Peachtree Corners Magazine - October/November 2022

Peachtree Corners’ favorite spot for getting together and branching out

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Sunny

Celebrating

FIRST

Kool

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

NOURISH

BELIEVE

COVER STORY

ABOUT THE COVER

DOING GOOD

PEACHTREECORNERS

EDITORIAL

RICO FIGLIOLINI

ARLINDA SMITH BROADY

DEAN

FIGLIOLINI

ADVERTISING

JULIE DAVIS

THE TEAM & CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE

RICO FIGLIOLINI

Publisher & Executive Editor

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.

RITA FIGLIOLINI

Editorial Consultant

Rita Figliolini has lived in PTC for 23 years with her husband and life partner, Rico Figli olini. 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!

JULIE DAVIS

Account Executive

Julie Davis is an accomplished sales rep with over 20 years of experience in the tele com 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.

HARRY J. PINKNEY, JR

Graphic Designer

Harry J. Pinkney, Jr is an accomplished Graphic Designer with over 25 years of experience. A Philadelphia native who now calls Atlanta his home. He enjoys his dog, Chloeé, working out, movies, and running his own freelance graphic/ web design business.

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

PEACHTREECORNERS

The

ARLINDA SMITH BROADY

Contributing Editor

Arlinda Smith Broady is of the Boomerang Generation of Blacks that moved back to the South after ancestors moved North. With 30 years of journalism experience, she’s worked in tiny newsrooms to major metropolitans. She brings professionalism, passion, pluck, and the desire to spread news.

KATHY DEAN

Editor Emeritus

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

PATRIZIA WINSPER

Writer

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

Photographer

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.

KAREN HUPPERTZ

Writer

Karen Huppertz is a freelance journalist with the AJC, content writer and volunteer with the International Dyslexia Association. When not posting gardening images or writing to meet a deadline, she is advocating for individuals struggling to learn to read.

KAI LEE

Photographer

Kai Lee is an Atlanta-born and raised photog rapher. From a young age, as a second-gener ation photographer Kai learned the aesthetics of composition and styles of photography. Kai’s loves to create content, fashion and cosplay.

RICHARD PHILLIPS

Photographer

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

IVY CLARKE Writer

Ivy Clarke is a writer, editor and artist currently studying English literature, creative writing and art at Mercer University. She also writes and edits for The Mercer Cluster, The Dulcimer, Macon Magazine and Mercer University Press.

EVENTS Events, Programs & Fun Things to Do

FIRST UP

Atlanta Asian Film Festival

Saturdays and Sundays, October 7-15

Georgia Gwinnett College Cisco Auditorium, Bldg. C 1000 University Center Lane, Lawrenceville atlaff.org

Tickets are required.

Films and documentaries by emerging filmmakers are featured at the AAFF, the largest festival of its kind in the Southeast.

Pumpkin Patch

October 9-31

Monday-Thursday, 12-7 p.m. Friday, 12-8 p.m. Weekends, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Mt. Carmel United Methodist Church 5100 S. Old Peachtree Rd., Peachtree Corners

Important Dates

OCTOBER

Oktoberfest

Hispanic Heritage Month | September 15-October 15

Yom Kippur | October 5

Columbus Day | October 10

Sukkot | October 10-16

Sweetest Day | October 15

Diwali / Festival of Lights | October 24

Halloween | October 31

NOVEMBER

Native American Heritage Month

All Saints’ Day | November 1

Daylight Savings Time Ends | November 6

Election Day | November 8

Veterans Day | November 11

Thanksgiving Day | November 24

Native American Heritage Day | November 25

First Day of Advent | November 27

DECEMBER

Saint Nicholas Day | December 6

Pearl Harbor Remembrance | December 7

mtcarmel-umc.org or facebook. com/MtCarmelUMC

Pick your perfect pumpkin and gourds All proceeds go to the Youth Summer Mission Trip 2023 to West Virginia. Saturday morn ing story time is at 11 a.m. Watch the website or Facebook page for info on more events, like the Fall Festival and Trunk or Treat on October 23.

Peachtree

Corners Photography Club Group Meet Up

Thursdays, October 13, November 10 and December 8

6:45-8:15 p.m.

Atlanta Tech Park 107 Technology Pkwy., Peachtree Corners pcphotoclub.org

and Steven Moor will perform live in support of Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries. For over 30 years, NCM has helped those in need with a range of services and support.

Train or Treat 2022

Saturday, October 22, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Southeastern Railway Museum

3595 Buford Hwy., Duluth train-muse um.org, 770476-2013

Train or Treat

Admission is free with museum admission of adults, $18: se niors (65+), $15; kids ages 2-12, $12.

helps students to “Be Greater” at the school’s open house events.

Deutsche Klassic Autoberfest

Saturday, October 29, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Downtown Norcross norcrossga.net or deutsche-klassic.com

Admission is free.

This family-friendly car shows features 250 classic German automobiles, including BMWs, Audis, Porsches, Mercedes Benzes, Volkswagens and Opels. German food, beer and polka music makes it a true Octoberfest celebration. Activities for kids of all ages. Pro ceeds benefit North Fulton United FC, a youth focused spots and development group affiliated with Special Olympics.

October’s meeting features Eric Bowles presenting “Turbocharge Your Fall Photography.” Meetings are held the second Thursday of the month at Atlanta Tech Park and/or online. Photographers of all skill levels are invited to arrive at 6:15 p.m. for fellowship and social time.

Jumping Through Time Photo Exhibition

October 14-November 18

Saturday, October 29, 12-1 p.m., Juror Talk with Coco Conroy

Gwinnett County Public Library, Duluth Branch 3180 Main St., Duluth gwinnettpl.org/news/photoannu al22 Admission: free

The second GCPL Photo Annual Exhibition spotlights photogra phy from area photographers that explore the theme “Jumping Through Time.”

Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries Live Benefit Concert Saturday, October 15, 7 p.m.

Mt. Carmel UMC 5100 S. Old Peachtree Rd., Peachtree Corners ourncm.org Admission is free, donations are appreciated.

Celebrated musicians Phil Griffin

The family friendly event includes trick or treating at decorated stations around the museum. There’ll also be music and a costume contest for ages 12 and under.

Tailgate for Tomatoes

Saturday, October 22, 2-5 p.m.

Peachtree Farm 356 Research Ct., Peachtree Corners peachtreefarm.org

Admission is free; registration is encouraged, but not required. This grand opening celebration for Peachtree Farm celebrates with a pumpkin patch and pumpkin chunkin’. There’ll be food, college football watching, and a Peachtree Farm artisan and plant sale.

Greater Atlanta Christian School Open Houses

Upper School (Grades 6-12) Wednesday, October 26, 9:30 a.m.

Lower School (Grades K-5) Wednesday, November 2, 9:30 a.m.

Early Childhood (Infants-PreK) Tuesday, December 6, 9 a.m.

Greater Atlanta Christian School 1575 Indian Trail Rd., Norcross 30093 greateratlantachristian.org, 770-243-2000 Registration required. Visit website and click on “Visit GAC.” See firsthand why and how GAC

Harvest Fest 2022 Monday, October 31

The Father’s House Church 6060 Spalding Dr., Peachtree Corners

TheFathersHouseatl.org or face book.com/fathershouseatlanta

The festival will celebrate the beauty of the fall season with games, free food, prizes and treats for kids and adults. There’ll be a bouncy house and hayrides, too.

Veterans Day Ceremony

Friday, November 11, 10-10:30 a.m.

Veterans Park 160 Norcross Tucker Rd., Norcross norcrossga.net Admission is free.

The people of Norcross show sup port for veterans of the military.

Santa Arrives at the Train Museum

Saturday, November 19, 11 a.m-4 p.m.

Southeastern Railway Museum 3595 Buford Hwy., Duluth train-museum.org, 770-476-2013

Admission is free with museum admission of adults, $18: seniors (65+), $15; kids ages 2-12, $12. Ad vance tickets strongly recommend ed for this event.

Festivities start at 11 a.m. and Santa arrives at 1 p.m. Santa will be available for photos 1:45-3:30 p.m. The Festival of Trees opens at the museum the same day.

10th Anniversary Concert: Marcy Playground

Saturday October 8, 7:00 PM

Peachtree Corners Town Green

The 20-year veteran band will take the stage at 8pm. Greg Carey and the Feel will take the stage first at 7:00 PM

The Second Annual Peachtree Corners Decathlon

Saturday October 29, 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM. at the Peachtree Corners Path to Fitness. Award ceremony at Anderby Brewing on November 1 at 6:30 PM.

Prince Tribute Band: Purple Experience

Saturday October 22, 7:00 PM

Peachtree Corners Town Green Music starts at 7:00 PM with Symone Royale

Veterans Day Ceremony

Friday November 11, 11:00 AM

Peachtree Corners Veterans Monument Come honor those who have served or are serving!

Holiday Glow

Thursday December 1, 6:00 PM

Peachtree Corners Town Green Enjoy a holiday concert, visit by Santa, tree lighting and more!

Fall Theatre

Pirates in Wonderland

Friday, October 6, 7 p.m. and October 19, 8 p.m.

Greater Atlanta Christian School King’s Gate Theatre

1575 Indian Trail Rd., Norcross greateratlantachristian.org

The High School Theatre presents a One Act Festival that’s filled with pirates and fun. A combo ticket covers the plays on both dates. The play will compete in the Georgia Theater Conference.

One Act Festival: Alice in Wonderland

Friday-Sunday, October 7-9

Greater Atlanta Christian School King’s Gate Theatre 1575 Indian Trail Rd., Norcross greateratlantachristian.org

GAC Visions presents Alice in Won derland in a one act form, adapted from the Lewis Carroll classic. The play will compete in the GHSA (Georgia High School Association) and the Georgia Theater Confer ence.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Wednesday, October 12

Greater Atlanta Christian School King’s Gate Theatre 1575 Indian Trail Rd., Norcross greateratlantachristian.org

GAC’s Middle School students per form a one act play of the classic Shakespeare comedy that involves fairies, lovers and actors.

Lawless Spirits

Thursday-Sunday, October 13-16

Two shows per night, 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Lionheart Theatre 10 College St., Norcross lionhearttheatre.org, 404-919-4022 Tickets are $15 per person. Lionheart Theatre hosts a Walking Ghost Tour guided by costumed characters. The audience will walk through the streets of Norcross and learn about local murders, shootouts, bank robberies and ghost stories.

Enchanted Theatre / Haunted Theatre

Saturday, October 15 4-6 p.m. and 6:30-9 p.m.

Duluth Wildcat Theatre

3737 Brock Rd., Duluth duluththeatre.weebly.com

Little heroes, goblins, witches, animals and princesses can tour the Enchanted Theatre from 4-6 p.m. But beware! After 6:30, the en chantment fades and the theatre becomes haunted.

Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Thursday-Saturday, October 20-22

Wesleyan School Powell Theatre 5405 Spalding Dr., Peachtree Corners wesleyanschool.org/arts/drama

Based on the classic gothic tale by Washington Irving, this version of Sleepy Hollow is an outdoor immersion experience presented by Wesleyan High School. It will be held at the Cross Country Trails at the Hoyt Family Athletic Complex.

Wet Hot American Psycho

Saturday, October 22, 7:30 p.m. Lionheart Theatre 10 College St., Norcross lionheart theatre.org, 404-919-4022

All tickets are $18.

The Mighty Shorts Com edy Collec tive present a sketch comedy show, rated PG-13.

Rocky Horror Picture Show

Saturday, October 22 Two showings 8 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.

Red Clay Music Foundry 3116 Main St., Duluth duluthga.net/community/rocky_ horror_picture_show.php Admission is free; first-come, firstserved.

The classic camp film will be

shown with a live shadow cast. This is for mature audiences only — ages 18+ or with a parent/ guardian — and not for the easily offended. Audience participation is encouraged; free prop kits will be provided. The Red Clay Theatre bar will be open during the show.

Madagascar Jr.

Friday-Saturday, November 4-5 Friday, 7 p.m.; Saturday, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Cornerstone Christian Academy 5295 Triangle Pkwy., Peachtree Corners

cornerstonecougars.org

Based on the DreamWorks animat ed film, the show features students in grades 5-8. It’s a family friendly musical adventure about favorite friends from the movie as they escape from their home in New York’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected jour ney to the madcap world of King Julien’s Madagascar.

A View from the Bridge

November 4-20 Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.

Lionheart Theatre

Tickets are $20 per person for ad vanced tickets, $25 at the door.

The show is based on Disney’s animated musical and Edgar Rice Burrough’s “Tarzan of the Apes.”

An infant boy is washed up on the shores of West Africa and is raised by gorillas. He struggles to navi gate the jungle when his human instincts clash with his animal upbringing.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Friday-Saturday, December 2-3 6 p.m.

Duluth Wildcat Theatre

3737 Brock Rd., Duluth duluththeatre.weebly.com

The show is a musical adaptation of the beloved Christmas TV spe cial and is filled with holiday hits like “Holly Jolly Christmas.”

Nativity Ballet

Saturday December 3, 6 pm.

Greater Atlanta Christian School King’s Gate Theatre 1575 Indian Trail Rd., Norcross greateratlantachristian.org

10 College St., Norcross lionheart theatre.org, 404-919-4022

Tickets are $18 for adults, $16 for seniors/ students.

An Arthur Miller play, A View from the Bridge centers on Brooklyn longshore man Eddie Carbone as he welcomes his immigrant cousins to America. When one of them falls for Eddie’s young niece, an unspeakable secret is exposed.

Tarzan

Thursday-Saturday, November 17-19 Thursday and Friday, 7 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Christian Youth Theater (CYT) / Valor Christian Academy 4755 Kimball Bridge Rd., Alpharetta cytatlanta.org

The story of the nativity will be featured by GAC School of Bal let. Check online for details and tickets.

Christmas at GAC

Thursday, December 8, 7 p.m.

Greater Atlanta Christian School King’s Gate Theatre

1575 Indian Trail Rd., Norcross greateratlantachristian.org

The High School presents their Christmas program to celebrate the season.

The Lion in Winter

December 8-19

Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.

Lionheart Theatre

10 College St., Norcross lionhearttheatre.org, 404-919-4022

Tickets are $18 for adults, $16 for seniors/students.

Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine is kept in prison for raising an army against her husband, King Henry II, but is let out for the holidays.

The Plantagenet family’s story is full of sibling rivalry, adultery and dungeons as they compete with one another to inherit a kingdom.

Town Green Calendar

5140 Town Center Boulevard, Peachtree Corners peachtreecornersga.gov

Scan QR for Calendar

Night Music Anniversary Celebration —

Marcy Playground

Saturday, October 8, 7 p.m.

Admission is free.

90s alternative rockers Marcy Play ground are most known for their 1997 platinum album that included the hit “Sex and Candy,” but they also have not ed songs on soundtracks for movies such as Cruel Intentions and Antitrust.

Sports on the Screen

Select Saturdays, throughout the day.

Admission is free.

Tailgate with fellow fans. Load up a cooler and head to Town Green to cheer and celebrate.

October 15 — UGA vs. Vanderbilt

October 29 — UGA vs. Florida

November 5 — Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Tech

November 12 — Alabama vs. Mississippi

November 19 — UGA vs. Kentucky

November 26 — UGA vs. Georgia Tech

December 3 — SEC Championship

December 10 — Army vs. Navy

PTC Summer Concert Series — The Purple Xperience (Prince Tribute)

Saturday, October 22, 7 p.m.

