Dunwoody Crier - February 26, 2026

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St. Pius X wins championship

By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com

DECATUR, Ga. — St. Pius X beat Tucker 79-54 Feb. 19 to win the 2026 Region 5-4A tournament held at Southwest DeKalb High in Decatur.

Private schools won both the boys and girls region titles. In the girls championship game, Marist defeated Southwest DeKalb in dominant fashion.

Marist girls basketball boasts the No. 1 player in the country for the senior class, Kate Harpring. The War

Eagles have scored 100 or more points in three games this season.

In last year’s Region 5-4A boys final, Tucker bested Southwest DeKalb. This year, the Panthers swept Tucker in the regular season but fell to the Tigers in the region semifinal Feb. 17. The back-and-forth battle ended 52-44, and Tucker advanced to the final.

Tucker started the championship game on fire, pushing to win the tournament for their retiring head coach James Hartry.

Senior Julian Glenwinkel and

sophomore Sterling Pritchett scored 16 points apiece in the loss. The lead went back and forth between the teams into the second quarter until St. Pius pulled away with a 20-0 run and never relinquished that lead.

Tucker senior JaKobe Williams missed the region final due to ACL surgery that morning. Williams suffered an injury last month that ended his season. He had been averaging 19 points a game.

ROBIN BLASS & LAUREN BLASS SOLOMON

By JIM BASS jim@appenmedia.com

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The DeKalb County School District has announced the potential closure of 27 schools and the expansion of 11 in its first release of redistricting scenarios.

The potential closures provoked criticism and concerns, with many parent groups rallying to defend their local schools. Parents of schools that were over capacity were surprised to see their schools on the potential closure list. Some in South DeKalb, a community facing the brunt of the closures, are urging district officials to reconsider.

DeKalb Schools also faces questions on whether to pause current renovations underway or planned for several schools that may close.

Executive Director of Student Assignment Sarita Smith said there will be multiple rounds of scenarios to consider, with feedback provided before the school board approves them.

“This is going to happen several times,” Smith said. “What we start with is definitely not going to be what we end up with, and that is intentional because if we started at the end, then we didn’t give the community a chance to give us input.”

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DeKalb committee defers tire dumping policy

By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com

DECATUR, Ga. — The DeKalb County Employee Relations and Public Safety Committee, at its Feb. 17 meeting, recommended deferring a policy addressing tire dumping until April, pending potential state legislation.

The legislative session ends April 2. According to policy analyst Marcus Allen, lawmakers may introduce legislation that allows municipalities to adjust dumping fines.

“One of the things that we’re looking at at the state level is to allow counties to increase the fines and penalties for egregious tire dumping, and it may be prudent to allow that process to play out,” Allen said.

As of Feb. 23, state legislation had not been introduced. The county commissioners recently asked the DeKalb House delegation to address tire dumping, including additional funding for counties to support cleanup efforts.

Rep. Billy Mitchell, D-Stone Mountain, has proposed an additional $5 fee per tire on purchases.

“When you no longer can use that tire, there’s a center you can take it and you get your $5 back,” Mitchell said. “If, in fact, we were to implement a system like that, you would not find tires by the hundreds anywhere.”

He added that it would be similar to getting money back when returning glass bottles.

The county’s ordinance looks to address egregious littering and dumping of scrap tires by imposing harsher fines.

AAPPEN PRESSCLU B

Dumping non-hazardous or non-biomedical waste would be a misdemeanor offense. Dumping biomedical or hazardous waste would constitute a felony, and the fine could be up to $25,000. In both cases, each day a violation occurs would be a separate violation.

Violators could also be ordered to remove the egregious litter, repair or restore property, pay damages or perform public service.

The ordinance generally regulates unlawful dumping, and the draft does not specify whether tires would be considered hazardous waste.

Allen said the ordinance is in good shape for adoption, but by April, staff would have a comprehensive strategy to present to the County Commission. The ordinance was deferred to the April 21 ERPS meeting. The County Commission is set to discuss the ordinance on Feb. 26.

“This is getting to be a better and better ordinance every time,”

Commissioner Robert Patrick said.

Commissioner Ted Terry encouraged the county also to look at misdemeanor

fines. Any potential state legislation would likely address felony charges related to tire dumping, Terry said.

Allen agreed and said that the maximum fine a municipality can impose for a code violation is $1,000 per violation.

“We believe we’ve found a little bit of a workaround to that by making each dumped tire a single offense,” Allen said. “If a violator were to dump 50 tires, they would be charged $1,000 for each tire dumped.”

Terry added that while he had previously raised the idea of treating each dumped tire as a violation, he was concerned that merely increasing fines wouldn’t solve the problem.

“I believe in restorative justice approaches,” he said. “If we’re going to increase a fine, I would like to have some other diversion program that says, ‘Hey, maybe we can get you some help to become a licensed scrap tire hauler.’”

Allen said that could be considered an administrative program. Presiding Officer LaDena Bolton liked the idea of restorative justice, but didn’t think it would apply to dumping tires.

The county has experienced high levels of tire dumping, having collected 37,000 scrap tires in 2025.

“My sense of what’s really happening is that the shops that deal with tires are finding someone who’s not authorized to take care of the

scrap tires,” Terry said.

He’d like to see an ordinance with consequences that could include loss of a business license or requiring completion of audits and maintenance of tire manifests.

During a November 2025 ERPS meeting, county staff noted that some businesses and haulers are the primary drivers of dumping activity as a means of avoiding disposal fees.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division manages scrap tire transportation by permitting generators, haulers and processors.

In DeKalb County, there are 150 businesses permitted to generate tires and 15 haulers. There are only five disposal facilities across the state, and the closest one to DeKalb is in Fulton County.

A business must work with a carrier to transport scrap tires to a disposal facility, but there is typically a delivery fee at the processing center.

During the December press conference, Cochran-Johnson also emphasized the intentional nature of many large-scale tire dumps.

“We must confront a difficult truth,” she said. “This is not accidental. We want you to know that if you are a perpetrator, we realize that it is organized. Illegal tire dumping is an unfunded mandate on the people of DeKalb County, and it has to stop.”

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The White Rose embodies the demands that lie ahead

A white rose is small. But it makes a large claim: that conscience must be visible, especially when hatred is looking for a place to hide.

I recently received recognition from the White Rose Society during the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate at Marist School in Atlanta. I accepted it with gratitude, but also as a reminder that symbols only matter if they lead to action.

The White Rose points back to students who resisted Nazi ideology with nothing but truth and courage. They teach a hard lesson for every generation: silence is never neutral. It always helps someone.

Sixty years ago, Nostra Aetate marked a turning point by rejecting the false and poisonous claim that the Jewish people were collectively responsible for the death of Christ. It called Catholics toward dialogue and respect, not contempt. It asked the Church to repair what centuries of teaching and imagery had damaged.

At Marist, that call is carried forward through the Bearing Witness Institute. I am a founding member of its board, and I have seen firsthand how serious Holocaust education forms students who can recognize propaganda, resist scapegoating and reject antisemitism in any disguise.

