Atlanta Intown - February 2014

Our mission: Published monthly since 1994, Atlanta INtown provides its readers with hyperlocal news and information that helps foster a sense of community in a dynamic urban setting. Live, work and play—we cover everything that makes our city home.

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Editorial

Collin Kelley

INtown Editor

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Ann Taylor Boutwell, Sarah Fishburne, Melody Harclerode, Art Huckabee, Phil Mosier, Annie Kinnett Nichols, Clare S. Richie, Tim Sullivan, Han Vance, Melissa Weinman

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IN the Neighborhood

Go Green

EDITOR’S LETTER

Collin Kelley collin@atlantaintownpaper.com

All Eyes On Downtown

My first clear memory of Downtown Atlanta is from 1975. I am in the backseat of my parents’ car and we are on the interstate headed into the city to shop or perhaps to visit family. I don’t actually remember – I was only five. But what I do remember is seeing the towering cylinder of the Peachtree Plaza Hotel still under construction. To say that it dwarfed every other building is an understatement. I immediately wanted to go inside and told my parents so. When the hotel was completed in 1976, my parents took me to the Peachtree Plaza and I was nearly giddy over the giant lagoon in the lobby and stunned into silence (a rarity) as we soared up the glass elevator to the Sun Dial and the observation lounge. I fell in love with Downtown that day.

With all the new attention now focused on Downtown – especially in light of the New York Times piece last month – I am renewing my vow of devotion to our city’s core. I plan to be one of the first riders on the streetcar, which is going to be a success despite the naysayers. It has success written all over it, despite the cost and delay. Once it links to the BeltLine, folks will wonder why we ever got rid of streetcars in the first place.

I’m not a football fan (not the American kind, anyway) but I’m even interested in seeing the College Football Hall of Fame. The helmet-shaped design is inspired and the graphics and information about what

will be inside sound exciting. When you can get non-fans interested in visiting, you have gold. I have a feeling I’ll spend more time at the National Civil and Human Rights Center. It has all the hallmarks of becoming an oftvisited and cherished Downtown institution. Tourists and scholars will be there daily adding even more vibrancy to Downtown.

But, believe it or not, the thing I’m most tickled about is the re-opening of the Polaris Room atop the Hyatt Regency Hotel. I went their twice before it closed and being inside the revolving “flying saucer” is a oneof-a-kind experience. Sure, the view isn’t what it used to be because of all the other skyscrapers that surround it, but, in my opinion, it’s John Portman’s best work and Polaris is a landmark worth visiting.

On a personal note, I’d like to thank everyone who has supported my poetry endeavors, especially the Atlanta JournalConstitution, which named my collection Render one of the best books of 2013. At the end of January, the American Library Association honored the book by selecting Render for its prestigious 2014 Over the Rainbow List of Books. That means my work will be in many libraries across the country. When I’m not wearing my INtown editor hat, I’m writing the third novel in my Venus Trilogy of literary mysteries, which will be called Leaving Paris and out in late 2015.

ABOUT THE COVER

Contributing photographer Phil Mosier photographed Jenai Mayfield shopping for jewelry at Ten Thousand Villages in Virginia-Highland. The shop sells goods from crafters from around the world and has a big selection of gifts. Read more on Page 28 and find other ideas to make Valentine’s Day special.

Polaris Room

By Collin Kelley INtown Editor

When the New York Times put Downtown Atlanta on its list of 52 Places to Go in 2014 last month, it was confirmation of what local leaders already knew – it’s going to be a transformative year for the city’s core.

With the Atlanta Streetcar set to come online and the openings of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and the College Football Hall of Fame, Downtown’s destination status is about to get a huge boost.

Central Atlanta Progress President A.J. Robinson said Downtown hasn’t seen so much activity or received so much buzz since the 1996 Summer Olympics, which spurred the revitalization of the district. He wasn’t surprised by the New York Times designation at all.

“The New York Times did their research and realized there is a lot going on in Downtown Atlanta,” Robinson said.

Robinson said that 90 percent of the track is in place for the Atlanta Streetcar, which will make a 2.7 mile loop from Centennial Olympic Park and The King Center. “The construction is still messy in certain areas like around Woodruff Park, but you’ll soon

Courtesy Central Atlanta Progress

A legacy of the 1996 Olympic Games, vibrant Centennial Olympic Park plays host to some of Atlanta’s biggest events.

see poles and wire going up to power the streetcars.”

If all goes well, the streetcar will be running by Memorial Day, which will coincide with the opening of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights next door to the Georgia Aquarium and World of Coca-Cola. The much-anticipated center will house the personal papers of Martin Luther King Jr. from Morehouse College among other collections and exhibitions.

The College Football Hall of Fame, which just had a “topping out” ceremony last month, is expected to open in August next door to the Georgia World Congress Center and is expected to draw sports fans from around the country.

While those tentpole attractions are receiving the most buzz, Robinson said there are even more projects set to open or starting construction, including the new ALOFT Hotel in the Luckie-Marietta District, new dorms for Georgia State students on Courtland Street, the new Hyatt House Hotel, the new Georgia State Law School and work on the new Falcons stadium, which is set to begin this summer.

Robinson said he’s also excited that the Polaris will be reopening soon at the Hyatt Regency. The iconic blue “flying saucer” atop the Downtown hotel has been shuttered for years, but is getting a new lease on life and is expected to reopen in March. Built in 1967, the revolving bar and restaurant will offer one-of-a-kind views of the Downtown cityscape.

“Each project is just one more notch in the city’s belt,” Robinson said. “It gives the economy a real push and will give a whole new level of tourism for the city.”

Robinson also cited the move of 2,000 employees of Coca-Cola into new offices at SunTrust Plaza as a big boost for Downtown. He said projects set to open adjacent to the heart of the city, such as Ponce City Market and Krog Street Market, will also be beneficial.

Another big Downtown project still to come is the proposed transportation hub near Philips Arena, which would put trains, buses and MARTA all in one central terminal. Robinson said the Georgia Department of Transportation was reviewing plans submitted by a development team for the billion-dollar project. “What we have to wait and see is who will run with it – the state or city?” he said.

Environmental reports on the hub won’t be complete until year’s end and then there will be a push to seek federal dollars for the project, Robinson stated.

Editor’s Note: Neighborhood Snapshots is a monthly feature to mark INtown’s 20th anniversary.

Above: The Atlanta Streetcar will roll out at the end of spring. Right: a rendering of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights; Below right: the Polaris Room atop the Hyatt will soon reopen; Below left: A rendering of the Atlanta Streetcar stop at Sweet Auburn Curb Market.

A.J. Robinson Central Atlanta Progress President

Clockwise from left: Darin Givens captured the moody skies looking over Downtown; John Becker captured this image of Downtown while riding the Skyview Ferris Wheel; Shelease Roberts snapped this photo over the summer of peple cooling off in the Rings Fountain at Centennial Olympic Park; another photo by Darin Givens shows the buildings of the Fairlie-Poplar district in Downtown; and John Becker composed this image of some of the city’s buildings alongside the famed neon Coca-Cola sign and the statue of Atlanta from the Ashes (The Phoenix), a symbol of the city’s rebirth after being destroyed in the Civil War.

Atlanta Memorial Park Conservancy in for the long haul

By Collin Kelley INtown Editor

The nonprofit Atlanta Memorial Park Conservancy (AMPC) spearheading the renovations at the Bobby Jones Golf Course, Bitsy Grant Tennis Center and Atlanta Memorial Park has only existed for little more than a year, but the amount of work completed in that relatively short time is extraordinary.

The AMPC pulled together the separate organizations for the tennis center, golf course and the six neighborhoods around the park into one unified group to create a master plan for the 190-acres of parkland – which is crossed by both Peachtree and Tanyard creeks – along Northside Drive. While the Bobby Jones Golf Course & Park Conservancy started the process of developing a plan for the 80-year-old course, the AMPC has advanced the process with a new master plan unveiled last month.

“We’ve been going like gangbusters,” AMPC President Roxanne Giles Smith said. “It’s been a banner year.”

While the decision on whether the historic links will remain 18 holes or become an innovative, reversible nine-hole course is still to come, the AMPC is looking at the entire park long term. While the final master plan will cost millions to execute and take a decade to fully realize, the AMPC plans to stay involved in the maintenance and preservation of the park, just like the Piedmont Park Conservancy has done with Midtown’s beloved greenspace.

Special

The Bobby Jones Golf Course has not been updated in more than 80 years, says the Atlanta Memorial Park Conservancy, with renovations now planned. Debate is under way if the course should remain 18 holes or be redesigned into a 9-hole course.

Smith noted that the Piedmont Park Conservancy has been existence for more than 20 years and is still involved in the ongoing renovations. The AMPC will launch a capital campaign to start raising money for the

renovations this month.

The city’s third largest greenspace will remain under the control of the Atlanta Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs (DPRCA), which ultimately has final decision on all issues concerning its future. The master plan must be approved by DPRCA

Commissioner George Dusenbury and then go onto the Atlanta City Council for final approval and Mayor Kasim Reed’s signature.

Atlanta Memorial Park is the only regional park in the city that does not have a master plan, Smith said.

Claire Sofa $1155

Atlanta Memorial Park master plan revealed

By Collin Kelley INtown Editor

The master plan for major renovations and upgrades to Atlanta Memorial Park, which encompasses the Bobby Jones Golf Course and Bitsy Grant Tennis Center, was recently revealed to the Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods.

Expected to take 10 years and cost from $10 to $15 million to complete, the most significant part of the master plan is an overhaul of Bobby Jones Golf Course.

Atlanta Memorial Park Conservancy Vice-President Marty Elgison said the course hadn’t been updated in more than 80 years. Elgison and Atlanta Memorial Park President Roxanne Giles Smith presented two plans for the golf course –an update of the current 18-hole course or a more controversial nine-hole course with a driving range. There would also be a new clubhouse.

“There’s an emotional feeling that the course should stay 18 holes,” Elgison said, “but there is also demand for a driving range, since the closest one is more than 10 miles away. Both camps have been very vocal about the design of the course, but it’s evenly split on whether it should become nine [holes] or remain 18.”

