01-25-2013 Sandy Springs Reporter by Rough Draft Atlanta: Atlanta Intown, Reporter Newspapers

Inside Mission man Humanitarian Award goes to Felix Lora COMMUNITY 2

Wall ﬂower Dunwoody ofﬁces showcase local artists OUT & ABOUT 18

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JAN. 25 — FEB. 7, 2013 • VOL. 7 — NO. 2

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Cookie queen Local Girl Scout is tops in sales MAKING A DIFFERENCE 19

All their love

Johns Creek snub could cost the city on radios BY DAN WHISENHUNT

danwhisenhunt@reporternewspapers.net

Sandy Springs officials are scrambling to recalculate what local taxpayers will spend on a new public safety radio system after the city of Johns Creek balked at helping other cities pay for it. On Jan. 14, Johns Creek City Council voted unanimously against signing an agreement with four other cities – Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta and Milton – to spend $16 million to implement the new radios. Johns Creek questioned the selection of the radio provider, Motorola Solutions, and said the contract should’ve been competitively bid. Sandy Springs City Manager John McDonough said the city opted to use state contract pricing to select the company, and said the cities benefit financially from the state’s pur-

Creatures large and small bring joy to many PET REPORTER 20-21

Trigger happy State Rep. Lindsey explains education bill EDUCATION 26

CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

Developers encouraged by downtown plans BY DAN WHISENHUNT

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Anna Grinshpon, 5, holds a paper dragon she made during a Chinese New Year program and celebration at the Sandy Springs Library on Jan. 19. More photos on page 23.

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Two buyers of some choice Sandy Springs real estate say the city’s recent adoption of a downtown master plan sweetened the deal for them. Nicholas Telesca, president of Branch Properties, and top officials with Regency Centers Corp. both endorsed the city’s plan. Branch Properties bought the CityWalk property, advertised for sale at $27.8 million, in November. Regency Centers Corp. in December paid $35.3 million for the Sandy Springs Plaza. Both properties will have a front row seat to the development of the city’s downtown redevelopment. CityWalk CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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Leaders of Sandy Springs gathered bigotry of the acceptance of status quo, at City Hall on Jan. 21 in memory of and the blind bigotry of inattention and Dr. Marin Luther King apathy,” Bullard said. Jr. and singled out a man Bullard said that while who they felt best exemthe state ranks near the plified King’s message. bottom in terms of edFelix Lora is the 2013 ucational achievement, recipient of the city’s Huit has other dubious dismanitarian Award, a distinctions. tinction awarded people “The size of our prison who serve the local compopulation in the state munity. He is the first of Georgia ranks fourth man to receive the award in the nation and metro since the city, founded Atlanta leads the nation in 2005, started bestowin child sex trafficking,” ing the honor. In his role Bullard said. as director of the SanHe said that dreams dy Springs Mission, Lora do come true, but people Felix Lora provides an additional must take action to make resource for more than their dreams a reality. 140 children who need help in school. Pastor Henry Bush of Sharon ComLora gives them that and more, previmunity United Methodist Church in ous award winner Tamara Carrera said. Sandy Springs said at first many in the “When you see Felix at work, what community were skeptical when Sanimpresses you is his ability to connect dy Springs decided to hold the event. with young people,” Carrera said. “They When the city became a reality in 2005, respect him, they listen to him, they it contained a majority white population learn from him.” that had formed its own city within a Carrera said 100 percent of students majority black county. from High Point Elementary in Lora’s Bush said the city’s decision to conprogram passed the state CRCT exams. tinue the event shows its commitment Lora thanked God and thanked the and shows leaders are not denying more other people like him who are living Dr. can be done toward improving opportuKing’s dream. nity for all. “It’s just a privilege to be recognized “I commend you for Sandy Springs today as someone who exemplified the because even though you don’t say it work and legacy of Martin Luther King publically, your continuous acknowlJr.,” he said. edgement of this event and this day say Rodney Bullard, keynote speaker for there’s room for more,” Bush said. “We the event, is executive director of the all agree we are all trying to do one thing Chick-fil-A Foundation. His remarks and that’s making America better.” focused on progress made but also on Past award recipients: the promises yet unfulfilled, with an em2012: Tamara Carrera phasis on education and low graduation 2011: Melanie Noble-Couchman rates among Georgia students. 2010: Carolyn Axt “Too many of our families, too many 2009: Lucy Hall-Gainer of our children still suffer from the soft 2008: Randi Passoff bigotry of low expectations, the faint 2007: Nancy McCord

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JAN. 25 – FEB. 7, 2013 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net

COMMUNITY

City’s reserves at pre-recession levels BY DAN WHISENHUNT

danwhisenhunt@reporternewspapers.net

A recent audit shows the city of Sandy Springs’ reserves are back up to levels not seen since before the start of the recession in 2008. City Council on Jan. 15 received a report on the audit from Adam Fraley, a CPA with Mauldin & Jenkins. Fraley said the city’s audit showed no findings, meaning there is nothing city financial staff will have to correct before next year’s audit. The audit for Fiscal Year 2012 shows the city’s reserves, called a general fund balance, increased to $35 million from $21.5 million in Fiscal 2011. Fraley said most of the balance – 95 percent – is unassigned, meaning it hasn’t been designated for any purpose. The last time the reserves reached that level was in 2008, the audit shows. Sandy Springs Finance Director Karen Ellis said the increase in reserves is partially because the city in 2011 rebid all of its government service contracts. “This was the year that the savings were realized,” Ellis said. City Manager John McDonough said rebidding the contract saved $7 million. The audit shows the city in Fiscal 2012 collected $82.2 million in revenue, mostly from taxes, a $2.8 million increase over Fiscal 2011. The city in Fiscal 2012 spent a total of $57.5 million, a $9 million decrease from the pre-

Council provides funds to nonproﬁts, gives tax breaks to Cox Enterprises During City Council’s Jan. 15 meeting, council members: - Awarded approximately $50,000 to local nonprofits. The city gave $12,000 to Heritage Sandy Springs; $7,668 to Mary Hall Freedom House; $9,990 to the Child Development Association; $5,000 to Art Sandy Springs; and $15,000 to the Sandy Springs Education Force. - Approved $1.4 million in tax breaks for Cox Enterprises. The company plans to construct a 578,000-square-foot building at a cost of more than $100 million. The project is expected to bring 1,500 additional jobs to the city with an average annual salary of approximately $62,000. The company will receive most of the incentives in 2013 in the form of a $1.3 million impact and building permit fee waiver. Cox Enterprises’ media holdings include the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. SS

vious year. According to the audit, Fiscal 2012 was also the first year since Fiscal 2008 where the city took in more taxpayer money than it spent. The auditor did make a few observations about the city’s financial practices: Auditors noted that 16 city employees built up more vacation time than allowed under city policy. City spokeswoman Sharon Kraun said this was the result of an error that has been corrected, and that no employee was able to take or receive payment for more vacation than allowed under city policy. Auditors also found that there were issues with the payments from the city’s Hospitality Board. The auditors found that “several invoices which were paid that did not have the proper, independent, departmental approval.” Auditors were unable to locate three hospitality board invoices, the summary report says. Kraun said this was the result of switching over to a different accounting system. “Regarding the three Hospitality invoices, the invoices were properly routed and paid,” Kraun said. “During the conversion to a new accounting software, which was conducted after the invoices were processed, the invoices were missed as we scanned back documents. They were never lost or misplaced.”

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White out The Sandy Springs United Methodist Church hosted a Winter Festival for the community at the Hitson Memorial Activities Center on Jan. 11. Above, Sims Munson hits the “slope” on an inner tube, while his sister Katie, at left, looks ready for mischief with a snowball in her hand. Below, left, Louis Nanda, 6, and his brother Adam, 3, enjoy the fun while waiting their turn to go snow tubing.

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Council seeks ethics opinion on planning commissioner BY DAN WHISENHUNT

danwhisenhunt@reporternewspapers.net

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business in which a public servant or a public servant’s partner in interest has a controlling interest involving services or property of value in excess of $2,500.” Planning Commission Chairman Lee Duncan said Rubenstein’s work as the city’s broker hasn’t been an issue for the Planning Commission. “David has been very, very forthcoming on everything that’s come before us,” Duncan said. “I think he’s recused himself once or twice. I certainly don’t consider there to be any ethics issues.” While Rubenstein has served as both a broker and Planning Commission member since 2006, DeJulio said he only recently decided to ask if that’s a conflict of interest. “It just really occurred to me that he’s done a lot of business with the city and whether this was proper or not,” DeJulio said. “You know we’ve tried to keep all kinds of conflicts out of the city and I just was inquiring with our council whether this was proper.” Meinzen-McEnerny said the issue has bothered her “since Day 1.” “I certainly totally supported Tibby’s initiating it, and actually wish I’d brought it up much earlier myself,” she said. “I think it’s important for the public to know that the people that are on these boards are truly independent as public servants.”

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David Rubenstein joined the Sandy Springs Planning Commission in 2006 and he’s also been the city’s real estate broker since 2006. Now some members of Sandy Springs City Council want to know whether his service is a conflict of interest. Rubenstein has been representing the city in various real estate transactions throughout his time on the Planning Commission. He’s also been asked to continue in that role as the city looks at acquiring property for its downtown development plans. During the Jan. 15 City Council meeting, Councilman Tibby DeJulio and Councilwoman Karen Meinzen McEnerny asked City Attorney Wendell Willard to research the question, and the council decided to delay reappointing Rubenstein until Willard provides an answer. City Council will likely take up the appointment again in February. Rubenstein declined to comment about his work for the city and questions about conflicts of interest. “Whatever the city council determines is appropriate, I support,” he said. It’s not clear how much Rubenstein has profited from his work as the city’s broker. He represented the city in 2008 when it paid $8 million for the old Target property at 235 Johnson Ferry Road, and records show he made $80,000 on the deal. He also represented the city when it negotiated the lease for its current office space at Morgan Falls Office Park, according to news archives. Whether Rubenstein will continue to serve on the Planning Commission is not certain. Members of the Planning Commission do not receive payment for their work, but could potentially be asked to consider matters where they have a conflict of interest. Willard said he has told council members there’s a provision in the city’s ethics ordinance that limits a public official’s ability to do business with the city. “Under the wording of the ordinance, he is able to serve on the commission,” Willard said. “He would be limited by the ordinance to work he can do for the city, not to exceed $2,500.” Section 2-115 of the city’s ethics code states, “The city is prohibited from entering into any contract with a

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COMMENTARY

Some residents favor project at Wieuca and Roswell roads To the editor: An article [“Scrutiny slows down development,” Sandy Springs Reporter, Nov. 30-Dec.13] listed High Point Civic Association (HPCA) as one of four neighborhood associations that opposed a planned development near the intersection of Wieuca and Roswell Roads. I wanted to at least send you a different perspective as my wife and I are HPCA members that are in favor of this development for the reasons below: 1) The development will help revitalize the area and will bring a new image as well as new retail shops and restaurants closer to our neighborhood. 2) This has potential to increase property values. 3) Several apartment complexes on Roswell Road could use facelifts or a rebuild, and these two complexes are two of many that could use some modernization or a dynamic shift is space utilization (which is what this will do). 4) This has potential to help our neighborhood school with population control. High Point has been making great strides toward re-establishing its prominence as a great neighborhood school. No one that has kids going to High Point (or those that live in the High Point school district) wants to see trailers added to accommodate growth. By revitalizing this area, there is a strong

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possibility that the High Point population will see a small decrease in the student count which helps the school maintain its focus on the number of students the school is set up to support. 5) Now that the HPCA community has sidewalks on Windsor Parkway that run from High Point Road to Roswell Road, there will be even more potential for neighbors to walk to and from restaurants and shops located in the revitalized area. 6) We would like to see a thorough traffic plan laid out in order to support this development (we agree with everyone with this concern), but we also are cognizant that this new development will possibly attract a different work classification which in turn could help minimize the early-morning traffic patterns we see today. A younger generation (or simply a more technical/professional generation) could potentially provide more work from home-type scenarios. We do understand there is much more to discuss on this and we only ask that the Sandy Springs Reporter also cover some of neighbors that are in favor of this development as well as those that oppose. We just think this is a great opportunity for the neighborhood and want to show our support.

