Sandy Springs Crier - August 6, 2026

Young actors take to stage with songs, dances and scenes from hit musical

PAGE 4

Volunteer, 100, celebrated at food pantry she serves

By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — For the past four years, Margaret Lines’ Tuesday afternoons have been spent volunteering at the food pantry at the Community Assistance Center off Roswell Road.

She planned the afternoon of July 28 to be no different, but a crowd of 30 fellow volunteers had other ideas. They gathered around a birthday cake to surprise Lines as she strolled in for her 1 p.m. shift with her daughter, Nancy Overheim.

Surprise washed over Lines as she stepped into the food pantry and was greeted by familiar faces and even those who didn’t know her but wanted to help celebrate her 100th birthday.

See LINES, Page 11

Input sought on comprehensive plan updates

By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. —

Sandy Springs will host two public meetings in August for residents, business owners and other stakeholders to share input on updates to the city’s policy framework for growth and development and its comprehensive plans.

Both meetings will feature the same presentation and interactive activities to initiate community feedback on shaping changes to “The Next 10,” the city’s overall comprehensive plan, as well as its Recreation and Parks System Comprehensive Plan.

The meeting on Monday, Aug. 17 will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Church of the Redeemer,

5185 Peachtree Dunwoody Road. City staff members said this location has a playground, and they encourage attendees to bring their families.

The meeting on Thursday, Aug. 20 will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Sandy Springs Police Headquarters, 620 Morgan Falls Road.

PLAN, Page 11

Book pairs father, son’s reflections on autism journey

By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga.

— When David Raphael wrote his first essay, “Jacob’s Story: A Miracle of the Heart,” nearly 30 years ago, he never predicted it would turn into a published book that explores the “amazingly emotional” experience he said results from raising a child with autism.

“Every autistic kid’s story is unique,” David said. “Among the things that makes Jacob’s path unique is … he started in a

really serious place.”

His son Jacob was diagnosed with autism at 2 years and 7 months old, and doctors could not guarantee how far he would progress due to significant cognitive delays. In the essay published in 1997, David wrote that the weeks following his son’s diagnosis were among the most painful he had ever experienced.

“I would lie awake at night, unable to sleep,” David wrote. “I had no appetite.”

See RAPHAEL, Page 11

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Man charged after gun fires, wounds two on MARTA bus

By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — A man is facing federal charges after authorities say his firearm accidentally discharged on a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority bus, hitting a woman and also wounding himself while traveling in Sandy Springs last week.

Guillermo Cruz Velazquez appeared in federal court July 28 on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien illegally or unlawfully present in the U.S., the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Northern District of Georgia said in a press release. He will remain in the

POLICE BLOTTER

All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.

Roswell man reports sports cards missing

ROSWELL, Ga. — A Roswell man recently reported that nine packages containing sports cards valued at $5,805 were stolen from his P.O. box on Holcomb Bridge Road.

He reported the theft to the Roswell Police Department July 21 after tracking information showed the packages had been delivered the previous day.

The man resells sports cards purchased in high volumes from various sellers through the online retail site Fanatics. He told police that his P.O. box is not always big enough to hold all his packages. When that happens, UPS Store staff typically put the overflow packages in a bag kept behind the service counter for pickup.

The man told police there are

custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending further proceedings.

The incident happened near the intersection of Roswell Road and Glenridge Drive. A firearm in Velazquez’s bag discharged one round that struck a female passenger in the leg and Velazquez in the forearm.

Velazquez fled on foot, and Sandy Springs police found him wounded in a parking lot and possessing a bag with a hole in it, the release said. Officers found a .45 caliber pistol with a used cartridge case stuck in the ejection port in nearby bushes.

Chief of the MARTA Police Department M. Scott Kreher said the

multiple sports cards posted on eBay that he believes are from the missing packages. He said photos of the cards feature his Fanatics username, indicating they are the ones he bought.

He was told to audit all of his transactions with Fanatics to see if other packages had been previously stolen. The man is asking police to pursue charges against whoever stole the packages.