Admission is free.

Marshall Charloff’s Purple Xperience is a five-piece group that brings the most authentic production of Prince and The Revolution to audiences of all generations. The group has entertained well over 300 thousand fans and has shared the bill with groups like Atlanta Rhythm section and Cheap Trick.

Veterans Day Ceremony

Friday, November 11, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Admission is free.

Peachtree Corners residents are encouraged to honor mili tary veterans.

Holiday Glow

Thursday,

December 1, 6 p.m.

Admission is free.

The holiday season kicks off with a concert and tree lighting. Santa will make an appearance, too.

5155 Peachtree Parkway, Peachtree Corners

QR for more information

Forum Fit

Wednesdays, October 5, 12, 19 and 26, 6-7 p.m.

TRADE space between Aomi and Soma Intimates

Admission is free; no registration required.

A weekly fitness session led by Club Pilates combines strength condition ing, cardio and mindfulness. Be sure to bring a yoga mat.

Friday Night Live

Fridays, October 7, 14, 21 and 28, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Admission is free.

Live music by local artists helps everyone groove into the weekend with live music by local artists. Bring your own tailgate chairs. Drinks available for purchase at the Ted’s Montana Grill onsite pop-up bar. Outside coolers and beverages are not permit ted, but takeout from onsite restaurants is encouraged.

■ October 7: Hughes Taylor

■ October 14: James & Julia

■ October 21: Funk Cake

■ October 28: Nathan Angelo

Trick or Treating

Saturday, October 29, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Throughout the Forum at participating restaurants and retailers Admission is free; no registration required.

Kick off Halloween early and collect treats from participating retailers and restaurants. Pick up a stroll map at the pop-up concierge located near the fountain. There will also be additional family-friendly activities and entertainment..

Tree Lighting

Friday, November 18, 6-9 p.m.

Forum Drive, in front of the fountain

Admission is free.

Funk Cake

Ring in the holidays with festive entertainment, family-friendly activi ties, an official lighting of the Forum tree and the arrival of Santa Claus. Activities like face painting and crafts run 6-8 p.m. Performances include carolers, a live DJ and band from 6-9 p.m. The tree lighting ceremony starts at 8 p.m.

Events with Santa

December 1-23

Costs range from $12 to $15 per child.

Celebrate the holiday season with everyone’s favorite jolly man. Meet San ta at The Forum for special events, including Cookies & Milk, Christmas Crafts, Storytime and Breakfast. Details are on the website.

Peachtree Corners Library Branch Calendar Highlights

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

Practice for Your Driver’s Test

Monday, October 10, 6 p.m.

Teens and adults are invited to take a practice exam and test their knowledge as they get ready for their driver’s license.

Cards for a Cause in Honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Thursday, October 13, 1 p.m.

Children, teens and adults learn techniques to create and assemble greeting cards for people undergo ing treatment and in need of care.

Experience Oobleck

Saturday, October 15, 2 p.m.

Kids and tweens experience a substance that breaks the laws of science!

Understanding Medicare — Speak with a Specialist

Tuesday, November 1, 11 a.m.

Seniors and adults get unbiased guidance from a Certified Medi care Counselor about costs and coverage, comparing options and enrolling in plans. Registration is recommended.

Science Library: Hands On — Psychology

Wednesday, November 2, 11 a.m.

Children, tweens and teens get a hand-on look at psychology through experiments and activities.

Money Saving Freezer Meals

Wednesday, November 2, 6:30 p.m.

Adults will learn to prep and freeze healthy meals to save money and time in preparation for the busy holiday season.

Local Indie Author Day

Saturday, November 5, 10 a.m.

All ages are invited to meet local children’s authors Debby Shilling

and Lora Sandler, and adult authors Diana Rhodes (right) and R. Lynn Barnett. Books will be available for purchase.

Record Your Family’s History

Tuesday, November 8, 4 p.m.

Everyone is welcome to learn how to make a family journal and record the voices of their family in the library’s Learning Lab.

should bring their own camera and/ or device.

Augmented Reality Coloring

Saturday, November 26, 2 p.m.

Tweens can experience the conver gence of science and art with 3D coloring.

Kindness Cards

Thursday, December 1, 3 p.m.

Children will make kind ness cards for the elder ly that will be sent to a local senior center.

are invited to learn about the legal forms that are available to down load for personal use.

Evening Edition

Appy Hour

Thursday, December 8, 6:30 p.m.

Adults can enjoy a mocktail while checking out the library’s new dig ital resources, Kanopy and Fregal, as well as PressReader on their own tablets or smartphones.

Recurring Programs

Reading Buddies

Mondays, 4-6 p.m.

Kids and tweens can practice read ing with a Reading Buddy.

Toddler Time

Tuesdays, October 11, 18 and 25 and November 1, 8 and 15, 10:30 a.m.

Parenting for a Better World

Thursday, December 1, 7 p.m.

Toddlers learn to be attentive and follow directions, develop a love of stories and books, and develop reading readiness skills.

Homework Help

Create Your Own Book

Tuesday, November 15, 3 p.m.

Tweens and teens can celebrate National Novel Writing Month and Children’s Book Week by construct ing their own book and writing an original short story.

Health and Wellness Resources

Thursday, November 17, 1 p.m.

Seniors and adults learn about the many digital health resources available at the library.

Holiday Photography

Thursday, November 17, 6:30 p.m.

Teens and adults are invited to learn to take great holiday pho tos — holiday lights, greeting card photos, snow and group shots. Tracey Rice from Peachtree Corners Photography Club is back with lots of helpful information. Attendees

Adults and seniors will hear Emory University profes sor Dr. Ellen Ott Marshall discuss her book, “Parent ing for a Better World: Social Justice Practices for Your Family and the Planet” and share prac tical ways to work towards global justice.

Crystal Snowflakes

Saturday, December 3, 12 p.m.

Kids and tweens learn how snow flakes form and make their own crystal snowflakes.

Science Library: Hands

On — Ecology

Monday, December 5, 11 a.m.

Children, tweens and teens can get a hands-on look at ecology through experiments and activities.

Legal Resources at the Library

Tuesday, December 6, 3 p.m. Looking for a legal form? Adults

Tuesdays, Wednes days and Thursdays, 4-6 p.m. (excluding student holidays and digital learning days)

Volunteers provide free homework help sessions for students, children and tweens, who need one-onone help with their homework and assignments.

ABC123 Kindergarten, Here We Come

First Thursday of the month. October 6, November 3 and December 1, 10:30 a.m.

Preschool children get prepared through practice of their reading skills.

Preschool Story Time

Thursdays, October 13, 20 and 27; November 10 and 17; and Decem ber 8, 10:30 a.m.

It’s story time for the youngest learners — preschoolers. Parents and caretakers can join in the fun with preschool children as they listen to stories, play games and sing songs.

COUNTY PARKS

LAWLESS

Storytime at the Park

Wednesdays, October 12, 19 and 26, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Pinckneyville Park

4758 South Old Peachtree Rd., Norcross 770-822-8869

Admission is free.

The Gwinnett County Public Li brary presents a special series, held on the soccer side of the pavilion, for ages 3 and up that includes sto ries, songs and fun. Call to register.

Harvest Homecoming

Saturday, October 15, 12-4 p.m.

McDaniel Farm Park

3251 McDaniel Rd., Duluth

Admission is free.

All ages are welcome to take a trip to the farm for old time games, crafts and farm tours. There will also be vendors, hayrides and s’mores.

Songs and Rhymes

Mondays, October 17 and 31; November 14 and 28, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

One Stop Norcross 5030 Georgia Belle Ct., Norcross 678-225-5400

Admission is $2 for Gwinnett resi dents and $4 for non-residents.

Children ages 8 and under enjoy enriching experiences through music, games and oral literature. In English and Spanish.

Spooktacular

Skate Party

Friday, October 21, 6-8 p.m.

Pinckneyville Park

4758 South Old Peachtree Rd., Norcross 678-277-0920

Admission is $5.

Ages 5 to 18, and their parents or guardians are invited to bring skates and a bag to carry candy for an evening of spooky fun. There’ll be a DJ, crafts, games and a cos tume contest.

Storytime at the Park

Wednesday, October 26, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Pinckneyville Park 4758 South Old Peachtree Rd., Norcross 770-822-8869

Admission is free.

A special series held on the soccer side of the pavilion is for ages 3 and up and includes stories, songs and fun. Call to register.

Dia de Los Muertos

Saturday, October 29, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Best Friend Park 6224 Jimmy Carter Blvd., Norcross 678-277-0222

Admission is free.

Celebrate loved ones who are no longer with us. There’ll be music, food, crafts and a walking parade around the park.

Date Night Mystery

Saturday, November 5, 6-8:30 p.m.

One Stop Norcross 5030 Georgia Belle Ct., Norcross 678-225-5400

Admission is $20.

Travel back to a time of dark thrill ers with femme fatales, crooked detectives and plot twists. Adults, ages 18 and up, enjoy a meal, mur der mystery game and spine-tin gling fun.

Patriotic Party

Tuesdays, November 8 and December 6, 5-8 p.m.

One Stop Norcross 5030 Georgia Belle Ct., Norcross 678-225-5400

Admission is $10 for Gwinnett resi dents and $18 for non-residents. While their parents vote, kids aged 5-8 will have fun with games and activities.

■

NOVEMBER

Directed by Darci Rose Wells

Your Guide to Fall Fun

It’s

that time of year. Pump kin spice wafts through the air, which is blowing in as crisp as a newly picked apple. The season invites everyone to get outside and enjoy the cool weather before winter sets in. There is plenty to see and do this autumn. Here’s a list of some of the top events happening around the Peachtree Corners area over the next few months.

Pumpkin patches and corn mazes

Immerse yourself in pumpkins and pick your way through the corn fields. Plenty of places make it easy to do one or both.

Mt. Carmel United Methodist Church in Peachtree Corners will sprout a Pumpkin Patch, Oct. 9-31, where everyone can choose among a variety of pumpkins and gourds. It’s open Monday to Thurs day, 12-7 p.m.; Friday, 12-8 p.m.; and weekends, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Story time is held there Saturday mornings at 11 a.m.

The church will also host a Fall Festival and Trunk or Treat on Sunday, Oct. 23 starting at 4 p.m. Check out Mt Carmel-umc.org or facebook.com/ MtCarmelUMC to get details.

Peachtree Farm in Peachtree Cor ners has planned a Tailgate for Tomatoes event for Saturday, Oct. 22, 2-5 p.m., that features a pump kin patch and pumpkin chunkin’. There will also be food, an artisan and plant sale and college football watching. Admission is free. Find more info and a place to register at peachtreefarm.org.

Kids are kept busy at the Buford Corn Maze. The maze, course, is a highlight, but so is the Haunted Forest. There’s more — pony rides,

hayrides, animals to visit, a pump kin patch and the Barnyard Grill. The Haunted Forest runs through Sunday, Nov. 6 and the Corn Maze is open through Sunday, Nov. 13. Tickets are $16 for the maze and $16 for the forest; combo tickets are available at $28. Check hours and more info at bufordcornmaze. com.

In Lawrenceville, Randy’s Pumpkin Patch has an inflatable corn maze, carnival games, pony rides, bungee jump, train ride and lots more to do. The fun continues through Oct. 31; it’s open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Admis sion is $5 and ages 15 and under are free with a paid adult. The rides require tickets, which are $1 each or 25 for $20. There are details at randyspump kinpatch.com.

A few more pumpkin patches that feature corn mazes are within driving distance. Warbington Farms in Cumming, warbington farms.com, is open through Nov. 5 and offers a spooky experience for visitors who opt to do the Flash light Corn Maze at night. In Holly Springs, Cagle’s Farm, caglesfarm. com, has fun that runs through Oct. 30 with bonfires, wagon rides and an animal barnyard as well as an Apple Cart that sells apple cider and caramel apples.

Apple orchards

Head a bit further north to get the season’s tastiest treats — fresh, crispy apples. There’s a well-loved festival and lots of orchards up that way.

The 2022 Apple Festival in Ellijay runs for two weekends, Oct. 8-9

and Oct. 15-16 at the Ellijay Lions Club Fairgrounds. Of course, the festival features apple-based foods, drinks and crafts. Other highlights include a parade, antique car show and more than 300 vendors offer ing a variety of handmade items.

Hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Satur day and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $10 per person; children 12 and under are free. Go to georgiaapplefestival.org for additional info.

In the Ellijay area, local orchards invite families to come in and do their own apple picking.

Pluck the fruit right off the tree or stop by their markets and choose from freshly made selections that include jams, pies, ciders and apple cider doughnuts.

Below are three of the most pop ular orchards, but you’re likely to come across others that are less well known but just as wonderful.

B.J. Reece Orchard, reeceorchards. com, has farm-fun activities on Saturdays and Sundays and is known for their fried pies. At Hillcrest Orchards, hillcrestorchards. net, visitors can pick apples and enjoy the petting zoo and play ground, among other activities. There’s apple picking and a pump kin patch at Red Apple Barn, redapplebarn.com, as well as a market stocked with goodies.

Fall and harvest festivals

Hayrides, scarecrows and…vintage German cars? Festivals abound this fall so everyone can find something that interests and excites them.

Take a trip to the farm on Satur day, Oct. 15, 12-4 p.m., at Harvest Homecoming in Duluth’s McDan iel Farm Park. Admission is free to partake in crafts, old-time games, farm tours, hayrides and s’mores. Visit GwinettParks.com to find details.

The 2022 Trick or Treat Trot Family Fall Festival & 5K, hosted by Easterseals North Georgia, is set for Saturday, Oct. 15 at

By Kathy Dean

Thrasher Park in Norcross. The race has a $30 registration fee and starts at 8 a.m. The Fall Festival continues the fun, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., with food, music, costumes and more. Visit trickortreattrot.com to learn more and sign up.

For something completely differ ent, consider dropping in at Stone Mountain Park for the Highland Games and Scottish Festival on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 15-16. There will be kilts and tartans, pipe and drum music, and food and drink as the clans go head-tohead in music, dance and athletic competitions. Get the whole story at smhg.org.

Head over to Best Friend Park in Norcross on Saturday, Oct. 29. From 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., the park will be alive with music, a parade, food and crafts to honor loved ones who have passed on. The Dia de Los Muertos celebration is free, and more info can be found at GwinettParks.com or by calling 678-277-0222.

There will be 250 classic German automobiles — BMWs, Audis, Porsches, Mercedes Benzes and more — on display at the Deut sche Klassic Autoberfest in Downtown Norcross Saturday, Oct. 29, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. It’s free to enter and activities are planned for kids of all ages, polka music, German food and beer. Go to norcrossga.net or deutsche-klassic. com to find out more.

If you want to experience a more classic Oktoberfest, head to Helen, where visitors can celebrate all things German with dancing, music, food and, of course, beer. The festival is held in the riverside Festhalle, with revelers dressed in lederhosen and dirndls as they dance the polka.

The party starts in September and runs through Oct. 30, starting at 6 p.m. through the week and 1 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. It’s open to all ages. Admission is $8 during the week, $10 on Saturdays and free on Sundays. Get the im portant info on the Helen Cham ber site, helenchamber.com.

