Dunwoody Crier - March 19, 2026

March 19, 2026 | AppenMedia.com

Dispute over Kingsley Lake spillway may head to court

By DYANA BAGBY dyana@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga. — A months-long dispute over who is responsible for repairing the collapsed spillway at Kingsley Lake may have to be settled in court.

The spillway, located on the Kingsley Racquet & Swim Club’s property, crumbled last summer over a DeKalb County sewer line, creating a steep cliff and gaping sinkhole near its tennis courts and playground.

Over the past six months since the spillway collapse, the hillside near

Swinging into 56 years

Tina Youmans Hidalgo stands in front of Dan & Company Studios in the Dunwoody Village shopping center. Her parents founded the studio in 1971, making it one of the longest-running businesses in the city. See story, page 6.

the tennis courts continues the fall away. The club (KRSC) spent $25,000 putting up security fence and signs to keep people out due to safety concerns. Homeowners say heavy rains are causing their yards to flood. And this month, the exposed county sewer line leaked thousands of gallons of raw sewage into

streams that run into Nancy Creek.

“It’s just a very complicated situation,” said Whitney Delaney, president of the KRSC board.

The spillway, or flume, is a concrete path about the length of a football field.

City reduces speed limits on certain busy roadways

By DYANA BAGBY dyana@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga — Motorists driving through some of Dunwoody’s busiest areas will have to slow down next year when new speed limits go into effect.

Roads around Dunwoody Village, considered the heart of the city, and Perimeter Center, the business and shopping district, will be affected.

The City Council approved the new speed limits at its March 9 meeting. They will go into effect in 2027. Public Works Director Michael Smith said council approval is needed to gain state approval for police to use radar and other detection devices to enforce the speed limits.

The speed limit will change from 45 miles per hour to 35 miles per hour on an approximate 2-mile stretch of Ashford Dunwoody Road

from I-285 north to Mount Vernon Road.

The heavily traveled north-south route transitions from the highdensity commercial area to residential neighborhoods. The Ashford Dunwoody Path with sidewalks, bicycle tracks and landscape improvements is planned along this stretch.

Speed limit changes on other roads include:

• Chamblee Dunwoody Road from Womack Road to Roberts Drive will change from 35 mph to 30 mph.

• Crown Pointe Parkway from Perimeter Center West to Meadow Lane Road will be lowered from 35 mph to 30 mph.

• Meadow Lane Road from Crown Pointe Parkway to Perimeter Center North will be 30 mph, changed from various speed limits.

See SPEED, Page 14

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Sandy Springs police PIT vehicle on I-85

Dunwoody officers assisted on scene

By CARL APPEN carl@appenmedia.com

ATLANTA — Sandy Springs Police pursued a vehicle for 20 miles at high speeds March 12, eventually forcing it to crash with a precision intervention technique (PIT) south of Brookhaven on I-85.

The late-night incident began when an officer attempted to pull over a Dodge Charger on Ga. 400 in Sandy Springs. When the driver allegedly failed to stop, officers began to pursue the car southbound. The vehicles then reportedly reached speeds of 97 mph.

SSPD officers attempted a PIT maneuver after a few miles, but the vehicle escaped and headed east on I-285. When law enforcement from other cities located the vehicle in Chamblee, Sandy Springs officers reengaged pursuit.

Dunwoody Police were then following the charger as it headed southbound on I-85. Sandy Springs officers caught up to the ve-

Sandy Springs and Dunwoody police process the scene after a vehicle pursuit March 12 that ended with SSPD conducting a precision intervention technique on I-85.

hicles, overtook Dunwoody law enforcement and began acting as the primary pursuit agency.

Eventually, Sandy Springs conducted another PIT maneuver shortly before the Clairmont Road exit. This time, the move resulted in the Charger spinning out and crashing on the highway.

Ten units, including two from Dunwoody, were on scene as Sandy Springs arrested the driver. At least one other vehicle

crashed during the incident, according to Appen Media.

The cause for the initial stop was, “traffic charges,” according to police radio traffic.

Law enforcement officials were not immediately available to say whether there were any injuries or what the suspect’s final charges would be.

This is a developing story. Appen Media will have updates as they become available.

Former Sheriff who assassinated rival dies in prison

By TIM DARNELL decaturish@appenmedia.com

ATLANTA — Sidney Dorsey, who was convicted in the 2000 assassination of DeKalb County Sheriff Derwin Brown and was serving a life sentence in prison, has died.

Dorsey died Monday at the Augusta State Prison of natural causes, according to the Georgia Dept. of Corrections. He was 86.

Dorsey was DeKalb County’s first African American sheriff, serving from 1996 to 2000, when Brown defeated him in his reelection bid.

Brown, a 23-year veteran of the

DeKalb County Police Department, ran on a platform of cleaning up corruption and graft.

On December 15, 2000, just three days before he was scheduled to be sworn in as sheriff, Brown was assassinated outside his home in Decatur, Georgia. He was shot 12 times with a TEC-9 handgun.

Dorsey was convicted on July 10, 2002, of ordering Brown’s assassination. He was sentenced to life in prison for murder, plus 23 additional years for racketeering and violation of oath of office.

In July 2007, Dorsey confessed to investigators he had ordered Deputy Patrick Cuffy to carry out the killing, though he claimed he tried to call off the

assassination before it happened.

Two other co-defendants, Melvin Walker and David Ramsey, were initially acquitted in state court but were later found guilty in federal court in 2005 for conspiracy to commit interstate murder for hire and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

DeKalb County named a police precinct after Brown and renamed Glasgow Drive to “Derwin Brown Drive” in his honor.

The case has been featured on multiple true crime TV shows.

Dunwoody Crier media partner Atlanta News First provided this story.

