Religious organizations rally to help community ► ONLINE AT THECRIER.NET
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A fiery December, cooled by community response By JEFFREY ALBERTSON newsroom@appenmediagroup.com DUNWOODY, Ga. — The outpouring of support from the community has helped Dunwoody residents cope with losses following two catastrophic structure fires, one to a home on Dec. 2, the other to an apartment building on Dec. 21. Fundraising for the house fire has been organic, comprised of donations to a GoFundMe campaign. The amounts may seem nominal, yet the sheer multitude of donations bypassed the $15,000 goal. The fundraising effort for the Scott family, who lost their home at the beginning of this month, totals $42,114. The GoFundMe link, https://gofund.me/a0a212fc, contains messages of tragedy, triumph and encouragement — from friends and neighbors. “We feel so incredibly grateful to be-
long to such a loving community,” Kelly Scott said in a post on the page. The family was at home when the fire began. Their two dogs perished. Scott’s harrowing narrative recounts receiving phone calls from neighbors about the house fire and pleas for people to not tamper or trespass on the site. She mentions catching people picking through the ruins of her home. An update on Dec. 19 said the family is still searching for a new house. Nineteen days after the house fire, catastrophe struck again in Dunwoody. Shortly after 4 p.m. last Monday, smoke started billowing from the 2300 block of the Dunwoody Village apartments. When the fire was suppressed that night, at least one building was damaged with multiple families displaced. Several people were injured and an expectant mother went into labor.
A statement from Atlanta Gas Light utility company said two field service employees sustained injuries while responding to an incident at a Dunwoody apartment complex where a contracting firm working on a project unrelated to their company damaged one of their lines. With immediate speed, the Dunwoody community took action to help fire victims for the second time this month. The community used the social media platforms NextDoor and Facebook to arrange a gift card drive with local organizations serving as collection points on Dec. 22. Donations were collected on the mobile payment service Venmo. Donations can still be made to the username @Laurence-Harris-1. A GoFundMe has been set up at gofund.me/a819f0fa.
See FIRE, Page 7
CATHY COBBS/CRIER
Lucas Woosdorp, 15, his brother Leo, 12 and friend Ryan Kuniansky, 13, lined up on North Peachtree Road holding signs encouraging people to donate gift cards to victims of the Dec. 21 apartment fire at the Dunwoody Village Apartments.
DUNWOODY YEAR IN REVIEW
City withstands trials, tests through COVID pandemic By CATHY COBBS newsroom@appenmediagroup.com DUNWOODY, Ga. – Well, that didn’t really go as planned. The beginning of 2020 in Dunwoody was filled with promise. Lynn Deutsch, the city’s first female mayor, was sworn into office, a new 950-student Austin Elementary opened its doors and the City Council was making significant progress crafting changes that would make the city more pedestrian- and bike-friendly.
Dunwoody’s businesses were thriving, residential and commercial real estate was booming and everything was going as planned. That is, until COVID-19 arrived. The first indication of trouble was reported in the Crier on March 12, about the first confirmed cases in Georgia, several Fulton County residents who contracted the virus after returning from a trip to Italy. It became front page news after that, as the city, businesses and individuals were faced with fighting an invisible dis-
ease about which little was known. The world as Dunwoody knew it came to an abrupt halt in the spring. City officials closed down non-essential government services in mid-March, halted in-person meetings and instituted a shelter-in-place order on March 26. DeKalb County Schools moved to virtual instruction in mid-March. The City Council’s attempt to institute a mask ordinance in July was thwarted by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who declared that local governments could not pass harsher
mandates than what had been outlined in his executive order. Local restaurants and Dunwoody’s non-profit organizations were forced to change the way business was conducted. City officials helped by relaxing restrictions on outdoor dining, issuing rent forgiveness and distributing federal, state and local relief funds to area nonprofits. Some of Dunwoody’s most treasured traditions, including Lemon-
See REVIEW, Page 2
2 | December 31, 2020 | Dunwoody Crier | TheCrier.net
Review: Continued from Page 1 770-442-3278 | TheCrier.net 319 N. Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009 PUBLISHER EMERITUS: Dick Williams PUBLISHER: Hans Appen GENERAL MANAGER & ADVERTISING: Jim Hart MANAGING EDITOR: Patrick Fox EDITORIAL QUESTIONS: Alpharetta-Roswell Herald: Alpharetta: ext. 118, Roswell ext. 122 Dunwoody Crier: ext. 123 Forsyth Herald: ext. 118 Johns Creek Herald: ext. 123 Milton Herald: ext. 139 Calendar: ext. 122 TO SUBMIT EDITORIAL: News/Press Releases: NorthFulton.com/Sponsored Calendar/Events: NorthFulton.com/Calendar ADVERTISING QUESTIONS: General Advertising: ext. 100 advertising@appenmediagroup.com Classified Advertising: ext. 143 donna@appenmediagroup.com Circulation/Subscriptions/Delivery: ext. 100 circulation@appenmediagroup.com OUR PUBLICATIONS: Alpharetta-Roswell Herald: 28,000 circulation Johns Creek Herald: 20,000 circulation Dunwoody Crier: 18,000 circulation Forsyth Herald: 17,000 circulation Milton Herald: 10,000 circulation Answer Book: 40,000 circulation
