Sandy Springs Crier - June 4, 2026

City to consider spending plan of $170 million

By DYANA BAGBY dyana@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Sandy Springs City Council is considering a $170 million budget for 2027 to pay for day-to-day operations like public safety and other government services.

The spending plan, often referred to as the general fund, represents a 7 percent increase from this year. It includes a 3 percent cost-of-living pay increase for city employees and keeps the city’s tax rate the same with no fee increases.

City Manager Eden Freeman presented the proposed budget to the City Council May 26 during the third and final budget workshop. The council is slated to vote June 16 on the budget following its final public hearing. The fiscal year runs July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.

Sandy Springs has $65 million in savings going into next year, Freeman said. The city must keep $35 million in its fund balance reserve, also called a rainy-day fund. That leaves about $30 million available for one-time capital projects. The city’s tax rate of 4.731 mills remains the same, and there are no new taxes and no new fees, she said.

“It’s a completely balanced budget,” Freeman said.

See BUDGET, Page 10

has caused low pressure at hospitals and businesses, making it a public safety issue.

Sandy Springs, Atlanta water fight seeps into countywide service talks

By DYANA BAGBY dyana@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The longstanding feud between the cities of Sandy Springs and Atlanta over water supply and distribution has spilled over into service delivery negotiations with Fulton County.

The dispute could lead to the cities losing valuable state and federal dollars if an agreement is not reached.

Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul was harsh in his assessment of how

Atlanta has responded to his city’s water woes at a May 12 Fulton County Service Delivery Strategy meeting. The years long dispute is not just about water bills but is one of public safety, he said.

“This is beyond now just being concerned about how much we’re being charged for water,” Paul told county and city leaders. “It’s truly a health and safety issue.”

Sandy Springs has purchased water from the Atlanta Department of Watershed Management since before it

incorporated in 2005. But in the two decades since, the two governments have never reached a formal agreement on an arrangement, Paul said. Without that agreement, Paul said Atlanta has allowed critical infrastructure to deteriorate without accountability.

Paul said the city’s own engineering assessments estimate that between $40 million and $100 million in upgrades are needed to meet current demand.

WATER, Page 10

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Ga. 400 express lanes worker killed in Sandy Springs

By DYANA BAGBY dyana@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — A Ga. 400 express lanes construction worker installing warning signs on the highway near Abernathy Road died May 21 after being struck by a motorist.

Sandy Springs Police have charged the driver of the Toyota Tacoma that allegedly struck the worker with Mover Over Law violations, second-degree vehicular homicide and speeding. The driver's name has not been released. An investigation is ongoing, police said.

Police were called shortly after 1 a.m. about a crash on Ga. 400 southbound near Abernathy Road and Exit 4.

About 250 yards south of the scene of the fatal collision, officers found a heavily damaged Toyota Tacoma against the right-side wall of the highway.

The name of the construction worker has not been released. Georgia Department of Transportation officials said he was a subcontractor performing sign installation on the inside median barrier wall as part of the massive

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 cite homeowner over graduation party

ROSWELL, Ga. — A party involving some 50-70 high school students at a house on Kingridge Court in Roswell ended after police arrived and cited the homeowner for a loud residential gathering.

Police heard loud music as they

Ga. 400 Express Lanes project now underway.

“The worker was with a mobile traffic control operation with all appropriate safety protocols in place,” Kyle Collins, spokesperson for the project, said in an email to Appen Media. “There were two buffer vehicles and a law enforcement (blue light) support during the operation.”

GDOT Commissioner Russell McMurry cited the crash and fatality at the May 21 State Transportation Board meeting. The fatality is the first of the Ga. 400 express lanes project, he said.

He told the board that the worker was installing construction warning signs. Two buffer trucks and a police car flashing its blue lights were at the scene with the worker before the crash. Somehow the driver “ran through all of that and struck the employee, killing him,” he said.

McMurry noted that GDOT officials were wearing orange ties and ribbons when the ground was officially broken on the project in April. Orange is the color of National Work Zone Awareness Week, April 20-24. The week is an annual campaign held at the start of

arrived on scene May 18 and entered the backyard to see the partygoers surrounded by containers of alcoholic beverages discarded on the ground. A variety of liquors and other beverages were observed on a folding table.

