Sandy Springs Crier - June 11, 2026

Residents invited to open house to view plans for new fire station

By DYANA BAGBY dyana@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Residents are invited to learn more about the construction of a new Sandy Springs fire station on Roswell Road during a June 17 public information open house.

The meeting will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Church of the Redeemer, 5185 Peachtree Dunwoody Road.

The public will be able to see renderings of the new Fire Station 4, look at the site layout and learn more about how it is expected to improve emergency response times in the city. Construction of the new station is planned to begin in October and expected to be completed by December 2027. Cost to build Fire Station 4 is estimated at $19.5 million.

The new station will be built on approximately 7 acres at 5275 Roswell Road, just south of I-285. The city

purchased the Roswell Road property last year for $10 million.

The site was once home to the Coronet Club and Doll House male and female strip clubs, formerly known as Maxim Cabaret. Shortly after Sandy Springs incorporated in 2005, city officials cracked down on strip clubs, resulting in a 12-year legal battle before the clubs were eventually shut down.

See STATION, Page 8

City officials focus on more sidewalks to aid connectivity

By DYANA BAGBY dyana@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Construction is set to begin this summer on a sidewalk along the west side of Lake Forrest Drive in south Sandy Springs.

The City Council on June 2 approved spending nearly $272,000 to cover costs to relocate 10 Georgia Power utility poles to make way for the second phase of the Lake Forrest Sidewalk Project from the city limit to Mount Paran Road. The second phase includes constructing approximately 3,300 linear feet of 6-foot sidewalk on the west side of Lake Forrest Drive from the city limit to 4822 Lake Forrest Drive and from 25 Pine Lake Drive to 4990 Lake Forrest Drive.

The sidewalk project is part of the city’s efforts to improve walkability, neighborhood connection and pedestrian safety.

The second phase will link with the first phase, which included 1,240 feet of 6-foot sidewalk from 4838 Lake Forrest Drive to 4852 Lake Forrest Drive and from 5022 Lake Forrest Drive to 14 Mount Paran Drive. The first phase was completed in December.

The full project totals 4,600 feet of sidewalk on Lake Forrest Drive from the city limit to Mount Paran Drive.

The stretch of sidewalk is one of the projects funded with transportation local option sales tax (TSPLOST) revenue.

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Johns Creek to send offenders to Forsyth County Jail

By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The Johns Creek Police Department has found a solution to its jail dilemma months after the closing of one of North Atlanta’s few jails.

At a June 1 meeting, City Council members gave the department the go ahead to seek an agreement with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office for use of its jail.

The city decided to go with Forsyth County despite the reopening of the former Fulton County North Annex Jail in nearby Alpharetta. In December, Alpharetta reopened the facility as the Alpharetta Detention Center, giving tours to officials from Johns Creek and other cities.

Johns Creek staff said they recommended an agreement with Forsyth County after determining its terms were more advantageous than those offered at the Alpharetta Detention Center.

For use of the Forsyth County Jail, Johns Creek would be assessed an annual fee of $65,000 and charged $195 for an inmate's first day and $140 for subsequent days.

City staff estimate an annual cost of $200,000 based on an average of 22 inmates per month.

The decision comes months after the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office closed the North Annex Jail in the wake of a Department of Justice investigation that found Fulton County jail conditions violated prisoners’ rights.

An agreement with Forsyth County would give Johns Creek a way to house those arrested without making the long drive to Fulton County’s Rice Street Jail in downtown Atlanta.

Johns Creek Police Chief Mark Mitchell said driving inmates to Atlanta cost his officers considerable time, which could be better spent doing police work.

“The traffic going downtown is pretty

rough,” Mitchell said.

Officers can spend up to 90 minutes traveling to and from the Rice Street jail, and processing inmates takes a considerable amount of time.

“They are busy at the jail — busy, busy,” the police chief said.

It also will allow Johns Creek to detain people arrested on municipal charges, which include driving under the influence of alcohol, driving without a license and other potentially serious charges, he said.

Mayor John Bradberry said the Forsyth County Jail will provide a close and safer alternative to the facility in downtown Atlanta.

“If someone is arrested, it’s important we have somewhere to take them, and ideally it would not be Rice Street,” Bradberry said.

Department of Justice investigators began looking into Fulton County’s downtown Atlanta jail after the 2022 death of Lashawn Thompson, who was

arrested on a simple battery charge and was accused of spitting on a Georgia Tech police officer.

The federal investigation found Thompson was malnourished, infested with “an enormous presence of body lice” and “neglected to death” when he was found deceased in his “filthy cell.” It also highlighted a pattern of violence that included more than 300 stabbings there in 2023 on top of homicides and sexual violence.

The Forsyth County Jail sits in the heart of Cumming, about a 20-minute drive from the Johns Creek Police Department. It was the first jail in Georgia to receive national accreditation through the National Institute for Jail Operations.