One powerful reason the mission endures is that it is visible. On the Marist campus stands “Synagoga and Ecclesia, In Our Time,” the reimagined statue by

TALK BACK TO THE CRIER

PROVIDED

A white rose is a symbol of conscience and the refusal to be silent in the face of hatred.

Joshua Koffman. Where older depictions often presented Synagoga as defeated, this work places Synagoga and Ecclesia side by side in dignity and mutual regard. It is a daily witness to what Nostra Aetate teaches in words: We are called to friendship, truthful history, and moral courage.

In a moment when misinformation spreads quickly and outrage is rewarded, communities have to decide what they will model for their young people. We can drift toward indifference, or we can choose formation: teaching history honestly, naming antisemitism plainly and building relationships strong enough to resist the pressure of the crowd.

A white rose will not solve these problems on its own. But it can remind us of our obligation. Conscience is not private when the consequences are public.

DANNY ROSS

Founding member, Dunwoody City Council

City leaders must speak out on draft plan to close schools

As part of its Student Assignment Project, the DeKalb County School District has proposed closing Vanderlyn and Kingsley elementary schools. Let’s be clear about what this means: closing 40 percent of Dunwoody’s elementary schools while expanding Chesnut – and potentially redistricting some Dunwoody students to schools in Doraville.

This is not a minor boundary adjustment. This is a fundamental restructuring of our community’s schools.

The impacts extend far beyond the families with children in the DeKalb school system. Anyone who drives

North Peachtree Road past Chesnut Elementary and Peachtree Middle already knows the traffic congestion there. Now imagine absorbing hundreds of additional students at that site. And, the potential loss of neighborhood schools that anchor our community will affect every Dunwoody resident – whether through diminished walkability, increased traffic or the uncertainty it creates around property values and taxes. These schools are not just buildings; they are cornerstones of the neighborhoods that make Dunwoody desirable.

See SCHOOLS, Page 4

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Homeowners Association provides cornerstone for community

As a longtime Dunwoody resident and proud volunteer with the Dunwoody Homeowners Association, I’ve seen firsthand how much DHA contributes to the spirit of our city. Being part of these events has given me a front row seat to the joy, connection, and community pride they inspire.

DHA hosts many of the traditions that bring our neighbors together year after year, including:

• The 4th of July Parade – Georgia’s largest Independence Day parade and a celebration DHA has sponsored for 50 years.

Talk Back to the Crier

The Crier is committed to its role as Perimeter’s community thread. As readers have reminded the paper, part of that role means budgeting premium space for letters from residents. Talk Back to the Crier by Sunday night and your note will be on page 3 that week. Email letters to newsroom@appenmedia.com. The Crier won’t publish it without explicitly getting your approval.

• Food Truck Thursdays – A weekly gathering at Brook Run Park filled with food, music and friendly faces.

Schools:

I recognize the City Council does not control school district decisions. And, I appreciate that the council has invited DCSD to present at its March 23 work session. But an informational briefing is not leadership. Hosting a presentation is passive. What

DRIVEWAYS & CONCRETE

• Light Up Dunwoody – A beloved holiday tradition since 1996, ending with the lighting of the tree and menorah at sunset.

• The DHA Farmers Market – Open

Dunwoody needs right now is an active, unified voice.

I am calling on the mayor and City Council to pass a unanimous resolution directed to the DeKalb County Board of Education formally opposing the closure of Vanderlyn and Kingsley, demanding a comprehensive impact analysis and insisting on meaningful engagement with Dunwoody residents before any decisions are finalized.

every Saturday year-round at Brook Run Park, offering fresh produce, baked goods, specialty foods, flowers, and ready to enjoy treats. It’s a place where families, friends, and even pets come together to shop, mingle, and start their weekend

A resolution may not carry legal authority, but it carries political weight and public visibility. At minimum, it tells DeKalb County Schools that Dunwoody is paying attention and will not be an afterthought.

The community feedback window runs through May. The clock is ticking. It's time for our elected leaders to stand up.

DAVID ZISKIND Dunwoody

DRIVEWAYS

with a smile.

Volunteering at these events has been one of the most rewarding parts of my life in Dunwoody. I’ve met neighbors I might never have crossed paths with, supported local vendors, and watched children grow up returning to the same traditions year after year. These moments remind me why community matters — and why DHA’s work is so important.

Dunwoody is fortunate to have such a rich calendar of events that celebrate who we are. I encourage everyone to join in, get involved, and experience the joy these gatherings bring.

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

FABRICS

1. Collar type. Shiny semi-synthetic fabric. Moxie.

2. Work fabric. Tropical fruit. Rancher's concern.

3. Down-in-the-mouth. Carpet type. Angora goat hair fabric. 4. Scarf fabric. Goofball. African equine.

5. Stand-offish. Latin dance. Fabric made of compressed animal fibers

6. Canyon sound. Fabric of uneven yarn. Shrek, e.g.

7. Wedding item. Downy duck. Twilled woolen fabric.

1 Collar type. Shiny semi-synthetic fabric. Moxie.

2. Work fabric. Tropical fruit. Rancher’s concern.

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. Down-in-the-mouth. Carpet type. Angora goat hair fabric.

4. Scarf fabric. Goofball. African equine

5. Stand-offish. Latin dance. Fabric made of compressed matted animal fibers

6. Canyon sound. Fabric of uneven yarn. Shrek, e.g. 7. Wedding item. Downy duck. Twilled woolen fabric.

The 15th annual Daffodil Dash 2026 will take place at Brook Run Park on Sunday, March 29, 2026. The race takes place within the park between 8:30am and 11:30am. There may be increased traffic on North Peachtree Rd, Peeler Rd and Barclay Drive. There will be minimal interruption.

Lawmakers propose bills to regulate data centers

By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com

ATLANTA — Georgia lawmakers are grappling with how to address data centers and their effect on communities.

Several bills have been introduced this session that would either impose a moratorium or add regulations.

Major tech companies like Amazon, Meta and Microsoft are investing heavily in Georgia, purchasing land and building massive server facilities to power the digital age, Capital B Atlanta reported.

Approaches to the issue have varied, ranging from repealing a tax incentive to imposing a moratorium and preventing utilities from passing costs on to customers.

State Sen. Jaha Howard, D-Smyrna, introduced Senate Bill 436 on Feb. 9 that would suspend issuance of any new sales and use tax exemptions from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. It would also prohibit local governments from entering into nondisclosure agreements related to water and electricity usage for data center projects, according to a news release.

“I’m proud to introduce my first piece of legislation, which places a one-year pause on the expansion of data center tax exemptions, so the General Assembly has adequate time to listen and respond to our constituents impacted the most,” Howard said. “We welcome investment from technology companies, but our constituents need peace of mind on the short and long-term impacts of these projects on their communities.”

Howard added that the temporary pause could give legislators time to evaluate the long-term impact of data centers and “responsible policies that protect our resources while keeping Georgia affordable.”

SB 421, sponsored by Sen. RaShaun Kemp, D-Atlanta, is called the Data Center Transparency Act. It would prohibit local governments from entering into nondisclosure agreements regarding the water and power usage of data centers.

