Inside: Your Go Guide to summer camps and family fun
Serving DeKalb & Metro Atlanta Volume 17 Number 3
www.ocgnews.com MAY 1, 2011
Stonecrest AMC opens IMAX screen LITHONIA—Moviegoers will feel as if they are in the movies when they visit the AMC Stonecrest 16 theatre at the Mall at Stonecrest. The southeast DeKalb County theatre is opening The IMAX Experience®, bringing digitally re-formatted movies up-close and personal. “This is a new experience that we are excited to bring to customers,” said the theatre’s General Manager Vincent Seay. “This is nothing like what you’re used to seeing—it has better surround sound quality and a crystal clear image on a much larger screen.” AMC has modified one of its 16 auditoriums for the new IMAX movie theatre screen. The new technology combines crystal-clear images and powerful digital sound that has 10 times more dynamic range. To maximize the field of view in the modified auditorium, the screen was replaced with a larger, slightly curved IMAX screen positioned closer to the audience. Some of the movies will be in 2D format (two dimensional) and others will be in 3D, where special glasses are worn to enhance the vivid effects. A group of VIPs attending the opening April 28 screening, “The Dark Knight: The IMAX Experience,” gave thumbs up to the new experience. “I love IMAX movies. They are great because you really get pulled in and become a part of it,” said Melissa Harmon, who was among the VIP guests. “I came from Monroe to see the film and it is worth it. IMAX is just a lot better than the regular movie screen, hands down.” Officials held a ticket tearing ceremony on April 29 to celebrate the opening of the theatre. See IMAX, page 6 INSIDE
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PZI Jeans Atlantans grow designer jeans company By Valerie J. Morgan
A PZI President/CEO Dan Jason and wife, Claire Jason
Left: LisaRaye shows off a style from her “White Collection.” Above: The new showroom in Tucker welcomes visitors. Photos by Glenn L. Morgan/OCG News
tlanta is home to Martin Luther King, Jr., World of Coca Cola and Buckhead. Now, Attorney Dan Jason and his wife, Claire Jason, a DeKalb County judge, are putting PZI Jeans on the map as an Atlanta destination. The lawyer team, who launched the designer jeans label in 2002, selling to Macy’s and specialty boutiques nationally and internationally, have opened a PZI store in the Atlanta area. The store is connected to a 15,000-square-foot warehouse where PZI styles exist exclusively and ships to the Virgin Islands, Hawaii and Canada, among other places. PZI is known for flattering women’s curves. In short: they fit both, in the waistline and the derriere for women who happen to have a little more rear than others. “We have every style at the new
See PZI’s, page 6
City of Decatur named a top place for walking Decatur– The city of Decatur is a great place to walk. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center has designated Decatur as a “Silver Walk Friendly Community” in its inaugural round of Walk Friendly Communities. The designation makes Decatur one of 11 cities in the U.S. recognized for walking initiatives. Walk Friendly Communities (WFC) is a national recognition program aimed at recognizing communities for their commitment to pedestrian safety and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration and FedEx. “The WFC designation recognizes communities that help set the bar in fostering and accommodating walking,” said Carl Sundstrom, WFC program manager. Decatur, population 18,147 in 4.18 square miles, is a city where citizens and all city departments work together on walkability and pedestrian issues. Decatur actively promotes walking through a number of outreach efforts and community events. Decatur has formed Team Decatur to participate in the annual Kaiser Permanente Run/Walk Corporate challenge resulting in the “Most Fit City” award and active walking programs
Best Places To Walk
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he Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) evaluated communities in several categories and ranked them according to criteria met. The categories included safety, mobility, access and comfort. Here are the top winners: for the citizens. “The City of Decatur is honored to receive this designation,” said Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd. “We are proud of our city’s walkability as we have been working on both pedestrian and bicycle programming and infrastructure improvements for many years.” In May, the city will kick off a new “Walk for Lunch” program, which provides participants with walking maps and lunch on event days. The city also hosts free concerts on the Square in May and September to encourage people to get out. Other walking events in the city of Decatur include
Terrific Thursdays in November; in December, Car Free Day and Art Walks. Decatur also has a model crossing guard program with 21 guards assigned to six schools. For more information about Decatur’s walkability initiatives, visit www. decaturga.com. The Walk Friendly Communities program will begin accepting applications for its second round of award recipients on May 1. The deadline for submissions is June 15. Interested communities are encouraged to visit www.walkfriendly.org to learn more about the program.
Platinum Level • Seattle, Washington Gold Level • Ann Arbor, Michigan • Arlington, Virginia • Hoboken, New Jersey • Santa Barbara, California Silver Level • Charlottesville, Virginia • Decatur, Georgia Bronze • Austin, Texas • Charlotte, North Carolina • Flagstaff, Arizona • Wilsonville, Oregon