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The SSTA is a Community Tennis Association (CTA) of the United States Tennis Association (USTA). The SSTA is a nonprofit organization under 501C3 regulations and its main mission is to grow tennis through teaching the sport to the elementary schools of Sandy Springs at after school programs. We have taught more than 500 children in about four years of existence. Our funding depends mostly on small fees, grants and donations, and many of the children are underserved, being part of the Hispanic and African American diverse population. In the past, the SSTA as a CTA of the USTA, has partnered with many entities which include the city of Sandy Springs, the Sandy Springs Tennis Center and others. The Reporter Newspapers has been very kind to the SSTA in publicizing our various events. The health and

welfare of the children of Sandy Springs is a by-product of learning the sport of tennis and the children are always foremost in our mission. We continue to look forward to a safe and stable environment for our programs and to the long-term support of the Sandy Springs community. Best regards, Manny Guillen Chairman of the Board of Directors SSTA SS

COMMENTARY

Cars cause more harm than ﬁrearms do To the editor: Mr. Dan Whisenhunt’s commentary on gun control [Reporter Newspapers, Jan 11-24] is summed up in one quote... “A right to life without feeling the need to arm myself everywhere I go deserves equal consideration.” In other words, Mr. Whisenhunt feels scared because Americans can own firearms and he really wants to feel safe. In his mind (and other squeamish progressives and weak-willed liberals), his emotions trump my right to one of the basic tenets of natural law, the right to self-defense. But what is even worse, is that it is a selective and highly irrational emotion on his part. If his concern for his health and wellbeing were accurately placed, he would demand that cars be pulled from the road and banned forever, as far more deaths, injuries and overall misery is caused by auto accidents. His chances of becoming one of those traffic statistics is far greater than ever even seeing a private citizen with a gun in public, much less ever being hit by a stray or intentional bullet. If he used a little more logic and a great deal less emotion, he might just cry himself to sleep every night worrying about two tons of steel whizzing by his pretty little head hundreds (if not thousands) of times a day. But he doesn’t, because he feels OK about it. The comparatively high likelihood of death or dismemberment by driving (which is not a protected constitutional right) is fine, but lawful gun ownership by lawful citizens (which just happens to be the Second Amendment to the Constitution’s Bill of Rights) is cause for hysteria, hand-wringing and bed wetting. It just doesn’t ring true... because it isn’t. This is a political dogma, not a safety issue, plain and simple. Ill-informed

L ETTE RS TO THE E DITOR E-mail letters to editor@reporternewspapers.net

anti-gun advocates want us to ignore the vast experience of history about oppressive governments and tyrannical rulers. Instead, people like this want to pretend that an all-powerful government is going to take care of their every need by day, coddle them asleep at night and benevolently nurture them from cradle to grave. But human nature hasn’t changed in thousands of years of recorded history and the cliche is still true that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The Second Amendment was written to give armed citizens the power to not only defend themselves, but to keep a power-hungry government from oppressing them and to physically and forceably resist that entity if necessary. And it is true that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. Ask the Poles, Jews and eastern Europeans during WWII, ask the Russians during Stalin’s purges, ask the Chinese during Mao’s rule, ask Cambodians about Pol Pot, ask the black man during the repressive Jim Crow era and ask every other disarmed people throughout history. The disastrous results were always the same when a government succeeded in removing firearms from the hands of the ordinary citizen. So please, I am unmoved by Mr. Whisenhunt’s need to feel good. I’d rather live with him being irrationally uncomfortable than for all of us losing our freedoms and liberties because we were too weak to defend them. Price R. Potter

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Developers like city’s plans CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

touches Hammond Drive near Roswell Road and the Sandy Springs Plaza sits on Roswell at Johnson Ferry Road. Sandy Springs City Council approved a redevelopment plan in December. Under the plan, future development will move the center of city life to what has traditionally been considered the heart of the community along Roswell Road between Hammond Drive and Sandy Springs Circle. The plan seeks to make the city more walkable and provides for a mix of uses, expands green space and seeks revisions to the city’s zoning code to achieve the desired downtown aesthetic. Telesca spoke in support of the plan at a December Sandy Springs City SS

Council meeting and said recently that he plans to add some luxury multi-family housing into the mix. He said the plan will increase the value of real estate around the downtown area. “It makes sense for the future of Sandy Springs and we want to be a part of that,” he said. Andre Koleszar, vice president and regional officer for Regency Centers, noted that the plan’s implementation could take decades. But knowing there’s a plan was a plus for the company, he said. “What Sandy Springs envisions gives us solace that we’re going to be part of … Sandy Springs for a long time to come,” he said.

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Our mission is to provide our readers with fresh and engaging information about life in their communities. CONTACT US P U BL I S H ER Ste ve L e ve n e s t e v e l e v e n e @r e p o r te r n e w spape rs. ne t M A N A G I N G EDI TOR Joe Earle jo e e a r l e @r e p o r te r n e w s pape rs. ne t ASSOCIATE EDITOR/ DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER Dan Whisenhunt da nw hi s e nh u n t@r e p o r te r n e wspapers. ne t S TA F F W R I TER M e l i s s a We i n m a n me l i s sa w e i n m a n @r e p o r te r n ewspapers. ne t COP Y E DI TOR D ia n e L . Wy n o c ker D I R ECTOR OF CR EAT IVE A N D I N TE R A CTI V E M EDIA C h r i s to p h e r N o r th chr i s nor th @r e p o r te r n e w s papers. ne t G R A P H I C DES I G N ER Wa l te r C z a c h o w sk i w a l t e r @r e p o r te r n e w s p apers. ne t A DVE RTI S I N G DI R E C TO R Amy Arno a mya r no @r e p o r te r n e w s p ape rs. ne t A DVE RTI S I N G S A L ES Je n n i f e r C h a n a b erry S e n i o r A c c o u n t E xe cut ive jenniferc@reporternewspapers.net Sandi Edelson S e n i o r A c c o u n t E xe cut ive sandiedelson@reporternewspapers.net C LA SS I F I ED A DVERTI SING & O F F I CE A DM I N I S TR ATO R D e b o r a h D a vis d e b o r a hda vis @r e p o r te r n e wspapers. ne t CON TR I BU TOR S Ph il M o s i e r, J. D . Mo o r, To m O d e r, C h u c k Stanley EDI TOR I A L I N TE R NS S t a cy B u b e s , L a u r e n D uncan, S he l b y E g g e r s , M i ka y la Farr, Cha r l ot t e M c C a u l e y, F e l ipa S chmidt

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JAN. 25 – FEB. 7, 2013

MARTA needs to change with new year A new year means a new start, and MARTA is fortunate to have new leadership at the helm -- General Manager Keith Parker. The highly-acclaimed administrator has a good management record in which he worked to improve transit in his previous cities of San Antonio and Charlotte. Parker’s appointment couldn’t have happened at a more crucial juncture for MARTA, its patrons and its taxpayers, as MARTA’s financial stability remains in limbo. Just last week, MARTA said it was entertaining yet another 25-cent fare hike to balance its books. With new leadership at MARTA, it’s time for MARTA’s STATE REP. management and board of directors to embrace creative ideas MIKE JACOBS to ensure the transit system is still with us in the future. The fiscal solution is not continued fare hikes or calls for taxpayer inGUEST COLUMN fusions of cash into the beleaguered system. Instead, MARTA needs to embrace the 114-page roadmap put before it by KPMG last fall in an audit that outlines smart choices to get its finances in order. For example, one of KPMG’s suggestions was that MARTA should outsource seven “back office” business functions to one or more private operators including payroll, employee records and accounts payable, for a projected savings of $17 to $27 million over five years. KPMG’s auditors also offered the idea that MARTA hire private contractors to operate five other services such as cleaning, customer care and the highly expensive paratransit bus service, which serves disabled citizens with a virtually personalized service. This could result in an additional $43 to $115 million in savings over five years. Of course, MARTA’s union is opposing such ideas including the concept of shifting the employees’ retirement plan to a 401k plan – the type of retirement system found virtually everywhere outside of government service and gaining widespread acceptance in government, as well. MARTA could save $59 million with modest changes to its healthcare plans and $34 million if it gradually moved to a 401k, according to KPMG. MARTA’s union contract expires this summer. Now is the time for its board to extract concessions to bring transformational change to a culture at MARTA that yields high absenteeism and a disregard for efficiencies. The board can’t expect to keep squeezing money from cash-strapped patrons, and state leaders have said they won’t consider funding MARTA until there is dramatic change in how it operates. And the future isn’t pretty for MARTA, either. MARTA’s debt service is 40 to 45 percent of its annual prior year sales tax revenues. In comparison, the state is constitutionally limited to a 10 percent debt service. The annual debt service for MARTA is projected to escalate annually for at least the next 10 years. Albert Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. With Keith Parker at the helm, we may get great ideas to lead MARTA out of its financial mess, but this requires a board willing to support those ideas. That’s why it is essential we restructure the MARTA board so that the new cities in Fulton and DeKalb counties have representation on the board. Cities are closest to the people in making transportation policy, and citizens in Sandy Springs, Brookhaven and Dunwoody have chosen to give their cities the power to speak on their behalf in this regard. Many of these much-needed changes could be led by Parker and the MARTA board. Other changes will require action in the General Assembly, which is likely to occur in this year’s legislative session. With MARTA’s union contract expiring this summer and a new general manager, the time is right to embrace change at the South’s largest transit system. MARTA cannot sustain itself with continued red ink. More of the same policies will only cause more pain for patrons and taxpayers. The time is right for MARTA and its leaders to truly lead MARTA into the 21st Century. State Rep. Mike Jacobs (R-Brookhaven) is chairman of the MARTA Oversight Committee (MARTOC), a joint committee of the Georgia House and Senate. Rep. Jacobs can be reached at (404) 656-5116 or repjacobs@gmail.com.

D o y o u h av e s o m e th in g to s ay ? Send your letters to editor@reporternewspapers.net

Q&A S T R E E T T A LK

Q: What would you do to improve MARTA? Asked at MARTA stations and stops in the Reporter Newspapers communities.

“I think it works pretty well. My experience has been good.”

Robert James

“Extend it out to Exit 17. I have to drive all the way down here to get the train. It’s a pain in the shorts.”

Jeff Camp

“More trains and buses – especially on the weekend.”

Stacy Dallas

“More buses on this line [85 in Sandy Springs] because we wait for too long.”

Nelly Ekouba | www.ReporterNewspapers.net

COMMENTARY

“It’s fairly reliable as it is. Some people have a better connection. They’ve improved technology [to allow you] to know when the bus is coming round, but some people have the money for the [phones and] apps. I’m one of the people that use it. People who don’t have it probably don’t have the same view as I do.”

“MARTA is just a train you ride. I don’t see a problem, except they’re constantly raising the fare. When they increase the fair, it’s never by 50 cents, it’s $7 or $5 [on a multi-ride ticket] and that’s hard for us. It’s not fair.”

Jennifer Henry

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“Have bus service that correlates with the train service. If the train runs till 2 a.m., the buses should run till 2. I’ve been stuck before.”

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“More buses, taking down prices a little bit. They change it every year. I’ve got a newborn and I have trouble with a stroller. There’s nowhere to put it.”

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“I would improve the fare box because a lot of times it fails and make sure the buses come on time.”

Saran Phillips

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“I’d have more trains running more frequently than they do now. It doesn’t make any sense to have the trains like they do.”

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JAN. 25 – FEB. 7, 2013 | 9

Perimeter Business A monthly section focusing on business in the Reporter Newspapers communities

High-end apartments lure new tenants By Joe Earle When Trisha Ring was an undergraduate at the University of Kansas two decades ago, she took a part-time job leasing apartments to students and professors. That turned into a career that’s taken her to jobs across the country. Now she works in Dunwoody, in the heart of the Perimeter business district, as project manager for JRK Residential, which recently purchased the 709-unit Wellesley at the Perimeter luxury apartment and townhome complex. Wellesley, located at 350 Perimeter Center North, is undergoing a $15 million renovation, she said, that will add granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, a new theater room, two new fitness centers, a meditation room and a cobblestone street lined by gas streetlights. Once renovation is done, she said, the complex will be renamed The London. “It’s all about the ‘wow factor,’” she said. “It’s going to be unlike anything in the Perimeter.” Luxury apartments have to work for attention if they want to stand out these days in the Perimeter, which experts rate as metro Atlanta’s third most desirable area for apartments, after Buckhead and Midtown. “The Perimeter market has evolved into one of the premier live/work markets in the entire southeastern United States,” said George Reid, who produces The Reid Report, a study of the metro area’s apartment market and who lives in Sandy Springs. Only 359 new units were built in the Perimeter area last year, Reid said. But work began in January 2013 on two new complexes on Hammond Drive that are to contain a total of more than 690 units. Construction of other luxury apartments is under way in Brookhaven, and more units are expected in Sandy Springs by the end of the year. Hundreds of high-end apartments already have been Continued on page 14

Also...