If the nine-hole course is chosen, it would be only one of a handful of “reversible courses” in the country, Elgison said. Golfers would play the first nine holes, then would turn around and play the course in reverse. The innovative design would allow for a different experience playing in each direction, he said. Elgison said demand for the driving range would also generate funding for the golf course.

At the Bitsy Grant Tennis Center, a below-grade parking deck would be installed, which would be invisible from

Northside Drive. The two-level space would have room for 400 cars and its rooftop would provide room for six additional tennis courts. The entrance to the park would also be moved closer to the tennis center and a traffic light installed for safer access.

On the opposite side of Northside Drive, where the playgrounds and passive green space is located, there’s also a plan to add more greenery, move play areas out of the floodplain and install new walking trails.

Smith said the Georgia Department of Transportation had announced accelerated plans to replace and raise the bridge over Peachtree Creek in the next three years. She said the conservancy had asked to be allowed to comment on the design and materials to be used for the bridge with the GDOT, but would not insert itself into how the new bridge will affect access to Woodward Way and Sagamore Drive.

Smith said the nonprofit Atlanta Memorial Park Conservancy would be going after state, federal and other municipal dollars to help implement the renovations, as well as seeking donations from individuals and foundations. She said a capital fundraising campaign will kick off this month.

For more about the conservancy, visit atlmemorialpark.org.

AMPC President Roxanne Giles Smith presents the master plan to the Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods.

Atlanta zoning ordinances to get first update since 1985

By Collin Kelley INtown Editor

Atlanta’s zoning ordinance laws are about to get a big overhaul, according to the city’s Commissioner of Planning and Community James E. Shelby.

Shelby told the Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods at its Jan. 9 meeting that the city’s zoning laws have not been updated since 1985.

“Our ordinances are so old that we can’t accommodate developers and it’s frustrating for them and our staff,” Shelby said. “We keep having to grant variances for projects, and that is a sign that the

zoning ordinances are broken.”

The task is so monumental that Shelby couldn’t name a date for its completion, but said initial work will begin this summer. The city plans to hire forensic experts to look at the current zonings, see how they compare to other cities of similar size and try to adopt best practices for the various categories.

Shelby said once the forensic study is complete another team will do the actual rewrite of the ordinance laws. He said there would be public engagement and hearings on the zoning overhaul after the initial study is complete.

YoBOULEVARD 2014

New year, new goals for Intown gateway

By Collin Kelley INtown Editor

More than 300 people braved last month’s frigid weather to pack Fort Street United Methodist Church for the 2014 launch of Year of Boulevard. The multi-year initiative’s goal is to improve public safety, quality of life, and access to opportunities for children, families, and seniors along the Boulevard corridor.

Dist. 2 City Councilman Kwanza Hall, who created Year of Boulevard, said the fact that so many residents and supporters turned out for the launch in the freezing cold “says a lot about the commitment of the people in this community.”

“It was amazing to see so many people there,” Hall said. “Just huge. But we’re not resting on our laurels; we’re moving forward.”

Some of those laurels include the opening of a new off-leash dog park at Renaissance Park, summer camps attended by more than 600 children from the Boulevard area, an adult summer camp for seniors, street cleanups, entrepreneurship events for teens and much more.

Hall said he was excited to see that the Boulevard community was “advocating for itself” and stepping up to make the neighborhood a better place to live.

Looking ahead, Hall said work will continue to get a new building for low-income seniors in the Bedford Pine complex along Boulevard, a new playground for Hope-Hill Elementary School, more cleanup days, summer camps and a new focus on “food security.”

“We’re looking at food education, workforce development, a farmers market and food training to end hunger,” Hall said. “Food insecurity is one of the issues of poverty.”

Above: District 2 City Councilman Kwanza Hall created Year of Boulevard to help revitalize the “main street” of Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood. Here he’s shown with Love Robinson of Operation P.E.A.C.E. and her brother at the 2014 Year of Boulevard kick-off event.

Left: Atlanta dance crew Remote Kontrol (you’ve seen them on So You Think You Can Dance, America’s Got Talent, Ellen and many more shows) performed at the YoBoulevard kick-off at Fort Street United Methodist Church last month.

Photos Courtesy of Year of Boulevard

Play

Making A Difference

Dual

By Clare S. Richie

Dana Spinola, owner and founder of the fab’rik clothing boutique franchise that offers “high style without attitude or sticker shock,” sees clothes as a catalyst to reach young women in need of encouragement or a second chance.

The fab’rik flagship store in Midtown was recently repurposed to a community boutique “to restore dignity, confidence and hope to young ladies who have lost theirs,” Spinola said.

This community boutique is the continuation of a journey that began in 2009 when Spinola and her friend, local TV news anchor Kim Fettig Bartlett, combined their passion for fashion, overflowing closets, and altruism by launching free shopping sprees for struggling teens.

“We put out a call for donations and 500 bags showed up,” Spinola said, noting that partners like Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta helped put them in touch with teens in need.

At the sprees, volunteers sorted clothes, set up the store, and helped each teen pick out a special outfit. “Shopping with dignity made the girls feel valued,” according to free fab’rik manager Rachel Large.

In addition, the sprees demonstrated the abundance of donations, volunteers, and girls in needed a helping hand.

By the summer of 2013, the faith-based nonprofit was ready to expand from in-store shopping sprees to a community boutique. free fab’rik is now open to the public with most merchandise priced from $2 to $20. Profits fund monthly sprees and a new six-month vocational training and mentorship program for women searching for a hand up.

The City of Refuge referred the first four participant stylists,

The City of Refuge recommended that Chosen and LaSae become stylists at free fab’rik to help them learn a trade, life skills and help young women restore their dignity and confidence.

Chosen and LaSae. Over a six-month period, free fab’rik will teach them retail job skills and provide mentors to foster personal, professional and spiritual growth. Once these women complete the paid training program this spring, they will have a job reference and assistance in finding a permanent position.

Chosen is grateful for the opportunity. “I can learn from here. I was down before. This is a step.” She likes learning skills that she can apply to her own life. As Chosen learns how to track store expenses, she can apply those life skills to managing her own money and career.

LaSae has a sweet way with customers and enjoys helping them pick out their clothes. Thanks to free fab’rik, her message to other struggling women is “Don’t give up. Stay strong. Keep looking forward. You are valuable. You have support. You can work toward a safe home and a job that you will love.”

free fab’rik is located at 1114 West Peachtree St. in Midtown. Visit freefabrik.org to volunteer, drop off your donations, shop with aid of a stylist, or make a gift.

The Atlanta Board of Education voted unanimously to elect Courtney D. English as its new board chair and Nancy M. Meister as vice chair, each of whom will serve in their leadership position for two years. The elections were held last month during the first board meeting of the year, where six new members and three returning members were sworn into office (pictured) to serve four-year terms. The new and returning members of the Atlanta Board of Education are Leslie Grant, District 1; Byron D. Amos, District 2; Matt Westmoreland, District 3; Nancy M. Meister, Vice Chair, District 4; Steven Lee, District 5; Eshé P. Collins, District 6; Courtney D. English, Chair, At-Large Seat 7, Districts 1 and 2; Cynthia Briscoe Brown, At-Large Seat 8, Districts 3 and 4; Jason F. Esteves, At-Large Seat 9, Districts 5 and 6. For more information about the board, visit atlantapublicschools.us.

The students, staff and families from Primrose School of Midtown at Colony Square raised $6,365 for the Primrose Children’s Foundation. The money will be used to support Reach Out and Read, Save the Children and other organizations that serve children and families.

e First Tee of Atlanta, in partnership with Georgia Power, has announced that elementary school students in 18 Atlanta Public Schools will begin receiving The First Tee National School Program as part of physical education instruction. The program integrates character education and health lessons along with basic golf instruction. For more, visit thefirstteeatlanta.org.

The DeKalb History Center is offering new programs for schools. School tours are currently being offered and can accommodate 60 students. Students of Georgia or Early U.S. History tour Decatur’s oldest home, the Benjamin Swanton House (circa 1825), and two original pioneer log cabins. They learn about early businesses in the area and what life was like in the mid-nineteenth century from actors portraying people from DeKalb’s history. Students conduct interviews with these historic figures, photograph them, and then return to school to write an article about them. For information, visit dekalbhistory.org.

Welcome to Haygood Preschool where we focus on providing programs to assist and guide children through the many facets of development, including mental, emotional, social and physical growth. Haygood’s developmental philosophy of learning, guides our curriculum and classroom activities.

Children are encouraged through our experiential curriculum to learn through actively engaging in hands-on activities, guided instruction and exploration of the world around them. Skills such as:

• Gross and Fine Motor skills

• Self-Expression/Self-Control

• Positive relationships with their peers and teachers

• Language and Literacy

• Mathematical reasoning and logical thinking

• Early Scientific Inquiry are fostered and deepened in a warm and nurturing environment.

Enrollment for the Fall 2014 is well on its way and we look forward to welcoming all returning and new Haygood students and families. Haygood Preschool offers half-day programs for children aged 15 months to 5 years.

Please take a look at our website at: www.haygoodwcm.org for more details about the dynamic programs we offer.

If you would like to come for a tour, please email: psadmissions@haygoodwcm.org and we will be happy to schedule one for you!

By Tim Sullivan

Eating like a caveman for better health

In last month’s column I expressed a desire (need) to give 2014 a healthy kick-start and well, things must have been dire. As I write this, Kristen and I are on day 15 of a 28-day Paleo Food Challenge designed by the good folks at Fitwit (Fitwit.com). Processed food being something of a devil, the Paleo diet aims to eat what cavemen ate. Meat, fish, chicken, eggs, vegetables, fruit and some nuts are ok. Added sugar, dairy, grain, white starches, legumes and alcohol are forbidden. And since I’ve been asked, yes, wine is indeed considered a form of alcohol.

At first, I suffered a surge of skepticism. We can have fruit but fruit juice is banned? Regular potato = bad. Sweet potato = good? And why no legumes? Did cavemen frown upon the bean? I’m partial to the peanut because it is delicious, but turns out it is actually a legume with a terribly misleading name. Boo!