Chief Mitchell said an agreement with Forsyth County will likely run for a year, after which time the city could reassess the arrangement.

“This gives a local option,” Mitchell said.

Tune-Up Projects

Kitchen Tune-Up

Paint Cabinets

New Countertops, Sink & Faucet

New Backsplash

Cut Down 2-level Island

Bathroom Tune-Up

New Countertops, Sink & Faucet

Enlarge Shower Shower Glass Shower Safety Full Remodel

Kitchen Remodel

Total Cabinet Replacement

Large Island

Optimize Cabinet / Appliance Locations

Open Concept –Move Walls

9-5 Mon-Fri • 10-4 Sat

Showroom – Design Center 10591 Old Alabama Rd. Connector Alpharetta, GA 30022 (near Northpoint Mall)

Projects

Bathroom Remodel

New Larger Shower

Vanity Replacement –Cabs, Counter, Sink

Free Standing Tub

Floor Tile, Wall Tile

Plumbing Fixtures

Sandy Springs opens applications for Citizens’ Leadership Academy

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sandy Springs is accepting applications for the 2026-27 Citizens’ Leadership Academy, a multiweek program designed to educate and engage residents and business owners in local government and community leadership. Applications are available at www.SandySpringsGa.gov/ sandy-springs-citizens-leadershipacademy.

Now entering its fourth year, the Citizens’ Leadership Academy offers participants an opportunity

to meet with the mayor, City Council members and city staff while learning about local government operations, civic responsibility and community leadership.

The program includes 11 classes covering topics such as city management, recreation and parks, emergency management and signature events. Classes will be held at City Hall and other municipal facilities, including the Sandy Springs Police Headquarters and Municipal Court Complex.

Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the structure, functions and responsibilities of city government and develop the knowledge needed to become more active and informed members of the community.

Enrollment is limited to 30 participants. A $40 fee is required upon confirmation of attendance. The academy concludes with a graduation ceremony during a City Council meeting in the spring.

— Dyana Bagby

The Sandy Springs Citizens’ Leadership Academy will include classes at City Hall to learn more about how local government works.

New platform connects residents with local volunteer opportunities

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — A new online platform is making it easier for Sandy Springs residents, businesses and community groups to find local volunteer opportunities — and for nonprofits to find the help they need.

Volunteer Sandy Springs will launch June 13 during Nonprofit Day at the Sandy Springs Farmers Market at City Springs, 1 Galambos Way. The platform brings together 40 local nonprofits in one place, allowing users to search for

DRIVEWAYS & CONCRETE

opportunities based on their interests, availability or group size, whether they are individuals, families, students or corporate teams.

“People in Sandy Springs have told me they want to help — they just don’t always know where to start,” Mayor Rusty Paul said. “Volunteer Sandy Springs makes it simple by connecting people directly to organizations and causes that need support right now.”

The platform is a collaboration

between the Sandy Springs Civic Roundtable, the City of Sandy Springs and Georgia Tech public policy students.

The Civic Roundtable, an organization composed of nearly 40 nonprofits, identified the need for a centralized online hub for its members. The city wanted a tool to boost resident engagement, and Georgia Tech students’ research supported the concept, finding that resource mapping

DRIVEWAYS

websites — like an online, searchable community bulletin board — are effective tools for resident involvement, according to organizers.

The platform also gives nonprofits a streamlined method to post their needs and connect with volunteers.

Residents, organizations and businesses can explore opportunities at VolunteerSandySprings.org.

— Dyana Bagby

Puzzles

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

DOUBLE FIRSTS

1. Cummerbund. Honshu port. De Mille or Morehead.

2. Wanderer. Martin or Cain. Railroad station.

3. Newman or Giamatti. Psychiatrist. Castle part.

4. Musical notation. Smell bad. Dinklage or Falk.

5. Writing on the wall. Redford or Duvall. Threesome.

6. Truman or Belafonte. Sweater eater. Axiom.

7. Cast of thousands film. Like an old mattress. Burnett or Lynley.

1 Cummerbund. Honshu port. De Mille or Morehead.

2. Wanderer. Martin or Cain. Railroad station

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. Newman or Giamatti. Psychiatrist. Castle part.

4. Musical notation. Smell bad. Dinklage or Falk

5. Writing on the wall. Redford or Duvall. Threesome

6. Truman or Belafonte. Sweater eater. Axiom

7. Cast of thousands film. Like an old mattress. Burnett or Lynley

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

above the diagonal line in a black square is the sum of the white squares 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.

Emory’s business school sees increase in military veterans

By LYDIA MAGALLANES decaturish@appenmedia.com

ATLANTA — In 2026, Emory University’s Goizueta Business School significantly increased its veteran graduates across its Master in Business for Veterans, full-time MBA and working professional programs.

