Peachtree Corners Magazine - December/January 2022 by Peachtree Corners Magazine

INSIDE: DOWN ON THE FARM [CORNER GREENS FARM]

OFFICIAL CITY NEWS ►

PEACHTREE CORNERS DECEMBER/JANUARY 2022 ISSUE 18 ■ LIVINGINPEACHTREECORNERS.COM

THE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING CORNERSTONE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY’S CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS P40

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ALSO INSIDE: HOLIDAY WONDERS IN PEACHTREE CORNERS [PHOTOS] LOCAL MAKERS FIND SUCCESS SURGICAL ROBOT MAKER TO BECOME CITY’S BIGGEST EMPLOYER WHERE TO ORDER OR EAT HOLIDAY FEASTS AND FOODS

TOUGH-LOVE TEACHER PREPS NHS DRAMA STUDENTS FOR STAGE AND LIFE P64

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Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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IN THIS ISSUE COVER STORY

The Holidays are Coming

BUSINESS

SPECIAL FEATURE

Holidays 24 Local Makers 44 Happy Peachtree Corners Three local people and their dream for success

Exploring multiple faiths and backgrounds in our story about the holidays

BUSINESS

Much to Rejoice

30 Surgical Robot Maker to Become City’s Biggest Employer

Mary Our Queen Catholic Church

32 ASHRAE Celebrates Grand Opening KNOWLEDGE 40 A Community Cornerstone Grows Stronger

Cornerstone Christian Academy Expansion

49 Peachtree Elementary School Celebrates 50th Anniversary

ABOUT THE COVER

Formula 24 Racing Team

Paul Duke STEM HS

BELIEVE

Photo by George Hunter

A Match Made in Heaven

Location: Peachtree Corners Pedestrian Bridge

Simpson United Methodist Church

Bruno Chidozie Okonkwo

Photo Spread

COMMUNITY 60

Looking Back on Five Years

City Manager Brian Johnson

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 64

Norcross High School Drama

Tough-Love Teacher Preps Students for Stage and Life

NOURISH 70

Down on the Farm

Corner Greens Farm

Where to Order or Eat Holiday Feasts, Foods and Treats

OFFICIAL CITY PAGES

PEACHTREE CORNERS The official city news and updates

December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

PEACHTREECORNERS EDITORIAL

EXECUTIVE EDITOR & PUBLISHER

RICO FIGLIOLINI CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

KELSEY ASHER EDITOR EMERITUS

KATHY DEAN EDITORIAL CONSULTANT

RITA FIGLIOLINI

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

JULIE DAVIS julie@livinginpeachtreecorners.com

THE TEAM & CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE RICO FIGLIOLINI

KELSEY ASHER

Rico Figliolini is a creative director and social media strategist, three-time magazine publisher and podcast host. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York and is a political junky, sci-fi and anime fan, and avid reader and movie binger.

Kelsey Asher is a proud graduate of the University of West Georgia with a Bachelor’s in Communications. She has held a variety of marketing leadership roles for several small, startup companies in a variety of industries including publishing, construction and technology.

Publisher & Executive Editor

RITA FIGLIOLINI

KATHY DEAN

Rita Figliolini has lived in PTC for 23 years with her husband and life partner, Rico Figliolini. Proud mom of 3 — Jason, Kinsey and Jack. Former Managing Editor of the original Inside Gwinnett, she’s now Advisor to PTC Magazine. Telling stories is in our blood!

Kathy Dean has been a writer and editor for over 20 years. Some of the publications she has contributed to are Atlanta Senior Life, Atlanta INtown, Transatlantic Journal and The Guide to Coweta and Fayette Counties.

Editorial Consultant

JULIE DAVIS

Julie Davis is an accomplished sales rep with over 20 years of experience in the telecom industry. When not working or spending time with friends and family, Julie can be found melting glass, as she is an avid fused glass artist.

Peachtree Corners Magazine is published six times a year by Mighty Rockets LLC. Opinions expressed by the contributing writers and editors are not necessarily those of the publishers, editors or Peachtree Corners Magazine. The publisher will not accept responsibility for submitted materials that are lost or stolen. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of this publication. However, the publisher cannot assume responsibility for errors or omissions. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisement it seems unfit for publication or does not fit in our guidelines. December/January 2022 issue Volume 3 Number 18 ©2021 Peachtree Corners Magazine The editors welcome submissions, event listings, achievements and photography. Please direct them to editor@livinginpeachtreecorners.com. This publication is independently and privately owned, and managedby Mighty Rockets LLC

Patrizia hails from Toronto, Canada where she earned an Honors B.A. in French and Italian Studies at York University, and a B.Ed. at the University of Toronto. This trilingual former French teacher has called Georgia home since 1998. Catch her reporting about our vibrant city on the Peachtree Corners Network.

GEORGE HUNTER

Julie Murcia has been a graphic designer for several years and works with Peachtree Corners Magazine to design ads for our clients. When she’s not doing that or other freelance work, she operates and owns a dog walking and pet sitting business.

George Hunter is an IT professional from Alaska by way of Texas. His primary hobby is photography, covering a wide range of subjects from pets to cosplay, sports to fashion. Volunteering and fostering dogs brings him much joy. George, his wife Lila and their rescued dogs have made their home in west Gwinnett for almost 20 years.

Photographer

KRIS BIRD

ISADORA PENNINGTON

Kris Bird is an Atlanta-based freelance writer who specializes in Marketing and Communications. After earning her degree from Stony Brook University, Kris has been working as a science fiction and fantasy novelist for the past decade.

Isadora Pennington is a writer, photographer, and designer living in Avondale Estates, GA. She has worked in print for the past decade and has been published in the Atlanta INtown, Oz Magazine, Atlanta Senior Life, and the Reporter Newspapers.

Writer

PUBLISHED BY MIGHTY ROCKETS LLC. Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 678-358-7858 editor@livinginpeachtreecorners.com

Writer

JULIE MURCIA

Graphic Designer

PEACHTREECORNERS

Editor Emeritus

PATRIZIA WINSPER

Account Executive

instagram.com/peachtreecornerslife facebook.com/peachtreecornerslife twitter.com/peachtreecrnrs www.pinterest.com/ PeachtreeCornersMagazine

Contributing Editor

Writer/Photographer

JOHN RUCH

TRACEY RICE

John Ruch is a journalist with SaportaReport and Buckhead.com in metro Atlanta. His freelance work has appeared in such publications as the Washington Post and the Seattle Times. In his spare time, he writes fantasy novels.

After a long career in global marketing for Fortune 500 companies like The Coca-Cola Company and Texas Instruments, Tracey earned a degree in Commercial Photography and now owns her own photography business. She specializes in portraits, events and real estate photography. She is the President of the Peachtree Corners Photography Club.

Writer

Photographer

DONNA WILLIAMS LEWIS

FERNANDA PIMENTEL

Donna Williams Lewis is a freelance journalist who covered metro Atlanta for decades as a writer and editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Fernanda Pimental is a Peachtree Corners Magazine intern who graduated from Paul Duke STEM High School. She enjoys going on walks, scrapbooking and reading good books. Her greatest passions include videography, photography and editing.

Writer

Videography

RICHARD PHILLIPS

ANGELA MCCANN

Richard Phillips, an avid photographer since high school, is now a professional photographer. He specializes in casual or formal portraits, engagement photos, and small weddings as he photographs our most beautiful world. rlphillipsphotography.com

Angie McCann is a writer and marketing communications pro who is passionate about creating meaningful and intentional content. She and her husband have lived in Peachtree Corners since 2004 with their twin daughters.

Photographer

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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Guest Writer

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FIRST UP

Events, Programs & Fun Things to Do

Town Green Calendar

The Forum on Peachtree Parway

5140 Town Center Boulevard Peachtree Corners 30092 peachtreecornersga.gov

Important Note: All city events are subject to postponement or cancellation due to current health and safety concerns, as well as other mitigating factors. Please check the city website and calendar for updates and COVID protocols. If reservations, masks and other precautions are required, the city’s website will include all necessary information at least one week before the event. Check peachtreecornersga.gov. For the safety and convenience of all guests the following items are prohibited on the Town Green: glass containers; fires or barbecue grills; hard-sided or large coolers; large or over-sized bags/backpacks, luggage, or duffel bags; fireworks or sparklers; smoking, vaping or use of any tobacco products; illegal substances or drugs; pets or animals, with the exception of service animals; flying objects, including but not limited to sports balls, flying discs, beach, balls or drones; tents, tables or staking. No items can be affixed to any park infrastructure.

Sports on the Screen

December 11: Army vs. Navy, 3 p.m. Come tailgate with fellow fans on the Town Green. Sports fans are encouraged to bring their own coolers or purchase food and drink from one of the many restaurants in the Town Center.

5155 Peachtree Parkway, Peachtree Corners 30092 theforumonpeachtree.com

Merry Market Days

December 18-19. 12-6 p.m., in the former Kinnucan’s space located next to Aomi Japanese. It’s the final event of the holiday season at The Forum. Join for an indoor two-day holiday market that’s packed with endless holiday gift shopping options. The market will feature over 50 local artisans and makers showcasing their products. If you want to buy local this year, here’s your chance! Guests can also enjoy food, hot chocolate, photos with Santa on Sunday, live Christmas music with Adam Komesar and a free children’s craft corner, perfect to keep the kiddos busy while parents shop.

Atlanta Tech Park

CornholeAtl League Play

Wednesdays, January 12, 19 and 26. February 9, 16 and 23. Times will vary, but all are evening games. Visit cornholeatl.com for more information. Georgia’s largest and fastest growing cornhole league is back with more opportunities for fun! Check out this casual winter league offering four different divisions of play to accommodate all levels. Join for seven weeks of fun beginning in January. Registration is open online now.

107 Technology Parkway, Peachtree Corners 404-797-1221 | atlantatechpark.com

Peachtree Corners Photography Club Group Meet Up December 9, 6:45-8:30 p.m. January date and information not yet listed.

Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at Atlanta Tech Park and online. December speakers will be Jim Stone and George Hunter on the topic “Flash Photography.”

2021 Holiday Ping Pong Tournament December 14, 11 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Pick up a paddle for this annual competition with single elimination play and lunch to celebrate the holidays.

Business Expo

December 15, 4-7 p.m. Get 30% off exhibit tables in a limited holiday networking extravaganza. All are welcome. This is an opportunity for everyone to showcase their firms. All attendees must register for limited free admission at MetroAtlantaBusinessAssociation.com.

Important Dates December 6 December 7 December 21 December 23 and 24 December 25 December 30 and 31 January 1, 2022 January 17

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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Last Day of Chanukah Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day December Solstice Christmas Eve. (City Hall closed.) Christmas Day New Year’s Eve. (City Hall closed.) New Year’s Day. Tu Bishvat / Tu B’Shevat (Jewish Holiday). Martin Luther King Jr. Day. (City Hall closed.)

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December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

Southwest Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce

Rotary Club of Peachtree Corners

107 Technology Parkway, Peachtree Corners 30092

Norcross Cultural Arts & Community Center

southwestgwinnettchamber.com

10 College Street, Norcross 30071 peachtreecornersrotary.org

SWGC Coffee Connections

Fridays, December 10 and 17. January 12 and 14. 8:30-9:30 a.m. Free event for SWGC members and visitors. What better way to start your Friday morning than with coffee and conversation in the company of local business professionals? Join the Southwest Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce for this networking event created to expand professional relationships. Meet SWGC members and share business cards with all attendees. The meetings are held in the large meeting space behind the SWGC office at Atlanta Tech Park, allowing for social distancing spacing.

Holiday Banquet

December 9, 7-9:30 p.m. More information TBA.

Weekly Rotary Club Meetings

December 13 and January 10, 24. 12-1 p.m. Some meetings welcome special guests. On December 12, the speaker is Brian Schwenk from Dental Health and Wellness.

First Friday Breakfast January with Phil Bonelli

Peachtree Corners Library Branch Calendar Highlights

January 7, 2022, 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

Building Momentum for a Great 2022! There is something about turning the page into a new year that feels full of possibilities! Phil Bonelli, Senior Vice President, Regions Bank, will share some actionable ideas and tools about how to be overcome challenges and build positive momentum to help you to achieve your professional and personal goals in 2022 and beyond.

Peachtree Corners Business Association Pms 350 c Pms 369 c

4989 Peachtree Parkway, Peachtree Corners 678-969-3385 | peachtreecornersba.com

PCBA Year End Celebration Gala with Speaker

December 9, 5:30 p.m. Atlanta Marriott Peachtree Corners. Advance registration recommended. General Registration, $40. Member Advance Registration, $30. Guest Advance Registration, $35. PCBA is excited to celebrate the companies, people and events that have helped to contribute to the success of the PCBA and its impact on the Peachtree Corners community. Guest Speaker Stephanie Stuckey will be present. This event provides a great opportunity for delicious food, networking with peers, meeting VIPs, hearing a great speaker and growing your business. PCBA will be presenting a check to the Norcross High School Foundation of Excellence and collecting canned goods for the Neighborhood Cooperative Ministry at check-in for their pantry. Enjoy the evening wearing business casual, business or festive holiday attire.

PCBA Connecting Over Coffee Morning Meetup December 14, 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, 5215 Town Center Boulevard, Peachtree Corners 30092 Get together, connect over coffee and talk about business on the second Tuesday of the month. This is an opportunity to have conversations with other PCBA members and business professionals who want to share and experience business in a positive atmosphere. Business cards will be shared with all attendees. There is no admission cost for PCBA members and their guests.

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

5570 Spalding Drive, Peachtree Corners 30092 770-978-5154 | gwinnettpl.org

Green Screen Videos December 12, 1-2 p.m.

Learn the steps and basic tools for creating green screen videos in the Learning Lab.

Reading Rockstars Book Club December 13, 6-7 p.m.

This is a book club for tweens and teens; all are welcome to join in a lively discussion and engaging activities based on the book “My True Love Gave to Me” by Stephanie Perkins. Register at the Gwinnett Library site.

Toddler Time

December 21, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Help toddlers learn to be attentive and follow directions, develop a love of stories and books, and develop reading readiness skills. This program includes stories, finger plays, rhymes, songs and movement activities to introduce story time to little learners in a fun way. Open for toddlers and their caregivers.

Teen Film Challenge Films are due on January 21 by 5 pm.

The awards are on March 12, 7 p.m. at NORCROSS. For more information check out the website. www.gwinnettpl. org/

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December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

Arts Events Lionheart Theatre

10 College Street Norcross 30071 | lionhearttheatre.org The Homecoming December 9-19, 2021. Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at 2 p.m. $18, adults; $16, seniors, students and military. Known on television as “The Waltons,” they’re called The Spencers in the original book, which is how they’re named here. The time is the Great Depression and the large Spencer family, living at the foot of a Virginia mountain, is struggling hard just to survive. With his father having to take the only available job a long way from home, Clay-Boy is stuck with unusual responsibility for his brothers and sisters. Will ClayBoy’s father make it home in time to celebrate the holidays? Don’t miss this heartwarming family tale that celebrates love, togetherness and acceptance. Note for patrons: The first time you make a reservation using the new system OvationTix, you’ll be given the option to set up an account or to continue your checkout as a guest. If you’re a Flex Pass subscriber, they’re still working to reconcile records between the new and old ticket systems. If you’d like to use an existing Flex Pass to make a reservation or purchase a new Flex Pass, please contact the box office at lionhearttheatrereservations@yahoo.com. The Mad Tea Party Winter Performance Camp December 27-31. 12-3:30 p.m. For ages 8-14; cost is $150 per child. Alice in Wonderland and the White Rabbit are coming to Lionheart this December for an exciting week-long performance camp for ages 8-14. Instructors are Marla Krohn and Krista McGee. Campers will be part of the magic as they sing and dance their way around the Mad Hatter’s tea party in the musical, “The Mad Tea Party.” In the camp, youth artists will learn everything from acting, creating a character and memorizing lines from a script to singing and dancing. The camp includes a final performance on Friday, December 31 where families and friends are invited to attend. Email Marla Krohn at krohn. marla@gmail.com with any questions.

ly realized by an A-list creative team in this delightful musical production. Featuring the hit songs “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” and “Welcome Christmas,” The Grinch discovers there’s more to Christmas than he bargained for in this heartwarming holiday classic. Max the Dog narrates as the mean and scheming Grinch, whose heart is “two sizes too small”, decides to steal Christmas away from the holiday loving Whos.

Cirque Dream Holidaze December 24-25. Tickets range from $49 to $110. Cirque Dream Holidaze lights up the stage in this awe-inspiring and eye- popping family holiday spectacular. This annual tradition wraps a whimsical, Broadway-style musical infused with contemporary circus artistry into the ultimate holiday gift for the entire family.

Faith Events Simpsonwood United Methodist Church

4500 Jones Bridge Circle NW, Peachtree Corners 30092 simpsonwoodumc.org Walk Through Bethlehem December 10-11, 7-9 p.m. December 12, 7-8 p.m. After a year hiatus due to COVID-19, Simpsonwood’s Annual “Walk Through Bethlehem” is returning to Simpsonwood Park. Mark your calendar for a night under the stars, complete with shops, camels, sheep, Roman soldiers, storytelling and the manger scene. Since 1991, thousands of visitors from all over Georgia and beyond follow the luminary-lit streets of Simpsonwood Park to enter the Walk Through Bethlehem. Camels and Roman guards greet guests as they approach the little town of Bethlehem on their way to the manger, all constructed by church volunteers. Thousands have visited, so make it a tradition in your family and pass the word.

Peachtree Corners Baptist Church

4480 Peachtree Corners Circle, Peachtree Corners 30092 pcbchurch.org

The Alliance Theatre’s beloved production of A Christmas Carol returns to the Coca-Cola Stage this year with an exciting new adaption, including a completely reimagined set design and stunning new costumes. Audiences will be transported to the streets of London to revisit the timeless story of Ebenezer Scrooge’s journey to redemption, told with beautiful live music and an all-star cast.

Christmas in the Corners Christmas Eve, December 24, 5-7 p.m. Celebrate the birth of Jesus together as a church family on Christmas Eve. This year’s Christmas in the Corners family service will be complete with firepits, s’mores for everyone and hot chocolate to enjoy before and after a special candle-lit service. The outdoor event will be across from the church at the PCBC Fields. Please bring your own chair and invite a friend.

Fox Theatre

Perimeter Church

Alliance Theatre

1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta 30309 | alliancetheatre.org A Christmas Carol November 12-December 24. Pricing varies depending on seat selection.

660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta 30308 | foxtheatre.org How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical December 7-12. Tickets range from $40 to $89. Re-discover the magic of Dr. Seuss’ classic holiday tale as it comes to life on stage. Originally conceived by the three-time Tony Award-winning director Jack O’Brien, the whimsical world of Whoville is beautiful-

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

9500 Medlock Bridge Road, Johns Creek 30097 perimeter.org The Nutcracker December 10, 7:30 p.m. December 11, 3 p.m. Tickets, $15 Enjoy a timeless performance of The Nutcracker by Perimeter Ballet in the Perimeter Church Sanctuary. The show runs 90 minutes with no intermission. Purchased tickets can be used at either of the two performances. peachtreecornerslife

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COVER STORY

The Holidays Are Coming How Peachtree Corners sparkles during the holiday season

Parnitha Selvaraj celebratng Diwali at an Atlanta Temple.

an assortment of revelries that may differ in many ways from your own, but for one common denominator — they all bring warmth and light to an otherwise cold and dark time of year.

Diwali November 4-8 Diwali is a festival of lights celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and some Buddhists around the world at the new moon in the month of Karthik (October-November). It’s a celebration of the spiritual victory of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance. Hailing from southern India, Parnitha Selvaraj speaks Tamil, the world’s oldest living language. She and her family have been celebrating Diwali, or Deepavali, in Peachtree Corners since 2019.