Our usual eating habits were in need of a makeover though and friends of ours have raved about the results the Paleo diet has brought about. Parenthood

has trimmed our exercise time down considerably but perhaps dietary changes can make up for some of that. It is said that fitness is 20 percent exercise and 80 percent diet, so for 28 days we committed to follow the rules.

Staying Paleo compliant is difficult just from a shopping perspective. We’ve been scanning labels to make sure there aren’t nitrates or nefarious sounding additives like “guar gum” because they are in just about everything. I think I saw a carton of iodized salt where the secondary ingredient was sugar. Still, Kristen has stirred up a circus of kitchen activity to keep ahead of the game to avoid a food freakout and I’ve been a beneficiary. We’ve bought more squash varieties than I knew existed and have snacked on things like dried plantains and kale chips.

The real mental gymnastics come with not taking a bite out of the kids’ half eaten peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and not licking the spoon after doling out a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I made Margo waffles with “lots of syr-ee-up,” which was utterly painful and when

grain is out of bounds and you have not had any grain in two weeks, just don’t go sniffing a box of Wheat Thins. You’ll regret it.

I was ornery in the early going. Then there were a couple of sleepy days and brain cloud moments where I’d walk into a room and forget what I went in there for, probably a few raisins. All normal I’m told. Black coffee with a smidge of Stevia (permitted) instead of my usual skim milk and sugar was really weird at first but now I’m walking around like I’m Stevia Steve. Still, this current phase of the challenge is feeling a bit purgatorial. I am seeing positive results in my body and my workouts, but I can’t seem to shake Bagel Palace from my Bagel Palace. I mean brain.

The final leg of the journey is supposed to pump tiger blood through my veins where I will feel more awesome than Roberto Benigni at Six Flags. We’ll see how it shakes out, but I already know that I will benefit from what I’ve learned this month both about food and myself. As you read this, the challenge will be over and, hopefully, I will be pondering success down at Avellinos over a Quattro Formaggio pizza and a full bodied IPA, signing copies of my before and after pictures. For now, I gingerly sip my La Croix from a wine glass, like any proper caveman would.

Tim Sullivan grew up in a large family in the Northeast and now lives with his small family in Oakhurst. He can be reached at tim@sullivanfinerugs.com.

Jenn Purdy (with hand on chin) is the resident Paleo diet/nutrition expert at FitWit, who leads 150 participants in the challenge. The photo was taken at a potluck supper of Paleo compliant meals.

Health Briefs

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia commemorated and reaffirmed their pledge to Grady Health Foundation (pictured) with a check for $250,000 in support of Grady Health System’s 2014 initiatives including a Women’s and Infants’ Center. “Thanks to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia’s generous gift, we can further support the new plan for redesigning the Women’s and Infants’ center as one of the top priorities for Grady,” said Renay Blumenthal, President of Grady Health Foundation.

Hydro-clinic (hydro-clinic.com) is now open at 3872 Roswell Road, A-3 in Buckhead. Hydro-clinic offers hydration therapy to provide immediate relief from fatigue, overexertion, hangovers, jet lag, flu, flu-like symptoms and dehydration. The minimally-invasive, pain-free procedures intravenously deliver fluids, medications and vitamins directly into the bloodstream. The IV fluid treatments are based on each patient’s specific symptoms and administered by experienced, board-certified medical personnel in a comfortable, sterile, upscale, spa-like atmosphere.

Atlanta Medical Center Urgent Care is now open at 3979 Buford Highway at Clairmont Road. The walk-in clinic is for the treatment of minor illnesses and injuries. No appointments are necessary, and the center will be open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

CrossFit O4W (crossfito4w.com) opened in the Old Fourth Ward last month at 828 Ralph McGill Blvd. with a fitness expo attended by hundreds of residents. CrossFit offers weights, cardiovascular training, gymnastics, and even a women’s self-defense course.

From left to right: John Haupert, Grady CEO; Renay Blumenthal, GHF President; Janice Hutchings, BCBSGA Foundation; and Morgan Kendrick, President of BCBSGA.

From left, Corshonta Wooden, CrossFit O4W owner Justin Redd and Tia Stewart at the grand opening.

Ezra is the last of a litter of five, and he has been at the shelter for over a year. He can be shy with new people, but he is a hoot once he gets comfortable. He races around like a whippet when he is outside and lounges around on his dog bed when he comes inside. He loves a good snuggle and will warm the heart of anyone who gives him a second look. Ezra is 1.5 years old and 18 pounds. To adopt Ezra or any of the other cats and dogs available, visit pawsatlanta.org or stop by the shelter at 5287 Covington Highway in Decatur.

Want a preview of the hottest spring fashions? What about a preview of some adorable soonto-be-available-for-adoption doggies? The Atlanta Humane Society will host the Haute Hounds and Couture Cats fashion show and luncheon at Saks 5th Avenue on Feb. 10 from noon to 2 p.m. Celebrity models sporting a variety of designers, including Michael Kors, DVF and Helmut Lang, pair up with a rescue puppy of their choice while guests sip champagne and enjoy a catered lunch. The event also features a silent auction and pop-up accessory stores. Guests will leave with a fully-stocked gift bag and possibly a new puppy. For tickets and information, visit atlantahumane.org.

Meet Atlanta author Sarah Segal on Feb. 15 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Westin Buckhead as she signs and talks about her book With is Paw: e Ultimutt Guide to Planning Pet Weddings. The event is free and open to the public. For more about the book, visit withthispaw.com.

Sarah Segal

Public Safety Briefs

Family members and the Atlanta Police Department have unveiled the first in a series of billboards around East Atlanta and Decatur to elicit more clues and information about the murder of Patrick Cotrona. The first billboard is located on Candler Road. On May 25, 2013, Cotrona and two friends who were robbed at gun point on May Avenue near Flat Shoals Avenue in East Atlanta. Cotrona was shot and killed, but the murder remains unsolved. Crime Stoppers is offering a $25,000 reward for information regarding the crime by calling (404) 577-TIPS.

The Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety has given a $67,000 grant to Pedestrians Educating Drivers on Safety (PEDS). The grant supports the three E’s of pedestrian safety: education, enforcement and engineering. PEDS will use these funds to provide technical assistance to government agencies, nonprofit organizations and others on pedestrian needs and solutions; increase driver compliance with speed limits and crosswalk laws; promote increased funding for sidewalks and safe crossings; increase awareness of policies and practices that promote pedestrian safety; improve government agencies’ responsiveness to pedestrian hazards; and promote installation of safe crossings on transit routes. For more about PEDS, visit peds.org.

The Fulton County Police Department promoted five officers to higher ranks in a recent pinning ceremony conducted by Chief Cassandra Jones. The officers promoted included Adrian Massey and Wesley Spivey to sergeant, Terry Bryant and Kendra Lattimore to corporal, K. ompson to detective and K.D. Stephens to detective II.

Police Chief George Turner has transferred Atlanta Police Department majors to new posts. The changes come amid retirements and the effort to keep fresh eyes on crime. Maj. Barbara Cavender will be the new commander over the Special Enforcement Section. Maj. Elder Dancy will be over the corporate services section. Maj. Jeffery Glazier will be the new commander over Zone 3. Maj. Reginald Mitchell will be in command of the special operations section. Maj. Randell Robinson will be the new commander over major crimes. Maj. Darryl Tolleson will be the new commander over the training academy.

A LOOK BACK

This Month in History

Feb. 1, 1911: William Baxter Matthews’ compilation of facts in the recent The Negro Business Directory and Commercial Guide of Atlanta surprised many Atlanta readers. The Atlanta Georgian credited the Gate City School principal for his thorough listing of 100 business categories at 2,000 separate locations, managed by African Americans. In 1890, Matthews graduated from Atlanta University and from 1902 to 1929 served as a trustee. His Atlanta affiliations included membership in the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the Negro Young People’s Christian and Educational Congress. He and his wife, Ophelia Beale, were Fourth Ward residents living at 147 Howell Street. Today William Baxter Matthews’ historical papers are housed in the Atlanta University Center’s Robert W. Woodruff Library, Archives Research Center.

Feb. 6. 1985: Spelman College welcomed Shirley Chisholm as a visiting professor for the spring semester. The Democratic trailblazer was the first African American woman elected to the U.S. Congress. During her seven terms in the House of Representatives from New York, 1969 to 1982, the bilingual

outspoken champion of women and minorities was a staunch critic of the Vietnam War. Her two published works are Unbought and Unbossed, an autobiography, and The Good Fight, about her bid for the U.S. presidency in 1972; she was the first African-American to seek a major party’s nomination. She died in Jan.1, 2005.

Feb. 6, 1916: omas Robert Egleston, Jr. a Charleston native, died at his elegant home at 759 Peachtree Street on the northeast corner of Eighth Street. Although Egleston he never married, he helped father two great Atlanta institutions: All Saints’ Church and The Henrietta Egleston Hospital for Children. He made his fortune as one of the nation’s top fire insurance men and

showed remarkable genius for finance. By the time he was 27-years-old he was a charter member of Capital City Club. At his death, he would be a director of the Lowry National Bank, Trust Company of Georgia, Atlantic Ice and Coal Company, Georgia Railway and Power Company, and president of what later became Southeastern Underwriters Association. In his will he bequeathed money to purchase land and to build and equip a 50-bed hospital for children to be named after his mother, Henrietta Egleston Hospital, which opened in 1928. In 1998, Egleston Children’s Health Care System and the Scottish Rite Children’s Medical Center merged to form the not-for-profit pediatric hospital Children’s’ Healthcare of Atlanta.

Feb. 22, 1892: Atlantans got their first look at the “Battle of Atlanta” inside a towering drum-shaped building on the north side of Edgewood Avenue between Courtland and Piedmont avenues. The Cyclorama is now housed at Grant Park.

Feb. 29, 1940: Academy Award nominee Hattie McDaniel received the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Mammy in the 1939 film Gone With the Wind. She was the first African American actor ever recognized with this honor.

Feb. 29, 1940: Screenwriter Lamar Je erson Trotti (1900-1952), an Atlanta native, received an Academy Award nomination in the category of Best Writing/Original Story for Young Mr. Lincoln (1939). The film, produced by Darryl F. Zanuck and directed by John Ford, starred Henry Fonda in the highly fictionalized account of the president’s early life. In 2003, Young Mr. Lincoln was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Ann Taylor Boutwell is an Atlanta historian, tour guide and docent at the Margaret Mitchell House & Museum. Email her at annboutwell@bellsouth.net.