Page 12: Perimeter Profile Charlie Augello wanted to finally settle down with his family. So in 1986 he left the corporate world behind and opened the E. 48th Street Market in Dunwoody.

Page 13: New hotel opening in 2014 The first new full-service hotel to be built in the Perimeter submarket in 25 years is coming to Brookhaven.

Phil Mosier Michael Blair, managing director for development for Pollack Shores Real Estate Group, stands at a shopping center the company will replace with a luxury apartment complex. The complex is one of two planned at Hammond Drive and Peachtree Dunwoody Road in Sandy Springs.

PERIMETER BUSINESS

Q & A on community banking: ‘We must pick our niches and do them well’ Reporter Newspapers asked local banker Chris Burnett a few questions about how he sees the future of community banks. Here are his answers.

banks typically live and work right in their own towns. They are the business and civic leaders in their communities and they have a personal, vested interest in seeing their towns succeed. But in bigger markets like metro Atlanta, it is difficult for community banks to be all things to all people. So, we must pick our niches and do them extremely well.

At a time banks seem to be growing bigger and spreading their branches across the region and country, what is the role of the smaller community bank? How do you compete with the big banks?

In large markets like metro Atlanta, community banks find it difficult to compete with the mega-banks on pricing and locations. Community banks must be specialists in specific niche markets and must provide a level of professional, personal service that is far superior to the big banks. Examples of niche markets include small business lending services like SBA-guaranteed loans and working capital, and asset-based lending services. Other niches can include wealth management, trust and mortgage services. On the deposit side, new technology like remote capture deposit machines (RDCs) allow smaller banks to compete with the big banks because we can now install machines at our clients’ offices that enable them to make deposits right at their desks, eliminating the need to physically go to a branch to transact business. This saves our clients time and money, and places us on a more level playing field with the big banks that have

Chris H. Burnett is the chief executive ofﬁcer of Cornerstone Bank. He has more than 25 years of experience in community banking, has held leadership positions in several community banks, and has served as chairman of the Sandy Springs/ Perimeter Chamber of Commerce. large branch networks.

Q A

What do you see as the primary market for community banks?

In smaller towns throughout Georgia and the nation, local banks will continue to be vital members of their communities because many of the big banks do not want to operate branches in smaller communities because these branches do not offer the profit opportunities that the big cities offer. The shareholders and employees of community

How do you see the Perimeter business/ ﬁnancial market today and over the next few years?

I am very optimistic about the long-term health of the Perimeter business market, which I believe is the epicenter of business for the Atlanta region. With over 30-million-square-feet of office space, we are home to a number of national companies, and we must continue our pursuit of professional office users to fill our available buildings. We also have some of the finest medical facilities in the Southeast, and we need to continue expanding our health care services by attracting more medical providers to the Perimeter market. I am also impressed with the quality of leadership within our city governments, our chambers of commerce and our civic associations. The future is very bright for the Perimeter market. And, a bright future for this market means a bright future for the banks that serve it.

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JAN. 25 – FEB. 7, 2013 | 11

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JAN. 25 – FEB. 7, 2013 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net

PERIMETER BUSINESS

Augellos’ market provides a place where family and food is important By Joe Earle

hero sandwich or some pasta or a bit of the fresh mozzarella they made every day. In 1985, Charlie Augello found At their market in the Williamshimself facing yet another job-related burg at Dunwoody Shopping Center, move. Augello worked as a salesman the Augellos offer a variety of Italian for an engineering company. He and products – wine, cheese, meats. They his family lived in the Atlanta submake their own bread. They sell olurbs, but now his employers wantive oil by the pound, ed him to relocate to a and it’s cheaper if you new city. Again. He’d bring your own bottle. already moved nine They make sandwiches times. using bread they bake He decided he and themselves, Charlie Auhis wife and kids had gello said. No sliced bounced around the bread or pastrami on country long enough. the menu, he said. Their “I didn’t want to retop sellers: meatballs locate anymore,” he reand cheese, sausage and called recently. “Being peppers, chicken parmiItalian, family was algiana, prosciutto with ways important.” fresh mozzarella and a So he left the corpo- Charlie Augello muffuletta. rate world. In 1986, he “Saturday, we had a customer who and Anita, his wife, started a business was a Roman,” Charlie Augello said. of their own, the E. 48th Street Mar“He said, ‘I’m impressed. It’s just like ket in Dunwoody. They based their home.’ That’s a pretty good complimarket on the little groceries in the ment.” Italian neighborhood near the UnitThe place has changed a little ed Nations building in New York through the years. The Augellos addwhere they’d both grown up. Charlie ed wine sales after customlived on 48th Street. Anita, ers asked for the chance to he said, lived over on East 43rd. They met in grade P er imet er buy a bottle to take home with a take-out dinner, he school. P r o f ile said. They added tables “Being from New York, when customers asked for a first-generation Italians, place to eat their sandwichfood was always around es without driving away. But an efus,” Charlie Augello said. “We were fort to run a second market in Underalways looking for the food we grew ground Atlanta proved unsuccessful. up with. You’ve heard of ‘care packNow Charlie Augello, who’s 72 ages’? I traveled a lot, so I always and has cut back to working about came home with ‘care packages.’ “ five days a week, describes his famGrowing up, Charlie Augello ily’s market as “an Italian version of found work making deliveries and ‘Cheers.’” “When you come in, [we] doing other jobs for owners of the ask your name,” he said. “By the neighborhood markets. He learned to time you leave, you should hear your bone a chicken working for the neighname three or four times.” borhood butcher. He knew how a real Customers seem to take to it. John Italian market operated. “When you Bleacher of Dunwoody, looking over worked as a delivery boy and there the market’s stock of Italian wines were no deliveries, you learned how one recent morning, said he’s been to cut meat,” he said. shopping there for 17 years. The Augellos decided to start “It is a genuine, family-owned Italtheir Dunwoody shop after they realian experience,” Bleacher said. “It’s ized the north metro Atlanta suburbs like going to visit friends, like you’re lacked a real Italian market. going to visit family.” “We thought there was room for an In a sense, you are. The Augellos’ Italian specialty store,” Charlie Augkids just about grew up in the place, ello said. “There were a lot of gourtheir dad said, and daughter, Andrea met shops, but we didn’t want to be Augello, now runs it. Other Augello a gourmet shop. We wanted to be an children still pitch in now and then, Italian specialty shop.” Charlie Augello said. Gourmet shops, he said, pull in “I think the significant thing is customers looking to make purchaswe’re still a family and we’re still talkes for special occasions. He wanted a ing,” Charlie said. “In a family busiplace where customers could drop by ness, that’s an accomplishment.” two or three times a week to pick up a

PERIMETER BUSINESS

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By Melissa Weinman The Perimeter’s first new hotel in a quarter century is scheduled to open at Perimeter Sumitt in 2014. The 173-room Hyatt Hotel at Villa Christina will be built adjacent to the Villa Christina Restaurant and Conference Center near Ashford Dunwoody Road in Brookhaven. The hotel will be the first new, fullservice hotel built in the Perimeter submarket in nearly 25 years, according to a press release from the developers of the hotel. Officials say development is expected to take 18 months with a planned opening in March 2014. The new hotel will accommodate the people that attend the more than 1,000 weddings and special events at Villa Christina each year. The hotel will include: a rooftop pool, outdoor garden room, new ballroom and meeting rooms, 47 specialty guest suites, and 126 standard guest rooms. The hotel is being developed by GE Asset Management, Seven Oaks Company and Legacy Property Group. David Marvin, founder and president of Legacy Property Group, said in a news release that he’s excited about working on a hotel next to a venue that already books so many events each year. “That’s a great advantage in the hotel industry – much better than starting the social booking from scratch.” Brookhaven City Councilwoman Rebecca Chase Williams, whose district includes Perimeter Summit, said the new city is lucky to have a hotel in

“This is a tremendous project for Brookhaven and Iʼm thrilled itʼs already coming out of the ground. Itʼs just going to be a fabulous place.” Brookhaven City Councilwoman Rebecca Chase Williams

the works. “This is a tremendous project for Brookhaven and I’m thrilled it’s already coming out of the ground,” Williams said. “It’s just going to be a fabulous place.” She said the hotel will be an added incentive to attract people to do business in Brookhaven. “It’s going to give us an even nicer conference center,” Williams said. “It’s a great draw to bring in visitors and businesses.” The Hyatt Hotel at Villa Christina will be part of Perimeter Summit, an 83-acre, master-planned development. Perimeter Summit includes 1.4-million-square-feet of Class A office space and 2.1-million-square-feet of additional density on five future development parcels, according to the release.

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High-end apartments try to lure new tenants with the ‘wow factor’ said. “Not the number of units you had in the go-go years.” built in the area. Their names are Some elected officials, especially in chosen to demonstrate their sophisthe city of Dunwoody, complain that tication – names such as the Windtoo many apartments have been alsor or the Goodwynn in Brookhaven; lowed in the area in the past, and that The Heights, The Drexel and others long-time residents have been forced in Dunwoody; The Stratford or Alta to watch as older apartments have Glenridge Springs and others in Sandeclined in value and hurt dy Springs. the community. “In the past 12 years, Co v er But Reid argues that kind Perimeter has developed of decline is unlikely in the St o r y from a heavily-congested, future because many of the primarily office, hotel and apartments now being built shopping district into a viare designed for young singles or brant, livable mixed-use community couples and won’t attract large famwith improvements in traffic flow, air ilies. “All the stuff being built now quality, economic development and is smaller,” he said. “Just by design, quality of life,” said Yvonne Williams, you are not going see as many famipresident and CEO of the Perimeter lies moving into the properties being Community Improvement Districts. built now.” Ron Cameron, senior vice presAnd the Perimeter ident in the investarea remains a strong ment services group at draw for renters and Colliers International, developers because of called the Perimeter “an its proximity to three area that is very vibrant, MARTA train stations, that has a lot going on I-285 and Ga. 400, and and is very sought-afdue to the community’s ter by institutional inurban feel, developers vestors.” say. Apartments in the “One of the appeals Perimeter market comto that market for a lot mand rentals of more of renters and homethan $1,000 a month owners is you feel like and can reach $2,000 or you’re in the city and Trisha Ring more a month, accord[still] you can get anying to listings. where you need to,” said Cameron, “The trend in the market now is, who has lived in both Sandy Springs you’ll hear the term ‘core communiand Dunwoody. “There’s certainly a ty,’” said Michael Blair, managing dilot of interest in it, for sure.” rector for development for Pollack Cameron predicts that more apartShores Real Estate Group. “For us, it ment projects will be developed in means [Perimeter offers] for our resthe area. “I see development continuidents’ experience a good core locaing through the year, but I think it’s tion, with good proximity to retail going to be very, very selective,” he Continued FRoM page 14

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PERIMETER BUSINESS uses, transit, the live-work-play experience right at their doorstep.” Pollack Shores, which is based in Sandy Springs, in January started work on a new apartment complex that will add 341 luxury apartments at Hammond Drive and Peachtree Dunwoody Road in Sandy Springs. Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring, with completion scheduled for 2014, Blair said. The project will create more than 300 construction jobs, he said. “When it’s completed, it’ll be contributing over $600,000 in taxes to the community,” he said. The apartments will be part of a PHIL MOSIER mixed-use develThe Drexel Apartments in Dunwoody. opment and will Center, is part of a larger, mixed-use replace parts of the development and will stand right existing Hammond Center developacross the street from Pollack Shores’ ment on the south side of Hammond project. Northwood Ravin says its Drive. When complete, the new apartapartments will feature 10-foot ceilment complex will offer a lawn where ings, tiled backsplashes, a private residents can socialize, a wellness and central courtyard, a saltwater pool, fitness center, a yoga area and a dog a fitness center and, of course, a pet spa, Blair said. grooming center. North Carolina-based apartment One recent afternoon, Blair stopped developer Northwood Ravin is buildby the 4.5 acres on Hammond Drive ing another new luxury apartment where Pollack Blair has begun work complex on the north side of Hamto replace a small strip shopping cenmond, according to the company’s ter with a taller building filled with website. new, luxury rental homes. “Why The project, called Perimeter Town here?” he said. “This location has everything you want from a multi-family residential perspective.” Restaurants, a grocery, a drug store operate nearby. And the developer’s offices, Blair pointed out, are nearby, too. “This, for us, is right in our backyard,” Blair said. “It’s a very homegrown, in-ourbackyard development. We’re going to be proud of it for A rendering of apartments Pollack Shores a long, long time.” plans to build in Sandy Springs.