Observance and tradition

he holidays are upon us, and what ignites the holiday spirit within us can be as unique as our fingerprints. Decorations, traditions and holiday carols do it for this Catholic Canadian of Italian heritage, now American – it begins with that first slice of panettone, an Italian sweet bread. When the house is brimming with cards, garlands, ribbon, the irresistible aroma of baked cookies, beautifully wrapped

presents, all set aglow by the soaring North Carolina Frasier Fir glimmering in the living room — its angel topper precariously perched yet sweetly smiling down upon my family from the top — it feels like Christmas. Psst! I slip baby Jesus into the manger as soon as I set up the nativity, knowing full well I’m supposed to wait until Christmas. The anticipation of Christmas Eve mass is almost more than I can bear; it inexplicably fills me

By Patrizia Winsper

Photos by George Hunter

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

with the purest feeling that all is right in the world. Of course, Christmas morning has its own charms — comfy jammies, fun surprises and the joy of spoiling our loved ones. Since I love the season so much, I wondered what fellow residents of Peachtree Corners cherished most about their holidays.

What do the holidays mean to you? Diversity is part of what makes Peachtree Corners special. Multiple faiths and backgrounds are represented here, and within each of those, different aspects of religious and cultural observances are responsible for the city’s unique holiday sparkle, bringing cheer to all. My gift to you is a glimpse into

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“We wake up early, take an oil bath before sunrise, wear our finest clothes and say our prayers. We take blessings from our elders in the family,” Selvaraj said. “A week before, we shop for nice clothing and joyfully prepare a variety of sweet and savory foods at home, to be shared with extended family and friends.” “We draw colorful kolam or rangoli at our entrance as part of the festival decorations,” she added. Colored rice, rice powder or sand is used to create this traditional decorative floor art. The colorful, intricate patterns symbolize happiness and prosperity. They announce auspiciousness, that all-is-well in the household. Drawing kolams signifies that Goddess Lakshmi is welcome, while poverty, illness, laziness and bad luck is banished.

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Favorite memories “My favorite part was mom’s special breakfast, bursting firecrackers and colorful fireworks – we were mesmerized as kids,” Selvaraj said. Her fondest memories are spending time with family and friends and “eating traditional wheat halwa (sweet pudding), a delicacy prepared by my grandmother,” she said, as well as “celebrating our culture, conveying the significance of the festival to our next generations.” “The celebration gives reaffirmation of hope, a renewed commitment to goodwill, the feeling of greeting people and being greeted by everyone we meet,” Selvaraj said.

Family traditions From northern India, Seema Gupta has been celebrating Diwali with her Hindu family in Peachtree Corners for eight years. Based on the lunar calendar, the days of celebration vary from year to year. One of the most celebrated holidays in India, Diwali gets its name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa) that people light outside their homes. It’s the celebration of Lord Rama’s return to his kingdom Ayodhya, with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana, after defeating the demon-king Ravana and serving 14 years of exile. “We love to dress in traditional Indian clothing, then do a pooja (a worship ritual) at our house, where we offer prayers to Goddess Lakshmi, so that the Hindu

New Year is filled with peace, wealth and prosperity,” Gupta said. “We decorate the entire house (inside and outside) with lights and candles. We also make rangoli with colored rice. Afterwards, we enjoy a delicious Indian feast with family, and light sparklers and fireworks at night.”

Shared traditions “We have enjoyed going to the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Temple) in Lilburn to see an amazing display of fireworks,” Gupta added. “Diwali is like Christmas and New Year’s Day wrapped into one big holiday! We love sharing the traditions with our children and celebrating with family and friends.”

Celebration of family Vipul Singh was born in Patna, India and celebrates Diwali with his multicultural family in Peachtree Corners since their recent move here. He grew up in a Hindu household, cherishing Diwali as one of the most important festivals of his childhood, while his wife Lindsay was born and raised in Pennsylvania. With several origins in the Hindu religion, most families celebrate Diwali across five days as a victory of good over evil and the start of a new year. Some take holidays to distribute gifts to friends and relatives. It’s a time for families to reset and take time to check on their well-being over the past year.

Traditions and memories Singh said his family tradi-

tions include “meeting family and friends, enjoying Indian food, and fireworks, placing lights outside which stay on until Christmas for neighbors to enjoy.” Children often travel hundreds of miles to visit parents. It’s a time of gathering and rejoicing. People decorate their homes after a fall clean-up. “There were lots of fireworks the year my younger sister was born,” Singh said. “Daughters are

Top left, clockwise: The Gupta family performing Diwali prayers. The Gupta children holding their clay lamps - diyas. Vipul and Lindsay Singh with their young children after Aarti, a prayer ceremony. Photos courtesy of highlighted families

December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

considered a version of Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of wealth), so we celebrated a bit more.” His favorite feature of Diwali, he said, is seeing the joy in the eyes of the kids.

Hanukkah November 28December 6 Spiritual leader of Judaism, Rabbi Yossi Lerman is President of the Chabad Enrichment Center of Gwinnett. He’s been celebrating Hanukkah in the Peachtree Corners area for 20 years and delivers an exceptionally concise and interesting account of the origins of the Jewish festival of lights, “Hanukkah epitomizes a determination to see life through a positive lens.” Under Alexander the Great, the Greek and Hebrew cultures were allowed to flourish simultaneously. When Antiochus Epiphanes reigned in Jerusalem (175-164 BCE), he was tyrannical, forcing his Greek ways upon the Jewish people.

Religious observance Hanukkah commemorates the military victory of the Jews revolting and regaining access to the holy temple that had been desecrated by the Greeks (which was a miracle in itself: a small band of Jewish fighters against the mighty Greek forces) as well as the miracle of the oil. Finding only one jug of oil intact after the Greeks had vandalized everything, they lit the menorah (candelabra) which should only have lasted one night. Instead, it lasted eight days, giving them time enough to produce new oil. They had to travel to the Judea hills, where olive trees grew, to make new olive oil. “We don’t like to talk about war, or even celebrate the fact that we won that war,” Rabbi Lerman said. “We do celebrate the miracle of finding the jug of oil and its lasting eight days instead of one, so we call it the Festival of Lights. We’re into the constructive message. If we can turn the lights on, we can have a positive perspective on life.”

Rabbi Yossi Lerman celebrating Hanukkah in the Peachtree Corners area. Photos by George Hunter

Traditions and memories The rabbi shared some Hanukkah traditions: ■ Foods that are baked or fried in oil, like potato latkes and fried donuts made with various fillings like cream or jelly, to memorialize the jar of oil through which the miracle occurred. ■ Lights are kindled every evening for the eight days of the holiday.

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■ Children play dreidel (spinning the Hanukkah top). A favorite memory is getting Hanukkah gifts for eight days. (Hanukkah gift-giving predated Christmas by 200 years). “The main emphasis is getting the children excited,” Rabbi Lerman said. “Gelt is the Yiddish word for money. I give cash instead of gifts to my seven children, encouraging them to spend some, save

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some and give some away,” he said. “This becomes an educational piece on how to use money in life.” Another favorite aspect is the public menorah lighting, Rabbi Lerman said. “We’ll be doing four outdoor menorah lightings in Gwinnett County, open and free to the public in Duluth, Suwanee, Lawrenceville and one at the Forum on December 5th.”

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Saint Lucia Day December 13

exactly what to do. She even served the Lucia buns (saffron bread rolls).”

78-year-old Realtor Christine Robinson was born in Lulea, in northern Sweden, where she grew up in the Christian traditions of the Lutheran church and was educated through college. For 37 years, she has kept the holiday traditions of her native royal kingdom alive in this area, well before it became incorporated Peachtree Corners. Saint Lucia Day is celebrated by Lutherans, Roman Catholics and Anglicans. It’s the story of a young Christian girl from Syracuse, Sicily, who was brutally martyred by the Romans in 304 CE. Legend has it she wore a crown of candles to light her way as she brought food to persecuted Christians hiding in the Roman catacombs. All of Sweden celebrates the Queen of Light — every city, airline, school, hospital, nursing home and church.

Advent November 28December 24

Family traditions A beautiful young lady wearing a long white dress and a crown of live candles on her head comes early in the morning with her attendants behind her carrying one candle each, singing the famous Italian song, “Santa Lucia.” “Where I’m from, the sun doesn’t come up for two months in winter because it’s so far north, so it’s quite something to see. It’s very special,” Robinson said. “I’ve observed this tradition with my children, neighbors, friends and grandchildren over the years. I invited young girls to my home (to be my attendants). We’d all wear the long white gowns. I decorate the crown with fresh greenery. I turn off all the lights in the house, light the candles, turn on the music and sing.” She added, “Some of the young boys watching said, “This is what it must be like in Heaven. You look like angels.””

Fondest memory Robinson always enjoys seeing “all the girls in white gowns arriving, Lucia with the candles on her crown.” She shared a special memory: “The first time my daughter was Lucia, she was two years old. I dressed her up as Lucia with battery candles. She knew

Robinson also celebrates Advent during the four weeks leading up to Christmas in keeping with Christian churches of the western tradition: Catholic, Anglican, Episcopalian, Lutheran and some Protestant churches. Every Sunday during mass, a candle is lit on a wreath presented horizontally, in preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ. The candles symbolize hope, love, joy and peace.

Family traditions and memories On the first day of Advent, a star of paper, straw or metal goes up in one of the windows in every household, to recall the star that the three wise men followed to Bethlehem. “My dad put a lamp inside our paper star,” Robinson said. “Advent starts four Sundays before Christmas. We would gather as a family, turn the lights off and light the first candle on the first Sunday, and then one more each Sunday until Christmas,” she continued. “My dad read from the Old Testament how it was declared that a child would be born. We had a little prayer.” Then her mother played the piano, and the family sang Christmas songs and ate gingerbread cookies. “We had an Advent calendar with small boxes; you open one per day,” Robinson said. “Now they have candy or presents, but I was born during the war; we were so poor.” “We had little pictures in our boxes; it could be of a Christmas tree, a squirrel, a bird, candles. We were excited just to open the box to see what the picture was,” she added. “I took turns opening the boxes with my two younger brothers, sometimes cheating and peeking in the boxes ahead of time.”

Christmas December 25 The same Christian churches that celebrate Advent celebrate Jesus’ birthday. Christians believe that Jesus is the son of God, born as man to save us from our sins, the Messiah foretold in the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament.

Right, Christine Robinson Photo by George Hunter December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

Family traditions Robinson said that, in Sweden, her family brought the tree in on the 23rd “and decorated it with our famous straw ornaments, ginger cookies and handmade ornaments. Today I start decorating much earlier. I have 11 Christmas trees. My Christmas room full of decorations is sacred.” She does a lot of special cooking and baking in December. “I bake Swedish cookies; jam, gingerbread, oatmeal, a jelly roll (with my own jam) and saffron bread,” Robinson said. “We used to order ham from Chicago – they prepared it like in Sweden, not like Honey Baked Ham. It’s more like country ham. Christmas meal is ham and potatoes (casserole or mashed), some different vegetables here, and in Sweden, rice porridge for dessert.” For Robinson’s family, Santa comes in person to deliver gifts on Christmas Eve. “He knocks on the door asking, “Are there any nice kids in this family?” In the 40s after the war, we got three presents each,” she shared. “One was practical (clothes, skis), a toy and a bag of candy that we’d never get during any other time of the year. There was no money for candy. We opened gifts on Christmas Eve.”

Fondest memories Robinson fondly remembers “being with family — aunts, uncles, cousins. Playing games, singing and eating.” Her favorite part is “celebrating Christ’s birth!” she said. “On Christmas morning the old churches in Sweden ring the church bells, some of them over 500 years old. The service starts at 7 a.m. Only candles light these big old churches. The Pipe organ plays, and the choir sings traditional carols like “Silent Night.” I can still hear and feel the incredible voices and message of hope and peace ringing out in churches!”

The Twelve Days of Christmas Peter Molloy was born in Ireland and raised as a Catholic. He’s lived in Peachtree Corners since 2005. Unlike many Americans, he still observes The Twelve Days of

Christmas, the period between Jesus’ birth and the arrival of the Magi that has been celebrated since before the Middle Ages. That’s what “The Twelve Days of Christmas” song refers to — the 12 days after the birth of Jesus, to the Epiphany.

Religious observance Molloy said he’s always focused on the religious component of Christmas growing up. “I spent most of my childhood in Ireland. Christmas did not truly start until Christmas Eve and continued until January 6th, Little Christmas.” Also known as The Epiphany, it’s the day the three wise men went to see baby Jesus in Bethlehem led by a miraculous star, and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Christmas decorations didn’t go up Peter Malloy until after the children livestreams the went to bed on Christmass on the mas Eve, according church YouTube to Molloy. “Then they Channel stayed up until Little He said, Christmas. I do put the “We probably decorations up earlier have the best now.” live-streaming with a four-camera “I’m truly bothered system. Watching, you can appreciate when people dispose mass more than you would sitting at of their Christmas the back of the church.” tree on the day after Scan the QR Code above or go to Christmas,” he said. https://bit.ly/MOQYouTube “Don’t they realize

Top, Peter Molloy observes Christmas and The Epiphany in Peachtree Corners (courtesy Peter Molloy) Above, Bruno Chidozie Okonkwo (Photo by George Hunter) Opposite page, left, to right, Wiletha Williams Williams sisters Alaina and Aleatha (photos courtesy Wiletha Williams)

Christmas has just started?”

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Traditions old and new

Family and food

Molloy said he has fond memories of “going to midnight mass on Christmas Eve with our family doctor and close family friends, the Fall family.” These days, he’s very involved with his church — Mary Our Queen Catholic Church. “I help usher all four masses on Christmas Eve and then go back on Christmas morning to attend mass,” he said. “Our church is beautiful at Christmas; it’s a joy to be there over the Christmas season.” He’s part of a group of close friends that have agreed to pick one name out of a hat; each person is only allowed to spend $100. “This simplified gift giving is a lot more fun,” Molloy said. “It greatly reduced the stress of Christmas

Bruno Chidozie Okonkwo moved to Peachtree Corners in 2018. He is from the southeastern part of Nigeria, Imo state, in west Africa. His native language is Igbo. His wife, Rita, attended Peachtree Elementary School. They were married at Mary Our Queen Catholic Church. “We are Catholic Nigerians,” Okonkwo said. “During Advent we say prayers to prepare our hearts for the birth of Christ. We attend Christmas Day mass.” Large quantities of food are prepared to have ready for guests, he explained. Favorite dishes include fried chicken; roasted goat; jollof rice with a base of tomato sauce, oil and spices; nkwobi (cooked cow foot); fufu (doughy balls of cassava) with egusi soup,

for us and allowed us to enjoy our friendship without worrying that someone might be disappointed.” “We all finally get to slow down for a couple of days,” he continued. “In Ireland the country shuts down for a few days. I wish stores would not be in such a big hurry to open back up. I’ve never gotten over how commercialized Christmas has become. I suspect this is also the case in Ireland now.”

prepared with ground melon seed, goat meat, crayfish, palm oil, bitter-leaf or spinach, onions and dried mackerel; ukwa (African breadfruit seed) prepared like black eyed peas; and ugba (shredded oil bean) salad. A popular drink is fresh palm wine. “We like to travel to Nigeria as often as we can during Christmas time,” Okonkwo said. “In Nigeria, most travel to “the village” (hometown) from the city to celebrate.

My family did so every Christmas season until just after New Year’s. It’s a special time for reunions with extended family and friends. My siblings, cousins and I would visit relatives’ homes where we were welcomed and fed by our aunties.” These visits made according to market days are called Erigwara (eat mine, I eat yours) — a wonderful custom. There are four market days in Igboland: Eke, Orie, Afor and Nkwo. Every village has a market day. “We visit relatives and friends according to their market days and eat any food they’ve prepared,” he said. “On our market day, Eke, we expect friends and family to come spend all day eating and drinking.”

Christmas Day in Nigeria. “If you buy someone clothes or jewelry, it’s called Christmas cloth, and they will likely wear it on Christmas Day. Here, we open gifts when we come back from mass,” he explained. Okonkwo’s favorite holiday memories are the family reunions, and his favorite part of Christmas is “being reminded of the gift of our Christian faith and celebrating it with dear ones — the celebration of God’s love for mankind.”

Traditions and memories

er and Director of the Georgia Wholystic Center Wiletha Williams celebrates both Christmas and Kwanzaa. She has called this area home for 37 years.

“Weeks in advance, we decorate our home and put up a Christmas tree and a nativity both here and in Nigeria,” Okonkwo said. “After mass on Christmas Day, we come back home to cook, eat and be merry. At mass in Nigeria, we sing hymns in both Igbo and English. Here we attend mass at Mary Our Queen.” Gifts are opened prior to

Kwanzaa December 26January 1 Kwanzaa is a celebration of African American culture. Found-

A time of learning, family and celebration Williams explained that Kwanzaa isn’t religious, it’s cultural. “We have been celebrating Kwan-

December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

zaa in Peachtree Corners since 1994. We usually pick a Friday or Saturday between December 25 and December 30. We send an invitation to friends and family.” People come together to feast, honor ancestors, affirm their bonds and celebrate African culture. On each of seven days, a candle is lit, highlighting that day’s principle. Reciting sayings or writings of great Black thinkers and writers, original poetry, drumming and sharing a meal bring the principles to life. Table decorations include the symbols of Kwanzaa: the Kinara (candle holder), Mkeka (mat), Muhindi (corn representing the children), Mazao (fruit representing the harvest) and Zawadi (gifts).

Traditions and memories “I love Christmas trees and

other decor, music and cooking family favorite recipes: turkey, dressing, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, potato salad,” Williams said. “For my 70th birthday, my son surprised me. He chartered a helicopter which picked us up in front of our house in Amberfield. After a tour of Atlanta, we landed at the 57th Fighter Group for dinner.” Her favorite part of the holiday is spending time with family and friends, watching sports and movies. “Everyone brings a dish to add to the feast, while we provide the basics,” Williams said. “We play games related to Kwanzaa facts, such as how the holiday was started in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga in California.” The family also discusses the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa: • Umoja (unity in the family, community, nation and race),

• Kujichagulia (self-determination), • Ujima (collective work and responsibility), • Ujamaa (cooperative economics), • Nia (purpose), • Kuumba (creativity) and • Imani (faith). “Everyone has the opportunity to perform dance, poems,

Top left clockwise, The feast continues Kwanzaa games and more Left, Roland V Williams (left) and guests

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Chuck Waters

songs or whatever they want. Music and dancing are enjoyed by all,” Williams said. “We try to get the children interested. Often, we honor ancestors by sharing pictures and stories of their lives.” She said that, of course, the highlight is the feast (Karamu), which consists of a variety of traditional and contemporary dishes, including Southern dishes like collards and lima beans, buffalo wings, chili, sweet potato pie and cakes.

Chinese New Year February 1 Jun Lin emigrated from China in 2007 and has resided in Peachtree Corners for eight years. She observes Chinese New Year with her multiethnic family within the constraints of American work schedules and HOA covenants. Chinese New Year is not a

Some businesses start two to four weeks before, and continue festivities two to four weeks after, the New Year. It’s the longest holiday and creates a massive travel rush known as Spring Movement.

Family traditions “It was my favorite holiday when I was a kid because we got new clothes and gifts from our parents,” Lin said. “The whole month was a time to visit relatives.” “Growing up, families started food preparation a month ahead since we didn’t have refrigerators. People bought pigs in the village where farmers would slaughter and butcher them.” The pork would be brought back, seasoned and left to marinate for days. It was then set atop dried branches of pine wood and smoked, resulting in a month’s supply of meat similar to bacon. “Two weeks before, my mom would soak sticky rice and then grind it into powder. When guests came to visit, she would cook the smoked meat and make Tangyuan, a soup of sweet rice balls with brown sugar, orange peel and sesame inside. The round shape signifies full accomplishment,” Lin explained. “Everything smelled and tasted so good, it was the taste of Chinese New Year.”