— Hannah Yahne

Roswell police intervene in attempted bank fraud

ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell police recently confronted a woman allegedly posing as an employee of Bank of America’s fraud department.

Police were alerted to the scam by a Roswell man who had withdrawn $21,500 in cash at the woman’s direction.

When police arrived at the scene on Alpharetta Highway July 20, the man was standing in front of a silver Honda Accord he alleged was involved in the crime. The man told police he had been directed over the phone to withdraw $10,000 at one Bank of America location and an additional $11,500 from a

safety of passengers and employees remains a top priority.

“We are working closely with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners as the investigation continues,” Kreher said. “Reckless actions that place the public at risk have no place on our transit system, and we remain committed to maintaining a safe environment for everyone who relies on MARTA.”

The case is being investigated by the MARTA and Sandy Springs police departments, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

separate location to cover charges on his American Express card.

He was told to call back when the money had been obtained. With police present, the man called the alleged bank employee, who instructed him to place the money in a plastic bag to pass off to someone in a silver Honda Accord. An assisting officer detained the driver of the car while another spoke on the phone to the alleged bank employee.

The woman told police the driver was not part of the attempted crime. When asked why she was instructing the man to give cash to a courier, the woman began scolding the officer for stopping a crime in progress before hanging up.

Police determined the driver of the silver Honda Accord worked for Uber, was unaware of the attempted scam and was only responding to a call. He provided his account details for further investigation and was released.

The Roswell man and his wife thought the call was legitimate because the alleged bank employee provided a correct cellphone number, driver’s license information and Social Security number.

Police told them that information can be found in public records.

ASK APPEN

Lake Forrest Drive needs resurfacing

I’d like to see more coverage on road conditions as experienced by citizens.

Lake Forrest Drive, which parallels Roswell Road to the end of Sandy Springs, is heavily traveled and in abysmal, shameful condition and needs resurfacing badly.

It is in far worse condition on the Sandy Springs side than on the city of Atlanta side near Chastain Park.

I’ve personally expressed this to our mayor and a city council member, yet nothing but filling potholes has occurred in ages.

I would suggest that this inattention builds anger and is dangerous. But, in any event, I firmly believe that we are due, and deserve, better from those who lead our city. Why does our city ignore us and needs like this?

Mark McClure Sandy Springs

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.

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.

Electronics recycling raises funds for student services

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Working and nonworking electronics can be securely recycled at a fundraiser on Saturday, Aug. 15, that will support educational and mentoring programs provided by the Sandy Springs Education Force.

Norvus Solutions will wipe all data from the devices and properly dispose of them for a minimum donation of $25 per car. The event will be held in the parking lot at North Springs High School, 7447 Roswell Road, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.

A list of accepted electronics is available at novussolutionsllc.com/ recycling. Items that cannot be accepted include large appliances, items containing fuel and loose batteries.

Individuals planning to recycle electronics can donate in advance at sandyspringseducationforce.org/waysto-donate and bring the receipt to the event. Those paying on Aug. 15 should bring a check or exact change.

The Sandy Springs Education Force operates 18 programs in 10 public schools across the city, providing students with mentoring, after-school programs, tutoring, and reading buddies across grade levels.

SANDY SPRINGS EDUCATION FORCE

A flyer sharing information about an upcoming fundraiser supporting the Sandy Springs Education Force where community members can pay $25 per car to have working and non-working electronics wiped and recycled on Saturday, Aug. 15.

Last year, the nonprofit was named Fulton County Schools’ Legacy of Excellence Partner of the Year.

— Hannah Yahne

Young actors star in summer musical camp production

By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Around 25 young actors took to the stage July 18 at the Stage Door Theatre to perform a collection of songs, dances and scenes from the musical “Wicked,” closing the curtain on five weeks of Saturday morning rehearsals.

The group, ages 10 to 22, were participating in the Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta’s musical theatre summer camp. The organization partnered with the Stage Door Theatre, and volunteers from the Dunwoody Woman’s Club helped produce the show.