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ade Days and the annual Fourth of July parade, were cancelled. During the summer, as the number of COVID cases ebbed, there was talk of DeKalb County schools reopening, but the established benchmark of 100 cases per 100,000 residents could not be reached, and the 2020-21 academic year opened with virtual instruction. In midDecember, the school district announced a phased-in approach for in-person instruction that will begin Jan. 19. As the number of virus infections flattened out, restrictions loosened, and restaurants and some public facilities opened with safety protocols in place. The arts community stepped up to participate in the city’s picnic table project, which allowed local restaurants to expand outdoor seating in a colorful and artsy manner. The Dunwoody City Council in November adopted an austere $24.5 million 2021 budget, reflecting a sagging economy that experts say may drag into 2023. The budget reflected a 4.2 percent reduction to various departments. Even with those reductions, the city’s reserve fund was projected to shrink from almost eight months in reserves in 2020 to a projected four-month reserve by the end of 2021. Officials warned that a slow rebound may force a first-time increase in Dunwoody’s property tax rate. Sexual harassment charges In July, Dunwoody Police Chief Billy Grogan published a 146-page report detailing dozens of allegations of sexual harassment and unprofessional conduct by senior officers within the department. The most damning claims were lodged against former Lt. Fidel Espinoza, who had resigned from the force in May. Two former officers accused Espinoza of sending
NEWS explicit text messages to them, demanding they reciprocate, and lodging false accusations against them in a systematic attempt to ruin their reputations. The city has not publicly commented since the report was published, citing pending litigation. Road, sidewalk improvements Dunwoody moved forward with several significant initiatives designed to move the city ahead, albeit on much smaller scale than intended. According to Dunwoody Public Works Director Michael Smith, the city made crosswalk improvements on Mount Vernon and North Peachtree Roads, completed the first section of a shared-use path on North Shallowford Road, finished sidewalk and road improvements on Roberts Drive in front of Austin Elementary, repaired more than 500 sidewalks throughout the city, and began work on sidewalk and bicycle lanes on Tilly Mill and Peeler Roads. In addition, the city paved more than 12 miles of road. At Brook Run Park, two multi-purpose fields, the Great Lawn, a picnic pavilion and a disc golf course opened. Work began on the conversion of the former Waterford Club into a park, and the old Austin Elementary was demolished. Dunwoody officials are asking for community feedback as to its future use. Dunwoody Village Overlay District After months of debate and adjustments based on community feedback, the Dunwoody City Council in December adopted a massive rezoning of the Dunwoody Village area that put in place height restrictions for new commercial and residential developments and required developers to install streetlights, benches and large sidewalks as part of new construction within the district. Proposed charter changes For only the second time since Dunwoody incorporated, a charter commission, headed by former City Council-
man Robert Wittenstein, met to discuss recommendations to the existing charter. The recommendations, which must be approved by the Georgia General Assembly before being put to a referendum, include changing the term limits for the mayor from two consecutive terms to three consecutive terms; limiting council terms to three consecutive stints, supporting the election of council members with a plurality of 45 percent rather than a majority of 50 percent and shifting the election for mayor by two years to coincide with the district elections effective in 2025. The most controversial topic the commission discussed never made it to the recommendation stage – raising the cap on the city’s millage rate. New faces/significant losses Longtime Spruill Center CEO Robert Kinsey retired after 16 years in that position, and Alan Mothner, who had been at the helm at the Dunwoody Nature Center, took over the reins. Faced with significant losses in revenue because of the pandemic, Mothner took on as one of his first initiatives moving to virtual instruction and COVID-safe activities Austin Elementary School Principal Ann Culbreath retired in October. During her tenure, Austin was consistently ranked as one of Georgia’s top elementary schools. Stage Door’s artistic director Robert Egizio was furloughed in early September, and subsequently fired, causing consternation among patrons and a shakeup in the organization’s board of directors. The theatre was preparing to gear up in the spring, but the pandemic forced the cancellation of the entire season. Former Brookhaven Mayor and veteran journalist Rebecca Chase Williams died in March after a long battle with cancer. Bev Wingate, a community activist and tireless advocate for cityhood, was commended for her philanthropy, and on her birthday, Aug. 9, the council dedicated a day in her honor.