Fond memories

religious observance. Based on the lunisolar Chinese calendar, it’s the biggest cultural holiday celebrated in China and other Asian countries. It usually falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, marking the transition from one Chinese animal zodiac sign to the next. 2022 is the year of the Tiger. Chinese New Year is also known as Lunar New Year and Spring Festival. On the calendar of solar terms, the start of Spring falls on February 5th. It’s not necessarily a reflection of meteorological reality, yet it represents heading towards Spring and new beginnings.

She added that on New Year’s Eve everyone watched a gala on TV which showcased popular songs, dances and comedians. “It was fun. Everyone talked about it afterwards.” To decorate for the New Year, red scrolls and couplets are posted on both sides of the front door with auspicious words. Red lanterns are hung at the door to guide good luck into the home and ward off bad luck. “In China, the whole city is illuminated, but outdoor decorations are not allowed after January 7th here, so I don’t decorate,” Lin said. In Chamblee, the Chinese community has ceremonial dragon and lion dances, musical performances, art and authentic cuisine in Chinatown Mall. One of Lin’s special memories is “being with [her] mother. I loved her with all my heart. We normally took family photos. It was the only

time we were all together.” She said that here, the visits with family and friends don’t last a full month, since it’s not a national holiday, “but we do get together.”

Wishing you all things bright and beautiful this holiday season! As sundry as our holiday beliefs and practices may be across cultures, what unites us rings out loud and clear. Whether it’s the candles in the Diwali clay pots, the Hanukkah Menorah, the Advent wreath, Saint Lucia’s crown, the Christmas lights, the Kwanzaa Kinara or the Chinese lanterns, we seem to universally gravitate

Local resident, Jun Lin. (Photo by George Hunter)

towards light and goodness. The common threads that run through our varied festivities — light over darkness, familial and social bonds — speak to what is at the core of our shared values and humanity, making us infinitely more alike than we are different. Many thanks for making Peachtree Corners sparkle so brilliantly. ■

December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

BUSINESS

Local Makers Find Success in Peachtree Corners

ometimes it takes the unexpected to shake things up and inspire us to pursue our dreams. Whether it’s our children growing up and needing less attention, a sudden job change or a desire to transform grief into growth, there are many reasons why individuals might seek out a career that sparks their passion and gives their life new meaning. Certainly, the past two years of living through a global pandemic have presented unprecedented challenges and ample opportunities to reconsider the ‘why’ behind our daily lives. So what does it take for an individual to embrace their dreams and not only survive a pandemic, but also to thrive? I’d like to introduce you to three such makers who have devoted themselves to their crafts, finding joy and meaning through transforming their ideas into products, and hobbies into livelihoods.

Molding A New Life — Cosa Linda Pottery Written and Photographed By Isadora Pennington

“I feel like it’s best when you can pick it up and feel it,” said Lauren Rios, a sculptor who has been making mostly functional pottery for her company Cosa Linda Pottery since she debuted

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in 2019. Working out of her home studio tucked away in a corner of her basement, Rios throws pieces on the wheel and hand sculpts works to sell in local art festivals and via her Etsy shop. Her wares include bowls, pitchers, berry bowls, vases, dishes and her ever popular Christmas trees. Rios has been working with clay since she was a junior in high school. As a shy teenager, the ceramics teacher at her school suggested that she could spend her downtime in the studio. This quickly became a lifeline for Rios, peachtreecornerslife

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sparking a joy for working with clay and eventually leading to employment under an established functional potter in her hometown. At home, her parents also continuously nurtured her creativity. “My mom is very artistic,” said Rios, who remembers doing arts and crafts with her mom and home improvement projects with her dad. More comfortable with 3-D work than 2-D art such as drawing, Rios said it was a natural fit for her to work with clay. “I kind of have to visualize the peachtreecornerslife

whole thing,” she explained. Her time working for Alec Karros, an established functional potter and adjunct professor at the Rhode Island School of Design, was transformative and inspirational. “I learned so much from him; how to run an efficient studio, how to be safe with the materials, how to pack things so they don’t break and things like that.” During the year or so that

Far left, clockwise, Lauren Rios at her pottery wheel, Christmas Tree Rios in her workshop

she worked under Karros, she gained a tactile feel for functional clay work, something she applies to everything from the thickness of the clay to the finish and the overall shape. Now, after all of these years dabbling in the craft, she is hoping to explore and grow as an artist. Rios is currently enrolled at Kennesaw State University pursuing a master’s degree in Art

ily moved to their current home around 2015 and she was able to build out her own studio that she was able to devote more time and energy to pottery. Now that her children are older, she has prioritized discovering her style and developing her skills further through her classes at KSU. Rios spoke of the unique challenge she faces when trying to depart from the rules and workflow that

and Design with a concentration in Arts Education. In the years since she first experimented with pottery as a teen, she has worked as a Spanish teacher, and is currently employed by Renfroe Academy, a middle school located in Decatur. Before that, she was involved with Pinckneyville Middle School, but found the balance of managing her young children and the classes to be untenable in the long run, forcing her to step back from the craft. It was when Rios and her fam-

she adapted from working as a functional potter. “I’m actually doing my whole thesis on busts and self-portraiture,” explained Rios with a laugh, who admits that this kind of work is a total deviation. Beyond making non-functional pieces, it is also a new challenge to make only one of something. “That’s all I know how to do, right? I can’t make one thing; I have to make 12. I don’t know how to not scale.” All of Rios’ work is food safe, microwaveable and dishwasher

safe. In 2021 she decided to sign up for only one festival, the Peachtree Corners Festival, in order to give herself adequate time to create her pieces for the event. She fulfills orders through her Etsy shop year-round. One of Rios’ most popular designs is her Christmas tree design. These 3D trees are hand cut and molded, then painted green or left as a sort of natural cream color. Rios says she’s currently experimenting with new colors that she may debut in the future as well. Originally developed for a Christmas in July show in Tucker three years ago, the trees are both charming and timeless. Rios’ affection for Christmas trees can be traced all the way back to her senior year of high school when her family purchased a home that happened to be located on a Christmas Tree farm. “At the time the Norway spruce, spruce trees and the white pines were in style, and we would have a choose-and-cut. We did it for maybe two or three years before the trees got too big and then everyone started buying fir trees. The fir trees, they over trim them and they sag, but the Norway spruces grow straight upright and they smell fabulous, though they are very prickly. So I just made a Christmas tree. I wanted to do the traditional way you might draw a Christmas tree and I experimented with ways to make them. I’ve been doing it for three years, I think ,and they get better each year.” Rios shared that while she first began working with clay as a means of expressing her creativity, she has also found it to be therapeutic, albeit a little lonely at times. She plans to eventually meld her two loves, clay and teaching, and begin offering workshops or summer classes. While she’s happy today working solo in her home studio, she does miss being around other creatives. Rios hopes that the future holds more opportunities for sharing in community while developing her work and also passing her knowledge on to the next generation of makers. ■

December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

Far, clockwise, Russell Mechan-Neathawk sharing a recent holiday serving tray Catalog book of products Neathawk has created Working through a 3-D program for a new project

For the Love of Wood — XOC Designs In early 2020, mere weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the world, a stroke of bad luck shook things up for Russell Machan-Neathawk and his family when he was abruptly let go from his job working with an HVAC company. Faced with the uncertainty of this deviation from his career and coupled with the onset of lockdowns, Machan-Neathawk found himself in

a unique position. At the time, COVID restrictions had essentially shuttered businesses and prevented him from finding new business opportunities. It was at this moment that he took a step back and reevaluated what he was doing with his life. “It was stressful; it took a lot of prayer and really trusting God that he would take care of us and lead us through all of this. For me it was hard because I went from being the breadwinner to… not,” Machan-Neathawk explained with a laugh. “Especially when I first started the company, I wasn’t getting consistent sales. Now I’m constantly doing 10 or so orders a week, at least.” Machan-Neathawk has always been creative and good at working with his hands. He took animation design classes

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

in high school, got a degree in Culinary Arts where he met his wife Amanda, and later used skills he learned from his father to complete woodworking projects around the house. Those early projects included designing and building a new mantle above their fireplace, installing a fence and crafting a mug shelf as a gift for his sister-in-law. Once he set up an Etsy shop and began getting orders, it all really started to come together. The name of the company, XOC Designs, consists of the first letter of their sons’ names — Xavier and Oliver — and the family dog Casper. This connection is fitting as Machan-Neathawk is a devoted family man. His wife has been by his side to support him every step of the way, even though starting something new

peachtreecornerslife

in the middle of a pandemic carries inherent risk. “It was scary for sure just because it was such a big shift, but he’s got talent and I’ve known that since we met 17 years ago,” said Amanda. “We had a lot of faith in God and prayed that it would all work out, and it has.” On top of the challenges facing the family in this crucial moment for Machan-Neathawk’s career, the sudden cancellation of their sons’ preschools meant that their entire home dynamic shifted on a dime. They went from two parents both working full time outside of the house with two kids in school to everyone being at home all the time. In addition to starting this new business, maintaining Amanda’s increased workload from her now fully remote job, they now had to find ways to keep the kids engaged and happy at home. Luckily, they were able to get some childcare help from their parents who live just down the road. “So that was interesting as well. I was trying to start a business, trying to work, and entertain and take care of two little ones at the same time,”

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said Machan-Neathawk. “I had a lot more flexibility with my job because I can do things when they go to sleep.” Those late-night hours have paid off, and today he is consistently busy making pieces for clients from around the country and as far away as Europe. Machan-Neathawk’s most popular products include mug shelves, cutting boards, serving trays and holiday signs. All of his pieces are custom made, often incorporating beautiful and unique hardwoods such as Purple Heart, African Padauk and curly maple. Self-taught with the help of YouTube research, Machan-Neathawk especially loves learning about the materials, techniques and sourcing unique woods from salvage projects. Able to craft designs both by hand on paper and in digital renderings, he says he especially loves the problem-solving he faces on a given project. “You’ll either have a knot that’s not really in a great place or you’ll have a split down the middle of it that you need to work around, so there’s more problem-solving than people realize. To me, it is therapeutic and soothing. Even being in the business world, I found out after I started this business just how stressed out I had been. Tapping into my creative side is very relaxing.” Over the next few years, Machan-Neathawk hopes to expand beyond the confines of his garage studio and into a dedicated workshop. He also hopes to showcase his works in more local shops and festivals and to expand his custom furniture offerings for larger home projects. Not limited to a certain style or aesthetic, he embraces each new challenge with optimism and a can-do attitude. After all, for Machan-Neathawk, working with wood is living his dream. “It was a dream that I didn’t know I had.” ■

Continuing A Legacy — Geneva’s Goodness Faith, Family and Food. That’s the motto that Susan and Jeff Moore have infused in their newly minted business, Geneva’s Goodness. Named after Susan’s mother, Geneva, who passed away in 2014, the idea was sparked from a desire to continue her legacy. The beloved matriarch of the family, Geneva was known for crafting extravagant meals and desserts as her way of showering her family with love and warmth. Jeff, who has been married to Susan for 28 years, recalls those dinners he experienced at Geneva’s table. “I can remember the very first time I had Thanksgiving with Susan’s family; it was a major event. It’s an event that’s de-

signed for family to come together and eat and discuss and have a really good time, and usually the central focus is the food,” said Jeff. “This was an event for Miss Geneva. It was a spectacle. She would never say that, but I’ll say it. This was her thing; she didn’t really want anyone to help, she just wanted to do her thing.” Even as Geneva’s age made preparing those lavish dinners harder, she was never one to sit on the sidelines. In fact, she was known for making each guest their own dedicated pie in their

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

personal favorite flavor. As Jeff puts it, these gatherings were not just a day, but often turned into a week-long celebration of food as they polished off the leftovers after the event. It was a tradition that not only fed the bellies of her loved ones, but also reminded everyone of the value of family and the strength of their faith. Her mom was a pastor, so her faith was a central focus,” explained Jeff. “She loved her family so much. And then there was the food. For her, it all connected; it wasn’t like you could take one out – all three were woven into the peachtreecornerslife

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fabric of who she was.” Preparing food was Geneva’s love language. And boy, did she love deeply. In the wake of her mother’s passing and as the grief of her mother’s absence truly settled in at the communal meal following the funeral, Susan felt not only saddened but also inspired. “I just remember thinking that I want to be a better person because of her, and I want to do something for her, somehow. I just had that overwhelming feeling that because of her I wanted to be better.” Susan’s journey with baked peachtreecornerslife

Starting on the opposite page, farthest left, Susan and Jeff Moore Susan holding her handmade white chocolate covered pretzels Display for the pretzels

goods started back when she and Jeff first got together and he asked if she might try to make a 7-UP lemon pound cake that his own mother used to make for him when he was a child. She tried, and her initial attempts left room for improvement. In the years since, she has further developed her skills in the kitchen, mastering not only that beloved 7-UP lemon pound cake, but also a great number of other baked goods. The Moores officially filed for a business license for Geneva’s Goodness in September of 2021, following only a few months of discussion. “This happened really quickly,” said Susan, who is grateful to have found a way to honor her mother and keep the tradition of cooking alive for both her family and her community. The duo has participated in one festival in Peachtree Corners already and at the time of our interview, they were gearing up for the Johns Creek Holiday Festival. Geneva’s Goodness offers an array of delectable treats including cream cheese, peanut butter, lemon 7-UP, coconut cream, and pineapple cream pound cakes, rum cake, shortbread cookies with rum icing, lemon iced cookies, granola, white chocolate covered pretzels, banana nut bread, pumpkin bread and Geneva’s famous peanut butter haystacks. The original recipe for the haystacks, written in Geneva’s own handwriting, is still pinned to Susan’s fridge, serving as a constant reminder of why she is devoted to carrying on her mother’s baking tradition. “It’s just continuing her legacy, really,” said Susan. “I never felt like I could make the food as good as she could, but to carry on her legacy is important. And it’s important for our family — our kids and grandkids — to show them this is what family is all about, and faith, too.” ■

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December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

Surgical Robot Maker to Become City’s Biggest Employer with $540M Campus Expansion

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top manufacturer of surgical robots is planning a $540 million expansion of its local campus into a national hub that will make it the largest employer in the city by far and one of the biggest in Gwinnett. Intuitive Surgical’s expansion on its Data Drive campus aims to bring 1,200 net new jobs at an average wage of around $130,000 a year. State and local governments are helping with an

By John Ruch

estimated total of roughly $67.8 million in grants, tax breaks, fee waivers and other assistance. The multibillion-dollar California company’s local growth is good news, according to local officials and a surgeon who uses its robots. “We are thrilled that Intuitive recognized the benefits of being located in Peachtree Corners, and we are grateful to have their growing campus in our city,” said Mayor Mike Mason in an August press release announcing the deal. “Peachtree Corners is a major regional technology hub with great homes, great schools and great community amenities, so we are confident that Intuitive will be very pleased with their decision to expand their presence here.” Dr. Manu Sancheti, the Chief

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

of Thoracic Surgery at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Sandy Springs, uses Intuitive’s robots daily. He trains other surgeons in the robotic techniques at the Peachtree Corners campus, and his kids attend Wesleyan School nearby. “I think it’s going to be a really good opportunity for the community,” Sancheti said in a recent interview. “I think it’s going to be a really exciting place for robotic surgical education.” “We were thrilled to learn Intuitive has chosen to expand their presence in Gwinnett County,” Governor Brian Kemp said in the press release. “With our advanced medical environment, dynamic workforce, pro-business policies and thriving economy, Intuitive made the right decision in choosing Georgia.” peachtreecornerslife

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Left, Surgeons training with the robotic system. Above, an image created by the GIS people at the City of Peachtree Corners for Peachtree Corners Magazine, that maps out the Intuitive current campus of buildings plus opportunity for a trail connection and the location of a proposed 58 unit loft development.

Set to become a top local employer The Peach State continues to attract world-renowned companies like Intuitive, and this huge investment coming to the new Peachtree Corners campus will peachtreecornerslife

benefit hundreds of hard-working Georgians across metro Atlanta. The company’s massive boost in local presence from nearly 200 jobs to 1,200-plus is expected to happen sometime between 2024 and 2031, according to press statements and state documents. That would take it to the top of local employer lists. According to the City, the biggest private employer in town today is CarMax with

It also recently introduced the Ion, another robotic device to explore and biopsy the lungs.

Robotic surgery offers superior healthcare Sancheti, who is also Emory Healthcare’s Head of Robotic Thoracic Surgery, uses both types of robots. He says the highly dexterous arms hold a camera, a light and various surgical devices

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inch cuts for traditional surgery, which often also requires spreading or breaking some ribs. The robotic version, Sancheti says, means much less pain, faster recovery and less use of potentially addictive narcotic painkillers. Those advantages have made for a booming business that put Intuitive into an expansion mode. The company is planning a similar campus expansion at its headquarters, which began moving through Sunnyvale’s local approval processes at the same time Peachtree Corner’s deal was announced. Jennifer Garnett, a spokesperson for the City of Sunnyvale, said the company’s growth is welcome there, too. “Since their start here in 2002, Intuitive Surgical has grown to become Sunnyvale’s seventh-largest employer and is among our 25 largest sales tax producers,” she said. “Their long-standing support of the Sunnyvale community through their employees’ volunteerism and the Intuitive Foundation has been equally important. For example, the foundation donated $200,000 in 2020 to the City’s nearly $3 million Sunnyvale Cares program to support nonprofits and small businesses during the height of the pandemic.”

Peachtree Corners nurtures company growth P K W Y Date: 11/18/2021

600 workers, followed by Soliant, which last year announced 598 jobs in a headquarters move. Based on data on the website of the economic development agency Partnership Gwinnett, Intuitive would become the county’s sixth-largest employer overall and fourth largest in the private sector. Today’s top public employer is Gwinnett County Public Schools at 23,300 and the biggest private employer is Northside Hospital at 4,650. Founded in 1995, Intuitive is now headquartered in Sunnyvale in California’s Silicon Valley. The company is a pioneer of robotic surgery with its Da Vinci line of spider-like, multi-armed robots.

like scalpels and staplers, which he remotely manipulates inside the patient’s body while viewing an enlarged 3D version on a screen, much like playing a very serious video game. The big advantage of the robots, Sancheti says, are much smaller incisions, since only small robot arms rather than human hands enter the body. “It allows me to do the surgery almost as if my hands were within that body cavity without making a big incision,” he said. Robotic surgery on the heart or lungs is done through incisions around 8 to 12 millimeters long — less than a half-inch. Compare that with 8- to 12-

According to a company spokesperson, Intuitive came to Peachtree Corners in 2013 with 15 employees and has grown to nearly 200 workers. The local campus “serves as our primary training site for surgeons and care teams, and the area’s amenities, quality of life and universities provide us access to a strong and diverse talent pool,” the company said in a written statement. The current local headquarters is 5655 Spalding Drive, at the intersection with Data Drive. But Intuitive owns six buildings on roughly 39 acres of land along Data Drive between Spalding and Triangle Parkway, with a lake in the middle. That’s the expansion area. “The expansion provides office workspace, training for

our clients and our internal staff, engineering supporting manufacturing, manufacturing space and all of the campus amenities found at a major Intuitive hub, like Sunnyvale,” the company’s statement said. “The initial Phase 2 expansion will provide approximately 700,000 gross square feet of facilities. The ultimate campus build-out will likely be much larger, but is still in planning.” The company had no illustrations of the campus concepts to offer, but gave a brief description: “The campus will be a series of interconnected buildings, gardens, terraces, a lake and wooded, natural spaces, like those seen on many academic and corporate campuses. The design will promote a healthy lifestyle with broad accessibility for all staff and guests.” The exact timing remains to be seen. The announcement in August spoke of completion in 2024, while the formal incentives deal in state documents estimated completion by Dec. 31, 2026, and gives the company seven years starting in June 2024 to fulfill the jobs promise. Under the terms of the deal, the company must maintain 183 existing, fulltime jobs and maintain operations on the campus for at least 10 years. In exchange, Intuitive is being offered “cost savings and cost avoidances” estimated by the Georgia Department of Economic Development to be worth $67,745,530. The company could get a little more if it exceeds the promises and less or nothing if it doesn’t. Among the assistance is a $2 million state Regional Economic Business Assistance grant to offset costs of property, machinery and equipment; $29.781 million in jobs tax credits; and a $12 million property tax abatement. The City agreed to waive a total of $3.11 million in regulatory, occupational and stormwater fees, while the county will pay $30,000 to install a pedestrian beacon crossing. The deal even includes the government footing a $2,500 bill for a press release and ribbon cutting. ■

December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

ASHRAE Celebrates Grand Opening of New Global Headquarters Building lation (DCV) for high occupancy spaces in the meeting and learning center, and on-site electric vehicle charging stations available for guests and staff.