Dr. Summers is a family medicine practitioner and her office sees children and adults. She has extended hours for flu shots and walk-ins (7:15-8:15 a.m. on Tuesday)

New Hours:

Monday & Wednesday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Tuesday 7:15 a.m.-5 p.m.

Thursday 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Friday 8 a.m.-12 p.m.

Most

Location:

Special

The city of Atlanta will install 57 bike stations in various locations this summer, offering more than 500 bicycles for locals and tourists to rent. The bikes at left are part of a similar program in London.

Eco Briefs

The Olmsted Linear Park Alliance’s Dream In Green Gala will be held Feb. 16 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History. There will be a dinner buffet, music, dancing, performances, live and silent auctions and more. This year’s event will also have an Italian them with accompanying cuisine and decorations. The event raises money for the upkeep of the historic parks along Ponce de Leon Avenue. For tickets and information, visit atlantaolmstedpark.org.

Bike share program coming to Atlanta

Atlanta will soon join list of worldwide cities that have a bike share program. Popular in New York, London and Paris, bikes for public use are parked at various locations around those cities and can be rented for short trips by the locals or for use by tourists. Atlanta Commissioner of Planning and Community James E. Shelby told the Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods

earlier this month that the city would issue a contract this summer to install 57 stations around the city with more than 500 bikes available for rent. Advertising on the bikes will offset the cost of the program and tracking devices will be installed so the bikes don’t go missing, Shelby said.

– Collin Kelley

Mark your calendar for the Greenprints Conference 2014 on March 12-13. Now in its 17th year, Greenprints is a gathering of more than 200 national thought leaders in sustainable design, construction and communities. The event will be held at Georgia Tech Research Institute Conference Center. For more information, visit greenprints.org.

IKEA at Atlantic Station has installed four Blink electric vehicle charging stations as part of its partnership with Car Charging Group. To charge an EV at IKEA Atlanta, drivers pull into a designated parking spot, tap their Blink InCard to the reader below the screen, plug the charger into the EV, and then shop and eat at their leisure in the IKEA store while the vehicle is charging.

The Zeist Foundation, an Atlantabased family foundation that addresses the needs of at-risk children and families through education, arts and culture and health and human services, is partnering with the Wylde Center on the next phase of development of the Edgewood Community Learning Garden (ECLG) in East Atlanta’s Edgewood neighborhood.

The partners have announced ECLG’s first-ever brick dedication project to raise funds for the public greenspace. Individuals, families, businesses and foundations will have the opportunity to purchase one or more bricks through March 31 and inscribe a name or names on the brick. The engraved bricks will be used to create the main walkway leading from the entrance to the outdoor classroom pergola. Donors may select from three sizes and costs: $25 for a 4 x 8” brick, $50 for an 8 x 8” brick and $75 for a 12 x 12” brick, and may be ordered at wyldecenter.org.

“When the Edgewood Community

Inscribed bricks will support community garden

Learning Garden was created in June 2009, we had high hopes that it would become a safe and joyful learning environment for kids and families in Edgewood, and it has exceeded our expectations. However, this new redesign that the Wylde Center is managing promises to make the Learning Garden a beautiful sanctuary for Edgewood residents, Atlanta Public School students and neighborhood visitors for years to come,” said Brad Foster, Zeist Foundation board member.

In 2012, ECLG, located at 1503 Hardee Street, Atlanta, 30307, became a managed site by the Wylde Center, an Atlanta non-profit organization dedicated to cultivating vibrant greenspaces and inspiring communities of environmental stewards. The 3/4-acre education garden is open daily to the public during daylight hours, and includes a chicken coop, 11 raised vegetable beds, a 1,700-gallon rain harvesting cistern and a composting site. The brick dedication program will support

the efforts of the Wylde Center and the Zeist Foundation to expand the garden’s environmental and educational offerings. In addition to the brick walkway and teaching pergola, plans include increased square footage for fruit and vegetable production, a larger chicken coop, bees, a butterfly garden and a tree house.

“We are excited about renovating our outdoor classroom area to make it more functional, productive, and safe for the community and our education programs, said Monica Ponce, ECLG manager. “The dedication brick walkway will add an interesting feature to the garden, and the roster of names inscribed hopefully will honor loved ones, community members, partners, volunteers, and others. The plantlined walkway will start at the garden’s entrance and end at the pergola/ outdoor classroom. We hope our supporters will be excited to have the opportunity to contribute one or more bricks and will visit often to see ‘their’ section of the walkway.”

Special Edgewood Community Learning Garden manager Monica Ponce shows off one of the bricks.

By Melissa Weinman

Tucked away in a brick warehouse in Cabbagetown is something you don’t see much anymore: a small, family-owned factory.

With around 25 employees, Colgate Mattress produces some of the most popular baby mattresses in the country.

“We’re one on the few manufacturers left in the city,” said Dennis Wolkin, national sales manager for the company.

Wolkin is the third generation of his family to work at Colgate. His grandfather started the business when he moved to Atlanta after returning from World War II.

“There was a lack of quality baby mattresses and he said, I can build better ones,” Wolkin said of his grandfather.

Aside from size, the main difference between adult mattresses and crib mattresses is the firmness, Wolkin explained.

“Babies need a lot more support and firmness. Their bones are growing and developing, they need the support,” Wolkin said.

He said Colgate is still a tight-knit family business. He works with his father, brother, and uncle. And he praised the company’s loyal employees as an extension of the Wolkin family.

“The average employee has been here well over a decade, which for a manufacturing facility is very high,” Wolkin said. “I like the people. I like working with family. The people in the office I’ve known all my life. They’re like family.”

Most products are now manufactured overseas in places like China where labor is cheap. But Wolkin said his family hasn’t

considered moving their production elsewhere.

“We’ve always been interested in staying in the U.S. We know it would be a lot cheaper to do it overseas,” Wolkin said. “But we know there’s enough consumers interested in a quality product made to our exacting standards.”

Plus, he said, it would mean laying off their long-time employees.

“We have to live with ourselves and look in the mirror,” Wolkin said. “These people have known me since I was a kid. These folks are very good at their job. They take pride in their job, in their work.”

During a tour of the factory, a man wearing a baseball cap with “Atlanta” printed on the front inspected fabric coming out of an embroidery machine stitching the patterns onto a mattress cover. Wolkin said they aren’t afraid to scrap something if it doesn’t look just right.

One of their most high-profile fans is Martha Stewart, who bought a Colgate mattress for her grandchild, Wolkin said. She later featured a Colgate mattress on an episode of the Martha Stewart Show focusing on nurseries.

Kelly Nelson, manager of New Baby Products on Cheshire Bridge Road, said her store carries Colgate crib mattresses exclusively, “not only because they’re

local, but because of the quality of the product and the integrity with which they do business.”

“They are the industry leaders for crib mattresses,” Nelson said. “They’re always in the top-rated mattresses and have been for decades.”

Nelson said she also appreciates the environmental aspect of selling a product that is made locally and doesn’t have to be shipped in.

Wolkin said they’ve found themselves in a now-trendy area of town. But when they moved their operations from Ponce de Leon Avenue to their current Fulton Terrace address in the early 90s, the neighborhood was a lot different. He said the Atlanta Police Department used to use the roof of their building to monitor crime in the surrounding neighborhoods.

But Wolkin said they’ve always maintained a good relationship with Cabbagetown, even when the neighborhood wasn’t so good.

He said his uncle hired a lot of local people, especially young people, to work

in the factory. They provided jobs, and in turn, they were able to avoid becoming victims of the crime that plagued the area at the time, Wolkin said.

Wolkin said his family saw potential in the neighborhood as well as a couple of other logistical advantages: easy access to MARTA and interstate highways.

“We liked that it was residential and it was close to downtown and close to major highways because we ship all over the country,” Wolkin said.

Though they are an old company, Colgate has done a lot to stay relevant. Wolkin said because they are a small company, they are able to adapt to changing demands quickly.

For example, they now make an oval shaped mattress for the Stokke crib, a European brand popular with people living in smaller spaces. They also make a crib mattress with an organic cotton cover.

“People are concerned about chemicals in mattresses,” Wolkin said. “We give people an option.”

Courtesy Colgate Mattress Workers at the factory in Cabbagetown have been turning out custom-made Colgate Mattresses since just after World War II.

Buckhead Atlanta CEO updates work on project

By Melissa Weinman

For the first time in three years, OliverMcMillan CEO Dene Oliver came to Atlanta to talk about the progress of his company’s behemoth redevelopment project known as Buckhead Atlanta.

At the Buckhead Business Association’s annual luncheon Jan. 16, Oliver told members of Buckhead’s business community that his California-based company plans to invest $10 million into the streets, sidewalks and landscaping around Buckhead Atlanta. Oliver was also on hand for a “topping out” ceremony on Jan. 17 as beam was lifted to the top of one of the towers on the site.

“The way we connect with people in an urban environment is on the streets and sidewalks,” Oliver said.

He said the experience of peoplewatching from a sidewalk cafe or walking between shops under shady trees is part of the experience he envisions. Oliver said the company is investing in 90 to 120 inch trees and granite curbs to provide a nice outdoor experience.

“Life on the streets and sidewalks is what will be so important here,” Oliver said.

He said the development will be built using quality materials, like stone instead of plaster, to give it the feel of an established area.

“It’s great design that doesn’t look like it’s all been done by the same person at the same time,” Oliver said. “We’re looking at bringing something to you that feels like it could have been there a while.”

Oliver said it was symbolic to see the cranes that have been looming over Peachtree Road for years begin working again in 2012.

“People have said, ‘you’ve been sort of quiet.’ We felt our actions were more important than our words,” Oliver said. “With the cranes being such a visual component, it was pretty hard to fake it. There isn’t a lot to say until you make them move.”

OliverMcMillan acquired the property after the original development plan, then known as the Streets of Buckhead, stalled in 2009 due to the recession. Construction is now in full swing. When Oliver visited the property Jan. 15, he said there were 825 people working.