TheCrier.net | Dunwoody Crier | December 31, 2020 | 3
OPINION
4 | December 31, 2020 | Dunwoody Crier | TheCrier.net
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The reality of 2020
I cannot escape my feelings of resentment for what we went through as a country in 2020: the pandemic, the downturn in the economy, the political unrest — so many heavy burdens. And I try not to HANS APPEN think about how much Publisher of it was preventable, hans@appenmediagroup.com or to what extent its severity could have been dulled, but I am angry — about all of it. I suspect it will take some time for me to move past the notion of what could have been and focus my recollection on the people that led us through it all. And for me, no one deserved more of that focus than our healthcare workers, policemen, EMTs and firefighters. The heroic service they provided this country in our dark and most uncertain hours of need leave me humbled and speechless. I cannot write words that adequately reflect my admiration and appreciation. My brother-in-law is an emergency room physician at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany. Early on, that area saw more COVID cases per capita than most places in the world. While he was working back-to-back shifts, I was on a family group text scrambling to find him PPE. We were worried that he would run out and would soon be treating COVID patients without any protection against the virus. It was a helpless feeling. I will never forget a picture my sisterin-law sent the family a few weeks later. He was laying on the floor, curled up in a ball with a blanket over him. He had just finished a string of 10 hour shifts and only stopped to sleep because sleep meant more energy for more shifts. This was the story for thousands of healthcare workers in 2020. I will also remember how we as a community rallied behind small businesses, restaurants in particular, and collectively considered creative ways to support them and keep their lights on. We ordered delivery when a PB&J would have done just fine. We bought gift cards we didn’t really need. We tipped more than was our custom. And I am so proud of you all for that. And our children. What can I say? It seems ancient history that the graduating high school class of 2020 canceled spring break trips, prom, their entire spring sports programs and graduation ceremonies. It hurts to know how memorable these moments in time are for the rest of us, and that they will never know them for themselves. My much younger children became fluent in the necessities of mask wearing, washing hands, avoiding crowded
spaces and in so many other lessons that were painful to watch them learn. They grew up before my eyes, overnight, with a kind of maturity I didn’t expect. My oldest put off kindergarten this fall, something she had so looked forward to, and never once offered a single complaint. She displayed an understanding of the moment wise beyond her years. Bless her for that gift she gave her mother and me. As for us, your local community newspaper, we hung in there. We went remote like so many others early on and figured it out. We focused on getting through each week. We walked the fine line that so many other small businesses did of sacrificing what we could, but never sacrificing who we are. Our staff showed resilience that frankly, I desperately needed, both then and now. I will be forever thankful for their efforts to keep us moving forward this year. Most of our 28 newspaper delivery folks work multiple part time jobs and saw much of their income under attack when companies started scaling back. They are a resilient bunch I have deep admiration for. Our newsroom and production team went remote and had to instantly adjust to covering and producing the news in both a COVID and Zoom world — either one of which would have been enough on their own to throw the news industry on its head. But they adjusted, kept their heads down, and focused on the core of our mission: delivering news that our readers need to know to stay informed and especially this year, safe. Our marketing and advertising department, which generate the funds necessary for this free newspaper company to exist, worked wonders in figuring out how to both continue to support our local business partners that needed us now more than ever, and to generate the income necessary we needed to pay our own bills. After all, we are a small business, too, that was suddenly hurting just like everyone else. And Kimberly, our advertising assistant and one of our dearest employees, lost her dad to COVID early in the pandemic. We grieved with her and I watched in awe as she showed amazing grace and grit throughout. She took care of her girls and her mom while also taking care of us and returning to work as soon as she could. As we crawl toward 2021, I pray for renewed faith. In our institutions, in science, and more simply in each other. That what we remember about 2020 is that, collectively, we dealt with whatever came our way, together. We are always stronger, together. I am so proud to call you our readers, our critics, and our biggest supporters. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping us make it through a really hard year. I’ll never forget it.
COMMUNITY
TheCrier.net | Dunwoody Crier | December 31, 2020 | 5
PAST TENSE
OBITUARY
If you have ever seen the 1959 film “Pillow Talk,” you will remember how Jan, played by Doris Day, kept trying to use the phone only to find that Brad, played by Rock Hudson, was constantly on their VALERIE party line. A party line BIGGERSTAFF consists of multiple telephone subscribers connected to the same land line. An incoming call would ring in all the homes connected to the party line, but a different ring would indicate the call was for your household. To make an outgoing call, you had to pick up the receiver and listen to see if someone else was on the line. If you heard someone talking, you could try again later. According to the AT& T Archives at techchannel.att.com, 63 percent of residential Bell System customers in 1930 had party lines. Most of these customers lived in rural and suburban areas. That number increased to 75 percent by 1950, due partially to a need to catch up with the need for private lines following World War II. By 1965, only 27 percent
Sarah Moncrieff Edwards It is with great sadness we announce that Sarah Moncrieff Edwards of Dunwoody, GA USA passed away in her home on November 8, 2020 of natural EDWARDS causes. Services to celebrate the life of Sarah Edwards will be held January 9th 2021 at 2PM Eastern at Kingswood United Methodist Church as well as online Services in person will be limited to family only. To request information for the online service please email chkee750cf@gmail.com. Sarah survived her husband John who preceded her journey to heaven in 2015, her sister Ena and two brothers David and Robert. Sarah was active in her neighborhood and church community who surrounded and cared for her since Johns’ passing for which our family is eternally grateful. She is survived by her sons Ian and Alistair, their wives Marina and Angela and 3 grandchildren Sarah, John and Eve.