Participants and partners

ASHRAE formally opened its new global headquarters building on November 18, following a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by its board of directors, top building campaign donors, elected officials and local guests. The Society completed a $20 million building renovation project intended to prove the economic viability of a fully net-zero-energy (NZE) operation. “The completion of this project is an important milestone for ASHRAE as a professional society and for the built environment worldwide,” said 2021-22 ASHRAE President Mick Schwedler, P.E., Fellow ASHRAE, LEED AP. “Our investments in energy efficiency and sustainability will boost innovation within the built environment and inspire others to replicate our headquarters’ project model.” The renovated, 66,700-squarefoot building, situated on 11 acres of land at 180 Technology Parkway in Peachtree Corners, is the culmination of a 10-month project, completed in October 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. “One could make the assertion that constructing a new net-zero-energy building from the ground up would have been much easier than renovating an existing building,” said 2021-22 ASHRAE Treasurer and Former Building Ad Hoc Committee Chair Ginger Scoggins P.E., Fellow ASHRAE, CEM, CxA. “We decided that ASHRAE could make the greatest impact by showing others how to renovate an

existing building with net-zero-energy as the focus, using our own standards and guidelines. ASHRAE is making net-zero-energy the ‘new norm’ in sustainable design and construction. It has been an honor to lead this historic project.”

Successful campaign The building’s grand opening comes at the conclusion of highly successful building campaign that raised more than $10.3 million in monetary donations and contributions of equipment and services from multiple ASHRAE members and thirty-three corporate donors. Top corporate building donors NIBE and Cisco were represented at the ceremony. “When NIBE was presented with the opportunity to be a part of ASHRAE’s new headquarters, it was an easy decision to play a part in the growth and sustainability of the HVACR industry,” said Eric Lindquist, CEO, NIBE Industrier AB. “Our U.S. brands are focused on continued promotion of systems and solutions that provide comfort, affordability and betterment of the environment.” “When ASHRAE embarked on creating a workspace that reflected their organization’s vision of advancing human well-being through sustainable technology, Cisco was ALL-IN on partnering,” said Jeremy Witikko, Office of the Chief Technology Officer, Global Industry Business Strategy, Cisco. “Cisco is committed to power an inclusive future for all and were thrilled to be a part of that jour-

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

ney with ASHRAE. Together, let’s continue to build a place where we can meet human needs and protect the planet though technology, our actions, our people and our intentions.”

Renovation project details Although ASHRAE has occupied the building for over a year with limited on-site staff presence, the installation of a Photovoltaic (PV) solar array system was completed in October 2021, marking the beginning of the building’s operation at fully net-zero-energy performance. The PV system is a combination of three sub-arrays, totaling 332kW, mounted on the rooftop and in an unused section of the parking lot. In addition to the PV system, other innovative approaches incorporated in the building include 18 new skylights and reconfigured window/wall ratio, a radiant ceiling panel system used for heating and cooling, and a dedicated outdoor air system for outdoor air ventilation with enthalpy heat recovery. Also, there is an overhead fresh air distribution system augmented with reversible ceiling fans in the open office areas and displacement distribution in the learning center. With regards to water, there are six water source-heat pumps (WSHPs), with four on basement level and two on upper-level atrium that will be used to condition these spaces. Lastly there is a robust Building Automation System with remote access, Demand Control Ventipeachtreecornerslife

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In attendance at the ceremony were representatives from the offices of U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock and Congresswoman Carolyn Bourdeaux, along with county and city officials. “We are very pleased that a professional association of ASHRAE’s distinction selected Peachtree Corners as the site of its global headquarters,” said Peachtree Corners Mayor Mike Mason. “Technology Park is a natural fit for an organization whose focus mirrors the city’s efforts in technology innovation, sustainability and green living.” “The relocation of ASHRAE’s global headquarters to Peachtree Corners further supports our goals for business and industry growth,” said Nick Masino, President & CEO of the Gwinnett Chamber. “We are excited to have them in Technology Park and look forward to partnering with one another in the future.” The building renovation project was overseen by ASHRAE’s Building Ad Hoc Committee and Technical Advisory Subcommittee comprised of Society volunteers. Partners involved in the design, engineering and construction of the building project include Houser Walker Architecture, McLennan Design, Integral Group, Collins Project Management, Skanska, Shumate Mechanical and Epsten Group. The PV installation was completed by Creative Solar USA. Tours of the building took place immediately following the ceremony. The event drew a large virtual audience via Facebook Live, representing a segment of the Society’s 51,000 members around the world. For more information about ASHRAE’s global headquarters, visit ashrae.org/newhq. ■

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December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

Cutting Edge Firewood Brings Warm Light to a New Location

Leroy Hite is the founder and CEO of Cutting Edge Firewood and a Peachtree Corners resident. He and his wife Makaila live here with their three daughters, the youngest attending preschool at Peachtree Corners Baptist Church and the older two at Perimeter School. Hite founded Cutting Edge in 2013 as the only firewood company that delivers and ships ultra-premium firewood nationwide. “From my childhood to now, I have always loved building a fire. Fire is raw, beautiful and engages people in a very primal way,” Hite said. The newest company location is at 6540 Kingston Court in Peachtree Corners, expanding from its former 10,000 square-foot Peachtree Corners space to its new 40,000 square-foot space. “The move will help us as we build more national reach and add customers,” Hite said. “As we launch additional distribution outlets and centers in other cities, the expanded warehouse will help us improve shipping and delivery speed. As we grow, we create more jobs and offer people the opportunity to become part of a growing, dynamic, customer service-driven company.” Cutting Edge is elevating the firewood game with hand-selected hardwood firewood and cooking wood. Firewood offerings include oak, hickory and cherry in a variety of cuts and sizes. Firewood boxes start at $49. In the metro Atlanta area, Cutting Edge offers same day delivery of firewood and cooking wood boxes and white-glove delivery service of its exclusive patent-protected airbrushed iron racks of firewood. Elsewhere in the United States, customers receive wood via shipping.

Cooking wood options include oak, hickory, cherry, pecan, maple and apple and come in a variety of cuts, including pizza oven cuts that are earning raves from customers with wood-fired pizza ovens. High-profile chefs use and love Cutting Edge cooking wood at their restaurants. Hite’s company has experienced tremendous growth the past three years, especially during 2020 with families and friends gathering outside around firepits and grills for socially distanced get-togethers. Cutting Edge was recently recognized as a Pacesetter by Atlanta Business Chronicle and designated as one of Atlanta’s fastest growing private companies. Recently Hite had an in-depth conversation with The Capitalist Sage podcast hosts Karl Barham and Rico Figliolini as the featured guest in an episode titled Finding Growth and Success in Artisanal Firewood, through Mistakes, Testing and Creating their Core Values. “We’ve got so many great things happening here in Georgia and locally here in metro Atlanta and Peachtree Corners,” Barham said in the podcast. “Not only do we have technology companies growing, we have large corporations moving into Peachtree Corners and the surrounding areas. We have entrepreneurs like [Leroy Hite] that are just innovating on industries and doing some really fun things.” Throughout the podcast, Hite highlights the highs and lows that his company has survived to get to where they are today, figuring out how to compete and differentiate their product quality from what an average customer might find in a big box retail store. “I love the experience aspect of it, and I love that it’s something that nobody else has really treated like a business, much less a modern business with a lot of opportunity. And that’s what drew me into it — the experience aspect,” Hite said in the podcast. To get an even deeper understanding of the passion that fuels this business, tune in on your favorite podcast streaming services, such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts and most other major formats. And to see what all the fuss is about for yourself, visit cuttingedgefirewood.com. ■

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PCBA Provides Support to Rainbow Village The Peachtree Corners Business Association (PCBA) gave a check for $2,500 to Rainbow Village at their October Business After Hours event at Firebirds. Left to right: Lisa Proctor, PCBA; Michelle Alcorn, Rainbow Village; Mona Lippett, PCBA; and Michael Pugh, PCBA.

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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Peachtree Corners to Host Inaugural V2X Live Conference in March

The Southwest Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce is a more than a place to network...it’s a place to belong! The SWGC is a catalyst for businesses, organizations, and cities to work together, network, and positively impact our communities. Choose an upcoming opportunity where you can learn more about what it’s like to be part of the SWGC! Join Us for breakfast, networking and guest speaker

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Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

A new era in 5G, transportation infrastructure and innovation from vehicle connectivity is the focus of the V2X Live 2022 conference and exhibition, March 16 and 17, 2022 in Peachtree Corners — one of the nation’s first smart cities powered by real-world connected infrastructure and 5G. The event, presented by T-Mobile and sponsored by Intel, is produced in partnership with Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners, a premier incubator and live technology proving ground in the Southeastern U.S. “V2X Live is focused on the infrastructure to support a new era in transportation and vehicle connectivity,” V2X Live Executive Producer Tim Downs said. “Attendees will look beyond connected cars and self-driving vehicles to important considerations such as 5G connectivity, infrastructure and investment to deliver high-bandwidth, low latency Brandon Branham communications and computing to the cloud; to street infrastructure; and to other vehicles.” Event organizers will showcase thought leaders from a wide range of technology ecosystems, including 5G mobility, cloud computing, software innovation, autonomous vehicles, and smart city infrastructure. Live tours of Curiosity Lab, including the country’s first “IoT central control room” implemented by the city (where data from all IoT devices across the city’s smart infrastructure is managed, analyzed and acted upon through a single pane of glass), are included in the conference experience for attendees, sponsors, speakers and partnering organizations. “Systems Integrators, technology innovators, automotive industry executives and government transportation leaders will convene in the heart of what’s being called ‘Silicon Orchard’ to focus on investment, design and deployment of the next generation of connected vehicle infrastructure. “This conference is a truly unique opportunity for solutions providers and experts to help forge a new digital architecture for communities and regions,” said Peachtree Corners CTO and Assistant City Manager Brandon Branham. “At Peachtree Corners, connected smart city infrastructure isn’t just a concept: it’s a living reality that’s experienced every day by our residents and some of the brightest technology developers in the world who are proving out emerging solutions in a real city that can’t be replicated in a closed setting.” Interested individuals can respond to the Call for Speakers and register for more information online at v2x.live. For more information on Peachtree Corners and the Curiosity Lab, or to schedule a briefing with city government officials, contact Peachtree@ GoDRIVEN360.com. ■ peachtreecornerslife

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EXCELLENCE AT HEART December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

Film Industry is Coming Back! Ozark, Disney and More Shot in the City We are glad to see the film industry back up and running and, once again, filming in Peachtree Corners. We have had 13 requests from production studios so far this year, which is about the same as in 2019. Obviously, 2020 was a bust, with only one Capital 1 commercial in January. But the industry is winding back up, which is good to see. Blue Cat Productions filmed in Peachtree Corners six times over the past year. You may know their work: the series Ozark. The series Monarch also filmed in Peachtree Corners this past summer, and most recently ABC Signature, a subsidiary of Disney Television Studios, filmed some shots for the series Queens at The Forum shopping center. A representative from Disney toured City Hall on Nov. 18 for another series. Apparently, they are interested in filming a new series that involves an FBI agent. They were looking for a meeting room with “gray government walls.” It’s called Class of 09 and it’s an FX/ Hulu miniseries about the FBI that follows agents in the years 2009, 2019, and 2065. It is under the Disney umbrella since they own Fox, who owns FX. They need to

make the front of City Hall look like Arizona, however, which could be interesting. We mentioned to the Disney folks that if they don’t get exactly what they are looking for, we do have an extended reality production studio in town that I’m sure could give them a hand, Music Matters Productions. A lot of people know about Eagle Rock Studios in Gwinnett County, near Norcross, but they may not realize all the film activity taking place in Peachtree Corners. We like to have film crews here because they often bring with them a lot of people who need to eat and need a place to stay. This benefits our hotels and restaurants. So, our city staff strives to review film permit applications the same day they are received. Sometimes we have questions, like “Are you going to blow up any stuff?” Ozark used some pyrotechnics a few years ago in Technology Park when they were blowing the windows out of a building. Obviously, we don’t want residents or businesses to be disturbed, which is why we like the studios to let us know when they are planning to do some filming here. In fact,

we require it, actually. We require that neighbors be notified and that police officers be on hand for any road closures to help direct traffic. On occasion, we have had to say “no” because it would be too disruptive to people or businesses or create safety concerns. But overall, I think Peachtree Corners has a pretty good reputation for being accommodating to the film industry. If you have some vacant space in a shopping center or office building, the film studios may be interested in renting it for a few

months, perhaps longer. Our staff can get you connected with the right people if you are interested in leasing space to Disney or other studios. Just take some photos of the building, inside and out, and send them to our economic development staff. Maybe the film studios will give Peachtree Corners a mention at the end of the flick. ■ Written by Mayor Mike Mason. This received alot of visits on our website and social posts, so we thought we’d share it in print.

Check out our recent podcasts Illegal “Street Takeovers”, New State, House and Congressional Districts and their Impact on Peachtree Corners featured on Prime Lunchtime with the City Manager Brian Johnson Scan the QR code or visit livinginpeachtreecorners.com/peachtree-corners-life

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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KNOWLEDGE

Education & Experiences

A Community Cornerstone Grows Stronger Cornerstone Christian Academy’s Campus Improvements

right minds prefer a bright, sunny setting to stay sharp and positive. Cornerstone Christian Academy has gone to major lengths to promote the future success and well-being of their students by completing a serious of recent extensive campus renovations, funded by over $3 million raised by philanthropic support from the Cornerstone community and friends of Cornerstone. Cornerstone is no stranger to renovations and building improvements throughout its two-decade history, continuing to expand its facilities periodically to accommodate for develop-

ment in academics, athletics, arts and many other enriching educational endeavors. The school has come a long, long way from its humble 2001 beginnings as a church school in the children’s wing at Peachtree Corners Baptist Church. Since the 2016 purchase of their 11-acre property at 5295 Triangle Pkwy NW in Peachtree Corners, Cornerstone’s board redirected their efforts to projects that would prove beneficial in the long-term which previously weren’t feasible in a leasing agreement. “God’s dreams for Cornerstone have always been bigger than mine. Each time we renovated or expanded our campus, I tried to imagine what God would do next,” said Former Head of School and current Director of

By Kelsey Asher

Photos by George Hunter

Peachtree Corners Magazine

Admissions De Ann Crawford. The interior structure of the building works rather well, but the board felt the surrounding grounds could use enhancements of its aesthetic appeal. Additionally, students needed more useable outdoor spaces.

Making way for new space Demolition to make way for wide open spaces began over Spring Break last year, which included the leveling of an old office building to make way for a much-anticipated campus mall. Most of the construction was completed by the start of school. Staff and students gained full access to the new outdoor spaces after Cornerstone’s 20-year celebration on October 1. “During the celebration, I must admit, I stepped aside with a grateful heart as the worship band played, families spent time

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together, and wonderful new memories were being created from one end of the campus to the other,” Crawford said. At the improved Cornerstone Christian Academy campus, students can run around on the grassy campus mall dubbed Cougar Quad. Cougar Quad includes Flook Stage on one end and Honor Plaza on the other. “Recess is significantly more fun because the large green space allows us to play ultimate frisbee. The green space also has allowed my teachers to create fun and innovative activities like math scavenger hunts,” said student Cole Creel. “In addition, as a house leader I am hoping to host ping pong and foosball tournaments in the MS Plaza for the student body.”

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Left, clockwise: Colin Creel and his son Cole De Ann Crawford Sara Fogle Josh Whitlock Below across the two pages, is the expanded campus

Creel just couldn’t contain his excitement about the transformation of his school and demonstrated gumption that perhaps mirrors his dad (Headmaster Colin Creel) by sending an impassioned message to Peachtree Corners Magazine asking for the good news to be shared with the outer community.

Quad brings benefits to all Staff members have remarked on the welcome changes as well. “As a parent of four young children, I know it’s important to let them run around outside

in the fresh air. This space will be great for recess,” said Director of Technology and Design Josh Whitlock. “I already see students playing kickball, four square, just running around, and my personal favorite singing and dancing on the stage. Even the middle school students are enjoying the space.” Whitlock has

taught at Cornerstone for 10 years and has three children of his own attending the school in first, second and third grade, as well as a four-year-old who will join them next year. Besides his personal thoughts on the spaces, on a professional level Whitlock has already witnessed

December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

the benefits. “I love taking my video production class outside any time there is good weather. We are able to spread out and film several projects in the new space,” he said. “I’ve also had the privilege of hosting some Cornerstone alumni Chapel Band members to play music for our large family gathering on the new stage. I know we will have a lot of live music and

movie watching happen on the green.” Teacher and Chapel Coordinator Sarah Fogle shared similar sentiments. “The campus expansions have created such a positive energy to our student community,” she noted. “The addition of our Cougar Quad and patio has increased our ability to provide student gatherings and teaching options like never before.” Fogle is quickly approaching 14 years at Cornerstone teaching a wide array of subjects, primarily seventh and eighth grade Math, and Bible classes for fifth through eighth grades, as well as elective classes such as World Religions, Cooking and Chess. Her three kids attended through eighth grade, then went on to Norcross High School; currently, all three attend University of Georgia. “This place has been an an-

chored extended family that has helped us grow and thrive. I have been fortunate to see the physical growth of our school, as a staff and a campus,” Fogle said. For the Lower School Carpool, a covered walkway was erected named Adra Breezeway. Lastly,

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

the plan included numerous infrastructure additions related to fiber, lighting, asphalt and more. The added lighting and visibility should bolster security measures as well. “We are blessed in Georgia with moderate temperatures peachtreecornerslife

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which allow us to utilize these outdoor spaces for most of the year,” Headmaster Creel said.