When complete, Buckhead Atlanta will include 1.5 million square feet of shops, restaurants, offices and

luxury apartments on eight acres covering six city blocks near the intersection of Peachtree and East Paces Ferry roads.

Oliver said including the $350 million invested in the project before OliverMcMillan acquired it, Buckhead Atlanta is expected to cost a total of $1 billion.

A few Buckhead Atlanta tenants have been announced, including several restaurants and the headquarters for Atlantabased undergarment maker Spanx. But Oliver said he prefers to keep the majority of the future tenants a surprise.

“We are bringing a lot of people that are not already here in the [Atlanta] market,”Oliver said.

He explained some of the reasons behind renaming the project “Buckhead Atlanta,” a name he admitted was largely panned by the press. He said including Atlanta in the name was important for the European market, which isn’t necessarily familiar with the Buckhead area.

“Buckhead is the identity. The city is Atlanta,” Oliver said. “It was a far more inclusive name.”

He recognized the original developer, Ben Carter Properties, whom he described as a victim of poor timing.

“[Buckhead Atlanta] would not have happened had there not been some great vision by the Buckhead community and Ben Carter Properties,” Oliver said. “The vision, the tenacity to assemble that property and come forward with a vision was courageous.”

The first shops, restaurants and apartments are scheduled to open in July. Buckhead Atlanta is expected to be complete by the spring of 2015.

Buckhead Coalition President Sam Massell, Mayor Kasim Reed and Oliver McMillan CEO Dene Oliver sign a beam hoisted at Atlanta Buckhead during a topping out ceremony.

Business Briefs

Central Atlanta

Progress is seeking proposals from local businesses, entrepreneurs, start-ups, and artists to open pop up shops at vacant storefronts along the Atlanta Streetcar route. The Pop Up Retail Event will run April 1 through July 31 and will be coupled with promotion and events surrounding the streetcar route opening. Central Atlanta Progress will grant up to $500 per each approved Pop Up retailer for start-up and space improvement costs. Funds may be used to finance minor improvements to interior or exterior space, per landlord/owner approval. Space will be provided rent-free for a period of up to three months; the retailer will be responsible for insurance and utility costs, as well as securing a business license. Applications are being accepted now through Feb. 28. For more information and to download an application, visit atlantadowntown.com/ business/pop-up-retail.

Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP has chosen Kate’s Club, an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower children and teens facing life after the death of a parent or sibling, as its annual partner for 2014. MMMPact, the company’s social responsibility outreach, selects one area organization per year as its annual partner. This year’s partnership will ensure that MMM and Kate’s Club work closely together throughout the year to create multiple sponsorship and volunteer opportunities within the firm, as well as to raise awareness and funds for Kate’s Club. The partnership also signifies that all proceeds from MMM’s annual fundraising event in the summer go to Kate’s Club.

Buckhead’s Lindbergh City Center has secured a $24.5 million loan for an expansion project, according to a report in the Atlanta Business Chronicle. The money will go toward the construction of two additional buildings on the Piedmont Road site, one of which will be a 1,800-square-foot Dunkin’ Donuts.

The Atlanta City Council has passed an ordinance to increase the freeport exemption for manufacturers and distributors to 100 percent. The inventory tax exemption increase will remove the tax for certain classes of goods destined for shipment outside of the state, equaling exemptions in surrounding counties and cities. Manufacturing firms generate nearly $6 billion in sales each year, accounting for more than 10 percent of all sales in the city of Atlanta.

After almost 93 years, Loehmann’s (loehmanns.com) is closing all 39 of its remaining clothing department stores around the country, including two in Atlanta. Liquidation sales are underway at 2480 Briarcliff Road and at 120 Perimeter Center Place. Only cash and major credit cards will be accepted. Gift cards can be redeemed through Feb. 7.

Comedian and owner of Atlanta’s Laughing Skull Lounge, Marshall Chiles, is launching Green Room, etc (greenroometc.com), a “funny business” that utilizes professional comedians to integrate humor into business events, videos and presentations. “Comedy is the best way to maintain someone’s attention,” says Chiles. “The root word of emotion is motion. In order to move people, you need to connect with them emotionally. We provide a service that helps you increase those connections and engagement by adding more humor in your presentation.”

Atlanta Decorative Arts Center (ADAC) in Peachtree Hills has announced that Ainsworth-Noah (ainsworth-noah.com) will expand to 6,500 square feet in February, making it the largest showroom not only at the center, but in the southeast. AinsworthNoah will welcome new lines from Osborne & Little, the high-end British fabric and wallpaper design group, as well as Zimmer Rohde and Dessin Fournir.

Children’s clothing manufacturer Carter’s, Inc. (carters.com) has opened its new corporate headquarters at Phipps Tower in Buckhead. The move is part of a consolidation of operations to metro Atlanta, where the company currently employs more than 1,700 people. In addition to moving into the new 275,000 square foot LEED certified space and consolidating operations, Carter’s will add nearly 200 jobs to its Atlanta workforce. The company made a $30 million capital investment to complete the relocation.

Westside Modern (westsidemodernatlanta. com), a mid-century modern furniture showroom, has opened 876 Huff Road in Atlanta’s Design District. Furniture from American designers will be found among the works of Percival Lafer of Brazil, antique Khotan rugs from Turkistan, and contemporary designers like Patricia Urquiola. The offerings at Westside Modern will change frequently, with different furnishings arriving directly from Denmark.

MOCK, the agency (mocktheagency.com), an advertising, graphic and digital design company based in Atlanta, purchased two buildings on 14th Street, in Atlanta’s Westside district. The first building will become MOCK’s new office, and the other is available for lease. The two buildings, at 247 14th St. and 253 14th St., are both 2,500 square feet. MOCK has worked with architect Jordan Williams of Plexus R+D, and both buildings are currently under renovation.

The former Holiday Inn Atlanta Capitol Conference Center Hotel has become Hotel Capitol Park (hotelcapitolpark.com) and is no longer part of the Holiday Inn brand of hotels. Located at 450 Capitol Ave. in Downtown, Hotel Capitol Park offers guests close proximity to the city’s tourist attraction, restaurants, nightlife, and sporting venues as well as access to the State Capitol and major trade and conference centers.

MUSIC MATTERS

Georgia State’s Album 88 keeps it quirky and cool

By Annie Kinnett Nichols

I’ve been over the moon in love with Atlanta’s college radio scene since high school. I tune into Georgia Tech’s WREK and WCLK at Clark Atlanta University often, but it’s Georgia State University’s WRAS 88.5 – known far and wide as Album 88 – that I come back to again and again.

I’ve lived in Chicago, New York, New Orleans, worked in Los Angeles and traveled the world, but I’ve never found any radio station that can hold a candle to the quirky, edgy, freshly-minted, underground music that the DJs play on Album 88.

Album 88’s place in music history is not in question. The station was the first to play the Go-Go’s, Sade, Run DMC, Men at Work, Outkast and Indigo Girls. Bob Geldof of the Boomtown Rats wrote the hit, “I Don’t Like Mondays” in the WRAS studio after reading about a schoolyard shooting while waiting to go on air. And that’s just some of the highlights.

Even when I was a college student in New Orleans, I remember driving home to Atlanta and always being excited when my radio picked up the signal. I went to Georgia State for a semester or two and I always wanted to be a DJ. I used to go down to the studio and press my nose against the glass and watch the DJs at work, but I never had the nerve to enter the hallowed halls of Album 88.

So it was a big thrill to finally visit the inside of the studio, located in the student center on Courtland Street in Downtown. I was afraid the DJs would be all music snobby and awful, but instead I found of a bunch of students working on computers, talking about music, playing music I’d never heard and generally having a blast.

I was like a kid in the candy shop when Album 88 staffer Katie Iacino gave me a tour of the vinyl vault, the DJ’s booth with a huge disco ball twirling above and stacks and stacks of CDs. On the walls were cool posters and graffiti of musicians and DJs that have passed through the studio alongside gold and platinum records from artists that sent them as thank you’s for playing their music before anyone else.

On the air since 1971, Album 88 has separated itself from the pack by being a noncommercial, volunteer, all student-run station from its inception. More than 50 students run the station until they graduate or leave GSU. The first DJ was Richard Belcher, who went onto WSB-TV. Operations manager Jeff Walker has been involved with the station since his student DJ days starting in 1979. During his tenure, Walker advocated for a stronger signal (100,000 watts), upgraded facilities and got Billboard to start publishing Album 88’s playlist – one of the first noncommercial stations to be tracked by the magazine.

Walker didn’t want his name in this article because he firmly believes “the kids are the heroes,” but the students themselves think he’s a huge part of why the station is what it is today. Walker says, “The students and the music make Album 88 one of the nations most progressive FM & digital radio sites out there.”

Talking to Iacino, I learned that they feel the same way I do about Album 88. “One of the hardest things to deal with on Album 88 is when student DJs leave the station. It’s so final,” she said. “It’s hard on the DJ themselves and it’s hard on the audience, too, because they miss the voices and personalities of their favorite DJs.”

But it’s this regular change that has kept the station fresh and innovative. The students that work at Album 88 get training by shadowing current DJs and many hours on the overnight “graveyard” shift. Iacino said “those late nights and early mornings separate the wannabes from the real audiophiles who have an ear for music and breaking new artists.”

The new DJs create their own rotation or pick up one that has been previously established and proven popular like, ‘Mighty Aphrodite’ on Thursday nights and ‘Soul Kitchen’ on Friday nights. Some shows come and go depending on DJ interest. My daughter’s favorite use to be the Saturday morning show, “Music for the Prepubescent,” that featured kids cartoon songs. Album 88 has also picked up a few nationally syndicated shows like, ‘Big Band Jump’ from L.A. and ‘The Commonwealth Club’ from San Francisco. The station’s own “Melodically

Challenged” has been syndicated to other stations around the country. All these years later, I still want to be an Album 88 DJ and I call WRAS once a week – at least – to ask about a song or artist and also to

just thank them for their fantastic sets. Radio stations come and go in Atlanta, their formats shifting like the wind. But Album 88’s mission continues to be “Left on the Dial. Right on the Music.”

