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SUMMER 2016 IMPORTANT CONTACT INFORMATION:
City of Decatur:......................................................www.DecaturGA.org Police (non-emergency): .................................................. 404-373-6551 Fire (non-emergency): ...................................................... 404-373-5092 Active Living (Recreation Center): ................................ 404-377-0494 Children and Youth Services:.......................................... 404-378-1082 City Clerk: ........................................................................... 404-370-4100 City Manager:..................................................................... 404-370-4102 Economic Development:.................................................. 404-371-8386 Mayor / Commissioners:.................................................. 404-370-4102 Planning & Zoning:........................................................... 404-370-4104 Sanitation & Facilities Maintenance:............................. 404-377-5571 City Schools of Decatur:............................ www.Decatur-City.k12.ga.us Dekalb County:.................................................... www.Co.Dekalb.ga.us Agnes Scott College:..............................................www.AgnesScott.edu Oakhurst Community Garden Project: ..... www.OakhurstGarden.org The Solarium at Old Scottish Rite:.................. www.TheSolarium.org Trees Atlanta:........................................................www.TreesAtlanta.org YMCA – East Lake:......................................... www.ely.ymcaatlanta.org YMCA – Decatur/Dekalb:........................... www.ddy.ymcaatlanta.org Samuel Jones Boys & Girls Club:............. www.bgcma.org/club.jones
ADVERTISER PHONE LISTINGS:
Ace & A: ............................................................................... 404-373-4074 Avondale Veterinary Hospital: ....................................... 404-294-4800 Butch Whitfield:................................................................. 404-897-5558 Chip Wallace, KellerKnapp Realty: ............................... 678-429-9731 Decatur Pest Control: ....................................................... 404-296-4044 Dekalb Medical Hospital: ................................................ 404-501-5200 Ensphere Services:............................................................. 404-283-3186 Escuelita de Lita School:................................................... 678-764-8617 Finders Keepers: ................................................................ 404-296-0285 FitWit:.................................................................................. 888-534-8948 Halo Salon:.......................................................................... 404-390-3629 Heather Tell, Atlanta Intown Realty:............................. 404-219-4078 Linda Lehsten, Keller Knapp Realty:............................. 404-784-8779 mCary & Daughters: ......................................................... 404-370-0999 Matador Cantina: .............................................................. 404-377-0808 Mezcalitos: .......................................................................... 678-471-6135 MoJo’s Pizza: ....................................................................... 404-373-1999 Oakhurst Electric: ............................................................. 770-256-7174 Oakhurst Market: .............................................................. 678-732-3109 Pam Hughes, Harry Norman Realty:............................. 404-250-9900 Parent Coach Atlanta:....................................................... 404-990-3187 Plants Creative Landscapes: ............................................ 404-309-7175 Pure Gas Station: ............................................................... 404-856-0393 Universal Joint:................................................................... 404-373-6260 Steinbecks Pub: .................................................................. 404-373-1116 Wahoo Grill: ....................................................................... 404-373-3331 Wahoo Wine & Provisions:.............................................. 404-687-9463 Disclaimer: The Clarke Agency LLC publishes the Oakhurst Village Magazine bi-monthly with the support of the Oakhurst Neighborhood Association (ONA). The content, including ads, articles and photos are not authorized or endorsed by ONA and do not necessarily reflect the views of the ONA, The Clarke Agency or the Publisher. Therefore neither The Clarke Agency nor the Publisher may be held liable for the business practices of the advertisers in the Oakhurst Village Magazine. The content reflects the views of its authors and we have provided the email addresses of the writers for direct response. We encourage the Oakhurst Village residents to contribute content often! The Oakhurst Village Magazine staff reserves the right to modify, edit or not publish submitted content.
@2016 The Clarke Agency, LLC Mailing Address: 931 Monroe Dr. NE #282, Atlanta, GA 30308 Phone: 404-587-7887
SUMMER 2016
Oakhurst Village Magazine 3
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
Community support in Oakhurst Village I just love Oakhurst. How everyone pulls together to support each other. In light of the terrorism around the world, it is great to feel at home here in Decatur! Everyone was so supportive when I lost my father this spring then had another surgery on my foot. I actually made it through April Jazz Nights in stellar fashion considering the world around me. So, thank you Oakhurst Village! You will notice in this issue of Oakhurst Village Magazine, I highlighted some of the fundraising events that support our diverse community here in Oakhurst. There are an amazing bunch of kids doing such great work in our community. Again, I am proud to be part of this community when there is such discourse in the world. As we head into summer please remember to watch out for the kids playing. Not just your kids, but also the opportunist kids that may burglarize your home. The police tell us that there is an uptick in crimes during the summer months. But don’t forget to enjoy the hot summer months as you can read about the Dunlavy family that travels quite a bit. Even if you stay in Decatur this summer, you will find some great summer festivals this year. As always our local Oakhurst Garden (Wylde Center) has special programs for families. Please volunteer to make these events successful and fun for the community. Thanks for your continued support. Anne Clarke Publisher, Oakhurst Village magazine OakhurstMag@gmail.com 404-587-7887
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SUMMER 2016
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Oakhurst Village Magazine 5
COVER STORY
FITWIT: GEARING UP IN DECATUR Brainchild of Josh and Erin Guerrieri, FitWit grew out of their experience when teaching at an Atlanta inner-city school
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Rowing class at FitWit. (Courtesy photo)
By JOSETTE MURRAY sowrite@bellsouth.net Maybe Peanuts said it best: “Life is like a ten speed bike. Most of us have gears we never use!” At the gleaming new gym at 2191 College Avenue, FitWit is poised to help Decatur/Kirkwood residents find their missing gears. The brainchild of Josh and Erin Guerrieri, FitWit grew out of their experience when teaching at an Atlanta inner-city school with Teach for America. They saw an opportunity to improve their students’ lives by combining personal fitness training (FIT) with academic tutoring (WIT), attending to both the body and the mind. At the same time that they were working in APS, they began to offer 4-6 week outdoor fitness classes for adults that were a combination of boot camp and personal training. Again, they offered their “campers” a balance of discipline and individualized attention. They began in Grant Park
in 2006, with the intent of helping people reach their fitness goals within a supportive community. Their approach has been demonstrably successful, with new locations offered about every two years since. In 2009, they began a Decatur camp, in Midtown in 2011, and North Druid Hills in 2013. “From 2011-2013, we were in operating partnerships with schools and churches in a primarily outdoor program,” Josh says. “It was challenging, dependent on the elements, mosquitoes and other forces of nature.” Then in 2015, they took the big leap, opening their first brick and mortar gym on College Avenue in Decatur, where they now offer studio classes. That decision was a community one, involving the Guerrieris, Vice President Ben Thoele, and the growing FitWit staff. There, they offer kettleball for strength, TRX for a total body workout, HIIT fat-burning cross training, yoga for strength and health, and rowing for a no-impact workout that targets every mus-
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cle. The Old Fourth Ward gym on Ralph McGill Boulevard now also offers some rowing classes, with an eye to expansion. The studio class packages sold are good at either location. But the Guerrieris haven’t left their outdoor roots. For the energetic early bird, starting May 2, they recommenced “outdoor-only (rain or shine) boot camp in the Historic Fourth Ward Skate Park. The 45-minutes classes are held Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5:45 a.m. and are fast-paced – no equipment, no frills, bodyweight exercises, calisthenics, running, jumping, team games and more. “ Josh and Erin Guerrieri’s story has been a joint one for many years. They met in a Cleveland, Ohio suburban high school, graduated from Wittenburg College and have been married for over 20 years. Moving to Atlanta, they taught for several years at Washington High School, Josh in fitness and Erin in Special Education Coordination. They have lived in Oakhurst for 5 years.
