DUNWOODY, Ga. — The Dunwoody City Council unanimously approved a $6.3 million construction contract Monday for the long-planned Mount Vernon Road improvement project, moving the infrastructure overhaul one step closer to construction while clearing up a funding shortfall that city
officials had previously identified. The council voted 6-0 to award the contract to Wilson Construction Management for improvements along Mount Vernon Road between Mount Vernon Place and Jett Ferry Road. The project is intended to replace aging underground utilities, improve traffic flow, and expand pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure along the corridor. Although the council approved
Todd Olesiuk named development director of Greater Perimeter
By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Greater Perimeter Chamber has named Dunwoody resident Todd Olesiuk as its new development director.
In the role, Olesiuk will collaborate with team members and community partners to strengthen relationships, expand strategic partnerships and support membership growth. He will also help businesses in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs thrive while expanding their community impact. Throughout his career, Olesiuk worked in different technology areas helping organizations identify new opportunities to connect with clients and community partners. Most recently, he has worked with businesses, nonprofits and schools to develop innovative fundraising partnerships that generated sustainable revenue while strengthening community engagement.
the contract, the city cannot execute it until DeKalb County approves its share of the project funding through the county’s Contract Administration and Business Services process. Public Works Director Michael Smith said that approval is expected to take one to two months.
Smith also said staff had resolved what had previously been presented as roughly a $500,000 funding gap. Since
the project was last discussed in June, city staff reviewed the bid with the contractor and determined that a larger share of traffic control costs should be attributed to the county-funded water main portion of the project rather than the city’s roadway work. The adjustment increases DeKalb County’s contribution by roughly $200,000.
Campus 244 revised plan may add 350 apartments
BY DYANA BAGBY dyana@appenmedia.com
DUNWOODY, Ga. — A large mixed-use development overlooking I-285 in Dunwoody could soon include hundreds of residents in the busy Central Perimeter district.
The plan could further the vision Central Perimeter leaders have to transform the commercial hub from a commuter pass-through into a thriving live-work-play community.
The Georgetown Company and RocaPoint Partners, developers of Campus 244, are seeking to build a 400,000-square-foot residential building, totaling 350 units, on the nearly 13-acre site near Perimeter Mall and the Dunwoody MARTA station.
The site already includes an office building, a hotel and two restaurants but is surrounded by parking lots — land that could be better utilized, the developers say.
They are requesting the property be rezoned from office institutional to planned unit development district to allow for multifamily residential.
“The rezoning is necessary to allow the applicant to respond to market demand and develop these underutilized areas with economically viable uses, such as multifamily residential,” according to a rezoning application with the city.
CITY OF DUNWOODY/PROVIDED
This rendering shows the planned residential building at Campus 244 overlooking I-285 in Dunwoody.
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Roswell Fire encourages routine safety checks
By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com
ROSWELL, Ga. — The Roswell Fire Department responded to two residential fires within one week of each other, highlighting the importance of smoke alarms and fire safety precautions inside homes.
One fire spread from the back porch on the first floor of a three-story townhouse unit on Bridgecrest Road the evening of June 30. Three residents were displaced, and no injuries were reported.
The fire department arrived on scene within three minutes of receiving the call at 9:23 p.m.
Upon arrival, the fire had burned all three floors on the rear side of the building and damaged two adjacent
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.
Police confiscate drugs following trespass call
ROSWELL, Ga. — A woman detained for trespassing at a restaurant on Holcomb Bridge Road after midnight July 9 attempted to flee and intentionally injured herself before being released from custody.
After the restaurant owner confirmed she was no longer banned from the property, the woman was released from custody but was given a warning for drugrelated offenses.
Officers patrolling the parking lot in an unmarked car recognized two individuals leaving the restaurant who had previously been barred from the property. When asked, the man acknowledged he was not allowed on the premises, and the woman
units. Firefighters from the Roswell, Alpharetta, Milton and Sandy Springs departments were on scene until after midnight.
Additionally, a Chattahoochee Street residence caught fire after presumably being struck by lightning during an evening thunderstorm July 3. There were no smoke or fire alarms inside the onestory home, and the singular resident reported no injuries.
Responding units rescued two cats from inside the structure. The fire was contained in less than 20 minutes.