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BROOKHAVEN • BUCKHEAD • DUNWOODY • SANDY SPRINGS

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WELLNESS

Cathedral Antiques Show

Tinnitus Support

Thursday, Jan. 31, 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. – The 42nd annual Cathedral Antiques Show is here! Over two dozen dealers of period furniture, jewelry, art and accessories, ranging from 17th-century antiques to mid-century modern pieces are gathered under one roof. Find that perfect piece, begin a collection, or simply enjoy browsing! Show continues Feb. 1-2, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $20 admission for all three days. Funds benefit Refugee Family Services, which supports those resettling in the U.S. in becoming successful at work and school. Other on-site events include a book signing and appraisals room. The Cathedral of St. Philip, 2744 Peachtree Rd., NW, Atlanta, 30305. To learn more, call 404-3651107, email: khrhett@¬bellsouth.¬net or visit: www. cathedralantiques.org.

Tartan Trot Saturday, Feb. 2, 8:30 a.m. – St. Luke’s Presby-

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terian Church holds its annual 5K/10K Tartan Trot, benefiting outreach efforts close to home and around the world. 1-mile run goes off at 8 a.m.; Tot Trot at 9:45 a.m. Both 5 and 10K are Peachtree Road Race qualifiers. $30; $15 for 1-mile. Awards, t-shirts for entrants. Space limited to 1,500 participants. Rain or shine. Vehicle parking in Dunwoody Village; shuttle buses available. St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church, 1978 Mount Vernon Rd., Dunwoody, 30338. To register or to learn more, go to: www.tartantot.com.

Bridge Party Thursday, Feb. 7, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Mark

your calendar to attend the St. Martin in the Fields’ Mary Magdalene Chapter’s annual benefit luncheon and card/game party. You don’t even have to play bridge! Cards provided. Any game may be played. Door prizes; lunch served at 12 p.m. Tickets, $15, with proceeds going toward community outreach efforts. RSVP by Feb. 3rd. For ticket information call Carole at 404-262-3570. 3110 Ashford Dunwoody Rd., Brookhaven, 30319.

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Thursday, Feb. 2, 6 p.m. – Dr. Ethan Alexander discusses his book “Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife” at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church. Open to the community. $10 suggested donation, with funds going to the church’s youth ministries. Book signing at 6 p.m.; discussion at 7 p.m. 805 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs, 30327. Call 404-751-2907 for more information. www.hies.org.

Mardi Gras Saturday, Feb. 9, 7 p.m. – The Cumberland

Academy of Georgia, specializing in the needs of children with high functioning autism, Asperger’s, LD, ADD and ADHD, hosts a Mardi Gras-themed gala and auction. $150 per person. Attire: carnival casual, masks encouraged. New Orleans-inspired dinner, drinks and desserts. 650 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs, 30328. Email: Annette_ ring@yahoo.com for additional details or visit: www. cumberlandacademy.org to find out more and to purchase tickets.

Saturday, Feb. 9, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. – The Atlanta Tinnitus Support Group (ATSG) holds a meeting on “success stories,” how those with tinnitus, using TRT, neuromonic and/or masking overcame their tinnitus. Free. Family and friends are welcome. Dunwoody Branch Library, 5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd., Dunwoody, 30338. For more information, contact Erica at elcatl@aol.com.

Mental Health Sunday, Feb. 10, 3-5:30 p.m. – The Na-

tional Alliance on Mental Illness starts a 12-week family-to-family program designed to help caregivers understand and support those with mental illness, while maintaining their own well-being. Free. Peachtree Presbyterian Church, 3434 Roswell Rd., Atlanta, 30305. For more information, call 770432-4712, email: sekyle8082@gmail.com or go to: www.naminorthsideatlanta.org.

PERFORMING ARTS

Music at the MJCCA Monday, Jan. 28, 5-7 p.m. – The Mondays on Main Street music series at the Marcus Jewish Community Center Atlanta presents “The Baal Shem Tones,” an acoustic duo playing pop-influenced Americana songs, described as “100% American and 100% Jewish,” with “a powerful spiritual punch.” Free and open to the community. Food available for purchase. 5342 Tilly Mill Rd., Dunwoody, 30338. For more information contact Rabbi Brian Glusman at: brian.glusman@atlantajcc.org or call 678-812-4161. www.atlantajcc.org.

Hungry Ear Saturday, Feb. 2, 8-10 p.m. – Hungry

Ear Coffee House welcomes Karl Hepler, a guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who mixes the styles of bluegrass, newgrass, country, folk and Americana to create “New Traditional American Music”; Kate and Corey, with two acoustic guitars and two distinct voices; and Kevin Spears, “The Kalimba Man,” with skills and creativity often compared to Herbie Hancock, Jimi Hendrix and Les Paul. $5, plus a canned goods donation for the Sandy Springs Community Assistance Center. 1025 Mount Vernon Highway, NW, Sandy Springs, 30327. Call 770-955-1408 or email: Bobbakert@aol.com with questions.

Scottish Heritage Sunday, Feb. 3, 11 a.m. – St. Luke’s Presbyte-

rian Church invites the community to join in a celebration of Scottish heritage, with a Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans service. Various Scottish tartans - through banners and the wearing of tartans - will be presented for a blessing. The Atlanta Pipe Band (bagpipes and drum) will play during the procession. 1978 Mount Vernon Rd., Dunwoody, 30338. For more information, call 770-393-1424 or go to: www.slpres.org.

FOR KIDS

LEARN SOMETHING!

History Center Tuesday, Jan. 29, 5:30-8:30 p.m. – In cele-

bration of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau’s 100 years of hospitality, the Atlanta History Center gives the public free after-hours access to the center and museum. Meet characters from Atlanta’s past who share stories about what life was like during some of Atlanta’s most pivotal moments! Open to all. Cash bar available. 130 W. Paces Ferry Rd., NW, Atlanta, 30305. To find out more, call 404814-4000 or visit: www atlantahistorycenter.com.

Writer’s Forum Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2-3:30 p.m. – Share

original creative writings in a safe, communityfriendly environment. Readings followed by audience feedback and discussion, led by writing coach Wayne Smith. Writers of every skill level encouraged to attend. Limit works to 500 words or five minutes of reading time. All readings must be appropriate for family audiences. No registration required. Open to first 20 participants. Free. For those 18 years and up. Brookhaven Public Library, 1242 N. Druid Hills Rd., NE, Brookhaven, 30319. Call 404-848-7140 to find out more.

Civil War Thursday, Jan. 31, 6-7:30 p.m. – George McDaniel, Ph.D., presents the third lecture in the Civil War series at The Lovett School. McDaniel, a Lovett alumni and former faculty member, tells the story of his great-grandmother’s Civil War experiences as a young Jonesboro, Ga. girl. Free and open to the community. Reservations required. Refreshments served at 5:30 p.m. Call 404-262-3032, ext. 1717 or visit: www.lovett.org/civilwar for reservations and details. Hendrix-Chenault Theater, The Lovett School, 4075 Paces Ferry Rd., NW, Atlanta, 30327.

Black History Month

Groundhog Day Tuesday, Jan. 29, 4-4:30 p.m. –

Groundhogs and shadows are the themes for this story time session, followed by a craft activity. Free and open to all. For ages 3-6. Northside Branch Library, 3295 Northside Parkway, NW, Atlanta, 30327. Email: comments@ co.fulton.ga.us or call 404-814-3508 for additional information.

Life as a Slave Friday, Feb. 1, 10 a.m. -1 p.m. – Understand what life was like for an enslaved person in a special school program at the Atlanta History Center. Meet Harriett Tubman, and learn how she helped enslaved people escape to freedom through the Underground Railroad. Hands-on activities and self-guided gallery tours included. Admission: $9 per student; one adult admitted free for every five students. Outdoor event; dress appropriately. 130 W. Paces Ferry Rd., Atlanta, 30305. For more, go to: www.atlantahistorycenter.com or call 404-814-4000.

Practice SAT Saturday, Feb. 2, 1-6 p.m. – Get practical ex-

perience taking the four-hour long SAT test sponsored by Kaplan. Free and open to the public. Registration required. Kaplan requires a minimum of 15 students to present the test. For high school students. Sandy Springs Branch Library, in the Meeting Room, 395 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs, 30328. Call 404-303-6130 or email: marlan.brinkley@fultoncountyga.gov to find out more and to register.

Romance Writing Saturday, Feb. 9, 12-2 p.m. – Boy trouble! Girl

trouble! Romance can be as difficult on paper as it is in real life. Meet a member of the Georgia Romance Writers Association who will help you explore the complexities of a character’s feelings in your work. Free and open to the public. Registration required. Appropriate for middle and high school age. Sandy Springs Branch Library, in the Meeting Room, 395 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs, 30328. Email: marlan.brinkley@fultoncountyga.gov or call 404-303-6130 with questions or to sign up.

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Saturday, Feb. 9, 6-8 p.m. – Dance features music, geared for dads and daughters, provided by a live DJ, and event includes dance contests, musical games, complementary snacks and refreshments, keepsake photo, door prizes and a goodie bag for each girl. Attire is business casual to semiformal. $35 per father-daughter; $10 each additional daughter. For all girls attending school in Sandy Springs. Space is limited; registration open until Feb. 8 or when full. Woodland Elementary School, 1130 Spalding Dr., NE, Sandy Springs, 30350. For more information and to register, visit: www.sandysrpingsga.gov or call 770-730-5600.

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Friday, Feb. 1, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. – Through-

out the month of February, during library opening hours, check out the special bulletin board collages, unique items in the display case, and the book display featuring famous African Americans. Free. Appropriate for all ages. Buckhead Branch Library, 269 Buckhead Ave., NE, Atlanta, 30305. Email: comments@co.fulton.ga.us or call 404-814-3500 for additional information.

Partner Violence Saturday, Feb. 2, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. – The Part-

nership Against Domestic Violence organization is widening the conversation about intimate partner violence with its 4th annual Teen Summit. The summit, themed “Expect More, Be More,” welcomes teens and concerned adults interested in learning how to recognize and address teen dating violence. Free. The Lodge Café, 3417 Roswell Rd., Atlanta, 30305. To find out more, visit: http://padv.org.

Personal Finance Wednesday, Feb. 6, 6-8 p.m. – Participants

will learn how to obtain and analyze credit reports; how to negotiate debts successfully; and how to understand a credit score rating. Free and open to all. Recommended for adult audiences. Sandy Springs Branch Library, 395 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs, 30328. Email: comments@co.fulton. ga.us or call 404-303-6130 with questions.

Wildlife Gardens Saturday, Feb. 9, 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. – Join nationally-recognized naturalist Jerry Hightower for a workshop to help create and enjoy wildlife sanctuary gardens at homes and schools. The workshop covers: evaluating and developing a plan; feeders, nesting boxes, birdseed selection, and “quick fixes” for adding food and shelter; working with flowering vines, trellis, arbors and living walls; butterfly gardens and water features. Open to everyone. $10. There will be a “lunch & learn” session, so bring a lunch. Blue Heron Nature Preserve, 4055 Roswell Rd., Atlanta, 30342. To learn more or to register, call 404-3451008 or visit: www.bhnp.org.

The World-Famous

Chinese New Year

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From Funnyordie.com, ABC’s “According to Jim”

Wednesday, Feb. 6, 4:30 p.m. – Celebrate Chinese New Year with Atlanta Chinese Dance! Ribbons, fans and handkerchiefs! Students will perform several dances from across China. Free and open to the community. Appropriate for ages 6 and up. Sandy Springs Branch Library, 395 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs, 30328. Call 404-303-6130 or email: leah. germon@fultoncountyga.gov with questions.