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Although they no longer work in the schools, the Guerrieris retain that commitment to youth via the FitWit Foundation, formed in 2008. It works to develop self-belief in kids through the Fitwit Clubs. Operating after school in Renfroe, Jackson, and Grady High Schools, they focus on character development and a physical workout. The goals are fun and fitness, basic movement and a “‘you versus you’ attitude,” Josh says. With revenues donated from every adult camp, about $1500 a month is channeled into the Foundation to help fulfill that mission. The Foundation offers “free fitness programs that build strength and develop character for the young people who need it most,” the website explains. “While decreasing obesity and improving fitness are important to us, our primary aim lies in using fitness as the vehicle to empower children to believe in themselves and strive for success every day.” The Kirkwood gym’s corollary to this is the FitWit Kids program. In that, small classes (10
participants split by age, 6-9 and 10-12), allow kids to “learn exercise, build confidence and have fun.” The FitWit approach is geared to the concept of creating “fitness communities.” “We make the member feel welcome. In small classes (15-20 people), everyone is known – you have a better experience and you are more accountable,” Josh says. The instructors “work with the members to set goals, knowing their strengths and weaknesses. Everyone works in a group setting that encompasses various fitness levels. It’s the same set up, with the workouts scaled to suit every level.” And it’s not all just work. “We have get-togethers – socials outside the gym, competitions mixed in with the workouts, team games and play/competitions,” all working together to weave the member into the fabric of the FitWit community. Rather than wandering around alone in a Continued on page 8
Oakhurst Village Magazine 7
Josh and Erin Guirreri’s daughter working out. (Courtesy photo)
Continued from page 7 big gym, “they feel part of a larger family and in that family, members hold each other accountable; they depend on each other and they celebrate each other’s accomplishments.” Perhaps this is how, as the website promises, the member will grow to “look forward to exercise,” something reiterated by Josh when challenged by a skeptical reader. FitWit is confident enough to guarantee a 100% refund if the member doesn’t look and feel better after 12 weeks. The idea is just to “try your best, working in an environment with all fitness levels,” Josh says. “You get to feeling good about
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yourself – you’re better than yesterday,” and you can enjoy the effort with partner activities and team games. The average age of the Decatur/Kirkwood gym members is about 30-40 years old. “We’re thinking about attracting more senior citizens for mid-day classes,” Josh says, perhaps through the Silver Sneakers program. “A few members are in their early 60s, I’d guess,” he said. “One is a woman who had not done exercise in years but was interested in working with a group. The others have been committed for about 6 years.” The motivation to exercise is as varied as the members, but the base is that health
and fitness become a priority. Basically, Josh says, you just “decide you want to get better, whatever that means to you. It could be weight loss, getting stronger, or looking better. All it takes is commitment and dedication,” he allowed. “Anyone can get better. Accept where you are, decide it’s important to you and work your hardest.” In ten years, there certainly have been memorable member moments. Perhaps the most striking was ten-year veteran Tina’s, who “almost gave birth in the gym,” Josh says. “She left at noon and the baby was delivered at home by the Decatur Fire Department at 2:00.” Now, that’s commitment.
SUMMER 2016
We’ve Moved!
Atlanta, Georgia 30317 770.396.2496 www.kirkwoodobgyn.com
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Elizabeth Kobe, D.O. Stuart Pancer, M.D. Leslie Anne Pope, D.O.
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We are now seeing patients permanently at this new office. We’re excited to be a part of the great Kirkwood community!
www.kirkwoodobgyn.com 770.396.2496
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DeKalb Medical Physicians Group Montreal OBGYN has relocated and been renamed Kirkwood OBGYN. The new practice address is:
Kirkwood OBGYN 2199 College Ave. NE
SUMMER 2016
Oakhurst Village Magazine 9
ATHELETE PROFILE: JAMIE DUNLAVY
Heights, depths, and back again: The Dunlavy’s journey ‘Miracle child’ survives 20 Foot fall while on vacation in New Zealand By JOSETTE MURRAY sowrite@bellsouth.net
Linda and Jamie Dunlavy at the rock climbing wall in Atlanta.