Cornerstone’s cornerstone But all that glitters isn’t necessarily gold. It’s always most important to remember what truly matters. A great campus is one thing, but it’s the people that are the cornerstone of Cornerstone. “We are blessed by the leadership of Headmaster Colin Creel, an exemplary faculty, students that love to learn and supportive

families that believe in the value of a Christian education,” Crawford stressed. “In my role, I can understand how new facilities might draw more people to Cornerstone, but this new look still isn’t as beautiful as the relationships that God has planned for the Cornerstone community.” For more information about Cornerstone’s history in the community, and about current happenings at the school, head over to cornerstonecougars.org. ■

December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

Happy Holidays Peachtree Corners

The days may grow shorter and colder at this time of year, but there are always plenty of things to do to warm our hearts in Peachtree Corners. Whether it be window shopping in The Forum, enjoying the festive Christmas lights, making new

memories with our families as we celebrate holiday traditions, or spending some time in the solitude of a snowy day with wildlife in your own backyard, there’s no place like home for the holidays! If you’d like to learn how to take better pictures in 2022, join the

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

Peachtree Corners Photography Club where the meetings are free and open to everyone of every skill level. For more information about the Club, go to their website at pcphotoclub.org. ■

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(Photographer/Title) Below, Brian Walton/Charles Dickens Village Christmas trees this page, by Todd Wahl/ The Forum Tree Lighting 2017 (right) and Peachtree Corners White Christmas (left) Middle top, Eric Richter/Travelling Santas Chorus Line Far left, David Dunagan/Snowy Doe Middle bottom, Todd Wahl/Town Center Festive Lights 2020

December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

This page, top, clockwise, Eric Richter/Hanukkah Table for the First Night Eric Richter/But I Don’t Like Green Beans Anna Niziol/Candle Holiday At Church Anna Niziol/Llama Visit Tracey Rice/Tantalizing Treats Everett Sizemore/Old St. Nick David Dunagan/Bib Buck In Snow

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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This page, top right, clockwise, Tracey Rice/Can I Have Them All David Dunagan/Bluebird In Snow Anna Niziol/Veterans Day 2021 Brian Walton/What Child Is This Brian Walton/Thanksgiving Centerpiece Arrangement December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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Peachtree Elementary School Celebrates 50th Anniversary

lanning a party for 870 people is a challenge even in normal times, so how do you celebrate during a pandemic? Just ask any student from Peachtree Elementary School — they celebrated the school’s 50th birthday with bubbles, balloons, books, blue cupcakes and boogie dancing on the 50th day of school, October 18. Students and staff participated in special activities throughout the day to mark the occasion, with many wearing tie-dye clothing as a throwback to 1971, the year

By Angie McCann

Peachtree Elementary opened. Groovy 70s music played in classes as students enjoyed mini dance party “brain breaks.” The art club made banners and parent volunteers made decorations to display in the halls. And even the Peachtree Panther mascot made a special appearance for the day. “Peachtree has a proud history of achievement and providing a positive environment where children learn at a high level,” said Principal Gretchen Runaldue. “It’s exciting to watch our children as they grow and learn.” Mrs. Runaldue has served at Peachtree for 22 years and has seen many changes, including the school’s certification as an International Baccalaureate (IB)

Far left, Eryn Greenstein, Media Specialist and former PES student, welcoming students to the media center for Halloween Above and left, displays celebrating the Peachtree Elementary School 50th anniversary.

Primary Years Programme. Teachers focused on reading, with classes participating in the “Read 50 for the 50th” challenge to read 50 books in October. Many former staff members also contributed by recording themselves reading some of their favorite children’s books, which teachers could share with their students.

Guests share memories and congratulations Several notable guests participated in virtual visits to

commemorate the day, including Dr. Calvin Watts, the new Superintendent of Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS); Dr. Brooks Coleman, Peachtree Elementary’s first principal; and Dr. Mary Kay Murphy, GCPS School Board District 3 Representative. All extended their congratulations on 50 years of teaching and learning, and commended students for their achievements. Dr. Coleman shared stories from the very early years of the school and about its opening day. He told students that the roads were not paved back then, and it had rained for days. He helped wipe mud off students’ shoes with paper towels as they came into the building to keep the new carpet from being ruined.

December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

Top middle, Yolanda Sato, 5th grade teacher and PES Teacher of the Year, dressed in tye dye top in a throwback nod to the school’s opening in 1971 Top right, Dr. Charisse Redditt, Assistant Principal (front) and Megan Cunningham (back), 1st grade teacher and former PES student, blowing bubbles on the playground with first graders to celebrate the school’s 50th birthday Far left last row, Wendy Dore, 2nd grade teacher in class with students, masked up and ready to learn

Dr. Murphy reflected on the development of Peachtree Corners and the vision that developer Paul Duke had for the area, with Peachtree Elementary being a cornerstone of that vision to attract families and businesses to the area. Dr. Watts referenced one of the school’s mottos — “Greatness Grows at Peachtree” — and compared the school to a tree. “The true strength of Peachtree is found in its roots and its rich

history. That history includes a supportive community, caring families and the great leaders and classroom teachers who have served this community,” he said. “The beauty of Peachtree Elementary lies in its branches, represented by the rich diversity of your school community, your students and staff members, and a range of innovative programs that make Peachtree unique,” Dr.

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

Watts added. One of Peachtree Elementary’s great classroom teachers is Mrs. Yolanda Sato,a fifth-grade teacher who has been selected as the school’s Teacher of the Year. She is an enthusiastic IB advocate and appreciates that the program focuses on developing life-long learners. peachtreecornerslife

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Many former and current students have participated in the school’s talent show or the robotics club, both of which she started. Mrs. Sato has been at Peachtree for 16 years, and her now-grown children James and Lauren attended. A resident of Peachtree Corners, Mrs. Sato said, “I see myself not just as a teacher, but as a part of the community.”

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Peachtree teachers and students reminisce The school was much smaller when it opened with 698 students. It was the first school in the county designed with modular walls for open-space team teaching and consisted of just one building. As the community grew through the years, and enrollment increased to as many as 1,800 students, three more buildings housing classrooms and a gymnasium were added to the school. Two additional elementary schools were built in the cluster to relieve overcrowding. It is estimated that the school has served more than 50,000 students and their families in the community. Some of those students have returned to Peachtree Elementary as teachers. Eryn Greenstein, the current Media Specialist, was a student at Peachtree when the media center featured a reading “pit.” In addition to books, the media center now features smart boards, computers and a maker space, but Ms. Greenstein still fondly remembers the pit, which was removed years ago. Shari Hairston, another former student, is now a third-grade teacher, and her two daughters Leah and Sophie attended as well. When she returned in 2017, she recalled feeling like she was “coming home.” She remembered the modular walls and now teaches in what was her first-grade classroom so many years ago — now it now has solid walls. First-grade teacher Lauren Held is the longest-serving teacher at Peachtree with 31 years. She said her favorite grades to teach are first grade, “when they start,” and fifth grade, “when they are transitioning to middle school.” Ms. Held remembered, “When I walked into Peachtree, I just knew it was the right place.” She said that she just loves the children and the school, particularly the multi-cultural aspect, and she gives high praise to her colleagues, saying, “There’s nothing like this staff. There’s always been a great camaraderie.” Wendy Dore, a second-grade teacher, agreed, “Everyone supports each other. It’s been a great

place to work and teach and it’s become my home.” Mrs. Dore is retiring at the end of this year after 14 years, and she said that although much has changed, it’s the same in that, “It’s always about the kids.”

More memories Technology in the classrooms is one of the biggest changes that teachers have experienced. Ms. Held laughed when she talked about using a mimeograph machine to make copies when she was a young teacher. She said, “It’s a strange thing, as technology happens, and we get smart boards and computers, we don’t know how we did it before.” Echoing Mrs. Dore, Mrs. Held said, “At its core, teaching is connecting with the kids and how you impart knowledge into them. It’s about meeting them where they are and getting them to where they need to be.” After a day of celebrating and reflecting on the past 50 years at Peachtree, Mrs. Runaldue wrapped up the day by reading a book to the whole school which students watched virtually in their classrooms. As students lined up and walked to their buses, The Jackson 5 song “ABC” from 1970 played and a sea of bubbles wafted through the front breezeway and into the blue sky. It was the perfect ending to a perfect Peachtree day. ■

Peachtree Elementary School Principals 1971-1975

Dr. Brooks Coleman

1975-1978

George Thompson

1978-1981

Dr. Edith Belden

1981-1984

Jerrilyn Berrong

1984-1992

Deanna Fraker

1992-1998

Maureen DeLoach

1998-2006

Kathy Eichler

2006-2009

Jean Loethen

2009-2013

Dr. Beverly Smith

2014-2017

Kara Dutton

2018- present Gretchen Runaldue

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December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

Paul Duke STEM High School Formula 24 Racing Team Forges a New Path, Assisted by McDonald’s Golden Grant

At Paul Duke STEM High School, their motto is to be trailblazers and make the path for new and creative ideas. That’s exactly what they are doing now, expanding the path of success and building something special with the Paul Duke F24 Racing

By Kelsey Asher

Team. They are officially the only F24 Racing team in Gwinnett County Public Schools but with future success, they hope to see that change. The PDS Formula 24 Racing Team got its start in September 2020 when a senior student, Marco Altamirano-Pacheco, approached the Career and Technical Education Co-Chair Stephen Cochran with the idea of starting a race team at Paul Duke STEM High School. Cochran responded with, “If you can find $5,000 then we will start a team.” A few months later, Altami-

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

rano-Pacheco was driving by McDonald’s when he took a picture of a Golden Grant opportunity offered by the fast-food chain, funded by McDonald’s of Greater Atlanta Owners/ Operators. This local initiative supports individuals, educators, programs and organizations serving students grades K-12 by assisting in funding for creative and hands-on educational and community-minded projects. Altamirano-Pacheco and Cochran applied for the grant with the help of parent Tina Budnitz. They were notified in March 2021 that they had won a $10,000

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Above, left to right: Aaron Ho, Captain of Electrical Systems; Rob Syvertson, Captain of Body Design; Melecio Flores, Team Captain and Pit Crew Chief; Darwin Ramirez, Captain of Driver Training; and Joshua Caldwell, Captain of Social Media. Opposite page, from the team’s first competition.

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fabricating of some of the very complex shapes and structures involved with the body design of our car,” Robert Syvertson said. “I overcame these challenges through perseverance, effort, time,and the exploration of different ideas and strategies to construct and design these systems,” The team has a number of races to prepare for in the new year. To keep up to speed with the PDS F24 Racing team, visit pdsf24racing.com. ■

Race Schedule December 4, 2021 Santa Sprints (F24 race) Columbus, Ga. Golden Grant and they promptly purchased the Greenpower Kit. The Greenpower starter kit provided by Greenpower USA F24 allows students grades 6 through 12 to build Formula 24 cars in a team environment and eventually race in competitions. “A major influence that got me to join was the want to learn more about the mechanics of electric vehicles. I was interested in components of vehicles like motors, chassis, how to maintain the structural integrity of these types of vehicles, and other intricate parts,” Melecio Flores said. The newly formed team spent

the rest of May 2021 building the car, refining the car this summer and spending the first part of this school year getting the car ready for the first competition which was held October 4 in Lafayette, Alabama. The team took 3rd place in the Modified Division. “The experience has been amazing. My teammates and generally the team as one, have brought me a good time on and off the track; to experience the thrill and adrenaline rush with them is just great and I wouldn’t really be here in this position without their constant effort in

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the car,” Darwin Ramirez said. The PDS F24 Racing Team has learned a lot in the course of getting ready to compete and will continue to do so as the program progresses. “Some challenges that I have faced in the construction of the body would have to be the

January 15, 2022 Oxford Green Prix Oxford, Al. February 12, 2022 Columbus Grand Prix Columbus, Ga. April 16, 2022 Diverse Power Grand Prix LaGrange, Ga.

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ome people might find working in a professional setting with their spouse a challenge, but for the two new co-pastors at Simpsonwood United Methodist Church, ministry is the family business that suits them just fine. David and Susan Allen Grady assumed their leadership roles at Simpsonwood on July 6, and since then they have kept rather busy getting to know their faith community. Both pastors are first career clergy that have worked separately in several church management roles in different places. Most of their ministries have been in Intown Atlanta communities around Dekalb county, as well as churches in Cobb and Fulton Counties. For a bit of background, the pair met during seminary at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. David spent some time in the United Kingdom then went back home to Alabama, and later his marriage to Susan led them back to the Atlanta area. Since then, he has lived and worked throughout different parts of Georgia, serving congregations of various sizes in Roswell and the Chamblee/Tucker areas, to name a few. Then the bishop surprisingly called both David and Susan to Peachtree Corners.

The family business Susan grew up as a pastor’s kid in Georgia, so she said, “we kind of jokingly say it’s like our family business.” And the cycle continues as the couple have a daughter in 7th grade at Pinckneyville Middle School. It’s an unexpected perk of the job that with both parents working at the church, the whole family can spend Sunday mornings together in the same place. In the unique position of serv-

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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BELIEVE

Faith, Belief & Purpose

A Match Made in Heaven Husband and Wife Team Up as Simpsonwood UMC Co-Pastors

Opposite page and left, David and Susan Allen Grady

Holiday events, traditional and new

ing together in the same church body for the first time, David and Susan remark on the blessings that the arrangement offers for them personally and for Simpsonwood. “We are different. We have different gifts, different interests and different skills. We know each other well after being married for years, so it’s a blessing to see each other really shining and doing the things that we are both gifted for and love, supporting

each other in that,” Susan said. “And also, having that person that is your equal teammate to bounce ideas off of and to get advice from, to check in with when we’re doing new things, those are some real blessings that we deeply value.” David had this to say in addition to Susan’s thoughts. “And I think another blessing for our congregation and our life is that we get to model leadership a little bit differently, in kind of a shared model leadership. I think the other piece to this is that one of the things we might be learning is that Peachtree Corners is maybe at the front edge of a generational turning over,” he said. “So we can, in our work, model ways of

By Kelsey Asher

Photos by Tracey Rice

being professional, model ways of being in relationships, and model what is healthy and what healthy behavior looks like for life together.” In their short time here in Peachtree Corners, David and Susan have noticed that this is a town with a strong sense of identity and community-mindedness. “This is a destination for people, even more than just the next community over, as in ‘I want to move to the next community over’ for whatever reason. But Peachtree Corners is a place people are choosing specifically and there is a sense of identity in that also.” “It doesn’t feel like a stereotypical suburb because you see people that you know when you go places. This is a community that people are investing themselves in, rather than just a ‘bedroom’ community.”

As the holiday season approaches, there is a palpable sense of anticipation for the extraordinary events that will take place at Simpsonwood UMC. The locally famous Walk Through Bethlehem returns December 10-12 in its more traditional form, as opposed to last year’s movie experience that was incorporated into the online Christmas Eve service. “We are excited to offer a Christmas Eve service that is more what people are used to,” David said. Additionally, a brand-new Traveler’s Christmas Eve service will also be available on December 19, in addition to the standard service times, to accommodate churchgoers that may be out of town at Christmastime. So David and Susan will have ample opportunity to meet and greet with much of their community, and they will continue to dedicate themselves to getting to know what makes Simpsonwood tick. “When we are new in a church, we spend, really, a full year — but definitely the first six month or so — really getting to know the place and the community,” Susan said. “We are excited to see what the Christmas traditions are, those in Peachtree Corners and Simpsonwood, and bring our own ideas, like the Travel’s Christmas service,” Susan said. For more information on David, Susan and Simpsonwood UMC, please visit simpsonwoodumc.org. ■

December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

Much to Rejoice

Father Charles Byrd Assumes Role as New Pastor at Mary Our Queen Catholic Church

By Kelsey Asher

Photo by Tracey Rice

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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ather Charles Arthur Byrd has led a rich, fulfilling personal and ministerial life prior to accepting his latest leadership role this July as the new Pastor at Mary Our Queen Catholic Church. “Former pastors led in the building of our new church. Father Byrd, another visionary, will lead this parish forward,” longtime parishioner Jim Gaffey said. It’s a daunting task to come into an established body of faith and make a positive difference, but Father Byrd is well up to the challenge. “[Peachtree Corners] is a wonderful community, with a lot of good families. A lot of names to learn, but it’s a great parish,” Father Byrd said. Prior to seminary, Father Byrd worked in the exciting world of advertising, residing in Louisville, Kentucky for seven years. Father Byrd was raised Protestant,

The road to Peachtree Corners In his introductory letter to Mary Our Queen, Father Byrd describes his faith journey of self-discovery that eventually led him to pursue a higher calling of community service and a dedicated seminary program. He finished his pre-theology at a Benedictine seminary in southwestern Pennsylvania, then his Bachelor’s of Sacred Theology at a Jesuit University in Rome and his License in Sacred Theology at a Dominican University in Rome. Father Byrd was ordained a deacon in St. Peter’s Basilica by the future Pope Benedict in 1999. Archbishop Donoghue ordained him a priest in Atlanta in 2001. As a newly ordained priest, Father Byrd served for nearly two years at St. Andrew’s Parish in Roswell. From there he was sent to teach and do formation

Byrd’s extensive career trajectory has taken him across the globe, and yet he continues to return to his home state of Georgia, to Atlanta for almost two years at The Cathedral of Christ the King, then to Jasper as pastor at Our Lady of the Mountains for over a decade. Now twenty years into his priesthood, Father Byrd shows no signs of slowing down and no waning of enthusiasm, as he is eager to begin a new chapter with Mary Our Queen. “Worship is, after all, who we are. I like embracing the whole of Catholicism. It is a great joy to me. The teacher in me will help us embrace together more and more of our rich heritage,” Father Byrd said in his introductory letter. “Father Byrd’s unique background, focus and joyous approach, continuing the building of community, is already having an impactful effect,” Gaffey reported.

Looking forward

Above, Father Charles Arthur Byrd Right, Mary Our Queen during service

faithfully attending church in his hometown of Newnan, Georgia with his mother and father, brother and two sisters. During his time in Louisville, he was introduced to Catholicism and began singing in the choir at St. Martin’s, as well as serving as the cantor for the Latin Mass there.

work at St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe where he had studied pre-theology. In his letter to Mary Our Queen, Father Byrd expresses a profound love of the teaching aspects of being in a pastoral position, helping priests and parishioners alike in their spiritual and liturgical growth. Father

There is much to rejoice about at Mary Our Queen, and much to look forward to in the coming season and year. “We have a busy schedule coming up. We just did our All Soul’s Requiem mass and All Saint’s mass,” Father Byrd said. “Then we have Thanksgiving coming up and Advent starting. Christmas is going to be kind of complicated this year as it falls on a Saturday, so a busy time. We have the choir back, singing and doing a great job.” For more information about Father Byrd and Mary Our Queen, visit maryourqueen.com. ■

December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

Norcross Presbyterian Dedicates Renovated Historic Church Building

very special and spiritual day occurred recently for Norcross Presbyterian Church (NPC) as an official dedication ceremony took place to celebrate the church’s move into their newly renovated old church home of 89 Jones Street. On Sunday October 17, the congregation came together to commiserate. A revered guest spoke at this momentous occasion. Reverend Dr. Lewis Fowler, Jr. was the pastor of NPC from 1966 to 1974 during a turbulent time for Gwinnett County and the nation. He recounted some poignant moments in the life of the church, moments when the church was a progressive leader on issues like desegregation and the war in Vietnam. Fowler was the last pastor to preach in the historic church before the move in 1972. Executive Presbyter Aisha Brooks-Johnson and other rep-

By Kelsey Asher

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■

Above left, left to right: Chip Blankenship, Aishe Brooks-Johnson, Rev. Matthew Fry, Cassandra Morrow and Dr. Lewis Fowler, Jr. Photos provided by Jason Bernando.

resentatives of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta were present to support the mission of Norcross Presbyterian Church in its new home. A bit of background is needed to pinpoint the meaning behind this move. Back in 1899, the NPC congregation built a small white church with a distinctive bell tower in downtown Norcross, the church on Jones Street. NPC worshiped there for 73 years. In 1972, they sold the property and moved to a more modern building not far away. The old church building endured. And now, 50 years later, the NPC congregation is moving back into

their previous home church in order to return to a more intimate religious setting that better suits a modest church body. NPC Administrator Jason Bernando explains further implications of the move and the improvements to the building that have been made. “The goal of the renovation was to maintain the historic look and feel of the building, but to also give it modern amenities and functionality. A great example are the stained glass windows. These windows were an original feature of the building in 1899,” Bernando said. “The three ornate windows memorialize three historical persons from the early church. These winpeachtreecornerslife

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dows were removed back in 1972 and installed in the church we moved into at that time. We are very excited to bring the windows back to the Jones Street building and restore them to their former glory,” he added. Efforts have been taken to modernize the church, with features “that include wireless audio and video capabilities that amplify sound, show graphics and videos, and stream services live on the internet. Not bad for a building that was constructed before electricity came to Norcross!” Bernando said. For more information about Norcross Presbyterian, visit norcrosspresbyterian.org. ■

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Peachtree Corners, GAC wishes you a Merry Christmas and a joyful New Year! December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

COMMUNITY

City Manager Looks Back on Five Years of Accomplishments Looking Ahead to Booming Future

rom the Curiosity Lab to a new City Hall, City Manager Brian Johnson has steered Peachtree

By John Ruch

Corners through many big changes in his first five years on the job. Not that he’s taking credit for it. “We have had some wins,” says Johnson, who started the job in September 2016. “But again, I want to stress the whole ‘we.’ I might be the CEO of the city, ... and the mayor and the council are our board of direc-

Photos by George Hunter

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

tors, ... but the ‘we’ is critical here. I can’t do it without mayor and council support. I can’t do it without my staff’s support.” Johnson said he surrounds himself with department heads who “I would like to think are smarter than me” and keeps them focused on city service. “We get in early, we leave late, [and] try to make this the best community we can be to live, work and play,” he said. Mayor Mike Mason says he’s glad the city brought Johnson onto that team. peachtreecornerslife

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“Although Brian was not from the area and moved here shortly after he was hired, in many ways, he saw the city the same way I did from the start — and I’m a 30-plus-year resident who led the ‘Yes!’ campaign and became the first mayor,” said Mason. “That’s been a gift to have someone who shares the vision and then, most importantly, takes action to get things done. I’m told by other mayors that this ‘sense of ownership’ is unique. He has a relentlessly positive, can-do attitude, and that is so appeachtreecornerslife

preciated by the council, citizens and staff.”