“These individuals in our community love being on stage and performing,” Denise Arribas, engagement director for the camp, said. “With encouragement and support, the sky is the limit for individuals with Down syndrome. It has been a true joy and pleasure working with these students.”

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

OUTSIDE THE BIRDCAGE

1. Radar image. Gung-ho. Small olive-colored flycatcher.

2. Big party. Long-legged webfooted shore bird. Urban haze.

3. Clan emblem. Elevator, in England. European blackbird.

4. Three-toed bird. Downhill racer. Newbie golfer.

5. Winter wear. Diving duck. Figure skater’s jump.

6. Big brass. Room at the top. Short-billed Old World rail.

7. Tyrant flycatcher. Pricing word. Trade.

1 Radar image. Gung-ho. Small olive-colored flycatcher.

2. Big party. Long-legged web-footed shore bird. Urban haze

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. Clan emblem. Elevator, in England. European blackbird.

4. Three-toed bird. Downhill racer. Newbie golfer

5. Winter wear. Diving duck. Figure skater’s jump

6. Big brass. Room at the top. Short billed Old World rail.

7. Tyrant flycatcher. Pricing word. Trade

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

to the right of it. A number below the diagonal line is the sum of the white squares in the sequence below it. You may only use the digits 1 to 9, and a digit can only be used once in any sequence.

Confetti Jar connects parents with party vendors

By ERLANDRYA RUTLEDGE erlandrya@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Less than three years after its launch, nearly 10,000 parents a month are using ConfettiJar. com, an Atlanta-based platform that, according to its founders, connects families with trusted local vendors for birthday parties and other events.

Jessica Vicars, who moved to the Atlanta area 18 years ago, and Roy Duvall, a lifelong Georgian, founded the website. They worked together in healthcare information technology before founding Confetti Jar to solve an ongoing issue — birthday parties that required parents to find service providers and vendors through blind social media or internet searches.

Confetti Jar makes that process more simple, bringing those businesses together on one website. Its staff members spend time with vendors, helping them get exposure and build trust with customers.

It’s free for parents to use, with a small commission fee charged to businesses when their services are booked through it, the founders said. The latest update, they said, allows customers to book services from local vendors directly through Confetti Jar.

The new booking feature cuts out the back-and-forth quote requests that used to define party planning, they said.

“It’s bringing everything together for both sides to make a seamless experience,” Duvall said. The website now has 150 participating businesses. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have been the biggest driver of Confetti Jar’s visibility.

us,” Vicars said.

Vicars and Duvall have plans to branch out to other cities but are more invested in Atlanta right now, they said, wanting to ensure local businesses are seeing growth.

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“[I’m] a real mom [who] genuinely cares about other families having a great birthday party experience, and we really aim for that to come through in [our] social media pages, where people get a chance to get to know

“[Our local businesses are] so collaborative, fun and friendly,” Vicars said. “It’s been an amazing community to get to connect with, and we certainly couldn’t do something like this without the local businesses being so excited about what we’re building.”

All the many benefits of water therapy

Oh, how I do love the sound of flowing water – but not when it’s coming from the potty.

Yeah, that’s right. The other day, something happened and the outflow from the washing machine had nowhere else to go. You really can’t blame the water; it was just doing what water does.

The first clue that something was amiss was a burbling commode. Toilets are not supposed to burble. But this one was.

Hearing it, I walked into the bathroom to check things out. The potty was full of soap-sudsy bubbles, and the first thing I thought was, “Well, at least it looks clean.”

The burbling stopped. I went back to the other room. But then the burbling resumed, even more burbly than before. It sounded…cheerful, like a burbling creek…happy even…  I went to look again. This time the carpet squished.

Uh-oh.

Long story short: That musical hydrology was just a devious little teaser of what was really going on, which was that water was flowing across the basement floor on the other side of the wall. Said water flowed around baseboards and into the carpet, soaking the padding, sheetrock, and whatever boxes or other items were within its reach. It didn’t take long for it all to happen, and by the time we got the water cut off we had (as my grandma used to say when talking about politics) “a mell of a hess.”