Party lines — the telephone sort of customers were still using party lines. Richard Titus describes how a party line was the only option in his book “Dunwoody Isn’t Bucolic Anymore: Vignettes, Anecdotes and Miscellaneous Ramblings of the 1950s and 1960s.” The Titus family moved to a home along Roberts Drive in Dunwoody in 1950. The home still stands on Glenrich Drive and is identified as the Larkin Martin Home circa 1840. When the Titus family moved into the home, they had a four-party line with a Roswell exchange. Sometimes it was possible to have a private line for an additional fee, but this was the only phone service available to their home. If the family made a call to anywhere other than Roswell it was considered long distance. Later, their service improved when it changed over to a two-party line and the second party happened to be one of their friendly neighbors. Then the family telephone service switched from a Roswell exchange to a Chamblee exchange. They paid extra to call Atlanta and they paid a mileage charge for calls to Chamblee.
One of the issues of a party line was the possibility of the line being busy in the case of an emergency. It was also a problem that people occasionally pretended they had an emergency just to get the other party to hang up the line. In 1946, the Bell System produced a film titled “Party Lines” to demonstrate proper etiquette for party line customers. Customers are encouraged to not monopolize the telephone line and not speak rudely when asking others to get off the line. The film featured the marionettes of Bill Baird, the same puppeteer who did the marionette performance in the movie “The Sound of Music.” Perhaps you grew up with a party line, or someone you knew had one. My grandparents had a party line in their farmhouse on Covington Highway in the 1960s. If you have memories of growing up with a party line in the home, send me an email at pasttensega@ gmail.com. You can visit Valerie’s website at pasttensega.com.
Dunwoody Crier 12/31/20 Crossword
PuzzleJunction
6 | December 31, 2020 | Dunwoody Crier | TheCrier.net
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SOLUTION ON PAGE 8
Solution on next page
COMMUNITY
TheCrier.net | Dunwoody Crier | December 31, 2020 | 7
This year has been unlike any other At the top of the year, the presumption was that the election would pull at the fabric of our republic. Back then, the first confirmed case of COVID-19 had yet to reach the United States and 322,000 people had not died. Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and RayBrooks were still breathJEFFREY ALBERTSON shard ing. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, too. Reporter Americans were largely satJeffreyalbertson@outlook.com isfied with the national economy and dissatisfied with the president. The juxtaposition between this year’s early months and today are stark. Journalists have covered it — large and small — and we have taken it on the chin. The typical email feedback from readers is nothing new. Neither are accusations of bias from the political camps, who do not parse words with the same rigor our profession requires. The words that wind up in print or online carry weight. They can inform, encourage, motivate, or incite and for these reasons they are selected with care. Data from the Committee to Protect Journalists shows 30 journalists were killed around the world in 2020. Another dataset estimates 274 are imprisoned. In the United States no journalists have been killed this year. However, that is no reason to turn a blind eye to looming threats. This year, 117 journalists were arrested in the
United States, a staggering 1,200 percent increase from 2019. Journalists here were attacked 268 times in 2020, most often covering protests. In DeKalb, Fulton, and Forsyth counties, local journalists do not have to worry about car bombs, like the one in Afghanistan that killed Elyas Dayee. Instead, our worry stems from the elected officials at the height of power and people who discount our labor with the label “fake news.” Selecting such an erroneous phrase is a dual exercise in intellectual laziness and conscientious stupidity. Both are disingenuous in efforts to create a wellinformed society. Good faith criticism is always welcomed. Widespread delegitimization is not. We own what we put out and any corrections that follow. That effort has simmered over the last four years, yet this winter was cranked up to high as the election results rolled in. Perhaps, the incoming administration will foster a new climate for the people delivering readers the news. Regardless, local journalists will be watching tax dollars allocation, the five-hour city council meeting, and pressing multiple levels of government for transparency, including putting budgets and meeting agendas online. Eyes will be directed at the General Assembly downtown for impacts to readers, whether good or bad. Public officials not answering phone calls and emails are sometimes part of the process. Ducking transparency is not. When that happens, local journalists will be watching out.
CATHY COBBS/CRIER
Dunwoody North resident Erica Harris and Mayor Lynn Deutsch accept gift cards outside of Malachi’s Storehouse for families impacted by the Dec. 21 fire at a nearby apartment complex.
