUMAR ROHIT to ROHIT KUMAR and shall hereafter be known as ROHIT KUMAR for all purposes.

Council:

NEWS

AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | August 20, 2026 | 19

Continued from Page 1 Planning & Zoning Manager Paul Leonhardt said these requirements are modeled after the city’s restrictions on liquor stores. The ordinance is similar to one adopted by the city of Johns Creek. Ashwood Parkway rezoning At the Aug. 10 council meeting, project leaders shared more detail on a proposed 122-townhouse development along Ashwood Parkway. The development requires rezoning a 11.64-acre property across from Perimeter Marketplace on Ashford Dunwoody Road from office-institution to planned development status. The property currently houses an office building with over 50 vacancies, and Senior Planner Madalyn Smith said it has no “viable path forward.” If approved, the five-story building and associated parking lot will be demolished at the developer’s expense. The applicant currently proposes a mix of three-story townhome models ranging from 1,850 to 3,000 square feet. The property is limited to 122 townhomes, with no more than 12 of those units available as rental properties. Smith said the proposed vision fits appropriately with the surrounding townhomes and aligns with the Perimeter Center transition zoning district. Councilmember John Heneghan asked why the property needed to be classified as planned development and not rezoned to match the surrounding area. Smith explained Perimeter Center zoning is restrictive and would involve complicated variances that don’t typically adhere to this style of development. Smith said a planned development classification allows council members to focus on ensuring the product is good for Dunwoody rather than on details like elevation and street frontage requirements. Councilmember Joe Seconder asked the developer, Ashton Woods Homes, about the possibility of stacked, single-level apart-

HANNAH YAHNE/APPEN MEDIA

Mary, a resident of an apartment complex on Ashwood Parkway, asks the Dunwoody City Council Aug. 10 to strictly enforce designated construction hours and truck routes during development of sites at 1200 and 1240 Ashwood Parkway. ments similar to developments in Alpharetta. Joe Ingram with Ashton Woods Homes said they have learned from past attempts they are not equipped to manage the construction of stacked flats. Mayor Lynn Deutsch challenged project leaders to amend the plan to include accommodations — such as elevators — for older adults before the rezoning request comes up for a final vote later this month. Ingram explained the legal nuances of adding elevators to a townhouse development. Multilevel townhomes are not required to adhere to accessibility requirements outlined in the federal Fair Housing Act. That changes if elevators, or the space to add them in the future, are included. “If we put even one elevator in, we are then required to do it for the entirety of the building,” Ingram said.

Deutsch argued that while it may be difficult, those types of units are highly marketable and sought after in Dunwoody. “This is a perfect location for people looking to age in Dunwoody because they will be able to walk so many places,” Deutsch said. “Let’s see what we can work out, please.” Financing special events During the meeting, the mayor brought forward a discussion item about how the city interacts financially with nonprofit organizations and longtime community events. In April, the Dunwoody Homeowners Association asked the city for a $5,000 sponsorship to help with rising insurance costs resulting from the Fourth of July parade’s increased popularity and associated risk factors. No cash donation was made, but the

request, along with others from separate groups, prompted conversation around the city’s special events policy. Heneghan said he would prefer the city financially sponsor nonprofit events rather than let the special events calendar shrink. The council member said making “minor” cash donations to help nonprofits like the homeowners association or the Dunwoody Preservation Trust cover costs is cheaper than the city taking on the responsibility of hosting premier special events itself. Deutsch said Dunwoody has a “vibrant history” of special events that precede its cityhood but that the city needs to have a better policy on how to equitably finance these requests. Councilmember Rob Price agreed, saying the city needs clearer definitions of legacy events and the criteria for qualifying for financial assistance.

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