Fast forward a few days, during which the disaster folks came and did their thing. That basically involved tearing up the kitchen, bedroom, closet, vanity area and bathroom, too. That latter, which was especially disruptive to (forgive me) the normal flow of things, involved removing the toilet (the very same one which had alerted me in the first place) and setting it unceremoniously in the tub (no, not so it could be used but just to get it out of the way). I actually felt kind of sorry for the toilet, ensconced

as it was in that noble but now totally non-functional state. The bathroom sink, for its part, ended up in the living room, while the kitchen sink ended up outside. Oh boy.

One has not fully experienced this modern world until one has lived in it accompanied by a non-functioning toilet sitting in one’s bathtub – and without a kitchen, too. If we’d had at least a functioning kitchen, we might have used it to prepare some sort of comfort food, ideally one involving chocolate or perhaps some sort of fortified spirits.

We stayed for a little while, albeit without kitchen or sinks and or toilet or tub (remember, it now held the toilet), while the restoration folks worked. It was, my wife observed, kind of like camping but without the woods.

That is not nearly as much fun as you might imagine.

Soon, they told us we needed to go somewhere else while things dried out (mold) and then, a few days later, they told us we needed to go somewhere else again while repairs were made.

See HUDSON, Page 12

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1971 fire ended era of Morgan Falls School

In the early hours of Jan.13, 1971, Morgan Falls Elementary School caught fire. The fire started in the part of the school that was built in 1932. Seven classrooms were destroyed. The 226 students were given the rest of the week off. The next week, they began attending Mimosa Elementary School in Roswell.

The first Morgan Falls School opened in 1907 on the west side of Roswell Road along what is now Morgan Falls Road but was then known as Bull Sluice Road. A school was needed in the area as more people were working with Atlanta Water and Power Co. on the construction of Morgan Falls Dam. The first school was built with the assistance of that company, founded by Forrest Adair and Jack Spalding.

In 1932, Atlanta attorney and chairman of the state board of regents Hughes Spalding donated land on the east side of Roswell Road for the second Morgan Falls School to be built. Additions were made to the school in 1953.

The 1971 students of Morgan Falls were already scheduled to transfer to the new Woodland Elementary School on Spalding Drive at the beginning of the next school year. In the meantime, county school buses transported them to Mimosa Elementary School.

PROVIDED

This January 1971 photo of Morgan Falls Elementary School following a devastating fire was captured by the family of a student. The photo was contributed to the Fulton County School Archives.

Later that month, an Atlanta Journal article included the thoughts a few students had written regarding their old school. One student wrote, “I realize now that Morgan Falls had more personality than any new school ever could.”

Another child shared, “I think it had a lot of character like bats in the belfry. We had great

lunches. The lunch ladies were super. The school was the most different school in the world.” Children were concerned about how their teachers and principal were going to handle the tragedy.

Some of the women from Morgan Falls PTA asked for permission to look through the charred rubble for pictures, clocks, teaching aids and flags. They placed the charred objects in two station wagons, hoping to clean them and put the items back in use.

A former student shared photos of the school’s destruction after the fire with me. These photos have been donated to the Fulton County School archives.

In 1973, Fulton County commissioners asked the county school board to donate the 4.5 acres that was home to Morgan Falls Elementary School for a “new satellite courthouse” in North Fulton. Today that is the North Fulton County Government Service Center on Roswell Road.

Sources for this article include 1907, 1971 and 1973 pieces published in The Atlanta Constitution and a 1971 piece published in The Atlanta Journal.

Award-winning author Valerie Biggerstaff is a longtime columnist for Appen Media and the Dunwoody Crier. She lives in Atlanta. Write her at pasttensega@gmail.com. Learn more at pasttensega.com.

What’s behind Atlanta’s housing slowdown?