Ordinary Out, Extraordinary In

TALK BACK TO THE CRIER

Dunwoody needs to step up to save Vanderlyn Elementary

It is crazy to even consider closing Vanderlyn Elementary School, but DeKalb County School System is doing just that.

The reasons for keeping Vanderlyn Elementary School in Dunwoody open are clear and compelling.

First, Vanderlyn is rated 4th out of 79 elementary school in DeKalb County and is ranked 2nd if you exclude the magnet schools. Does it really make sense to potentially close one of the crown jewels of the DeKalb County school system? DeKalb County School District (DCSD) has embarked on a comprehensive and aligned Student Assignment Project (SAP) to reimagine DCSD as it relates to programs, boundaries, and buildings. This effort fails to even mention the words “education quality or student achievement.” In both a 2025 State of the School Facilities Report and a 20-minute video to provide information about the push to close schools and to seek input that was presented to stakeholders, i.e., students, parents, teachers, and other concerned citizens, quality education and student achievement were not discussed at all. Does the school system not care about providing the best education to its students? Apparently not. The school system counters that it is only the administrators, teachers and students that make up quality education. This is nonsense. Community, environment, and a whole host of other factors play a large role in the success of a school. If you close down Georgia Tech and dispersed the students and faculty across three other universities, would you still have the same quality education? Definitely not.

Second, this online information session also stated that larger schools that have student populations of above 450 students subsidize smaller schools with populations under 450 students, because state funding is determined by student population size, and schools with under 450 students receive less funding. This is totally inaccurate since schools do not subsidize other schools. School funding is provided by taxpayers. But, even assuming that you buy the argument that smaller schools cost taxpayers more money, this does not apply to Vanderlyn Elementary. This is because the student population of Vanderlyn is 466 students, which means that Vanderlyn is actually subsidizing other schools in the system. The school system also argues that the student population projection for Vanderlyn in

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. Park locations, treelined medians and backyard chickens welcome.

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.

2030 is 433 students, which is only 3 percent under the 450 number and is based on projections that do not include detailed migration patterns. In other words, it is highly possible that Vanderlyn would remain above the 450 level. Since the school system raised the subsidy argument, Vanderlyn should remain open since Dunwoody subsidizes other parts of DeKalb through its per capita property tax base, which is almost double that of the rest of the county, thus generating more revenue for the school system at large.

Third, community spirit in Dunwoody would definitely be lost if Vanderlyn were closed. Neighborhood schools are an asset and provide a rallying point for the community. According to the National Educational Association (NEA), neighborhood schools provide significant, multifaceted value, serving as cornerstones for community stability, economic growth, and student well-being. They increase property values, foster social cohesion, reduce transportation needs, and provide convenient, shared spaces for local engagement and, in many cases, community services. According to Brookings, research consistently shows that a neighborhood’s overall well-being and localized school performance go hand in hand. The Brookings study cites 147 sources to support its conclusion. Where is the supporting data for DeKalb’s assertion that community schools don’t matter?

See VANDERLYN, Page 14

Dr. Warren M. and Georgia Duke made prosperous life

The earliest record of a doctor in Dunwoody is Dr. Warren Duke in the late 1800s. He was born in Indian Springs, Georgia, in 1860 to William and Nancy Duke. He was the youngest of nine children, according to 1860 U.S. Census records.

In 1883, Dr. Duke and Georgia Henderson Welch married. She was born in Marietta in 1848 to James W. and Mary Henderson. Her first marriage was to John Welch of New York. Georgia’s son William Welch lived with his mother and Dr. Duke when they settled in Dunwoody. Welch worked at the post office on their land.

Dr. Warren and Georgia Duke owned a home and 11 acres in 1885, in the triangle where Chamblee Dunwoody Road and Roberts Drive meet. His doctor’s office and small pharmacy were in the home. There was also a building used as the Dunwoody post office. (“The Story of Dunwoody,” 1975, Elizabeth L. Davis and Ethel W. Spruill)

DRIVEWAYS & CONCRETE

Gorgia Duke had property of her own in Dunwoody, where New Hope Cemetery is located. An 1884 deed shows she donated the land to New Hope Presbyterian Church for purposes of a cemetery. She signed the deed, which is witnessed by Dr. Warren M. Duke and J. R. Russell, clerk of Dekalb County. (New Hope Cemetery deed, Dunwoody History Center)

Dr. Warren Duke appears multiple times in the Atlanta newspapers between 1881 and 1897. He finds trouble on his trips to Atlanta more than once. During these years, you could board the Roswell Railroad to Chamblee and take the train from there to Atlanta.

Dr. Duke stumbled into an Atlanta police station with five large gashes on his head in August 1892. Some former business acquaintances had admired the ring he wore, asked to see it but did not return the ring. They knocked Duke down, jumped on him and attacked him with a knife. (Atlanta Constitution, Aug. 16, 1892, “Robbed and beaten, Dr. Warren Dukes, A prominent physician almost killed”)

In 1897 he found himself in a fight at Maddox’s store on Alabama Street

in Atlanta. Dr. Duke came to the store to pay a bill but refused to pay when he did not receive all the items. An argument started between Duke and the store clerks, leading to a fight

between Duke and an employee named Wilson. The doctor was described afterward as looking like “…a thrashing machine had come in contact with his face.” (Atlanta Constitution, March 31, 1897, “Duke and Wilson Mix”)

Dr. Duke was only 42 years old when he died from pneumonia in 1902. His obituary describes him as a “successful physician, merchant and farmer.” He was laid to rest at New Hope Cemetery in Dunwoody with a large obelisk monument in his memory.