A juvenile told police that no one was 21 or older, and all individuals were detained on the property.

An officer found the homeowner among the crowd of underage drinkers, who told police it was his daughter’s high school graduation party. The homeowner had slowed speech and appeared intoxicated, according to the police report, and said he had just arrived home drinking on Canton Street.

Police questioned the homeowner’s

construction season to promote safe driving and protect highway workers.

The $4.6 billion project will construct new express lanes in both directions along an approximately 16-mile section of Ga. 400 from the MARTA North Springs station at Exit 5C in Sandy Springs in Fulton County to approximately 1 mile north of McFarland Parkway at Exit 12 in Forsyth County.

Early construction preparations are underway near Exit 5 on Ga. 400, with activity along the southbound shoulder between the Spalding Drive bridge and Abernathy Road ramps to support future traffic shifts, according to GDOT.

Grubbing — the clearing out of stumps, roots, and buried logs after trees along the highway that were clear-cut — is currently ongoing to prepare for upcoming construction, including concrete barrier placement, lane striping, and new signage installation, according to GDOT. Earthwork operations and construction of retaining walls are scheduled to begin in these locations later this summer.

daughter, who said she told partygoers they were not allowed to have alcohol but that it got out of control when more people arrived.

All individuals were checked for their age and if they had been drinking any alcohol. Those who were drinking were transported from the home by a sober driver.

Police said there were too many people to cite or arrest for underage drinking.

Police found it unreasonable that the homeowner had no knowledge of the crime taking place and cited him for a loud and unruly gathering in a residential neighborhood.

— Hannah Yahne

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Northern Ridge District names April Eagle Scouts

ALPHARETTA, Ga.— The Northern Ridge Boy Scout District (cities of Roswell, Alpharetta, John’s Creek, Milton) is proud to announce its newest Eagle Scouts, who completed their Eagle Board of Review on April 23, 2026, at Alpharetta Presbyterian Church.

Group photo, from left:

Aryan Pillay, of Troop 2000, sponsored by Johns Creek Presbyterian Church. Aryan’s project was the construction of six benches for the waiting and pickup area of Piney Grove Middle School.

Adam Martin, of Troop 7153, sponsored by St. Brigid Catholic Church. Adam’s project was the removal of 335+ lbs. of trash from 6.75 miles of the Chattahoochee River

Michael Pelloni, of Troop 1717, sponsored by Cross of Life Lutheran Church. Michael’s project was the construction of eight new tabletops and 16 stools for the Milton High School Art Department.

Matthew Tetreault, of Troop 2143, sponsored by American Legion Post 251. Matthew’s project was the construction of four benches and a utility storage box for pickleball

equipment at River Trail Middle School.

Pictured above

Seowon “Steven” Park, of Troop 3143, sponsored by American Legion Post 251. Steven’s project was the construction of two benches and two indoor soccer goals.

North Fulton student leaders earn statewide championship

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — The Student Leadership NORTH Secretary of State Ambassadors have claimed the Georgia Secretary of State Ambassador State Championship, surpassing the second-place team by more than 150,000 points.

Student Leadership NORTH empowers students from local high schools to interact with business and government executives to lead positive change within their communities.

This past year, the leadership team played a role in registering and informing Johns Creek voters, hosting multiple voter registration drives and facilitating a debate and mayoral forum for local candidates. Students also hosted two financial literacy forums in partnership with the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.

“Our Secretary of State Ambassador teams have shown what it means to truly show up for their community,” Executive Director Irene Sanders said. “They have engaged with elected officials, championed financial literacy, registered voters and inspired everyone around them. We couldn’t be prouder of all that they have accomplished, and we know each one of them will carry these values with them wherever life takes them next.”

Many of this year’s Ambassador team members are preparing to head to college, where they will carry the skills, relationships and civic values cultivated through Student Leadership NORTH into their next chapters.

The Ambassadors team was led by Program Coordinator Lucy Liu, a member of last year’s winning team.