If you ask almost any real estate agent why homes are taking longer to sell, you'll likely hear the same answer: mortgage rates. It's an understandable response. Thirtyyear fixed mortgage rates began 2022 near 3.25%, climbed rapidly, and averaged 5.34% that year. Since 2023, they've averaged roughly 6.67%, and today they're hovering around 6.75%. That sounds expensive—until you zoom out. Since Freddie Mac began tracking mortgage rates in 1971, the long-term average has been approximately 7.70%. By historical standards, today's rates are not unusually high. They simply feel high because we've become anchored to the once-in-a-generation rates of 2020 and 2021.

So, if mortgage rates aren't the primary villain, what is?

The answer may be hiding in plain sight: home prices.

In Metro Atlanta, the average homeowner has seen approximately $200,000 in appreciation since 2020. That's wonderful news for current homeowners. For buyers, however, it's an entirely different story.

A $200,000 increase in purchase price translates into roughly $1,500 more per month on a typical mortgage payment. Compare that with today's higher interest rates, which add another $300 to $400 per month relative to the ultra-low-rate era.

The math is revealing. Interest rates certainly matter, but they account for only a fraction of today's affordability challenge. The overwhelming driver is the dramatic increase in home values. When a family's monthly payment rises by nearly $1,900, about four-fifths of that increase stems from the higher

purchase pricnot the higher interest rate.

Here's the irony. Many homeowners who purchased in 2020 invested perhaps $20,000 to $30,000 as a down payment. Five or six years later, many have accumulated more than $200,000 in equity, largely by making their mortgage payments and maintaining their property. Warren Buffett often reminds investors that time is the friend of a good asset. Metro Atlanta homeowners have received a remarkably vivid demonstration of that principle.

The next question is obvious: Are home prices due for a correction? Perhaps, but context matters. We're already seeing subtle adjustments. Sellers are offering larger concessions. Price reductions have become more common. Homes are staying on the market longer than they did during the 2021 frenzy.

That doesn't necessarily signal another 2008. Today's homeowners generally have significant equity,

lending standards remain far stronger than they were before the financial crisis, and inventory is still well below historical norms.

The market is adjusting, not collapsing.

Mortgage rates make convenient headlines because they're easy to measure and easy to blame. But if we're looking for the principal force behind today's slower housing market, we should spend less time staring at interest rates and more time looking at price tags.

Sometimes the biggest obstacle isn't the cost of borrowing money. It's the cost of the house itself.

DC Aiken is Senior Vice President of Lending for CrossCountry Mortgage, NMLS#658790. For more insights, you can subscribe to his newsletter at dcaiken.com.

The opinions expressed within this article may not reflect the opinions or views of CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC or its affiliates.

Lines:

Continued from Page 1

She walked around the room thanking everyone, hugging those she knew and people she had just met.

“It’s not everyday somebody turns 100,” CEO Francis Horton said. “And it’s certainly not every day that somebody turns 100 and is volunteering at a food pantry.”

Lines serves as an inspiration to those doing nonprofit work, Horton said.

She started her work with the Community Assistance Center at age 96, but serving others has always been important to Lines.

Margaret Lines, center, poses with fellow volunteers during a surprise party celebrating her 100th birthday at the Community Assistance Center in Sandy Springs on July 28.

She grew up on a farm in Indiana, walking through muddy fields to attend a one-room school until she entered sixth grade, when she could take a bus to the school in town. She earned a scholarship to Purdue University and worked as a dietitian for several hospitals before retiring.

Raphael:

I could think of nothing but the son that would be lost to me forever.”

This severe anxiety continued until the Raphaels were introduced to the DIR model, a scientific framework used to promote healthy development in children with autism. DIR — an initialism for the developmental, individual differences, relationshipbased model — was developed in the 1980s and 1990s by Dr. Stanley Greenspan and expanded upon by Dr. Serena Weider.

“The first time we saw Dr. Greenspan … Jacob and I were in his office and it was as if somebody had opened a door to the future,” David said. “When we started doing the Floortime method, we saw changes right away.”