Linda and Jamie Dunlavy were in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, about 2 hours southeast of Auckland on the Pacific coast, to celebrate Linda’s mother’s 80th birthday. The weather, as it commonly is in this beautiful part of the world, was beautiful, sunny and a bit windy. They were staying at Nana’s house, a block from the turquoise waters of the South Pacific, where Jamie would often walk to surf. On this particular day, Linda was on the second floor balcony and Jamie was below. Jamie, while an accomplished climber, decided to climb up to her mother. “It looked like an easy climb,” she said ruefully. “When you climb enough you get addicted. It wasn’t too high, maybe about 20 feet.” Unfortunately, unknown to Jamie, the balcony rail was attached to the stucco wall with only penny nails and when it came loose in her grasp, she plummeted to the ground. In shock but conscious, she was Medivacked 2½ hours away to a hospital capable of dealing with head trauma. “Definitely on autopilot,” Linda jumped into the helicopter barefoot and with her phone, standing watch for the first 48 hours until husband Dan could join her. Jamie remained conscious until put into a medically induced coma for the first 3 days. “They had her on barbiturates and sedatives and pain relievers. Then they slowly and progressively removed the most recent drugs, trying to return her to consciousness so they could make an asContinued on page 11
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Continued from page 10 sessment” of the gravity of her injury. But brain swelling prompted cranial decompression surgery to remove a portion of her skull. “In retrospect, th at was probably the thing that saved her; they did it fast,“ Linda said. On the fifth day, after they removed the ventilator tube, her first words were to ask her mother if she was going to die, “the last thing a mother ever wants to hear.”
On the road to recovery
Jamie’s recovery has been beyond rapid. She remained in the hospital for almost two weeks, undergoing surgery 4-5 days before leaving to replace the skull fragment. “After 17 days in hospital we went home to my mother’s house and the predictions were pretty dire. ‘She won’t be able to go back to school for 4-6 months; she’ll probably need physical and speech therapy.’ I call her my miracle child. She didn’t need any of that. I’m sure that the rapid intervention at the beginning was part of that.” “It was a frightening experience, but they were really wonderful. She had her own nurse 24/7 in the ICU and people turned the patients every two hours to prevent bedsores. I was never once asked ‘do you have insurance?’ with the national health care system.” The New Zealand government’s health insurance paid for her hotel for the 17 days Jamie was in hospital. “Even if Jamie hadn’t been a New Zealand citizen, the first six weeks would have been covered.” In contrast, since returning, she has had two perfunctory medical evaluation visits and one
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Jamie Dunlavy in better days taking travel photos and doing rock climbing competitions. (Courtesy photos) five-hour battery of neuropsychological tests, and the Dunlavy’s portion of the bill was $7000. “I really hesitate to think how much of a financial crisis that would have been in addition to the personal, emotional, and medical toll. I don’t know how we would have paid for it. I would have hated to have gone through this in the American medical system.” While it was hard to be so far from her support network of friends, having family there helped, and the best part was “the overwhelming groundswell of support. People were sending things from the United States, cards of support, care packages. It was just incredible. That, and the New Zealand medical system because I didn’t have to worry about the expense, and that she was getting good care.” The Caring Bridge, an online blog for patients and their families, was another big help. “I found it quite cathartic, and I could say ‘my energy’s drained, I’m exhausted, go there,’” for updates, and everyone could still stay apprised. “It was really hard when she got back to climbing. I was a nervous wreck; I couldn’t watch. But now she’s so much stronger
that, I wouldn’t say I’m not worried about her – I’m worried about someone else on the wall accidentally kicking her in the head or dropping something off the wall. But something like this,” she said, gesturing to the giant wall from which Jamie hung, “where she’s out there on her own doing her own thing, I’m okay with that. I don’t want her doing outdoor rock climbing for a while, because that’s less predictable, with wet or loose stone. Here it’s highly regulated, you have professional route setters and staff who check for problems frequently, and everyone is belay certified.”
Competing nationally
Jamie first climbed at age 10½ at a birthday party, got hooked and “two months later I was on the [Stone Summit] competitive team. Every climb is different – always a challenge. You have to think about every move, so you’re distracted from everything else.” She has gone to national competitions in sport climbing, but the World competition was reserved for what is perhaps her favorite activity, speed climbing. “In Continued on page 12
Oakhurst Village Magazine 11
Continued from page 11 speed climbing, the routes are the same the world over,” Linda explained, “so it’s muscle memory and strength, climbing as fast as you can. She can climb a 10-meter wall in about 6½ seconds. The world competition walls are 15 meters and her best time on that was 10.36 seconds.” The first time she came back to climb with her team, she felt as though she had lost momentum. “Her recovery was so miraculous, I think part of her just sort of expected ‘I’ll get back on the wall and just do what I did,’ since she’d been doing that with everything else,” said her mother. Linda was understandably loath to see that happen, but Jamie’s counselor at school advised “Linda, climbing is this girl’s oxygen,” and she relented. She began again on Feb. 29, 3 months after the accident, and only a month later astonished her coach by running the speed wall in only a second off her best time. “Everything is fine,” beams Linda. “She scored average to high average on the neuropsych tests, and she’s back in school. The one thing about this is that it really changes your thinking. Before the accident happened, I was worried and pushing her to be more attentive in school and get better grades. It really does make you recognize there are some things that cease to be important when you’re faced with a life altering event like this. I think we push people in this country way too much to make life decisions when they’re ill equipped.” Jamie, who will be 16 this May, is a guitarist, skateboarder, photographer and surfer. She can be found roaming “all around Decatur,” with her Canon Rebel camera. “I’ve almost run out of places [to shoot], from Decatur to Kensington. Mostly in color, depending on the shot.” But mostly these days she seems preoccupied with climbing. Last October, at Arco, Italy, she placed 12th in the world for the speed wall among competitors from 14 different countries; she was in the top four in the national competitions. Now, her eyes are on the May regional competitions, from which the top 7 go to the Divisionals.
Perserving through the pain
A regular exerciser, she worked extra hard to rebuild her strength. “I did what I normally do, but this time even if I was sore I just did it anyway.” Her normal every-other-day 1¼-hour routine is 100 pullups or 200 pushups, and recently she’s been using
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“It was really hard when she got back to climbing. I was a nervous wreck; I couldn’t watch. But now she’s so much stronger that, I wouldn’t say I’m not worried about her – I’m worried about someone else on the wall accidentally kicking her in the head or dropping something off the wall.
