Sandy Springs Crier - February 19, 2026

Public records fight racks up

► PAGE 7

$100,000 bill

FBI investigates Fulton County handling of 2020 ballots

By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com

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

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

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

MEDIA FILE PHOTO

Volunteers prepare food at the All Saints Catholic Church kitchen in 2023 for the annual Lenten Fish Fry. Knights of Columbus officials say hundreds of volunteers come out each year to help pull off the popular event, which kicks off this year on Feb. 20.

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

The U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division sued Fulton County

Court Clerk Che Alexander in December 2025.

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

Knights of Columbus preps for All Saints annual fish fry

By JILLIAN DIMARCO newsroom@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga. — The Knights of Columbus at All Saints Catholic Church in Dunwoody is prepping to kick off its annual Lenten Fish Fry at the church gymnasium Feb. 20.

Organizers say the event, running every Friday from 5-8 p.m. through March 27, has grown in size and impact.

“We’re proud that this has become a community-wide event,” said Bob Mitchell, a team captain for the fish fry and a Knight since 1997. “It’s open to the public, everyone is welcome, and we’re proud to be one of the largest fish fries anywhere east of the Mississippi.”

Founded in 1979, All Saints Catholic Church has been a fixture in the community for decades. In the mid-1990s, members of the Knights of Columbus launched the fish fry as a way to support charitable giving, one of the organization’s central missions.

Last year, the Knights served a record 8,500 meals. At peak times, nearly 1,500 meals have been served during a single night.

Guests may dine in or take meals to go. Entrée options include fried cod or shrimp, as well as broiled cod or salmon. Side dishes include New England clam chowder, french fries, macaroni and cheese, roasted red potatoes, cole slaw, green beans and hush puppies. Kids meals are also available. Pricing varies by entrée, with discounted options available for children.

Desserts, beer, wine, soft drinks and bottled water are offered for cash-only purchase, while iced tea and water are complimentary.

“The camaraderie of the guests and the staff is what makes this event happen,” Mitchell said. “We couldn’t do this without them.”

Learn more at https:// allsaintsdunwoody.org/programs-events/ events/fish-fry/.

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Student print shop teaches business skills while turning profit

By HANNAH YAHNE Hannah@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — For 30 minutes each day, the 10-member team of Alpharetta High School Print Shop is in full swing, writing invoices and designing banners to drape the school’s walls.

Since its launch in 2023, the Alpharetta Print Shop has turned into a lucrative business and popular extracurricular among students. This past year, only four spots were open to 33 applicants.

“You’re dealing with real money, and you have real clients that have real requirements,” said Swarup Kesarkar, the co-CEO of Alpharetta Print Shop.

The enterprise serves more than 100 clients.

Clients can request designs and pick from various paper types, like vinyl, glossy or matte. The print shop offers high-quality materials at an affordable price with each paper material costing less than $20 a foot.

Most current clients are programs at Alpharetta High, Kesarkar said. Last September, the print shop designed and printed banners for each of the school’s student organizations in time for Raider Fest, a community celebration featuring a parade, food and information about all 86 clubs.

Alpharetta High School’s

confirming orders and matching invoices to order forms. See PRINT, Page 4

Lemonade Days adds attractions for April festival

DUNWOODY, Ga. — The Lemonade Days Festival will return for its 26th year April 22-26 at Brook Run Park, complete with carnival rides, vendors and a petting zoo.

This year’s attractions will feature The Fireball, a high-speed looping roller coaster making its first appearance. For those seeking something tamer, the Jumping Jumbo flying elephant ride will offer enjoyment for all ages.

The Lemonade Days 5K – a Peachtree Road Race qualifier –will take be at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 25. Each participant will go home with a custom cup filled with lemonade and T-shirt. Awards will be given to the overall winners and age-group winners.

Adults and children can sign up for the 5K online.

The festival began in 1999 as a relief effort for families affected by the 1998 tornado that swept through Dunwoody neighborhoods. The event has historically attracted more than 70,000 people.

The Lemonade Days Festival is the largest fundraiser of the Dunwoody Preservation Trust. Profits support the continued rehabilitation and maintenance

of the historic 1870 DonaldsonBannister Farm, as well as numerous community events, educational programs for children and adults and Dunwoody’s only history camp for kids.