Floortime, according to the DIR website, is the DIR model put into practice. Activities focus on building a child’s underlying developmental capacities — emotional regulation, engagement, two-way communication and problem-solving — through play that follows the child’s interests.

“Not a lot of women were [graduating college] back than,” Lines said. “And I was able to do that and go on and offer my services to … the state of Indiana.”

Nutrition isn’t the only thing Lines remembers from her college days.

the three-hour commute to Greenspan’s office — and the thousands of dollars spent on provider costs — worth it. He said it was gratifying and exhilarating to see his son’s growth.

“As Jacob was healing, I was healing, too,” David said.

David read his “Jacob’s Story” essay at the 1996 Zero to Three child development conference, sharing how important early intervention and DIR was to their lives. He said it was hard work, frustrating at times, and he noted Jacob’s progress was rapid and remarkable. Jacob, by age 5, had said his first word — “meow” — and wanted to learn everything.

“Jacob’s Story” was published in the April/May 1997 edition of the Zero to Three Journal, which publishes the latest research on early childhood development and related insights from experts. Three years later, he was again invited to speak at the group’s conference. His second essay, “Jacob’s Story Part II: Each Day is Another Adventure,” was published in 2000.

She began bowling 82 years ago as a freshman at Purdue and keeps her skills sharp by playing at least one game a week at a nearby bowling alley with Overheim and friends on their way home from the Community Assistance Center.

disorder. In 2002, 1 in 150 were noted.

“We’ve been telling Jacob for years that he has an important message to share, that he has an important story to share with others,” David said.

Last year, David collected his essays and spoke with Jacob about each chapter. The dad transcribed his conversations with his son. Jacob contributed his own chapter, “A Boy and His Autism,” which details the confusion and difficulties he experienced while growing up with autism. The prose also recounts the first time he read “Jacob’s Story.”

Jacob, usually hesitant to discuss the development disorder, wrote that reading the essay caused a wave of emotions to burst through a dam he had long been building.

“The emotion that broke the camel’s back, in this case, wasn’t anger but empathy … empathy and a radical shifting of a memory that happens years after the fact,” Jacob recorded.

Volunteering became a part of Lines’ Tuesday routine after she moved from Arizona to be closer to her daughter. Every week, the pair weigh and sort food items donated by community partners that feed hundreds of families throughout the month.

“I worked as a dietitian for many years,” Lines said. “I want to see the nutritious things that are offered here … I don’t want it to just be thrown away.”

Lines said time spent volunteering with her daughter is wonderful, allowing them to talk about things that otherwise might not come up while filling a passion she has had all her life.

The Community Assistance Center is built around its roughly 520 monthly volunteers, Horton said, and it has been for 40 years. They staff the Canopy Thrift Shop six days a week, unload and sort food delivered from local food banks and pack donations from the nonprofit’s 28 church partners.

“It really is a picture of community helping community,” Horton said.

Bridge Press. Jacob, now 35 with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Georgia College and State University, is working on his own novel and applying for a graduate-level social work program. With his father, he served as a keynote speaker at the Creating Connections to Shining Stars child development conference in Virginia July 14-16.

“It’s taken me three decades to become more comfortable in my own skin and with my own unique qualities,” Jacob said. “I still have a ways to go. That said, I’d like to think that I’ve learned a thing or two along the way.”

Jacob told the conference crowd, a group of special educators and parents, that it is essential to help neurodivergent people connect with others around them. He said finding people who accept others as they are — autism and all — is even more important.

With Floortime treatment, David said progress came “immediately,” making

Continued from Page 1

Stakeholders can also complete surveys at planthenextchapter.org. All project information will be posted on

David said parents of children diagnosed with autism are desperate for hope. The diagnosis is becoming more prevalent, with the Centers for Disease Control reporting that, in 2022, 1 in 31 8-year-old children in the U.S. were identified with autism spectrum

that website, which will also include materials from the public meetings.