Photos by Annie Kinnett Nichols Christal Toso-Corona, top photo, is one of Album 88’s regular djs. The radio station’s studio at Georgia State University is crammed with vintage vinyl, signed gold records from artists showing their love for Album 88 and plenty of band and record label stickers.

VALENTINE’S DAY IDEAS

By Collin Kelley INtown Editor

Stumped for ideas on where to take your spouse, partner or significant other on Valentine’s Day? We’ve compiled a list of ideas that takes some of the guesswork out of the most romantic date night of the year.

young love gone wrong. Fernbank (fernbankmuseum.org) is hosting a special Martinis & IMAX on Feb. 14 with live music, cocktails and the chance to see a movie on the city’s biggest screen. Films showing now are Journey to the South Pacific and Jerusalem

A Night at the Theater

Don’t Forget the Gift

Jewelry, flowers and candy are the traditional gifts for the day, but rather than running to the mall or the supermarket, try these local shops. Ten Thousand Villages (tenthousandvillages. com/Atlanta) at 1056 St. Charles Ave. in Virginia-Highland has some of the most unique gift ideas in the city. The fairtrade shop has gorgeous, inexpensive jewelry, bags, scarves, wall art and much more. Items in the shop are made by artisans and crafters all over the world. Retro favorite Greene’s Fine Foods (greenesfinefoods.com) at 141 E. Trinity Place in Decatur will make your sweet tooth throb with delight with its selection of candies and treats. For the flowers, drop by Candler Park Flowers (candlerparkflowers.com) at 1395 McLendon Ave. to find the perfect bouquet.

Dining Out

If taking your loved one to dinner is part of your special Valentine’s Day, Atlanta restaurants have got you covered. According to OpenTable.com, 80 restaurants are offering Valentine’s Day specials, including prix fixe menus with four courses and more. See the list we compiled in our News You Can Eat section on Page 34.

Now Showing

After dinner, a movie is another great date night option. Some of the films opening for Valentine’s Day include Winter’s Tale, about torn-apart lovers who meet again in another lifetime and Endless Love, a remake of the 80s tearjerker about

Keep it classy by taking your partner or spouse to a theatrical production, such as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at The Fox Theatre (foxtheatre.org) Feb. 13-16. On the boards at the Alliance Theatre (alliancetheatre. org) is the aptly titled In Love & Warcraft, about a relationships “expert” who uses strategies learned in videogames to help her clients. At Horizon Theatre (horizontheatre.com) in Little Five Points, the hilarious The Book Club Play continues and follows a group of book lovers whose secrets are revealed during the making of a documentary.

Romance Blooms

The Atlanta Botanical Garden (atlantabotanicalgarden.org) is hosting Valentines in the Garden on Feb. 14 from

7 to 11 p.m. with an evening of cocktails, dancing, desserts and live entertainment. Court in the candlelight and, of course, stop to smell the flowers. Admission is $35 per person.

Love & Marriage

Cupid at the Castle will return to Rhodes Hall in Midtown for Valentine’s Day from noon to 7 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 15, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Couples will be able to say “I do” during intimate 30-minute wedding ceremonies. The cost is $500 per ceremony and the proceeds benefit the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. Couples can opt to exchange vows under the home’s granite arches of the front porch overlooking Peachtree Street or in the Victorianstyle Reception Hall. To register, visit georgiatrust.org.

Photo by Phil Mosier Jenai Mayfield shops for jewelry at Ten Thousand Villages.

Atlanta Jewish Film Festival tickets selling out fast

By Collin Kelley INtown Editor

If you haven’t purchased tickets to the movies you want to see at this year’s Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, you might be out of luck. More than 10,000 tickets were sold the day they went on sale Jan. 5.

Festival executive director Kenny Blank encouraged festivalgoers to keep checking the website at AJFF.org for the release of more tickets and returns to sold out films. “If you check 24 to 48 hours before a screening, you might be able to snap one or two tickets up,” he said.

The only way to get into some of the more popular films is to show up at the venue the day of the screening and add your name to a waiting list. Luckily, there are so many films on offer that if you buy tickets now you’ll get to see something interesting.

With 65 films from 20 countries, it also makes the AJFF, which runs Jan. 29 through Feb. 20, the biggest film festival in the city and the second largest in the world. Nearly 32,000 attended screenings during last year’s festival.

“We have a very loyal and enthusiastic audience, and they stake out this event early on to make sure they get tickets,” Blank said. “We’re offering more screenings of the popular films and have secured larger auditoriums.”

To accommodate the crowds, the festival expanded to more venues around Atlanta, including the Cobb Energy Centre, UA Tara Cinema, GTC Merchants Walk, Regal North Point, Lefont Sandy Springs, Westside Cultural Arts Center, Regal Atlantic Station and the Woodruff Arts Center.

Some of the most anticipate films include 50 Children: The Rescue Mission of Mr. and Mrs. Kraus about a Philadelphia couple who saved children from the Nazi concentration camps;

The Baby, a documentary about a woman recalling forbidden memories of her past; Bethlehem, a cliffhanger about an Israeli intelligence agent and a conflicted Palestinian informant; Hunting Elephants, a bank heist caper; the documentary Mel Brooks: Make A Noise about the comedian and director; When Jews Were Funny, a documentary about cultural identity: a 25th anniversary screening of Driving Miss Daisy with a panel of local actors and experts; and Omar, a nominee for this year’s Best Foreign Film Academy Award, about a young Palestinian baker living under Israeli occupation.

The festivities kick off Jan. 29 with an Opening Night Gala at the Cobb Energy Centre, featuring a screening of the Polish drama Run Boy Run.

“Every year we strive to make the festival better for our audience,” Blank said. “Festivalgoers will have more opportunities to see the most sought after films than ever before. We want everyone to experience these meaningful and entertaining films that might not ever play in Atlanta otherwise.”

For a complete list of films, venues and to purchase tickets, visit AJFF.org.

Saturday, Feb. 15 8 p.m.

“the most inspired jazz guitarist living, a musician capable of structuring improvised solos as narratives, a composer of estimable lyricism and bountiful imagination”

The opening night film for this year’s Atlanta Jewish Film Festival will be the acclaimed Run Boy Run, about a young Polish boy surviving on his own after escaping from the Nazis.

A guide for arts and cultural entertainment for the entire family

Visual Arts

Whales: Giants of the Deep: Plunge into the mysterious world of whales at Fernbank’s newest exhibit. Meet two massive whale skeletons, climb through a replica of a whale heart the size of a VW Beetle, and more. Opens February 15. $16 to $18. fernbankmuseum.org

Gyun Hur: A System of Interiority: Gyun Hur, known for her silk flower floor installations, goes in a new aesthetic direction for this exhibit by using written word and light as a way to transform found objects and space. Closes February 15. Free. getthisgallery.com

Hidden Heroes: The Genius of Everyday Things: Paper clips, bubble wrap and pencils have revolutionized the way people live. MODA highlights the stories behind these and more than 30 other everyday objects. Opens February 23. $5 to $10. museumofdesign. org

A Gathering: Four artists look at four interpretations of bird imagery, from mythical notions to ominous tones, in this GSU Welch Gallery exhibit. Monday through Friday. Free. arts.gsu.edu

Abelardo Morell: The Universe Next Door: The High Museum of Art presents the first major retrospective of Morell’s photography in 15 years, celebrating his use of camera obscura by turning the gallery into a walk-through camera obscura. Tuesday through Sunday. $12 to $19.50. high.org

Hélène Berr: A Stolen Life: On loan to Alliance Française d’Atlanta from a French

BOOK OF MORMAN

ABELARDO MORELL CAMERA OBSCURA AT HIGH

WWII museum on Jewish history, this young French girl’s diary is an inside look at a German-occupied Paris on the eve of her deportation. Monday through Saturday. Free. afatl.com

Renée Stout: Tales of the Conjure Woman: Spelman College’s latest exhibit looks at artist Renée Stout’s unique approach to making sense of romance and society in today’s world – through her herbalist/fortuneteller alter ego, Fatima Mayfield. Tuesday through Saturday. $3. museum.spelman.edu

Sky Light: Landscapes Traditional and Contemporary: Pissarro and Corot landscapes from the 19th and 20th century meet large scale oils by emerging contemporary Southern artists in this

Oglethorpe exhibit. Tuesday through Sunday. $5. museum.oglethorpe.edu

Performing Arts

Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette: All the way from Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, the Southeast premiere of this show by the Atlanta Ballet at the Cobb Energy Centre redefines the classic love story of the two star-crossed lovers of Verona. February 7 through 15. $20 to $120. atlantaballet.com

Push Dance Company: Raissa Simpson’s dance company builds vibrant contemporary dances to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges attributed to mixed heritage. February 7 and 8. $25. ferstcenter.gatech.edu

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon: Fantasy meets Chinese folklore as a young girl sets off to find the secret of the Old Man of the Moon in this play based on the 2010 Newbery Honors book. February 7 through March 2. $10 to $40. synchrotheatre.com

Georgia Young Composer’s Festival Concert: One of four finalists will be named Georgia Young Composer of the Year by the end of this concert at Avondale Estates First Baptist Church, where the DeKalb Choral Guild will perform each of the finalists’ works. February 8. $5. dekalbchoralguild.org

Newport Jazz Festival: Now 60 featuring Anat Cohen: Celebrate the legacy of the Newport Jazz Festival with clarinetist Anat Cohen leading musicians in a concert of music spanning the ages — from Louis, Duke and Miles to Latin, Brazilian and fusion. February 8. $50. arts.emory.edu

The Book of Mormon: The nine-

HAHN WITH THE ASO

time Tony Award-winning show by the creators of “South Park” called “the best musical of this century” (The New York Times) makes its Fox Theatre premiere this month. Closes February 9. $40 to $145. broadwayinatlanta.com

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: This popular dance company returns as an Atlanta tradition with performances of new works and the classic “Revelations” at the Fox Theatre. February 13 through 16. $16.50 to $62. foxtheatre.org

Lauryn Hill: After topping the charts with the Fugees in the mid-‘90s, Lauryn Hill released a debut solo album that earned her five Grammys and a permanent place in American hip-hop. February 13. $55 to $75. tabernacleatl.com