Roswell Fire posted on Facebook a reminder that working smoke detectors save lives, and residents should test theirs monthly and replace batteries at least once a year.
“Working smoke alarms are the
disputed that her ban was still in effect.
An officer checked with an employee inside, who confirmed both individuals had been issued a criminal trespass notice and wanted them removed again. Both were put in handcuffs.
The man told officers he had marijuana in his backpack; the woman said she had a methamphetamine pipe in hers.
The woman sprung from her seated position and said, “I’m definitely going to kill myself,” before trying to flee on foot while in handcuffs. After not being able to run, she fell to the ground and started forcefully slamming her head on the cobblestone pavement.
Officers restrained the woman and moved her to a safe position. While doing so, her pit bull charged at officers aggressively, prompting them to draw their weapons.
Meanwhile, another officer learned from the business owner that the woman’s trespass ban had been lifted, and she was released. Emergency medical services evaluated her for a head laceration, but she declined further treatment. A search of her backpack
single most important protection in any home,” Division Chief of Community Risk Reduction Brian Wolfe said. “Beyond that, we encourage residents to fully extinguish smoking materials in a sturdy, deep ashtray or a container of water, never in mulch, planters or trash cans.”
Wolfe also recommends charging lithium-ion battery devices, such as phones, scooters, electric bikes and power tools, on hard surfaces and to never charge them overnight or near an exit.
Summer weather can bring additional risk, with lightning directly igniting fires or damaging electrical systems. Firefighters encourage residents to stay alert during storm season and to stay indoors and away from windows during storms.
turned up five drug-related items; she was issued a warning and released at the scene.
The man’s backpack contained 6.5 grams of marijuana. He was cited and transported to the jail in Cherokee County.
—
Hannah Yahne
Burglar removes valuables from Mid Broadwell home
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Officers investigated a burglary reported at a Mid Broadwell Road home June 21.
Alpharetta police said a 28-year-old Canton man reported the alleged theft. The man said he found an inside door open and items disturbed.
Officers cleared the home, which was being renovated, but found no one inside.
A trail camera was reported missing.
The man said he had left his wallet in the home overnight. He said he was notified of fraudulent attempted purchases on his credit card.
The incident was classified as a felony burglary.
— Jon Wilcox
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Milton community fun run raises $12,000
By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com
MILTON, Ga. — Around 150 participants took off into the woods in early morning June 27 to conquer Milton High School’s cross country course in a charity run organized by the school’s team captains.
The first-ever fundraiser hosted by the Milton High School Cross Country Team raised more than $12,000 for two local nonprofits: the Pedal Forward Foundation and Stella Love Non-Profit.
It was a true community event. Parents cheered on their runners as they raced friends down the final stretch, dogs mingled in cute costumes, and students from surrounding schools signed up to support.
Jonathan Thai, a Milton Cross Country team captain and executive director of the Pedal Forward Foundation, said the turnout exceeded anything he could have imagined.
“I’m just so glad that everyone has come out to support these nonprofits today,” Thai said. “It’s really great that we were able to put this on together and get the community together.”
HANNAH YAHNE/APPEN MEDIA
More than 100 runners set their watches before taking off to run a 5K on the cross country course at Milton High School June 27. The school’s cross country team organized a charity run to benefit the Pedal Forward Foundation and the Stella Love Food Pantry in Roswell.
Jeong Lee, legal counsel and pantry director for Stella Love Non-Profit, echoed Thai’s pride after running the 5K herself.
“I’m just … over the moon happy with how this has come together and how many people have actually gone out of their way to come,” Lee said.
Donations will be split between the two nonprofits. For Stella Love, the funds will help keep its free pantry stocked during periods of increased demand, like summer vacation. It will also enable the nonprofit to host a fully functioning summer program for kids and give them more flexibility with the classes they offer to adults.
DRIVEWAYS
For Pedal Forward, donations will support free local bike camps and international humanitarian efforts.
Two days before the fun run, Thai was in Vietnam with 10 partners from the Pedal Forward Foundation delivering 308 bikes to children across four provinces.
One image from that journey has stayed with him. Driving back to their lodging, Thai and his partners looked back and saw villagers riding their new bikes home, a moment that captured how much they really needed the transportation.