Following her husband’s death, Georgia Duke sold acreage to Dr. Nay Strickland and returned to Marietta, where she remained until her death in 1915. The triangle property at Chamblee Dunwoody Road and Roberts Drive was next sold to Edwin DuBose. The Dubose family had a summer home and farm on the property, known as Ellaslea. (Atlanta Constitution, Jan. 17, 1917)

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

Dan & Company Studios swings into 56 years of teaching dance

By DYANA BAGBY dyana@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga. — The song “It’s a Hard Knock Life” from the musical “Annie” plays in the studio as a dozen barefoot children in shorts and leotards line up in front of large mirrors.

At the back of the studio, Peter Tucci instructs the tiny dancers to leap, point and crouch as he performs the steps himself. The children follow his lead, smiling, giggling and moving together.

It’s just a normal day at Dan & Company Studios, where children have learned to dance for 56 years.

The school, one of the oldest businesses in Dunwoody, recently moved to its new location at 5501 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Ste. B in the Dunwoody Village shopping center, just a few doors down from its previous home.

Founded in 1971 by Dan and Ronda Youmans, the studio is now owned and operated by their daughter, Tina Youmans Hidalgo.

“My parents started this studio … and it was their baby,” she said while seated in the studio’s lobby.

“I grew up at the studio. A lot

part time at the front desk and is auditioning for the Georgia Tech dance team in April.

“I definitely want to dance in college,” she said.

Hidalgo said Rego is a good example of many students who come to Dan & Company.

of our instructors grew up dancing here and moved away to dance professionally, then ended up back in Atlanta and now teach for us,”

she said. “We have a lot of third generations now, dancing and teaching.”

Hidalgo was a professional dancer with Walt Disney World and traveled the country. She moved back to Atlanta and was an instructor and choreographer at Dan & Company for many years. She took over administrative duties during the COVID-19 pandemic.

When her father died in 2022, she made it her goal to keep the studio going. The company’s logo is now her father’s image in a dance pose painted on the wall of the largest

“My father had a real passion for dancing and this school. I want to keep the legacy going,” she said.

The studio offers classes in ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip-hop and tap for students as young as 3. Students can choose dance competitively or

For those interested in pursuing a professional dancing career, Dan & Company is home to the Atlanta Jazz Theatre Company, a program devoted entirely to the study and performance of jazz dance — which has nothing to do with jazz music. The form became popular in the United States in the early 20th century and can be used to describe the choreographies of Bob Fosse, Gene Kelly and Debbie Allen.

Jenna Rego, 18, a senior at Mount Vernon School in Sandy Springs, has been studying dance at Dan & Company since she was 3. She works

“A lot of these kids we have raised,” Hidalgo said.

Tucci, the instructor, is another former student.

Tucci learned dance from Hidalgo, then went to New York City where he danced professionally including performances in “Grease” in Berlin and “Peter Pan” in London. He also danced in music videos and with singer-songwriter Fiona Apple.

He returned to Metro Atlanta three years ago and said he likes teaching because he wants to pass on the skills and enjoyment he learned from dancing.

“Working with kids and seeing what dance has provided allows me to see what Dan & Company provided for me as a child,” he said. “I remember being taught you can’t keep what you don’t give away.”

Even if students don’t want to be professional dancers, they have a place at Dan & Company, Hidalgo said.

“We want this to be a happy place for them … their getaway,” she said.

She hopes the studio is around for many more generations to teach dance and instill in new students a passion for expression and discipline.

“I feel like we’ve been able to create the same sentiment about dance over and over and over,” Hidalgo said.

“It’s important to me to keep that same feeling that my parent’s started, about how special this studio is and how we really go above and beyond to make sure our instructors are the best we can find,” she said.

Each line in the puzzle below has three clues and three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is the first letter of the second answer, and so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 5, 4 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!

2 FOR THE PRICE OF 1

1. Horse or bean, e.g. Uneasy feeling. Snare.

2. Fisherman’s lure. Social organization. Barber’s supply.

3. Trade. Shack. Party drink.

4. Room at the top. Transportation. Bunsen burner.

5. Let. Top dog. Construction material or golfer’s choice.

6. Vermin or computer accessory. Gung-ho. Dutch cheese.

7. Dance or soccer necessity. Part of a hand. Journal entry.

1 Horse or bean, e.g. Uneasy feeling. Snare

2. Fisherman’s lure. Social organization or caveman’s weapon. Barber’s supply

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. Trade. Shack. Boxer’s delivery or party drink.

4. Room at the top. Carpenter’s tool or transportation choice. Bunsen burner

5. Let. Top dog. Construction material or golfer’s choice

6. Vermin or computer accessory. Gung-ho. Dutch cheese

7. Dance or

WAR EAGLES 62, RED ELEPHANTS 61

Woodward Academy advances to second straight title game

By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com

ATLANTA — Woodward Academy

boys basketball advanced to the state championship game for the second straight year after beating previously undefeated Gainesville 62-61 March 6 in the Final Four.

Last year, the War Eagles were runner-up to Tri-Cities. This season, they added a third member of Team USA’s 16U squad to join the Hayes brothers. The War Eagles now boast two of the nation’s top 15 sophomore basketball players.

Guard Jarvis Hayes Jr. is No. 29 in the Class of 2027 and won Region Player of the Year this season.

When these teams met earlier this year, Gainesville pulled out a 1-point win after mounting a comeback in the fourth quarter.

This time around, Woodward again got out to an initial lead, 41-27 at halftime. Gainesville came out with a fire in the third quarter and finally tied the game at the beginning of the final frame at 48 points.

There were three more ties before Gainesville finally took a 55-53 lead with three minutes to go. A bit of backand-forth later, Woodward was down five points with less than a minute remaining.

Two straight 3-pointers righted the ship for the War Eagles, carrying them back to the title game for the second consecutive year.

Head coach Anthony Thomas gave the glory to God. Defeating a nationally ranked opponent never comes easy.