Opposite page, City Manager Brian Johnson

Managing a city

Right, surrounding Johnson, some of many military citations and awards for service.

A city manager oversees the day-to-day operations of a municipality. Johnson got the taste for the unusual job in an even more unusual way. A Navy intelligence analyst in the 1990s, Johnson switched to the Army and became an infantry officer in the Iraq War. There he found himself as the officer in charge of restoring services to the Sadr City district of Baghdad after the successful U.S. invasion. “It was pretty cool to see it come back to life,” said Johnson. “A city is only as good as the services it can provide. Years later, when I decided to retire... I realized I really enjoyed that kind of thing.” Back home, he got a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Georgia and embarked on a city manager career. He started in the Savannah suburb of Garden City, then managed the city of Anniston, Alabama before coming to Peachtree Corners. Among the professional attractions were the city’s roots in Technology Park and its history as the place where such tech as the modem and the color printer were invented. After all, every city aims to be known for something, Johnson says, and Peachtree Corners already was. “It’s nice to have that thing that has already been created, to feed and care for it, to ensure it doesn’t die,” he said. As city manager, Johnson has no typical day, aside from his commitment to being an extreme early riser who aims to be in the office around 5:30 a.m. And no wonder. He said a workday could include talking with Gwinnett County police about street racing, handling a neighborhood complaint about trash collection, working with a company looking to move or expand here, and dealing with a homeowner upset about a neighbor’s tree about to fall on their property. That’s not counting scheduled meetings. “It could go anywhere on a particular day,” said Johnson.

“You could encapsulate a lot of what I do as firefighting.” He says he comes in when the “fire’s a little too hot or too big for a staff member to handle it.” Another important part of the job, he said, is shielding department heads and staff from the pressures of policy debates. “I keep them from being distracted from too much political interference, from too much resident interference,” he said.

Accomplishments, big and small The mayor and council have tasked Johnson with carrying out several city-changing tasks. The establishment of Curiosity Lab, the “smart city” and autonomous vehicle test track, in 2019 was a big one that has been “an economic development magnet,” Johnson says. There was the lack of a traditional downtown, tackled with the creation of Town Center alongside the Forum, which also celebrated a 2019 opening. A small and hard-to-access City Hall in rented space was replaced in 2017 with a move to a bigger building the city owns. On the economic development front, Johnson and the administration played a role in Intuitive Surgical’s recently announced $600 million expansion of its campus in the city, one of the largest such projects in county history. On the smaller scale, he said the city helped to reduce Technology Park vacancies and bring in around 10,000 jobs. “There are some things that don’t necessarily tie to a bricksand-mortar accomplishment,” he added. “We have been successful in keeping the city’s millage rate to zero. We don’t have a property tax.” “In some cases, the accomplishments are merely me keeping the trains running on time. Some are not particularly

sexy, not particularly evident to the untrained eye,” Johnson said. Some of the achievements are more bureaucratic and diplomatic, like the 2018 reworking of the city charter to make it mesh with state law about so-called city-lite governments like Peachtree Corners, with limited services and no property tax. That move spooked some residents about possible government expansion, which has not happened.

Challenges now and in the future As far as challenges in leading Peachtree Corners, Johnson says it faces many that bedevil all cities. There’s the “age-old one” of never having enough money to do all of the paving, parks and public safety on a wish list, and the occasional frictions with other cities or the “state trying to take away local control.” In Peachtree Corners, there

are the added challenges of paying for everything solely with business and sales taxes, and the political tensions that come with being a very young city whose opponents to the founding are still watching carefully, not in some centuries-distant past. The historic COVID-19 pandemic was a massive challenge that Johnson says will continue to have lasting local impacts due to the ways it accelerated changes in work and retail, shifting them to virtual, remote and online versions. With more online shopping, the city has to consider the health of local stores. With less business travel, the city wants to make sure its hotels remain robust. With more remote work, the area is already seeing people moving here rather than living closer to Atlanta jobs. That remote-work factor is just part of what Johnson says is the major challenge — and

December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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Gwinnett County officials cut the ribbon on the rehabilitated and enhanced Crooked Creek Water Reclamation Facility (6557 Plant Drive, Peachtree Corners) on Tuesday, Oct. 26. Renovations include upgrades to the electrical and computer systems, odor control systems, biological reactor basins, solids handling, UV system and clarifiers. The $136 million project modernizes the facility and enhances safety and efficiency. Gwinnett Water Resources Director Tyler Richards moderated the event. Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Nicole L. Hendrickson and District 2 Commissioner Ben Ku provided remarks.■

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an inviting community for all.” Johnson is enthusiastic about the city’s future because it’s his future, too. He, his wife Cheri and their two children live here. “I’m invested as anyone,” he said. “I very much have a personal stake in how well this community does or does not perform, which, again, is pretty cool — pretty cool when we exceed our own expectations, not so cool when we miss the mark and I beat myself up.” “It’s a true honor to be sitting at the table where decisions about the direction a community is going [are being made] — That’s a pretty solemn, important duty that I don’t take lightly,” Johnson said. “And I feel honored every day, I feel lucky every day, that we have opportunity to do that.” ■

Modernized Crooked Creek Water Reclamation Facility

IS THE RESULT LOWER THAN YOU EXPECTED?

IS THE RESULT BETTER THAN YOU EXPECTED?

opportunity — of the future: coping with and harnessing the success of “explosive” growth in metro Atlanta overall and this piece of Gwinnett in particular. “So we are having a very significant amount of pressure being placed on us for additional housing of all types,” he said. “So managing that growth and also ensuring that our current residents are not affected [are big challenges].” And then there’s the redevelopment of some existing areas that the city would like to spur, he added. Another challenge of growth that Johnson says the city is handling well is to “make sure that everybody feels welcome” as the city becomes more racially and ethnically diverse. “We are now technically, as they say, a minority-majority city,” he said, adding that is “indicative of the fact this community is seen as

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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Relocated Norcross Branch of Gwinnett County Public Library Now Open Gwinnett County hosted a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the completion of the new Norcross Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library. It was held on Tuesday, Oct. 26 at 5735 Buford Highway in Norcross. The new branch — located on a 1.6acre site connected to Lillian Webb Park — is about twice as large as the previous Norcross Branch facility. Features include 45 computer stations, three learning labs, two study rooms, a meeting room that can fit 120 people, an outdoor pedestrian plaza and a 128-space parking deck. The library and parking deck are the result of a partnership with the city of Norcross. The County’s share of the project is funded by the 2009 and 2014 SPLOST programs. Gwinnett County Public Library Executive Director Charles Pace moderated the event. Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson, District 2 Commissioner Ben Ku, Norcross Mayor Craig Newton and Gwinnett County Public Library Board of Trustees Chair Dr. Wandy Taylor provided remarks. ■

Interior photos of the new Norcross Library (Photos from GCPL Facebook) Far right, District 2 Commissioner Ben Ku reading to children in attendance.

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December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Tough-Love Teacher Preps NHS Drama Students for Stage and Life

ina Peverley Parrish, Norcross High School (NHS) Theatre Director, is the first to admit it. She’s strict. She doesn’t coddle kids. She would never hand out a participation trophy. Her Thespian Troupe members must become familiar with all aspects of theatre, from lighting to sound. They make their own costumes and build next-level

sets. They’re expected to show up for rehearsals after school and on weekends and to give every performance everything they’ve got. “When a student who is thinking about auditioning for a show asks me if it is hard work, my response is, ‘You bet it is,’” Parrish said. “Nothing makes me more proud than when someone says after a show how shocked they were that they were watching a high school show. It seemed so much more professional than they had imagined. In class and at rehearsal, we want to have fun, learn about theatre, and always demonstrate a strong work ethic.”

By Donna Williams Lewis

Photos by Richard Phillips

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

For Parrish, now in her 30th year of teaching drama at NHS, this has been a recipe for success. The NHS Thespian Troupe slayed at Georgia High School Association competition this fall, taking first place at the Region 7AAAAAAA One-Act Play State Championships with a performance from the musical comedy “Nunsense.” Claire Sauls, a junior, won Best Actress, and seniors Makena Hilsmier and Ella Bullock were named to the competition’s All-Star Cast. Earlier this fall, Claire was cast in the 2022 All State Theatre Opening Number Production for the Georgia State Thespian Conference. While sweet, these victories are par for the course for Parrish, who was inducted into the national Educational Theatre Association’s Hall of Fame in 2017 and who’s seen some of her students become peachtreecornerslife

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professional actors. “We’ve won our region many times, been to state many times. We won one state championship, in 2009. For me, once we get to state, to be honest, it’s not whether we win or not. It’s that the kids get there, and they do the very best job that they can do,” she said.

‘You learn how to command a room’ Claire plans to go into an arts field after high school and enjoys the competitive aspect of theatre troupe. “You get the chance to feel what a true competition is like … which will be really helpful in the real world,” she said. Of the drama program, she said, “I love how many opportunities are given to me. There’s always a chance to do better roles and learn fundamentals like dancing and singing.” Ella and Makena aren’t planning drama-related careers, but they say theatre education has helped them in many ways. For Ella, the program has been

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a great way to make friends and she said it has boosted her organizational skills. “You take on a lot of responsibilities in drama and I think that really prepares you for the outside world,” she said. Makena says the program “helped me come into my own as an actor, as a performer, and well, as just a person.” Drama is also helping her prepare to become a teacher, she said. “You learn how to be confident with yourself. You learn how to command a room. I’m one of the co-presidents of our troupe, so I’m really working on my leadership, work ethic and team-building skills,” Makena said.

A family at school The two seniors’ mothers, Kristi Bullock and D’Anne Hilsmier, are Drama Booster Club co-presidents. “For the last couple of years, we have been joined at the hip, planning and organizing the needs for the drama department and students,” Bullock said. She credits the troupe’s success

in large part to Parrish’s leadership, which she says goes well beyond what happens on stage. “She’s like a football coach. … She can be very direct. There’s lots of tears and laughter and she doesn’t hold back criticism. She’s truly just trying to make them their best self on stage,” Bullock said. “So it can be challenging, but the reward is when they get the standing ovations and they win the region competition and all that kind of stuff.” Claire appreciates the wealth of knowledge that Parrish, known by the nickname “Pev,” shares with her students. As Makena puts it, Parrish is “just all around an amazing teacher.” After working in theatre in New York City and Virginia, Parrish decided she wanted to teach high school theatre and got her Master’s in Education from the University of Virginia. She taught in Orange, Va. for three years, moved to Duluth in 1992 and then began teaching at NHS. “High school is a last chance

Photos on this spread: Nunsense is about a group of nuns who are putting on a little variety show to help raise money for an important cause. They are putting it on in the church rectory where the 8th graders are putting on the play Grease. They promised the kids they would not disrupt their set while putting on their own show thus the Grease set. Above, Makena Hilsmier, Gina Parrish, Claire Sauls and Ella Bullock

for a lot of kids to do a little bit of everything,” Parrish said. “I have a bunch of football players and water polo players that will be auditioning for our spring musical, ‘Grease,’ so that’s kind of fun.” She’s proud of NHS Drama “and the many graduates who have moved on and become productive members of society.” “Our theatre program, much like that of sports, band and others,

gives students a family at school — an outlet and place to belong. For some, if it were not for their extracurricular activity, they might not have stayed in school,” Parrish said. “That is one of the things I am most proud of, being a part of an amazing group of teachers who care so much about their kids and give all they have to ensure their success.” ■

December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

In Their Own Words

Actors Chandler Massey and Brad Benedict are both alumni of the NHS Thespian Troupe. Massey, a three-time Daytime Emmy Award winner, is a regular on the soap opera “Days of Our Lives” and has appeared in several drama series. Benedict is an actor, producer and a regular on the prime-time series, “The Oval.” Peachtree Corners Magazine asked the actors to share a highlight of their time in the troupe and tell us how the drama program and teacher Gina Parrish impacted their lives. We also asked them for a message for current students.

Brad Benedict Participated in Norcross Theatre in the spring of 2003 and graduated from NHS in 2004. The highlight of my time in Norcross Theatre was the spring musical my junior year, “Bye Bye Birdie.” I had no formal acting experience going in, and ended up being cast in the leading role, Albert Peterson, with several song and dance numbers. A memory for a lifetime. Norcross Theatre changed my life forever. It was the first, and only time, I ever auditioned for any acting role before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a professional acting career. “Bye Bye Birdie” gave me my first real taste of the stage and performance, and I immediately fell in love. It was one of the scariest things I had ever done to that point, but also one of the most rewarding and character building.

I was a completely green actor who Ms. Pev, as we called her during my days at NHS, was willing to take a chance on and groom and believe in. In doing so, she had a hand in changing my life forever for the better. Her gamble on casting me, and willingness to help me grow, instilled a sense of belief in my soul that, by putting myself out there, and with a lot of hard work, I could achieve anything. She ignited a spark that I have carried with me ever since that has led me to take chances, bet on myself, choose the path less traveled, and, in turn, has brought overflowing fulfillment to my life. I am forever grateful.

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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Clockwise from left, Brad Benedict Bye Bye BIrdie (NHS) 2003 OVAL on BET NHS Drama Bye Bye BIrdie (NHS) 2003 OVAL on BET Benedict with Gina Parrish

I’m currently living my dream as a cast member on a TV show, created and directed by Tyler Perry, called “The Oval,” that airs on BET Networks. We just finished filming our fourth season last week. I also filmed a movie that will be released on Netflix in 2022 called “A Jazzman’s Blues,” where I play a small-town sheriff in the 1940s. ‘Jazzman’ is probably the project I am most proud to have been a part of to date. To all those students with a big dream, I leave you with this quote by Theodore Roosevelt that has meant so much to me: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again; … who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” ■

Chandler Massey Participated in Norcross Theatre from 2006-2009 and graduated from NHS in 2009. My favorite moment would probably be playing the lead in the musical “Little Shop of Hor-

Top, Chandler Massey Above and right, Massey’s time at Norcross High School

rors” my sophomore year. It was my first big role and helped me gain a lot of confidence. It feels weird to type Gina Parrish, so I will just refer to her as Pev from now on (we all called her that). If it weren’t for Pev, I would be a financial analyst (or something similarly dry) right now. She

gave all of us misfit theater kids a home, a place where we felt we belonged and could contribute in a meaningful way. She was a drill sergeant, and she cared more about us as individuals than any teacher I have ever had. She transformed me from a child with crippling social anxiety to a young man who didn’t think twice about singing and dancing in front of hundreds of members of the community. The Norcross Theatre wing felt like it existed on a different plane than the rest of the school, a consequence of the incredible environment Pev fostered. She demonstrated to all of us the value of developing a strong work ethic. She instilled in us a love of working together to create something bigger than ourselves. It wasn’t even about acting, or singing, or dancing. It was about

us, a group that for the most part didn’t fit in anywhere else. She gave us a home, and thanks to her I had the resolve to pursue a career in the arts. I’m not really good at giving advice, but I will say that at some point you will stumble upon something that makes hours feel like minutes. One sure path to a meaningful life is to pursue that thing despite the difficulties and obstacles that will inevitably rise up to challenge you. ■

December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

Memorable Moments of Parrish

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Gina Parrish is a very accomplished Drama Director and pushes her students to be the best they can be. I’ve seen her frustrated with them, yelling at them and at the same time loving them and encouraging them fully. That’s the Gina Parrish I knew some 25 years ago when she did a Community Play inviting adult actors to be a part of the cast for “Fiddler on the Roof”. I happened to be one of those cast members who was given the role of “Lazar Wolf the Butcher” while my 10th Grade Daughter played the role of my “Dead Wife”. Gina also cast some very accomplished local adult actors in that play along with parents such as myself. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. When I walked into that Theatre yesterday and spoke to Gina and saw what she had done with these High School Thespians, the awards and fame they have received was noticeable immediately. I also saw many of the theatrical techniques she instilled and directed into some very talented youth, so much like I experienced 25 years ago. I came to tears yesterday when Gina asked me to critique the play. I told them how much I appreciated their talents and saw so much of what I knew to be Gina’s hand at making a memorable performance. I also told them that they will always remember their days at Norcross High School Drama and will always appreciate what Gina gives them in the way of encouragement to be the best they can be. ■ Richard Phillips was the photographer on this feature article.

Support the Troupe! A message from Kristi Bullock, NHS Drama Booster Club co-president “First and foremost, come to our shows. We rely on ticket sales and there’s nothing that makes a better show and experience for the students than to have a full theatre. That is why they exist! Second, when at the show, buy concessions including fresh popcorn! All proceeds go to NHS Drama and fund future shows — the bigger the budget, the better the show.” The Booster Club also asks for donations to the Brady Bullock Memorial Scholarship Fund, which benefits NHS Drama seniors. The scholarship honors the memory of Bullock’s son and his love for the drama program. Brady lost his battle with brain cancer in his junior year. For more information, contact Bullock at kbullock@tropicalsmoothie. com. ■

Upcoming productions The NHS Thespian Troupe typically puts on four shows each year. Their One-Act play has already been presented. ■

The musical comedy “Nunsense” will be performed Dec. 9-12.

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“The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition,” runs March 3-6, 2022.

■

The musical “Grease” will be presented May 5-8, 2022.

Keep up with the troupe at nhs-drama.com and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat.