Student leaders on the 2025-26 state championship team are:

Violette Purcell, Anay Bahukhandi, Spoorthi Kakarla, Amber Qian, Aditi Kothari, Aanya Shah, Prinsha Chanda, Vishal Varma, Zara Duque Vasquez, Elliot Shin, Benny Hamann, Ishita Tyagi and Shaurya Attal.

Hannah Yahne

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 6, 4 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!

GAMES PEOPLE PLAY

1. Seaweed for sea urchins. Game on horseback. Large brown bear.

2. Saint topper. Racket sport. Supreme god of ancient Greece.

3. Horseshoes game. Neat. Highlander.

4. Spring purchase. Young pigeon. Lawn game.

5. Italian bowling game. Boredom. Measles symptom.

6. Greek sandwich. Water sport. Milky white gem.

7. Football game. White Cliffs place. Locate.

1 Seaweed for sea urchins. Game on horseback. Large brown bear

2. Saint topper. Racket sport. Supreme god of ancient Greece.

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. Horseshoes game. Neat. Highlander.

4. Spring purchase. Young pigeon. Lawn game.

5. Italian bowling game. Boredom. Measles symptom

6. Greek sandwich. Water sport. Milky white

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

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

MJCCA annual golf tournament raises $640,000 for scholarships

DUNWOODY, Ga. — The Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta raised $640,000 for scholarships at the 18th annual MJCCA Fifth Third Harry Maziar Classic Golf Tournament May 4. The total surpasses previous fundraising totals and sets a new high for the event, according to organizers.

The tournament, held at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, expanded this year to include its first Mah Jongg open play luncheon and drew 302 participants — 252 golfers and 50 Mah Jongg players — making it the largest gathering in the tournament’s history.

Proceeds from the MJCCA Fifth Third Harry Maziar Classic will fund scholarships for MJCCA’s three preschools, MJCCA Day Camps and Camp Barney Medintz overnight camp, ensuring that families who need financial assistance can access a wide range of MJCCA programs. The $640,000 raised this year is a significant jump over the approximately $500,000 typically raised annually. In its inaugural year, the tournament raised $75,000.

“The $640,000 raised this year is a direct investment in ensuring that cost is never the reason a child misses out on preschool, day camp or a summer at Camp Barney Medintz,” MJCCA CEO Jared Powers said.

MJCCA/PROVIDED

Participating in the May 4 Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta’s 18th annual Fifth Third Harry Maziar Classic Golf Tournament are, from left, Harry

The tournament, he said, has become the financial engine behind that promise, and watching it grow each year is a powerful reminder of what this community stands for.

“We are deeply grateful to every sponsor, player, and volunteer who made this our best year yet,” Powers said.

This year’s tournament was held in honor of Sammy Grant, a native Atlantan whose “deep roots in the MJCCA community reflect the very spirit the tournament was created to celebrate,” the Marcus

Center said in a statement. Grant attended JCC preschool, participated in sports and day camps, and spent 10 summers at Camp Barney Medintz as a camper and a staff member. Grant is an attorney, CPA, CFP and wealth management professional currently working at HB Wealth. He has served on the MJCCA board of directors, including as board chair during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has also been recognized on Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 Under 40 list and received the Abe Schwartz

Young Leadership Award.

The MJCCA Fifth Third Harry Maziar Classic is named after Harry Maziar, a 93-year-old native Atlantan who has been involved with the MJCCA for 81 years. Maziar served as MJCCA president from 1981 to 1983 and co-chaired the governance board for five years, playing a central role in stabilizing the organization financially in the mid-2000s. He has been the driving force behind the tournament since its founding, with a steadfast focus on keeping it community based. This year, three generations of the Maziar family — including Jake, Neal and Todd Maziar — participated and served on the planning committee.

“This tournament has always been about community and bringing people together around a shared commitment to making sure every family in Atlanta’s Jewish community can access what the MJCCA has to offer,” Harry Maziar said in a statement. “Seeing it grow to this level, with three generations of our family carrying it forward, is something I am incredibly proud of."

David Levin chaired the 2026 MJCCA Fifth Third Harry Maziar Classic with Joel Libowsky and Brad Oppenheimer as co-chairs. Planning for next year’s tournament is underway.