“We always say, we’re appreciative of the opportunity to play, an opportunity to get a win because wins don’t come easy,” he said. “We knew that we were going to get one of the better teams in the state, and we didn’t expect anything less [than how the game went], even when we got a halftime lead.”

Advancing to the title game meant ending a nationally ranked team’s previously undefeated season. Woodward and Gainesville are in two

PHOTOS BY: MOMENTS BY MICHAEL/PROVIDED

Woodward sophomore Myles Hayes rises up for a 3-point shot against Gainesville in the Final Four at Georgia State March 6. This basket put the War Eagles back in the lead, 62-61 with nine seconds remaining in the game. Hayes also assisted on the bucket prior.

of the toughest regions in 5A, and both won their region tournaments to take a one seed going into the state bracket.

Myles Hayes has been forging a strong sophomore season, totaling 447 points this year since receiving his composite 5-star rating by 247 Sports.

He said it “feels great to put on a show for them” about playing in the

Final Four in the same arena where his father and uncle coach.

“We were just coming out to win, play hard, play to the best of our ability,” he said. “Don’t sleep on us.”

Myles’s reception of an unselfish play for the final basket was deserved after he assisted on the previous shot after grabbing an offensive rebound.

Woodward senior Donovan Johnson, No. 2, gets a hand off the floor from his teammates in the Final Four against Gainesville at Georgia State March 6. Johnson and the War Eagles outlasted the Red Elephants 62-61.

Without those final two plays, the game may have ended 59-61. Thomas describes Myles as a “glue guy.”

Myles’s brother Jarvis Jr. assisted on the go-ahead bucket. Their father, Jarvis Sr., coaches for the Georgia State basketball team and told Appen Media that he knew the final shot was going in before it left Myles’s hands.

“We pulled Myles to the side and tweaked some things [with his shot] and I just knew,” he said. “When Jarvis [Jr.] kicked it to him in the corner, he had time to get his feet set and release it, I knew it was going in before it left his hands. That’s such a testament and I’m so filled with emotion right now because you try to tell guys to be ready for your moment, you don’t know when it’s gonna come.”

He said he was giving personnel pointers to his sons up until the game began, and he was prepared for a hardfought game after playing Gainesville earlier this season and being familiar with head coach Charlemagne Gibbons for a number of years.

Woodward was set to face off against Alexander, another highlyranked team, for the GHSA 5A title at the Macon Coliseum March 13.

The match ended with Alexander on top, 81-67.

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School districts cautiously approach AI the classroom

By JIM BASS jim@appenmedia.com

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Whether people like it or not, artificial intelligence is now a part of everyday life. It appears atop every search engine result, it’s unavoidable on social media and is often in the headlines.

Within a few years, some forms of generative AI are likely to enter the classrooms for student use. DeKalb County School District and City Schools of Decatur are among many school districts nationwide weighing how to incorporate the technology responsibly.

“We’ve got to find a reasonable middle ground where we find good uses for this technology where we're still able to learn things, but also use the AI productively to help us increase our efficiency and help us do better work,” Tyler Cook, assistant program director of Emory University's Center for AI Learning, said. Cook, a philosophy major that looks at the ethics of AI, is among the hundreds of experts working on figuring out the nuances behind AI use. He said there are unprecedented risks with AI in education, but also benefits if responsibly used.

Generative AI has drawn widespread attention since its popularity surged in late 2022 and since then, it has only gotten more advanced.

Both districts are also looking into implementing Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) AI classes for students to learn more about both the safety and technical aspects. These classes could be coming within a few years.

They are also looking at putting AI into other parts of the classroom curriculum.

A cautious approach

Kermit Belcher, chief information officer for DCSD, has been leading the conversation on AI and has attempted to remain as careful as possible with the district’s approach.

“We've been proceeding with caution. We're looking at the risk and the possibilities, so not just everything bad about it, not just everything good. We're looking at both sides of that, and trying to find a balanced approach,” Belcher said.

Belcher created an AI task force that meets monthly, made up of teachers, staff from several departments, and stakeholders to help walk the line of AI use. The monthly reports about how many more people are using AI are shocking, he said.

“As we go, we look at what has happened over the last month, good and bad, and what are some of the

AI policies that would serve as the guidelines regarding its use going forward.

Both districts’ use would exist only in a regulated, secure space through the workplace domains they already work with: Google Gemini and, in DeKalb’s case, Microsoft’s Copilot.

Both also emphasized that unrestricted AI tools such as ChatGPT or Claude would not be part of any planned implementation.

“There is anxiety and uncertainty around AI for a very good cause,” Melton said. “There are some awful AI products out there, and thankfully, we block those and do not use those or encourage those in our school district.”

Striking that balance

Students are already using the technology. According to a College Board report conducted in May 2025, about 84 percent of high school students are using AI tools in some form, mostly for assignments and homework help. By implementing AI, Cook believes it would mainly help students use it more responsibly.

“The way not to learn is to have AI write all your papers for you and do all your work for you… a good way of partnering with AI to learn is to help you sort of think through problem-solving and use it as a copilot,” Cook said.

We've been proceeding with caution. We're looking at the risk and the possibilities, so not just everything bad about it, not just everything good. We're looking at both sides of that, and trying to find a balanced approach.”

KERMIT BELCHER Chief Information Officer, DeKalb County School District

new releases,” Belcher said. “It's pretty eye-opening when you see just over a month's time the use throughout the nation.”

Eston Melton, chief of safety and technology services for CSD, echoed the sentiment. Melton began conducting informal discussions regarding AI use in 2023 and developed ethical-use guidelines for employees last year.

Melton has held parent chats on the topic since last fall and is looking to get

the community more involved over the next year to include more voices.

“[The professional learning] has been largely driven by colleagues of ours who have a real passion toward technology and generative AI, who are enthusiastic about the potential for the tools, while recognizing that we have obligations to keep our kids and our employees' data safe,” Melton said.