The Father’s House Church in Peachtree Corners has planned Harvest Fest 2022 for Monday, Oct. 31 in celebration of the sea

son’s beauty with free food, games and treats for the whole family. Hayrides and a bouncy house round out the day of fun.

Also, mark your calendar for De cember 17 and 18 when the church will present Christmas: Now, Then and Forever! with songs, dances, live music and poetry. Visit TheFathersHouseatl.org or face book.com/fathershouseatlanta for more.

The Cumming County Fair and Festival brings carnival food, amusement rides, live music and entertainment to the Cumming Fairgrounds Oct. 6-16. Admission is $10 for ages 11 and up, free for kids 10 and under. Get hours of opera tion and other details at cumming fair.squarespace.com.

If you want more autumnal cele bration, there’s the Snellville Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 22, 12-6 p.m. on the Snellville Town Green. There’ll be music, plenty of food, arts and craft vendors and cos tume contests. A $15 all-day activi ty band lets visitors enjoy multiple inflatables, a rock wall, gaming bus, nine-hole mini golf and more. Visit experiencesnellville.com/ snellville-fall-festival for addition al info.

Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Scarecrows in the Garden showcases dozens of scarecrows created by local artists, crafters and youth groups. It kicks off Oct. 1 and con tinues through Oct. 30. The tod dler-friendly Goblins in the Gar den is set for Oct. 23, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. These events are free with garden admission. Click on the calendar at AtlantaBG.org for info.

If you really like scarecrows, you can view a more than 150 for free in Downtown Alpharetta during Scarecrow Harvest, Oct. 3 through Nov. 1.

ways to entertain them.

Kids are invited to trick or treat during Train or Treat at the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth on Saturday, Oct. 22, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The day includes music and a costume contest for ages 12 and under. The event is free with museum admission.

The museum also has a few special events in November. On Nov. 13, there’ll be Holiday Decorating from 1-5 p.m., and Santa Arrives on Nov. 19, 1 p.m. You’ll want to get advance tickets for that. Learn more at train-museum.org.

The Spooktacular Skate Party on Friday, Oct. 21, 6-8 p.m., is an eve ning of spooky fun for kids aged 5-18 (and their parents/guardians) at Pinckneyville Park in Norcross. Everyone is encouraged to wear a costume and bring skates and a bag to hold candy. The entry cost of $5 covers games, crafts and a costume contest. For more info, visit GwinettParks.com or call 678277-0920.

The Forum will host Trick or Treating on Saturday, Oct. 29, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. throughout the shop ping center. Everyone is invited to enjoy family-friendly enter tainment, pick up a map by the concierge near the fountain and collect treats from participating restaurants and retailers. There’s no cost or registration required.

There’ll also be some early Christ mas action at The Forum. A Tree Lighting event on Friday, No vember 18, 6-9 p.m., will include carolers and a live DJ, face painting and crafts. It all happens on Forum Drive, in front of the fountain, and admission is free. Check out the Events page at theforumon peachtree.com for more, including Events with Santa, Dec. 1-23, and a Menorah Lighting on Dec. 18.

creepy animals and spooky crafts. The event is free with general admission. Click on the calendar at FernbankMuseum.org for further info.

Ghost tours and haunted houses

How about a ghost tour? It’s a great way to get in the Halloween spirit. Sometimes the goblins move around and other times, they stay put in haunted houses and other spooky spots.

Lawless Spirits is a walking ghost tour guided by costumed characters. Courtesy of Lionheart Theatre, it runs Oct. 13-16 with two shows per night, 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Audience members will walk through the streets of Norcross while being regaled with stories about local ghosts, murders and bank robberies. Tickets run $15 per person and can be purchased at lionhearttheatre.org.

A local favorite is the Decatur Ghost Tour. The tour is available year-round, but this is the best season to catch it. It’s an after-dark walking tour that meets up in downtown Decatur and meanders through the streets with several stops that have seen paranormal activity. Adults and children are led by a psychic and paranormal investigator. Tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for kids aged 10 and under. DecaturGhostTour.com is the site for more info.

At night, however, Fright Fest calls forth ghosts and ghouls that ter rify even the stout-hearted. Addi tional info, including ticket pricing, is at SixFlags.com/overgeorgia.

Of course, Netherworld Haunted House is arguably the area’s most popular fright experience. It runs through Nov. 12 at its Stone Moun tain location. The haunted house, known for its terrifying special effects and live actors, is recom mended for adults and teens. Go to fearworld.com for details and tickets. Also check out the Nether world Escape Room; learn about it at EscapeTheNetherworld.com.

Halloween shows

You can always stream your favor ite scary film classics, like “Night mare Before Christmas,” but it can be more fun to participate in some of the live Halloween-themed entertainment in the area.

Wesleyan School in Peachtree Corners presents Legend of Sleepy Hollow, based on the classic gothic tale by Washington Irving. This outdoor immersion ex perience will be held at the Cross Country Trails at the Hoyt Family Athletic Complex Oct. 20-22. Find more info at wesleyanschool.org/ arts/drama.

Trick or treat and other Halloween events

Although Halloween is celebrated on Oct. 31, there are ghosts, witch es and other creatures haunting the area for several weeks around the end of the month. Several plac es welcome them in and even find

Boo at the Zoo gives the little ones an opportunity to dress up and have fun. The Halloween festival, held at ZooAtlanta on Oct. 22, 23, 29 and 30, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., is filled with whimsical characters, yum my treats and a chance to meet animals from around the world. Boo at the Zoo is free with gen eral admission. The Events page at ZooAtlanta.org is the place for more information.

Fernbank Museum’s annual Dino Trick or Treat will be held Oct. 29, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Visitors should wear costumes and expect treats. Also plan to visit the museum on Oct. 22, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., for Creepy Crawlies, an event that spotlights

If you’re willing to venture fur ther into the city, try Capturing the Spirit of Oakland Hallow een Tours in Atlanta’s Oakland Cemetery. After dark, Oct. 20-30, costumed docents guide visitors through cemetery and tell stories of notable and notorious residents. There’s also a Haunted Hunt Scavenger Hunt that runs Oct. 1-31. Tickets are $42 for adults, $30 for kids 4-12 and free for children under 4. Details and tickets can be found on the Events page at OaklandCemetery.com.

Duluth High School’s Wildcat Theatre has been magically al tered. On Saturday, Oct. 15, 4-6 p.m., little folk are welcomed to tour the Enchanted Theatre. After dark, there’ll be a transformation, and 6:30-9 p.m., it becomes a Haunted Theatre for older kids. Find out more at duluththeatre.weebly.com.

Everyone knows that Six Flags Over Georgia is home to thrills for all. Through Oct. 31, during the day, families can get into the Hallow een mood with the Kids Boo Fest.

The classic camp film Rocky Horror Picture Show will have two showings on Saturday, Oct. 22, 8 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., at the Red Clay Music Foundry in Duluth. Admission is free and first come, first served. This is for mature audiences only — ages 18+ — and not for the easily offended. Audi ence participation is encouraged, and free prop kits will be provided. If you want to know more, go to duluthga.net/community/rocky_ horror_picture_show.php.

Here’s another one for the older crowd. One Stop Norcross will host a Date Night Mystery, com plete with femme fatales and crooked detectives, on Saturday, Nov. 5, 6-8:30 p.m. Adults 18 and up will enjoy a meal and murder mystery game for a $20 admis sion fee. Uncover more info at GwinettParks.com or by calling 678-225-5400.

No matter what you enjoy — din ner and a show, carnival rides, communing with nature — fall is the perfect time to get out there and do it. You may even want to try something new. ■

The Play’s the Thing

Local schools provide professional-level entertainment.

When folks in the southwest Gwinnett area are looking for entertainment choices beyond the bar scene or movie theaters, they probably don’t think about the budding talent growing in the local schools. If they con sider a high school musical or even a one-act play from middle

school students, they’re likely to be pleasantly surprised.

For years, local young thespi ans have been delivering profes sional quality performances at bargain prices.

The Shulers

It’s no wonder that many schools find themselves listed among the best and brightest in the country. Locally, the Arts Bridge Foundation conducts a competition for schools as a pre cursor to the international Shuler Awards®, or The Shulers, named for the Marietta-born stage and screen star Shuler Hensley. The April 20 show at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre features a live performance and awards event.

Foundation and partner Georgia Public Broadcasting/GPB-TV the Southeast Emmy® Award in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 for special event coverage, indicative of the superb quality and high produc tion value Georgia students bring at show time.

Greater Atlanta Christian (GAC), a long-time participant in the event, will be competing in this cycle.

schools, volunteer adjudicators and ArtsBridge Foundation’s team to share a fun and fair com petition celebrating the state’s best in musical theater.”

By Arlinda Smith Broady

Live broadcasts of the cere mony have earned ArtsBridge

“While about half of the Shuler Awards competitors represent Metro Atlanta high schools, it’s exciting to see participating schools spanning all of Georgia, including five counties compet ing for the first time,” said Elizabeth Lenhart , director of arts education for ArtsBridge Foundation. “While many as pects… uphold long standing traditions, format updates im plemented last year also enable

In the 2022 competition, GAC won the Spotlight Award at The Shulers for the ensemble’s perfor mance of “Stay I Pray You” from the musical “Anastasia.” Addition ally, student Georgia Thomas won Best Performance by a Leading Actress for her portrayal of the title character.

Since 2009, the Shuler Awards has engaged over 60,000 students from 142 schools and 38 counties/ school systems.

The main objectives of the Shuler Awards are to increase awareness, advocacy and sup port for Georgia’s arts education programs, to develop and foster growing talent by providing learning and performance op

Opposite page, GAC Alum Georgia Thomas in the role of Anastasia in “Anastasia” Spring 2022

This page top down, Sophomore Nick Nandlal-Smith in the role of Dmitry in Anastasia Spring 2022

GAC High School’s production of Anastasia, which won the Shul er Spotlight Award. Additionally, Georgia Thomas’s performance in Anastasia won the Shuler Award for Leading Actress.

Mrs. Thames and the cast of Anastasia doing their preshow warmups – Spring 2022

portunities and to cultivate and nurture productive relationships among Georgia’s promising thes pians and educators, according to information provided by the nonprofit organization.

The Shuler Awards leading ac tress and actor winners will trav el to New York City as Georgia’s entrants for the National High School Musical Theatre Awards program, named The Jimmy Awards. They will participate in the awards show at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway during summer 2023, with merit scholar ships and professional opportu nities up for grabs, organized by Broadway League.

Greater Atlanta Christian

With 17 years at GAC, Direc tor of Fine Arts Regan Burnett knows first-hand all the sweat and tears that go into pulling off these award-winning pro ductions. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was promoted to her current role.

“For the last two years, you could say that I have helped our performing and visual arts communities navigate the very unpredictable waters of and turbulent waters of COVID,” she said. “We were able to, with our facilities and resources, put on our performances, which was re ally important to our community. And that was not an easy thing to do.”

The school offered more per formances and followed CDC guidelines of social distancing, masking and disinfecting sur faces. The audiences were much smaller — consisting mainly of other students, staff and fami ly — but as the adage says, “The show must go on!”

“We were just very fortunate, and we were very grateful,” said Burnett. “As a performer, you have to be very flexible. You have to have a plan, have a lot of disci pline, be very structured, but you

also have to learn resilience and flexibility.”

The opportunity to keep as much normalcy as possible was a positive element for the school year. “It gave me hope and that’s what I needed personally. I got the support from our adminis tration to spend my time and my energy and my resources into making sure that our students carry on as best we could, as faithfully as we could,” she said.

While a lot of people may not see the value in extracurricular education, Burnett said she’s grateful that the GAC adminis tration believes that what she and her department do is import ant.

“Colleagues and people that I

report to may not be performers and they may not be artists, but they have an appreciation for it, and they support it,” she said. “So, we’re very blessed to have that.”

Norcross High School

Gina Parrish , theater director at Norcross High School (NHS) has been in that position for 31 years. “We tried to participate in the Schulers, but they only allowed 25 schools in, and it was first come first served,” she explained. “We missed getting in [this time].”

But local theater lovers can still enjoy the NHS entry to the GHSA Region One-Act Play Competi tion, Laundry and Bourbon , a

delightful comedy about three housewives in the 1970s in a small town in Texas.

In late February, NHS will be performing a hilarious farce called The Play That Goes Wrong, and in April, the school will be doing The Addams Fami ly. For information, visit nhs-dra ma.com.

“We always have great cos tumes and wonderful high school actors,” said Parrish. “It should be a wonderful season of great shows with lots of color!”

Upcoming shows

Community members are encouraged to attend GAC and other local school productions. Here are a few to consider.

Pirates in Wonderland is the creative naming for two plays that are being presented as a combo ticket for two dates. One starts at 7 p.m. and the other at 8 p.m. on October 6 and October 19.

Alice in Wonderland is a one act play performed by the school’s elite VISIONS ensemble. “How I Became a Pirate” is anoth er one act play by the younger high school students. Both are going into competition.

will present the one-act play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare’s famous story of fairies and Athenian youth on Wednesday, Oct. 12. The fairies of the wood attempt to reconcile an argument between their king and queen, the working men of Ath ens rehearse a play of their own invention to be performed at the Duke’s wedding celebration, and the youth of Athens navigate the perils of falling under love’s spell.

The play will be performed at the Georgia Theatre Conference competition in Kingsland, Ga. on October 15.

Wesleyan’s High School will present The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on Friday, Oct. 21 and Sat urday, Oct. 22. Two performances, at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. each day, will be held at Wesleyan School on the green next to Davidson Natatorium.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is set in Tarrytown in 1790, and tells the tale of Ichabod Crane, the love-struck schoolteacher who must decide if he believes the story of the town’s Headless Horseman to be true or just a figment of his imagination.

Wesleyan’s Middle School Recent Play

The Elevator Family was performed by Wesleyan’s Middle School Sep tember 22 through 24. The play follows the quirky Wilson family. When they go on vacation, they visit a nice hotel – and then decide to take up residence in the elevator. They quickly turn their tiny space into a cozy home nicknamed “Otis,” where they have meals delivered, play Snakes and Ladders and entertain guests. As they move up and down, they help everyone they meet – including a lovestruck bellhop, a lonely salesman and an over-scheduled socialite. When the Wilsons suspect that crime may be lurking within the hotel, the action really takes off!

The program has won 22 state championships (Georgia High School Association and Georgia Theatre Conferences) and GAC student actors have repeatedly won the highly respected Shuler Hensley Awards for High School Musical Theatre.

The Sara D. Williams Fine Arts Center holds the state-ofthe art Clifton Jones Theatre, which seats an audience of 400.Tickets are at eventbrite. com/o/greater-atlanta-chris tian-school-6783130853.

The middle school theater

As Ichabod faces his fears and superstitions, all manner of char acters jump in to tell the story, share a few laughs and put the town newcomer, Ichabod him self, to the test. Ultimately, all of the characters are challenged to decide if fear will rule their lives or if faith in God’s promised prov idence will triumph.

In this adaptation of America’s first ghost story, the audience will be immersed in the experi ence in an outdoor setting on the Wesleyan Campus. For details and reservations, visit wesleyan school.org.

■

Greater Atlanta Christian's production of James and the Giant Peach.

Cornerstone Teacher Among Those to Be Recognized as GISA Master Teacher

Mrs. Bekah Carrington, a teacher at Cornerstone Christian Academy has been named as a Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) Master Teacher. Members of the 2022 Mas ter Teachers Program will be officially recognized at the GISA Conference in November.