Sales and use tax exemption

Georgia doesn’t offer tax credits to data centers, but instead provides a tax incentive by exempting sales and use taxes on equipment and construction costs.

The state Senate commissioned a study from the Department of Audits and the Carl Vinson Institute about the hightech data center equipment exemption for new construction.

“It exempts a portion of construction materials used in the construction of new data centers,” said Tommie Shepherd

For more political and statewide news, visit georgiapress.com

with the Carl Vinson Institute and the lead researcher on the study. “By a portion, it doesn’t cover or exempt all of the construction materials, but essentially the things that make the shell able to function as a data center.”

The materials covered include electric and cooling systems, servers, routers, software and other equipment.

The exemption cost the state about $433 million in revenue not collected, and the facilities created 10,146 jobs in 2025.

The study used a but-for analysis to determine if data center activity would occur in Georgia without an incentive. It’s estimated that 30 percent of facilities were attributed to the exemption, and the other 70 percent would have been built anyway.

Shepherd added that the but-for analysis largely depends on the growth of Georgia’s data center industry.

“We did an initial study of data centers in 2022. At that time, no data centers had taken advantage of the incentive in Georgia. It had just been introduced in 2018,” Shepherd said. “Since that time, we’ve seen significant growth of data centers in Georgia, particularly large-scale, or what the industry may term hyperscale data centers.”

The majority of the economic impact is tied to construction, Shepherd said. Property taxes also generate significant revenue for local governments.

SB 476, sponsored by Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, and HB 134 are broad, comprehensive tax reform bills that reduce personal and corporate income tax rates, and also repeal the ability to grant new sales and use tax exemptions for data centers. HB 134 passed the Senate on Feb. 12 and heads back to the House.

House Bill 559, sponsored by Rep. John Carson, R-Marietta, would repeal the sales and use tax exemption for hightechnology data center equipment on Dec. 31, 2026.

SB 410, sponsored by Sen. Matt Brass, R-Newnan, would also repeal the exemption, and SB 408, sponsored by Sen. Nan Orrock, D-Atlanta, would move up a sunset from 2032 to 2027.

During a Senate Finance Committee meeting on Jan. 28, Brass said the exemption would remain in place for data centers that already receive it.

“I’m in no way against data centers. We need them,” Brass said. “We’ve got to figure out where they’re going to go.”

Press Club membership surges following letter detailing lawsuit

NORTH METRO ATLANTA — Appen

Media has seen a significant surge in new Appen Press Club memberships following a recent letter to readers explaining the status — and cost — of its ongoing public records lawsuit against the City of Sandy Springs.

The message outlined a key development: a Fulton County judge recently ordered Sandy Springs to turn over previously withheld documents tied to police incident reports. It also revealed something readers hadn’t been told before — that the locally owned newsroom has spent nearly $100,000 over almost three years pursuing access to records that are routinely released by other police departments across Georgia.

The response from readers was immediate.

In the days following the email, new membership to the Appen Press Club surged, and supporters contributed both recurring and one-time gifts to help sustain the legal and reporting effort. The increase marks one of the strongest membership bumps since the Press Club launched in 2022.

“This case has always been about transparency and accountability,” said Appen Media Publisher Hans Appen. “It’s about whether local governments can delay and deny access to basic public information — and whether local journalism has the resources to challenge that.”

Why the case matters

At issue are police incident reports — documents widely considered standard public records. Appen Media filed suit

after repeated efforts to obtain them were denied.

Open records laws are designed to ensure the public can see how government operates. But enforcing those laws often falls to news organizations willing — and financially able — to go to court.

For large national outlets, those costs

can be absorbed. For small, communitybased newsrooms, they cannot — unless readers step in.

Unlike subscription paywalls, the Appen Press Club model keeps essential civic reporting accessible to the entire community while inviting supporters to voluntarily fund the work.

The recent membership surge shows that readers understand what’s at stake. But newsroom leaders say the need is ongoing. Legal battles are expensive, and transparency fights rarely end with a single ruling. Sandy Springs has already made it clear it plans to appeal the decision – again.

Community journalism, local support

Residents who believe public records should remain public — and that local watchdog reporting matters — are encouraged to join the Appen Press Club with a monthly, yearly or one-time contribution.

The principle behind the lawsuit is simple: Government records belong to the public. Ensuring access to them requires persistence, resources and reader support.

To join the effort, become an Appen Press Club member today at appenmedia. com/join.

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SPORTS

Tucker boys basketball team places second in the Region 5-4A championship after a 79-54 loss to St. Pius X. The Tigers were in the fourth or fifth seed for much of the regular season before upsetting Southwest DeKalb Feb. 17 to make the region final.

Basketball:

Continued from Page 1

Coach Hartry said his team’s youth showed in the second half, but looking ahead to the state tournament, he said he’s prepared to emphasize the importance of the moment now that it’s win or go home.

St. Pius has two alumni on the coaching staff who both played against Hartry’s Tigers – head coach Will Cloyd and assistant Aaron Parr.

Cloyd played center for the Golden Lions and Parr was a guard and formerly the head coach. He is now the school’s president.

Cloyd said the Golden Lions’ defense propelled them to the win over Tucker. This is St. Pius’s ninth region title in 10 years.

“I’m so lucky, I have guys that are just electric athletes and very coachable and execute really well,” he said. “We knew we would have to play well [to compete with Tucker’s roster] and we did, we were able to do a lot of things well in all four phases [full-court press, half-court defense, half-court offense and fastbreak opportunities].”

St. Pius has a 28-0 record and has been named one of the best teams in the state of many publication’s Georgia rankings. ITG Next has the Golden Lions at No. 3, On3 ranks them No. 6 and MaxPreps at No. 14. Sandy’s Spiel has them listed as the favorite for the state 4A title.

No other team in Division 4A has an undefeated record. The only other team in the state to achieve unbeaten record so far into the season is Gainesville, who won a Region 7-5A title over Johns Creek the same night.

The Golden Lions’ streak came close to ending Jan. 20 when they faced off against Southwest DeKalb and posted a 1-point victory. Of their 28 wins, only three were by a single-digit margin. They have posted 17 20-plus point wins including beating Clarkston by 64 and Northview by 56.

The team is led by Clemson commit Harris Reynolds, a five-star recruit. Reynolds made the all-region first team last year and improved to Player of the Year this season.

Members of the press have said Reynolds unlocks another level of dominance when his hair is pushed back, prompting the nickname “Headband Harris.”

Reynolds showed up big as the headband predicted, posting a gamehigh 30 points to live up to his Region Player of the Year title.

He is averaging 35 points against Tucker over three games this season –42 at Tucker Dec. 2, 33 at home Jan. 16 and 30 in the region title game.

Reynolds said his team was underwhelmed with their performance last season and has repeatedly brought up their ability to “take it to the next level” this year.

“We wanted it more today,” he said. “Before the game, we were so hyped it wasn’t even funny. We’ve been waiting on this for a long time, I hated the way we went out last year, and everybody played so hard today.”