“We were so inspired by the work we were able to do, and we saw really the impact that it was able to make,” Thai said.
And the momentum is coming home. Pedal Forward, which Thai founded last year, offers free bike lessons and equipment to underserved kids in the Alpharetta area, Tennessee and New York, and with the community’s generosity, more local children can ride for free.
To stay up to date with camps offered by the Pedal Forward Foundation, visit pedalforwardfoundation.com/events.
To learn more about Stella Love Non-Profit, go to iamstellalove.com.
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!
FAMOUS FIRST NAME
1. Jingle. Sicilian volcano. Baseball’s Mr. Doubleday.
2. Civil rights activist Ms. Parks. Positive pole. Its capital is Doha.
3. Iridescent gem. Director Mr. Ponti. Renter’s agreement.
4. Western star Mr. LaRue. Small burrowing rodent. Ladder part.
5. Chess piece. Fuzzy fruit.
TV’s Mr. Godfrey.
6. Hate. Movie’s Ms. Kitean. Litter member.
7. Nevada city. Movie & TV’s Mr. Pyle. Domestic.
1 Jingle. Sicilian volcano. Baseball’s Mr. Doubleday
2. Civil rights activist Ms. Parks. Positive pole. Its capital is Doha
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. Iridescent gem. Director Mr. Ponti. Renter’s agreement.
4. Western star Mr. LaRue. Small burrowing rodent. Ladder part
How to Solve: To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.
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.
Black bear necessities: What to know as sightings rise
By JOSHUA WILSON joshua@appenmedia.com
ATLANTA — A black bear might be a scary sight, but officials say the animal would rather avoid you than confront you.
Recent local news reports have noted bear sightings in Sandy Springs and Smyrna neighborhoods, a natural occurrence in the summer months for bears wanting to establish habitats, find food or even locate a mate. The animals, according to the North American Bear Center, are timid and will often run away when they encounter humans. A fact sheet from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources notes there are no recorded bear attacks on humans in the state’s history and only two documented fatal attacks in the Southeast.
Black bears were once common in the Peach State, according to the fact sheet, but have been reduced in population by habitat loss, unrestricted hunting and overall degradation of habitat due to human development. There are now about 5,100 black bears throughout the state.
The animals can still be a nuisance, officials note, and game management offices receive numerous calls about them every year. Instead of immediately capturing and relocating bears, staffers evaluate “why the bear is causing problems,” according to the fact sheet.
“Most problems can be resolved through simple actions such as taking
Project:
Continued from Page 1
Additional funding was also identified through the city’s stormwater utility for detention pond improvements and from paving funds already budgeted for this section of Mount Vernon Road.
“As a result, we’ve identified all the funding now for the full project, so that we shouldn’t have to dip into any other projects,” Smith said.
The revised funding plan eliminates the need to shift money from other capital projects, an option staff
down bird feeders, taking in pet food, or storing garbage in an area unavailable to bears like a garage,” the fact sheet notes. “Removing or making attractants unavailable to bears is a critical step in resolving bear/human conflicts. It is equally important for people to be patient. It may take several days for the bear to learn that it is no longer going to be provided with a free meal.”Campers and those enjoying Georgia’s ample
had previously indicated might be necessary.
The project will modernize infrastructure along a section of Mount Vernon Road, where many of the utilities are 30 to 50 years old. Plans call for replacing aging water and gas mains, installing a second 16-inch water main to improve water pressure, upgrading stormwater infrastructure, adding left-turn lanes at several intersections, widening the existing sidewalk on the north side of the road, constructing a new sidewalk on the south side, and building a multiuse path for pedestrians and cyclists.
Council members also briefly discussed the possibility of installing
outdoor offerings are also urged to avoid providing easy food offerings for black bears.
“When camping or hiking, store food items in a vehicle or hoist food packs into the air away from the trunks or trees,” the fact sheet advises.
After losing their meal ticket, bears will “simply move on” to “a more traditional range,” officials say, but it might be necessary to install an
a drinking fountain with a dog bowl along the corridor while the water infrastructure work is underway. Smith estimated the addition would cost $15,000 to $20,000 and said it would be easier to complete during construction, though no action was taken. Council members agreed the idea could be considered at a later date without delaying the larger project.