Recipients of the designation complete a rigor

ous application detailing their innovation in the classroom and collaboration with peers. Master Teachers are seen as outstanding, innovative and creative teachers who are well respected among their peers for their instructional leadership.

Four Wesleyan School Faculty Members Named GISA Master Teachers

The Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) has named four Wesleyan School faculty members GISA Master Teachers. Laura Jensen (lower school lead teacher), Dr. Ruthie Colegrove (middle school fine arts), Pam Sanchez (middle school foreign language) and Ted Russell (high school social sciences) were all selected after completing a de tailed application process through GISA this past spring.

“We are delighted that GISA has acknowledged the hard work of these committed educators

through the Master Teacher program,” said Chris Cleveland, Wesleyan Head of School. “Laura, Ruthie, Pam and Ted are outstand

ing classroom teachers and have been impacting the lives of Wesley an students for many years. They are each deserving of this honor.”

Left to right, Dr. Ruthie Colegrove, Laura Jensen, Ted Russell and Pam Sanchez.

GCPS Announces Local School Teachers of the Year

Science teacher at Coleman Middle School

Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) has named 141 local teach ers as 2022-23 Teachers of the Year (TOTYs). The teachers who have been designated tops in their schools include:

■ Michelle Bell, 3rd grade Lan guage Arts teacher at Berkeley Lake Elementary School

■ Alyssa M. Tarr, K-5th grade Music teacher at Peachtree Elemen tary School

■ Susan Aronstein, 2nd grade teacher at Simpson Elementary School

■ Autumn Kopesky, 2nd grade teacher at Stripling Elementary School

■ Kelli Sinclair, 7th grade Life

■ Tara Raymond, 7th grade Science teacher at Duluth Middle School

■ Jessie Nordhielm, 8th grade High School Physical Science teach er at Pinckneyville Middle School

■ Roshani Shah, 8th grade Accelerated Algebra 1 and Algebra 1 teacher at Summerour Middle School

■ Melissa Margulis, 9th grade World Geography and AP World Geography teacher at Duluth High School

■ Erin Jackson, 9th and 10th grade World History, AP World His tory and AP Government teacher at Norcross High School

■ Ashley Wright, 9th-12th grade Graphic Design and Produc tion, Advanced Graphic Design and Print Shop Internship teacher at Paul Duke STEM High School

“The Teacher of the Year cele bration is one way our community

Above, social posts from various schools included: Top row, from left, Alyssa M. Tarr, Ashley Wright, Melissa Margulis and Susan Aronstein

Bottom row, from left, Erin Jackson, Kelli Sinclair, Jessie Nordhielm and Tara Raymond

lifts up and honors our incredible teachers,” said Ms. DeNelle West, GCPS Chief Learning Officer. “The commitment of our teachers is unwavering, and we continue to be humbled by their efforts each day.”

The local school honorees will all be considered for the system-wide honor. Later this month, this group will be narrowed down to 25 semifi nalists. From that group, six final ists will be chosen in early October.

On November 10, 2022, GCPS will host a celebration honoring this year’s local schoolteachers of the year, finalists and the naming of the top teacher in Gwinnett County. Find out more at gcpsk12.org. ■

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Electric Avenues

The wave of electronic vehicles is riding high in Peachtree Corners.

Anyonewho’s still curious about what Peachtree Corners Cu riosity Lab contributes to the area, can just take a look around. But you’ll need a strong pair of binoculars because its reach goes well beyond this part of Gwinnett County.

A recent article in Forbes Maga zine and recognition from the ARC Advisory Group, a leading technol ogy research and advisory firm for industry, infrastructure and cities, further elevated Peachtree Cor ners reputation as one of the most productive and innovative smart cities in the country.

By Arlinda Smith Broady Photos by George Hunter

“My LinkedIn has been very pop ular the last week,” said Peachtree Corners Assistant City Manager and Chief Technology Officer Brandon Branham. He said he

was asked about how the city has become so successful in the tech nology field.

“We’re here to share with other communities. It’s a great time, I think, for local government just because there are lots of oppor tunities, and about to be a tre mendous amount of funding for communities to take advantage of,” he added.

Working together for sustainability

Part of Peachtree Corners’ secret is embracing the private/public model. “These companies are coming around us to make invest ments in this technology because they’re learning how to deploy and scale a lot of this. So, Curiosity Lab provides a great opportunity for them to come and work in a real living lab and interact with day-to-

day traffic,” Branham explained. Branham commented on the recent legislation in California calling for an end to sales of inter nal combustion engines. Just days later, the state asked electric vehi cle (EV) owners not to plug into the power grid to conserve energy.

“There needs to be a balance between the infrastructure and the vehicle applications for them to come together,” he said. “From a perspective of the city and Curi osity Lab, our job is really to make sure the infrastructure is ready for the onboarding of all these electric vehicles and their OEMs.” Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) make systems or components that are used in another company’s end product.

Peachtree Corners is currently working through some partner ships where Curiosity Lab will

develop a 2.6-acre lot in Technol ogy Park Atlanta. The focus will be on a sustainable electric infra structure.

“Some of your level-two charging infrastructure can be ran off a sustainable source, such as solar, so we’re working with companies to bring solar integration into the site to power as much of the of the level-two infrastructure as we can,” Branham said. He added that there will be a handoff from big transit to other transportation devices, like e-bikes and e-scooters, “…so that when you get off the bus, you have those other last mile connection options.”

But the EV lot won’t be worth anything if it’s not utilized. It’s also going to be a gathering spot for Atlanta Tech Park employees in the 500-acre office park.

“We’ll have some outdoor seat

ing, some green space and public Wi Fi,” Branham said. “Employees and residents can come out and just hang out and maybe work out of that area and have a place to gather centrally within Tech Park.”

In addition, the area will test some new innovative projects, like hydrogen vehicles and perhaps a hybrid of hydrogen and EV.

Right now, one of the biggest challenges with EV is battery storage. “We’re actually talking to a company that takes …these elec tric vehicles as they start to age,” Branham. “What do you do with the batteries? How are we going to sustainably recycle electric vehicle batteries?”

One option that’s being explored is taking old batteries from these cars that are starting to come into the end of their life and using them as battery storage devices for solar.

Electrify PTC

Clean energy advocates, car aficionados and those who just wanted a look at some of the latest technology gathered on a cool September Saturday morning at Peachtree Corners’ first EV car show, Electrify PTC. In alignment with National Drive Electric Week, the event highlighted the fact that Peachtree Corners is a Certified Green City and has the largest EV charging station in metro Atlanta.

Georgia Public Service (PSC) Commissioner Tim Echols shared remarks about the future of EV. The PSC’s primary job is energy regulation. In office since 2011,

Echols has become a champion of clean energy. When he took office, Georgia was 34th in solar power.

Now, the state is ranked ninth in the nation for installed solar and is poised to be fourth in installed solar by 2024.

Echols has created what he calls “The Clean Energy Road Show,” and he has presented it through out the state every summer for the last 11 years. The event educates commuters, businesses and munic ipal governments about alterna tive fuels for transportation and residential use.

to have a robust used car market with cars like this that…you can buy for $7,000 or $8,000.”

A group of salespeople from the Jim Ellis Automotive Group reported that EVs are starting to show up on the used car lot. That was reassuring to several families. “Maybe I’ll be able to afford one of those before he’s in college,” said a father as he ruffled his young son’s blond locks.

“GM just announced the Chevy Equinox is probably the lowest starting price for an electric ve hicle outside of the Nissan Leaf,”

“We’ve got great economic devel opment and tech innovation com ing up, and none more important than here at Peachtree Corners,” said Echols.

“Do you realize that when this Nissan Leaf came out in 2012,” he said, pointing to his personal vehi cle, “that none of these other cars existed? While the DeLorean did, it wasn’t running on electric. Nissan really paved the way, as well as Tesla, for EVs. Now we’ve got well over 60 models with a plug, so things have come a long way.”

Many of the attendees admitted freely that they couldn’t afford the six-figure sticker price of many of the vehicles on display. Echols assured them that their time was coming.

“That’s why we have to have a secondary market for these used cars because not everybody can afford a $40,000 or $60,000 or $80,000 or $200,000 car. If we’re going to see this clean energy transition go, we’re going to have

Branham said. “So, it’s going to start to appeal to the broader consumer. I think that gives more opportunities to educate the pub lic about the benefits.”

Dealerships and partners at the event included Clean Cities Georgia, Ford, Mercedes, Jim Ellis, Karma Atlanta, Swincar, T-Mo bile, Georgia Power, Siemens and QwikCharge. Vehicles on display included Ford Lightning, Rivian R1T, Revero, Audi E-tron, GMC Hummer, Porsche Taycan and Jaguar I-Pace.

Down the road

As the technology improves, EV offerings will be more varied. There was a firm at the show that builds an off-road electric vehicle. Since it doesn’t burn fossil fuel, it can be used inside national parks. A company near Chattanooga, Tn. offers guided tours with the vehicles.

Branham envisions a near future where motorcycles, boats and

water vessels, like jet skis, will run on electricity.

In addition to personal vehicles, Curiosity Lab is looking to extend public transportation. The autono mous shuttle that loops Technolo gy Park will expand its range.

Branham pointed out that Tech Park’s hotels are just down the road from Peachtree Corners’ downtown. “We will start to pro vide options for those visitors to take the shuttles up Peachtree Parkway to our downtown to con nect them there, then they don’t have to sit in their car,” he said.

Right now, the goal is to have people make different choices as they start to think through their transportation needs, Branham explained. “But you’ve got to take those first steps to get out there and really try it, use it, see what works, what doesn’t work, and then pivot from there,” he said.

“Hopefully, in the middle of next year, it will be up and running.” ■

Some members of the Paul Duke STEM F24 Racing Team attended the Electrify PTC Car Show. Team members include: Darwin Ramirez, Rob Syvertson, Ada Cochran, Stephen Syvertson and Donald Iwejuo, with Stephen Cochran .

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7th Geoff Duncan

Governor

Beep and Moovit Team Up to Provide AV Rides

Peachtree Corners residents can hail autonomous vehicle (AV) and electric vehicle (EV) shuttles on the path along Technology Park via the Moovit app. In May, a partner ship between Moovit and Beep was announced. Beep is the mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) entity that operates the largest autonomous shuttle deploy ments in the country, and also operates Peachtree Corners’ shuttles. The Moovit app fea tures ride hailing and seat res ervations, real-time tracking of shuttles and convenient travel options. Learn more at moovit. com and ridebeep.com. ■

Georgia

November 4th Matt Brewer

Construction

Charity Gala Scores Big for Those in Need

BeforePeachtree Corners officially became a city, the Peachtree Corners Business Association (PCBA) was established as a business membership organization that focuses on innovative approaches, programs, shared resources, com munity outreach and opportuni ties for member businesses and professionals to connect, develop, grow and prosper.

According to its website, the PCBA is made up of businesses of all sizes and types that want to

expand their reach and grow their business within Peachtree Corners and the greater metro-Atlanta area.

Spreading the love and funds

PCBA has a dedicated philan thropic side. To continue that part of its mission, the organization dedicated its 10-year anniversary celebration as a fundraiser for three specific charities.

Paint Gwinnett Pink 5K is a cele bration of survivorship while rais ing awareness and funds for breast cancer programs at Northside

Hospital Gwinnett. Funds support cancer patients in Gwinnett County by providing improved access to cutting-edge imaging technology for earlier diagnosis, mammograms, transportation and other assistance needed for cancer treatments. This year’s PCBA donation will go to the installation of additional imaging units.

PCBA will present Paint Gwin nett Pink 5K with a check in Oc tober to coincide with its major event — the largest 5K supporting breast cancer in Gwinnett County. The annual Paint Gwinnett Pink 5K Walk/Run is held at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville. The 2022 event is set for Saturday, October 15.

become leaders through a variety of programs.

By Arlinda Smith Broady Photos by Richard Phillips

A. Worley Brown Boys & Girls Club provides an environment where all youth can feel safe and secure to dream, discover and develop. The staff works with hun dreds of kids and teens each year to help them reach their full poten tial. The focus is on helping kids succeed in school, live healthy and

The programs include: culinary arts and gardening, STEM Club, Creative Coding, a music studio with music production, a photog raphy club with film production, visual and performing arts, fashion and design, a creative writing and comic book club, a science club, career bound programs, Diplomas to Degrees program, tutoring and homework support, Toastmasters, sports, character and leadership development clubs.

PCBA will present a check to A. Worley Brown Boys & Girls Club in November.

Corners Outreach is a non-profit equipping Atlanta’s under-served students of color and their families to lead full lives though educational

development and economic oppor tunities. Corners Outreach offers three paths to impact the commu nity: volunteering, donating and becoming a customer, according to its website.

All three paths change lives and are accomplished through Corners Academy (early learning, elementary tutoring, teen devel opment), workforce development (basic needs, life skills, job skills, educational advancement), family engagement (adult workshops, food assistance, health services) and Corners Industries and Staffing (sustainable living wage, career advancement certification).

PCBA will award a check to Cor ners Outreach in November.

Opposite page, l to r, check for Because One Matters – Allison Reinert, Monte McDowell, Lisa Proctor, Toby Anderson, Kati Tait, Matt Childs, Donna Linden (Kati is with Because One Matters)

Middle row down, l to r, Paint Gwinnett Pink Gwinnett Medical Center – Cindy Murphy and Jennifer Griffiin with Paula Fine (Trinity Life at Home)

L to r, Lawrence Mims A Worley Brown Boys and Girls Club

Row on right, top down, l to r, Jahara Martin (Atlanta Marriott), Jaqita Goodman (Atlanta Marriott), Lori Mullee (Servpro of Norcross), Shivan Stewart (Atlanta Marriott), Julie Davis (Peachtree Corners Magazine)

L to r, Juan Orengo, Suzanna Martinez, Cari Mask, Fredrick Mask

L to r, Cornhole Winners – Thomas Freese and Jeff Fairchild with Monte McDowell (Cornhole Captain) and Disc Jockey Gary Braner (Music to Remember)

L to r, Larry Campbell (Corners Outreach); Matt Childs and Andrew Henry (Childs Company)

Because One Matters receives check

During the charity gala, PCBA awarded a check to Because One Matters for $500. Those funds will be used for the Because One Matters’ “Wrapped in Love” Foster Closet to allow foster parents and parents from underserved house holds to shop — free — for new and gently used clothing items.

The Wrapped in Love Closet aims to provide the children with the gift of hope for a better future and show them that their community supports and loves them. Funds will be used to purchase new un derwear, socks, gloves and scarfs.

“We help foster kids transition into their new norm,” said Program Manager Kati Tait. “Of course, some kids don’t come with any thing. Sometimes they have to rush and grab everything in a plastic bag or a trash bag. What we do is we step in and provide these brandnew things that they can call their own, and it restores dignity within that child.”

Tait thanked PCBA for its gen erous support monetarily, but also by getting the word out about its services and its needs. “I’m glad to connect with anyone who wants more information. And for those that I did connect with, I want to thank you once again for your support.”

Thanks to the sponsors

Of course, the gala wouldn’t have been possible without sponsor ship from many in the community.