On family night, Wednesday, April 22, wristbands for unlimited rides are available for $25 and will cost $35 from Thursday through Sunday. Single tickets cost $1.25 each and a sheet of 25 tickets costs $25.

The festival’s hours of operation are:

• Wednesday, April 22: 4 p.m.-10 p.m.

• Thursday, April 23, 4 p.m.-10 p.m.

• Friday, April 24, 4 p.m.-10 p.m.

• Saturday, April 25, 10 a.m.10 p.m.

• Sunday, April 26, noon-6 p.m.

The festival will be at Brook Run Park, 4770 North Peachtree Road in Dunwoody. For basic information about Lemonade Days, go to dunwoodylemonadedays. org. Weather updates will be provided on the Dunwoody Preservation Trust Facebook page and Instagram at #lemonadedaysfestival.

Festivalgoers enjoy a carnival ride at the

Print: 20 26 STATE OF THE CIT Y

Crown

WEDNESDAY MARCH 18

8:00 am to 9:30 am

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The Alpharetta Print Shop started as a fundraising effort for the school’s chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). Now, it serves as a stepping stone for students aspiring to become FBLA officers.

“The print shop was kind of necessary for FBLA’s success, because FBLA is so big that we need some pillars to sustain it,” Kesarkar said.

The student organization is a business, Kesarkar said, and it helps create responsible and forward-thinking leaders at a young age.

“Everyone has to learn how to communicate with each other and kind of grow together to understand how to operate this business the most efficient way possible,” he said.

It has evolved into being an irreplaceable Career and Technical Student Organization, Kesarkar said.

Fulton County Schools is taking notice, and the small business is pitching that the district start a print shop at each high school to give students a real path to business operations.

Not only is it a learning opportunity for students, but the Alpharetta Print Shop has saved the school thousands

of dollars by having in-house printing access.

“It’s a direct call to action, and the growth in the students we’re seeing is incredible,” Kesarkar said. “It’s beyond what any classroom can provide.”

To place an order with the Alpharetta Print Shop, visit the Alpharetta High School website or email alpharettaprintshop@gmail.com.

(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!

GROUPS

1. Rock bottom. Fashionable. Group of witches.

2. Toss. Group of criminals. Cold weather warmer.

3. Syrup type. Fixed costs. Group of bees.

4. Theater group. Door sign. Mountain pool.

5. Juicy fruit. Group of cattle. Burger condiment.

6. Sporting group. Office note. Heavy drinking vessel for Beowulf.

7. Musical group. Pub game. Cookbook suggestion.

1 Rock bottom. Fashionable. Group of witches

2. Toss. Group of criminals. Cold weather warmer

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. Syrup type. Fixed costs. Group of bees

4. Theater group. Door sign. Mountain pool

5. Juicy fruit. Group of cattle. Burger condiment

6.

7.

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PAST TENSE

Dunwoody’s Phil Stovall recalls some standout movie moments

VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist

A Past Tense article on Atlanta’s early movie history reminded Phil Stovall of his memorable moments at local theatres. Stovall grew up near Wieuca and Roswell Road. He moved to Dunwoody in 1987 along with his wife Rebecca.

His earliest movie recollections are Saturday morning trips to Buckhead Theatre in the late 1950s and early 1960s to see a movie for the special price of 10 cents. His parents would drop off Stovall along with his older brother and sister.

After the movie, the three children would stop at the shoe repair shop next door for a 5-cent, 6-ounce Coke. They also enjoyed observing watch repairs at Mr. Stephens’ shop while waiting to be picked up. If the children had enough time, they walked to the bowling alley across the street. The bowling alley had duck pins and children in the rear of the alleys worked as pin setters.

Buckhead Theatre at 3110 Roswell Road opened on June 2, 1930. It was bought out and renamed Capri Theatre on June 29, 1962. After some time as a Cinema & Drafthouse, the theater became The Roxy and returned to the original name of Buckhead Theatre in 2013. (cinematreasures.org)

Phil remembers the drive-ins he visited as a child, including Piedmont, NE 1-85 and sometimes a longer drive to the Bankhead/Bolton Drive-In.

“My favorite was the Piedmont, with a pretty winding driveway in, lit with little lights, all dressed in pj's ready to enjoy the cartoons intro,” he said. “Then all three of us would settle down to sleep in the back seat of the old Ford four door, and later in the Chevy station wagon.”