Belcher and Melton are both eager to get ahead of the curve by developing

Teaching AI in the school curriculum could also be integral in preparing students for future careers, according to Belcher. Board member Andrew Ziffer believes that teaching “technology hygiene,” overreliance and safety regarding AI is also needed to strike that balance.

“I think anybody who's graduating right now, it will just be part of their life from here on,” Ziffer said.” My hope is that we're giving students the foundation of this as a learning tool inside of the class and how to use it, but then even further…. are we teaching students technology hygiene?”

Both districts are hoping to lead, not follow, other districts in the state in policy development and the consideration of additions to the class curriculum, according to CSD Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jennifer Dunn.

“I would say our curriculum is all about making sure our students are workforce-ready,” Dunn said. “We want to make sure our students are ready for the future and the tools, so it's not just about a tool or, let's say, a generative AI. It's embedding it in everything that we're already doing. It’s not something separate.”

See APPROACH, Page 11

SCHOOLS

Approach:

Continued from Page 10

One potential change would allow teachers to permit some AI use on some assignments, prohibit it on others, or adopt a hybrid approach. Cook also pondered whether schools should start testing students' ability to use AI responsibly to help them learn.

“Let's teach them the skills on how to use AI well to get tasks done, to learn things and do whatever, and then let's test them on those skills,” Cook said. “Let's teach them how to do it, and then let's see how well they do interacting with AI to solve problems.”

According to Belcher, ideally, AI would enable students to have their own tutors when used properly, and it would help teachers with lesson planning so they could focus on other areas of their profession and become more efficient.

Belcher remains excited about its possibilities, but also noted that procedures could change quickly as the technology develops. He also understands that they need to evaluate the many concerns as well before doing anything.

A list of concerns

With the amount of unknowns that come with generative AI, concerns

are bound to follow. Many parents across the country have already begun vocalizing their concerns with data privacy, security, system biases, and the environmental impact of AI.

The concern that AI would stunt students’ cognitive growth if used improperly is prevalent among those in opposition.

A recent Brookings Institution Center for Universal Education study found that the risks of using generative AI in education may currently outweigh the benefits, given its potential impact on cognitive development.

Cook said that since it is still the early days of the technology and people are still figuring out how to work with it properly, it is a “bit of a mess.”

“We need to be communicating to students that, again, these systems aren’t perfect,” Cook said. “They are fallible. They do make mistakes.”

DeKalb School Board member

Whitney McGinniss has also expressed hesitation about which ages to provide this technology, while believing that the tech is important for students to learn to get them prepared.

“I don't really think that technology is appropriate to have in K-2,” she said in a Feb. 9 meeting. “I just don't, and that applies to Chromebooks, that applies to AI. I think that high school is a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn about AI, but I think earlier than that, we

We need to be communicating to students that, again, these systems aren’t perfect. They are fallible. They do make mistakes.”

TYLER COOK

Assistant Program Director, Emory University's Center for AI Learning

are taking a big risk as a district.”

From a student perspective, CSD’s student representative apprentice, Zoe Smith, will help the district develop policy by collecting student input through surveys and incorporating those findings. She hasn’t begun collecting yet, but said that student voices are divided.

“I just want to make sure that for one, every student is heard so that the policy is representative of what the students want,” Smith said. “I want to make sure that all students are able to use it ethically without letting people use it for

stuff like writing essays.”

Smith expressed fear of the risks of AI, including environmental concerns, but she thinks teaching it in school could help students use it more safely and ethically.

McGinniss said one of the biggest challenges facing technology is the uncertainty of what it could produce without the proper restrictions. She said that she doesn’t have the answer to the question.

“Part of what makes AI so powerful but also potentially challenging is it's not a script that's going to perform in a particular way, like this can react in any number of ways depending on what is implemented into it,” McGinniss said. “That presents a lot of challenges for us as a school district.”

Policy discussions are already underway, and both districts remain adamant about hearing from all perspectives as they cautiously move forward. Dunn believes that while it may be difficult for some to take in, AI might be inevitable.

“It's not something we can shut away from or stop,” Dunn said. “We've got to start integrating … it's kind of corny, but it's more like electricity. It's going to be kind of lighting up what we do and how we do things, but not necessarily like a wrench that you pick up, use and put back. It's going to be integrated in every aspect that we do.”

Are you a homeowner without a basic exemption? You might be missing out on property tax savings. Check your status and file online before the April 1 deadline. Special exemptions are also available for seniors ages 62 and older, disabled veterans and disabled residents. For a list of all exemptions, eligibility and document requirements, please contact the Tax Commissioner's Office at 404-298-4000 or visit the website for assistance.

Sponsored Section March 19, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | 12

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Sponsored Section March 19, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | 13

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Kingsley:

Continued from Page 1

It serves as an emergency outlet that carries out excess water from Kingsley Lake during heavy rains to prevent water from overtopping the dam and damaging its structure.

The lake and spillway are on private property and are not the responsibility of the city, City Manager Eric Linton said.

“Kingsley Lake is not a natural lake. A developer dammed a creek to create a private lake for the private enjoyment of the homeowners surrounding it,” Linton said in a written statement.

“Prior to cityhood, DeKalb County included the following language on the Kingsley Lake and the Kingsley Racquet & Swim Club property plats: DeKalb County is not liable or responsible for the extension of the cross drains shown on property or for erosion or flooding of storm drains,” he said.

About 60 homeowners living around the lake are the owners of the lake, the dam and the spillway.

The spillway runs along a Georgia Power easement adjacent to the KRSC property. No records show when the spillway was built or why it was allowed to be built on the KRSC property, according to the club.

The club hired attorney Linda Dunlavy, who sent Mayor Lynn Deutsch and the City Council an ante litem letter in February. The document is a notice to

sue for $2 million if a settlement is not reached.