— Linda Dunlavy on her daughter Jamie’s return to climbing
dumbbells to build her biceps. “And I use a Bosu ball for abs – it’s kind of a squishy ball; I sit on it with legs up for 4-5 minutes.” It’s hard for anyone to be a patient, but perhaps particularly so for an athlete. “It was a strange feeling. I’d walk like a half mile and then I’d start feeling dizzy and it’d hit me really suddenly.” The hardest thing was not to be active. “That’s what I do all the time. And I remember a week after I got out of the hospital, I tried to do some pushups. I could only do 8, and that just really got me down, and at the end I was just exhausted.” And while recuperating – “I’d sleep 12 hours, but I normally get about 7, so I didn’t feel like there was enough of a day.”
“The best moment was, ironically, when I got back on the wall. I guess I’m about a third of the way there, but I’m doing pretty good. After the neuropsych tests, the neurologist said ‘her recovery is amazing. I never would have expected that the results would be so good.’” “One of the first things she wanted when we got to my mother’s house was to play her guitar,” said Linda, and she picked it right up again. “She was afraid to sing for about 2 months because she was afraid of what it would sound like in her head. What really made my heart sing was hearing her sing in the shower,” finally. It really is all good.
SUMMER 2016
GARDEN TIPS: WYLDE CENTER
A tour of gardens and greenspaces By JULIE HERRON CARSON jhcarson@bellsouth.net Into the Wylde: A Tour of Gardens and Greenspaces will offer a Peek at Some of Decatur’s Most Beautiful Public and Private Landscapes May 14 The Wylde Center will present some of the Decatur area’s most beautiful public and private gardens May 14 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The tour, Into the Wylde: A Tour of Gardens and Greenspaces, will feature both private gardens and public gardens and parks, including the Decatur garden of internationally-known garden designer and author Ryan Gainey, the Wylde Center’s Oakhurst Garden, Decatur Cemetery, Scott Park and Woodlands Garden. The tour will be held rain or shine, and proceeds will benefit the Wylde Center, one of metro Atlanta’s premier environmental organizations. wyldecenter.org/into-the-wylde-a-tour-of-gardens-and-greenspaces/. “We are excited to open up some very lovely private gardens to the public, including the ever-evolving home garden of Ryan Gainey,” said Aditi Bhardwaj, chairman of the tour. The tour is self-guided, so attendees can spend as much time as they wish at each stop and plan their own route, and volunteers will be stationed at the gardens to answer questions. Garden Tour Features: a pergola surrounded by blooming shrubs and fountains, a pollinator-friendly cottage garden, a shade garden underneath a flowering Yoshino cherry tree, a collection of heirloom roses, a variety of garden “rooms” and a backyard campfire ring with seating. One of the private gardens on the tour is an Atlanta Audubon and National Wildlife Federation certified wildlife habitat. “We also hope the one-day tour will encourage the community to visit public greenspaces they may be familiar with, but perhaps haven’t explored,” continued Bhardwaj. The Decatur Cemetery is the oldest municipal cemetery in the metro Atlanta region and comprises 58 beautiful acres. The Morse family, who began cultivating the seven woodland acres when Dr. and Mrs. Chester Morse moved to the site in 1946, gifted Woodlands Gardens to the City of Decatur. Scott Park is an organic community garden located behind the Decatur Recreation Center and adjacent to the Decatur Public Library, and includes community garden plots. Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett will hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony at Scott Park. Oakhurst Garden is the Wylde Center’s original garden and serves as the organization’s headquarters. It includes community garden plots, a chicken coop with chickens, bee hive, Cobb Adobe House, pond, and growing area.”
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“We are excited to open up some very lovely private gardens to the public, including the ever-evolving home garden of Ryan Gainey.” — Aditi Bhardwaj, chairman of the tour
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Above left: James Maggard with his sons. Above right: Jason Hylton with his wife, dogs and the newest addition to the family!
BUSINESS PROFILE: JAMES MAGGARD AND JASON HYLTON
Ole’ Matador Best friends James Maggard and Jason Hylton on owning four restaurants together By SHANNON HAMES ShannonHames@gmail.com When childhood schoolmates James Maggard and Jason Hylton became best friends, nobody could have guessed that one day they would own four restaurants together as adults. But that’s just what the owners of Oakhurst’s own Matador restaurant did. Owner James Maggard shared the Matador story with us: Tell us about Matador, the Oakhurst place to go for authentic Mexican food. James: Matador is the nearest and dearest child to our hearts. It is the one that we
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started with. It kind of started when I was working as a financial advisor. I absolutely hated it. I had been a bartender in a restaurant back in my college days. I loved it and saw the way that people could make money in the restaurant business. It was in the back of my mind to do that type of work again but I wasn’t sure. My wife is the one who actually pushed me to pursue it. Jason and I had been best friends in high school. While I still had my job, I also had the opportunity to take over Sweet Double Moon, which is the restaurant that was there before Matador. So Matador started by just filling a need. Oakhurst was not really Oakhurst then. It was around 2005 when we hired a consultant to figure out how to do hot plate traditional Mexican food and Margaritas. We opened in 2006. This summer will mark their 10th anniversary of being a mainstay in Oakhurst.