Stovall recalls seeing several movies downtown. He saw “The Longest Day” and “Gone with the Wind” rerelease at Loew’s Grand Theatre. At the Fox Theater, he saw “In Search of the Castaways.” This film had an intermission, not unusual for 1962. While stepping out to the concession stand during intermission, Stovall remembers seeing the second half of the movie begin while he was still in line.

PROVIDED

This Jan. 17, 1964, ad for “The Sword in the Stone” at Cherokee Theatre in Brookhaven ran in the Atlanta Journal.

West was Won” at the Martin Cinerama, featuring the new Cinerama format with a curved wide screen. The theatre was previously known as Tower, and after Martin it became Atlanta and finally Columbia Theatre before closing in 1987.

A few more movie memories include “The Sword in the Stone” at Cherokee Plaza in Brookhaven, before the theatre was replaced with a Kroger; “Dr. Zhivago” at the Plaza Theatre on Ponce de Leon; and second run films at North Springs Shopping Center Theatre next to a bowling alley at the corner of Roswell and Dalrymple Roads.

Stovall recalls his first car date, a 7 p.m. movie at the Fox with date Linda, followed by the Mighty Mo organ performance. He forgot to turn on his car lights after this one.

On his last night before leaving for college, Stovall and his high school sweetheart Jeanette went to the Midnight Sun for dinner, walked around downtown and saw “Paint Your Wagon” at the Georgia Theatre, next to the old downtown Macy’s.

Later, a reminder of that date and young woman arrived for him at college. It was the album soundtrack of “Paint Your Wagon.”

*Decaturish Ink currently publishes on the 2nd & 4th Thursdays of every month. All other publications publish every Thursday.

“The Sound of Music,” “The Longest Day,” “Fantasia” and “Ben Hur” rerelease, “Lawrence of Arabia,” and “How the West was Won” were all movies Stovall saw in the 1960s and all had intermissions.

He remembers seeing the “How the

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.

OPINION

FULTON COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT/PROVIDED

A Fulton County judge ordered Sandy Springs to turn over documents it previously withheld. The city has not yet complied with the directive. Appen Media has now spent $100,000 in legal bills pursuing the long-running lawsuit over access to public records.

$100,000: That’s the cost to fight for public records

Director of Content and Development

carl@appenmedia.com

Dear reader, With so much happening in the news and in our day-to-day lives, you might not have seen this update:

A Fulton County judge recently ordered Sandy Springs to turn over previously withheld documents to Appen Media in an ongoing public records lawsuit.

We've now been in court for almost three years, pushing for public access to police incident reports the department is trying to withhold.

During that time, we've written a few stories and columns about the case. Plus, our newsroom has been able to produce some hard-hitting articles based on limited records we've been able to obtain thus far.

But to date, I haven't mentioned one critical piece of information:

Our small, locally owned newspaper group has now spent nearly $100,000 fighting for these records.

Why?

Because it matters.

Transparency begets transparency. The inverse is also true.

These are reports that police

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departments across the state regularly release to the public. And yet, we have been unable to access them from Sandy Springs without going to court.

We do not have endless resources – far from it.

But we do have our readers, and I hope this example shows you why that's so important.

If you believe these records should be public, consider supporting our work.

You can make a recurring or onetime gift at appenmedia.com/join. Alternatively, you can mail a check to 319 N. Main St., Alpharetta, GA. 30009. Just make it out to Appen Media Group and put “Records” in the memo.

Thank you for your support and continued readership.

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North Fulton Community Charities launches east Roswell food pantry

ROSWELL, Ga. — North Fulton Community Charities is opening its first satellite food pantry Tuesday, March 11 on the campus of Bridge to Grace Church in east Roswell.

A ribbon cutting that same day at 11 a.m. will open the East Roswell Food Pantry and Garden to serve up to 100 families a week.

North Fulton Community Charities’ (NFCC) new pantry will offer shelfstable food and fresh produce harvested from the on-site garden, increasing access to nutritious foods at reduced costs.

“This pantry represents what’s possible when a community comes together to meet a growing need,” said Marten Jallad, vice president of operations at NFCC. “We are excited to provide our east Roswell neighbors with greater access to food, including fresh vegetables grown onsite.”

The pantry will operate through an online ordering system. Families can place their orders ahead of

Ballots:

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time, volunteers will prepare them, and clients can drive to pick up their food after check-in.