The number of veteran graduates increased by roughly 47 percent, from about 55 to more than 80.

The shift is part of Emory’s continued investment in the veteran community. Goizueta began offering an alternative 12-month program, the Master in Business for Veterans (MBV), in 2024. The specialized track is designed for “activeduty military, veterans, National Guard, and Reserve personnel to leverage their military leadership expertise and pair it with business knowledge for a successful career in the business world.”

The 2026 school year also marks the first time Emory has named an executive director of veterans initiatives for the entire campus. Retired Maj. Gen. Matt Smith is the first to fill the position, building on the legacy of retired Lt. Gen. Ken Keen, who is now an associate professor emeritus. Smith said the year-to-year increase in veteran enrollment at Goizueta was “a little bit of a halo effect” of promoting the

MBV program.

The only other MBV available in the country is at the University of Southern California. Retired Air Force Combat Systems Officer Grant Kimmel, a 2026 MBV graduate, said he came to Emory to translate decades of military leadership to the private sector.

“When you were in the military, you were either in a position of authority or you had a rank that equals some level of authority,” explains Kimmel. “But then when you go into the private sector, you know that that doesn’t necessarily exist, and so now you have to figure out ways to earn trust, or, how do you influence people without having direct authority over someone else?”

Kimmel, originally from North Carolina, is living with his family in Smyrna. The Goizueta MBV helped him translate his experience in Air Force Special Operations to a remote government position at Viasat, a California-based satellite communications company.

Smith said veterans are highly sought after by companies because of their tested leadership skills.

“I think senior business leaders in Atlanta and the Southeast understand the non-tangible benefits that veterans bring to a team,” Smith said. “The discipline, the

officer, is living in Brookhaven with his wife, who is originally from Johns Creek. He secured a job at one of the top three management consulting firms in the world, Boston Consulting Group. Titus joked he could spot his fellow veterans right away because of the “haircuts and Garmin watches.”

5K

Father’s Day, Sunday, June 21

•

values-based decision making, the ability to operate in ambiguous, friction-filled environments.”

Smith adds that Emory offers something that “can’t be replicated.” The nationally ranked MBA program is a pipeline to heavy-hitting companies with military hiring programs, such as Delta, UPS, and Home Depot, all just a few hours from several large military installations.

Staying in Atlanta

That localized corporate demand is part of why many of the 2026 Goizueta veterans are staying in the area. A closer look at the class of 2026 full-time MBA veteran cohort alone (which is different from the MBV) reveals that three-quarters will be working and living in the Atlanta area, including DeKalb and Fulton counties.

Atlanta native Dan Heckman, an Army veteran and 2026 full-time MBA graduate, landed a job at an Atlanta Fortune 500 company to work in finance and technology. But attending Emory was also an opportunity to put down roots after a decade of service. His young family is living in Roswell, where his wife is from.

Aside from location, Heckman said Emory was the right fit because of the Yellow Ribbon program, which provides government funding to cover remaining school tuition and fees for eligible veterans after the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Heckman said the university’s veteran network had the most impact on his life.

He said second-year students guided students through the recruiting process. They identified companies that value veteran resumes and offered advice during the interview process.

“Alumni in Atlanta working in finance, consulting, defense, and operations, responded quickly to outreach, often because they had received similar help,” he said.

A safety net

Fellow 2026 full-time MBA graduate Sean Titus, a former Army field artillery

But that network served as a sort of safety net for Titus. Like many of his peers, he had to readjust to civilian life. Despite using various veteran employment resources, working in production at an Atlanta concrete plant and later in the supply chain at Home Depot, Titus said he still had impostor syndrome going into business school. “I remember I barely passed corporate finance in undergrad, and (at Emory) that was the second class we ever sat in. I was like, ‘Oh man, I’m cooked.’”

For Titus, the past couple of years offered a welcome change of pace, allowing for personal growth. He’s seeing a therapist to better handle that “impostor syndrome,” and addressing his service-related anxiety and mild depression.

“Whether it was in training or on deployment, some of that stuff comes out of nowhere,” he said. “Nothing I saw was horrific, but it comes back and can put you down for a few days, or not make you feel like yourself.”

As stressful as it is to be in a highstakes environment for years, that experience, like leading troops in combat and being solely responsible for expensive equipment, gives veterans an edge in the business world.

Tyler Fortenberry, a 2026 full-time MBA graduate and former Army armor officer, said that precision under pressure is a superpower.

“You have tanks, you have a limited amount of ammo, you have a limited amount of miles,” Fortenberry said. “It takes millions of dollars to operate this machine for just a few days. There’s so much more depth and attention to detail.”

Fortenberry is living in Buckhead with his wife and is on track to become a Chick-fil-A franchisee.

Many 2026 Goizueta veterans plan on sharing their experiences with the next class. Kimmel is staying connected to the Goizueta MBV program.