Fellow senior D’Marley Elliott has also committed to college, and he will be announcing the school in the coming weeks. Elliott, who posted 16 points in the final against Tucker was named to the all-region team, along with senior Westin Keppen. Max Etienne and Thomas Rogers were honorable mentions.

Protecting your skin in February

to

you

by - Dr. Lola Sode, Epiphany Dermatology

February is the season of love, but it also brings some of the toughest challenges for your skin. It may feel as though winter is over once the holidays pass, but the season continues well into March! The cooler and drier weather causes skin dryness and is one of the most common complaints I see in my patients. Without the right care, this can progress beyond tightness and flaking to painful cracking, itching, and irritation. For individuals with chronic skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis, winter often means more frequent flare-ups. Cold, dry air and indoor heating can strip the skin barrier, making it harder to control symptoms and leaving skin inflamed or uncomfortable. In addition, texture concerns such as keratosis pilaris—those small, rough bumps on the arms or thighs—

tend to be more noticeable this time of year.

The good news is that with the right approach, you can manage and even prevent many of these issues. Partnering with a board-certified dermatologist is the best way to develop a customized plan that addresses your skin’s unique needs in winter. This may include targeted prescription treatments, barrier-repairing moisturizers, or specialized therapies to calm flare-ups and smooth texture.

February is also an excellent time to prioritize professional treatments that support overall skin health. Options like gentle exfoliating procedures, light therapy, or customized skincare routines can make a noticeable difference in how your skin looks and feels.

Don’t let winter take a toll on your skin. With expert guidance, you can keep it comfortable, healthy, and radiant all season long.

Mobility scooters vs. power wheelchairs: How to choose?

Brought to you by – Mobility Plus Alpharetta

You have determined that it’s time for a powered mobility device so you can continue going where you want to go...SAFELY! Read more to learn how to determine whether a scooter or power wheelchair is the best option for you.

When is a scooter the perfect choice? If you simply need help managing longer distances such as the airport, the mall, and outings with the grandkids, then a scooter could be the perfect solution. There are standard 4-wheel and 3-wheel scooters that disassemble for transport in a car, support up to 300 lbs. and travel 6-15 miles on a charge depending on the model of the scooter.

When is a power wheelchair the perfect choice? Power wheelchairs, also known as “powerchairs” are ideal for someone who needs safe mobility support inside their home as well as outside. They have a zero-turn radius so they can maneuver in tight spaces like bathrooms and narrow hallways and are operated by a joystick. The latest models weigh 27-40 lbs., fold flat like a stroller for portability, and have lightweight, and long-lasting lithium batteries.

Buy Local! Working with a local dealer will ensure that you are guided to the solution that is right for your needs, and that you will be able to get service and repair if required. They will advocate on your behalf when discussing your repair issue with the manufacturer and can provide a loaner device while yours is being repaired. Local support for the life of the product is priceless! Additionally, your neighborhood mobility partner will stock high-quality products that will last for years. Beware of online retailers advertising mobility equipment at low, low prices! If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Expect to pay between $1000 and $3500 for well-made powered mobility items.

Accessories – Both scooters and powerchairs have a wide range of accessory options. Oxygen tank holders, cane holders, storage bags, weather protection covers, attendant controls (to allow a caregiver to control the device), and cup holders are all popular items that can make sure everything you need is at your fingertips!

Come 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!”

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Day Camps

At MJCCA Day Camps, campers make lifelong friendships, try new activities, and have the best summer ever! The possibilities are endless with our theme, sports, performing arts, teen, and traditional camps for kids in rising Pre-K through 9th grade. Exciting outdoor adventures happen every day at Camp Isidore Alterman, the MJCCA’s traditional camp. In addition to daily swim in our stunning aquatic center, campers take aim on our archery range, climb to the top of our rock wall, fly on our exhilarating high-ropes course, and canoe on our lake or zip line across it. Sports camp options include everything from Flag Football, Gymnastics, and Basketball to Tennis, Baseball, Pickleball, and our Sports

Adventure Travel Camp. Sports camps span our 52-acre campus, complete with basketball courts; soccer, football, and baseball fields; a gymnastics pavilion; tennis courts; and brandnew 15-court pickleball complex! Plus, we’ve got theme camps for all interests, including magic, science, art, outer space, technology, and even ninja warrior.

Aspiring stars can shine in our dance and performing arts camps, including our drama camps, where campers can experience stagecraft or perform in a full-scale musical production at the MJCCA or our new location at The Weber School.

We also offer a multi-week discount, before-camp and after-camp care, and bus transportation. See all our incredible camp options and register at mjccadaycamps.org!

PreK–9th Graders

State reps unveil package addressing housing issues

By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com

ATLANTA – Democratic Georgia House members are working to address various housing issues. State Reps. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, Phil Olaleye, D-Atlanta and others announced a bipartisan package of legislation on Feb. 12 to address affordability.

That package also seeks to expand housing supply, strengthen tenant protections and encourage more affordable housing development.

“There is an issue of housing affordability across Georgia,” Oliver said. “We need more doors. We need more opportunities and a wide variety of ways.”

The House Minority Caucus’s legislation includes proposals related to tax incentives, tenant protections, zoning reform and affordable housing development.

“Whether you’re trying to buy your first home, stay in the home you already have, or just keep up with rent continuing to jump over and over and over again, housing has become the biggest bill facing families,” Olaleye said.

The following House Bills are included in the representatives’ legislative package:

• HB 1145, sponsored by Rep. Miriam Paris, D-Macon, would create a statewide homestead exemption for certain public service employees, like police officers, nurses and teachers.

“I think that it is incumbent upon us to take good care of those that take good care of us, and this bill seeks to do that for them,” Paris said.

• HB 1153, sponsored by Oliver, would allow developers to use the state’s lowincome housing tax credit (LIHTC) to build affordable single-family homes. These homes would be available to individuals earning up to 80 percent of the area median income.

Currently, LIHTC is only available for multifamily developments, like apartments

Bills:

Continued from Page 6

He added that there’s much that remains unknown about data centers.

“It’s human nature that when we don’t understand something, we fear it. If we’re going to fear something, I don’t necessarily think that we should be incentivizing it,” Brass said. “At the same time, I do recognize the fact that we need them.”

Passing on costs

A couple of bills seek to address affordability concerns by prohibiting utility companies from passing on the cost of data centers to customers.

or fourplexes.

“The LIHTC program of tax credits giving financial support for the purchase of lower-income, moderate-priced apartments can be duplicated in the singlefamily market,” Oliver said.

She added that it’s an effort to address incentives and produce more for-sale housing options.

• HB 1166, sponsored by Rep. Tangie Herring, D-Macon, would remove zoning regulations for smaller homes.

“It removes the arbitrary zoning restrictions that currently ban safe and highquality homes of 400 square feet or less,” Herring said. “You might know these are tiny homes, carriage houses or granny flats.”

Homeowners should be able to build secondary homes and should be part of the solution to create more options, she added.