Shakespeare’s R&J: Four young students break from the monotony of prep school upon discovering the Bard’s classic play and sink into a world consumed by the story. Opens February 13. $18 to $27. fabrefaction.org

Lovers and Heroes: Contralto Marijana Mijanovic joins New Trinity Baroque to perform 18th century works by Handel and Vivaldi at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church. Free pre-concert talk at 7 p.m. February 15. $9 to $39. newtrinitybaroque. org

Capitol Steps: The Steps put the “mock” in democracy and return to the Rialto to send up the many misgivings of the government’s past year with “Fiscal Shades of Gray.” February 22. $48.36 to $76.44. rialtocenter.org

Shrek the Musical: After running on Broadway for 12 months, the ogre Shrek comes to the Alliance Theatre for a family friendly one-act experience. Opens February 22. $20 to $35. alliancetheatre. org

In Love and Warcraft: The winning play of the 2014 Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Award finds one woman struggling to succeed with a relationship of her own despite her ability to mend others’ relationships and being one of the best “World of Warcraft” players in the world. Closes February 23. $25 to $33. alliancetheatre.org

Berry Good

A Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) student’s sculpture is now on display at the Hyatt Atlanta Midtown roundabout in front of the hotel. Chris Reynolds, 42, based his sculpture – which features five hollow cast concrete “berries” – on native Georgia juniper berries. Reynolds gave up his 20-year career as a professional carpenter in Fairbanks, Alaska and drove the 4,000-plus miles to Atlanta with his wife and three kids to get his master of fine arts from SCAD.

Great Expectations: This original grown-up production by puppeteer David Simpich, presents Simpich as Charles Dickens as he brings to life the colorful array of characters from the 1861 literary masterpiece. Opens February 25. $25. puppet.org

Jazz Roots: Georgia

On My Mind

- Celebrating Ray Charles: Celebrates Charles’ music with an all-star cast of award winning performers, including vocal group Take 6, Nnenna Freelon, Kirk Whalum, Shelly Berg, and Clark Atlanta University’s Big Band and Singers. February 26. $29 to $99. cobbenergycentre.com

Poetic License: Guest conductor Marc Piollet makes his ASO debut leading Mendelssohn’s “Hebrides” Overture, the Orchestra performs Tchaikovsky’s “Fifth Symphony,” and virtuoso violinist Hilary Hahn performs Nielsen’s rarely performed violin concerto at Symphony Hall. February 27 through March 1. $24 to $75. atlantasymphony.org

Red Badge of Courage: Adapted from Stephen Crane’s classic American novel, this co-production between 7 Stages and Kennesaw State University is an intimate performance with tabletop puppetry, live actors and animation. Opens February 27. $10 to $20. 7stages.org.

QUITE AN ADVENTURE

Ponce de Leon breakfast hotspot Java Jive turns 20

By Collin Kelley INtown Editor

When Steven Horwitz and Shira Levetan opened Java Jive on Ponce de Leon Avenue 20 years ago it was, literally, a different world. There was no BeltLine or Whole Foods and the hulking Sears & Roebuck building had yet to be transformed into City Hall East (or even considered for something as ambitious as Ponce City Market). Rather than families and cyclists, prostitutes and clubbers mainly walked the street after late nights at Clermont Lounge, Masquerade and MJQ.

“It was quite an adventure,” Levetan recalls. “Twenty years ago it was a very different experience. It was also pre-Olympics, which is when Ponce started to transform.”

Long before Starbucks was on the scene, Java Jive was also on the frontline of the indie coffeehouse scene, but even that has changed over the years. “We’re an accidental restaurant,” Horwitz says. “We’ve become more known for our breakfast than being a coffeehouse.”

Levetan and Horwitz were visiting Pittsburgh in the early 90s and enjoyed visiting the small coffeehouses there. Upon returning to Atlanta, they found nothing comparable and decided to open their own as a place to showcase Levetan’s baking skills.

They searched for a suitable space in Decatur (which was also years away from its renaissance), Morningside and Virginia-Highland before settling on the building – a former laundromat – at 970 Ponce de Leon in 1994.

Since then, Java Jive has earned accolades for Levetan’s deserts and biscuits and has numerous “best breakfast” awards from local newspapers and magazines displayed on the wall. The space is filly with retro diner tables, appliances and other kitsch that the husbandand-wife team loves to collect. The patrons love it, too.

“We have customers who have been coming in since day one,” Horwitz says. “We’ve watched their children grow up, go off to college and come back.”

Unlike other successful restaurants, Horwitz and Levetan have never had any desire to open a second location of Java Jive.

“We are Java Jive,” Horwitz says. “It wouldn’t be the same if Shira and I weren’t there.”

Savor Sandy Springs

Local owners Jason Sheetz (pictured) and William Sigley have 50 years of experience with the best restaurants in Atlanta and Las Vegas. Hammocks combines their attention to detail with a casual family-friendly, neighborhood feel. The menu features cuisine from the southern U.S. coastal regions and every dish is made from scratch. Popular items include BBQ oysters, baked salmon, gumbo, shrimp and grits and grouper.

Hammocks Trading Company

7285 Roswell Road www.hammockstradingcompany.com

Photo by Collin Kelley Java Jive owners Shira Levetan and Steven Horwitz opened the breakfast spot favorite on Ponce de Leon Avenue 20 years ago.

TASTING INTOWN: Smash Kitchen & Bar Restaurant Review

By Art Huckabee

For this month’s restaurant review, we chose Town Brookhaven, a mixed-use development in the vibrant and lively city of Brookhaven. This work, play, shop and of course, eat, development has well over a dozen restaurants to chose from. We set our sights on restaurateur Tom Catherall’s latest concept, Smash Kitchen and Bar.

We visited at lunchtime during the week. The restaurant is decorated nicely in dark colors with most of the seating comprised of booths. It feels more like a dinner and drinks place especially with the wall-mounted deer heads staring down at you.

Our server quickly approached, informed us of the daily specials and touted the muddled drink offerings. Smash derives its name from several items on the menu and these muddled or smashed drinks are one such item. With names like Blackburn, Capital City, Oglethorpe and Lynwood, they contain ingredients like blackberry bourbon with muddled blackberries or vodka, ginger beer and muddled pears and honeydew. They were enticing but as it was lunch and all of us were headed back to work afterwards, we declined. Smash also offers other craft cocktails and a decent beer and wine list.

For appetizers, we ordered the pretzel sticks and the wild mushroom flatbread. The pretzel sticks came upright in a butcher paper cone accompanied by grainy mustard and a Newcastle Ale cheese sauce; both accentuated the salty, warm pretzels and were quite good. The flatbread was large and looked delicious with the dough spending just the right amount of time in the wood-fired oven. However the toppings of Fontina cheese, roasted peppers, baby arugula and truffle oil, made it soggy and a disappointment given its high marks for appearance.

The three in our party ordered the half rack of baby back ribs, the steak burger and the kale aalad with a side of grilled salmon. The ribs were good. They were fall off the bone tender and covered in a house made, fairly standard barbecue sauce. The mound of thin cut shoestring potatoes that accompanied the ribs could easily have fed three or four diners. They were crispy and hot. The Southern slaw contained rough chopped cabbage and strips of green and red peppers; it was more of a garnish and tasted as such.

The Steak Burger ordered plain with cheddar cheese was cooked to order and tasted of good quality beef. The bun, however, was a bread behemoth and totally overpowered that all-important bun to meat ratio. Adding to the mix was a huge portion of finely shredded, unmelted cheddar cheese that was perched on the bun top; it looked as though the cook had opened a bag of Kraft and

dumped it, in its entirety, onto the bun. The burger also came with the mountain of shoestring fries.

The Kale salad contained an Asian peanut dressing, mint, cilantro and Thai chilies. It was a nice combination on the front of the tongue but quickly got bitter on the back, begging for a little more sweetness. The accompanying salmon was unadorned and ordinary, yet cooked properly and a nice portion.

We decide against dessert but they have several interesting offerings including chocolate pecan pie and red velvet cheesecake.

Our server was very attentive throughout the meal, bringing multiple refills of tea and water.

From the looks of the well stocked bar and lots of outdoor seating, Smash is probably a lively place on warm weather weekends and after work when the Town Brookhaven residents return from their workdays. Our lunchtime visit never saw more than three or four tables of diners during our hour and half stay.

Smash’s dinner menu is almost identical to the lunch menu with the addition of steaks and chops and the usual increase in prices from the $12 to $17 range to the $17 to $24 range.

Smash is located at 804 Town Boulevard, Suite 1010 in Town Brookhaven and can be found at www. h2sr.com/smash.

Art Huckabee is one of Yelp’s Elite Reviewers, as well as a pilot gourmet cook and food lover. Send feedback to tastingintown@atlantaintownpaper.com.

Above: The half rack of babyback ribs were fall-off-thebone tender and served with shoestring french fries.

Below: The wild mushroom flatbread looked pretty, but the toppings made it soggy.

Quick Bites

Southern Living has named a number of Intown’s bars to its 100 Best Bars in the South list, including Decatur’s Kimball House and Paper Plane, as well as Atlanta’s The St. Regis Bar, The Bookhouse Pub, Monday Night Brewing, One Flew South, Argosy and H. Harper Station

Paces Properties is touting the girl power behind new restaurants and shops set to open this summer at Krog Street Market (krogstreetmarket. com) in Inman Park. To date, a mix of 14 restaurants, market stalls and retailers have been announced for the development next door to the Stove Works. Just announced are: Spice Road Chicken from Cardamom Hill creator Asha Gomez; Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams; Inman Park Pet Works; and The Little Tart Bakeshop, previously announced last fall, which has opted for an additional 200 square feet to provide a full coffee bar to go along with the pastries and baked goods. Krog Street Market is set to open in late July 2014.

Buckhead Theatre (thebuckheadtheatre.com) has installed a full-service kitchen and hired Greg Sears, formerly with Buckhead Life restaurants, as executive chef. The theatre can now provide in-house dining and catering options for all concerts, shows and events.