PCBA president Lisa Proctor

them all:

Childs Company

City of Peachtree Corners

The Forum

First Horizon (Bank)

Sanford Rose Associates –Lake Lanier Islands

ALR Marketing

auction. The hottest selling items of the night included:

The Solo Stove Fire Pit, donated by Michael Pugh at Thompson O’Brien,

The Ninja 10QT “Smart Cooking” Air Fryer, donated by Lisa Proctor, Sanford Rose Associates – Lake Lanier Islands,

The Firebirds Wood Fired Grill gift basket,

Kroger Gift Cards,

Buff City Soap gift baskets,

Hilton Romantic Pampered Night,

The Marriott Weekend Getaway, and

The Andretti Indoor

Second chance

Anyone who missed out on the excitement still has an opportuni ty to help the effort. There is a sec ond chance auction that includes last-minute donated items that did not make it in time for the Sept. 22 event, as well as items that did not sell when the silent auction closed. Many items are available for shipping.

“We are still tallying the num bers and have some great items still available on ‘second chance,’ including tickets to the 20th anniversary season opener of the Atlanta Gladiators,” said Proctor. “The Kroger gift cards available can be used for food and gas and will still give money to a good cause. We also have VIP tickets to experience the College Football Hall of Fame.”

The second chance auction is available through Oct 13. Find it at charityauctionsto day.com/auctions/pcba-cele brating-10-years-and-touch downs-33153.

Or text the word “PCBA” to 88793 – this gives you a quick way to find

Far left column top down, l to r, Silent Auction Sponsors Childs Company Matt Childs, Andrew Henry and their guests

L to r, Suzanna Martinez and Juan Orengo

L to r, Donna Linden and Riema Cummings

Above, l to r, Jaqita Goodson, Atlanta Marriott representing UGA in cornhole

Left, Eric Christ includes DJ Gary Braner

it in your text messaging and will be where you receive notices of being outbid or other silent auc tion updates.

Clicking on the link from your phone will allow you to save the URL to your phone’s home page to get there quickly for fast bidding and checking out new items.

“We are excited right now to bring in extra dollars into our community as we have people who watched our sites from New York, New Jersey, Tennessee, California, Texas and other areas outside Georgia,” said Proctor. “A couple of items had bids from people outside our community who believe in what we are doing.”

She added that the last-minute sales will not prevent PCBA from awarding checks to the three char ities. “The additional funds will allow us to increase the funds we actually award to the charities and go into the general fund towards things like scholarships for next year,” Proctor added.

Also, the centerpieces from the evening are still available for purchase from Christi Mathews Design (CMD). CMD will donate all the sales from those items to PCBA’s charity event. Anyone interested can contact Christi at christi@christimathewsdesigns. com.

Karting & Games Family Pack.

Chuck Waters

Pets & their People 2022

If we’re honest, the animals in our lives are more than just pets. They’re companions, family members, sometimes even soulmates. That’s why Peachtree Corners Magazine takes the time and holds the space to cele brate our non-human friends each year. The 2022 Pets and Their People Giveaway attracted a lot of submissions.

We loved looking through all the photos that were sent our way. Congratulations to the lucky three winners. Our generous local sponsors make sure they’ll get special treats. And we look forward to even more enjoyable pet and people photos next year.

Second Prize

◄ Second prize is awarded to Kimberly Madera, with Boba, a mini Goldendoodle, shown with her husband Brandon Endy. Their prize includes a $100 gift card from Pet Suites of Ameri ca in Norcross, a $250 gift card from Jillian’s Fetch + Sketch Dog Training and a $100 Visa gift card.

Grand Prize

▲ Grand prize goes to 14-year-old Elizabeth Barrett, a 9th grade student at Wesleyan, and Millie, an Australian Labradoodle from SkyeDoodles in Marietta, @millie_marshmallow21. They’ve won five days free boarding at Camp Woof in Norcross, a $100 gift card from Pet Wants in Johns Creek and a $200 Visa gift card.

Third Prize

► Third prize is claimed by Melanie Willenborg, with daughters (L to R), Morgan, a 5th grader at Simpson ES, and Whitney, an 8th grader at Pinckneyville MS. Their horse Macaroni is a Dutch Warmblood that joined their family this past summer. They’ll receive a $100 gift card from Pet Suites of America in Norcross, a $100 gift card from Puppy’s Para dise and a $50 Visa gift card.

Thank you to Our Sponsors

Furbabies, Not So Furry Babies Provide Unconditional Love

Post-pandemic pet surrenders at higher rates than adoptions

good portion of the day, those pets that were lavished with attention may have separation anxiety, Frost explained. “The dog or the puppy that gave so much love during the pandemic maybe wasn’t trained really well…” and now they’re rip ping up the carpet and becoming a problem.

While many dogs and cats are coming in, not nearly as many are going out. “We’ve got animals being surrendered on a larger scale than we were accustomed to because, sadly, those animals would have been euthanized. A lot of the ani mals that were adopted during the pandemic would have never made it out,” Frost said.

She added that she believes some

By Arlinda Smith Broady

When governments mandated that people shelter in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees who could do their jobs from home were doing just that. Kids were put into virtual learn ing environments and pets were wondering why their humans never left the house.

Some of those humans with out furry companions decided it would be great to have animal companionship to fill the void of no watercooler gossip or lunches with coworkers. Furthermore, dog walking remained an accessible form of physical activity. And people may have sought out pets to reduce levels of stress, anxiety and loneliness caused by the pandemic and the lifestyle changes it neces sitated, according to a report from Best Friends, a pet advocacy orga nization.

Several studies have reported that public demand for acquiring or fostering a new pet grew shortly after March 2020. Despite people commonly spending more time at home during the pandemic and many reports indicating that the demand for pets grew as a result of COVID-19, shelter data shows that raw numbers of adoptions from shelters and rescues were actually

lower in 2020 than in 2019.

Planned PEThood

Nobody knows that better than Laura Frost, Director of Organiza tional Development for Planned PEThood of Georgia.

“During the onset of the pan demic, when everybody was closing down, there was this amazing surge of animal rescues. You saw stories on every news outlet about how shelters were emptied, and every body adopted a cat or a dog… you know, it was just wonderful,” said Frost. “It was something that had never really happened before, be

cause [now] everybody was at home and had time for the pets, and they wanted companionship.”

While most people who had been in animal welfare for a long time were celebrating this unprecedent ed swell of love for strays, they knew that the other shoe would drop eventually. But Frost said that, like her, they tried to be hopeful and optimistic.

“We knew it was probably going to hit the fan at some point. I think that’s what everybody is starting to see now, as people begin to enter the workforce again and they are not at home,” she said. “Families and kids went back to school, the world shifted, maybe people lost jobs or moved or whatever it may be. They are starting to surrender the animals to shelters.”

Now that the humans are gone a

people are concerned about infla tion and their finances and may not be willing to take on a new financial obligation.

“The shelters are kind of stuck. They’re lowering adoption fees and getting creative,” Frost said. “They’re using social media and doing all these things to try and get the animals adopted, but it’s a supply and demand issue. Right now, the supply is really high and the demand is really low.”

Furkids

Another non-profit organiza tion dedicated to animal welfare, Furkids was founded in 2001 when Atlantan Samantha Shelton dis

covered a hungry mother cat and her three kittens quivering on her porch. Local animal control told Shelton the family would likely be euthanized, as they did not have space, but Shelton was determined to save the felines.

What started out as a cat rescue has now found homes for more than 50,000 animals in the metro area. Headquartered in Cum ming with an adoption center in Peachtree Corners, Furkids has partnered with Petco and PetSmart to offer adoptions at several retail outlets in the area.

Help is available

Both organizations work with the community to the benefit of our furry friends. Offering low-cost spay and neuter clinics and other pet assistance, they strive for a world where no pet is euthanized.

“For a lot of people, it might be a struggle to care for their animals, whether it’s at the beginning stages of adopting the animal and needing to get it spayed or neutered or vac cinated, or just learning what they need to do to be a good pet owner,”

Frost said. “Maybe they have a five- or seven-year-old pet and it’s gotten an ear infection and they’re strapped for cash and they’re strug gling,” said Frost.

Frost wants pet owners to know that there is help. Many organiza tions in the area offer training and low-cost solutions that can help pets and their people get through the rough patches — and many food banks offer pet food.

“Those are the kinds of programs that we really strive for,” said Frost. Planned PEThood has a rescue and adoption program that places 1,000 to 1,200 animals a year and its low-cost spay and neuter clinic has performed close to 80,000 surgeries since it began offering them.

“Where most clinics maybe do two or three a day, we’re going to do about 60,” said Frost, adding that the clinic doesn’t handle more specialized surgeries. ■

Planned PEThood

Furkids Pet Adoption

Economic Cloud Has a Silver Lining

By Arlinda Smith Broady

In the early days of Tandem Bank’s existence, Chairman, CEO and Founder Charles DeWitt pointed out how it differentiates itself from many other banks.

In an interview with Atlanta Business Chronicle, he said there would be an increased focus on technology. Three years later, there is a main bank, but customers are encouraged to do more banking with their cell phones and utilize other technology.

The other difference is in the name. DeWitt said “Tandem” refers to the tandem bicycle, and it means that whether the client is an entrepreneur, a real estate professional or business operator, it will stay alongside them, provid ing capital or safeguarding their money but always keeping the spotlight on the customer.

In keeping with the philoso phy of remaining beside clients, Tandem hosted its first Economic

Forum on Thursday, September 22. The event featured Roger Tutterow, professor of econom ics at Kennesaw State University (KSU). He also serves as director of the Econometric Center, a research center housed in KSU’s Coles Col lege of Business.

Economic insights shared

Tutterow shared his insights on the current economic situa tion and explained where metro Atlanta, the state of Georgia and the United States stand in global finance. His take was entertaining as well as informative as he cov ered critically important issues, such as:

• Persistently high inflation and rising interest rates,

• Labor challenges and supply chain woes,

• Downward trending con sumer sentiment, and

• Likelihood and possible depth of a recession.

Top, economist Roger Tutterow, Ph.D. Professor of Economics at Kennesaw State University, speaking at Tandem Bank 2022 Economic Forum Above, Tandem Bank’s Chairman and CEO Charles DeWitt (right) with Tutterow

Despite inflation, labor shortages, and cost of capital increases, the small business M&A market remains strong in 2022 driven by baby boomer retirements.

According to the Q2 BizBuySell Market report, the services sector continues to lead businesses for sale transactions. Among buy ers surveyed, these businesses are the most sought after (40%), followed by retail (29%). More specifically, buyers are seeking ‘recession-proof’, essential ser vices, such as auto repair shops,

healthcare businesses, cleaning services, and financial services. Transworld Business Advisors see a strong 2022 1st half of the year with 13% YOY growth in busi ness sale and 64% growth over 2020 pandemic year levels.

You may want to consider talking to a Transworld Business Advisor for a complementary valuation while the market is hot. Explore your options by giving us a call today at 770-766-9855 or email a atlantapeachtree@tworld com

“We went through an incredible economic period from July 28, 2009 until February 2020,” said Tutte row. “The economy grew for 128 consecutive months, the longest economic expansion of the postWorld War II era. And then the pandemic came. And we went from an economy that was growing at 2¼% to one that started contract ing overnight.”

Although that was no surprise, the repercussions and recovery have many confused about wheth er we’re headed back to prosperity. “Today, the question on many people’s minds is ‘Are we currently in a recession? Or is one the likely outcome in the near term?’” he said.

With that as background, Tut terow showed some fundamental data to help find an answer. He first explained that the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) will determine an answer through analysis. On the other hand, it’s not inconceivable that the economy may actually start growing again.

“It may well be several more quarters before we get a final rul ing,” Tutterow said.

There’s a misconception that two negative quarters of GDP growth indicate a recession is im minent. The NBER says a period of diminished activity in production, trade, income and employment of sufficient depth and breadth are proof of a recession. So, with payrolls still growing and industri al production still rising, it actually doesn’t appear the economy has been in recession in the first half of 2022.

Although the economy plunged during the pandemic, once things started reopening, consumer confi dence came back up, said Tutterow. “And then we got into 2021. And the summer of 2021, fall 2021, confi dence started falling.” he said.

Some media sources tend to

blame the economic issues on gas prices. “The consumer psyche is overly sensitive to gas prices,” Tut terow said. “Gasoline prices exert more effect upon the perceptions of inflation than the actual per centage of the expenditures.

“Let’s be honest, gas prices mat ter. ...So when the price of gas goes up by $2 per gallon, that’s $2,000 of after-tax, disposable income that goes from you into the gas tank [if you average about 1,000 gallons a year.]”

At the end of the day, the econ omy isn’t doing so bad, Tutterow stressed. Even though interest rates have climbed a little, buying a house at 7% interest sure beats the 18% average people were paying in 1981. Historically, access to capital is still cheap. ■

Tandem Bank 2022 Economic Forum held at Stone Ridge Event Center, Stone Mountain, GA

WEARE GRATWICK

VP/Gwinnett Market President

Office

WENDY WILLIS

Development

Atlanta Tech Park

107 Technology Pkwy., Peachtree Corners 30092 470-482-1800, atlantatechpark.com

Peachtree Corners

Business Association

4989 Peachtree Pkwy., Ste. 215, Peachtree Corners 678-969-3385, peachtreecornersba.com

PCBA Connecting Over Coffee Morning Meetup

Tuesdays, October 11 and November 8, 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, 5215 Town Center Blvd., Peachtree Corners

Free admission for PCBA members and their guests. Please register online since space is limited.

networking, food, beverages and a chance to see the positive way PCBA impacts the community.

Rotary Club of Peachtree

Corners

Norcross Cultural Arts & Community Center 10 College St., Norcross 770-330-7477, peachtreecornersrotary.org

Rotary Club Meetings

Mondays, October 24 and 31; November 7, 14 and 28; and

First Friday Breakfast with Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan

Friday, October 7. 7:30-9 a.m. Crown Plaza Norcross, 6050 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Norcross

Admission is $28 for members and

MicroConf Local

Tuesday, October 18, 3-6 p.m.

Admission is $50.

Some of the best in the business join in to chat through the most pressing questions facing B2B SaaS (software as a service) Found ers today. Find out what leaders in each city think about the same topic.

Not Your Grandpa’s Lunch & Learn Series

Wednesdays, October 19 and November 2; Thursday, November 17, 12-1 p.m.

Admission is free and lunch is provided.

Brio Business Academy sponsors the series. October 19 covers “The Three Most Common Hiring Mistakes in Early-Stage Growth… and How to Avoid Them.” The topic for November 2 is “Three Things You’re Probably Doing in Your Business Right Now that You’ll Definitely Regret Later”; on No vember 17, it’s “The Legal Structure You Started with May Be Hand cuffing Your Business. Is It Time for You to Restructure?”

Partnership Gwinnett: State of Technology Summit

Thursday, November 10, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Attendee admission is $80.

Hosted by the Gwinnett Chamber, the summit is an opportunity to learn about trends and best prac tices in the technology sector and hear from industry leaders.

On the second Tuesday of the month, connect over coffee and have conversations with other PCBA members and business professionals in a positive atmo sphere. Business cards will be shared with all attendees.

PCBA Lunch Club

Thursday, October 20, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Moe’s Original BBQ, 5005 Peachtree Parkway, Peachtree Corners

Join the PCBA lunch club to enjoy a great meal at a 15% discount while networking with other PCBA members. Register online and bring your confirmation email to the restaurant on the day of the lunch.