“We all know the American Dream of homeownership is quickly slipping out of reach for too many Georgians,” Herring said. “We are facing a dual crisis right now. We have skyrocketing costs that are hurting families and we have a desperate lack of housing inventory. Simply put, we do not have enough homes in Georgia.”

• HB 1177 expands the authority of local development authorities to allow them to finance or develop affordable housing. Rep. Al Williams, D-Midway, sponsored this bill.

“It is imperative that as development authorities, we’re able to get involved, able to help move these projects, but most importantly we’ve got to bring the cost of housing under control,” Williams said.

“You can’t be the best place to do business in America and one of the hardest places to live in the South.”

• HB 1252, sponsored by Olaleye, would prohibit investors from acquiring singlefamily homes before Georgia residents.

“Before a large institutional investor can buy a newly listed single-family home, those families or that owner-occupied

HB 1063, sponsored by Rep. Brad Thomas, R-Holly Springs, would require power companies to protect residential and commercial customers from covering the cost of data center construction and operation. If a data center stops operating or if infrastructure costs more, those costs could not be passed on to residential or commercial customers.

SB 34, sponsored by Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome, would also prohibit electric costs from being passed on to ratepayers. Commercial data centers would be required to cover their costs for items like increased fuel and power costs and transmission system upgrades.

Temporary moratoriums

HB 1059, sponsored by Rep. Derrick

ZOE SEILER/APPEN MEDIA

Georgia state Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur), at the podium, unveils the House Minority Caucus’s housing legislation package at a press conference Feb. 12 at the state Capitol.

buyer would have first dibs within a 30day window to purchase that home first,” Olaleye said.

He also sponsored HB 305 last year, which prohibits large companies from purchasing single-family homes in Georgia.

• HB 1171, sponsored by Rep. Spencer Frye, D-Athens, would establish minimum habitability standards consistent with recognized housing standards.

Some of the requirements include making all repairs necessary, keeping all common areas in a clean and safe condition, maintaining utilities and appliances, providing trash receptacles and supplying running water.

If those conditions are not met, tenants could terminate their lease or withhold rent, recover damages or make repairs and deduct the cost from the rent.

• HB 1221, sponsored by Rep. Saira Draper, D-Atlanta, would require homeowners associations to provide written notices of fines or delinquent fees and give a reasonable opportunity for homeowners to pay before assessing attorney fees and costs.

• HB 1017, sponsored by Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick, D-Lithonia, would require

Jackson, D-Tyrone, would establish a moratorium between July 1, 2026, to Dec. 31, 2028. It would also establish the Data Center Impact Commission, comprising 14 members. The commission would conduct a three-year study of the impacts of data center developments in Georgia and provide a written report by Oct. 1, 2029.

The study would include information about energy consumption, environmental impacts, water usage and supply, health impacts and housing prices. It would also provide recommendations for a statewide zoning ordinance addressing data centers.

HB 1012, sponsored by Rep. Ruwa Romman, D-Duluth, would impose about a one-year moratorium on new data

homes owned by corporate investors be assessed – or taxed – at their full value. Under Georgia law, most homes are assessed at 40 percent of their fair market value.

“We know that they are creating a housing shortage in the state of Georgia,” Kendrick said. “As opposed to assessing the value at 40 percent of a home, that many of us have our homes assessed at, large corporate investors would have to pay 100 percent of the assessed value of the home that they are renting out.”

• HB 679, sponsored by Rep. Gabriel Sanchez, D-Smyrna, was known as the end rental price-fixing act, in 2025. The bill is still active this session.

“I am a renter myself, like the majority of my district. In the past eight years, my rent has almost doubled from $850 a month to $1,550 a month, and my story is not unique,” Sanchez said. “It’s the story of families across Georgia who are working hard every single day, doing everything right, and yet they’re still falling behind.”

He said one driver of rent increases is due to companies that sell their software to landlords and use data to calculate the highest rents they can charge in a market. HB 679 would end the practice.

“I think it’s important that we do everything in our power to ensure that we have affordable housing here in the state of Georgia and end these price-fixing and price-gouging practices that are hurting working Georgians,” Sanchez said.

House Bills 1145, 1166, 1177, 1221, and 1252 have gained bipartisan support from Reps. Rob Leverett, R-Elberton; Dale Washburn, R-Macon; Ron Stephens, RSavannah; Buddy DeLoach, R-Townsend; Stan Gunter, R-Blairsville; Leesa Hagan, R-Lyons; and Derrick McCollum, R-Chestnut Mountain.

“There are many different bills, many different actions in the federal government and the state government to address this issue and I’m hoping for progress in 2026,” Oliver said.

center construction in order to study environmental impacts. The moratorium would end on March 1, 2027, and would not apply to any construction completed before July 1, 2026.

Romman told Georgia Press that her bill seeks to give local and state officials time to evaluate the implications of data centers since the facilities “permanently alter the landscape of our state.”

“This is not meant to be antianything,” Romman said. “It is truly meant to provide an opportunity for elected officials to wrap their arms around what these data centers actually do, their impact on our constituents and our districts and make the appropriate policy so we can all move forward together.”

FBI investigates Fulton County handling of 2020 ballots

By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com

ATLANTA — The search warrant related to the FBI raid of a Fulton County elections hub shows the investigation is tied to the 2020 election results and possible “defects” in the Fulton County results.

The FBI executed a search warrant at 5600 Campbellton Fairburn Road in Union City Jan. 28.

During a press conference on Jan. 29, Fulton Elections Board Chair Sherri Allen said 700 boxes of documents were taken. She added that agents also looked at other documents “that we did not believe had anything to do with 2020.”

The search warrant was for all physical ballots from the 2020 general election in Fulton County, all tabulator tapes from the voting machines, all ballot images produced during the ballot count on Nov. 3, 2020, and all voter rolls from the 2020 general election.

The U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division sued Fulton County Court Clerk Che Alexander in December 2025.

The lawsuit claims that Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to the Fulton County Elections Board in October 2025 demanding records responsive to a State Election Board resolution.

A subpoena requested “all used and void ballots, stubs of all ballots, signature envelopes and corresponding envelope digital files from the 2020 general election in Fulton County.”

A hearing was scheduled for Feb. 9, 2026, regarding the transfer of the 2020 election documents to the state.

An FBI special agent with the Atlanta Field Office’s Public Corruption Squad requested the search warrant.

“Following the Nov. 3, 2020, presidential election, there were many allegations of electoral impropriety relating to the voting process and ballot counting in Fulton County, Georgia,” the affidavit says. “Some of those allegations have been disproven, while some of those allegations have been substantiated, including through admissions by Fulton County.”

The search warrant was part of an FBI criminal investigation into whether any improprieties were intentional acts. The investigation was initiated by a referral from Kurt Olsen, the director of election security and integrity, who was appointed by President Donald Trump.

Olsen also served as Trump’s 2020 campaign lawyer and now serves as an administration official overseeing the attempt to investigate Trump’s loss,

according to the Associated Press.

Trump lost the 2020 election after serving his first term in office. He lost the national vote by about 7 million votes to Joe Biden and lost Georgia by 11,779 votes. Trump has maintained that he won the 2020 election.