The east Roswell satellite food pantry was supported by community partners, including Bridge to Grace Church, Leadership North Fulton, local businesses and volunteers who contributed time, resources and expertise.

The Leadership North Fulton Class of 2025 raised nearly $30,000 and partnered with organizations like Old Rucker Farm and the Chattahoochee Nature Center to design the on-site garden.

NFCC is a nonprofit that works to bring support directly into neighborhoods where barriers exist. It offers services in case management, emergency financial assistance and education opportunities.

The ribbon cutting is open to the public. Community members are invited to attend.

— Hannah Yahne

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

county had said some ballots were scanned multiple times during the recount.

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

“If these deficiencies were the result of intentional action, it would be a violation of federal law regardless of whether the failure to retain records or the deprivation of a fair tabulation of a vote was outcome-determinative for any particular election or race,” the affidavit says.

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

a “fair and impartially conducted election process,” The AP reported.

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

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

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

As part of an agreement between the State Election Board and Fulton County, an independent monitor was hired in 2020 to observe the general election.

The monitor found “sloppy processes” and “systemic disorganization” but no evidence of fraud or other illegal actions, the AP reported.

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

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

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

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

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

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

HANS APPEN Publisher

My values have always included a deep respect for education, a strong belief in parental responsibility and a firm commitment to freedom of thought. That’s why I’m alarmed to see legislators once again advancing a bill that would threaten institutions that have served our communities for generations: our public and school libraries.

Senate Bill 74 would remove longstanding legal protections for librarians and expose them to criminal prosecution if they lend a book later deemed “harmful to minors” under a vague state definition. You might think this sounds like hyperbole, but the truth is dark: it would be a criminal misdemeanor – punishable with possible jail time – for simply doing the work librarians have done for decades.

That’s not conservative principles. That’s not common sense. That’s legislative overreach that would undermine the very foundations of learning.

For decades, Georgia law has protected librarians from prosecution for circulating materials that some people might interpret as harmful to minors. That protection wasn’t given accidentally. Legislators recognized that libraries are centers of learning and community support, not places where adults should fear incarceration for exercising professional judgment.

Now, that protection is at risk. Lawmakers today argue this simply holds librarians to the same standards as other citizens. But government already has laws against distributing truly obscene material to minors, and even those laws require clear definitions and careful interpretation. Removing safeguards for trained professionals who select and categorize books based on established policies invites chaos.

Georgia isn’t alone. Across the coun-

try, a wave of state legislators have sought to impose criminal penalties or heavy restrictions on librarians and educators over book content. At least seven states have passed similar laws in recent years, with many others debating them – and a number of legal challenges have already occurred.

In Arkansas, a law that would have allowed prison sentences for librarians who distributed “harmful” books was struck down as unconstitutional just last year.

These efforts don’t emerge in isolation. They accompany a surge in bookchallenging and censorship campaigns nationwide, often focused on books featuring LGBTQ+ characters or discussions of race and identity – works that millions of Americans consider vital to a complete education and reflective of real lives.

The fear of legal action will inevitably make librarians overly cautious, eroding vibrant collections and stifling intellectual curiosity.

Worse, this kind of policy shifts re-

sponsibility for reading decisions from parents and guardians, who know their children best, to unelected bureaucrats and prosecutors, and it could chill the professional judgment of trained librarians.

If there are real concerns about age-appropriate materials, they are best addressed through dialogue and policy, not criminal penalties. Georgia libraries already have reconsideration policies and community review processes to address book complaints. These frameworks respect both parental concerns and First Amendment rights.

We can protect children without weaponizing our legal system against educators. We can support parents without stripping teachers and librarians of their professional judgment. And we can uphold freedom of speech and expression – a right that doesn’t end at the library door.

Let’s not turn librarians into defendants. Let’s keep our libraries what they’ve always been: safe, welcoming and free.

Me versus my cell phone, a battle worth the effort

RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com

The morning keeps getting older. I have texted one of my sisters, a couple friends and talked to Christina but other than that, I have not caved and looked at the news or any social media on my phone. Well, I have almost eliminated social media anyway, but sometimes I regress, but not this morning. The longer I go without being sucked in by that phone, the stronger the reward feels. The morning is still mine. I am exercising some restraint – control over my time. I am maintaining my peace and staying focused – focused on me and the moment instead of torturing myself in cyber space. Why do I do that?