How does Matador fit in to the Oakhurst Community? Let me just start by saying that I am a part of the community. I’ve owned a restaurant there for 10 years. I’ve lived there for 10 years. My kids go to Oakhurst Elementary. I grew up in Decatur. This was a coming home for me after college. The building that Matador is in is also where my father took his lawn mower to be repaired in the early 80’s. More than just the neighborhood, that space that we’re in has been in my life almost my entire life. I feel a deep personal connection to the physical space but I’ve done my best to let Matador stand on its own in the community. But I think it helps that the owner is a local, was raised locally, who lives in Oakhurst, who is in touch with everything that’s going on in the community. Continued on page 15
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Enjoying a tuypical night at Matador Cantina in Oakhurst. Continued from page 14 It is not just a restaurant. We are connecting to everyone here. Every year, we have the Oakhurst Elementary second grade Spanish class come in to eat with us. We just had them in and my son was so excited because it was his class and he got to show his classmates his family restaurant. As we’ve grown our business over the past few years, we’ve acquired other restaurants. But Matador is special to me. It’s like my home, my kitchen. The customers are my neighbors. These are the people that I see every morning when I walk my kids to school. They come in to the restaurant and I have a beer with them. It is a community. We’re fortunate to live in Oakhurst and have such a sense of community there. I’m proud that our restaurant is a part of that fabric. Was it always that way? When we first got started and hired a consultant, we hired a phenomenal family from Mexico to help us get Matador up and running. They contributed all of their family recipes and showed us the special ways of preparing the foods. We were one big, hap-
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py family for about two years. However, in 2012, the state passed legislation that promised deportation to undocumented workers. We ended up losing almost our entire staff. At the time, we were expanding so it forced us to change our plans and find our real identity and really connect with the neighborhood. You and Jason own other restaurants that aren’t in Oakhurst? We do. We have 2 in Tucker: Local No. 7 is a restaurant/bar that is like a burger joint that also serves bar food. We also have a fine dining in Tucker called m572. We just purchased Palookaville in Avondale, which is a neighborhood bar centered around Jim Stacy’s street food and corn dog food truck. What makes the partnership between you and Jason work so well? What we’ve learned over the years is that even more important than location, more important than good clientele, more important than a solid staff that doesn’t steal from you is having good partners. Jason and I have been fortunate enough to start out as friends and then became business partners
and we’re able to work and navigate through what we do on a day in and day out basis for the past decade. We have done it through successes as well as failures. An important factor in the success of our partnership, as well as our restaurants, is that we agree that the primary goal isn’t about making money. It’s more. We took a high school kid into Matador and let him work for us. He went to college but then wanted to leave to come work for us full time. Jason and I made a deal with him that if he finished his degree, then he could absolutely come on board with us. And now he is the managing partner out at m572. So we have the kid that worked at Matador for us in high school now running one of our other places as an adult with his degree. Jason and I have always been of the belief that when you find good people and retain them, incentivize them, and then reward them, you build an amazing team. We walk these people through the process from starting out to finishing in upper management. They always end up doing much more for us than we do for them but we’re like a family. When you treat people well, you get the best from people.
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HOME MATTERS: BURGLAR PREVENTION
How to prevent burglaries Safety tips to avoid being a target for home theft By DUNCAN COTTRELL Duncan@EntryEnforcer.com Here are the options for “hardening the target” to defend against burglaries, gleaned from my professional door & window reinforcing and repair. I’m happy to help folks know what options they have. Call Duncan Cottrell (The Entry Enforcer) at 404-289-6960. Most break-ins are by forcing in a door, which busts out the doorframe jamb and often breaks the door itself at the lock. The minimum thing you can do is replace the strike plate with a larger one that takes more, longer (3-inch) screws. The next avenue of intrusion are windows, and they can be reinforced with window pins, hold-down dowels, burglar bars, stainless steel hurricane screens, and clear window security film.
Don’t allow burglars easy entry to your home. (iStock photos) sliding closed glass for weatherproofing when appropriate.
2 Install a special security storm door in front of the entry door. (Larson “Secure Elegance” or Anderson 4000 Series). Adds the advantage of weatherproofing.
4 Reinforce the door jamb and the door with one of the unobtrusive steel hardware systems now available, like Door Jamb Armor or Strikemaster. These are 4-foot long, white, steel plates that anchor to the frame and wall studs with long screws, thus backing the deadbolt and latch with steel instead of wood. Equally important is a Door Shield, especially if you have a fiberglass door. If you are handy and have the right tools, you can buy these and install them yourself, though usually there are complications.
3 Install a special security hurricane screen door in front of the entry door. Has the advantage of fresh air exchange; also
5 There are good reinforcing solutions for double doors, especially utilizing a Nightlock door barricading device.
For door security you have the following options: 1 Install a wrought iron security door in front of the entry door. I call them “burglar bar doors.”
16 Oakhurst Village Magazine
6 Once you are inside the house, there are several products you can put in place to prevent the door from being forced in. Nightlock, Door Chucky, & Door Guardian are some of the brands. 7 The deadbolt lock is an essential component of the security system. Most residential deadbolts are the relatively flimsy Grade 3. A better choice is Grade 2. Best readily-available choices are Kwikset’s UltraMax or Schlage’s B560. High security deadbolts are the ultimate quality, but are expensive. Double doors can be reinforced to resist forced entry. First the stationery door Continued on page 15
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OPTIONS FOR WINDOW SECURITY
1 Window pins to prevent sash from being opened from outside. 2 Dowel rods wedging sash from being opened from outside. Think “broom handle in patio door track,� only vertical. 3 Clear window security film; bonds to glass and holds broken shards in place. 4 Burglar bars. 5 Heavy gauge, stainless steel hurricane screen. Continued from page 14 is made sturdy using special hardware. Then the jamb, door edge and hinges are reinforced as for single doors. Doors with glass are reinforced by (1) changing to a double-keyed deadbolt and/or (2) installing clear security film, which bonds to the glass and keeps broken shards in place rather than falling out. My business, The Entry Enforcer 404-289-6960, provides and installs intrusion prevention products for single and double doors, including solutions for glass doors and windows.
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Oakhurst Village Magazine 17
FOR THE KIDS
Preparing kids for the future Three things that might be missing from your child’s education By DENISE DALE deniserdale@bellsouth.net Do you remember thinking as a child, “When I grow up, I want to design mobile apps”? Growing up, did you want to dress up like a social media specialist when playing make-pretend? Of course not, because those jobs didn’t exist! Yet these jobs, which have only been around for the past 10 years, are some of the most important careers in today’s economy. There is no doubt about it: preparing our children for the future is a daunting task. And this task does not become easier over time; the rate at which technology, industries, and careers change grows exponentially every year, making it difficult to determine what skills our children will need most to be successful in the workplace. With this in mind, how do we approach education in a way that equips our children to be successful in a dynamic economy? What elements must be present in our children’s education to prepare them to solve problems and work jobs that don’t exist yet? Here are three critical items that may be missing from your child’s current learning environment: Mastery Learning is a method of teaching where an instructor does not move to the next unit of teaching until the group of students has reached a pre-determined level of mastery over the material. Therefore, the class does not move on until the students fully understand the underlying, foundational material required to fully
18 Oakhurst Village Magazine
Photo from Denise Dale, STEM Academy understand what’s next. The ultimate goal of the curriculum isn’t to cover a certain amount of material over a certain period of time, but rather to make sure that the material that is covered is fully mastered and understood by the students. Mastery learning is necessary to prepare our children for a constantly-shifting job market because it’s the only way to ensure they’ll have “tools in the toolbox” to solve the problems of the future.