“I just want to pay it back to the program and the people that supported me and allowed me to grow,” he said. “It helped me stay positive, stay engaged, and just overcome some of the adversity with trying to figure out what that next career looked like.”

Titus agreed.

“I hope we keep our group chats alive,” Titus said. “I love spending time with these guys … Emory gave us a whole new set of friends, and I really want to make sure we stay in touch.”

Sandy Springs launches process to guide growth in coming years

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The City of Sandy Springs is planning how it wants to grow over the next 20 years and wants residents to help shape the path forward.

The city will host its first public workshop June 23 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Conference Center at City Springs, 1 Galambos Way, to launch simultaneous updates to its Comprehensive Plan and Recreation & Parks Master Plan.

The Comprehensive Plan serves as the city's primary policy document, guiding decisions on land use, infrastructure, housing and economic development over the next 20 years. The Recreation & Parks Master Plan, last updated in 2019, will assess the city's current parks inventory, identify needs and priorities, and develop a phased strategy for improvements to greenspace, trails and recreational facilities.

In March, the City Council approved a $1.1 million contract with Rhodeside & Harwell Inc. to lead both planning efforts. The firm previously served as consultant on Sandy Springs' 2017 and 2022 comprehensive plans.

“As our community grows and changes, we have an opportunity to guide that growth in a way that protects

the character people value while preparing for the future,” Mayor Rusty Paul said. “This planning effort is about more than policies and projects — it is about ensuring that the future of our city is shaped by the people who live and work here.”

The June 23 workshop will open with a brief presentation before participants break into interactive exercises designed to gather initial input. City staff and consultants will be on hand to answer questions and collect feedback.

Organizers say activities for children and teenagers will also be available to ensure youth voices are included in the process.

Community engagement will include an online hub at PlanTheNextChapter. org, where residents can access project updates, materials from public meetings and opportunities to submit input remotely. The updated plan is slated to be approved by the City Council in June 2027.

The State of Georgia requires local municipalities to complete a comprehensive plan update every five years. In 2022, the city performed a fiveyear update to the comprehensive plan.

— Dyana Bagby

Metro Atlanta communities holding events to celebrate Juneteenth

BY ELLE GIRARD elizabeth@appenmedia.com

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — With mid-June around the corner, many communities are planning Juneteenth festivals and events.

Juneteenth commemorates the day when slaves in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free. President Abraham Lincoln issued his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation in 1862 and it went into effect on Jan. 1, 1863. But the slaves in Galveston weren’t informed until June 19, 1865.

While the federal holiday is on Friday, June 19, celebrations will take place throughout the month.

Sidewalks:

The tax was first approved by Fulton County voters in 2016, then again in 2022. Sandy Springs voters will help decide on Nov. 3 if they want to extend the countywide 0.75 sales tax a third time for another five years.

Sandy Springs Public Works Director Marty Martin told council members June 2 that $16 million in sidewalk projects are included in the city’s proposed TSPLOST 3 list.

Transportation sales tax money has been key in the buildout of sidewalks throughout the city, he said. TSPLOSTfunded projects include sidewalks on Brandon Mill Road and Dunwoody Club Drive; the Spalding Drive sidewalk widening; the Springway Trail 2A at Orkin Lake in Morgan Falls; and the Interstate North Parkway sidepath for pedestrians and cyclists.

Another 15 projects are in design, including the Roswell Road Transit Access Project from the city limits to I-285, the Hope Road sidewalk, the Peachtree Dunwoody gap fill sidewalk, the Peachtree Dunwoody bike and pedestrian trail and the Glenridge Drive side path. All are slated for completion within the next five years.

The Path 400 multiuse trail and the Mount Vernon Highway/Johnson Ferry Road improvements account for much of the city’s current sidewalk and

Station:

Continued from Page 1

Fire Station 4 will consist of a new two-story, approximately 21,618-square-foot facility and a separate 11,561-square-foot logistics

Here is a list of events celebrating the holiday across Fulton County.

• A Juneteenth day of celebration is being hosted by the City of Alpharetta on Saturday, June 20, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Alpharetta Arts Center. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., a celebration titled "I, Too, Sing America" will take place.

A gallery reception titled "Juneteenth: Independence and Reflection" follows from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. A concert will conclude the day from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• The City of Atlanta is hosting its 14th annual Juneteenth parade and music festival at Piedmont Park, featuring live entertainment, 5K race, youth soccer tournament, and other activities

throughout the weekend. The event goes from Friday, June 19, to Sunday, June 21.

• The City of Hapeville is hosting its annual Juneteenth celebration on Friday, June 19, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the city's Jess Lucas Park. Workshops, lectures and panels will occur from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., followed by festivities such as live music and food trucks from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

• Roswell's Barrington Hall is hosting a Black experience tour on Friday, June 19, from 11 a.m. to noon, providing an opportunity to learn about the history and legacy of enslaved individuals who lived in the hall. The event is free and

side path construction, Martin said. Close to $45 million is planned for the Hammond Drive widening, which includes sidewalks, using TSPLOST 3 funding.