PCBA Business After Hours Speaker Series

Thursday, October 27. 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Hilton Atlanta Northeast, 5993 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Peachtree Corners

Registration is $35. Early Bird reg istration, before September 30, is $20 for members, $25 for guests.

The after-hours event includes

December 5, 12-1 p.m.

Special guests speak at some meetings. On October 31, it will be Traci Consolini of Merry Market Ministries. On November 7, John Salter will speak on the Rotary Foundation.

Southwest Gwinnett

Chamber of Commerce Office in Atlanta Tech Park 107 Technology Pkwy., Peachtree Corners 470-482-1899, southwestgwin nettchamber.com

$35 for non-members.

Register before noon on October 5 to reserve a spot.

A former professional baseball player and successful entrepre neur, Geoff Duncan was elected Georgia’s Lieutenant Governor in November of 2018. The program will start at 8 a.m. Admission includes a breakfast buffet.

Lunch and Learn at Curiosity Lab Wednesday, October 12, 12:30-1:30 p.m., tour to follow Admission of $15 includes a catered lunch.

Curiosity Lab, 147 Technology Parkway, Peachtree Corners

A publicly funded living lab, Curi osity Lab provides a real-world test environment to advance next-gen eration intelligent mobility and smart city technology. Curiosity Lab CTO and PTC Assistant City Manager Brandon Branham dis cusses how it began and where it’s going.

SWGC Coffee Connections

Fridays, October 14 and 28, 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Free admission for SWGC members and visitors.

Enjoy coffee — or tea — and conversation with local business professionals in a networking event created to expand profes sional relationships. The meetings are held in the large meeting space behind the SWGC office at Atlanta Tech Park. ■

Beaudin Speaks at SWGC “First Friday” Meeting

Kimberly Beaudin, President & Chief Execu tive Officer of the College Football Hall of Fame was the guest speaker at the Southwest Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce (SWGC) First Friday Meet ing in early September. Coach Mark Richt and Matt Stinchcomb, Georgia Bulldog player and college football Hall of Fame in ductee, were also in atten dance at the event, held at the Norcross Crowne Plaza Hotel.

The College Football Hall of Fame is a national nonprofit organization and top-rated experience based in Atlanta. Beaudin was named President & CEO of the Hall of Fame in March 2020, making her the first female lead er of the storied institution. Click on southwestgwinnettchamber.com for info on SWGC and go to cfbhall.com for more about the College Football Hall of Fame.

SWGC Hosts Coffee Connections with Ivan Shammas

A Legacy is Worth Preserving

On September 23, Southwest Gwinnett Chamber (SWGC) members and their guests gath ered at Atlanta Tech Park for the SWGC Coffee Connections Spotlight Series. The morning meeting featured Ivan Shammas, President and General Manager of Univision Atlanta & Univision. Univision is the powerhouse for Spanish media in the metro At lanta news market, and recently entered into a partnership with Atlanta ABC Affiliate, WSBTV.

A veteran of Spanish language media with over two decades of station management and sales, Ivan shared his insights on how local businesses could more effectively integrate with Hispanic businesses in the area to build a stronger economic community. Photos this page by Bruce Johnson

Life is a collection of precious moments, memories of a life well-lived. e protection of those memories while providing safety and preserving legacy is why memory care is the primary focus for e Mansions at Sandy Springs.

Now o ering Valeo™ Memory Care. Programming tailored to the individual, based o the personal preferences and legacy of each resident.

a tour and come see for yourself.

PCBA Honors Magnolia Comfort Medical with Ribbon Cutting

The Peachtree Corners Business Association (PCBA) celebrated the success of Magnolia Comfort Medical with a ribbon cutting recently. The clinic, located at 6050 Peachtree Parkway in Peachtree Corners, helps relieve patients’ headaches, injuries and sciatica as well as joint, back and neck pain.

Kevin Le, DC brings state-of-the-art chiropractic care and a focus on full-body health solutions to the practice. Magnolia Comfort offers convenient testing facilities and on-site ultrasound. Get details at magnoliacomfortmedical.com.

PCBA Donates to Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries

The Peachtree Corners Business Association (PCBA) awarded a check for $500 to Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries at the August PCBA Busi ness After Hours Networking event. Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries provides physical (food and clothing, health), financial (rent and utility assis tance, temporary hotel stays, job ministry) or spiritu al assistance (counseling, prayer and church connec tions) to those in need.

“The PCBA is pleased to award a check for $500 to the Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries to contribute to their ongoing need of restocking their pantry and providing financial assistance as part of our Community Outreach,” said Lisa Proctor, PCBA President. Visit peachtreecornersba.com for more on PCBA. For Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries info, go to ourncm.org.

Garage Door Repair & Replacement

Bringing the Bees

Madison Mitchko’s Gold Award project attracts and protects pollinators

By Kathy Dean

GirlScout Madison Mitchko has been working to make a pos itive difference in the community by attracting more pollinators with her Gold Award project.

The Peachtree Corners resident lives in the Riverfield neighbor hood and is a Junior at Rivers Academy in Alpharetta. She has received approval on her project

and plans to complete it this fall.

“My Gold Award Project aims to make the world a better place to live in by increasing healthy habitats for pollinators, including bees, butterflies, birds and moths,” Mitchko said. “Native pollinators are very important because they are the most effective pollinators and help plants reproduce and support other species of wildlife.”

She explained that pollinators are responsible for approximately

one-third of the food and drink that human beings consume. In fact, it’s estimated that the value of crop pollination is between $18 and $27 billion each year in the U.S.

“There is a worldwide decline of pollinator populations because of habitat fragmentation, pesticide use and climate change,” Mitchko added. That’s what inspired her to take on the project, she noted.

Since last March, Mitchko has been working with the City of Nor

cross, a certified Bee City USA, to build a pollinator habitat in front of their City Hall. Bee City USA provides a framework for con serving native pollinators through healthy habitats rich in native plants and nest sites and protected from pesticides.

“Another big aspect of my project has been teaching young people in Peachtree Corners about the importance of pollinators,” she said. “I also teach them how

to plant native plants that attract pollinators.” Mitchko notes that she has seen an increase of butter flies and bees in her yard after she added native plants there.

She gives a lot of credit for the project to her team, and specifi cally to one member, Gold Award Coach Jennifer Skurpski. Also a Peachtree Corners resident, Skurpski is the leader of Girl Scout Troop 2427.

Mitchko has reached out to city

officials in Peachtree Corners hop ing to stir up interest in the city becoming a Bee City and building its own pollinator garden. If it does work out, she plans to be on the front lines, ready to help out.

Visit girlscouts.org to learn more about the Girl Scouts and the positive impact the group has on young women and communities. To find out more about Bee City USA, go to beecityusa.org. ■

Opposite page, far left Madison Mitchko (second from right) and the Gold Award Team, Lily Park, Jalia Killings and Tixie Fowler (Advisor).

Top row middle picture, plant ing, some girls from Madison’s Girl Scout Troop that helped and are working on their own Gold Award Projects (Riley and Evelyn)

Local Business Leader Sees Balance as the Key to Peachtree Corners Longevity

Asa refugee fleeing the war in Vietnam, Tim Le never envisioned the life he has today. With his wife Amy, they have a real estate business with officers in Peachtree Corners and Duluth.

Possibly more important, he is an advocate for the American dream for those with comparable stories as his — and for those who’ve never had to endure the uncertainties of a poverty-stricken homeland.

Hard choices to get to safety

Le came to the U.S. in 1982 when he was nine after leaving Vietnam by boat. He said it was it was an extremely dangerous time, so the family traveled in small groups. Le was with his parents, and his sister was with an uncle.

“We had to separate the families to minimize the risk. In times of turmoil, you have to make a deci sion — and then no matter how hard it is, you just have to stick with it,” Le said. “And that’s what our whole extended family did.”

Slowly, they put together their escape plans and eventually left, he said. “But my sister took it very hard.”

In the Vietnamese culture, fam ily unity is extraordinarily strong so the abandonment his sister felt at the time has remained. “I’m sure they didn’t make that decision lightly,” said Le. “But she was only six at the time and it cost so much money to leave. I have two other sisters that had to stay back.”

Through the journey, a cousin’s boat sank. Everyone perished except one survivor who chose to live in Canada. She was just a teen at the time, and recently revealed to the family that she had been raped by pirates before eventually finding a home.

“These things that happened long ago stay with us,” said Le. “You

think you’ve gotten over them and sometimes they bubble up years later.”

That’s one reason family and community responsibilities mean so much to Le.

From California to Georgia

His family was sent to Chicago for a little while, but ended up in California, where Le met his wife in junior high school.

Le completed San Bernardino High School in 1990 before going to college at California Polytech Po mona, where he graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1995. “Since then, I have worked as a Senior Equipment Engineer for NEC Electronics USA and even tually became an entrepreneur and real estate investor,” he said.

Although California presented many opportunities, it was fraught with challenges. “California is really tough because everything is so expensive,” said Le. “That is why we feel so blessed that we live in the state of Georgia, especially Peachtree Corners. …I feel safe in business. The regulations and everything are pretty good.”

In California, Le said he grew up in the ghettos. When he and his wife became professionals, the competition was almost unbear able. “Competing just to climb that ladder, the corporate politics is tough, especially if you’re a minori ty,” he said. “I did my time and then in 2001, we had a recession. The internet bubble burst.”

He obtained a real estate license and began investing in properties. Le is quick to point out that he wasn’t a flipper. “Flipping is just doing a job, but if you hold onto real estate for the long term, that’s an investment,” he said.

With real estate costs so ex orbitant in California, it took all their savings, plus borrowing from friends and family, just to get the

50% down payment to get the credit for the remaining cost. “We had to get everything out just to do one project. So, we were like, ‘Let’s look at another option,’” said Le.

In the 1990s, his uncle sponsored hundreds of families who had been in refugee camps to come to the United States. Many bypassed California because the jobs were so hard to come by. They started looking to different locations and Atlanta became a huge draw be cause of the 1996 Olympics.

“We sold our house in California and we were able to bring a signif icant amount of money with us,” said Le.

American and Pacific Islanders activities.

Le serves on the board of the Georgia Department of Communi ty Affairs, the Peachtree Corners Downtown Development Author ity, Leadership Gwinnett and the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce.

Both Tim and Amy are involved with nonprofit organizations that are focused on helping new refugees that come to the United States, as well as the Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce, to help other business owners from their country be more effec tive and more efficient.

“We educate them about re sources from the mainstream com munity or chamber,” said Le. “For example, when the SBA EIDL loan program was introduced or the stimulus package came out, our chamber put together a campaign to let the business owners know about the available resources.”

They even helped businesses fill out the application.

Building business in Peachtree Corners

Le’s Peachtree Corners office is another example of making the best of a dire situation. “It was va cant for …a few years. The grass in the front …was like six feet high. It got put on the market, so we put in an offer and then the owner went into bankruptcy,” Le said.

After a long process, the prop erty finally became his and the company rehabbed it into mid-lev el office space.

“We took a blighted property and then turned it around, and we brought a whole bunch of busi nesses into the building,” said Le. “It brings a lot of tax revenue into the city.” Peachtree Corners doesn’t have a residential property tax, so the revenue that comes from busi ness licensing is significant.

By Arlinda Smith Broady Photos by George Hunter

Strong community ties

The couple continued in the real estate business and now the family is entrenched in the communi ty. Le has been on the Gateway Community Improvement District board since 2012 and he is a mem ber of the Gwinnett Rotary Club. He is also involved with the Viet namese community and the Asian

“We have pretty good leadership that makes the city grow without increasing or establishing the city tax,” he said. Le added that he believes in the city government’s vision and is confident that some of the issues, such as affordable housing, staffing issues and safety, will get resolved.

“There’s a reason why I also serve on the Department of Com munity Affairs,” Le said. “We deal with Section Eight, and the prob lem is we don’t have funding to

We educate them about resources from the mainstream community or chamber. For example, when the SBA EIDL loan program was introduced or the stimulus package came out, our chamber put together a campaign to let the business owners know about the available resources.

Tim Le

Unexpected Happiness

subsidize housing for low-income families.”

Le added that there are devel opers who’d like to establish more affordable housing, but there’s a way to do it that will fit in with the city’s master plan. “We’re already seeing development projects that are mixing business and residen tial, but in a different way,” he explained. “That’s a healthy com munity.”

“We just have to keep balance in mind, and we won’t have to look to different counties or other parts of Gwinnett for our labor force,” Le continued. “We can accommodate them right here. Peachtree Corners is a wonderful place. I’m confident it will remain so.”

Honoring his heritage and his adopted country

Although Le loves his adopted country, his family keeps many aspects of their culture alive. For example, he and his wife speak to each other in both English and Vietnamese. His parents prefer to converse in Vietnamese when interacting with the family.

“My parents lived in Rialto, California where my father was in

the landscape, and later the water purification, business until they moved to Norcross in 2005,” Le said. “We are blessed to have them in Georgia.”

He added, “I am grateful for the Americans that fought for democ racy and freedom throughout the world. I am also grateful for America helping and admitting all of the Vietnamese refugees into the United States and giving us the platform to build our foundation to prosper and thrive.”

The friends he has made, the things he’s learned and the oppor tunities he’s had to prosper and help others mean a lot to Le.

“I think that’s the key — it’s un derstanding the other culture, be cause when we understand them, we will have freedom. And the thing is, as human beings when we see somebody that’s different, then we have something against them,” he said.

“If you understand them and understand their culture, then it reduces fear,” Le pointed out.

“Like our staff here …we have pretty much every nationality represented.” ■

Writing Group Based in Peachtree Corners Brings Romance to the Masses

into a good book has never been more im portant than in recent years. During the slow est days of the pandemic, when restaurants, sporting events and other activities were closed, we turned to puzzles, streaming movies, binge-watching entire seasons of a TV show, home workouts and reading a favorite author’s work to pass the time.

Escaping

According to Readers Magnet, a self-publishing and marketing firm, fiction writing remains the most popular type of book sold. At the top of the fiction list are romance novels, an estimated $1.4 billion genre.

Peachtree Corners-based Georgia Romance Writers (GRW) couldn’t agree more.

The non-profit GRW has more than doubled their membership this year with 180 serious, profes sional writers, nearly one-third of whom are multi-published. Mem bers range from the self-published to New York Times Best Selling Authors.

Meet the authors in Peachtree Corners

By Karen Huppertz

Each month, romance writers from Georgia meet at the Hyatt Place Atlanta in Peachtree Corners. Beginning at 9 until 11:30 a.m., they enjoy coffee or tea, network and hear from an experienced author

on a variety of topics. Inevitably, you’ll find many writers just leav ing at 2 p.m. when GRW’s time to gather runs out.

“We’ve had many published authors — NY Times Best Sellers, USA Today Best Sellers — who come and speak to us on a craft topic like editing or strengthening character,” said Brenda Lowder, President of the Georgia Romance Writers Board of Directors and romantic comedy author of “Body Jumping” and “Sparks.”

Their most recent meeting, held Sept. 17, featured Sia Huff discuss ing “Stellar Scenes.” Topics in 2022 have ranged from social media basics and how to find an audience to adapting romance fiction to the screen and how to create “firsts” in a novel.