Other business
• The council held a first reading on zoning and special land-use requests for a proposed Kroger Marketplace at the former Walmart site at 4725 Ashford Dunwoody Road. Residents
electrical fence if beehives or gardens are involved.
Game management staffers consider capture and relocation a last resort, only warranted if a bear persists in being a nuisance and warrants a safety threat. Disturbing bears could disorient them, experts warn, ultimately causing them to wander onto roadways and be killed by passing traffic.
So, what should you do if you see a black bear in the wild? Biologist Lynn Rogers, who founded the North American Bear Center, says to “enjoy it” and observe the bear from a safe distance. It will move on, she writes in a blog post. However, if it lingers past your comfort, you can make the bear run away by waving and announcing your presence. The animals tend to “run first and ask questions later,” she adds.
“Most attacks by black bears are defensive reactions to a person who is too close, which is an easy situation to avoid,” Rogers notes.
The biologist says a small can of pepper spray is “a good way to feel self-confident around black bears.” The spray will not hurt the bear but will prompt it to leave the area. Throwing stones at the bear can also scare it away, she mentions.
“Black bears have killed 61 people across North America since 1900,” she says in the post. “This no longer worries me. My chances of being killed by a domestic dog, bees, or lightning are vastly greater.”
living behind the shopping center raised concerns about truck delivery noise and requested more restrictive delivery hours, but no vote was taken. The proposal is scheduled to return for a second reading later this month.
• The council received an update on plans for a proposed $1.1 million SWAT facility at the Dunwoody Police annex on North Shallowford Road. The building would house North Metro SWAT vehicles and equipment currently stored at multiple locations and provide indoor space for police training and applicant testing. Bids are expected back in August, with a construction contract anticipated to come before the council later this year.
MICHAEL ANFANG/UNSPLASH
A black bear rests in a wooded area in an undated photo. Sightings of the animals have increased recently in metro Atlanta.
Milton care home runs on generators after water mishap
By PATRICK FOX pat@appenmedia.com
MILTON, Ga. — It has been three months since an assisted living home in Milton lost electric utility service.
Vitality Living Milton lost power April 1 and has been operating on generators since. Its emails to families of residents go back and forth, with high expectations one day and dashed hopes the next. Some family members say they are anxious, frustrated and wary.
“The ongoing power issue at Vitality has been extremely stressful for my mother, who is legally blind,” Alpharetta resident and former City Councilwoman Karen Richard said. “I am fortunate to live only a few minutes away, which has allowed me to respond quickly to the power interruptions and outages that have occurred over the past three months.”
Vitality Living, based in Brentwood, Tennessee, operates about 30 assisted living communities across the Southeast. The 94-unit facility on Webb Road in Milton provides three distinct care programs. Independent living supports active community life. Assisted living provides full-time personal care. Memory care delivers specialized cognitive assistance. Families of residents say they pay thousands each month, and prices vary according to the level of care.
Company officials said July 10 they expect full utility power restoration sometime around the week of July 27. The community lost power April 1 when an irrigation pipe burst and flooded the electrical panel. The facility immediately switched to generator power, but emails to family members suggest not everything has gone smoothly.
Within days of the electrical problem, an email to families from Sandra Spencer, senior executive director of Vitality Living Milton, reported efforts to replace the main breaker. She wrote that the required part had been sourced and was expected to arrive that Friday or Saturday.
When the part did arrive, families said they were told technicians successfully replaced the parts affected, but another issue was identified that prohibited turning the main power on.
Over the next 12 weeks, Spencer provided email updates to families about progress and the difficulties in securing the correct parts to repair the electrical system. The emails included extra measures being taken to add staffing and equipment, including portable air conditioning units.
Several attempts were made by phone and email to speak with Spencer. She did not respond.
Two families contacted for comment said they were reluctant to speak on the
GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF AUDITS & ACCOUNTS
A 2025 state audit of the Georgia Healthcare Facility Regulation Division shows the monitoring agency fell short of its oversight duties in personal care home inspections.
record for fear of reprisal. Both said they worried management could find some vague justification to remove their loved ones from the facility. One relative said elder care homes are not like grocery stores, and you cannot move a disabled loved one to another facility at the drop of a hat.
Both families said they were concerned about the ongoing electrical issue and how it has been handled.