Turtle Tours Saturday, Feb. 9, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. – Heritage Sandy

Springs continues its “Turtle Tours,” an educational series appropriate for children ages 2-5 in the Heritage Sandy Springs Museum. Through stories, hands-on exhibits and crafts, museum mascots “Sandy” the chipmunk and “Spring” the turtle introduce preschoolers to history. “Critters from Seedpods” is scheduled for Feb. 9. Free; donations encouraged. 6075 Sandy Springs Circle, Sandy Springs, 30328. For additional details, visit: www.heritagesandysprings.org, call 404-851-9111 or email: kbrigance@heritagesandysprings.org.

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out& about BROOKHAVEN • BUCKHEAD • DUNWOODY • SANDY SPRINGS

Dunwoody artists show their works in local businesses BY JOE EARLE

joeearle@reporternewspapers.net

It looked at this stage like somebody’s living room was being redecorated. Ceiling tiles sat in a neat stack next to a stepladder at the center of the small, outof-way shopping center storage room. Freshly painted walls gleamed. “We’ve been cleaning and painting and getting things ready to go,” Julie Marshall said. “It’s been fun to see how the whole business looks. We started looking [for a place for the gallery] in November and got in with the paint last week. It’s a process.” Once completed, this process will produce a new art gallery where Dunwoody artists can show and sell their work. The Dunwoody Fine Arts Association is calling its new showplace a “pop-up” gallery because it’s intended to be open only for a few months, starting in February. “We should have some jewelry and paintings and hopefully some sculpture,” Marshall said. “It’ll be fun. It’ll be a place in the community [for association members] to display work and hopefully people will come see it.” The new gallery – being cleaned and decorated by volunteers from the association – will be up and running in conjunction with the group’s annual “Art Walk” through the community. During the walk, which starts Feb. 1 and continues through the month, local artists display their work on the walls of

dozens of local businesses. The association has put together the event each of the past several years, Marshall said. “Our goal is to bring awareness of the arts to our community and to showcase the terrific talent of artists right here in Dunwoody,” Susan Proctor, president of the association, said in a press release. “Throughout the month, all of us will find our shopping to be a more beautiful experience, thanks to the artists who have created stunning watercolors, oils, acrylics, pen and ink, and collages, as well as the businesses that are showcasing them.” Marshall, a painter and member of the association, said about 200 pieces of art will be displayed during the citywide exhibition. At least 30 businesses and public offices have signed up to show works. All the works will be offered for sale, the association said. “I think the businesses feel happy to see some new work on their walls,” Marshall said. “All artists have works in their basements and are happy to get it out for people to see. At least people who come in for a dentist appointment have something new to see.” Jennifer Howard, financial advisor for Edward Jones, said her office has taken part in the association’s show for the past three years and will again this year. “I was an early adapter,” she said. “It’s worked out great. I really enjoy it. It’s

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something to show my clients. I get to meet some new artists. It’s a very nice way to give back.” Last year, she had two landscape paintings hanging in the office, she said. “I’m a big nature fan, so the landscapes work well,” she said. The assoJOE EARLE ciation’s temLocal artist Julie Marshall, at the Dunwoody Village porary gallery storefront where the Dunwoody Fine Arts Association will present plans to open a new “pop-up” art gallery in February. additional works for sale in the small room off the Courtyard at Dunwoody Village. “We’re hoping Dunwoody Fine Arts to get everyone’s work in there,” MarAssociation “Art Walk” shall said during a chat at a local cofand “pop-up gallery” fee shop. When: Artworks are displayed The association plans to launch the at various Dunwoody businesses gallery with a party Feb. 23 and then in February. Gallery holds open it to the public on Feb. 25, Maropening party Feb. 23 and shall said. The 1,000-square-foot galopens to the public Feb. 25. lery, installed in what had been a storage How much: Free room at Dunwoody Village, is scheduled to remain open at least through the For more information: end of April, Marshall said. www.dunwoodyﬁneart.org “Hopefully, it won’t close,” she said.

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Sandy Springs Girl Scout tops the cookie charts BY MELISSA WEINMAN

melissaweinman@reporternewspapers.net

It’s that time again. last few years.” You can expect a knock on the door, And the troop has been able to do an order form passed around the office, some pretty amazing things as a result of perhaps a booth in front of the grocery all those sales. store where your friendly, local scouts Meghan said the troop at Holy Spirwill be offering those delectable Girl it, which has been together since most Scout cookies. of them were in eleWhen it comes to mentary school, has Do you know an organization or cookie sales, few can used the money from outdo Dunwoody cookie sales to travel individual making a difference resident Meghan to Switzerland. This in our community? Email Devine. summer, the troop editor@reporternewspapers.net Devine has regularis saving money to ly ranked as one of Attravel to Costa Rica, lanta’s top cookie sellers, often selling more where they will form a partnership with than 1,000 boxes each year – and around a troop of Girl Guides, the Costa Rican 13,000 over the course of her scouting caanalogue for scouts. reer – to earn money for her troop. Meghan said she’s learned a lot about Devine, a junior at Holy Spirit Preparaherself from selling cookies. tory School in Sandy Springs, said her am“I think the thing I like most about bitious cookie sales are rooted in a comit is I’m kind of shy, and cookie sales petitive spirit and a philanthropic nature. bring me out of my box and forces me As a fifth grader in 2006, Devine to talk to other people and smile, and be signed up to sell cookies at a booth outfriendly and outgoing,” she said. “I can side of a Walmart. But the store accidenkind of be shy and close up with people tally double-booked Meghan with anI don’t know. It’s like a whole other me other scout, who seemed to be making when I’m selling cookies. Its shown me a all the sales that day. side of me I didn’t know was there.” “I was like, ‘I want to outsell her Meghan said her cookies sales may now,’” Meghan recalls. have been driven by competition in the That scout happened to be one of Atlanta’s top sellers, and Meghan decided to try to top her. That year, Meghan sold 2,802 boxes. Meghan was also driven to sell cookies in hopes of helping the Girl Scout camp she attended. She had heard that due to financial troubles, the camp would have to sell some of its horses because they could no longer afford to care for them. “I wanted to sell a bunch of boxes and save the horses,” she said. “I was a little girl with big dreams.” Meghan said it was rewarding to learn that through money earned by the local Girl Scout Council that year, they were able to keep all the horses at the camp. “They were able to save the horses, they didn’t have to sell any of them,” she said. Each year after, Meghan continued to think big. In 2007, she set her personal record, selling 3,111 boxes of cookies. And the competitive spirit has been contagious. “There have been a couple of other girls that have sold 1,000 [boxes] with me,” Meghan said. “Now my troop -- every year, we’re one of the top selling troops in our service unit.” Meghan’s mother, Anne Devine, said it’s been amazing to watch the girls push each other to sell more. “When Meghan started selling a whole bunch of cookies, she showed the other girls in her troop that it was actually possible. No one else had thought that big,” Anne Devine said. “It caught on and other girls in her troop started selling more and more. …When girls see that things are possible, they start to believe that they can do it, too. Girl Scout cookies sales have skyrocketed over the

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Meghan Devine, a Girl Scout from Holy Spirit Preparatory School, has consistently been one of the top cookie sellers in the Atlanta area.

beginning, but now it’s something she does because she loves it. “I love selling cookies, I love being interviewed because of my cookie sales. I actually did the first pitch at the Atlanta Braves game. I’ve just been award-

ed so many opportunities because of my cookie sales,” she said. Then, as the conversation was winding down, Meghan said, “Now, I have a question for you: Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies?”

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JAN. 25 – FEB. 7, 2013 | 19

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When you ring the doorbell at Marie Frank’s Dunwoody home, she barely cracks the door. “Come in quickly,” she says, opening the door just enough for you to squeeze through. Once inside, the reason for her caution is clear. Frank has three pet cockatiels that fly freely about her home. Dixie perches on the handle of her oven, singing to his reflection in the stainless steel appliance. Lucky hops over to the table where Frank is sitting, curiously inspecting her coffee mug. Frank said her birds are always entertaining her. But she said most people don’t know what they are getting into when they buy a parrot. “These are the best pets,” Frank said. “But if you don’t treat them well, they can be your worst nightmare.” Frank is passionate about teaching people about responsible bird ownership. Frank said when she got her first gray and yellow cockatiel, Dixie, she assumed it would be happy living in its cage. “I had a 5-year-old son who wanted a parrot,” Frank said. “I think people think – like I did – that you can buy a big cage and look at him because he’s pretty.” But she soon learned that her bird needed to spend time outside of his cage, flying and interacting with her family. “Dixie is kind of the one who trained us on how he wanted to be treated,” Frank said. “To treat them properly, you have to give them little or no cage time.” Since getting her first cockatiel, Frank has rescued three more and has traveled to Arizona to volunteer with a bird rescue sanctuary. She said there are many things people don’t know about parrots – the family of exotic birds that includes macaws, cockatoos and Amazons. If birds are bored or unhappy in their cage, they can be very loud and destructive, she said. Some birds will even pick out their feathers and bite their skin with their beaks if they are confined to a cage. “People need to know they are social creatures, they do need stimulation, they do need interaction,” Frank said. Frank said many people give away their parrots, annoyed by the noise the birds make. There are only a few bird rescue groups around the country, and there often isn’t much space. “The rescues are bursting at the seams. They’re so overcrowded,” Frank said. One reason those rescues are so crowded: birds have incredibly long life spans. Smaller parrots like cockatiels can live up to 25 years. But some larger birds, like

PHOTOS BY MELISSA WEINMAN

Above, Dunwoody resident Marie Frank with one of her cockatiels. Below, admiring a coffee mug.

macaws and African Grey Parrots, have a life span of up to 100 years. Ron Johnson, owner of Feathered Friends Forever, cares for 1,400 birds at his rescue facility near Augusta. He said birds come to the rescue from around the country for a variety of reasons. Some have owners who have died, or owners who have moved and can no longer keep them. Some people turn their birds in because they are simply tired of being bitten by the birds or hearing them chirp. Johnson said the problem is that breeders continue to sell the birds for a large profit. “Breeders and pet stores don’t care what people buy so long as they collect their money,” Johnson said. Johnson said someone recently dropped off a bird that was only six months old. “A breeder convinced this lady that this was a quiet, lovable bird,” Johnson said. “She paid $900 for the bird, $300 for the cage, and had it 48 hours because she couldn’t stand the noise that it made.” He said it’s important to keep in mind that parrots are wild animals. They still have natural instincts that can make them unfriendly. “They’re in a sense “domesticated” in that they will take food from your hand and they will talk to you,” Johnson said. “When it’s breeding season, you have Dr. Jekyll.”

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BY J.D. MOOR Her leash taut with anticipation and her tail wagging wildly, 3-year-old Amberley pulled her owner into a hallway at the Plantation South Assisted Living home in Dunwoody. Resident Sarah Baker gingerly maneuvered her walker one step at a time and spotted Amberly. Baker then was all smiles and Amberley was all affection. “This is the best part of the week for me,” Baker said. “I used to have a Rottweiler I loved. I look forward to this because it’s so special.” Amberley, a 3-year-old Hungarian bird dog, is certified as a service dog and constant companion to Doris Beardsley, who recently recovered from spinal surgery. Amberley also is a member of the Pet Therapy Program at St. Martin in the Fields Episcopal Church in Brookhaven, which has trained 72 dogs since 2009, eight of them specializing in visits to three nursing homes. Amberley has already made 17 visits to Plantation South. Preston Bentley is another Amberley fan who’s been at Plantation South for two years. “I have lots of free time here and she’s a nice break,” he said. Beardsley actually received a pet-topeople outreach herself before deciding to get involved in the program. Her husband brought Amberley to brighten her day while in a rehab facility that doubled as a retirement home. “I was there after my back surgery and I remember how during therapy, it helped me emotionally to work harder through the pain,” Beardsley said. “But then the retirees living there wanted to pet her, too, and asked me when Amberley would come back again.” That was all the motivation Beardsley needed to sign up for the Canine Good Citizenship class at St. Martin’s Pet Ministry. The five-week class trains

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Doris Beardsley, left, and Amberley, visiting Sarah Baker at Plantation South Assisted Living in Dunwoody.

animals to be obedient and stay calm around strangers, including those in wheelchairs. Usually dogs with good temperaments do better in passing the 10-step test, but the ministry also offers a basic class for dogs that may not be quite ready to become canine good citizens. Ingrid Siegert devotes her free time to running the pet ministry whenever she isn’t busy as St. Martin’s music director. She has her cat, Maggie, living fulltime in her church office, plus two dogs at home. “We do this out of love for the animals, and it’s fun to meet others who share that feeling,” she said. The pet ministry has blossomed from the early days when the first feature was prayers for animals through its website. It was a huge success with requests for prayers coming in from all over the world. “I think our pet ministry is unique because we do so much,” Siegert said.

