Roswell residents will soon enjoy a sprawling new 50-acre park after city officials approved the purchase of the 24-acre Spruill property on Hardscrabble Road, which will connect to 25 acres already owned by the city.
🌳 Why It Matters: This $7.5 million investment creates one of Roswell’s largest green spaces and preserves valuable land from potential development. The new park will provide families with recreational opportunities in a rapidly growing area of North Fulton County.
🏞️ The Details: The city will name the space “The Edwin and Nelda Spruill Park,” honoring the family who previously owned the property. Officials expect to close on the purchase within 90 days of the council’s approval.
💰 By The Numbers: The city is paying $7.5 million for the 24-acre tract, which works out to about $312,500 per acre – a significant investment in community infrastructure.
🔮 What’s Next: City planners will begin developing a master plan for the park’s amenities and layout. The agreement allows the Spruill family 30 days after closing to remove any personal property from the land.
🗣️ Worth Noting: “This new park will offer our community an extraordinary space for recreation, reflection and celebration,” Mayor Kurt Wilson said in a statement announcing the purchase.
How to Read and Understand the News
Truth doesn’t bend because we dislike it.
Facts don’t vanish when they make us uncomfortable.
Events happen whether we accept them or not.
Good reporting challenges us. The press isn’t choosing sides — it’s relaying what official, verified sources say. Blaming reporters for bad news is like blaming a thermometer for a fever.
Americans have a history of misunderstanding simple things. In the 1980s, A&W rolled out a 1/3-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. It failed because too many people thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If we can botch basic math, we can certainly misread the news.
Before dismissing a story, ask yourself:
- What evidence backs this?
- Am I reacting to facts or feelings?
- What would change my mind?
- Am I just shooting the messenger?
And one more: Am I assuming bias just because I don’t like the story?
Smart news consumers seek truth, not comfort.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