“TSPLOST offers a very predictable funding stream for sidewalks,” Martin said.

Predictable funding allows for the

building. The station is planned with three drive-through fire engine bays, support spaces for equipment and gear, decontamination areas and living quarters for 24-hour staffing.

The logistics building will provide centralized storage and support functions for the department. Site work will include landscaping, parking and

open to the public.

• African Americans for the Arts (AAFTA) presents a Juneteenth artist market and exhibit on Friday, June 19, at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center lobby from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The market is accompanied by the "Juried Juneteenth" art exhibition on display from June 8 to July 8. Attendees can meet participating artists and purchase works. The event is free and open to the public.

• The City of Sandy Springs is hosting a Juneteenth celebration and art exhibition on Friday, June 19, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the City Springs District. Live entertainment, food trucks, games, and a drum circle led by Djoli Kelen will be included in the outdoor celebration.

than five years. In 2022, the city awarded Kimley-Horn a $220,000 contract to design the entire Lake Forrest sidewalk project. In February 2025, the city awarded a nearly $273,000 contract to Excellere Construction to build the first phase which was completed in December 2025.

Martin said there remains one easement on Lake Forrest Drive to be acquired before the city can put the second phase of the project out for bid. He said he expects everything to be in place within two weeks.

“The more parcels there are, the more time it takes to get right-of-way acquisitions,” he said, alluding to the time it takes to complete projects.

Right-of-way acquisitions also inform how a sidewalk project is designed, especially in residential neighborhoods where property owners decide what they prefer, Martin said.

Relocating utilities, such as the Georgia Power poles on Lake Forrest Drive, can also delay sidewalk projects, he said.

city to come up with a “gameplan” to tackle sidewalk projects by having the backing for staff, design, right-of-way acquisition and construction, he said.

City Council members asked about delays to sidewalk projects.

For example, the Lake Forrest Drive sidewalk project stretches less than a mile but has been planned for more

training space.

The site is adjacent to residential neighborhoods, and some homeowners have expressed concerns about construction. A wooded area surrounding a creek at the rear of the site will remain because state stream buffers protect the trees, officials said.

Fire Station 4 currently operates

About 56 miles of new public sidewalks have been added since the city was incorporated in 2005. Since 2014, the city has invested more than $54 million in sidewalks, side paths and trails, Martin said.

Over time, the city has moved from filling isolated gaps to implementing a targeted, data-driven capital program focused on safety, connectivity, equity, and access to major destinations.

from 4697 Wieuca Road, located just outside the Sandy Springs city limits in Atlanta, and regularly responds to calls inside Atlanta. Moving the station to Roswell Road is expected to improve response times in Sandy Springs and save local taxpayer money. Calls into Atlanta in 2024 cost Sandy Springs more than $500,000.

OPINION

The old man and the vampire romantasy

RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com

Life sometimes both amazes and humbles me. And lately, it keeps teaching me lessons that broaden my horizons and make "day to day" simply more fun. I offer this example. I am a sentimental old fool. It is just who I am. I cling to connections to the past — especially old friends and "childhood." I go to class reunions. I write Christmas cards. I pick up the phone and call. I help out the children of old friends when I have the opportunity. I go to funerals; I always show up for funerals, no matter how far away — usually the parents of my childhood friends, but increasingly, my childhood friends themselves.

So, when one of my childhood friends called me recently and told me that her younger adult daughter, Natalie, had written a book and asked if I would consider editing it for her, I responded, "Of course."

"It's kind of long," she said, to which I replied, "That's OK."

So, I thought to myself, "Just because you publish newspapers, people think you can edit."

Well, I can, sort of. I am not sure, however, I would rely on myself to edit a book I wrote, but what the heck, she asked, so I will do my best.

So, I emailed Natalie. In hindsight, I should have called. I am determined to stop emailing and texting people instead of calling or visiting face-to-face, but that is another story.

"It's a long book," she said. OK, the second time I have heard that. Little alarms should have started ringing but didn't. "That's OK, Natalie."

"It's about vampires," she said.

More alarm bells; I don't think I have ever read a book about vampires and generally don't read fantasy (except for "Harry Potter," "Dune," and "Lord of the Rings," but they don't count; those aren't about vampires, sort of).

"That's OK," I replied again. What was I thinking?

"How do you want me to send it to you?" Natalie asked. "I can put it on Google Drive. Would that work for you?"

Now, everyone knows that newspaper people know about Google Drive and how to use it to edit novels, right? Of course. So, I naturally replied with — you guessed it — "of course." But not that "of course" —

the "of course" that means "No, I have no idea how Google Drive works, and I am too embarrassed to admit it, much less suggest that 'editing' is not necessarily a skill that I was born with or formally trained to do."