Fire:
Continued from Page 1
Judi Carlson, director of Malachi’s Storehouse at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, said more than $30,000 in gift cards had been collected so far. A constant line of vehicles delivered the cards and pantry items. Adam Freedman, the owner of SOHO Office, collected $4,280 on Dec. 22 and $1,025 the following day. Owner of NFA Burger Billy Kramer said $1,000 in gift cards were collected, and $500 in Venmo donations were converted to Walmart gift cards. An anonymous $500 match delivered $2,000 in assistance. “The Dunwoody Village Apartment fire is a terrible tragedy in an already-difficult year, but the outpouring of support from the Dunwoody community has been unbelievable,” Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch said. “We hope that the money collected provides financial relief to those affected, and that each know that they are part of a caring community.”
MLK JR. DAY OF
SERVICE
NOW through January 18:
presented by the
City of Dunwoody in partnership with
Jack and Jill of America, Inc. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY OF SERVICE
Monday, January 18 9 a.m.
Open to all members of the community and local organizations Drop off non-perishable food donations to collection bins across Dunwoody. Pantry items will be donated to the Community Assistance Center and Malachi’s Storehouse.
For bin locations, visit dunwoodyga.gov/mlkday
Volunteer for safe, socially-distanced projects including:
Tree Planting and Daffodil Planting at Brook Run and projects at Dunwoody Nature Center • Spruill Center for the Arts
Register in advance dunwoodyga.gov/mlkday
OPINION
8 | December 31, 2020 | Dunwoody Crier | TheCrier.net
PALS PERIMETER ADULT LEARNING & SERVICES
PALS (Perimeter Adult Learning Services) is pleased to announce another exciting lineup of classes for the Winter 2021 session running for 8 weeks on Mondays AND Wednesdays beginning January 11, 2021 and running through February 3, 2021. The classes will again be virtual using the Zoom platform. The lineup of classes is as follows: MONDAYS From 10:00 am - 11:00 am The Vice-Presidency: A Heartbeat Away Kathy Vail and Shirley Jurczyk will be discussing the evolutionary relationship between the Vice-President and the President from the time of Eisenhower/Nixon to Biden/ Harris with all the behind the scenes drama. From 11:15 am - 12:15 am “Through the Lens of Behavioral Science” Shai Robkin will continue to explore different events and phenomena in the world through the lens of behavioral economics and social psychology. The class will focus on how human beings confront the challenges of modern society and how they make decisions, both large and small. WEDNESDAYS From 10:00 am - 11:00 am “Behind the Scenes at the Atlanta Journal Constitution” Editor-in chief Kevin Riley along with other editors and various staff members and reporters of the AJC will discuss their roles at the paper, including topics such the future of print journalism, sports, education, investigative reporting, visual journalism and food and dining. From 11:15 am - 12:15 am Eat Healthy Live Longer, Stay Strong Dieticians from Northside Hospital will present classes on nutrition basics, how to keep your heart healthy, how to prevent cancer, nutrition and exercise and how to deal with pre-diabetes and diabetes. The cost is $55 for all classes for the 8 weeks. Registration and payment must be made on the PALS web page (www.palsonline.info) where further information, including a more detailed description of each class and the presenters can be found. If there are any questions please contact Iris Katz, PALS Administrator by calling the PALS office at 770-698-0801 or by email at dunwoodypals@gmail.com.
THE INVESTMENT COACH
Necessity and the mother of invention COVID-19 lockdowns and anxieties have played havoc with assumptions for everyone, investors and business owners included. Owners of and investors real estate worry LEWIS J. WALKER, CFP in about the ability of tenants to pay rents, a challenge that arises during every economic slowdown no matter the cause. One bright spot has emerged, that of grocery-anchored retail shopping centers. David Dunn, writing in RealAssetsAdvisor magazine (November, 2020), noted, “Viral crisis is compressing years of e-commerce growth and other innovation to a matter of months.” A need or challenge that encourages creative efforts to solve a problem is summed up in the proverb, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” The author of the proverb is unknown, but Plato in his Socratic dialogue, “The Republic,” circa 375 BC, proclaimed, “Our need will be the real creator.” For a real estate owner and investor, the need is a profitable return on investment, consistent dividends, growing value, an inflation hedge. Real estate investment trusts (REITs) and other investment vehicles have made real property an important aspect of a diversified investment portfolio. Although the pandemic has raised questions about investments of all stripes, David Dunn observes, “While real estate investors have become skittish about the fast changing and hyper-competitive retail sector, grocery-anchored retail in particular has, by and large, been rock solid in its performance.”