Transfer- remember how exciting it was to watch 007 or MacGyver? In 007 movies we watched James Bond receive a set of gadgets, and throughout the movie we witnessed how he used these gadgets to solve a variety of problems. MacGyver, though equally exciting, was the polar opposite: he would encounter a problem first, and then would create a gadget to solve the probContinued on page 19
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is there anyone who can why is bedtime always a battle?
help me?
Continued from page 18 lem with whatever he had around him. Both of these examples illustrate the educational concept of transfer- the ability to solve a problem using learned material. Transfer works in two ways: there is forward-transfer (the 007 method) which involves teaching a child particular skills that will allow them to solve problems in the future, such as teaching them arithmetic so they can add, subtract, etc. Backwards-transfer on the other hand is equipping a child to solve a problem today based on what they have already learned; if you were to ask a child to build a bridge using a limited amount of marshmallows and toothpicks, they probably do not know how to build a bridge, but can draw on what they’ve learned from math and science to solve the problem. It is important that transfer is present in our children’s curriculum and they are able to observe how it works, as this reveals to them why their education is important and how they will use it in the future. (For more information on transfer and other great analogies of how it works, watch Marc Chun’s TEDx talk.) Ownership- studies are showing that the more a student has a sense of ownership over their own education, the better they perform. In many ways this concept seems counter-intuitive: if we give kids control, won’t school turn into nothing but playing, goofing off, texting, etc? Yet the more this idea is considered, the more it makes sense. As a child is given greater control over their learning, the more relevant and interesting their education becomes; their studies are now more meaningful and enjoyable. If a child is interested in computers, why not tailor their mathematics, reading, and science curriculum to fit this? In addition to fueling a motivation to learn, increasing a child’s responsibility in the education process also builds the initiative necessary to compete in a constantly shifting economy. The ability to conduct one’s own learning can make the difference in a child’s future success in both college and their career; yet this skill is so often bypassed in today’s education structure. So if these educational components are so important, why are they missing from our children’s education? The reason is that they can be very difficult to implement in the traditional model for education. Mastery Learning, for example, requires the teacher to ensure the group of students has mastered a concept before moving on; yet if there is always a subgroup of students who struggle, how can a teacher ensure that a second grader is learning all the material required to pass the 2nd grade? That’s why here at 21st Century STEM Academy, we are rethinking education to create a model for learning that allows for all these elements to take place. For more information about how we are changing education for the better, feel free to check our website at www.21stcenturystem.academy.
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Oakhurst Village Magazine 19
FINANCE: HOME IMPROVEMENT
Our house is shrinking Several tips to help you decide if your house needs an upgrade By DENISE PAJAK dpajak@privateplus.com Does your growing family make you wonder if your house is shrinking? When it’s time to make a change, there are several ways to finance moving up or out.
Juggle the Buy/Sell
With rising home prices in Decatur, those who have held out may see the highest level of appreciation in over a decade. That’s great because if you want to move up to a bigger home and stay in Decatur, you’ll probably need a larger down payment to maintain a comfortable monthly mortgage payment. Buying with a contingency to sell your old home is not ideal. Try to get Pre-Approved with both homes. If most of your down payment will come from the sale and you want buy before you sell, consider structuring the new loan with a small down payment and a piggyback Home Equity Line of Credit as part of the down payment, so once you sell the old one, you can pay off the home equity line. Another temporary fix is to borrower from your 401K for part of the down payment. When the old home sells, pay yourself back. The advantage of this route is that the monthly 401K loan payment is not counted in your ratios for qualifying.
Renovate
If you love your home if only it had this or that… stay and renovate. Renovation loans will usually provide funding up to 80% of the home value once renovations are complete. Depending on the equity position, this route can possibly mean financing all of the renovation job. You would
Photos provided by Denise Pajak
20 Oakhurst Village Magazine
Continued on page 21
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Continued from page 20 then end up with a custom designed home that would most likely have cost you less than purchasing the same home as a move-in ready property. Consider the expense of temporary housing if you have to move out during the renovation and the commitment of all the decisions that come with planning and design.
Build new
Either tear it down to start fresh or buy a vacant lot. This avenue requires the most liquidity and the strongest borrowers because in Decatur you are competing with seasoned investors who mostly use cash. If you do get lucky, you can plan on financing a maximum of 80 percent of the purchase price and construction costs. Partnering with a Realtor and builder team who can help you find a lot or a tear down can improve your odds of success. To compete with cash offers and 30 day closings, it is possible to finance the purchase of the lot first, then come back a few months later and take out the construction loan.