— Dyana Bagby

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Custodial staffs recognized for district’s cleanest schools

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Two North Fulton schools were awarded the Jerry Coker Award for Custodial Excellence in May for scoring the highest on cleanliness across the district.

Across two inspections, Crabapple Middle School in Roswell scored the highest average with a custodial team led by Ned Zahirovic. The school’s principal, Stephanie Haga, said she is grateful for their commitment and pride the custodial staff brings to Crabapple Middle.

“We are proud to be recognized as the cleanest school in the district,” Haga said. “This honor reflects the dedication and hard work of our incredible custodial team. They go above and beyond each day to create a safe, healthy and welcoming environment for our students and staff.”

Sal Sapina and the custodial staff at Hembree Springs Elementary School, also in Roswell, scored second. Global Impact Academy in Fairburn placed third.

The award is named for late environmental technician Jerry Coker who passed away while working for Fulton County Schools. He started as a head custodian at schools across all three levels and became one of the first environmental technicians in the district.

“This award represents the overall collaborative efforts between administrators and custodians to provide a clean, safe and healthy environment for students and staff to be in,” Coordinator of Environmental Services Eric Flint said. “We are so proud of these award winners who represent the overall best in each of the grade level tiers of elementary, middle and high school.”

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Milton High computer team logs top 2 finishes this season

MILTON, Ga. — In its first year, the computer programming team at Milton High School is reflecting on its accomplishments with two secondplace finishes at top technology competitions this season.

The team consists of three members: junior Dev Daswani and sophomores Anish Daswani and Shanmuka Gottimukkala.

The trio began a season of competitions with the Fulton County Student Technology Competition in January, completing projects entailing game design and programming.

One month later, the team placed second among more than 40 teams

Budget:

To fund the $170 million, the city anticipates about $50 million of revenue from property taxes, $36 million from sales tax and most of the rest from fees, licensing and other taxes.

spanning various states in the virtual Code Quest competition hosted by Lockheed Martin. They solved a set of 30 problems based on reallife scenarios that challenged the group’s grasps on complex topics in calculus and knowledge of the Python programming language.

In March, Milton’s computer programming team competed virtually against 20 teams at the Georgia Student Technology Competition and earned second place using the same programming language. The competition was sponsored by the Georgia Educational Technology Consortium.

— Hannah Yahne

Public safety dominates the spending plan. The Police Department’s proposed budget of $34.6 million is an increase of 5 percent over the current year and makes up about 20 percent of general fund spending.

The Fire Department will account for $22.4 million in spending, about 13 percent of the general fund budget. Its budget represents a 6 percent increase from the current year.

Together, police and fire account for roughly one-third of all general fund expenditures.

Other major spending areas include Public Works at $17.3 million, Community Development at $7.3 million and Information Technology at $4.8 million.

City Manager Freeman is asking for the new office to coordinate major projects across departments and to streamline grant funding and data resources.

The proposed budget adds 16 city staff positions for a total of 664 employees. Full-time positions total 540.5 with part-time positions at 123.5. All city employees would receive a 3 percent cost of living adjustment.

“That is money that would have been used in other parts of Fulton County had Sandy Springs not been incorporated,” she said. Continued from Page 1

A new line item is the proposed Office of Innovation and Delivery at $883,000.

Water:

Continued from Page 1

Paul listed litany of problems with the water system.

Hospitals in Sandy Springs, he said, are reporting inadequate water pressure during peak hours. Some multi-story buildings cannot generate enough pressure to flush toilets above the third floor. Firefighters have raised concerns about whether sufficient flow is available to fight certain types of fires. And Atlanta’s lack of response to come up with any kind of solution is frustrating, he said.

“We’re down now to having utilized the water storage tanks to maintain pressures, and at certain times, particularly in the evening of high demand, those tanks are drawn down to a dangerously low level,” Paul said. “We had a meeting with Watershed last week, where we raised these concerns, and they simply took notes. They have not brought any plans, or any ideas or any solutions to the table.”