In Georgia, the 2020 election was overseen by Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and certified by Gov. Brian Kemp, also a Republican.

The affidavit claims that Fulton County does not have the scanned images of the 528,777 ballots initially counted or the 527,925 ballots that were recounted. The county had said

vote was outcome-determinative for any particular election or race,” the affidavit says.

The election records were needed to determine if records were destroyed and if the vote tabulation included false votes, according to the affidavit. The warrant sites possible violations of election records preservation and retention laws, and a law that says it’s a crime to “knowingly and willfully” deprive residents of a “fair and impartially conducted election process,” The AP reported.

Fulton County Commission

Chairman Robb Pitts has maintained that after every review, no issues were found in the 2020 general election results in the county.

“Fulton County’s 2020 elections have been examined, they’ve been reexamined, they’ve been audited, there have been headcounts… in every instance we come up clean,” Pitts said during a Feb. 10 press conference.

He said the county will fight the lawsuit and allegations with every resource available.

As part of an agreement between the State Election Board and Fulton County, an independent monitor was hired in 2020 to observe the general election. The monitor found “sloppy processes” and “systemic disorganization” but no evidence of fraud or other illegal actions, the AP reported.

The Secretary of State’s Office investigation and State Election Board performance review also had similar conclusions.

The review board stated, “we do not see any evidence of fraud, intentional misconduct, or large systematic issues that would have affected the result of the November 2020 election,” according to the affidavit.

Pitts filed a lawsuit asking for the search warrant to be unsealed and demanding that the documents taken be returned.

some ballots were scanned multiple times during the recount.

Other alleged deficiencies included inaccurate batch tallies from a risklimiting audit, counting absentee ballots that had never been creased or folded, and reporting 17,434 ballots fewer than originally counted. The affidavit states that Fulton County reported 511,343 ballots on election day but 527,925 the next day.

“If these deficiencies were the result of intentional action, it would be a violation of federal law regardless of whether the failure to retain records or the deprivation of a fair tabulation of a

Pitts previously said Fulton County wants to retrieve the ballots because it is unaware of what is happening with them. The county would like to inventory the documents. He added that the officials were not given notice of the raid or copies of what was taken.

In an interview with WSB-TV, Secretary of State Raffensperger said he doesn’t understand why federal officials are reliving the 2020 election. He is not aware of what the FBI is looking for or why.

“We probably know as much as you do because the search warrant that was issued is sealed, so no details were provided to us or to the press or to Fulton County,” Raffensperger said.

Proposal:

Continued from Page 1

School district officials, who are trying to balance enrollment in a district with 20,000 empty seats, emphasized that the proposal is not final and may change based on feedback. A final decision is expected in late fall. The potential school-closure list was announced during a Student Assignment Project meeting on Feb. 11. SAP is DeKalb County Schools’ name for its redistricting process.

The 150-member SAP advisory committee was the first to receive the redistricting information, with most school board members present Feb. 11.

The committee has worked for the past 20 months to help the district create a system for making the district’s buildings, boundaries and programs more efficient. Currently, the district operates with more than 20,000 open seats across its 138 schools.

The initial recommendations call for converting three high schools to middle schools and five middle schools to elementary schools.

Community feedback will inform the district’s decision-making and next steps over the next several months. No schools will close during the 202627 school year, and boundaries and school programs will not be evaluated until building closures are finalized later this year.

Once finalized, the process would proceed gradually over six to eight years. Of the potential closures, 26 are elementary schools, and one is a middle school – Cedar Grove.

Towers, Lithonia and Cedar Grove High Schools would turn into middle school buildings. Bethune, Champion Theme, Lithonia, McNair and Miller Grove Middle Schools would turn into elementary schools.

Champion Theme’s program would be relocated to a different school building, and these recommendations do not include magnet or specialized schools such as DeKalb Arts Academy or DeKalb School of the Arts. Those will be discussed later.

The district and third-party vendor HPM are considering changing grade bands by cluster, including PK-3, 4-5, K-8, and 6-12 schools. The district would try to repurpose any buildings that close.

The redistricting process has been discussed at each school board meeting since early 2025. Although meetings have occurred and will continue at least once a week for several months, board members said it would be impossible for everyone to be satisfied.

SAP committee member Kirk Lunde,

SCHOOLS

who has previously been a critic of the district’s decisions, said when the list was announced that he “might be the happiest person in this room right now.” He said that while there are problems with the scenario, he was impressed with what he saw.

‘More than just buildings’

While reactions have been mixed, the initial scenario caused some uproar, particularly in South DeKalb, which would see many closures and receive none of the 11 planned expansions.

The Rockbridge Coalition, a community-based nonprofit organization in Stone Mountain that works with several Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) in the area, released a 13-page paper opposing the closures, arguing that closing schools should not be the default response to under-enrollment.

The paper also cites several nationwide studies and calls for a moratorium on the project until the “scoring criteria, assumptions, and alternatives are fully transparent.”

Chairman Lance Hammonds said the coalition worked hard to develop its official position, which is primarily based on the potential harm that a school building closure could cause.

“Schools are more than just buildings in a community,” Hammonds said. “They kind of anchor the community as part of our identity. We don’t want our community to be damaged by ‘potential closures’… you can’t leave a hole in our community.”

Hammonds said he understands that the district has excess seats and that change is needed; however, he suggests that DCSD evaluate data on potential growth in the area, enrollment recovery methods, and the indirect effects of closures.

At a Feb. 17 Stone Mountain City Council meeting, DeKalb County School Board Member Diijon DaCosta attended to encourage the city to participate in the discussion.

“This is not the time for the Stone Mountain community to sit on the sidelines,” DaCosta said to Decaturish. “I stand with our families, residents, and stakeholders in making sure our voices are heard in this process so that any decisions made reflect the needs and priorities of the people who are directly impacted.”

Stone Mountain Mayor Jelani Linder said he was glad DaCosta came to address the council and residents and that he supported the idea of merging the schools.

“Right now, you have two schools that are right next to each other, getting limited services due to low enrollment,” Linder said.

See PROPOSAL, Page 19

Facility condition assessment and utilization projections in 2030

Projected

JIM BASS/APPEN MEDIA

A chart showing each of the 27 schools that could potentially close based on the district’s first scenario given on Feb. 11, with FCA scores and utilization percentages alongside. The higher the FCA score, the better the condition is. The higher the utilization percentage, the more crowded the school is.

Phenology and you as a citizen scientist

Phenology (fi-NOLuh-jee) is the study of seasonal changes in living things.

Phenology looks at when events happen in nature, such as when plants leaf out, flowers bloom, birds migrate, or insects appear, and how those timings change over time.

These events are closely connected to temperature, daylight and weather patterns. Because climate conditions are changing, phenology has become especially important for scientists who want to understand how ecosystems are responding.

However, scientists can’t be everywhere at once, and that’s where citizen (or community) scientists come in.

Citizen science

Citizen science means that people, who aren’t professional scientists, help collect data for research projects. You don’t need special equipment or advanced training, just curiosity, careful observation and consistency.