Grocery-anchored retail centers around Atlanta are common, revolving around large anchor tenants like Publix and Kroger on long-term leases. The key is “necessity based” merchants and service providers, purveyors of non-luxury items and services needed on an ongoing basis like groceries, household supplies, fuel, haircuts, salon services, fast food, etc. Such vendors are deemed “essential,” and were allowed to operate during the pandemic. True to the real estate maxim about three keys to success being “location, location, location,” proximity to where you live is a factor in your shopping choices. Per hubspot.net, location is everything. For urban dwellers, there’s a limit to how far you will drive for everyday needs. Eighty-seven percent of consumers drive 15 minutes or less for essentials. The average driving time for groceries is 8.03 minutes; fuel, 6.01 minutes; fast food, 8.40 minutes; haircuts, 13.37 minutes. It isn’t just about groceries. Major supermarkets may offer a bakery, on site prepared foods, sandwiches, a deli, perfect for busy moms, dads, or singles who don’t want to cook. Fuel centers, a pharmacy (generally one of the more profitable parts of a grocery store), an extensive wine and beer inventory, flower shop, enhance convenience. The Roman Senator Seneca (4 BC-AD 65) philosophized, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” In 2012, California entrepreneur Apoorva Mehta founded Instacart, a grocery delivery service operating in the U.S. and Canada. Shoppers access the service online via website and mobile app. Personal shoppers select, pack, and deliver goods to one’s home or business.
Dunwoody’s #1 Real Estate Team
With the pandemic and sheltering in place orders, Instacart became an overnight booming success, making 33-yearold CEO Mehta a billionaire. Available to about 85 percent of American households and 70 percent of Canadian households, order volume has skyrocketed up to 500 percent in the past year with the average consumer spending up to 35 percent more per order. Specialty stores like butchers, seafood shops, bakeries, etc., also partner with Instacart. Fast food tenants and neighborhood restaurants in grocery-anchored centers are doing strong takeout business with curbside pickup and delivery by DoorDash, Uber, and other services. As the pandemic wanes with wider distribution of vaccines and growing herd immunity, demand for such services is likely to continue given busy lives and the convenience factor. Despite the growth of on-line shopping, mega-giant Amazon, with their investment in Whole Foods 460-plus stores, recognizes the need for brick-and-mortar real estate as a competitive necessity. Technology will continue to augment the shopping experience with digital coupons, maps to grocery aisles, and online shopping lists. Even with some big box stores or mall space empty, the “mother of invention” is at work with the growth of urban agriculture. Growing food indoors in hydroponic cultivation facilities in or near urban markets is an expanding trend. Repurposing commercial real estate is likely to be a growing opportunity for real estate investors. This column is for general information purposes and does not constitute an offer to buy or sell securities. Your investments should be based on your overall net worth, risk profile, liquidity needs, diversification objectives, tax bracket, time frames, and a customized investment policy framed within the context of a comprehensive and continuously monitoredSolution financial plan. B A C H
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Nominate Your Favorite Businesses, Services & More! 2021
Best Of Perimeter Dunwoody • Sandy Springs Brookhaven
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an Appen Media Group publication
Nominate Now Through Dec. 31st! Go to: BestOfPerimeter.com
10 | December 31, 2020 | Dunwoody Crier | TheCrier.net
CLASSIFIED LINE AD RATES
Concrete/Asphalt
Call 770-442-3278
A – 1 DRIVEWAY REPLACEMENT COMPANY
BUSINESS ADS
PERSONAL ADS
HELP WANTED AND SERVICE DIRECTORY 1+ Issue — $9 per line/per week 4+ Issues — $8.50 per line/per week 12+ Issues — $8 per line/per week 3-line minimum; 30-32 characters per line
ITEMS FOR SALE $6 per line 3-line minimum; 30-32 characters per line
AUTOMOBILES FOR SALE $60* (Add a picture additional $5) *AD RUNS FOR 6 MONTHS* 5-line maximum; 30-32 characters per line; Each additional line $1 REAL ESTATE ADS (Homes for sale/rent/lease/lots/vacation/commercial) $30 per issue $25 per Issue — 4 or more issues 5 line maximum; 30-32 characters per line; Each additional line $1 SALES (Garage/Estate/Moving/Yard) $25 5-line maximum; 30-32 characters per line; Each additional line $1
Bargains Musical Instruments
Thurman | 770.993.7999 | www.rot-doc.com
ALEX FRASER MASONRY INC.
MARTINEZ MASONRY
Ask for Tony Martinez
Interior/Exterior Painting Pressure Washing Rotten Wood Deck Repair Free Estimates
David Scott 770-493-6222
Concrete/Asphalt
Condo for Rent
Don’t waste good paint on rotten wood. Minor repairs make a major difference!
Insured – Free Estimates
ERRORS: Please check your ad for errors. We are not responsible for errors after the first week your ad runs. We are not financially responsible for errors or ommissions of copy.
martinezmasonry281@yahoo.com
ROT-DOC
Since 1974
PAYMENT: Payments can be made by Visa, Master Card or American Express.