Sandy Springs has been in litigation with Atlanta for 15 years over a 21

percent surcharge the city pays on water delivered outside Atlanta’s city limits. Paul said at the meeting the fee is unjustified because Atlanta draws from the Hemphill Water Treatment Plant to provide Sandy Springs with water. Paul said Sandy Springs is closer to the Tom Lowe Atlanta-Fulton County Water Treatment Plant in Johns Creek than the Hemphill plant on 17th Street in Atlanta.

The Tom Lowe plant serves the rest of North Fulton including Alpharetta, Johns Creek and Roswell.

Atlanta Chief Operating Officer Lashondra Burks pushed back against Paul, saying Atlanta is committed to having conversations and finding solutions. She said that after a recent meeting with Sandy Springs, Atlanta asked the city to submit a consolidated list of infrastructure concerns, but no list has been received.

“We are still waiting on the list,” Burks said. “We would like to have these conversations to address all your issues. That is what we are committed to.”

Looking for conversation

Burks told Paul that because Atlanta does not know what new development and growth is happening

Including all expenditures, the city’s all-funds budget is proposed at $1.156 billion. Freeman said that figure is driven largely by the Sandy Springs Public Facilities Authority, which accounts for debt the city has issued for City Springs, police headquarters and fire stations.

in Sandy Springs, it cannot determine infrastructure needs and water capacity.

“You don’t have to come to the City of Atlanta for permits, but if we have a great partnership [so that] we know you’re building hotels, we know that you’re building hospitals — those are the type of partnerships that we can work on the front end for water versus on the back end,” she said.

In short, Burks said, it’s difficult for Atlanta to address water needs when Sandy Springs provides no information on its development.

Paul shot back that Sandy Springs has handed Atlanta every engineering study it has commissioned.

“If you go back and read those studies we’ve provided you, that’s the list,” he said.

The debate between Atlanta and Sandy Springs impacts negotiations between Fulton County and its cities. Every 10 years, the state mandates the county and its cities to reach agreement on which services the county provides and how much each city should be charged.

Fulton County, for example, provides senior services, animal control and operates the jail.

“The Public Facilities Authority is what is bumping our all-funds number up,” she said. “We are unable to reduce that number until we fully pay off the debt.”

The city has invested more than $500 million into the community since it incorporated in 2005, Freeman said. This figure is in addition to investments in City Springs and public safety facilities.

Failure to finalize a Service Delivery Strategy agreement by the end of the year means losing access to state grants and federal pass-through funding. A recently passed change in state law now limits that penalty to only the parties in dispute — in this case, Atlanta and Sandy Springs — rather than all of Fulton County’s cities. Paul said the threat of losing funding should motivate both cities to reach a deal.

“I’m hoping with the sword of Damocles hanging over our heads, we’ll get some kind of agreement,” Paul said. “If not, then we’ll be in court until we can get this resolved, and in that period neither city will be able to get grants from the state or the feds.”

Several south Fulton mayors voiced similar frustrations with Atlanta over inadequate pressure and delayed development projects tied to water capacity constraints. A long-term solution may be a regional water authority, Paul said.

“The problems are so profound and affect so many of our areas of operation — economic development, health care, public safety,” he said. “It may be beyond the scope of the city of Atlanta to be able to fix.”

OPINION

Treat your garden with some lovely lavender

Who wouldn’t be interested in a perennial, evergreen flowering herb that thrives on neglect, is drought tolerant, is a favorite of pollinators and hummingbirds and one that deer won’t eat? Then think of lavender! Lavender has been popular for thousands of years for its aroma and medicinal properties of treating headaches, anxiety and insomnia. Today, lavender is grown as an ornamental shrub, as a cut flower and for essential oil which is used in soaps, candles and lotions.

There are many species of lavender that are part of the Lavandula genus of the mint family.

The four most important types of lavender are: Lavandula augustifolia, a hardy English lavender grown mostly for its cut flowers; Lavandula dentata, French lavender with leaves covered with soft fuzz and rosemary-scented flowers, Lavandula stoechas; Spanish lavender with tall, elegant dark purple flowers; and Lavandula x intermedia, also known as Lavandin a sterile hybrid developed for the French perfume industry. Lavandin is more aromatic than other lavender species and has the highest yield of flowers and lavender essential oil. The two most common species grown in north Georgia are Lavandula augustifolia and Lavandula x intermedia.