Generator failure
Things came to a head Sunday morning, June 28. Richard said she saw the camera in her mother’s room blank out at 8:30 a.m. Because temperatures were forecast in the mid-80s that day, she immediately drove to Vitality Living Milton and found the lights out inside. Illuminated exit signs were the only evidence of power anywhere in the building, she said.
Within an hour, the facility issued an email to families that the generator had given out. Management called in additional staff to ensure the safety of residents and initiate group activities, according to an email sent to families by Vitality Living Chief Real Estate Officer Charles Hall.
A new generator was brought on site, and power was restored within five hours.
The delay is not due to a lack of urgency. The repair requires specialized electrical equipment with extended manufacturing and delivery lead times.”
CHARLES HALL Chief Real Estate Officer,
Vitality Living
sure that this gets all the way to the finish line,” she said.
Cunningham also addressed those families who cited fear of reprisal for speaking out.
“Our goal is to foster an environment where residents and families feel safe, heard and respected,” she said. “We welcome honest feedback and are committed to addressing concerns without fear of negative consequences.”
In a July 1 email to residents, Hall addressed the delay in restoring electrical utility power.
“The delay is not due to a lack of urgency,” he wrote. “The repair requires specialized electrical equipment with extended manufacturing and delivery lead times.”
In a phone interview, Christy Cunningham, vice president of sales and marketing for Vitality Living, said the Milton facility has installed backups to the backup generators to ensure power remains on.
“It was really specialized electrical equipment that was damaged, and unfortunately that has extended manufacturing and delivery lead time,” she said. “We’ve been working with the utility company, with the manufacturers, with the electricians … to try to speed this process up.”
She said the June power outage was unfortunate, but the facility has stocks of portable oxygen and other emergency equipment to handle power interruptions. Contingency plans, Cunningham said, are a standard at Vitality Living facilities.
All the new electrical components are set to be installed within a day after arrival, she said.
“So we have a very short window here to make it the rest of the way and to battle through this on our side to make
She said it makes her sad families fear any sort of retaliation for speaking out, and she encouraged them to call the Vitality hotline, 888-303-6800, with any concerns.
Regulatory authority
The state’s 28,000 personal care homes are licensed and monitored by the Healthcare Facility Regulation Division (HFRD) within the Georgia Department of Community Health.
The agency’s latest spot inspection on Vitality Living Milton was conducted March 17, two weeks before the electrical incident. Results of that inspection showed no violations of the rules and regulations governing assisted living homes.
Still, deficiencies at the state regulatory agency worry Richard, who depends on the department to ensure the safety of her mother.
In June 2025, the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts released a report about the agency, critiquing its monitoring of assisted living facilities. In that report, officials stated, “HFRD could improve oversight over the residential facilities that serve elderly and disabled adults. Over the past six years, HFRD has not routinely inspected many facilities or fully utilized its authority to assess penalties for identified violations.”
Vitality:
Continued from Page 8
The audit showed:
• Between 2019 and 2024, HFRD did not ensure all facilities received a routine inspection, and those that did were often less frequent than HFRD’s established 18-month goal.
• Of the 2,540 active facilities due for a routine inspection, 43% (1,100) had no routine inspection between January 2019 and November 2024.
• Of the 1,440 that received an inspection, 63% (900) were not inspected within HFRD’s established 18-month goal.
• Many facilities have received site visits related to complaint investigations, though routine inspections are intended to be more comprehensive.
• Of the 190 complaints reviewed, approximately 30% (54) could have been categorized at a higher priority than what HFRD assigned during intake — potentially delaying investigations.
Vitality Living Milton, a 94-unit facility on Webb Road in Milton, offers independent living, assisted living and memory care.
• Among the most serious complaints (which indicate harm may be occurring or resident health and safety is in immediate jeopardy), 15% (14) were not investigated within the required two days. Similarly, 13% (1,492) of investigations into other complaints occurred outside the 45-day requirement.
• It does not appear HFRD imposed fine amounts on all serious violations, which HFRD procedures state incur a mandatory fine. Approximately 30% of fines assessed since 2022 ($93,200) remain outstanding.
Despite the ongoing situation, Richard said she has nothing but
admiration for the team at Vitality Milton.