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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Local Author Releases Children’s Book: Billy the Blue-Stitched Ball cations Specialist with Canon Solutions America, a branch of Canon U.S.A. But Scafetta’s career started as a sports journalist, covering high school athletics and local colleges. Credit lines of note include articles for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, and many more before shifting to the marketing and corporate communications field. Some fun trivia about Scafetta, given the recent Atlanta Braves World Series victory, is that despite

ohn W. Scafetta is a New York transplant who moved to Georgia in 2020 just prior to the pandemic, along with his wife Sarah and 13-month-old daughter Sienna. The family is pretty new to the area, living in Buckhead before

By Kelsey Asher

calling Peachtree Corners home about a year ago. They have started to settle into the community by virtually attending services at the Christ the King Lutheran Church. And Scafetta is already making a name for himself, publishing a debut children’s book with Page Publishing titled Billy the Blue-Stitched Baseball, a creative tale about a unique baseball who learns how to deal with being teased for not looking like the other baseballs due to his irregular blue laces. Scafetta currently works as a Senior Marketing Communi-

growing up in New York, Scafetta is actually a die-hard Atlanta Braves fan. Prior to his grandparents passing away, they retired to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Between the proximity to Atlanta and TBS broadcasting games

nationwide at the time, Scaffetta became a huge baseball and Braves fan from the age of four. “Needless to say, us Braves fans have had an unbelievable year!” Scaffetta said. So perhaps all that dreaming in the afterglow of the baseball diamond culminated in his latest writing project. “I never envisioned writing a children’s book, to be honest. As I was brainstorming ideas for my first non-fiction book, I began to think about why I first fell in love with baseball. My grandfather, who I previously mentioned above, got me into baseball. We would analyze stats, watch games together, discuss the strategy and history of the game,” Scafetta said. About the time that Scafetta pondered the question of a story worth telling, the birth of his daughter became a source of inspiration. “As an anti-bullying advocate, I wanted to create something that would teach not only my daughter but other children the Golden Rule of treating others the way you want to be treated and following your dreams no matter what others might say,” Scafetta said. The charming story is currently available on all platforms, including Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Keep an eye out for Scafetta’s next creative ventures, as he’s currently in the research phase of his next book, a non-fiction journalistic piece, tentatively titled “The Paper Chase.” It will examine the impact print journalism’s coverage has had on 20 specific events in baseball history. He’s also brainstorming his next sports-related children’s book, as well as outlining a future novel in the thriller genre. ■

December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

NOURISH

Down on the Farm

any Peachtree Corners residents may not know that there is a farm downtown, right off Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. Joan and Rob Flanders started Corner Greens Farm right before the pandemic. The Flanders have lived in Peachtree Corners for over 27 years. Their kids went to the local schools and are fully grown now. Since starting their farm, the family has quickly become a staple of the Peachtree Corners community. Whatever you’re currently picturing when you hear the word

By Kris Bird

“farm,” this is not it. At Corner Greens Farm, instead of weathered red barns and silos, you will find industrial shipping containers, LED grow lights and a hightech irrigation system. Joan and Rob purchased the shipping container for their vertical farm in January of 2020, thinking they would sell to highend restaurants. As the story goes, they pivoted and ended up transitioning to online farmer’s markets, a niche that desperately needed to be filled in the wake of the pandemic. In March of 2020, they purchased the property on 6579 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, which was zoned for commercial. After successfully opening the location in May of 2020, they subsequently bought a second

Photos by George Hunter

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

container farm system in September of 2020 — and then a third container farm system in October of 2021. Each farm holds a 40foot shipping container, where the vertical farm grows inside under ideal, controlled growing conditions. Each shipping container farm yields about the same amount of produce as a four-acre farm.

Local, fresh produce The Flanders are both vegans, and after retirement they were looking for a project to keep the community healthier by providing local produce to an area where it isn’t always readily available. “It’s also a great way to get to know the people in the community,” Joan said. In Georgia, you can only typically grow lettuce for a few months out of the year, in fact, 90% of the peachtreecornerslife

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lettuce you see in stores is grown in California. But with climate-controlled, vertical farming, Corner Greens Farm is growing lettuce for the residents of Peachtree Corners, 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. The problem with lettuce from California, is that by the time it reaches the stores here, it’s already been about 10 days since it was pulled from the ground, and it will be about weeks until it’s consumed. Every day the lettuce is out of the ground, it is quickly losing nutrients, so by the time you eat it, there has been a significant nutrient loss. At Corner Greens Farm, the lettuce is seeded, planted and harvested every single week. They first plant the seeds in the pods and move them to the seedling area. Then, after the seedlings sprout,

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they are then moved to the vertical gardens. The whole process takes about three to four weeks; they harvest Monday through Wednesday and make deliveries and pickups from Monday through Thursday. “By the time you buy lettuce from us, it has never sat more than one to two days,” Joan said proudly.

The future of farming Joan and Rob first purchased the shipping container farms from a company called Freight Farms in Boston. They delivered the shipping containers using a huge crane and hook with everything in them. Then Joan and Rob just had the simple task of figuring out how to become farmers. While these shipping container growers may not look like your grandfather’s farm, they still come with the same amount of work. While Joan and Rob once thought that they would open up a retail store to sell their produce, Joan mused that there never seems to be enough time when you’re living the

“farm life.” But the work that Joan and Rob are putting into it must be paying off, because the CEO of Freight Farms is coming out for a visit this month to check out their operation. According to Freight Farms, Corner Greens is doing better than most other farms they have installed. Corner Greens Farm is the future of farming; it is 100% sustainable. They use about 98% less water than traditional farms through irrigation technology you might have only seen in science fiction movies. They start with nutrients in the water, which is dispensed at the top of the vertical grow wall. It drips down the plants until it is collected at the bottom in drip tanks, and then re-used. Because it is climate controlled, no moisture is lost in the air; it is simply captured in the AC units and the water from the air is also used to water the plants. LED grow lights are left on for 16 hours, then turned off for eight

Center Rob and Joan Flanders Left and right, images from their hydroponic farm housed in shipping containers

hours to give the plants a “nighttime.” Corner Greens sends out monthly samples for lab analysis and Joan is happy to say that the nutrients in their plants are currently at an optimal level. “Once you’ve had our lettuce, it is going to be hard to go back to store-bought,” Joan said. You can get Salad Mix, (with or without the root ball still attached) Rainbow Chard, Spinach Chard, Kale, Arugula, Herbs, or you can choose a specially curated mixed bag based on what is fresh that week. Corner Greens Farm donates all leftovers to food banks. Be sure to visit their website, CornerGreensFarm.com, to order or to learn more. ■

Where to find Corner Greens Farm produce You can pick up produce directly from Corner Greens Farm, 6579 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Monday-Thursday, or sign up for a weekly subscription with deliveries every Wednesday. Corner Greens Farm produce is also available at: ■ Living Well Farmer’s Market ■

Floral Park Market

■

Market Wagon East (or pay $5.99 for a delivery)

■ Norcross Community Market Online, and ■ Tucker Farmer’s Market (with Wednesday pickup in Thrasher Park).

December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

GREAT AMERICAN COMFORT FOODS, EVERYTHING FAMILIAR BUT BETTER!

Where to Order or Eat Holiday Feasts, Foods and Treats By Kelsey Asher

If you are like many of us, the idea of hosting everyone for a festive holiday dinner fills you to the brim with equal parts cheer and existential dread. Why? Because how are you going to feed all these people without completing losing your mind?! Have no fear with your cheer this year. Local Peachtree Corners restaurants are here to help feed your multitudes, so everyone has a full belly and a happy heart.

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill 5215 Town Center Boulevard, Peachtree Corners peachtree-corners.firebirdsrestaurants.com

Catering Available

770-676-5846

www.eatingamericana.com 5450 Peachtree Parkway, suite 7A Norcross, Ga 30092 Follow us ON

HOURS Lunch Monday-Friday 11-2 Dinner Monday-Saturday 5-8 BRUNCH SATURDAY & SUNDAY 10-2

Holiday Feast and Gift Cards Order a fully prepared holiday meal for the whole family — no fuss, no muss. Pre-order by December 20 and pick up December 23 or 24. Otherwise, you can give the gift of a delicious meal by purchasing $100 in gift cards, then receive a $20 bonus (for a limited time). More info at peachtree-corners.firebirdsrestaurants.com/promotions/. Winter Features Firebirds Wood Fired Grill’s Winter Features menu is set to impress this holiday season and will be available through January 4. The contemporary restaurant is known for its wood fired grilled steak, seafood, chicken and ribs. Firebirds’ lunch and dinner entrées feature seasonal, fresh ingredients.

PEACHTREE CORNERS, GA

SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS 11:00AM - 3:00PM Make your Bruncher Bottomless with 2 hours of unlimited brunch cocktails for only $2495

FOR PARTY RESERVATIONS OR FOR PRIVATE EVENTS PLEASE CALL 470-532-1010 WWW.UNCLEJACKSMEATHOUSEPEACHTREE.COM

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

Shareables • Fresh Burrata — a variety of fresh, ripe tomatoes, basil oil, balsamic reduction, smoky hot honey drizzle and charred bread. • Bananas Foster Bread Pudding — vanilla bean ice cream, spiced pecans and crispy cinnamon-sugar tortilla. Lunch • Smoked Sea Salt-Crusted Grilled NY Strip (10-ounce or 16-ounce) — topped with Merlot-shallot butter and served with five-cheese killer mac and cheese. • Lobster Fondue Salmon (8-ounceo) — wood grilled salmon topped with lobster and spinach fondue, served with Parmesan mashed potatoes. Dinner • Parmesan Crusted Red Snapper — served with “loaded” ember-grilled corn, fresh asparagus and topped with coal-roasted tomato-basil sauce. • Smoked Sea Salt-Crusted Grilled NY Strip (10-ounce or 16-ounce) — topped with Merlot-shallot butter and served with five-cheese killer mac and cheese. • Lobster Fondue Salmon — wood grilled salmon, topped with lobster and spinach fondue, served with Parmesan mashed potatoes.

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS! VISIT US TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR SPECIALS

www.PeachyCornerCafe.com

6365 SPALDING DRIVE | PEACHTREE CORNERS, GA 30092

PLACE AN ONLINE ORDER BY SCANNING OUR QR CODE

games. wings.

that’s a win.

catering packages available for your game day parties! Prices, portions, styles, and availability subject to change. Management reserves all rights.

chicken wings & other things

+ football hootswings.com

get the hoots wings app & earn rewards!

Peachtree Corners Town Center 5215 Town Center Blvd, Ste 680 (470) 462-2800

December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

Corner Greens Farm

Hyper-local hydroponic produce, pesticide/herbicide free, 365 days a year

20% OFF

your first order with coupon code PCM Order online at cornergreensfarm.com Owned and operated by your neighbors, Joan & Rob Flanders 6579 Peachtree Ind. Blvd Peachtree Corners, GA 30092

Where to Eat

Eating Americana 5450 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 7A, Peachtree Corners eatingamericana.com Christmas Dinner Special for Four — oven-roasted tenderloin, scalloped potatoes and sautéed green beans, garnished with red bell peppers and complimented with Chef’s demi. The cost is $120 per package, tax not included. Packages can be picked up on or before December 23 by noon, as the restaurant will be closed for a private catered event. The restaurant will be closed for the holidays on December 24-26.

Peterbrooke Chocolatier at the Forum 5135 Peachtree Parkway #930, Peachtree Corners peterbrookeatlanta.com Do you have a sweet tooth, or a loved one who dreams in chocolate? Then you better make a stop at Peterbrooke this holiday. The selection is endless, from irresistible popcorn trio tins and assorted chocolate gift boxes to office party platters, caramel apples and chocolate covered strawberries. Willy Wonka’s got nothing on these guys.

Marlow’s Tavern 5210 Town Center Boulevard Suite 260 Peachtree Corners marlowstavern.com/locations/peachtreecorners Buy a $50 gift card and get a bottle of Michelle Brut sparkling wine OR purchase a $100 gift card for a complimentary bottle and a bonus $20 gift card. Promotion through December 31. More information at marlowstavern.com.

Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar 5224 Peachtree Parkway Peachtree Corners lazydogrestaurants.com

ONLINE ORDERING

CheeseBurgerBobbys.com

TAKE OUT/DINE-IN: 6050 PEACHTREE PARKWAY • PEACHTREE CORNERS

go the extra mile with extra everything. or keep it light and just right. 5210 Town Center Blvd, Suite 210 Peachtree Corners, GA 30093 (470) 233-7586

$3 off your purchase (show this ad)

Houses for the Holidays —DIY Gingerbread House Kits, benefitting Habitat for Humanity, are available for $6.95 each. Have memorable fun with the family by building a colorful home for a gingerbread family and help a real-life family at the same time. Lazy Dog is proud to support Habitat for Humanity this holiday season with a commitment of $100,000 through December 31. The net proceeds (sales price less cost of goods) of $2.12 per kit will be donated. Learn more at the Lazy Dog website.

Uncle Jack’s Meat House To advertise in this section please contact Julie Davis at julie@livinginpeachtreecorners.com

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

5222 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 920, Peachtree Corners unclejacksmeathousepeachtree.com Hosting a holiday party and need a nice location? Uncle Jack’s Meat House in Peachtree Corners can accommodate groups of 15 to 200. The restaurant has three lovely settings to choose from: the Main Dining Room, The Ric Flair Suite and the Fire Pit Lounge and Patio. For reservations, call 470-532-1010.

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December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

New Guatemalan Restaurant in Peachtree Corners: Fuente de Bendición (Fount of Blessing)

In the mood for a taste of something different? Give Fuente de Bendición (Fount of Blessing) a try. Fuente de Bendición opened its doors in early October of this year, and they are eager to serve the needs of the community. This new venture, located at 5510 Spalding Drive in Peachtree Corners, hopes to revitalize a business location that has hosted a few different Mexican restaurants over the years. If you aren’t familiar with Guatemalan food, it is a varied cuisine with indigenous, Mexican and Spanish influences. The menu is varied with fish, pork, beef, chicken and seafood items. You’ll find stews, soups, empanadas, pupusas and more. Restaurant hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. For more information, call 470-359-5170 or follow them on Facebook and Instagram. ■

Time for Tea at the Unbelibubble Tea House in Peachtree Corners

Located at 5270 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 118-A in Peachtree Corners, Unbelibubble Tea House offers a tempting range of brewed teas, milk teas, matcha and ice blended drinks. Their grand opening was held October 23, where they offered a buy two, get one free special. This location is one of several located throughout the state, with the flagship store located in Duluth. “Unbelibubble is committed to using high-quality, organic ingredients and offers close to 50 varieties of drinks,” said CEO of Unbelibubble Yoon Soo (Alex) Kim. “What makes our brand different from other bubble tea brands is that we offer unique drinks that can only be found at our store. We are committed to bring a trendy and fun experience by allowing our customers to customize and personalize their bubble tea order.” Normal operating hours are Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. For more information, visit unbelibubble.com, call 470-299-5257 or follow them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. ■

CAVA Comes to Peachtree Corners Located in 5150 Peachtree Parkway Suite 100 (formerly Zoe’s Kitchen), Mediterranean restaurant CAVA offers flavorful grain bowls, salads and pitas to pair with house-made juices and other treats. CAVA is open 10:45 a.m.-10 p.m. For the full menu and more information, visit cava.com or call 470-740-5432. ■

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

peachtreecornerslife

Noodles for Noodles! Pho Viet Number One Opens 2 New Local Locations For local residents who enjoyed the delicious Vietnamese dishes that were once on offer at Ba Bellies, it’s time to let the noodles fly once again as the renamed and reopened Pho Viet Number One now has two nearby locations. The Peachtree Corners location is at 6025 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 9. In Norcross, the restaurant can be found at 4650 Jimmy Carter Blvd, Suite 133B. The Peachtree Corners location held its grand opening on October 9, with free pho, a traditional lion dancing, discounts and a raffle drawing for two iPhone 12 Pro Max. The Norcross location opened on November 6. For more information, call 770-558-6289 or follow Pho Viet Number One on Facebook. ■

City of Peachtree Corners Welcomes Crabs R Us at PCBA Ribbon Cutting On October 27, representatives of the City of Peachtree Corners officially welcomed Crabs R Us to the city’s offerings of locally owned and operated restaurants. Mayor Mike Mason and Councilman Phil Sadd attended the official ribbon cutting for the event that was hosted by the Peachtree Corners Business Association (PCBA) at the restaurant’s location at 7140 Jimmy Carter Boulevard in Peachtree Corners. Crabs R Us is a new seafood offering that has been opened in Peachtree Corners by city resident Princess Lomax. Lomax is a native of Chicago and has been living and working in Peachtree Corners since 2019. In addition to being a restaurateur, Lomax is a Nurse Practitioner and is dedicated to giving back to her community through nonprofit service that includes feeding the homeless during the holiday season.

Left to right: PCBA President Lisa Proctor, Peachtree Corners Mayor Mike Mason, Crabs R Us Owner Princess Lomax, Peachtree Corners Councilman Phil Sadd, and PCBA Board Member Michael Pugh

Lomax believes in creating a menu that highlights the best local ingredients available during each season. Crabs R Us offers a variety of menu items, other than its namesake crab, including wings, po’ boy sandwiches, lobster,

shrimp, crawfish, chicken and a vegetable-only option, as well as flavorings including garlic butter, jerk and hot and spicy. In addition to their food options, the restaurant features a full bar that includes mixed

drinks, beer and wine. Find out more at crabsruss. com, or by following them on Facebook and Instagram. ■

Peachtree Corners Magazine

ATLANTA ATLANTA JEWISH FILM JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL FESTIVAL RETURNING

FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 16–17, 16–17, 2022 2022

IN-THEATER & AT-HOME 78

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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INSIDE PEACHTREE CORNERS

From the Mayor’s Desk

An Introduction to the 2021 State of the City While 2021 has continued to be a year where we are all still dealing with effects of the pandemic, I am happy to say that the state of Peachtree Corners is very good. As a city, Peachtree Corners continues to thrive and grow and provide our citizens with a great quality of life. As we enter the holiday season and move towards 2022, I want to announce the release of this year’s State of the City address. This year, we are delivering this address via video, due to COVID, but next year we look forward to doing this again in person. While the State of the City video will provide a more detailed look at where we are as a city, I wanted to provide a brief overview of why the City and our residents are poised to be even more successful in the upcoming year. To begin, Peachtree Corners has seen a very rapid recovery following the major outbreaks of the pandemic. One of the keys to that recovery has been the ability to get people back to work. During its peak, unemployment in the City reached 5.7%. Currently, we sit at 3.4% and that number continues to decline. One thing that helped make this possible was the City’s use of the almost $5 million the City received in CARES Act funding that was used to aid small businesses in their recovery. We will continue to use an additional $16.4 million in American Rescue Plan Funding. In addition to the recovery of our businesses, the City continues to work to improve our amenities and quality of life for our residents. The Town Center continues to be a hub of activity, and as we move into 2022, we plan to continue our offering of an array of events for the public. We have moved through the fall period with our Sports on the Screen, watched as our Atlanta Braves became World Series Champions and will continue to watch as the Georgia Bulldogs chase a national championship. We will close out the year with our Holiday Glow 2021 on December 3rd. This event will be even bigger than last year, and we hope you join us as we celebrate with our friends and neighbors. 2022 will bring even more additions to the Town Center. The City is currently looking to add additional playground equipment near the Veterans monument, as well as some additional seating. We will continue the construction of the Corners Connector in the Town Center with the addition of a skywalk that will also include stairs that lead to the stream and a boardwalk along the stream’s banks with native plantings. The City continues to work

towards the construction of the Connector with planned segments from Peachtree Corners Circle to Tech Park and along East Jones Bridge Road. The City continues to see growth and expansion of Curiosity Lab. In just under two years, the City has worked with numerous national companies including Carmax, Brightree, ASHRAE, Soliant, and most recently Intuitive Surgical. Intuitive Surgical is currently expanding and is developing their east coast headquarters in Peachtree Corners. This development will include an investment of over $500M over 5 years in a new campus and the creation of 1,200 new jobs with an average salary of 130k. This expansion will make Intuitive Surgical the City’s largest employer by 2024. Curiosity Lab currently has about 14 research projects including the first 5G wireless rollout in the metro Atlanta area. In 2020, Atlanta was named a French technology hub for French startups, and Peachtree Corners is proud to house the French American Chamber of Commerce headquarters at Curiosity Lab. With the success of Curiosity Lab, the city will be hosting the V2X Live 2022 conference & exhibition in March of 2022. The event, presented by T-Mobile and sponsored by Intel, is produced in partnership with the Curiosity Lab and will showcase thought leaders from a wide range of technology ecosystems, including 5G mobility, cloud computing, software innovation, autonomous vehicles, smart city infrastructure and more. This is just an overview of why Peachtree Corners is in a wonderful position as we enter 2022. We successfully managed thru the worst of the pandemic—while helping those who have struggled— and we will continue to do that, until we have all fully recovered. As has been said, “It’s your reaction to adversity, not adversity itself, that determines how your story will be written.” I invite you to watch our full State of the City at https://ptccity.com/SOTC, and look forward to working with the community as we continue to make Peachtree Corners the best city it can be for our residents and visitors.