The club’s board said this month it is now focused on working with DeKalb County to repair the broken sewer line.

The board says they sent the city an ante litem letter because, if the issue were to advance to court, state law mandates municipalities be notified of intent to sue within six months of the alleged incident.

“At the time, and even now, we don’t know whether a lawsuit will be necessary. But we were having, and continue to have, difficulty locating any records related to the spillway’s construction as it was not there when KRSC was first created,” according to the statement.

“To our surprise, open records requests to the City of Dunwoody, Georgia Power, and DeKalb County have all come back empty. So, to preserve our rights, we sent the notice as required by state law.

“Just as the City follows its required procedures, the Ante Litem Notice was not an act of aggression or hostility. It was simply the responsible step required to preserve our rights while we continue working toward a solution,” the club said in the statement.

The ante litem letter argues the City of Dunwoody should pay to repair the spillway because it is part of the city’s stormwater infrastructure.

Since Dunwoody was incorporated in 2008, the city has directed more stormwater from residential development and roads through six drains into Kingsley Lakee, Dunlavy said in the

DYANA BAGBY/APPEN MEDIA

The Kingsley Lake spillway collapsed last summer, creating a large sinkhole close to the Kingsley Racquet & Swim Club’s tennis courts and playground.

letter. The city also enlarged culverts on North Peachtree Road that carry more stormwater into the lake, she said.

“However, the city has refused to take any action in response to complaints from KRSC and the Kingsley Lake Association (not represented by counsel) stating that the situation is a private matter and for the City to get involved would result in an unconstitutional gratuity.

“Such a position would appear to be legally indefensible given the historical and continued use of Kingsley Lake and the flume as a de facto part of the City’s stormwater system,” Dunlavy said.

Linton said in his statement that the city “has not negligently constructed or maintained its drainage system in a way that damages the lake, the dam, or the flume.”

“Historical photographs show that the flume has not been maintained, and as far back as 2010, photos show damage to the flume in the same area as the current damage,” Linton said. “This is private property that the general public does not have access to, and the City of Dunwoody is not responsible for repairing this private property.”

“The city meets all State regulations regarding stormwater management. Given the pending threat of litigation, the city will not comment further on this matter,” he said.

Danny Ross, one of the Kingsley Lake homeowners, said he didn’t know about the spillway collapse until the club told them.

He said the spillway collapsed because storm water would run under the cement. Eventually, the ground below it eroded away causing it to fall.

When asked if he knew of any cracks or damage to the spillway before it collapsed, he said he and the other homeowners do not come to that area of the lake.

The homeowners spend about $130,000 every two years to dredge the lake and clear it from silt and sediment carried in from stormwater, Ross said. And, he said, his tax dollars that go to stormwater management should be used to repair the spillway.

“Stormwater from numerous city streets and storm drains is intentionally directed into the lake as part of the city’s stormwater conveyance system,” he said.

A young family with a wife, who is a professor at Georgia Tech, and her husband, who works at the CDC, with two young kids just moved into our neighborhood. I asked them what was the primary reason they moved into the neighborhood, and they said it was Vanderlyn.

Fourth, property values would go down in Dunwoody if Vanderlyn is closed. Given that the educational quality would be diminished, the neighborhood would be less attractive

and housing prices would decline, which would generate less in property taxes. According to real estate blogger Billy Howard, “Numbers don’t lie. Homes zoned for Dunwoody schools consistently sell for 10 percent to 20 percent more than similar properties located outside district boundaries.” Closing Vanderlyn would adversely affect financial support for the schools since property tax revenue comprise about half of school funding.

I am extremely disappointed that Dunwoody’s City Council and the Dunwoody Homeowners Association have not taken a strong position against the potential closure of Vanderlyn. I raised this issue at a recent meeting of

the Dunwoody Homeowners Association (DHA), and the DHA stated it wanted to think about this issue and questioned if the projected school closures was an issue that was truly urgent. Given the DeKalb County School System will make a decision this fall, the answer is obvious. It is urgent. Dunwoody’s City Council has invited the school board member from the north area for an informational session in April. Why is an informational session needed to oppose the closure of Vanderlyn when it is so obvious for all the reasons stated above?

The closure of Vanderlyn will hurt the educational quality of the area and its students, will not increase financing of other local schools (in fact, quite the

Speed:

• Perimeter Center North from Ashford Dunwoody Road to Asbury Square, with an unlisted speed limit, will be to 30 mph.

opposite), will hurt community spirit, and will adversely affect homeowner values in Dunwoody and the subsequent property tax base, which supports the entire DeKalb County School System.

Dunwoody’s City Council and the Dunwoody Homeowners Association need to wake up. Both their charters are about supporting and enhancing the city, the quality of life, and homeowner value. When will these organizations begin to fulfill these promises, and vigorously and vocally oppose the potential closing of Vanderlyn Elementary School?

• Winters Chapel Road from Peachtree Industrial Boulevard to Spalding Drive will change from 40 mph to 35 mph.

School zones where the speed limit is 25 mph will be extended at Austin Elementary, Dunwoody Elementary, Dunwoody Christian and Endeavor Montessori. Continued from Page 1

• Vermack Road from Chamblee Dunwoody Road to Mount Vernon Road will be lowered from 35 mph to 30 mph.

• Womack Road from Chamblee Dunwoody Road to Tilly Mill Road will change from 35 mph to 30 mph.

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Delivers to 28,000 households every Thursday

Zip Codes: 30005, 30009, 30022, 30075, 30076.

Alpharetta & Roswell’s primary news source.

Alpharetta and Roswell’s paper of record. Est. 1983

Delivers to 20,000 households every Thursday

Zip Codes: 30022, 30097. Johns Creek’s primary news source. Est. 1997. Johns Creek’s paper of record.