Real Estate
Rot Repair Technician
SIDEWALKS, PATIOS, AND SLABS
CANCELLATIONS: Please call before the ad deadline (Friday at noon) for the following Wednesday’s publication. Your bill will be adjusted. There will be a $5 cancellation charge.
Retaining Walls • Patios• Repairs
Carpentry
DRIVEWAY REPLACEMENT
ALL CLASSIFIED ADS REQUIRE PREPAYMENT BY CREDIT CARD
OVER 200 PIANOS to choose from. New & Used. Call 404-329-0026.
SHORT TERM RENT AVAILABLE - ONE MONTH FREE RENT with 12 mos lease - 55 and up community. Beautiful retirement community where residents enjoy a wide range of activities. Spacious 2nd-floor condo recently renovated with covered balcony. Rent includes 1 meal a day in attractive dining room, utilities, valet trash, housekeeping 2x per month, weekly flat linens, pest control. Amenities include shuttle bus, exercise room, game room, beauty salon, library, and planned activities. Conveniently located near shopping and restaurants. Membership to the nearby Dorothy C. Benson Senior Center is also included. 475 Mount Vernon Highway NE Unit#C230 - Please contact Susan Guda, Realtor with Atlanta Communities - Office 770.240.2005 or Mobile 678.754.7977 for more details.
Specializing in
Walkways • Masonry Work
404-408-4170
Driveway
$250 OFF NEW DRIVEWAY!
• BRICK • CONCRETE
• BLOCK • STONEWORK
Alex Fraser, President www.alexfrasermasonry.com E-Mail: afrasermasonry@aol.com Electricians
Mention this ad. Concrete driveway Belco Electric CONCRETE/MASONRY specialists. Driveways, Pool Decks, “Family Owned Since 1972” Patios, Walkways, Slabs. A+ BBB rating. Fast Dependable Service by Professional Uniformed Electricians Call Rachael FREE ESTIMATE. MASONRY MARTINEZ Check out our new website: at 678-250-4546 to schedule BelcoInc.com Retaining Walls • Patios• Repairs 770-455-4556 a FREE Estimate. 30 years of experience. and follow us on: Walkways Masonry Work ARBOR HILLS •CONSTRUCTION INC. martinezmasonry281@yahoo.com Please note we do have a minimum Fabric charge on404-408-4170 accepted jobs of $4,500.
Ask for Tony Martinez
LIST YOUR BUSINESS...
in our classifieds! Plumbing, Handyman, Electrician, Pet Sitting, Tree Removal, Etc.
Call 770.442.3278
Budget Fabrics And Upholstery *DISCOUNT PRICES*
-FREE Design Consultation• Thousands of designer 770-396-6891 fabrics IN STOCK 770-396-6824 Mon-Fri 8-6 • Sat 8-3
LIST YOUR BUSINESS... IN OUR CLASSIFIEDS! CALL 770.442.3278
FULLY INSURED Tel: (770) 664-2294 Cell: (404) 281-0539 Garage Doors
Dunwoody Door Lift Co. ELECTRICAL The ONLY garage door company in Dunwoody!
We sell, install and repair
garage doors and openers. Belco Electric Authorized Genie Dealer “Family Owned Since 1972”
Fast Dependable by serving Dunwoody Service since 1973. Professional Uniformed Electricians
770-455-4556
GUT Clea lation that ever
Check out our new website: BelcoInc.com and follow us on:
770-393-1652
If you can’t lift your door, let Dunwoody Door Lift it!
Call Donna Handyman 770-442-3278 xt 143 Matthew the Handyman to Exterior place your ad! Work 404-547-2079 Roof Leaks Stopped. Wood Rot, Decks, FABRICS Painting, Carpentry, Doors & Flooring. FLAT RATE PRICING, FREE ESTIMATES, EXCELLENT LOCAL REFERENCES.
770-262-6272
3
TheCrier.net | Dunwoody Crier | December 31, 2020 | 11
Home Improvement
CARPENTRY
AND REPAIRS Roof Leaks Stopped Wood Rot Repairs Deck Repairs & Refinishing Interior & Exterior Painting Doors, Flooring & More 770-262-6272 Excellent Local References. Flat Rate Pricing. Free Estimates.
ROBERT CROAWELL REMODELING Full Service Contractor Additions • Kitchens
PRESSURE WASHING & GUTTER CLEANING
PONCE DESIGN BUILD • Home Improvements/Remodeling • Bathroom & Kitchens • Basements & Addition, etc. • Modifictions for Elderly and Disable
Barbaro Ponce (404)734-7343 www.poncedesignbuild.com
Quality Without Compromise
SELL IT, FIND IT, BUY IT IN OUR CLASSIFIEDS
BY SQUEAKY CLEAN
Servicing the Dunwoody area since 1981, with more than 1000 established references available.