Stay safe, Mike Mason, Mayor

Be sure to visit the city’s new YouTube Channel Peachtree Corners Network at Youtube.com/peachtreecornersnetwork

Mike Mason, Mayor

Gwinnett County’s newest and largest city, Peachtree Corners, was founded July 1, 2012 and is located along the Chattahoochee River in the southwest corner of the county. The city is home to over 45,000 residents and 3,000 businesses.

Peachtree Corners City Hall 310 Technology Parkway Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 Telephone: 678-691-1200

December/January 2022 ■ Inside Peachtree Corners

INSIDE PEACHTREE CORNERS Peachtree Corners Partners with T- Mobile to Launch Beep Autonomous Shuttle Fleet, C-V2X Technology Drives Enhanced Safety and Tech Development v. 2 Peachtree Corners – one of the nation’s first smart city environments powered by real-world connected infrastructure and T-Mobile 5G – recently announced the launch of a new fleet of autonomous shuttles, referred to as PAUL (Piloting Autonomous Use Locally), for residents which started Oct. 7. The service, implemented by Beep – a global leader in multi-passenger, electric, autonomous mobility solutions – will operate along Technology Parkway and will include stops at popular destinations in the area such as hotels, restaurants, retail shops, the Innovation Center at Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners and City Hall. “From the beginning, we’ve made it our mission to create the city street of the future in the most differentiated smart city environment in North America – and with Beep launching the new PAUL autonomous shuttle service, we’re continuing to break new ground. This deployment not only allows for the continued development and deployment of safe, enjoyable and eco-friendly transportation options – but it also allows a true mobility-as-a-service pioneer like Beep to leverage our cityowned V2X infrastructure and vibrant ecosystem to help accelerate new technology development that further enhances safety and earns critical trust from the public.” – Brian Johnson, city manager of Peachtree Corners The fleet is comprised of autonomous electric vehicles from leading manufacturers Navya and Local Motors, which produces the Olli, the world’s first 3D-printed autonomous vehicle. “We’re delighted to join the Peachtree Corners community and further advance real-world autonomous mobility in one of the most unique smart city ecosystems in the world. With our turnkey approach, integrating deeply with residents and first

responders, the city will immediately benefit from our experience in having run the largest and most tenured autonomous service in the country in Florida, in addition to unique deployments like Yellowstone National Park. In addition, we’re excited to leverage the city’s advanced cellular-V2X technology, 5G and more smart city infrastructure to enable deeper learnings, to analyze vehicle data and to develop new proprietary technologies that advance true Level 4 and 5 autonomous service in the real world – while also working with government to help evolve policy and regulation alongside the technology.” – Joe Moye, CEO of Beep With C-V2X solutions now a reality in Peachtree Corners, the importance of advanced 5G – with low latency, high bandwidth and high-speed connectivity critical for real-time reaction between sensors, machines and people – is taking center stage. Beep’s autonomous shuttles are connected on T-Mobile’s 5G network. Each shuttle is equipped with a 5G gateway to power telematics data and enable interaction with 5G connected infrastructure along the Integrated Transportation Systems (ITS) corridor. “The vision of 5G powering the city street of the future is happening now at Peachtree Corners where people, vehicles and infrastructure all communicate with each other to elevate safety and improve everyday life. Today, Beep’s autonomous shuttles allow all parties to accelerate the development of solutions leveraging our 5G network such as vehicle operation management for vehicle health monitoring, safety features including real-time alerts and in-vehicle entertainment.” – Dave Bezzant, vice president, T-Mobile for Government In addition, OVHcloud, a leading global cloud provider, will deliver compute, storage and other cloud platform resources, which will allow the city and select technology partners to manage, analyze, gain critical insights and make informed decisions from the massive amounts of data generat-

Inside Peachtree Corners ■ December/January 2022 ■ peachtreecornersga.gov

ed from the autonomous vehicles and sensors across connected infrastructure.

PAUL: The Future of Autonomous Service Is Now in #SiliconOrchard The shuttles will operate from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily beginning Oct. 7 – and will include seven total stops on the ‘Technology Parkway – Curiosity Lab’ route. ● Hampton Inn ● City Hall ● City Hall (South) ● Technology Parkway (South) ● Innovation Center ● Research Drive ● Anderby Additional routes, which may extend to other areas of the city, will be announced at later dates.

Unlike other autonomous vehicles across the country, PAUL is a reflection of the future of true Level 4 and 5 autonomy – employing various emerging technologies connected over T-Mobile’s 5G network such as intersections with video analytics to provide real time data, cameras in the shuttles, Roadside Units (RSU) and Onboard Units (OBU) that advance autonomous vehicle operation in real-world environments.w ● Unrivaled Safety: Beep cuts through the industry noise and recognizes the importance of continuous human oversight

peachtreecornersga

necessary to close the gap that currently exists with today’s autonomous vehicle platforms. The company’s Beep Command Center (BCC) capabilities add a critical layer of safety, allowing staff to intervene and react to emergency situations. In addition, the city’s first responder organizations are all intensely trained and prepared to support PAUL operations daily. ● C-V2X Technology + Government and Business Collaboration: Peachtree Corners’ vibrant smart city ecosystem includes cityowned cellular-V2X infrastructure that allows vehicles, traffic lights, roadside fixtures, buildings, pedestrians and more to communicate with each other to ensure that autonomous shuttles are more aware of their surroundings and can react to various conditions. Beep’s deep experience in managing the largest and most tenured autonomous shuttle service, coupled with its proven track record in operating vehicles on public roads, uniquely positions the company as a leader in the development of real-world autonomous solutions and software. The PAUL deployment is another reflection of Beep’s ability to plan, manage and deploy autonomous solutions in unique environments. For more information or to schedule a briefing with city government officials and Beep executives, contact Peachtree@GoDRIVEN360.com.

PtreeCorners

INSIDE PEACHTREE CORNERS Sidewalk Project to Begin Connecting Peachtree Corners Circle to Jones Mill Road Beginning this fall, the City of Peachtree Corners will begin construction of a pedestrian sidewalk improvement project on Peachtree Corners Circle and Jones Mill Road. The 5-foot-wide pedestrian sidewalk will run from the intersection of Peachtree Industrial Blvd. and run north on Peachtree Corners Circle to the intersection of Jones Mill Spur. The facility will continue from that intersection west and then along Jones Mill Road and continue to its termination point. The construction of this pedestrian facility will allow for a greater ease of use and provide increased safety for those traversing this heavily used corridor and will link residents to the businesses and services in the area. The project will also provide additional connections to existing transit options in the area. Construction will begin in late November or early December and, weather permitting, will be complete by early Spring 2022. There are no road closures planned during the construction of this facility.

Peachtree Corners Hosts Georgia Clean Energy Roadshow 2021

On Tuesday, October 5, 2021, the City of Peachtree Corners hosted the first 2021 Georgia Clean Energy Roadshow event. The roadshow program consists of three free half-day free events, that combine an outdoor commercial vehicle showcase and an educational seminar bringing together propane, natural gas and electric vehicle manufacturers with fleet managers and elected officials from across Georgia. The Roadshow was hosted by Founder and Georgia Public Service Commission Vice Chairman Tim Echols. Initially started in 2010, the event was originally conceived to bring together a group of experts to discuss the challenges associated with integrating new fuel technologies into fleets

for government, transportation, and business. The Roadshow’s mission is to educate business and government leaders--and the public-about the environmental and economic benefits of alternatively fueled fleets and to connect them with the utilities, suppliers, and funding resources who will help them plan for low and zero emissions. The event began with opening remarks presented by Echols and Peachtree Corners City Manager Brian Johnson. “We were honored to be the host site for the 11th Annual Clean Energy Roadshow, put on by Commissioner Tim Echols,” said Johnson. “Peachtree Corners commitment to sustainability and its vision and support

of the electrification of vehicles made us an ideal location for this great initiative, which highlighted the newest clean energy vehicles available to consumers and businesses. We look forward to working with Commissioner Echols in making Georgia one of the leading clean energy states in the country.” The agenda included the following discussion panels: ● Utilities and Suppliers (Electric, Propane, Natural Gas,

● Class 3-8 Vehicles – Blue Bird, Alliance Autogas, Peach State Trucks, Endera, Cummins

Activated Carbon) – Georgia Power, Atlanta Gas Light, Alliance Autogas, Ingevity ● Funding Resources and Opportunities – Clean Cities Georgia, Electrification Coalition, ● Small Wheel Utility Trucks and Class 1-2 Vehicles – Club Car, KIA

venue. These vehicles included the Blue-Bird EV and the Thomas Built Joule EV School buses and represented the first time both vehicles had been displayed in Georgia. Addi-

Be sure to visit the city’s new YouTube Channel Peachtree Corners Network at Youtube.com/peachtreecornersnetwork

“The solution to the energy crisis is not one particular type of fuel, but a diverse mix of fuels,” said Echols. “Having a fleet that runs on different types of fuels may be the best way deal with this and we want to help evaluate all these technologies.” As part of the event, several vehicles were displayed at the

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December/January 2022 ■ Inside Peachtree Corners

INSIDE PEACHTREE CORNERS Continued from page 81 tionally, attendees were able to have hands activity with the Olli Autonomous Shuttle, Autonom shuttle by Navya, Club Car Current™ Electric Small

Wheel Utility Vehicle, KIA Nero Electric Vehicle, Ford F-150 with Ingevity Adsorbed CNG system, F-450 service truck with Propane Autogas and the Waste Management Class 8 CNG Refuse Hauler. The event concluded with a tour of Peachtree Corners Curiosity Lab, led by Assistant City Manager Brando Branham. The Curiosity Lab is a 5G-enabled

autonomous vehicle and smart city living laboratory featuring the Olli Autonomous shuttle by Local Motors and the Autonom shuttle by Navya. “The Clean Energy Roadshow has been focused on introducing people to all these alternative fuels. To help them see how they work, pluses, minuses, best duty cycle, worst duty cycle and total cost of operation,” said Echols. “It is a great thing to help fleets, cities and counties to be able to make good decisions with taxpayer money in order to save money in the future and meet their particular clean energy goals.” The events are sponsored by Nissan USA, Georgia Power Company, Southern Company Gas, Energy + Environment, Georgia Municipal Gas Authority, EFACEC USA, Liberty Utilities, Wade Ford, Hannah Solar, Clipper Creek, Sierra Club, Gas South, GG Chevy Volt, Clean Cities, Blue-Bird and Conger LP Gas.

Is an Electric Vehicle in Your Future?

Peachtree Farms Holds Tailgate for Tomatoes Groundbreaking Event

On Saturday, October 23, Peachtree Farms hosted a groundbreaking event titled ‘Tailgate for Tomatoes’, to celebrate the beginning of construction on their new Peachtree Farm project. The current building project will include the following: ● Five state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouses. These will grow commercially sold produce, such as tomatoes and lettuce. ● Fifteen Independent Living Homes. These 2-3 Bedroom houses will provide living accommodations for individuals with disabilities and caregivers. ● Research Laboratory. This office, warehouse, education building will serve as our base of operations. This building will have a commercial kitchen which will provide a lunch service to our Tech Park Neighbors. We will use this building for events, and educational tours with local schools. ● Recreational Center. The Peachtree Farm Barn will be a recreation and fitness center serving our residential community The mission of Peachtree Farm is to produce locally grown produce, products and animals for the metro Atlanta and North Georgia area while providing job opportunities for individuals with disabilities. To learn more, or to donate, visit https://www.peachtreefarm.org/.

Interest in electric vehicles (EVs) is increasing. To assist PTC residents and businesses, the City of Peachtree Corners has negotiated with a variety of electric vehicle charging vendors to obtain special charging solutions that are only available to Peachtree Corners residents and businesses. Find out more by visiting https://bit.ly/ElectryPTC

Inside Peachtree Corners ■ December/January 2022 ■ peachtreecornersga.gov

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PtreeCorners

INSIDE PEACHTREE CORNERS The Real Dangers of Carbon Monoxide This piece may seem familiar to our readers as we ran it last fall. However, this is an important message that bears repeating every fall. The clock is ticking toward fall again, and we must ready ourselves and our homes for cooler weather. With that we must have our heating equipment checked to be sure it is ready for a long and steady use. For those of us with heat sources that require the burning of fossil fuels to keep us warm, we should go that extra mile in making sure our systems are safe. While all heating systems, electric and gas require monitoring for the possibility of fire, all fossil fuel systems such as natural gas, propane, kerosene, coal, etc. have another element of danger, Carbon Monoxide. The burning of fossil fuel puts off another type of gas (CO) that must be vented to the outdoors, with the exception of properly sized and installed unvented equipment such as but not limited to ranges, gas logs, space heaters and similar equipment not required to be vented by code, because they give off such small levels of CO. Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly less dense than air. It is toxic to all animals that use hemoglobin as an oxygen carrier when encountered in concentrations at or above 35 ppm (parts per million) It is truly the silent killer in larger quantities. Every year more than 500 Americans die from accidental exposure to carbon monoxide and thousands more across the U.S. require emergency medical care for non-fatal carbon monoxide poisoning. These products include but not limited to, malfunctioning fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, ranges,

water heaters, gas and kerosene room heaters; engine-powered equipment such as portable generators; fireplaces; and charcoal that is burned in homes and other enclosed areas. Still others die from carbon monoxide produced by non-consumer products, such as cars left running in attached garages. The CDC estimates that several thousand people go to hospital emergency rooms every year to be treated for carbon monoxide poisoning. S o m e symptoms of CO poisoning could include, but not limited to:

1. As you can see from the timeline above CO is a killer. The good news is there are systems designed to keep us safe and there are steps we can all take to prevent this from happening to us and our loved ones. The Residential code requires that all new homes have CO detectors installed, this is the first line of defense. If your home uses fossil fuels for heat, this is a must, if your home does not have a CO detector, you should have one installed or install one yourself before the

next use of the system. 2. Next, the best advice is to have a licensed trained professional HVAC contractor examine your system every fall before use, not all leaks are obvious, even if you have an outdoor unit, a crack may develop in the heat exchanger and allow CO to enter your home through the heat duct system. These professionals can help keep you and your family safe from the dangers of Carbon Monoxide.

Paper Shredding, Electronics Event Held this Fall

● Dull headache ● Weakness ● Dizziness ● Nausea or vomiting ● Shortness of breath ● Confusion ● Blurred vision ● Loss of consciousness Symptoms at certain levels (measured in parts per million) ppm are: ● Short term early symptoms could occur in 8 hours at 50 ppm. ● The same level of early symptoms within 15 minutes at 200 ppm. ● Headache in 1-2 hours, life-threatening in 3 hours at 400 ppm ● Headache, nausea in 45 minutes, death in 2-3 hours at 800 ppm ● Headache, nausea in 20 minutes, death in 1 hour at 1,600 ppm ● Headache, nausea in 5 minutes, death in 30 minutes at 3,200 ppm ● Headache, nausea in 1 minute, death in 10 minutes at 6,400 ppm Two simple steps to ensure you and your family are safe

On Saturday, October 9th, the City of Peachtree Corners held a recycling event at City Hall. The recycling event was a wonderful success. For the event, residents of the City are invited to drop-off any unwanted electronics for recycling, and to bring any unwanted documents for shredding. The City contracts with Proshred and eWaste-ePlanet to assist with these events. During the event, 12,000 lbs. of paper was shredded, and 6,481 lbs. of electronics were collected to be recycled. The next paper shredding /electronics recycling event has been scheduled for April 23, 2022 to coordinate with and celebrate Earth Day.

Be sure to visit the city’s new YouTube Channel Peachtree Corners Network at Youtube.com/peachtreecornersnetwork

December/January 2022 ■ Inside Peachtree Corners

PODCASTS

e Radio Show

Peachtree Corners Life A weekly podcast that explores Peachtree Corners’ community, people and businesses, hosted by Rico Figliolini

Weekly Onlin

Capitalist Sage A twice a month business podcast, streamed on www.facebook.com/ thecapitalistsage, hosted by Karl Barham and Rico Figliolini thecapitalistsage.com

Prime Lunchtime with Brian Johnson A monthly podcast about the city, development, issues and news with guest City Manager Brian Johnson, hosted by Rico Figliolini

Brian Johnson

Monthly guest on Prime Lunchtime with the City Manager

EVERY PODCAST IS FACEBOOK LIVE STREAMED facebook.com/ peachtreecornerslife We Simulcast Live to Facebook and YouTube Podcasts are available on the website livinginpeachtreecorners.com, and on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcast, SoundCloud and YouTube

Karl Barham

Co-Host of the Capitalist Sage

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FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 16–17, 16–17, 2022 2022

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Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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December/January 2022 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

Welcome to Waterside. A gated, master-planned, age-in-place community situated along the shores of the Chattahoochee.

Waterside is a community where aging in place is not only possible, but desirable. With multiple housing options for a range of life stages and an abundance of both passive and active amenities that take full advantage of the stunning river vistas, Waterside is poised to become a destination, age in place community where

PHASE I: Townhomes From $500s

residents can enjoy a high quality, low-maintenance lifestyle. The location sits within one mile of the shopping, dining

Single Family From $600s

and entertainment venues at The Forum and the new Town

Duplex Townhomes With Lofts – Coming Soon

Center at Peachtree Corners. The residential neighborhoods will include low maintenance single-family and townhome options as well as duplex townhomes with lofts. A future phase of communities is planned to include independent living, assisted living and memory care facilities for owners 55 and older.

Amenities • Clubhouse with fitness center and kitchen • Multiple large lawn spaces for community gatherings • Resort-style pool • Large riverfront pavilion with decks and fire pit overlooking the river • Groomed walking trails along the river frontage and throughout the community • Gated entrance and private roads approved for golf cart access • 0.75 Miles of river frontage.

Join Our VIP List! 470.514.6999 WatersidePeachtreeCorners.com

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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Keep home just around the corner. Cottages & Bungalows · Independent Living · Assisted Living · Memory Care It’s more than a great home – it’s a community and a place to thrive. Village Park provides all the comforts and services of luxury senior living within minutes of The Forum and other local favorites. Discover modern senior living at VillageParkSeniorLiving.com. LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com VillageParkSeniorLiving.com Spalding Drive,peachtreecornerslife Peachtree Corners, | 770.416.0502 peachtreecornerslife GA 30092 peachtreecornerslife 88 Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ December/January 2022| ■5701

Peachtree Corners Magazine - December/January 2022

Articles inside

Looking Back on Five Years

Norcross High School Drama

Much to Rejoice

Peachtree Elementary School Celebrates 50th Anniversary

A Community Cornerstone Grows Stronger

Down on the Farm

Surgical Robot Maker to Become City’s Biggest Employer

A Match Made in Heaven