It dawns on me: I need to turn off “notifications” on my phone – one less distraction, one less unwelcomed and unneeded Pavlovian stimuli. Damn them. Stupid me to have turned “notifications” on in the first

place. If I counted, I bet I get at least three notifications an hour, sometimes more, between texts and news updates. Why would I want that?

It is funny. It reminds me of all those attempts to stop smoking cigarettes and fighting the urges, the cravings. And going just a moment at a time, one step then another. Same thing. How startling it is to realize – to internalize – that this small metal plastic-encased battery with cameras made by a fruit company called Apple has such control over me. Let’s see how much longer I can go and not pick it up this morning. Instead, I am reading, and after I read for a while, I’m going to sit down at my keyboard and work on my music, then paint. I’ll do work in my blues book, work on some chord progressions, and then painstakingly continue work reading music – from my complete Beatles anthology. I thought “Hey Jude” would not be that hard to learn to play; it sounds easy, but, at least for an old guy who is still trying to relearn/reeducate his brain, eyes and hands to coordinate, that song is not so easy – at least as easy as it sounds.

I found another Ann Patchett book on one of the bookshelves, “Truth & Beauty.” What joy. I just finished her “The Story of a Happy Marriage,” which I loved. After I finished it, I started looking for a new book to read. I picked up and read maybe 20 pages in four different books before giving up on each one – Michael Cunningham’s “A Home at the End of the World,” Frazen’s “Freedon,” Doerr’s “Cloud Cuckoo Land” and “Year of Wonders” – Geraldine Brooks. Frustrating.

I’m afraid I think Ann Patchett has spoiled me. She had me before I even finished reading page 1 of her “Truth & Beauty.” It reminded me of how instantly I was hooked into Richard Powers’ “The Overstory.” Same deal.

I am not sure why I am so comfortable reading Ann. It may be her honesty – her candor – and how she so unflinchingly shares so much with her readers so fearlessly. I can’t imagine being so free. She makes it look so easy, so effortless, so natural. It may be the amount of trust she has for herself and, again, in her audience.

“After the dishes were washed and put away, Lucy put a tape in the little stereo box, and we danced in the kitchen. No matter how dismal things seemed, ungraded papers, brutal weather; we could find the energy to spin around the table under the bright fluorescent lights of our apartment…. Kitchen dancing was the only hope for girls like me who needed to find their way in privacy. On Governor Street we would dance for hours. We laughed so hard, and the music was so loud… We danced until our hair was damp and our feet ached from the linoleum floor.”

Her writing seems like a living room conversation among old friends or a sleep-over back in the day. It reminds me of a night at the theater or an intense debate over “The Great Gatsby” in a small university classroom setting among a dozen grad students or maybe freshmen. Or maybe she is just easy to read because she doesn’t ask so much from her audience. No, I don’t think that is it, but maybe.

OPINION

Phenology and you as a citizen scientist

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

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

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

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

Citizen science

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

Phenology is perfect for community science because:

• Observations are simple but powerful.

• Data can be collected over many years.

• Scientists need information from many locations.

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

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

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

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

• They bloom early in spring, making them sensitive indicators of warming trends.

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

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

• They are native and abundant in our area.

Key phenology events on redbuds

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

• Dormant – No visible growth; buds are closed

• Bud burst – Buds begin to open

• First flowers – One or more open flowers appear

• Full flowering – Many flowers are open across the tree

• Leaf-out – Leaves begin to emerge

• Fruit development – Seed pods form later in the season

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

How you can help

Here’s the steps to get started as a

citizen scientist on a redbud phenology project:

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

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

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

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

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

Why your observations matter

Data from phenology projects can help scientists:

• Track how spring is arriving earlier or later

About the author

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

• Understand regional differences in climate impacts

• Study relationships between plants, pollinators and weather

• Inform conservation and landmanagement decisions

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

Science starts where you are

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

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

Happy Gardening!

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

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

The DAR in Georgia and the Revolutionary War

BOB MEYERS Columnist

This year marks the 250th anniversary of America’s founding. States, cities and patriotic groups will celebrate and honor the event in many ways. The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) will play an important role. This column will focus on the war, the history of DAR and one local DAR chapter.