Interior/Exterior Paint Minor Repairs Licensed Insured Office: 770-814-0064 Cell: 678-642-8314 EDWARDS & ASSOCIATES INC Fine woodworking including kitchen cabinetry, media centers, bookcases, stairways and interior woodwork. Marble, Granite, & Corian installation. Dunwoody business since 1983. Mark Edwards 770-403-8098
PLACE YOUR AD HERE CALL 770-442-3278
I REPAIR ROOF LEAKS!
CELEBRATING MY 39TH YEAR! THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU!
Phone: (770) 394-9468 Sammy Pegram III Licensed/Insured
HAND BRUSH EXTERIOR PAINTING!!!! “I Do The Work Myself, So That I Can Guarantee That The Job Gets Done Right!!! Painters
Roofing
GEORGIA STATE PAINTING
ROOF TROUBLE?
Quality Service on Int/Ext Painting Serving the Dunwoody Area Est. Ref's Readily Avail.
770-394-9468
ALL EXTERIORS HAND BRUSHED NO SPRAYING! Licensed
Landscaping
AwArd winning LAndscApes
20 years of Keeping Dunwoody Green
Ogletree Enterprises
a MALTA Award Winning Firm Ken Ogletree
770.840.8884 Licensed • Insured • References
I CLEAN GUTTERS THAT ARE COVERED!!
• Competitive Pricing: Ext. house wash, fences, pool/patio decks & driveways (ASK ME ABOUT CAR OIL STAIN REMOVAL AND MY EXPOXY GARAGE FLOORS) Additional Services: Gutter Cleaning, Window Cleaning, Small Roof Repair and Tree Pruning.
The Herald and Crier newspapers reach 93,000 homes and thousands more online!
Basements • Bathrooms
Installation Maintenance Seasonal Color
Pressure Washing
Home Improvement
Insured
Full Service Exterior Specialists ROOFING • SIDING CARPENTRY • GUTTERS www.PaintingPlus.com www.SidingPlus.com
770-971-1577 Tree Services
DANGEROUS REMOVALS & TRIMMING FREE ESTIMATES INSURED & REFERENCES CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED NO JOB TOO BIG OR SMALL 20% OFF WITH THIS AD! griffintreeservices.com
404-234-4810 NEUMANN’S LANDSCAPE & TREE SERVICE: Joe Neumann 770-452-1173 or 404-644-7179
Call for FREE Quote $500 OFF* New Roof Purchase
Findlay Roofing 770-744-5700 “Appen-Rated 99”
*Cannot combine with any other discount
ROOF LEAKING?
Call us for roof repair or roof replacement. FREE quotes. $200 Leak Repairs or 10% off New Roof. Affordable, quality roofing. Based in Roswell. Serving North Atlanta since 1983. Call to schedule FREE Quote: 770-284-3123. Christian Brothers Roofing KETNER CONTRACTING. Re-Roofs, Repairs & Painting. Lic/Ins. Exc Refs. Free Est. Neil Ketner 770-318-7762
12 | December 31, 2020 | Dunwoody Crier | TheCrier.net
WE BUY ALL JEWELRY!
It ive! e ak r Dr M u Weth Yo r Your estate jewelry & diamond specialists for 60 years. o W
Schedule a private appointment.
Paying Premiums for Vintage Rolex and Omega Watches
770-751-7222 Call or Text www.iroff.com
3960 Old Milton Pkwy #300 (1.5 miles East of 400)
Restyle or Custom Make Something New! We Take Trade-Ins.
Gold is at a 7 year high!
You get the best price in town, and immediate payment! Over 75% of Our Business Comes from Satisfied Customer Referrals! Jewelry
Gold
Silver
Diamonds
Gemstones
Coins
Watches
Estate jewelry Fine Jewelry Platinum Jewelry Diamond Jewelry Gemstone Jewelry Designer Jewelry David Yurman Tiffany & Co. Cartier
Gold Jewelry Broken Jewelry Gold Watches Dental Gold Gold Coins Gold Bars Gold Nuggets
Sterling Silver Silverware Flatware Bowls Silver Jewelry Silver Bars
All Sizes All Shapes All Cuts All Qualities Loose or Set Chipped/Broken
Sapphires Rubies Emeralds All Precious Semi-Precious Loose or Set
All Gold Coins All Silver Coins All Platinum Coins Silver Dollars Collectable Coins Paper Money
Rolex Cartier Omega Patek Audemars Piguet and other brands Paying up to $150,000
2008-2019 GA 4 00
FREE CASH EVALUATION
Rd
Must Present Coupon.
Webb Br id g e
DC
Tuesday – Friday: 10AM – 5PM Saturday: 10AM – 2PM • Sunday & Monday: Closed *Appointments may be available outside of traditional store hours.
Old M
ilton Pkw k P y t n Kim oi P ball dge Rd th Bri Nor
GA
400
wy
WINNER
Best Of North Atlanta Presented By
Brian Iroff GIA Graduate Gemologist