And, yes, of course, if the book is only around 350 pages, sure, why not?

So, we set up Google Drive, but first, Natalie asks how much I charge to edit. I did appreciate the question, but I growled at her in response.

"Natalie, you are family and family doesn't charge family — for anything."

That would never enter my mind, although what did go through my mind was how long — how much of my precious time — I just committed. Gzzzeezz.

"What about sex?" she asked next.

"OK," I think, "What?"

"It has sex," Natalie said. "Do you want me to leave those chapters out?"

"Natalie, I'm 71," I said. "This is a book. I can handle it. But thank you for asking. You don't have to leave out the sex."

Fast forward about four weeks.

Natalie has asked me to finish editing by the end of July so she can send the manuscript to potential publishers as soon as possible. So, I double up on my editing timeline.

I now get up early every day — or try

to — and spend about an hour on Natalie's book, and I edit twice as many chapters. I am now past the halfway point of the book, through Chapter 50. And, well, wow.

So here is the thing. This book is actually really good — I mean, like it is publishable, I think. And I don't even like vampire novels. Granted, I have no idea what publishers are looking for and what the market is for vampire-romance-fantasy novels, also known as "romantasies."

I am excited because I volunteered to help Natalie, committing to take on a rather substantial body of work. History says that I don't usually finish these types of projects. I start them, then just stop. I know this.

I took the project on because I want to fix myself — fix this character flaw. That's what I am trying to do now, in my 71st year — get better, become more intentional, and be more willing to step outside my comfort zone and engage.

That is, do things that I would have avoided in the past. Because who wants to just fade away? Not me.

And the icing on the cake? Well, how cool would it be to get a mention — one of those dust jacket or "after the last page" thank-yous on a new best seller! "Very," I think to myself. Next?

Will Wall Street buy the Fed’s new inflation math?

For decades, investors, economists and policymakers have relied on familiar inflation gauges such as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index to help determine the direction of monetary policy. While neither measure is perfect, both have served as the common language through which inflation has been discussed, debated and ultimately confronted.

Now, Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh appears ready to change the conversation.

During his April confirmation proceedings, Warsh argued that policymakers should place greater emphasis on “trimmed mean” inflation measures indexes that remove the largest monthly price increases and declines before calculating the overall inflation rate. The goal is to strip away temporary

distortions caused by energy shocks, supply-chain disruptions, geopolitical conflicts, weather events and other shortterm anomalies in order to reveal the economy’s underlying inflation trend.

From a theoretical standpoint, the argument has merit. Monetary policy operates with long and variable lags, making it poorly suited to react to every temporary spike in gasoline prices or every disruption in global shipping lanes. Central bankers are supposed to focus on persistent inflationary pressures, not every headline that flashes across a financial news terminal.

Yet economic theory often becomes more complicated when it encounters reality.

The central question is deceptively simple: When does a temporary shock stop being temporary?

If gasoline prices surge for a month, most economists would agree that the increase represents an outlier. But what if prices remain elevated for three months? Six months? A year? At what point does a statistical anomaly become an economic trend? More importantly, when does a cost repeatedly paid by consumers become too economically

significant to be dismissed as noise?

That question is arriving at a politically sensitive moment.

Just weeks ago, President Trump publicly expressed confidence in Warsh’s judgment regarding the future path of interest rates. Since then, however, the White House has become increasingly vocal in its desire for lower borrowing costs. The coincidence is difficult to ignore. If policymakers place greater emphasis on inflation measures that exclude the most extreme price movements, inflation may appear more subdued than traditional headline measures suggest. And if inflation appears lower, the justification for cutting interest rates becomes easier to make.

To be clear, trimmed-mean inflation is not a statistical gimmick. Economists have studied and utilized such measures for decades. Supporters argue that they provide a cleaner signal, helping policymakers avoid overreacting to temporary volatility.

Critics counter with a straightforward observation: Households do not live in a trimmed-mean economy.

Families pay actual prices for

groceries, gasoline, insurance, rent and utilities. They experience inflation in real time, not after economists remove the inconvenient data points. If elevated costs persist long enough to alter household budgets and consumer behavior, excluding those costs may improve statistical precision while diminishing public credibility.

But perhaps the most important question is not whether consumers will accept the new measure. It is whether Wall Street will.

Financial markets ultimately determine long-term borrowing costs. The Federal Reserve directly controls overnight interest rates, but mortgage rates, corporate borrowing costs, and Treasury yields are heavily influenced by bond investors’ expectations for future inflation.

If investors conclude that inflation is genuinely falling, lower short-term rates could translate into lower long-term rates. But if markets view a shift toward trimmed-mean inflation as an attempt to redefine inflation rather than defeat it, the result could be exactly the opposite.

Want to replace those prickly, overgrown hollies? Ouch!