DECATUR*

Decaturish Ink delivers to 9,000 households in Decatur and surrounding areas every 2nd & 4th Thursday

Zip Codes: 30002, 30030, 30033

Delivers to 17,000 households every Thursday.

Zip Codes: 30040, 30041. Forsyth County’s largest circulation newspaper. Est. 1998

Delivers to 10,000 households every Thursday

Zip Code: 30004. Community news for and about the City of Milton. Est. 2006. Milton’s paper of record.

Delivers to 18,000 households every Thursday

Zip Codes: 30338, 30350, 30360, 30346, 30319. Community news for and about the City of Dunwoody and surrounding areas. City of Dunwoody paper of record. Est. 1976.

Delivers to 12,000 households every Thursday. Zip Codes: 30327, 30328, 30342, 30350

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Making a difference for generations of Ugandans

When Holly Suber visited Uganda for the first time she fell in love with its people and its traditions. She knew she wanted to help this very poor country, not piecemeal or with a one-time contribution, but in an ongoing significant way. This column is the history of how the power and love of one person can make a real difference.

Uganda is an East African country with a population of about 49 million. It is East Africa’s fourth-largest economy. In 2024 it was ranked as the sixth most popular destination in Africa for international conferences by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).

According to the World Bank ‘s December 2025 Uganda Economic Update, “Uganda’s economic growth remains strong… driven by a recovery in household consumption, accelerated government spending and continued investment growth. Dynamic domestic demand and robust agricultural and tourism performance generated broadbased growth across agriculture, industry, and services. As a result, poverty is projected to have declined in 2024 and 2025.”

All things are relative, however, and Uganda is still a very poor country with many challenges. Charitable organizations play an important role in helping Uganda move forward.

Holly Suber was director of children’s ministries at the Wildwood Church in Tallahassee, Florida, when she went to Uganda for the first time in 2003. She was inspired by a Ugandan pastor at her church.

“He was a fascinating man with a deep love for children and the needs of street children in his native country,” she recalled. “He said to me ‘you must come to Uganda and teach our teachers.’ I did not know what to expect, but I went to Uganda with two 70-pound bags of teaching materials and held my first teacher training workshop. In the bags, I had things like paper, crayons, child booklets for children who could not read and socks for children who had none.”

The local church was a pole barn in downtown Kampala, the capital, in a slum that used to be a garbage dump, Suber said.

“It was strategically located in a hollow between the university and businesses,” she said. “People rarely went down into the hollow but the first day of

Holly’s efforts grew until the teachers and students required funding. Holly established the Hope Street Missions Uganda, a charity that could raise money to train and pay teachers, work with local churches, provide teaching materials and increase the number of students. And more. The charity could allow people in the United States to sponsor individual children.

Then, she saw the shoes. Holly is an artist and she realized art could be part of the answer. The shoes belonged to a 3-year-old boy named Ronald. She wanted to take the shoes home, but she had to negotiate with Ronald’s parents. The price was a new pair of shoes. Back home, she did a pencil drawing of the shoes, and the shoes became the logo for her charity.

“I am so proud of the lost, needy children that came into our program through churches and schools we worked with,” she said. “Some are now grown up and have gone through universities and are operating ministries or businesses of their own.

“Street children are still a challenge and that led to the bowl idea, a new way to generate funds to support our charity. I want to give people something in exchange for their donations. Bowls will be sold or given to people who donate substantially.”

BOB MEYERS/APPEN MEDIA

Twenty high school student members of the North Fulton Chapter of the Young Men’s Service League made clay bowls which will be sold to generate funds to support programs of the Hope Street Missions Uganda. Photo taken at the Milton Bethwell Community Center.

our two-week workshop we had about 17 teachers. By the end of the week, we had 57. The ladies were excited about the paper and crayons because they never had anything like that before. They had some resources like corn husk dolls which we made into puppets. They had a great time with puppet shows.”

Holly was hooked. She returned to

Uganda twice a year even after moving to Milton. Children wanted to go to school and to learn, but resources were scarce. Most schools were for orphans, and teachers were unpaid volunteers. The challenge for Holly was how to help, how to get teaching materials to Uganda, how to find room for students who wanted to learn.

I recently attended a meeting with Holly and the North Fulton Chapter of the Young Men’s Service League at the Milton Bethwell Community Center. The YMSL is a national organization where mothers and their high school sons work together on community and charitable projects. The organization teaches leadership skills while helping grow the relationship between boys and their moms. See my August 2025 column about the YMSL at appenmedia.com/opinion.

Holly taught the boys how to make clay bowls. The bowls will be sold online with all proceeds going to support the Hope Street Missions work in Uganda. For information on the organization or to make a donation or to sponsor a child contact hopestreetuganda@wildwoodtlh. com or hopestreetmissionsuganda, 100 Ox Bottom Road, Tal, Florida 32312. Thanks to Kelly Jo Kuck for suggesting this topic.

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

Notice of Community Meeting 5646 Roberts Drive and 1369 Spalding Drive

Applicant: The Providence Group of Georgia

Reason for meeting: Applicant is requesting a rezoning to allow for the development of three (3) single-family homes.

Location of meeting: Main Sanctuary of the North Atlanta Church of Christ 5676 Roberts Drive, Atlanta, GA 30338

Date: April 2nd

Time: 6:00 P.M.