Moonlight & Magnolias

In October, GRW will host their annual Moonlight & Magnolias

Writing Conference Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 20-23 at the Crowne Plaza Atlanta SW in Peachtree City. The three-day event, drawing writers from neighboring states like Florida, Tennessee and South Carolina, is jam packed with opportunities to learn and hone the craft.

Since its inaugural event in 1982, the conference has a long-estab lished tradition of supporting and developing writers of all levels. While focused primarily on ro mance, writers of all genres are welcomed, respected and encour aged.

Thursday’s workshop features Debra Dixon on “Goal, Motiva tion and Conflict,” followed by an opportunity to visit vendors and socialize. Friday and Saturday include more than 25 morning and afternoon workshops on a wide range of subjects including titles like “Strength in Skirts: Creating a Strong Heroine,” “Writing Diversi

Opposite page, Berta Platas and Nan cy Knight (founding member of GRW) presenting during a workshop panel at the 2019 Moonlight & Magnolias Conference.

Left, HM Thomas, author of The Right to Surrender and What We Deserve at the 2019 Moonlight & Magnolias book signing.

Bottom, Vicki Dabney, Robin Hilly er-Miles, and Pam Trouy enjoy a selfie at the 2019 Moonlight & Magnolias Conference.

ty throughout Genres,” “Villains,” “Tik Tok for Authors” and “Setting up Book Clubs and Get Your Book Chosen.”

Panel discussions will cover cold reads and industry trends, and provide an opportunity to learn from NY Times Best Selling Author Sherrilyn Kenyon, best known for her Dark Hunter series. Daily keynote speakers include Andrew Grey, Dahlia Rose and Melinda Curtis.

Moonlight & Magnolias Con ference Chair and contributing author of “Love in the Lowcoun try” Robin Hillyer-Miles notes that for authors attending each year, the highlight of the week end is the Maggie Awards and the dance party that follows. The awards recognize published and pre-published authors of romantic fiction. Authors from as far away as Australia have submitted their work to win a Maggie.

Registration for the three-day

event is $300 for members and $385 for non-members. That covers all workshops, lunch on Friday and Saturday as well as the Maggie Awards Banquet on Saturday evening.

“I’ve been to many confer ences, and this one is the most fun,” said Lowder. “It’s a party atmosphere and people are just friendly and learning and look ing to have fun. It’s joyous.”

What exactly is a romance novel?

According to Hillyer-Miles, GRW was at one time affiliated with the Romance Writers of America. Breaking away from that organization has allowed GRW to broaden their definition of what constitutes a romance writer.

“We’re able to expand our horizons a little bit,” said Hilly er-Miles. “Sometimes people who write novels with a romantic

subplot might not be acceptable for RWA but is accepted for GRW.”

Most romance novels result in the main characters of the novel resolving a conflict for an optimistic conclusion. “A romance gives a prom ise that there’s going to be either a happily ever after or a happy for now,” explained Hillyer-Miles.

According to a MasterClass arti cle explaining the genre, “Romance novels can be traced all the way back to ancient Greece, with five surviv ing stories centered on romantic love from this time. Samuel Richardson’s 1740 novel “Pamela” is also a precur sor for the modern romance novel. In the nineteenth century, romance novels rose to prominence with the popular works of Jane Austen, whose novel “Pride and Prejudice” greatly influenced the genre.”

While a happy ending is required to be considered romance, the genre is inclusive of sub-genres that range from historical romance and sus penseful romance to the paranormal, science fiction and fantasy. The

genre is also diverse with some novels focused on the challenges of young adults, multi-cultural re lationships or LBGTQ connections. Erotic romance delves into more explicit sexual interaction and may bring to mind the worldwide best seller “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

Members join for the community

Joining GRW costs $25 annually and members pay only $10 per in-person meeting or $8 to join the meeting virtually. Following their October conference, GRW’s next monthly meetings in Peachtree Corners will take place Nov. 19 with USA Today Best-Selling

Author Ciara Knight and Dec. 10 with Tanya Angler, who Amazon describes as the award-winning author of “sweet contemporary romance novels revolving around themes of second chances and hope.”

For Lowder, becoming a GRW member eight years ago resulted after a friend encouraged her to attend a monthly meeting. She found the authors welcoming, uplifting and well-connected.

“Join for the warmth and sup port of the very talented writers in the community,” added Lowder. “The reason I volunteer is because the authors have been so support ive, warm and encouraging and it is a place that really nurtures growth.”

■

Kool Runnings Offers Taste of Jamaica

You won’t have to board a plane for authentic flavors of this island nation.

By Arlinda Smith Broady Photos by George Hunter

Youmay not be able to bring back the beautiful blue waters or sandy white beaches from a trip to the Caribbean, but thanks to a long-established local restau rant, you can enjoy the same food.

In July 1993 Tony “Granville” Reid and his wife Marcia left their home in Jamaica for the U.S. Six months later, Marcia’s brother E. Parry Hinds joined them. They soon found that their credentials from the island nation didn’t carry over in this new country.

“The jobs that we held at home were of an executive nature,”

said Tony. “We spent a lot of time canvassing for employment, with the exception of my wife who was pregnant with our last child.”

Encouraged to take a leap of faith

After a year of striking out on the employment front, Hinds’ father-in-law, who was an entre preneur and mentor to the young couple, suggested they open a restaurant.

“We don’t know anything about running a restaurant!” Tony coun tered. But the older man persisted. After all, the Reids had run a phar macy in Jamaica, and yet neither

E. Parry Hinds and sister Marcia Reid and her husband Tony “Granville” Reid, all owners of Kool Runnings

were pharmacists.

“We weren’t chefs, but we did know how to run a business,” said Tony. So in 1994, Kool Runnings was born. It started in DeKalb County on Memorial Drive, but it has been at its Peachtree Parkway location for 14 years.

“It was all trial and error over the years,” said Hinds. “We made a whole lot of mistakes, made a lot of money and lost a lot of money.”

The fact that they weren’t chefs or trained in culinary arts forced them to take chances with people who claimed that there were pro fessional chefs. “That messed this up a whole lot,” said Marcia. “We had to rely on people that weren’t honest.”

But the family could depend on their entrepreneurial skills and business acumen. “We had boots on the ground, literally,” said Hinds. “We were getting in the mix and learning as we went along, but we also relied heavily on the influences and the input of other people with experience.”

It took time, but they gradually gained enough knowledge to be able to identify the pitfalls. “…ad the shenanigans,” added Marcia.

It also took trial and error to get the right blend of spices to repli cate the flavor they recalled from home. Once they found it, they regulated it so no matter who was in the kitchen, the food would be basically the same.

“One thing that people want is consistency,” said Tony. “If I come in here today, I want to be able to come in here a week from now, and if I ordered the same thing, I want it to taste the same.”

Customers learn to love it

The restaurant has gained a loy al following. “We’ve had customers

Where to Eat

who have been coming to us since day one,” said Hinds. “And we have their children coming and their grandchildren coming.”

But convincing Americans that curried goat and whole fish, with the head and eyes still intact, were delicious cuisine was an uphill climb. So in the early days, the food was on a steam table where customers could see the food as it was being dished up. “We’d offer samples,” said Marcia. “Once they tasted the good flavor, they were hooked.”

To date, about 80% of their customers are Americans. In fact, Air Jamaica recognizes Kool Runnings as a top spot for island cuisine. When they were at the Memorial Drive location, patrons and staff from the nearby Hooters restaurant would buy food at Kool Runnings to eat with pitchers of beer while they watched sports at Hooters.

“One evening at about six or seven o’clock, one of the Hooters executives came in through our door… he said, ‘We have 28 tables over there, and 23 of them have your food,” said Tony, laughing.

It’s that kind of proof that as sures the family that they’ve done the right thing.

Challenges met and overcome

The family was doing so well that it had operations in the food courts at North Lake Mall in Tucker and Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth. Then the Great Recession hit, which meant less consumer spending and a sharp decline in patronage at malls.

They closed their mall locations and focused on improvements at the main location, like a Sunday brunch buffet with music. Just as they were getting their groove back, another tragedy struck — COVID-19.

Unlike a lot of restaurants, Kool Runnings was able to stay open through the pandemic. Even with

staffing shortages, the family persevered. “We worked hard every day and made sure everything got done,” said Marcia.

Once again, the business model changed. “We were used to most customers coming in to dine and then we became almost all carry out or delivery,” said Hinds.

Recently, of course, the prices have skyrocketed. “Some things we’re just not able to get,” said Tony.

That means it takes more effort for this family-run establishment to keep going. When restaurant suppliers don’t have the right rice for the rice and peas, sometimes they’ll go to a regular grocery store with prices and quantities geared toward consumers and not cost-ef fective for other retailers.

“Even a simple ingredient like coconut cream — that’s a primary ingredient in many recipes — is sometimes impossible to find,” said Tony.

He added that they can’t just pass on the additional costs to the customers because soon they’d have no customers. Still, they all are optimistic that things have leveled off somewhat and will soon get better.

Through it all, they don’t regret a thing. For a group of folks with out culinary backgrounds, they’ve made quite an impact in the food world.

Although their children grew up working in the restaurant, they don’t believe the legacy will live on. “When we close, we will be done. But we’ll know that we’ve done well,” said Hinds.

Jinbei West Features Elevated Menu of Japanese and Korean Cuisine

Chef Jae Choi has partnered with Chef G. Garvin to create a new restaurant, Jinbei West, which opened at Peachtree Corners Town Center in late September. The restau rant is a sister location to Smyrna’s Yakitori Jinbei, known for Korean cuisine with a Japanese twist and menu items like Okonomiyaki, Kore an fried chicken, sushi and ramen.

“G. has been my friend and unoffi cial partner for years as I’ve looked to him for advice about navigating the restaurant industry,” said Jae. “Now, we’re thrilled to be collaborat ing together on this new concept, bringing in some favorites from Yakitori Jinbei while making this new adventure all its own.”

Jinbei West will serve an elevated version of the Smyrna menu, with offerings like an Omakase experience at the sushi bar, in a larger space and updated atmosphere. Get additional info at ptreecornerstowncenter.com/directories/jinbei-west.

New Sandwich Shop Opens in Peachtree Corners

Town Center is now home to Knuckies Hoagies, the chain restaurant’s third corporate location. Knuckies features hand-crafted hoagies and salads with an emphasis on premi um meats, cheeses and produce.

A fourth corporate location opened in West Midtown in September, and the chain’s first franchise restaurant opened the same month at The Interlock in Mar ietta. More at knuck ieshoagies.com.

High-End Desserts Available Nearby

Cheesecaked has opened in the Peachtree Corners area at 5380 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. The gourmet cheesecake boutique sells a variety of personal-sized cheesecakes in an assortment of flavors. This is the dessert con cept’s second location. Check out the menu — and enticing photos —at cheesecaked.com or face book.com/getcheesecaked.

Photo courtesy Explore Gwinnett

Chef G. Garvin

Neighborhood Butcher Shop Offers Quality Meats

In August,

In

Brothers Meat Market opened,

shop can be found

to

and

Peachtree Parkway.

and

also stocks a variety of

meats

Peachtree Corners.

Union Bros Meat Market social

Christ the King Craft Fair Returns for Its 35th Year

Christ the King Lutheran Craft Fair is a nonprofit fundraising craft fair that takes place annually in Peachtree Corners and is sponsored by Christ the King Church Women’s League. It sells a host of hand made crafts and baked goods.

This year, the fair will be celebrating 35 years of crafting for the community on Nov. 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Nov. 6 from 9 p.m. to 1 p.m. at Christ the King Lutheran Church.

various disruptive life paths move towards healing and security).

Crafting for others

By Ivy Marie Clarke

Christ the King Lutheran Craft Fair grows every year but remains a constant, fun opportunity to support local, charitable, faithbased causes including Norcross Co-op (which provides emergency assistance to families in South west Gwinnett), The Next Stop (creating community for adults with developmental disabilities), Interfaith Outreach Home (work ing to connect houseless families with housing resources) and Inspiritus (helping people from

The fair is possible due to the dedication of the Crafty Ladies, made up of mostly Christ the King Lutheran Church members who gather twice a week to brain storm and craft together through out the year in preparation for the annual craft fair.

Group members are not re quired to be churchgoers or to craft exclusively with the Crafty Ladies; they must only be willing to donate their skills and time to the fair.

The fair is also supported by

another craft group that meets bimonthly at the Christ the King Lutheran Church called Knitting for the Needs of Others, known as KNOTS. KNOTS members knit and teach knitting, but crocheting is also welcome.

They primarily knot for the Norcross Co-op and make baby

Images from previous years courtesy of Christ the King Lutheran Church. Some of the photos are by Stephanie Walters Logue

blankets for children baptized at Christ the King Lutheran Church. They also make hats, scarves and gloves for the Christ the King Craft Fair and donate anything that doesn’t sell. Shop for yourself or for holiday gifts

The products available at the fair are as plentiful and diverse as the organizations that your purchases support. Dozens of vendors will be selling home and kitchen goods and decor as well as clothing for children and adults, beauty products, jewelry, accesso ries and plushies.

Many of the vendors’ wares will be Christmas and fall-themed, with wreaths, ornaments and ta ble and mantle decorations lining the booth tables.

You can also expect to smell — and taste! — deliciousness in the form of brownies, cookies and pies at the Bake Sale. There will be food and drink available in addi tion to pastries, so you can lunch while you shop.

Though there won’t be a silent auction or online component to this year’s fair, attendees can enjoy a used book sale, free kids crafts and a quilt raffle.

Crafty Lady Lisa Bergstresser started contributing to the craft fair when she moved to Peachtree Corners two years ago, and she spoke to its value to herself and the community.

“It is for the community and for charity,” Bergstresser said. “It creates growth within our church and community as we get to know each other and satisfaction know ing we are helping organizations who help those in need.”

Plan to get started on your Christmas shopping at Christ the King Craft Fair. While you shop for your loved ones, you’ll be helping critical community orga nizations that experience heavi er pressure during the holiday seasons.

For further details, contact fair chairman Marlaine Hysell at 678-852-8679 or follow the event’s Facebook page, facebook.com/CT Kcraftfair/.

Evolution of Town Center Recreation and Planned Tot Lot

continued to be a hot spot in the City. Over the years, it has residents and visitors. What opened with retail stores and restaurants includes residential homes, entertainment venues, and recreation

From the Mayor’s Desk

The Continued Evolution of Town Center Recreation – New Playground and Planned Tot Lot

Opened in 2019, the Peachtree Corners Town Cen ter has continued to be a hot spot in the City. Over the years, it has continued to develop into a center of activity for our residents and visitors. What opened with retail stores and restaurants has now devel oped into a fully mixed-use center that includes residential homes, entertainment venues, and recre ation opportunities.

ians should know.

Playground. This playground was designed to be a one of a kind children but would also represent the City.

1. The age recommended age for play is 5 to 12 years old.

2. Children should always be supervised.

to serve children that are 5 to 12 years old by offering unique promote an increased amount of physical activity. Additionally, a wheelchair We Go Swing, and offers equipment to appeal to equipment, and multiple textures.

Most recently, the City opened our new Town Center Playground. This playground was designed to be a one-of-a-kind facili ty that would not only pro vide a play haven for our children but would also represent the City.

specifically stand out when you design of the tower mimics 141 between the Town Center become an icon in the city and is features two slides, a climbing

This newest feature of the Town Green has been tailored to serve children that are 5 to 12 years old by offering unique play features that are not only fun but are challenging and promote an increased amount of physical activi ty. Additionally, the play ground was designed to be fully inclusive, features a wheelchair We-Go-Swing, and offers equipment to appeal to those with autism including sensory pan els, balance equipment, and multiple textures.