Home equity line of credit
If the renovation plans are under $100,000, if you have the equity to tap into, and if you are happy with your primary mortgage, this adjustable rate, interest only product may make sense. You are capped at 80 percent of your home’s current value, including the existing mortgage. So this option is best for a homeowner with substantial equity and a stomach for adjustable rate loans. There are several ways to upsize your home with your growing family. After a discussion with your Mortgage Banker, it should start to become clear which route is best for you. Denise Pajak is a Vice President Mortgage Banker managing private mortgage solutions with the Private Bank of Decatur. NMLS #6191 / Company NMLS #758195 / Member FDIC
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Oakhurst Village Magazine 21
FOR THE KIDS
Picky eater woes By SUSAN MORELY susan@ParentCoachAtlanta.com Dear Susan, My four-year-old is at a healthy height and weight yet she is only eating starchy, sweet foods. I am worried she’s not getting proper nutrition and I am also worried about her future eating habits. My sister suffers from anorexia and I watched my parents helplessly trying every method under the sun to get her to eat healthfully. How can I instill good eating for my daughter without pushing her toward an eating disorder? Worried in Oakhurst Dear Worried, Kudos to you for being aware and concerned about your daughter’s health. I’m sorry your family was affected by your sis-
22 Oakhurst Village Magazine
ter’s eating disorder. I know it’s a family disease and affects everyone in the family in different ways. It sounds like you have good awareness and are looking for a calm, confident way to handle food in your home. First, I’d speak to your daughter’s pediatrician about what foods are recommended for your daughter’s age. I use the American Academy of Pediatrics wsite, Healthychildren.org for reference with my children. In general, your preschooler should be eating the same foods as the rest of your family. These foods should be varied and most of the calories eaten should come from healthy foods like lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and grains. At this age, providing a variety of healthy foods and limiting (restricting) junk foods is key. Your daughter may whine, cry, or complain but do not give in. Provide healthy foods and when she’s
hungry enough, she’ll eat it. Second, do your best to relax before mealtime. Take a moment (I used to “hide” in the bathroom for moments of solitude) before mealtime to remember that your daughter is a separate person from your sister and you are a separate person from your parents. You have knowledge they may not have had and have the power to make smart decisions for your family. Good luck and let me know how it goes! Susan Do you have a parenting question for Susan? If so, please e-mail her at susan@ParentCoachAtlanta.com For more information about Susan or parent coaching, visit www.ParentCoachAtlanta.com You can also follow Susan on Twitter @ParentCoachATL
SUMMER 2016
REAL ESTATE RESOURCE Home sales were supplied by Keller Knapp Realty via the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The information has not been verified and may not be listed by the office or agent advertised on this page.
Address
Area
List Price Sale Price Sold Date DOM Beds Baths Sq. Ft.
103 Walden Square
Oakhurst
$899,900
$899,900
4/1/16
17
5
4.5
3773
141 Greenwwod Place
Oakhurst
$869,900
$869,000
3/31/16
5
5
4.0
3476
305 East Lake Dr
Oakhurst
$859,900
$845,000
4/4/16
100
5
4.0
3302
136 Brower St
Oakhurst
$859,900
$840,000
4/15/16
57
6
5.5
4417
137 Park Dr.
Winnona Park $830,000
$828,000
4/11/16
50
6
5.0
4298
526 McKoy St
Oakhurst
$749,900
$749,900
3/30/16
12
4
3.0
2750
151 Olympic PlacE
Oakhurst
$750,000
$714,900
4/15/16
7
4
3.5
3376
1227 Oakview Rd
Oakhurst
$769,900
$735,000
4/12/16
47
4
3.0
2605
121 W. Hill St.
Oakhurst
$525,000
$540,000
4/21/16
4
3
2.0
1702
130 2nd Ave
Oakhurst
$514,900
$520,000
4/11/16
3
3
2.0
1900
8 Oakhurst Common Dr.
Oakhurst
$439,500
$440,500
3/31/16
3
4
3.5
2352
511 East Lake Dr.
Oakhurst
$439,000
$438,000
4/4/16
3
3
2.0
1303
333 W. Benson St.
Oakhurst
$439,900
$420,000
4/12/16
18
3
2.0
1248
176 Park Dr.
Winnona Park $350,000
$350,000
4/11/16
58
3
1.5
1526
936 S. McDonough St.
Winnona Park $320,000
$330,000
4/15/16
33
2
1.0
1481
2630 Talley St.
Winnona Park $225,000
$210,000
4/8/16
8
2
2.0
1026
2630 Talley St.
Winnona Park $169,000
$167,000
4/8/16
5
1
1.0
912
2630 Talley St.
Winnona Park $160,000
$160,000
4/5/16
5
1
1.0
912
214 Greenwood Cir.
Oakhurst
$435,000
4/1/16
3
2
1.5
1708
SUMMER 2016
$424,999
Oakhurst Village Magazine 23
AROUND TOWN: LAURIE RAY EVENT
Transgender fundraiser by Decatur High School By ANNE CLARKE OakhurstMag@gmail.com Decatur High School student Laurie Ray organized a benefit show at Karvana in Oakhurst Village as her senior project to offset the surgical expenses for Wolfie! Wolfgang or Wolfie is a well-known transgender high school student and sound tech in the community. Laurie is an aspiring musician performing her emotional songs on the guitar at the event in March this year. Laurie along with Anna Eilen, Davis Crenshaw, Bryson Levisay, and Andi Kezh played music while Dan Lentine and Ames Simmons spoke at the fundraiser. Dan and Ames are community activist in the transgender community. They fight for equality with organizations like the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The crowd, full of students and parents, truly enjoyed the event and educational aspect. Laurie expressed that ‘ transitioning is potentially life saving and can prevent many mental health issues down the line that trans youth face if not allowed to transition due to money/ accessibility issues.” She seems to have great empathy and understanding which should serve her well as she graduates high school this year. Laura’ s proud mothers were both present at the event along with a supportive community.
24 Oakhurst Village Magazine
Top: parents of Laurie Ray. Bottom: the crowd at Karvana enjoying the fundraising event. Next page top: Laurie Ray playing guitar. Middle: speakers from Human Rights Campaign. Bottom: Local folks enjoying the event. (Photos by Anne Clarke)
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Oakhurst Village Magazine 25
GARDEN NEWS: BEER GARDEN FUNDRAISER
The Wylde Center announces its annual Beer Garden and Silent Auction Fundraiser, June 25 By JULIE HERRON CARSON jhcarson@bellsouth.net Saturday, June 25 was the date for the Wylde Center’s annual Beer Garden and Silent Auction Fundraiser. The popular event brought together a number of local brews, food and music for a casual evening outdoors at the Oakhurst Garden, 435 Oakview Road, Decatur. A VIP Happy Hour began at 4:30 p.m., while the main event lasted from 5:30–8:30 p.m. Silent auction items will included vacation getaways, restaurant gift certificates,
26 Oakhurst Village Magazine
spa packages and other enticing items and experiences. Each guest received a free souvenir Wylde Center tasting glass so they can sample brews from Terrapin, Three Taverns Brewery, Orpheus Brewing, Wild Heaven Craft Beer, Treehorn Cider and more. The menu included tastings from a number of local restaurants including Farm Burger and Revolution Doughnuts, and live music was provided by The Benders. VIP Ticket holders also enjoyed signature cocktails by Kimball House, hors d’oeuvres by Revival and desserts by Proof Bakeshop.