If you have lived in your house for at least 10 to 15 years, you probably have some foundation plantings you would like to replace, especially if they are the sticky, hard-tomaintain hollies.

When most houses were built, unless you hired a landscape designer or landscape architect, the foundation plantings were chosen by the builder to soften the line between the house and the land. The plants may have been selected because they were inexpensive or chosen for their size because at the time they filled up the space. Most landscaping budgets are inadequate for the number and types of plants needed.

Plants, shrubs and trees should be chosen for their mature size; otherwise, they will eventually outgrow their space. This is the plight of many foundation plantings. Once trees and shrubs start blocking windows and walkways, interfering with roofs and gutters, or causing damage to the foundation, it is time to make a change.

The foundation plantings in your garden are the plants you put around the house, close to the walls, under the windows and beside the doors. These plants are used in landscape design to blend a building with its setting and obscure any undesirable features of the foundation.

Most landscapers suggest two to four different types of evergreen shrubs in a foundation landscape. Choose one or two types of vertical plants to anchor a corner or for tall vertical spaces on the front of a house. Choose one or two types of round or mounding evergreens for under windows. If your home is symmetrical, you can repeat the same pattern on the other side. Another rule of thumb is using odd numbers, such as one, three or five of the same plant, to create visual balance in the landscape.

Too many different types of shrubs can make the design very busy and distract from, rather than accent, your house. My preference is to first choose the majority of foundation plantings as evergreens in order to add structure and year-round interest.

Once you have planted your evergreen shrubs, you can then add shrubs that have foliage colors other than green, which may also flower in different seasons. Small pockets in your design can also be left open for smaller perennials and annual flowers for seasonal color. If you have the right space in your design, plant several vertical shrubs for interest. There is a high demand for dwarf shrubs

that fit under low windows and are great for smaller homes and landscapes. Many new and exciting shrubs on the market far outperform what was routinely used in the past and fulfill the needs of today’s homeowners. If planted with their mature size in mind, they will not outgrow their space.

When choosing a new tree or shrub, remember its mature size before planting. Place the center of the plant no closer to the foundation (or the plant next to it) equal to half of its mature width plus 1 foot. For example, a 6-footwide mature shrub should be planted at least 4 feet (3 plus 1) away.

Below are 10 of my favorite foundation plantings. I have listed the smallest size variety to the largest within each plant name. They are all evergreen except for the Japanese maples. In addition, these shrubs can have foliage colors other than green and may also flower in different seasons.

1. Distylium (Full sun to part shade): Has a range of leaf color and growth habits. Cultivars include Little Champ, Cinnamon Girl, Swing Low, Emerald Heights, Vintage Jade and Linebacker.

include BananAppeal and Florida Sunshine.

8. 'Inkberry' holly (Full sun to part shade): A native plant. Suggested cultivars include Strongbox and Gem Box Prime.

9. Dwarf pieris (Part shade to full shade): Produces white blooms in spring. Suggested cultivars include Cavertine, Mt. Snow and Prelude.

10. Evergreen ferns (Part shade to full shade): Add fine texture and interest, fill in small spaces and are deer-resistant. Suggested cultivars include the Autumn Brilliance fern, East Indian holly fern and Christmas fern.

Your home's landscape should be an inviting frame, not an overgrown barrier. Take a walk around your yard this week to evaluate which legacy shrubs have overstayed their welcome. Swapping out a few high-maintenance hollies for a dynamic mix of colorful, evergreens is one of the easiest ways to instantly elevate your home's value and neighborhood curb appeal.

Happy Gardening!

2. Camellia sasanqua (Part shade): Slim and trim. Flowers in the fall and is a good candidate for an espalier, meaning it can be trained to grow flat against the house. Suggested cultivars include the October Magic series, which features 11 varieties.

3. Arborvitae (Full sun to part shade): The cultivars Fire Chief, Golden Child and Tater Tot are round in shape. The cultivars North Pole, Emerald Green, Sling and Forever Goldy provide vertical interest.

4. Japanese maple (Part shade): A small tree used as a specimen or focal point, offering vibrant fall color. Cultivars include Tamukeyama, Red Dragon and Crimson Queen.

5. Boxwood (Full sun to part shade): Used as low borders and hedges. Suggested cultivars include Franklins Gem, Little Missy, Green Velvet, Wintergreen, Sprinter, Green Tower and Graham Blandy.

6. 'Blue Point' juniper (Full sun): Provides vertical interest and blue-green foliage.

7. Yellow anise tree (Illicium parviflorum, part shade to full shade): Features a fragrant licorice or anise scent and yellow foliage in all seasons. Cultivars

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. Previous Garden Buzz columns are featured at: https://appenmedia.com/opinion/columists/garden buzz/.