“During each outage, they responded professionally and demonstrated genuine care and concern for the residents,” she said.
But she still has concerns.
First, she said, she wants to know what other critical infrastructure may
be vulnerable to failure.
“[Also,] once the repairs are complete, what will the commissioning and testing process entail?” she asked. “Specifically, what measures will be taken to ensure residents do not experience another prolonged loss of power, particularly during the peak heat of July?”
The gift of never casting judgment
Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com
Every time I write a column, I am torn between writing about a subject that is local, timely and in some way unique or writing about a topic that is not necessarily “local” but instead “universal,” like love, loss, kindness, education, patriotism or faith.
I know that regardless of which direction a column takes, it always helps to tell a story. We all love stories. And, if one can tell a story that also recognizes someone or something important, teaches a lesson or imparts a positive value — all the better. So, here is a story for you.
Ralph Rucker, one of the people I admired more than almost anyone else in this world, recently died. His death took me by surprise because — even though he was closer to 90 than he was 80 — it never entered my mind that he was, as we all are, subject to mortality. He was too strong, too indestructible, too good, too kind, too loyal and too
fierce in his unshakable faith.
Yet, despite all that, we lost him. His death made me notice others lately who have passed — many famous, many not and many not so very old.
Some made big splashes; they built businesses, wrote books and made movies. They invented things, made lots of money, traveled across the world, gave lectures, taught and healed. They drove expensive cars, lived in big houses and ran for office. Others struggled, as single parents, to raise kids and put food on the table. Their greatest accomplishment — their proudest achievement — was raising a kid who didn’t do drugs, respected people and grew up strong, honest and self-sufficient.
And it never occurred to them that they could have done “better.” They knocked it out of the ballpark. I think we tend to not remember so much what people did, or how much they had, as much as how they lived — how they treated other people, how they saw their lives in relationship to the world around them, how many people they touched and helped in some way. That, I think, determines if one is remembered — if there is something left
over after mortality catches up with us. Part and parcel to how we treat other people is how we don’t treat other people. When my friend died, I took inventory of why he was so important to me and to others. One thing stood out more than almost everything else. I never — as in never ever — heard him say a single disparaging remark about another person. Never. Think about that. He didn’t cast judgment — no red or blue attacks, no making someone else feel smaller. There was no “holier than thou” attitude with Ralph Rucker.
That value is, to me, life’s gamechanger. Look around. Isn’t life really, honestly, way too short to blow through your very limited time and energy doing stuff as unproductive, destructive, debilitating and downright unfun as casting stones in judgment of others? Don’t we all have better things to do?
George Carlin used to do a shtick about grudges. He said that holding a grudge was like drinking poison in the hope the other guy dies. Casting judgment — and disparaging other people — seems, to me, very close to holding a grudge.
One of the best things I have ever done for myself was to make a
conscious, deliberate decision a couple years ago to never be in a hurry again — for anything or anyone. Doing that has literally changed my life. It’s like a whole new ballgame. My stress level plunged. Incidences of anger and frustration plummeted. My patience with other people greatly increased, and because I am less occupied with being frustrated and angry, I have the capacity to engage in other stuff — stuff that is healthy, nurturing and simply more fun.
Eliminating the default impulse to negatively judge others — to criticize or disparage — will be a much harder task than deciding to stop being in a hurry. I know this. It will require a lot of work, a lot of discipline. But I also know the rewards will be far greater.
It seems like a no-brainer to me. Game on. Going for it.
Thank you, Ralph Rucker, for being the example for me — for leading my way to that path. I wonder how many other people have followed or will follow your lead. What a wonderful gift you left — a present that will surely endure for a very long time.
Ray Appen is the publisher emeritus at Appen Media Group.
Retiring amid a circle of friends; what a way
to go
PAT FOX Managing Editor
pat@appenmedia.com
You cannot imagine the unease a newspaperman feels when a city issues a proclamation in his honor.
Members of the press are expected to be at odds with government. Some take pride in it.
When the Alpharetta City Council chose to honor my 45 years in newspapers July 13, I was ambivalent. On one hand, it is humbling to be celebrated by such a remarkable city. On the other, journalists feel more comfortable being lambasted from the dais because it shows they’re not in cahoots with government.