Phenology is perfect for community science because:

• Observations are simple but powerful.

• Data can be collected over many years.

• Scientists need information from many locations.

When thousands of people record the same kinds of observations, patterns begin to emerge that no single researcher could see alone. By engaging community members, researchers can collect a larger amount of data, and often span more geographic regions, in a shorter amount of time.

Two popular websites for collecting and reporting data are Nature’s Notebook, usanpn.org, from the USA National Phenology Network, and BudBurst, budburst.org, from the Chicago Botanic Garden Regenstein School. Each of these sites will guide you in how to make observations and how to report your data.

Of course, there are many things to observe, so it might be a good start to choose one plant. Nature’s Notebook has a Redbud Phenology Project that may be a good starting point here in the South. You can certainly select any project that interests you, but let’s use the redbud project as an example.

Why redbud trees matter Redbud trees (genus Cercis) are especially useful for phenology projects because:

• They bloom early in spring, making them

sensitive indicators of warming trends.

• Their bright pink or purple flowers are easy to recognize.

• They grow in many regions, including neighborhoods, parks, and school grounds.

• They are native and abundant in our area.

Key phenology events on redbuds

When helping with a phenology project, you’re usually asked to observe specific stages, often called phenophases. Common ones include:

• Dormant – No visible growth; buds are closed

• Bud burst – Buds begin to open

• First flowers – One or more open flowers appear

• Full flowering – Many flowers are open across the tree

• Leaf-out – Leaves begin to emerge

• Fruit development – Seed pods form later in the season

Recording when these events occur — and sometimes how many buds, flowers or leaves you see — creates valuable data.

How you can help

Here’s the steps to get started as a

citizen scientist on a redbud phenology project:

1. Choose a tree. Pick one redbud tree that you can visit regularly. It should be easy to access and unlikely to be cut down or heavily pruned.

2. Observe consistently. Visit your tree on a regular schedule (often once or twice a week during spring). Consistency matters more than perfection.

3. Record what you see. Use a notebook, datasheet or a project-approved app or website. Record the date and the phenophases you observe—only what you actually see.

4. Be careful and honest. If you’re not sure whether a stage has started, it’s okay to record “not sure” or wait until your next visit. Accuracy is more important than guessing.

5. Submit your data. Upload or share your observations according to the project instructions. Your data becomes part of a much larger scientific dataset.

Why your observations matter

Data from phenology projects can help scientists:

• Track how spring is arriving earlier or later

About the author

This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Chris Adams, a Master Gardener for almost 20 years and Sandy Springs resident. She loves to teach gardening classes, especially to children. She can be found once a month, April-October, at the Sandy Springs Farmers Market, helping the children with a fun, nature-based activity.

• Understand regional differences in climate impacts

• Study relationships between plants, pollinators and weather

• Inform conservation and landmanagement decisions

Even a single tree, observed carefully over time, can contribute to meaningful research.

Science starts where you are Phenology reminds us that science doesn’t only happen in labs; it happens in backyards, schoolyards and parks. By paying attention to seasonal changes, you’re helping scientists better understand our changing world. All it takes is observation, patience and the willingness to look closely at nature — one bud, one bloom and one season at a time.

I was privileged to participate as a citizen scientist in a phenology research project by a University of Georgia master’s student. This activity allowed me to learn new ways to observe and appreciate nature. I am inspired to encourage others to find ways to participate in a project and hopefully also gain a new appreciation for nature and its seasonal changes. Slow down and observe; you will not regret it.

Happy Gardening!

North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization whose purpose is to educate its members and the public in the areas of horticulture and ecology in order to promote and foster community enrichment. Master Gardener Volunteers are trained and certified by The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Learn more at nfmg.net. Previous Garden Buzz columns are featured at https:// appenmedia.com/opinion/columnists/ garden_buzz/.

Save the date: 25th annual Garden Faire April 11, 2026, at Wills Park in Alpharetta.

OPINION

The fine art of gallivanting – or is it scooter-pooting?

You know how they say that half the fun of traveling is planning the trip? Well, they’re right. Mostly. Except when they’re not.

Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy the planning part of travel as much as anybody. I can spend hours and days and weeks poring over maps and brochures and travel guides as I plan even the most modest of expeditions.

Like the other day: She called me about lunchtime and asked me to run up to the grocery store to get some bananas for a batch of homemade banana bread.

“I think I’ll make banana bread tonight,” she said. “But we need some good bananas.”

Do you like banana bread? I’ll bet you do, and if you do, then you know the critical importance of getting bananas that are just right.

I have been well trained in the art of selecting the right bananas for banana bread. They must be just the right degree of ripeness at the time of bread-making, and choosing them is nigh onto science with a touch of magic thrown in.

I’m good at it. Yay for me!

Anyway, there I was, getting ready to head off to the Land of Produce to do my banana selection thing. It was gonna be

Proposal:

Continued from Page 17

With mergers, expansions and the potential shifting of high schools to middle schools, some community questions stem from prior promises of renovation.

One metric the district is using to make its decision is the Facility Condition Assessment (FCA) scores, which measure each building’s condition, and the utilization total, calculated as the number of enrolled students divided by the school’s capacity.

FCA has been used to determine which schools are prioritized for renovation through the district’s Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST) funding.

As a result, some schools, including Ashford Park Elementary and Kingsley Elementary, are in a strange situation: undergoing major renovations while facing closure.

On Apr. 21, 2025, the school board

just a quick trip.

But first, being the true traveler that I am, and fully aware of the possibilities that travel offers for finding new places to see, and certifiable in as many as three other categories too, I paused for a moment of research to see what I might see along the way. That’s the fun of travel, even travel to the grocery store: there’s always a chance of discovering something you’ve overlooked or not even thought about before.

So I got on the interweb. I searched for “things to see on the way to the grocery store.” Then a whole list of things came up on the screen, and I spent the next five hours looking at each and every one, making meticulous and careful notes about which ones I’d like to explore and experience. It was a grand list, too, organized into categories and subcategories with circles and arrows and color-coded highlighting. I printed out a map of the route, too, and carefully marked the location of each and every spot I’d found.

Okay, so I was getting a little lost in the research. Time was passing. But I was planning! Man, I was gonna be ready for this trip to get bananas!

About that time, I realized that the sun was starting to set.

Uh oh.

Maybe I’d gotten a little carried away with the planning thing. Maybe I should have just gone to the store.

But where’s the fun in that?

approved a $23.5 million contract with The Winter Construction Company for HVAC replacement and renovations at Ashford Park Elementary School, in a 4-2 vote.

Construction began in November and the project is expected to last until 2027. In a December SAP update, Smith, the student assignment director, said the community has expressed concern about overcrowding at the school.

In 2025, Ashford Park had the highest total utilization of any school in the district, at 171.3 percent, and exceeded the second-highest, Lakeside High School, by 42.5 percent.

The district plans to have each elementary school seat a minimum of 600 students. District data indicates that Ashford Park’s capacity is 480 students. The school has trailers to accommodate student overflow. The school currently has more than 800 students.