3. Equipment should never be used counter to its design.

4. Footwear should always be worn.

5. Remove any clothing that includes hood and/ or neck drawstrings

As we continue to provide additional recreational op portunities in Town Center and at the Town Green, the City has begun the process of developing a tot lot play area that will be designed specifically for children un der the age of five. While we do not have a firm timeline, the City is targeting late fall/ early winter for design com pletion. Following design, bids will be released for the construction of the area.

of equipment is the Quantis. The installation of this piece of playground represents only the third installation in the United Quantis features an incredible figure eight shape that is maxed out top to bottom. This innovative net system allows for unscripted, above and below the apparatus.

The playground is equipped with two pieces that specifically stand out when you approach it. One is the Peachtree Corners Tower. The design of the tower mimics the design of the Pedestrian Bridge that spans highway 141 between the Town Center and The Forum Peachtree Corners. This symbol has become an icon in the city and is carried through on the playground. The equipment features two slides, a climbing structure, stairs, and two towers.

While not yet determined, tot lots predominate ly feature a variety of play equipment including swings, slides, jungle gyms, geodesic domes, teeter totters, and play equipment specially designed for kids aged under 5. These features encourage such activities as climbing, swinging, spinning, sliding, balancing, jumping, hanging, creative play, crawling, and hiding.

The future addition of a tot lot to the new play ground and Fitness Trail at the Town Green will pro vide fun, engaging, high-energy play options for all Peachtree Corners residents, regardless of age.

playground, safety is of the utmost importance and there are a few years old. design. neck drawstrings

The second piece of equipment is the Quantis. The installation of this piece of equipment at the playground represents only the third installation in the United States. The Quantis features an incred ible figure-eight shape that is maxed out with fun from top to bottom. This innovative net system al lows for unscripted, infinite play above and below the apparatus.

While a lot of fun can and should be had at this new playground, safety is of the utmost importance and there are a few things that parents and guard

Stay safe, 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

Corners, GA 30092

Mike Mason, Mayor

Urban Canopee, Curiosity Lab’s Newest Occupant, Adds Greenery to Concrete Areas – Starting with Peachtree Corners

have use of their particularly in novative technology.

“During our worldwide expan sion, we wanted to come to the United States because so many of its modern, concrete-covered cities experience the urban heat island phenomenon. We can help tackle that issue with our green technology,” said Loïs Lenhardt, technical studies engineer for Ur ban Canopee. “The Atlanta area seemed like a good place to start.”

models, both of which include a high-tech irrigation system called a Sensopee. The setup of a struc ture takes one day or less.

Introducing a high-tech, self-contained irrigation system

The larger systems use the hightech Sensopee, a smart irrigation system within the structure rely ing on sensors and weather-based technology to keep moisture lev els optimal. Its algorithm optimiz es the best conditions and water consumption to help plant roots grow. Urban Canopee employees

Peachtree Corners is the first place in the United States to re ceive an innovative and hightech structure intended to cool down urban areas by greening them up. Called a corolle, the modular, vegetation-covered formation is the creation of French technology company Urban Canopee (urbancanop ee.com), which has chosen Curiosity Lab of Peachtree Corners as its launch pad into North America.

The company learned about Curiosity Lab through the French-American Chamber of Commerce, Atlanta-Southeast and La French Tech Atlanta, which moved operations to the Innovation Center at Curiosity Lab in 2021. La French Tech is a French network of startups, investors, decision-makers, and community builders. This is the first startup joining Cu riosity Lab through La French Tech.

Curiosity Lab increasingly attracts tech startups and larg er technology organizations from around the globe. Many come to test their smart city and intelligent mobility solu tions in a real-world environ ment, and/or in the case of Ur ban Canopee, to gain proximity to American markets that may

Peachtree Corners’ Town Cen ter is also now home to a Mini Corolle – also called a Mini Canop ee – from Urban Canopee. This product contains a steel-covered fiberglass base sprouting a mesh cylindrical, upward-and-out ward-spreading canopy overlaid with climbing plants. When the plants mature, the Mini Canopee, equipped with its own irrigation system, will provide 215 square feet of shade to help create a cool place where summers are hot and provide additional biodiversity in the Town Center.

“Urban Canopee is committed to bringing vegetation to areas of cities where you could not plant trees because of under ground networks, parking decks, subways, and areas covered in concrete,” said Lenhardt, who works at the offices of the French American Chamber of Commerce, Atlanta-Southeast, at Curiosity Lab’s Innovation Center.

Creating oases of freshness in cities

Increasingly long and intense heatwave episodes, growing air pollution, loss of biodiversity, and reduced availability of water are just some of the reasons why Ur ban Canopee aims to spruce up streetscapes while making cities cooler, more resilient, and more environmentally sustainable. Its technology-enabled low-car bon, energy, and water-efficient solutions are the company’s way to combat the effects of climate change while improving the qual ity of life for urban dwellers.

The company provides a range of structures from the Mini Canopee, with a low-tech irriga tion system, to its 500-square-foot Contrario and Olympe Canopee

Before delving into the state-ofthe-art Sensopee, each structure contains a small amount of sub strate that relies on water to help the plants grow. The Mini Canop ee’s passive watering reserve will need to be filled with close to two gallons of water a week – but doesn’t need to connect to the city’s water system.

monitor when soil is dry, and the water reserve is empty. When ei ther or both occur, they text the customer that it’s time to refill the water reserve – about once a month during hotter seasons and once every two or three months when temperatures cool.

In addition to the one in Peachtree Corners, Urban Canopee has installed 164 other

self-standing, autonomous green structures in 63 countries in Eu rope, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Australia.

Expanding its line of green products for urban areas

While in the states, Lenhardt hopes to generate interest and momentum so others will con sider purchasing or offering the company’s canopies to customers. Potential partners include munic ipalities, landscape architecture firms, or any organization dealing with engineering greenspaces.

In fact, Urban Canopee relies on such partnerships for its option al maintenance plans in which a local landscape company, for in stance, would weed, mulch, fer tilize, stake, and prune the plant structure three times a year.

In the next couple of years, Urban Canopee plans to use the same technology comprised in its corolles to add green, vegeta tion-covered roofs and facades to its line of products.

“Our canopies bring movable vegetation to urban areas and add significant value and a bet ter quality of life,” Lenhardt said. “We hope to have several more of them in North America by the end of the year.”

Keep up with our latest trips and innovations

If you are interested in learn ing more about Curiosity Lab’s real-world testing environment or scheduling a tour, please reach out to us here. Testing is free and open to all technology companies from startups to Fortune 500.

To stay in the know, subscribe to Curiosity Lab’s blog by enter ing your email address at curios itylabptc.com/contact/. You will be notified when Curiosity Labs posts content each week about smart city & intelligent mobil ity projects being tested at the Lab, events, announcements, and more.

Be sure to follow us on social: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

*Heat islands are found in urban ized areas that have higher tem peratures than outlying areas. This is because city structures, including buildings, sidewalks, and roads, absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat more than forests, wa ter bodies, and other natural land scapes.

The Crime Free Multi-Housing Program: What is it and how does Peachtree Corners participate?

Over the past few years, Peachtree Corners has been work ing to enhance security through out the city. These enhancements have included the installation of license plate reading cameras, en hanced security camera placement on city property, the creation of a police sub-station at Town Center, and increasing our partnership with the Gwinnett County Police Department.

One of the programs that the City participates in with the GCPD is the Crime Free Multi-Hous ing Program (CFMHP). This free program, implemented by GCPD in 2012, is offered in partnership with the GCPD to property own ers, property managers, residents, and law enforcement personnel to work towards the elimination of crime in multi-family properties.

The City believes so much in this program, that participation in the CFMPH is included as a zoning con dition for all new multi-family and mixed-use developments. While there are some older complexes that predate implementation of the program, the City, in partnership with GCPD, continues to encourage those properties to participate.

The CFMHP has a goal of reduc ing the number of violent crimes and calls-for-service in multi-fam ily properties. The three-part pro gram is designed to be easy and effective in reducing the incidence of crime on rental properties while maintaining a tenant-friendly ap proach.

The phases of the program are a required seminar, certification of a property’s safety controls, and an introduction of the program to the

tenants via community awareness training.

For the first phase, an 8-hour seminar is presented by GCPD to property owners, managers, and in some cases residents. The sem inar includes such topics as crime prevention theory, the benefits of resident screening, lease agree ments and eviction issues, working smarter with police, fire, and life safety training, and community awareness. Additionally, the semi nar covers issues relating to gangs, drug activity, and crime prevention.

Following the seminar, the rental property must complete a Crime Prevention Through Environmen tal Design Survey (CPTED). This survey will allow GCPD to deter mine and certify that a rental prop erty has met all the requirements for tenant safety. Requirements that must be met include compli ance with the following:

■ Minimum door, window, and lock standards

■ Minimum exterior lighting standards

■ Key Control procedures

■ Landscape maintenance standards

Following the certification of the property, GCPD offers the fi nal phase of the program, which is the introduction of the program to the tenants through community awareness training. The comple tion of this phase allows for full certification and permits the loca tion to include signage of comple tion of the program on the proper ty, grants management use of the program’s logo on advertisements, and lists the property as certified on the GCPD CFMHP webpage.

After a property is fully certified,

a multi-unit family development must host one safety-related crime prevention meeting with the residents per year to main tain their active membership in the Crime Free Multi-Housing program. This certificate ex pires every 18 months unless it is renewed following compliance with Phases I and II.

Participation in the pro gram offers many benefits to multi-family developments. In some properties where the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program has been implemented, there has been a reduction in crime of up to 70 percent. Additionally, the program increases safety, helps to lower maintenance and repair costs, increases property values, and provides for a stable and more satisfied tenant base. This in turn leads to an increased de mand for rental units within the development by improving the reputation of the complex.

We are all aware that when the rate of crime increases in any area, neighborhoods suffer, and landlords, tenants, and our City pay a high price. High rates of crime lead to a large decline in property values, increased in cidents of property damage, po tential civil penalties on property owners, loss of valued residents, and increased resentment and anger between neighbors and property managers.

As we continue to move into the future, the City will continue to focus on the health and safety of our residents and business es. We are currently working on additional partnerships and pro grams that will help publicize that crime and criminals have no place in Peachtree Corners.

How Do I Obtain a Building Permit? Town Green Dos and Don’ts

If you are planning a building or remodeling project in the City of Peachtree Corners, chances are you will need to apply for a building permit. Applications for building permits are required to be submitted for installations regulated by the Georgia State Minimum Building Codes if any owner or authorized agent in tends to:

■ construct, enlarge, alter, re pair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure

■ erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert, or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system

The building staff reviews building plans and inspects all residential and commercial struc tures built or remodeled within the City. Permits issued include, but are not limited to, the follow ing:

■ buildings and accessory structures

■ decks/porches

■ pools/spas

■ demolition

■ interior finishes

■ remodeling and additions

■ retaining walls

■ Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC, roofing, or other specialty trade

■ any additional permits required

Depending on your type of project, you or your contractor will need to submit the appropri ate applications and forms to ob tain a building permit. You will be able to submit electronically. You will find the link on our building website. These may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Building Permits (residential and commercial)

■ Building Permit Application (pools and retaining walls have separate applications and re quirements)

■ If not submitted electroni cally, 2 sets of site plans and archi tectural drawings (drawn to scale) submitted to the permit counter

■ State of Georgia Contractors license and business license

■ Trade affidavits with re quired license

*All commercial projects require a design professional stamped drawing and a Gwinnett Fire stamp of approval on all plans PRIOR to submission. Food ser vice establishments also require a Health stamp of approval from Gwinnett Environmental Health.

Trade Permits (such as mechanical, electrical, plumbing, etc.)

■ Trade Permit Application

■ Business License

■ State of Georgia Trade Con tractors License (not required for Limited-Service Specialty Con tractors)

A homeowner may act as a general contractor for their own property by submitting a Home owner Affidavit in person, with proof of residency (you must live in the home as a full-time resi dent).

Building permit fees vary ac cording to the type and size of construction. General building permit fees are usually based on the valuation of the project, but always in accordance with the ad opted schedule of fees located on our website.

Building permits are required by City ordinance. Work without a permit may be subject to re moval or other costly remedies. In addition, permits help protect property values and homeowners’ insurance policies may not pay for damages caused by work done without a permit. Lastly, when it comes time to sell your home, list ing associations require owners to disclose any home improvements or repairs and whether permits were obtained. Many financial institutions will not finance a purchase without proof of a final inspection.

For a more detailed list of sub mittal requirements and access to our forms, please visit our website at https://www.peachtreecorners ga.gov/government/communi ty-development/building-per mitting. Building permits are accepted Monday - Friday 9am to 4pm at City Hall, 310 Technology Parkway, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092.

As we continue to move into the fall and our event season, we want to remind everyone that the Town Green is a great place to get together with family and friends. The Town Green, designed as space for outdoor activities, includes an active water fea ture, open-air pa vilion, café tables, fire pit, projection screen, open lawn, playable art, and a 2,500 square-foot veterans’ monu ment that features seven sculptures.

As a community space, there are a few rules that have been put in place to ensure the park can be enjoyed by everyone.

The Town Green is a public park open to the community every day of the year from sunrise to 11 PM. As a public park, the Town Green (includ ing the lawn, stage, splash pad, shade structures, play areas, tables, and chairs) is not available to rent or reserve for private events. Small private parties of no more than 15 people may utilize the Town Green without reservations on a first-come, first-served basis provided that all furni ture is returned to its ‘before’ event placement and all trash is removed.

Gender reveal parties or any celebration that produces or use confetti, chalk dust, or similar residue is prohibited.

Town Green Rules

1. Town Center is open every day from 7 am to 11 pm (No overnight camping is allowed)

2. Leave things as you found them. (Pick up after yourself and anyone you brought with you Return furniture from where you got it)

3. Behave as if your mother is watching

4. Don’t bring prohibited items:

Glass bottles and glass containers of any kind

Barbecue grills

c. Fireworks, sparklers, and candles

d. Smoking, vaping, and all tobacco products

Illegal substances and drugs

Sound amplifiers

g. Only for ‘Last Saturday of The Month’ concerts: No Pets (ex cept service animals) and no coolers larger than 12 quarts (up to 18 can capacity) [Both pets and larger coolers are allowed at other times]

h. Motorized vehicles including scooters and golf carts (unless used by individuals with mobility impairments or with permission from the City for special events)

5. Don’t stake or attach items to the ground or to fixtures. Items such as umbrellas, tents, tiki torches, signs, etc. are prohibited

6. Leave your mark on the world, but not on the Town Green: don’t use chalk, crayons, markers, etc. on any surface

Guests are expected to behave respectfully and in accordance with Town Green policy, and state and local laws. Any guest acting in a man ner that is deemed unsafe can be subject to eviction.

BOOKS

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Welcome to Waterside.

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multiple housing options

a range of life stages

abundance of both passive and active amenities

take full advantage of the stunning river vistas, Waterside

poised to become a destination, age in place

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location

within one mile

low maintenance single-family homes, townhomes and condos. A future phase of the community is planned to include independent living, assisted living and memory care facilities

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