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JAN. 25 – FEB. 7, 2013 | 21

Here’s Looking at You!

To view photos from your community visit www.ReporterNewspapers.net. To submit your photos email photos@reporternewspapers.net SPECIAL

Building relationships Sophia Academy middle school students went on an overnight, spiritual retreat in the north Georgia mountains, where they took part in activities to build teamwork, conquer fears and build conﬁdence. Far left, Madison Parker, left, joins Noelle Marchais in cheering on their peers during a competitive game of “Ga,” modeled after an ancient game played in Greek and Roman times. Left, Matthew Wallace challenges his agility and balance on the high ropes course.

Restaurant Guide

View these listings online with a map of each location at www.ReporterNewspapers.net. Another Broken Egg Café

Now Open in Vinings! 4300 Paces Ferry Rd Vinings GA 30339 770-384-0012 Open 7 days a week 7 AM – 2 PM Come by to see our beautiful renovated facility. Great for hosting business or private functions or just stop by and try one of the delicious menu items. Receive 20% off the month of January.

The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co.

McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks

600 Ashwood Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30338 770.399.9900 | www.mccormickandschmicks.com M-Th: 11-9, Fri: 11-10, Sat: 4-10, Sun: 4-9 From fresh seafood and shell fish to aged steaks and garden fresh salads, our goal is to exceed your dining expectations. Our menus reflect seafood from the Pacific Rim, Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. We also source products from local ranches, farms and wineries to showcase regionally inspired dishes.

McKendrick’s Steak House

2955 Cobb Pkwy SE, Suite 240 – Akers Mill & Cobb Pkwy Akers Mill Shopping Center | 770-988-9991 Open 365 days: 6 AM – 4 PM New York Style Gourmet Bagels, 3 egg breakfast sandwiches, over-stuffed bagelwiches, pizza melts, scooper melts and fresh baked muffins. Beverages consist of a coffee station that has everything you need to customize your perfect cup of coffee including unique blends, creamers and U-Bet syrup along with fresh squeezed orange juice and soft drinks. Try the Cubsta® - iced coffee made with frozen coffee cubes. Catering services also available.

4505 Ashford Dunwoody Rd., Atlanta, Georgia, 30346 770-512-8888 | www.mckendricks.com Lunch; M-F 11-2:30 Dinner: M-Th 5-10, Fri/Sat 5-11, Sun 5-9 Selected by Zagat as the number one rated steak house in Atlanta, McKendrick’s serves only prime cuts of meat as well as the freshest seafood all of which is complimented by an extensive wine list. McKendrick’s has been a steak house tradition for Atlantans and visitors alike since 1995.

Chin Chin Chinese Restaurant

Featured Restaurant

3887 Peachtree Rd, Buckhead/Brookhaven & other locations 404-816-2229 | www.ChinChinAtlanta.com Mon-Thurs 11:30-10:30, Fri/Sat 11:30-11, Sun 12-10:30 Fine Asian Cuisine - Its atmosphere, service and quality of food are above reproach. You can sit in the dining area and watch the preparation of food through a large plate glass. The menu is extensive, offering items in every category including chicken, seafood, pork, beef and duck. There are also vegetarian dishes for those who prefer.

Flavor Restaurant & Bar

236 Johnson Ferry Rd. NE, Sandy Springs GA 30328 404-255-7402 | www.flavorcafebakery.com Mon: 10.30am to 3.00pm Lunch only Tue: to Fri 10.30am to 10.00pm Lunch and Dinner Sat and sun 8.00am to 10.00pm Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Flavor with a twist. Taking traditional dishes and giving them a new twist. Babaganoush * Tabuli * Hummus * Lambchop Kabob * Jumbo Shrimp

Los Bravos Mexican Restaurant

2042 Johnson Ferry Rd NE, Atlanta 30319 770-452-9896 | www.losbravosatlanta.com Mon - Fri 11 - 10:30, Sat 12 – 10:30, Sun 12 – 10 Mouth-watering agave margaritas, carne asade, taco salads, fajitas, poblanos, quesadillas, taco salads, Mexican soup, guacamole…. It’s all at your fingertips regardless of what part of Atlanta you live in.

Uncle Julio’s created a unique restaurant concept around original recipes that demand only the freshest ingredients tailored after Uncle Julio’s family tastes. Beyond tacos, enchiladas and tamales, Uncle Julio’s specializes in marinated and mesquite grilled beef and chicken fajitas, ribs, quail, frog legs, and jumbo shrimp. 1860 Peachtree Rd, Atlanta 30309 | 404-350-6767 1140 Hammond Dr NE, Sandy Springs | 678-736-8260 Sun-Thurs, 11–10; Fri & Sat, 11–11 These restaurants are paid advertisers.

JAN. 25 – FEB. 7, 2013

| www.ReporterNewspapers.net

MoSaiC Restaurant

3097 Maple Drive, Buckhead 404-846-5722 | www.mosaicatl.com Mon–Thur 11:30–10, Fri/Sat 11:30–11, Sun Brunch, 10:30–3, Dinner 3–9 MoSaiC is a popular neighborhood, Buckhead eatery, located between Peachtree & Paces Ferry. Visit this hidden gem for a charming escape from city living. Our eclectic wine list and seasonal menu is sure to please the palate.

Pig-N-Chik

4920 Roswell Rd, Sandy Springs/Buckhead, 404-255-6368 5071 Peachtree Industrial Blvd, Chamblee/Brookhaven, 770-451-1112 1815 Briarcliff Rd, Emory area 404-474-9444 Mon-Thurs. 10:30–10; Fri/Sat, 10:30–11; Sun, 11–10 | pignchik.netTreat your friends and family to the best food in town at Pig-N-Chik. From barbecue ribs and pork to turkey and chicken wings, our irresistible dishes will have your taste buds begging for more. And don’t forget our delicious desserts!

Tantra Restaurant

2285 Peachtree Rd. N.E., Atlanta, GA, 30309 404-228-7963 | tantrabuckhead.com Tantra restaurant in South Buckhead features a contemporary American menu highlighted with the exotic flavors of Persian & Indian cuisine. The menu is crafted by Executive Chef Terry Dwyer and his staff. Popular items include: mussels in roasted pepper broth with chipotle and star anise, large plump scallops caramelized in a basil rub with a dried lime beurre blanc to compliment, grilled Australian lamb served with crisp eggplant frites and horseradish-ghost chile aioli.

Sophie’s Uptown

54 Pharr Rd, Atlanta GA 30305 404-812-0477 | www.sophiesuptown.com Mon. – Fri. 10 – 7 Sat. 10 – 4 Closed on Sun. People treats – Animal love. Your community café and bakery dedicated to saving Atlanta’s Homeless Animals. Gluten free and sugar free desserts. Homemade bakery favorites, coffee, ice cream, sandwiches, salads and more, all in a great atmosphere

Advertise in the Restaurant Guide and reach 130,000+ discriminating diners. Call 404-917-2200 ext 130.

Here’s Looking at You!

To view photos from your community visit www.ReporterNewspapers.net. To submit your photos email photos@reporternewspapers.net

PHOTOS BY PHIL MOSIER

Colorful celebrations mark the new year Left, Sofia Polar, 7, a first grader at Atlanta International School, gives the paper dragon she just created at the Sandy Springs Library an admiring look. Sofia attended a Chinese New Year celebration at the branch on Jan. 19. Right, the program included making crafts out of paper, stories and other Chinese New Year-related activities.

PHOTOS BY PHIL MOSIER

Making the center sparkle Georgia Perimeter College students got together to help beautify the Dunwoody Nature Center on Jan. 21, creating a new trail, cleaning and remulching an existing trail, and clearing the forest of evasive plants. The students participated as part of a school-sponsored civic engagement project. Clockwise, from left, Krishna Chatla and Cristian Morales, right, drag broken limbs away from a trail. Center, Tiffany Robinson, majoring in pre-nursing at the GPC Dunwoody campus, removes her work gloves and takes a break. Right, Krishna Chatla clears brush. At left, from left, Cristian Morales, Usman Bako, Martin Kovombele and Elizabeth Gats pick up small twigs and branches while they clean the path.

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JAN. 25 – FEB. 7, 2013 | 23

EDUCATION

Standout Students

Student Proﬁle:

 Ferra Pinnock  Atlanta Girls’ School, senior

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There is never an idle moment in Ferra Pinnock’s life. She plays three sports – soccer, softball and basketball. She hikes. She’s president of the Circle of Sisters, the equivalent of the student council at Atlanta Girls’ School. In fact, she so busy, she’s learned to dedicate a half-hour to an hour each night to relaxation, no matter how busy she is. She’ll watch a TV show, listen to music or read a book. “I try to spare myself some ‘me time’ as often as possible, just to maintain a reasonable amount of sanity,” she said. “Nothing is worth running myself into the ground, and it is this understanding that keeps me motivated and grounded in spite of the many obstacles that come with being a student-athlete.” Ferra transferred to the Atlanta Girls’ School, an all-girl school in Buckhead, when she was in the seventh grade. She enjoys the laid-back environment an allgirl school offers. “We all look the same, and there are no social standards that you always have to worry about it,” she said. “It leaves a lot of time and sanity for focusing on what is important like school, and just becoming a good person.” At the same time, Ferra misses aspects of being in a coed school, such as pep rallies and football games. At school, Ferra is a member of the Outdoor Club, which organizes outdoor trips, including excursions to go rafting and rock climbing. She’s active in both student affairs and sports. Sports teams mean a lot to her. As an only child, she feels that her teammates are like her family. And being president of the Circle of Sisters has helped make her a better leader and a more patient person, she said. Ferra’s favorite subjects are math and chemistry. “I like them both because they are very practical and I am a very realistic

person,” she said. “I like studying concrete ideas.” At AGS, students are required to complete an internship during the summers before 11th and 12th grade. Two years ago, Ferra shadowed emergency room residents at Grady Hospital as she was considering a career in medicine. Ferra then decided that she was interested in engineering and completed the Yerkes Internship at Emory University this past summer. “My favorite part was interacting with a variety of people,” Ferra said. “Being a witness to the dynamic variation of cultures and perspectives was often enlightening and especially entertaining.” Amy Conlee is the internship counselor at AGS and has gotten to know Ferra well during the past three years. “She is full of leadership and humanity,” Conlee said. “She has a great character that is displayed in everything she does.” All in all, Conlee describes Ferra as “the girl who is kind to the person who others aren’t.”

What’s Next: Next year, Ferra hopes to attend a college with a great engineering program where she will study chemical engineering. –Stacy Bubes

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EDUCATION Student Proﬁle:  Carson Waln  The Galloway School, Senior Carson has been involved with athletics since he was 4 years old. When he was in middle school, he decided he wanted to play baseball in college. “I played a ton of sports like every little kid does, but baseball was the only sport that every year I looked forward to,” said Carson. His dad encouraged him to play catcher from the start, a position he has kept throughout his career. He has always admired retired Florida Marlins and Detroit Tigers catcher Ivan Rodríguez, and as a young player tried to emulate his performance as a defensive catcher. When Carson joined the East Cobb Baseball club at 14, he was able to grow his skills as a catcher. Some summers were filled with over 80 games. When he was 16, the East Cobb Titans won a national championship under coach Chance Beam. “He was my favorite coach. He made me a better player and, at the end of the day, we won some really big tournaments,” said Carson. As high school approached, Carson was in a bind. He wanted to go to The Galloway School, but at the time the school did not have an active baseball team. Carson chose to work with the coach-

es to start up a program which has continued to grow over the past four years. And his work paid off: He’s going to Wofford College next fall and will play baseball there. Not only has Carson excelled at base-

ball but also at running. He has been a member of Galloway’s cross country team since freshman year. This past season, the team earned a fifth place finish in the state meet. “Carson is a true student-athlete,” said cross country and track coach Denny Beatty. “Carson demonstrates outstanding leadership, and leads his teammates by example. He does what is asked of him and more. His dedication and work ethic is superb, and yields positive outcomes, championship results,” Beatty said. In attempts to garner support for Galloway’s teams, Carson initiated and led a new spirit

committee. “Since we don’t have a football team, it can be difficult to get the students out to other games,” said Carson. “I’ve tried to get more people out to support all the teams at school.” Carson has a great group of friends at Galloway with whom he shares an intense academic competition. “It’s a good competition - we are either working together or working against each other to get a better grade,” said Carson. “We’ve got a great, smart bunch of people.” One of his favorite memories of high school was a mock presidential debate for AP Comparative Government class, in which he acted as Mitt Romney for an hour. He argued political points in front of the entire school. Although he does not plan on being a politician, he thoroughly enjoys debating.