CITY OF DUNWOODY NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF PROPOSED AMENDMENT

TO ARTICLE IV, SECTION 4.01.; ARTICLE IV, SECTION 4.02.(c); AND ARTICLE IV, SECTION 4.03. OF THE CHARTER OF THE CITY TO DESIGNATE THE TITLE AND NUMBER OF JUDGES; CONFIRM THE AUTHORITY OF JUDGES; AND CREATING TERM LIMITS

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 36-35-3 that the City Council for the City of Dunwoody will hear and consider a proposed amendment to the Charter of the City at 6:00 p.m. on April 13, 2026 and 6:00 pm on April 27, 2026 at Dunwoody City Hall, 4800 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, Georgia 30338, to amend Article IV, Sec. 4.01. by designating the title, number, and confirming the powers and duties of judges; Article IV, Sec. 4.02.(c) to create term limits; and Article IV, Sec. 4.03. by adding the word “chief” to same. A copy of the proposed Amendment is available for viewing and consideration by the public at Dunwoody City Hall by contacting Municipal Clerk Sharon Lowery and is also on file with the Clerk of the Superior Court of DeKalb County as required by O.C.G.A. § 36-35-3(b).

CITY OF DUNWOODY NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE II, SECTION 2.09.(a) OF THE CHARTER OF THE CITY TO CHANGE THE DATE OF THE FIRST MEETING IN JANUARY AFTER A MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO THE FIRST MONDAY, EXCLUDING LEGAL HOLIDAYS

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 36-35-3 that the City Council for the City of Dunwoody will hear and consider a proposed amendment to the Charter of the City at 6:00 p.m. on April 13, 2026 and 6:00 pm on April 27, 2026 at Dunwoody City Hall, 4800 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, Georgia 30338, to amend Article II, Section 2.09.(a) of the Charter of the City by changing the date of the first meeting in January after a municipal election to the first Monday, excluding legal holidays. A copy of the proposed Amendment is available for viewing and consideration by the public at Dunwoody City Hall by contacting Municipal Clerk Sharon Lowery and is also on file with the Clerk of the Superior Court of DeKalb County as required by O.C.G.A. § 36-35-3(b).

CITY OF DUNWOODY NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE I, SECTIONS 1.03.(b)(36), (37)(A), AND (43) OF THE CHARTER OF THE CITY RELATED TO SPECIAL DISTRICTS, BONDS, AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL CONTRACTS

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 36-35-3 that the City Council for the City of Dunwoody will hear and consider a proposed amendment to the Charter of the City at 6:00 p.m. on April 13, 2026 and 6:00 pm on April 27, 2026 at Dunwoody City Hall, 4800 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, Georgia 30338, to amend Article I, Sections 1.03.(b)(36), (37)(A), and (43) related to special districts, general obligation bonds, and intergovernmental contracts backing revenue bonds issued pursuant to law. A copy of the proposed Amendment is available for viewing and consideration by the public at Dunwoody City Hall by contacting Municipal Clerk Sharon Lowery and is also on file with the Clerk of the Superior Court of DeKalb County as required by O.C.G.A. § 36-35-3(b).

CITY OF DUNWOODY NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO SECTION 5.03.(a) AND SEC. 5.04.(b) OF THE CHARTER OF THE CITY TO AMEND THE DATE OF SUBMISSION OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET BY THE CITY MANAGER AND TO AMEND THE DATE OF ADOPTION BY COUNCIL

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 36-35-3 that the City Council for the City of Dunwoody will hear and consider a proposed amendment to the Charter of the City at 6:00 p.m. on April 13, 2026 and 6:00 pm on April 27, 2026 at Dunwoody City Hall, 4800 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, Georgia 30338, to amend Section 5.03.(a) and Section 5.04.(b) of the Charter of the City regarding the date of submission of the annual budget proposal by the city manager and to amend the date of adoption by council. A copy of the proposed Amendment is available for viewing and consideration by the public at Dunwoody City Hall by contacting Municipal Clerk Sharon Lowery and is also on file with the Clerk of the Superior Court of DeKalb County as required by O.C.G.A. § 36-35-3(b).

DEATH NOTICES

Joanne Curnyn, age 91, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on February 25, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Loretta Donnelly, age 79, of Roswell, GA passed away on February 27, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Roxianna Draper, age 79, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on February 24, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Patricia Getty, age 77, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on February 26, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Timothy Harris-Williams, age 62, of Decatur, GA passed away on October 16, 2025.

James McIntire, age 84, of Roswell, GA passed away on February 25, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Jeanne Neal, age 93, of Roswell, GA passed away on February 26, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

John Rhodes, age 79, of Roswell, GA passed away on March 1, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

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Trunnion LLC

Matthew Tyser

Edward Votta

Linda Wabler

Ollie Wagner

Lewis Walker

Elizabeth Waller

Valerie Walters-Gold

Karl Wang

Ann Marie Warning

Terry Warnke

Jonathan Washburn

Michael Watson

Deborah Weiss

Michael Weiss

Herbert Wells

Benjamin Wemberly

Beverly Whisenant

Sally White

Thom White

Umpika White

Mae Whiteside

Ashley Whitt

Jennifer Wieland

Christine Williams

Jamie Wimberly

Jonathan Winkie

Nancy & Dave Wistrand

Kalle Wood

Theresa Woolridge

Laura Wysong

Jonathan Young

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.

Scan QR code to join the Appen Press Club

Full-Time

Architectural Project Coordinator (Norcross, GA) Coord w/ clients & stakeholders to gather info to integrate into design solutions. Collaborate w/ internal teams to analyze project info & dvlp dsgn strategies. Prep drawings & docs to ensure compliance w/ city code & industry standards. Conduct site visits to assess conditions, confirm dsgn implmtn & address city or municipal comments to secure timely approvals & maintain schedules. Reqd: Master in Interior Dsgn, Architecture or rltd dsgn field & 6 months exp in same occupation such as Interior Dsgnr, Architectural Dsgnr or Dsgn Associate & proficiency in Revit, Auto CAD & understanding of relevant codes such as state building codes, IBC. Salary: 58885/yr. Mail resume to Alpha Engineering, 3150 Holcomb Bridge Rd, Ste 302, Norcross GA 30071.