Public meetings about updating the plans started in June and will continue through January. City staff members anticipate bringing the updated documents to the Sandy Springs City Council for adoption next June.

Chapters pairing dad-and-son reflections weave readers through the shared experience and what those times meant to both individuals. The essays and reflections were published in the book “A Miracle of the Heart: A Father and Son’s Autism Journey,” which was released this summer through the publisher they founded, The Narrow

“When thinking about his long journey, the latest chapter of his is embracing his autism identity,” David said. “He really embraced who he is and it’s incredibly … empowering for him and affirming.”

To learn more, read the dad-andson pair’s blog or purchase a book, visit narrowbridge.us. Continued from Page 1

Hudson:

Continued from Page 7

That’s where we are now, camping out (but this time with conveniences) at an Airbnb up in the foothills north of home.

This evening, barely two days into telling ourselves that lemonade-outof-lemons is really a thing, we decided that we needed respite. This water catastrophe had messed with our home, with our nest – and by her own admission, my wife is a nest builder. She was stressed, for you do not lightly mess with a nest-builder’s nest.

Water therapy. That’s what we needed. It would be oddly appropriate, wouldn’t it? So we got in the car and drove to the local lake. As its watery expanse came into view, thoughts of that other H2O and all it had wrought began to fade from view. Life on Earth began to look a little better.

I knew we were on the right track when she asked me, “Do you think there will be fish?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “But I will go find out.”

“Some fish would be good right about now,” she mused, her voice a little softer maybe. “Maybe they’re there. I’ll sit here and crochet while you check it out.”

So that’s what she did, and that’s what I did, too. I tied a bright yellow foam fly to the end of the line, made my way down to the water, and immediately caught a decent bluegill. Three casts later, I caught another.

Then I stopped fishing and turned to walk back up the hill, ready to deliver the happy news.

“It’s good,” I told her.

Together, we walked back down the hill to the water’s edge. She cast, using the rod I had built for her not long after we married, and she promptly caught a bluegill of her own. It was a good one.

I caught one, too, and she took my picture.

I walked on down the shoreline, fishing as I went. Then I heard her call my name and turned and saw her rod bent more than I’d ever seen it bent before. She had a big one – an enormous one, a brag-worthy one, a bluegill of epic proportions. I watched as she brought it in, and I went to her to take a picture.

It was the biggest bluegill she’d ever caught.

“With fishing like this, we could have had some for supper,” she said. “We would have eaten well.”

But she slipped it back into the water, and for the first time that day I saw a smile flicker across her face.

Water therapy? Uh huh. Sometimes that’s all you need.

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Food Pantry Manager

NFCC is seeking a qualified candidate to fill the full-time Food Pantry Manager position. Under the direction of the Food Pantry Director, the Food Pantry Manager leads back of house food pantry operations including inventory control, receiving products, client orders, managing volunteers, entering data and creating reports.

This role is perfect for someone who enjoys managing people and process! Volunteer and inventory management, operations and data entry are primary responsibilities of this role.

The applicant should have a desire to join the team of a mission-driven non-profit where we work to ease hardship and build financial stability throughout our community. We offer one of the most competitive total rewards packages among Atlanta’s nonprofit organizations, making this role both meaningful and rewarding.

Please send resumes to jobs@nfcchelp.org

Executive Secretary and Administrative Assistant. Ortiz Decorating, Inc, Stone Mountain, GA. Prep sales reports, track renewals, & monitor biz performance indicators. Answer calls & sched appts in office. Participate in internal promo activities, sales campaigns, & agency events. Mng & maint executive scheds. Organize executive travel. Prep invoices, reports, memos, letters, financial stmts, & other docs using word processing, spreadsheet, dtbase, or presentation software. Coord & direct office srvcs, such as records, dept finances, budget prepn, & personnel matters, to asst executives. Req High School Diploma & 2 yrs exp as executive secretaries & executive admin assistants. $74,485/yr. Send resume to: mirtaortizdecorating@gmail.com

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