On the other hand, the board approved a $1.5 million contract for equipment needed for an ongoing HVAC renovation at Kingsley Elementary

Now it’s another day, a day or two later. We are sitting at the table enjoying some coffee (I make good coffee, too, but don’t even get me started on the planning involved in making a trip to the coffee store).

We are talking about travel and about trips and about planning. There’s a big trip coming up, and I can tell that I’m about to do another deep dive into the world of online trip planning. I can tell this because I’m starting to talk about side trips and second-tier destinations. And I’m just getting ready to reach for my box of highlighters when suddenly, somewhere in the distance, a train whistle blows (no kidding) and I’m jerked back to reality, and all of a sudden I stop.

“Hmmm,” I say out loud. “Hmmm.”

“Hmmm what?”

“You know, it occurs to me that I am getting lost in the process. Planning is good. But sometimes gallivanting is good too.”

“Gallivanting?”

“Yes, gallivanting. You know,” I add learnedly, “the fine art of roaming or wandering without plan or agenda, the experience of travelling just for the fun of it…just to see where the road will lead.”

“Gallivanting?” she says. “With one ‘el’ or two?”

“Opinion is divided,” I say. “Some scholars belong to the one el school, while others say that two els is correct. Research is ongoing pending

School in October. The project, however, has not been executed and is on hold pending SAP results, according to a DCSD spokesperson.

Several other school buildings on the potential closure list are next in line for ESPLOST-funded renovations.

Among projects that have been waiting for project funding are:

• Rock Chapel Elementary building system renovation for $35 million

• Stoneview Elementary building system renovation for $35 million

• A $7.4 million plan to add parking to schools, including Canby Lane Elementary, Columbia Elementary, Flat Shoals Elementary, Stone Mill Elementary and Stone Mountain Elementary.

On Feb. 9, the board approved an ESPLOST V program contingency that moved several remaining project budgets off the list, signaling that ESPLOST V is now at full commitment with no additional projects being funded by it.

According to Chief of Operations Erick Hofstetter, ESPLOST VI has enough revenue left to fund only one more

continuation of federal funding.”

Whether one or two, gallivanting is a fine word. Maybe it’s a Georgia word, though I think I have heard it in other places too.

“Gallivanting,” I say again. “Freeform travel! And think of all the time it will save!”

“Oh!” she says. “You mean ‘scooterpooting!’ “

“Scooter-pooting?” I ask. Haven’t heard that one. Maybe it’s an Alabama term, a nugget of language from the land of her birth?

“Uh huh,” she says. “Scooter-pooting. Means the same thing!”

I take a sip of coffee and think about it. Travel without planning? Travel without maps and highlighted dots and destinations? Travel just to see where the road will take you?

Yeah!

So, we keep talking about the big trip that’s coming up. Some of the places we’ll go do need the planning (you know, for reservations and hours-of-operation and all that kind of thing). But as we keep planning, we build in room for more freeform adventures. I am sure there will be plenty of them, and I can’t wait to tell you how they unfold and share the places that we find.

“It’s gonna be fun,” I say. “It’s gonna be great fun gallivanting!”

“You mean scooter-pooting,” she says.

Yeah. That too.

modernization project, which he said is Stoneview Elementary, one of the 27 schools on the closure list.

Hofstetter said the actual commitment of funds will not be brought to the school board until later this fall, as the project is currently in the design phase.

He said that some schools on the current closure list and slated for a planned project, including the parking project, could be delayed or paused.

Some schools that have recently finished construction, including Toney Elementary, McLendon Elementary, Henderson Mill Elementary and Midvale Elementary, are also on the closure list.

“School facilities that may be on the ‘closure’ consideration list and slated for an existing planned project may receive a schedule deferment until a determination can be made, but we anticipate these individual projects to be a rare exception and not the norm, as all of these projects are needed to address the facility condition,” Hofstetter said.

Reporter Jaedon Mason and Editor Dan Whisenhunt contributed to this article.

Public Notice: Create Dunwoody’s Holi in Dunwoody will take place at Wildcat Park on Saturday, March 7, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Increased traffic may occur in the area, including along Roberts Dr, with minimal interruption expected. This is a free community event. For event details, visit www.createdunwoody. org/holi

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The City of Dunwoody Zoning Board of Appeals will meet on Thursday, April 9, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council of Chambers of Dunwoody City Hall, located at 4800 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, Georgia 30338, for the purpose of due process of the following:

ZBA 26-06, 4507 Dunwoody Club Drive, Dunwoody, GA, 30350: Variance from Sec. 27-269 to allow a retaining wall to encroach into the street and rear setbacks.

ZBA 26-07, 4661 Buckline Circle, Dunwoody, GA, 30338: Two variances: one from Sec. 27-269 to allow a retaining wall to encroach into the rear setback and one from Sec. 27-267 to allow a 6-foot-tall fence in the street yard of a corner lot.

ZBA 26-08, 5071 Vermack Road, Dunwoody, GA, 30338: Two variances: one from Sec. 27-58 to allow a swimming pool to encroach into the rear setback and one from Sec. 27-269 to allow a retaining wall to encroach into the rear setback. Should you have any questions or comments, or would like to view the application and supporting materials, please contact the City of Dunwoody Community Development Department at 678-382-6800. Members of the public are encouraged to call or schedule a meeting with the staff in advance of the Public Hearing if they have questions or are unfamiliar with the process. The staff is available to answer questions, discuss the decision-making process, and receive comments and concerns.

DEATH NOTICES

Linda Dowling, age 84, of Roswell, GA passed away on February 13, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Paul English, age 57, of Milton, GA passed away on February 12, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Dennis Hall, age 80, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on February 13, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Jenell Hungerbuhler, age 79, of Roswell, GA passed away on February 16, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Terri Shaw, age 76, of Milton, GA passed away on February 10, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Hans Walter, age 78, of Roswell, GA passed away on February 7, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

William Wilkin, Jr., age 87, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on February 15, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

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Continued innovation in digital media has changed the ways in which people buy, sell and interact with products and services. It has caused businesses to reassess the ways in which it communicates with potential customers and advertises its products. It has been well documented that these changes have had a destructive impact on local newspapers, which continues to be a primary source for local news, but is no longer a primary source for local advertising dollars – historically the lifeblood for reporters and their coverage. At Appen Media Group we want to address this conflict head on, and build new and innovative approaches to monetizing local news and creating a sustainable future for local journalism in metro Atlanta.

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THE APPEN PRESS CLUB

One solution is the creation of a membership driven organization called the Appen Press Club that is dedicated to recruiting people and companies to join as members. Members pay recurring monthly or annual dues that are 100% dedicated to sustainable journalism. By providing predictable revenue, Appen Press Club members and partners help fund the salaries and expenses of local reporters who will no longer be subject to the whims of marketing budgets and an ever changing advertising world. In turn, those reporters will provide the readers they serve with highly researched and qualified journalism focused on subjects that directly affect their quality of life.

To join go to appenmedia.com/join and follow the prompts to select your membership level and select your t-shirt size! Questions? Email Hans Appen at hans@appenmedia.com or call 770-442-3278.

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