What’s Next: Carson has signed to play baseball for Wofford College where plans to pursue a pre-med degree. He hopes to be an orthopedic surgeon someday to help get injured players back on the field. –ElizabethWilkes

Do you know a standout high school student? Send nominees to editor@reporternewspapers.net.

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State Rep. Edward Lindsey, a Buckhead Republican, says his proposal making it easier to convert an existing school into a charter school is about getting parents involved in education. Lindsey’s “parent trigger bill” would allow a majority of parents or teachers at a school to petition to have their school become a charter school. Charter schools usually have more independence from a local school system, but the freedom comes with heightened expectations for students. “I find it interesting that some people are concerned that parents may actually spend more time talking to their school board about the quality of their children’s education. That’s inherently a good thing,” Lindsey said during a Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education symposium on Jan. 11. Not everyone is convinced Lindsey is on the right track. Rep. Stacey Abrams, an Atlanta Democrat, said at the same symposium that Lindsey’s bill sounds like a good idea at first, but “the devil is in the details.” “You don’t want it to become a tool that is used to bludgeon schools into behavior that perhaps may not represent the full sense of what’s best for those kids,” Abrams said. “There have been states where it’s been used fairly improperly.” So parents could have a clearer idea of what Lindsey is proposing, Reporter Newspapers asked him a few questions about the proposal. Here are his answers.

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What is a ‘parent trigger’ law?

You have a traditional public school. The parents believe that converting it to a charter school would improve education in their school. They would get a petition together and would have to get a majority of student households. (My wife and I constitute one student household. My neighbor down the street, who’s a single mom, she’s a student household.) If you get a majority of the student households to request the charter, it then goes to the school board for their consideration. There’ll be certain factors for the school board to consider, or reject, the petition. It has to be rejected by twothirds of the school board. The whole idea is to keep it local. My friends who opposed the state charter amendment last year made a big deal about “we believe in charter -- it just needs to stay at the local level.” Let’s

State Rep. Edward Lindsey

see if they can prove that. Right now, it’s a lot more of a convoluted process to go to a charter school, a lot more hoops they have to go through.

How do you think a parent trigger law could improve

schools? I’ve sat on the House Education Committee for eight years, and one thing I’ve learned over the years is any kind of education reform must touch on one of the following three aspects of education: an engaged student, an inspiring teacher or an involved parent. This bill brings parents into greater involvement in their children’s education.

Q. A.

Why do you want to introduce this legislation?

You know, we need to be working on a whole series of education reforms in this state. The fact of the matter is, the state of public education in Georgia today is not where it should be. When you’ve got a graduation rate of 67 percent and if you drill it down to low income households, it’s in the low 50s. That’s morally and economically unacceptable.

Q. A. Q.

Are there similar laws in other states? There are seven other states that have similar laws.

Do you think recent events with the Atlanta and DeKalb County public schools may create more interest in this bill?

North Atlanta High School and DeKalb County provide excellent examples for why this is necessary. But the need is statewide. The need isn’t confined to our local area.

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PUBLIC SAFETY

Police Blotter

then entered the victim’s apartment. Missing is a laptop, gold chains, a bracelet, a Nintendo Wii and an iPod.

The following incidents and arrests are some but not all of the reports ﬁled with SSPD over the listed period, dated through Jan. 18.

 4700 block of Jett Road 30342 – On Jan. 9, answering an alarm, an ofﬁcer found a side door that was pried open. Several items were later found to have been taken in the burglary.

The following information was provided by the Sandy Springs Police Department from its records and is presumed to be accurate.

 100 block of Hampton Drive 30350 – On Jan. 9, the victim came home and found that her door was slightly open. She discovered that someone came in and took her 32-inch TV and Wii video game system.

CAPTAIN STEVE ROSE, SSPD

ROBBERY  7700 block of Spalding Drive 30350 – On Jan. 8, around 9:30 p.m., a man came into the business of Hong Kong Lee and pulled a gun. He took an undisclosed amount of cash from the register and left the scene in a small car. He had a bandana covering his face and held a small black revolver. He also had a white bandage on his left hand that looked to be covering an injury.  Cedar Run 30350 – On Jan. 17, a woman reported that she was leaving her apartment when she saw a man in the breezeway. The man had a silver gun. He said “Where do you live? Where is the money? Who else is in there?” The man told her to go into her apartment and face the wall. The man then called someone on a cellphone, and two others came into the apartment and the group looked around. They took some items and left. She reported that she did not call the police until a day later because she was too upset. She later told the detective a TV was taken. The leasing ofﬁce told the detectives that the woman contacted them to break her lease because she was robbed and they

srose@sandyspringsga.gov told her they needed a police report—which is why the robbery was reported a day late.

BUR G LARY  1000 block of Brentwood Way 30350 – On Jan. 8, a man reported that while he was in jail for domestic violence, someone broke into his apartment.  600 block of Virginia Road 30328 – On Jan. 8, a man reported that he was on vacation from Dec. 16-Jan. 8. When he returned, someone had burglarized his home and taken a TV and other items.  4600 block of Roswell Road 30342 – On Jan. 8, the victim reported that she came home and found her back door open. She saw evidence that her apartment had been ransacked. The victim reported cash missing.  200 block of Northwood Drive 30342 – On Jan. 9, someone shattered a window and

looking for a way in. A window was broken and the burglar apparently set off the alarm when he removed the glass. It appears he did not get inside.  6400 block of Scott Valley Road 30342 – On Jan. 14, sometime between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m., someone broke a sliding door. The resident said nothing was taken.

7200 block of Brandon Mill Road 30328 – On Jan. 15,



the victim said she left the home around 11:30 a.m. and returned just after 12 p.m. She found that a rear window had been broken out. Several drawers had been ransacked. Some jewelry items were reported missing.

 8200 block of Colquitt Road 30350 – On Jan. 9, someone

forced the victim’s front door and took large furniture items. The victim has been gone from the apartment since the early part of December.

O TH ER BUR GLAR IE S  3600 block of Treelodge Parkway 30350 – On Jan. 10.  7300 block of Hunters Branch Drive 30328 – On Jan. 12, the victim reported that a bike was stolen from an unlocked storage room attached to the carport.  100 block of North Mill Road 30328 – On Jan. 14, ofﬁcers answered an alarm at about 11:30 a.m. They found evidence that someone forced a utility-closet door and attempted to gain entry. Footprints were found where the person walked around the home

 2300 block of Treelodge Parkway 30350 – On Jan. 16, the res-

ident said that between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. someone entered her apartment and took an Xbox game system and a PS3 game system. Entry was made by breaking out a back bedroom window.  Old Stratton Chase 30350 – On Jan. 17, ofﬁcers, responding to an alarm, found that someone forced a rear door open and came into the house. The resident said at the time of the report that nothing appeared to be missing.

 1000 block of Wedgewood Way 30350 – On Jan. 17, a man reported that he noticed that someone had changed the deadbolt on the back door to his home and upon looking, discovered a gold watch and $300 in Euros CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

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JAN. 25 – FEB. 7, 2013 | 27

PUBLIC SAFETY

Sandy Springs Police Blotter CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27 were taken from his night stand in his bedroom.

Jan. 12, the victim said that overnight, someone stole his bike that was chained to the stairs outside his apartment building.

THEF T

 A man reported that he dropped off his

 A man on Dunhill Court reported some-

one stole two concrete lions from outside his home.

 1100 block of Mount Vernon Highway 30328 – On Jan. 7, a man reported that he accidentally left his iPhone on the seat at Wendy’s. He went back and the staff said they knew nothing of it. He activated “Find my Phone” and the GPS signal showed the phone was still there. The staff insisted they knew nothing of it. He ﬁnally left the store but tracked the phone to the MARTA station and then to an address on Willow Lake Drive in DeKalb County. The phone contact was lost afterward. The ofﬁcer obtained video but it does not show anyone taking the phone.  5600 block of Roswell Road 30342 – On Jan. 8, a student placed her purse on a rolling cart next to her. She left the room for several minutes and during that time, someone took it.  5900 block of Roswell Road 30328 – On Jan. 8, a woman reported that someone took her wallet while she was shopping at Whole Foods. A credit card was later used unsuccessfully at a local Chevron before the card was inactivated.  700 block of Dalrymple Road 30328 – On

shirt, valued at $125, at his cleaners and they lost it.

 1000 block of Johnson Ferry Road 30342 – On Jan. 12, an employee said her cellphone was taken from a room adjacent to the ER room at Northside Hospital.

 6400 block of Roswell Road 30328 – On Jan. 17, a man reported that while he was at Flasher’s Club, someone stole his iPhone, which was lying on the table.  200 block of Northridge Road 30350 – On Jan. 17, an employee of Wafﬂe House reported that between 1:45 a.m. and 2:30 a.m., someone took his cellphone from the employee counter near the coffee cups. The phone could be reached from the customer section of the counter.

TH E F T FR O M V E HICLES

 100 block of Pres-

ton Woods Trail 30328 – On Jan. 12,

Read more of the Police Blotter online at www.reporternewspapers.net

a woman reported that her roommate moved out and stole her Louis Vuitton bag. When she asked her for it, the roommate replied “When I see you, I’ll give you more than just your key!”  Mount Vernon Highway -- woman report-

Articles were stolen from vehicles on the following dates:



 100 block of River North Drive 30350,

Jan. 6

ed that while she was at a store, her wallet was stolen.

 300 block of Granville Court 30328, Jan.

 Spender Trace 30328 – On Jan. 14, a man reported that his 2004 Dodge Ram truck was stolen sometime during the day.

 800 block of Mount Vernon Highway

 Hunters Trace – A man reported that two guns are missing from his home. He said that he recently had a handyman living in his home (since June) and suspects he took the guns.

30328, Jan. 7

 300 block of Northridge Road 30350, Jan.

 7200 block of Chattahoochee Bluff Drive

30350, Jan. 9

 900 block of Marsh Trail Circle 30350,

Jan. 9

 5600 block of Roswell Road 30342, Jan. 9  4900 block of Roswell Road 30342, Jan. 9  1100 block of Mount Vernon Highway (x2)

30328, Jan. 9

 400 block of Franklin Road 30342, Jan. 9  300 block of Crosstree Lane 30328, Jan. 12  6600 block of Roswell Road 30328, Jan. 13  5500 block of Roswell Road 30342, Jan. 13

FRAUD  A man reported that his credit card num-

ber was taken after he used it at a local restaurant. The card was later charged for $150 for gift cards at Target, Taco Mac for $37 and a purchase at a local Citgo station.

 A man reported that he was swindled out

of $100 by someone in the Perimeter Center West area. He told the officer that the man said they went to the same church and this tugged on the heart strings of the victim, who continued to listen as the man said he needed a new tire. The victim bought the tire. He dropped the man off and the man told him that he lived at an address nearby and would repay the debt. The victim went to that address and found a family living there who never heard of the man.

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A S S A U LT called to a restaurant on a complaint that a person refused to pay a cab fare. A woman told officers that another woman pushed her. This complainant went on to say that she was a housewife from Alpharetta and mother of three kids who went to Johns Creek High School. The report said she repeated this several times. She then said she knew the owners of the bar. She said she was talking to a man inside the bar when another woman came up and began to argue with her and then pushed her. She said the woman made an aggressive move toward her so she pushed a bar stool at the woman. The other woman arrived and they began to argue again. The complainant said the other woman was young and needed to be taught a lesson.

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 1000 block of Vicksburg Place 30350 – On Jan. 6, around 1 a.m., cops responded to a disturbance and found three women whose argument had turned violent. Witnesses said they awoke to the sounds of screaming, and looked outside to see a woman on top of another woman, beating her. All were drunk. One went to jail and the other to get patched up at the hospital.