I haven’t the fingers and toes to count the number of times officials have blasted me during meetings, attacking my account of the mess they’ve made or the imprudent path they’ve pursued.
Years ago, I recall covering one county commissioner who’d spent the evening in jail on what turned out to be a bogus DUI charge. Two blood tests showed zero alcohol.
He declined to speak on the record that night, but he added that if he were going to talk with anyone from the press, it would be me. I was not a soft touch, but I always listened.
That’s how journalists should operate. Give everyone a fair shake but keep your eyes open.
I later uncovered evidence that same commissioner was part of a coalition that profited by voting to overpay for park land. He resigned amid a grand jury investigation.
After having spent some 15 years covering Alpharetta, it strikes me that the city gets things right more than it gets them wrong. It has smart people on and off the dais, and its government operates with a lot more openness than most cities and counties I’ve covered.
Going out of their way
The July 13 affair was made more exhilarating by the people who turned out to wish me well. There were many Alpharettans, great people I’ve come to know.
Most startling was the number of colleagues, past and present, who attended. There were Aldo Nahed and Jonathan Copsey, my first newsroom
That’s how journalists should operate. Give everyone a fair shake but keep your eyes open.”
PATRICK FOX Managing Editor
mates at Appen Media 12 years ago. Aldo looked younger. Jonathan looked the same.
There were many wonderful current and former reporters. It was so humbling to have them make the effort.
Dan Whisenhunt, the current executive editor, was there, although I know he works at least 24 hours a day.
And, there were the Appens — Ray, Christina, Hans and Carl — who, over the years, always spoke of how they valued me. You only get treated like that at a true family-owned newspaper.
What lies ahead
In retirement, every day is Saturday. There is much to do around the house, and I may write a little. If money runs tight, though, I have a few schemes to earn some cash:
• Express checkout lane bouncer — I’d have to bulk up for this, but those who feel entitled to overload the express checkout lane should be called out.
• Certified jellybean accountant (CJA) — Plenty of gigs available in the outdoor entertainment industry. County fairs, shopping center promotions — the list is endless.
• Booking agent for church aisle seats — Back in the day, devotional etiquette required you scoot toward the center of the pew when arriving for worship. Today, even those arriving on time face an obstacle course of legs and knees simply to find a seat. Churches should charge a premium for aisle seats. I could handle the arrangements.
• Thanksgiving dinner fact-checker — Oh, the fun of setting Uncle Raymond straight when he prattles on about the latest news he read on the internet. Families could rent me out to do what I’ve been doing for the past 45 years. So long for now.
RAY APPEN
OPINION
Forsyth County’s unique history and a special citizen
Forsyth County is a special place with a unique history and some special people as today’s column will illustrate.
Forsyth County was occupied by the Cherokee Indians for hundreds of years before white settlers began to arrive in 1829 after gold was discovered. The Georgia Legislature divided Cherokee lands into 10 counties in 1832, including Forsyth County which they named after John Forsyth, a noted politician at the time. The following year elections were held to select county officials. In 1834, Cumming was incorporated as the county seat. The population of the county was slightly more than 2,000 whites immediately following the government’s gold lottery of 1833. The Cherokee left the area for Oklahoma beginning in 1838. Fort Campbell in Forsyth County was one of the assembly points used to gather them for the treacherous forced hike to Oklahoma known as the Trail of Tears.
The naming of the county after John Forsyth (1780 –1841) was a political gesture since he had no personal connection to the county. He served as Georgia’s 33rd governor from 1827 to 1829. He was U.S. Secretary of State from 1834 to 1841 and later was U.S. Minister to Spain. He also served in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. He was portrayed in the 1997 movie “Amistad”. Forsyth was born in Virginia, but his family moved to Augusta, Georgia, when he was a child.
In the 1950s, the Army Corps of Engineers built Buford Dam which led to the creation of Lake Lanier. In the 1970s, construction of Ga. 400 linked Cumming and Atlanta, bringing change and growth to the county. Today the population is about 287,000.
Forgotten place names
Forsyth County was home to many crossroads communities that have disappeared.