“What could be better than enjoying a cold beer on a warm summer evening in a beautiful garden? Plus, our guests raised money for one of the city’s premier environmental organizations by bidding on an exciting assortment of silent auction items. In addition to Chip Wallace, the Beer Garden Silent Auction and Fundraiser was sponsored by Russell-Herrera Attorneys at Law, Stability Engineering, Classic Tents & Events, Beth Mahany, C.P.A., Caplan Cobb LLP, Decatur CoWorks, Private Bank of Decatur, and Cassedy Coaching & Consulting. Rain or shine.
SUMMER 2016
GARDEN NEWS: WYLDE CENTER EVENT
Earth Day Festival at the Wylde Center By JULIE HERRON CARSON jhcarson@bellsouth.net The Wylde Center, in partnership with the Oakhurst Neighborhood Association, celebrated Earth Day with a family-friendly festival Sunday, April 24 from noon– 4 p.m. in two Decatur locations: Oakhurst Garden, 435 Oakview Road, and Harmony Park, just a few blocks away at Oakview Road and East Lake Drive. This year’s bee-themed event is called “Earth Day Festival: BEE Wylde!”, and will feature activities for children and adults. “The theme of this year’s Earth Day event is ‘Let There be Bees on Earth’, which focuses on the importance of bees in a fun, friendly way,” said Stephanie Van Parys, executive director of the Wylde Center. “Bees pollinate crops, flowers, trees and shrubs as they move from flower to flower, and it’s not an exaggeration to say the natural world as we know it would not exist without bees. In recent years, the bee population has been declining, so it’s more important than ever for us to learn about them and do all we can to help them survive and thrive.” Participants enjoyed live music, a costume contest, puppet making and “Flight of the Puppet Bee” procession, craft activities, scavenger hunts, choir performance and a parade. “Earth Day Festival: BEE Wylde!” is sponsored by Soulshine, The Waldorf School, Arlene Dean Quality Homes, Bubbling Creek and Sherwood Chiropractic Center. Additional Earth Day activities will include: According to www.earthday.org, Earth Day is the largest civic event in the world, celebrated on or around April 22 by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. Founded in 1970, the movement promotes year-round environmental awareness and action. For details go to: www.wyldecenter www.org/2016-earth-day-page
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Oakhurst Village Magazine 27
AROUND TOWN: KARVANA HOSTED EVENT
Pride School Benefit at Karvana By ANNE CLARKE OakhurstMag@gmail.com Photos by JEAN BARTLETT Pride School Atlanta held a benefit show at Karvana in Oakhurst Village to help fund its inaugural school year — Fall 2016! The school, which accepts students of any race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, and gender iden-
28 Oakhurst Village Magazine
tity, has created an accredited, non-profit, independent school model. The benefit featured performances by Pale Clear, Bucky Motter and Kris Hines. The performances, along with the sale original artwork, raffle prizes and action items raised money to help students attend in 2016 and 2017 school year. Photographer Jean Bartlett was able to capture the March event. Pride School Atlanta launches a
K-12 school (ages 5-18) this Fall inside the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta located at 1911 Cliff Valley Way NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30329. There will be both full time and part time student options at the school. The school offers individualized curriculum to less than 60 students with support, mentors and tutoring upon request. Go to PrideSchool. org for more information.
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Oakhurst Village Magazine 29
AROUND TOWN: COMMUNITY AWARD WINNER
Winnona Park Elementary School Volunteer Erin Johnson Names Sally Wyde Cultivating Life Award Winner by The Wylde Center and City of Decatur By JULIE HERRON CARSON jhcarson@bellsouth.net Decatur resident Erin Johnson has been selected to receive the Wylde Center and City of Decatur’s 2016 Sally Wylde Cultivating Life Award. Johnson was honored for her volunteer efforts with the Winnona Park Elementary School Grounds Committee, Trees Atlanta and the Field of Greens Festival. The award is named for Sally Wylde, who passed away in 2010 and whose family was honored with the first award. Other previous winners include Louise Jackson, co-founder of the Oakhurst Garden, Greg Levine for his work with Trees Atlanta, sustainability leader Frank Burdette and the Morse family, who donated the Decatur property now known as Woodlands Garden. “Erin has served as the Chairman of the Winnona Park Elementary School PTA Farm to School/ School Garden committee since 2013,” said Laura Pitts, who nominated Johnson for the award. Over the years Erin has led numerous workday events with parents and has engaged students by coordinating garden planting and tasting events. This year, Erin planned and led an expansion of the school’s butterfly garden with students and parents, and also coordinated the beautification of an area of the school’s grounds where many families walk their children. Erin also heads the school gardens at The Museum School of Avondale Estates, planning year-round food production and learning opportunities and creating a student garden club. The community is lucky to reap the benefits of Erin’s caring and knowledgeable leadership that serves as a bridge between Farm to School and the teaching community. “Erin Johnson’s extensive student-focused volunteer work exemplifies the Wylde Center’s mission of cultivating environmental stewards through education,” said Stephanie Van Parys, executive director of the Wylde Center.
30 Oakhurst Village Magazine
The Wylde Center has named Erin Johnson as the 2016 Sally Wylde Cultivating Life award recipient. Pictured at the award ceremony are (left to right): Stephanie Van Parys, executive director of the Wylde Center, honoree Erin Johnson, Britt Dean, husband of the late Sally Wylde and Laura Pitts who nominated Johnson for the honor.
About the Sally Wylde Cultivating Life Award Established in 2010 by the Wylde Center and the City of Decatur, the Sally Wylde Cultivating Life Award annually recognizes an individual or organization in Decatur making an extraordinary contribution to the community and its natural environment. The award is presented to those who demonstrate qualities held dear and embodied by Sally Wylde, an artist, environmentalist, activist, and educator whose work and life have inspired people of all ages to become better caretakers of the earth, of one another, and of themselves. The award acknowledges an exceptional and lasting positive impact with efforts through many venues, such as nonprofit and service organizations, public agencies, schools, institutions and faith communities. Go to www.wyldecenter.org for more information.
SUMMER 2016
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