• Indoor Air Quality Products • Duct Cleaning Services • Plumbing Fixtures • Plumbing Water Heaters • Plumbing Drain & Sewer • Plumbing Sinks & Bathtubs Repair & Refinish

formation was compromised and that someone made purchases from Pier 1 on the card. The items were sent to Phoenix, AZ.

404-618-0220 • www.rsandrews.com

JAN. 25 – FEB. 7, 2013 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net

 6300 block of Roswell Road 30328 – On Jan. 6, cops were called to a drug store on SS

PUBLIC SAFETY Roswell Road just before 3 a.m. They found a man in the road in front of the store, dancing. Witnesses said he narrowly missed being hit by oncoming traffic. Cops got him off the road and offered up a taxi due to his intoxicated condition. The taxi arrived, picked up the subject, drove away, and then returned. The driver kicked the man out saying he was cursing and refusing to pay for the ride. The officers spoke with the man who then cursed at the officer. The officer arrested him. The man then threw a tantrum, kicking the car divider cage. He ended up in leg restraints and was taken to jail.  6100 block of Peachtree Dunwoody Road 30328 – On Jan. 7, vice officers arrested a

prostitute at the Comfort Inn and Suites after a phone conversation and agreement to pay $140 for an hour’s worth of companionship. The defendant told the ofﬁcer to meet at the hotel. When they did meet her, they arrested her.

 4600 block of Roswell Road 30342 – On Jan. 7, a patrol officer located a man, who was wanted on a probation warrant, sitting at a bus stop. He stopped the man and confirmed the warrant. He was arrested.  6200 block of Peachtree Dunwoody Road 30328 – On Jan. 8, vice officers arrested a woman at a hotel. She was charged with prostitution solicitation.

 An officer pulled a car over. When he walked up to the driver’s side of the car, he smelled marijuana. The man was cited for disorderly conduct which covers misdemeanor possession of, in this case, a joint. He was released.  6700 block of Roswell Road 30328 – On Jan. 8, officers arrested a man for military desertion. He was wanted on a warrant stating that he deserted in November 2012. Inside the apartment, officers found marijuana, stamps and liquid bottles of suspected LSD and capsules that contained MDMA (Ecstasy.) Several other people were arrested in this case.  5600 block of Roswell Road 30342 – On Jan. 9, cops responded to a discount store on a call of a shoplifter who fled. The man had been seen multiple times in the past stealing. He was in with his girlfriend trying to make a cash return on a baby monitor they stole. The officers found him and rounded him up for the trip to jail.  Huntingdon Chase 30328 – On Jan. 13, cops were called just before 9 p.m. to a location about a woman who was screaming. They spoke to the woman who was lying face down in the breezeway of an apartment complex. The woman was intoxicated and speaking somewhat incoherently. She asked the officers to sit “Indian style” on the floor with her to talk to her. The officers had to help her up and to her apartment. She became belligerent and began to yell at the officers. She began to scream and would not settle down so the officers handcuffed her in order to arrest her. She threatened to shoot one officer in the “blank” and told the other that she would kick his “blank” up into his throat. Inside the car, she head-banged the back of the metal partition. She refused to walk and had to be carried from the car to the intake port.  600 block of Hampton Drive 30350 – On Jan. 14, a man called and said two men were at his apartment and kicked open his apartment door. The suspects left in a small white car. The arriving officers spotted the car leaving the complex. They were detained and later charged with burglary. The victim said he heard a knock on the door but didn’t answer. Just afSS

ter, they forced the door open but when they came in, the victim had a knife and the perps turned and ran to the car and drove away.  1000 block of Hammond Drive 30328 – On Jan. 15, cops were called to the Homestead Studio Suites after an employee saw a man trying to force himself into a room where the sprinkler system control area is located. The man fled on foot but was caught by a pursuing officer and his Taser. The suspect was wanted in Cobb County for probation violations having to do with a previous motor vehicle theft case. The man gave the officers false information. He was taken to the hospital, where he was found to be okay enough to be lodged into jail. He was charged with the warrants and the attempt to burglarize the hotel room.  5600 block of Peachtree Dunwoody Road 30342 – On Jan. 17, the security staff of St. Joseph’s Hospital called the police and reported that a man, later identified as the suspect, came into the hospital building and said he was going to the cafeteria. The officer personally escorted the man into the eating area. The security officer said as he watched the man in the cafeteria, the man approached an area as if to make a normal and legal transaction for a burrito. Suddenly, without warning or provocation, the man took a burrito and then exited the cafeteria without paying for it.  The officer’s attention was then drawn to

a woman who entered the scene and confronted the man about the burrito in his pocket that was not paid for. The woman asked “What is going on?” The man replied, “Nothing.” The security officer, seeing the

inconsistency in the man’s story, took control and returned to the cafeteria with the now suspect and told him to empty his pockets, checking for stolen items, weapons, or other fast food. The burrito was produced and the theft was foiled.  The suspect told the officer the reason he took

the $2 burrito was that he was discharged from the hospital earlier and he was hungry. He was charged with theft and driven up to Alpharetta, where the intake section is for Fulton County Jail.

 Target

cops were called. The date left but then left threatening text messages to the victim saying he is going to get what’s coming to him.  6200 block of Peachtree Dunwoody Road 30328 – On Jan. 13, a woman called the cops to a hotel. She told them that a man she knew as Jay Rou, whom she met two days ago and let stay in her room with her, started talking about her prostituting herself to make some money for him. She complained that he keeps calling her. While the officer was there, he called. The officer asked for his information and he gave him a name of “Jay Sloan” and he was from Alabama. The officer told him to stop calling or be charged with harassing communications.

store employees called police following a shoplifter who took a cellphone. The suspect was sitting at a Starbucks location inside the store but past all points of sale. The officer asked if he could Map Crime  Weatherly Drive 30328 – talk to him. The man said On Jan. 16, a woman reported In Your “Okay, but I didn’t steal anythat around 4:30 a.m., a man Neighborhood. had been in the back yard of thing. I was going to pay for this later.” He pulled out lip www.ReporterNewspapers.net her home on at least two occasions in the past week. The gloss and put it on the table. man has tried to peer into one The officer later found three of the windows, but the dog alerts and starts cellphones on him. He was charged with the to bark. She said the man is tall but because theft and taken to jail. it is dark, she could not expand on the description. Neighbors reported seeing a man walking in their back yards.

S TR AN GE BR EW  A man on Glenridge Road called the po-

lice to report that his date had gone bad. He contacted a “date” on a website and met him at the victim’s apartment. They two “dated” for a couple of hours. The victim asked the date to leave. An argument ensued and the

 Sandalwood Drive 30350 – On Jan. 16, a man reported that he broke up with his girlfriend and now is receiving threatening text messages from a man whom he thinks is her brother or other friend. The threats state that they will kill him.

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JAN. 25 – FEB. 7, 2013 | 29

PUBLIC SAFETY

Johns Creek snub could cost Sandy Springs on radios CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

chasing power. “They’ve already done the work, essentially,” McDonough said. Motorola Solutions spokesman Steve Gorecki said the company didn’t see any problems with the contract. “Motorola abided by the process established by the cities, and believes it was a fair process,” Gorecki said. The Sandy Springs council on Dec. 18 approved an agreement with the other cities to pay for the radios, even though Johns Creek hadn’t yet committed. At the time, Motorola offered the cities an $825,000 discount to sign by the end of the year, according to city records. If Johns Creek had accepted the agreement, its share of the cost

would’ve been $2.8 million. Sandy Springs committed $4 million, a number likely to increase without Johns Creek’s participation. The amount each city was supposed to pay under the proposed agreement was based on a formula that included city population, the number of radio subscribers and the square mileage covered by the new system. McDonough told Sandy Springs City Council during its Jan. 15 meeting that City Attorney Wendell Willard is recalculating the city’s new share. He said the council would have to amend the agreement or adopt a new one at a special meeting at the end of January. McDonough said the city already had set aside $2 million in its Fiscal Year 2013 budget for the radios, and start

up costs would carry over to 2014. “We don’t anticipate any impact in Fiscal 2013,” McDonough said. The radios are badly needed, Sandy Springs Police Chief Terry Sult said. “We’ve got a failing radio system that’s fragile at best,” he said. But Johns Creek officials weren’t swayed by pleas to fix the system sooner rather than later. Johns Creek City Councilman Randall Johnson said the other cities didn’t provide a convincing explanation about why the contract wasn’t competitively bid. Johnson, who also works in communications, said the cities agreed to a contract with Motorola on the basis of a recommendation by a consultant, Commdex. Commdex is a reseller for Motorola,

Johnson and Johns Creek City Manager John Kachmar said. Kachmar said the city began questioning the selection of Motorola after receiving complaints from two other companies interested in the work. “I felt we didn’t do it the right way,” Kachmar said. “This isn’t calling anybody names. We didn’t believe the process was handled correctly so we’re engaging in our own process.” This isn’t the first time the cities have teamed up to improve public safety response times. Johns Creek and Sandy Springs are both members of the Chattahoochee River 911 Authority known as ChatComm. “That worked out well, absolutely,” Johnson said of ChatComm. “But that was all competitively bid.”

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Reporter Classiﬁeds EMPLOYMENT Computer IT – Mobile App Developer Lead/Architect and Sr Middleware Developer, Atlanta, GA. Apply: www.hughestelematics.com Care Giver – Live in or out 25 years experience. References available. Caring for the elderly. Call 404441-9134. Accounting Professional needed (Part-time) – Located off Collier Road. Apply at www.aodmailboxes.com/ acctemployment.

CLEANING SERVICES House Cleaner – Affordable prices – Excellent references. Call 770-837-5711. I will beat any advertised price. Rosie Cleaning Services – Houses, Apartments and Ofﬁces. Free estimate, call 678-914-8878.

Place your order for Winter Organic Vegetable plants now! We will germinate the seeds (kale, cabbage, rutabagas, etc.) and bring them to you Free Delivery • Gardening Assistance is available Contact Tom • 678-755-3804 • tockbul@aol.com

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JAN. 25 – FEB. 7, 2013 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net

To place a Classiﬁed or Service Directory ad call Deborah at 404-917-2200 x 110.

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Pre-Owned Rolex Watches No Knock-Offs • Full One Year Warranty • Free face change - no time limit • Service and repair for your current Rolex • Dials and bezels with and without diamonds • Replacement bands and extra links

Call Chris Clark • 404-429-7252

SERVICES AVAILABLE Driveways & Walkways – Replaced or repaired. Masonry, grading, foundations repaired, waterproofing and retaining walls. Call Joe Sullivan 770-616-0576. Furniture Care – Redesign, custom painting, on-site refinishing, repairs, touch-ups, cleaning and polishing. We will Buy, Sell or Trade Antique Furniture. Danny Linton 770-882-5132. Matthew’s Handy Services – Small jobs and chores is my specialty, flexible scheduling, carpentry, drywall, painting, plumbing and cleaning. Call 404-547-2079 Georgia Lawn Care – Putting green, Artificial turf installation, Aeration, Fescue reseeding and Full maintenance. Walls, Stone and Concrete work. Call 770-435-8928

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Home Services Directory W.S.B. Custom Contracting, Inc.

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HADDAD LANDSCAPING A Complete Plumbing Service Center

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Your home. Our help.

Get help around the house by calling one of our Home Services and Services Available advertisers. Tell them you saw their ad in Reporter Newspapers! SS

www.ReporterNewspapers.net |

JAN. 25 – FEB. 7, 2013 | 31

Put Reporter Newspapers to work for your business! We find that the Reporter readers love the value of the services we offer and the fact that we are so close and convenient to where they live. And we love when they clip out our ad and bring it to their appointment! – Maureen Riski, Northside Hearing Center

NORTHSIDE Hearing Center

We get a lot more calls and leads from the Reporter Newspapers than we do any other community paper we have advertised with. – Stoney Green & Steve Arroll Owners

In 2008 I was the new doctor in town. The Reporter brought in my first patients. They told their friends and family. Since then it has been a snowball... no, an avalanche effect. Thanks, Reporter Newspapers! My practice is flourishing and I couldn’t be happier! – Melissa Babcock, M.D., Babcock Dermatology

65,000 copies delivered every other week to homes and businesses in Atlanta’s best communities. For information, call Publisher Steve Levene at 404-917-2200 ext. 111 or visit www.reporternewspapers.net

JAN. 25 – FEB. 7, 2013 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net