The Revolutionary War was a conflict between the 13 American colonies and Great Britain. It began as a demand for reform in the early 1770s and ended in the complete separation of the colonies from Great Britain. George Washington was commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. In 1776 the Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. In 1781, colonial forces won the decisive battle of Yorktown and forced King George III to acknowledge American independence which was formalized by the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

Many Georgians in the early 1770s were reluctant to oppose the British because the colony had prospered under its rule. Those who remained loyal to the king were called Tories or Loyalists. Anti-British Georgians were called Whigs or Patriots.

Significant White settlement did not begin until the passage of the Indian Removal Act in 1830 and the subsequent Trail of Tears. However, many of the pioneer families who later settled in North Fulton were descended from Revolutionary War patriots from the Carolinas. While North Fulton did not experience serious battles, significant battles took place in other parts of Georgia.

The DAR, founded in 1890, has some 190,000 members in about 3,000 chapters throughout the U.S. While it is a huge organization, it is also highly local. There are almost 8,000 members in Georgia in 111 chapters.

DAR chapters in this area have been very active because of the many Patriot ancestors that settled here attracted by Georgia’s post-war land policies.

One of the most active Georgia DAR chapters is the Patriots of Liberty Chapter in Alpharetta. Their 100 members exemplify the mission of the DAR: historic preservation, education and patriotism through civic involvement. They, like other chapters, support veterans and active-duty military, promote education through scholarships and relations with schools, help preserve local historic sites and participate in patriotic and local community events. A requirement for DAR membership is demonstrable direct descent from a Patriot of the American Revolution, either a soldier

PUBLIC DOMAIN/METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

“Washington Crossing the Delaware,” is a 12’5” x 21’3” oil-on-canvas painted by German artist Emanuel Leutze in 1851. The New York Times said on Nov 1,1851 when the work was put on public display, “It is a work of extraordinary merit, full of patriotic feeling and executed with uncommon power.” It depicts General George Washington leading the Continental Army across the Delaware River on Christmas night 1776 to surprise a garrison of 1,500 Hessian mercenaries at Trenton.

who fought in the war or someone who actively supported the war effort.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with four members of the Alpharetta chapter, each of whom has adopted a Revolutionary War patriot. Each member at the meeting described her documented patriot:

Alicia King, Chapter Regent. Her direct line Patriot is Preston Goforth, Jr (17391780), one of four brothers all killed at the Battle of Kings Mountain in South Carolina. Preston’s three brothers fought on the Loyalist side. The battle was described as the “war’s largest all-American fight.” It is thought possible that Preston and his brother John simultaneously shot and killed each other. Most of those killed in the battle were not properly buried. Preston’s wife Nancy went to the battlefield, found his body and brought it home to be buried in the family cemetery.

Jennifer Boren Honorary Regent. Her direct descendant William Noel Battles (1757-1840) was a private who crossed the Delaware River with Gen. George Washington on Christmas 1776 and took part in the surprise attack at Trenton the next

day. He fought in several other battles including Brandywine, among the largest battles of the war which led to the British capture of Philadelphia, and the Battle of Monmouth, another protracted battle. According to his pension application he was often barefoot, poorly clothed and hungry in freezing cold. He had been promised 200 acres after his service and had to turn in his discharge papers to apply. His application was in headquarters that burned down, and he never received his land.

Debra Kielly, Honorary Regent. Debra’s direct descendant is Abraham Guseman (1753-1821), who at the age of 17 immigrated from Germany to America. He worked at the Colonial Armory in Harpers Ferry until 1776 when the war began. He enlisted in the Patriot militia and fought in several battles. Wounded three times by bullet and saber, he had to leave the military. He returned to Harpers Ferry and continued to serve by repairing flintlock weapons. After the war, he began a silversmithing and clockmaking business. He married three times and was killed when a

wooden beam in a mill he built fell on him. Bonnie Steadman, Chair of the Project Patriot Committee working with Blue Star Military Support Group which sends care packages to an active-duty U.S. Army unit in Kuwait. Her patriot is Andrew Meloan (1754-1834) from France (he changed his name in America to Andrew Malone). He fought in the battles of Long Island, Staten Island, Brandywine, White Plains, Princeton, Stoney Point and the key Battle of Monmouth. After the Battle of Germantown in 1777-1778, Meloan’s regiment spent the winter in Valley Forge where about 2,000 soldiers died during the sixmonth encampment, mostly from dysentery, typhus, typhoid, pneumonia and malnutrition from lack of food.

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.

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

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