Where lavender thrives

Lavender will thrive under the right growing conditions. It requires welldrained soil, full sun and alkaline soil (pH 6.5-7.5), so soil testing is strongly recommended. It does not like wet feet, so consider adding sand or grit to the soil to improve drainage, and planting in mounds, slopes or rock gardens. Lavender can be difficult to grow in pots due to the tendency for the soil to retain moisture and may only last as annuals They do not grow reliably from seed but are easily propagated from live plants. Plants in the landscape should be spaced at least 18 inches apart to maintain good airflow and watered weekly until established, then sparingly. Crushed stone or shells may be considered as mulch to prevent moisture from being trapped around the roots. Lavender can be planted near doors, windows and outdoor seating areas where the scent can repel mosquitoes.

Caring for lavender

Lavender plants should be pruned

after the first bloom to establish shape. Established plants also benefit from pruning every spring, about 2-3 inches above where the leaves meet the woody base. During the growing season, dead leaves and stems should be removed and the lower branches trimmed to maintain good air circulation to prevent fungal diseases. Good companion plants to grow with lavender also tend to be drought resistant and like alkaline soil, such as other herbs, (rosemary, sage, and thyme), coneflower, yarrow, salvia, Shasta daisy, black-eyed Susan, marigold and zinnia.

Anticipating lavender issues

Lavender does not suffer from many diseases or pests, but they are susceptible to crown and root rot which can be a challenge with our hot, humid summers. The best treatment is prevention with good spacing and airflow. Use very welldraining soil and avoid overwatering. With proper care, you will be rewarded with long-lasting blooms

About the author

This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Anne Wiskind, a Master Gardner who completed her Fulton County Master Gardner training in 2024. She is a life-long gardener with an active interest in encouraging biologic diversity and growing beautiful flowers for pollinators.

• Lavender Lamb Farm (Cleveland): lavenderlambfarm.com

• The Lavender Cottage and Garden (Helen): thelavendercottageandgarden. com

• White Hills Lavender and Herb Farm (near Athens): whitehillsfarm.us

The best time to visit these farms is between the end of May and early July. Mornings are the best time when the scents are the strongest. Some of these places have U-pick or special classes. So, plan ahead to catch all the activities that might be of interest.

Treat yourself to a scent-sational and relaxing experience this summer.

Happy Gardening!

that are the favorite of pollinators.

Where to find lavender

Lavender plants can be purchased in many nurseries and big-box stores, but there are also several lavender farms in North Georgia where you can purchase specific species with growing instructions. Because they are propagated locally, you can be sure they are adapted to our climate.

Lavender farms in North Georgia:

• Red Oak Lavender Farm and Shop (Dahlonega): redoaklavender.com

• Lookout Lavender Farm (Lookout Mountain): lookoutlavender.com

DEATH NOTICES

Janice McClean, age 65, of Roswell, GA passed away on May 21, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

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

Catch North Fulton Master Gardeners at these scheduled events throughout the season:

• Alpharetta Farmers’ Market

• Sandy Spring Farmers’ Market: Diggin’ in the Dirt kid’s activities

• Crabapple Festival in Milton this fall

Paige Murphy, age 40, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on May 17, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

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THE FUTURE OF LOCAL NEWS

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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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THE APPEN PRESS CLUB

One solution is the creation of a membership driven organization called the Appen Press Club that is dedicated to recruiting people and companies to join as members. Members pay recurring monthly or annual dues that are 100% dedicated to sustainable journalism. By providing predictable revenue, Appen Press Club members and partners help fund the salaries and expenses of local reporters who will no longer be subject to the whims of marketing budgets and an ever changing advertising world. In turn, those reporters will provide the readers they serve with highly researched and qualified journalism focused on subjects that directly affect their quality of life.

To join go to appenmedia.com/join and follow the prompts to select your membership level and select your t-shirt size! Questions? Email Hans Appen at hans@appenmedia.com or call 770-442-3278.

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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