Come visit us at the Alpharetta Farmers Market and the Sandy Springs Farmers Market every other weekend. We will also have a booth at the Crabapple Festival in Milton on Oct. 3, 2026.

Learn more at nfmg.net.

About the author

This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Roswell resident Pat Camp. Pat has been a Master Gardener for 26 years, has worked as a landscape designer at a local nursery and is a Georgia Certified Plant Professional. Her cutting garden, which she started five years ago, is her newest passion where she continues to add new and interesting flowers every year. Her flower garden is a virtual banquet for a multitude of pollinators. Pat enjoys making flower bouquets from her garden for her home and to share. Pat enjoys sharing her love of nature and flowers with others, especially her grandchildren.

Early organized soccer in Atlanta

With World Cup games taking place soon in Atlanta, soccer is a popular topic. Although a few Atlanta schools and businesses formed soccer teams in the early 20th century, soccer took off in Atlanta in the late 1960s.

The Atlanta Chiefs, the first professional soccer team in Atlanta, started in 1967.

In May 1966, the Atlanta Braves announced they would sponsor the Chiefs soccer team, both playing at Atlanta Stadium, later called AtlantaFulton County Stadium. The Atlanta Falcons played their first season in the fall of 1966 at Atlanta Stadium, and the Chiefs began September 1967.

Atlanta Braves business manager Dick Cecil said, “The people haven’t been exposed to soccer before. But it’s a great game, fast with a lot of contact. Knowing that Atlanta is a tremendous sports town helped us to decide to try it.”

(Atlanta Journal, May 11, 1966, “Cecil predicts no conflict as soccer invades Atlanta”)

Phil Woosnam coached the Atlanta Chiefs. In addition to players from England, Wales and Jamica, Woosnam recruited players from Africa, something other U.S. coaches had not done. The Chiefs won their league championship in 1968, and in 1969 they won the North American Soccer League’s first championship series, beating the San Diego Toros.

(AJC, June 11, 1967, “Spartans must beware the Chiefs’ Nairobi trio,” ussoccer.com)

The soccer teams that followed in the Atlanta area were the Apollos, Generals, Silverbacks, Atlanta Beat and Atlanta United. A National Women’s Soccer League team is coming to Atlanta in 2028.

The first time you played or watched a soccer game depends on when you were born and where you grew up. Henderson High School in DeKalb County, where I graduated in 1975, had boys soccer but no girls team. My friend from Virginia recalls her high school had soccer teams for boys and girls in the early 1970s.

Appen Media Managing Editor Patrick Fox attended Andale High School in Kansas during the ’70s, where soccer was not offered to students. His early soccer memory was from refereeing a youth game while in college. “I was so winded running up and down the field that I kept calling penalties just to catch my breath. Never repeated that mistake.”

Soccer for boys began in 1968 in DeKalb County and quickly became popular. “Now more boys play the sport in DeKalb high schools than play American football.” Recreation soccer leagues were organized including teams within the YMCA Gra-Y program. (Atlanta Daily World, Feb. 22, 1968, “Atlanta soccer interest phenomenal in past year”)

Parents started the DeKalb Federation of Girls Soccer Clubs to convince the county that soccer should be offered for girls. Teams

in the league represented nine of DeKalb’s high schools, including Dunwoody, Chamblee and Briarcliff. Their enthusiasm along with pressure to comply with Title IX led to the beginning of girls soccer in DeKalb County by spring of 1981. (Atlanta Journal, Feb 2, 1978, “Soccer for girls urged”)

Sandy Springs resident Chris Curth participated in soccer at Dykes High School in Fulton County from 1967 to 1969. Curth also played on a City of Atlanta team and played on the Atlanta Chiefs All Star team as the city’s high scorer.

Jeff Glaze of Dunwoody never played soccer but remembers several friends who did. He recalls that Peachtree High School “…did quite well in soccer in the mid-1970s.”

One standout player was Lee Herron, whose jersey was retired.

If you don’t get a ticket to attend a World Cup game in Atlanta, there are plenty of places to view with other fans. Watch parties are planned at The Lawn at Ashford Lane in Dunwoody, Watchfest ’26 on the Decatur Square, Centennial Olympic Park, Sandy Springs’ Mutation Brewing and Piedmont Park, to name a few.

For more Atlanta soccer history, try the Atlanta United podcast series, “The History of Atlanta Soccer.”

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.

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Continued from Page 9

Bond investors may demand higher yields to compensate for perceived inflation risk, pushing long-term Treasury rates and mortgage rates higher even as the Federal Reserve cuts short-term rates.

Aiken: SHOP LOCAL EAT

In other words, the policy could backfire.

Economics has always depended on confidence. Inflation measures work because people trust them. Monetary policy works because markets believe it. The Federal Reserve is certainly free to change the “ruler” it uses to measure inflation.

The question is whether investors will accept the new measurements or decide that the “ruler” itself has become part of the problem.

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.