One example is Chestatee, once a significant rural community with strong Cherokee roots. The name translates as “place of lights” and is derived from the Cherokee practice of lighting fires along riverbanks while hunting or fishing. It was located where the Chestatee River and Chattahoochee River join near the Vann Ferry operated by Cherokee leader James Vann. White settlers
PROVIDED
This portrait of John Forsyth by Freeman Thorpe hangs in the Diplomatic Reception Rooms of the U.S. Department of State. Forsyth was governor of Georgia from 18271829 and Secretary of State in the administration of Andrew Jackson 1834-1841.
established farms throughout the area in the 1800s after gold was discovered in 1828. The 1832 land lottery followed, and the city of Cumming was founded in 1833. The forced removal of the Cherokee came in 1838. The community grew gradually with churches, ferries, stores and roads. A post office was established in 1880.
Chestatee was a small but significant community of cotton, corn, livestock and poultry farms in the 19th and early 20th century. There was no downtown area. There was never a sudden event that caused the community’s demise. It gradually lost its identity with the changing times. The post office closed in 1904 when Rural Free Delivery began.
The creation of Lake Lanier altered the landscape as roads and farmland were changed, suburban development and linkage to the Atlanta metropolitan area growth reduced the need for a crossroads community. Today the name survives in schools, roads, churches, cemeteries and the
900-acre dairy farm in the Vicory Creek District of South Forsyth County. He milked up to 10 cows every morning before school, mended fences and fed the calves.
Isaac attended the four-room Bethelview School which provided grades one through five. Four teachers taught all grades. While at Forsyth Central High School he played shortstop on the baseball team and was proficient in track high jumps, long jumps, discus and shot put. Isaac says, “We students developed special relationships with teachers who became friends for life.”
Isaac is descended from early Forsyth pioneers William Hobson Bacon the third (1799-1868) and his wife Mary Polly Cunningham Bacon (1802-1872) who came to Georgia when Forsyth County was created circa 1832. Hobson volunteered to fight for the Confederacy during the Civil War, but he was not accepted because he was “too old.” He bought property from someone who had won property in the 1832 gold lottery and became a prosperous dairy farmer. The couple raised eight children. When Hobson died, his land was divided among his children.
Chestatee River.
Chestatee was not alone in its transition to modernity.
Oscarville, Big Creek, Ducktown, Coal Mountain, Hightower, Silver City, New Hope, Old Atlanta, Young Deer Creek, Holbrook, Keith’s Ferry and Bridge, Chattahoochee River Mill Villages, Bethelview, Fort Campbell, Poole’s Mill and Federal Road communities and other places have undergone their own transitions. Matt is unique in that it thrives today. Perhaps a column highlighting forgotten places is in order.
A unique individual I like historians. They are smart and have great memories. I mentioned one Forsyth example in a recent column, Jimmy and Maratha McConnell, co-presidents of the Forsyth County Historical Society. Today I will feature Isaac Lang who is blessed with a photographic memory and who has led a most interesting life. Isaac was born and raised on a
Hobson was very interested in education, and while serving as foreman of a grand jury in 1848, he recommended that the state start a school system and pay for it. The scattered field schools with dirt floors were consolidated into one unified system in 1873. The county had about 1,460 students at that time. Most of the Bacon family members are buried in the Mars Hill Cemetery.
After high school, Isaac joined the Navy and became a pilot, serving for 23 years. He flew A4, A7 and Phantom jets on 12 of the Navy’s 14 aircraft carriers. He served as a flight instructor during the Israeli War in 1973. Along the way, he earned an MBA and studied abnormal psychology with a thesis in behavioral modification.
Following his military service, Isaac flew for several commercial airlines and finally retired from Delta Airlines. He is now enjoying his retirement and fulfilling his passion for American history.
Bob is a member of the 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.
BOB MEYERS Columnist
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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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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
Part-Time
YOUTH
DIRECTOR (Part-Time) Alpharetta Presbyterian Church — Alpharetta, GA
APC seeks a vibrant, relational leader to serve as Youth Director for middle and high school students. 20–25 hrs/week | Up to $25/hr. Ideal candidates have a passion for youth mentorship and a background in education, coaching, or youth leadership. Retired teachers and ministryminded professionals encouraged to apply. Strong volunteer team and pastoral support in place.
To apply: Submit a brief introduction and resume to jobs@alpharettapres.com.
To place a classified ad, email classifieds@appenmedia.com. Deadline is Thursdays by 3pm