Boneheads Grilled Fish and Chicken (eatboneheads.com), a fast casual restaurant chain featuring fresh, fire-grilled fish and chicken dishes, has signed on to open its newest Atlanta location in the Eclipse building, 264 Pharr Road, in Buckhead. The new flagship location, which will feature an upscale bar, will be adjacent to the Boneheads restaurant. The approximately 3,840 square foot space, currently operating as Aqua Bistro, is expected to open in April.

Local Atlanta favorite Café at Pharr (cafeatpharr.com) has opened a sixth location at Dunwoody Village Shopping Center. This comes on the heels of opening locations at Vinings Jubilee, Town Brookhaven and on the Westside as well as expanding out of the Pharr Road location in Buckhead.

Where to Eat on Valentine’s Day

Looking to take that special someone out for a romantic Valentine’s Day meal? Dozens of restaurants have special menus you and your date are sure to love. To see the full list, visit OpenTable.com.

Midtown

10th & Piedmont, 4th & Swift, Loca Luna and South City Kitchen.

Buckhead

Bistro Niko, Davio’s, Imperial Fez and King + Duke.

Virginia-Highland

Highland Tap, Murphys, Rosebud and TWO urban licks.

Downtown

Sun Dial at Westin Peachtree Plaza, Max Lager’s Wood-Fired Grill, Morton’s and White Oak Kitchen.

Atlanta chefs Shaun Doty and Lance Gummere have opened a second Bantam + Biddy (bantamandbiddy.com) in Midtown at 1050 Crescent Ave. This is the third restaurant from the duo, whose list includes Bantam + Biddy in Ansley Mall and Chicka-Biddy in Atlantic Station. While the Crescent location has the same regional and pastured poultry and organic, seasonal vegetables as its predecessor, the new restaurant has a caffeinated bonus: an espresso bar serving Batdorf & Bronson coffee.

Cuts Steakhouse (cutsatlanta.com) has opened at 60 Andrew Young International Blvd. in the old Steak & Ale spot. Bringing a Southern influence to your typical steakhouse menu, Executive Chef Donnie Wicker is preparing braised beef short rib and Southern fried lobster tail alongside a wide range of signature steaks.

The distinctive, circular former location of Trust Company Bank and the now shuttered Piebar and Ixtlan on Monroe Drive will soon become a restaurant and lounge called Cirque. Built in 1962, the new concept is from the owner of The Daiquiri Factory on West Peachtree Street in Midtown.

Canoe Cellar Door (cellardooratl.com), a sommelier-operated wine shop, is open at 4199 Paces Ferry Road. The new shop from the owners of Canoe Restaurant features 750 wines from around the world priced at $9 to more than $1,000.

Doc Chey’s (doccheys.com) is ringing in the New Year with the ninth annual “15 Days of Chinese New Year,” which runs Jan. 31 through Feb. 14. Sponsored by Monday Night Brewing’s “Fu Manbrew,” the celebration will feature food and beverage specials benefitting the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB), giveaways and live entertainment at Doc Chey’s Noodle House’s three Atlanta area locations – VirginiaHighland, Emory and Grant Park.

Chef Ford Fry’s newest restaurant, St. Cecilia (stceciliaatl.com) has opened in the former Bluepointe space inside The Pinnacle Building, 3455 Peachtree Road. The European menu features fish and pasta. Fry said he and executive chef Brian Horn worked together to create a menu that travels the southern European coastline, exploring pasta and roasted fish served in the historic seaside towns and villages.

Chef Linton Hopkins (of Restaurant Eugene fame) has designed a signature menu that will be enjoyed on 1,000 daily Delta Air Lines flights from Atlanta to destinations around the world. Hopkins was selected to join Delta’s culinary team after taking top honors in The Cabin Pressure Cook-Off sponsored by Food & Wine magazine to fine the airline’s next chef.

Establishment Buckhead (facebook.com/Establishment1845) is now open at 3167 Peachtree Road offering with cocktails and a menu of “Southern bites” alongside a rustic décor and Georgia-centric art installations.

Roberto Caporuscio and Antonio Starita have opened Don Antonio by Starita (DonAntonioPizza.com) at 102 West Paces Ferry Road in Buckhead. The restaurant offers 60 hot wood-fired pizzas pies and more with housemade mozzarella and burrata. The restaurant is the second location of the New York City hotspot.

& Real Estate

FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION

Annual Decatur Old House Fair set for Feb. 8

The City of Decatur and Georgia Historic Preservation Division have partnered to host the sixth annual Decatur Old House Fair on Feb. 8 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, 130 Clairemont Ave., in Downtown Decatur.

The event will feature industry experts offering fresh ideas, practical advice, innovative materials, and quality services for owners of older homes. This year’s theme, “Form Follows Function,” explores the relationship between home improvement and historic charm through an array of DIY, sustainable living, maintenance and renovation tracks.

Homeowners get the latest “green updates” and renovation ideas for kitchens and baths, attend seminars and workshops on restoring windows and repairing plaster, and much more. The fair also includes a large exhibit hall of professionals, retailers, and suppliers specializing in home improvement, historic preservation and interior furnishings.

The exhibit area opens at 9 a.m. and seminars begin at 10 a.m. Some of the topics include:

• Hands-on workshops on restoring wood windows

• Researching Your Old House

• Plaster Repair

• Creating a Maintenance Plan for Your

House

• Insulation 101

• The “Smart Home”

• Wood Windows: Repair or Replace?

• Stump the electrician! Bring your problems and get some answers.

• Storm Windows

• Historic Tree Care and Maintenance

• Aging in Place

• Energy Efficiency Updates for Older Homes

• In Over My Head! DIY or Hire a Pro: How to Know

• Permitting 101

• Spending Money Wisely: Saving Money and Financing Dream Projects

• Understanding Wood Floors and Wood Details in Older Homes

• Insuring Your Historic Home

• Period Kitchens for Older Homes

For a complete seminar schedule, exhibitor details and ticket information, visit DecaturOldHouseFair.com. Ticket are $10 when purchased in advance, $15 at the door.

Success in our business can be attributed to the personal relationships that we build with our clients. We have been very pleased with the new customers we reach through our advertising in Atlanta INtown and Reporter

– Pam Cole, Owner

Michael Pursor of The Rosebud Company discusses floor refinishing with a vistor at last year’s Decatur Old House Fair. Dozens of contractors, renovators, designers and more will be on hand to offer advice on the best way to spruce up your home.

Renewing your home for the new year

By Sarah Fishburne

It’s not too late to make a few new year’s resolutions, especially when it comes to changing, refreshing and renewing your home. Here are a few simple ideas to get you started:

Organize your pantry: Sort and stack food items using plastic storage containers and let color be your guide when creating labels to help easily find items in your pantry. Don’t forget to wipe down shelves – or install some to maximize your space.

Change out your hardware: Kitchen and bathroom drawer pulls and cabinet handles experience a lot of wear and tear during the year. Changing out your hardware with a new style or finish is a simple way to achieve a clean, fresh look.

Change your water filter: Whether you have a water filter on your faucet, in your refrigerator door or as part of a pitcher filtration system, regularly change out the filter to keep your drinking water free of contaminants.

Wash your shower liner: Freshen up your bathroom by either changing out your shower curtain liner or washing it in a combination of baking soda and vinegar.

Play with paint: If you have been stuck inside during the cold weather staring at a blank, boring wall consider painting the trim, ceiling, banister or interior doors. If you are feeling adventurous, try painting

a piece of furniture or lamp. Adding paint is a quick way to combat the winter blues and wake up your walls and accessories. Bring the outdoors in: If the wintertime chill is causing you to have outdoor entertaining withdrawal, try decorating your interior with furniture meant for the outdoors. Think weatherproof pillows and indoor/outdoor rugs for high traffic areas. Adding live plants, like succulents and orchids, can also go a long way to bring life to a room without sacrificing style.

Make your home pop: Take a drive through the colorful neighborhoods of Inman Park or Old Fourth Ward to find some front entranceinspiration. If we experience a temporary warm spell, with temperatures above 50 degrees, break out your paint rollers and update your front door with a splash of color. Even a traditional house can be updated with a hint of lime green or deep pink. A small change can make a huge impact.

Sarah Fishburne is director of trend and design for The Home Depot where she is responsible for managing the company’s team of designers, developing products and identifying merchandising product trends. Sarah and her team travel both domestically and internationally to scout the lifestyle trends of the future, overseeing trends from inspiration to arrival in a Home Depot store.

HIDDEN GEMS: Little Free Libraries

By Han Vance

It’s a bit harder to enjoy all the activity Atlanta has to offer when the sun sets daily at 5:30 p.m. and the temperature dips. I try to spend much of my time during the relatively short Southern winter season inside sipping a warm cup of coffee, reading and writing, but I still take to the city streets enough to feel engaged.

Strolling from the Candler Park MARTA station toward Little Five Points for an afternoon diversion, I came across a Little Free Library on Candler Street. “Take A Book/Return A Book” read the sign above what appeared to be a miniature one-room schoolhouse.

I grabbed a book of letters the New York poet Ted Berrigan wrote to his newlywed wife, Sandy, while she was in an institution, sent there by her parents for being crazy enough to marry him. I vowed to read it and return it, with some other good books I will donate for the neighbors to read.

Todd Bol of Wisconsin created the first Little Free Library in Wisconsin in 2009, and it has quickly grown into an international organization. I discovered that the freestanding libraries

have popped all over neighborhoods in Intown. It’s a great way to promote reading and the honor system. For more general information on Little Free Libraries and to find one near you or to order one for your block, visit littlefreelibrary.org.

Hidden Gems is a recurring series by culture writer Han Vance, a regular contributor to Atlanta INtown and other local and national publications. Visit him at hanvance.com.

Sarah Fishburne

Photo by Han Vance Little Free Libraries are popping up all over Intown and around the country.

Melody L. Harclerode

A Small Foundation Makes a Huge Difference

Many architects enjoy the profession for the opportunity to make a difference for people through design excellence. They take pride as a designer or design team member for residential and commercial projects that elevate the quality of life in society.

Led by Dan Cash, a group of architects and professionals in allied fields seeks to make another kind of difference for people as board members of the Architecture Foundation of Georgia (AFGA). Inspired by the call for social activism from the late Whitney Young, Jr., architects John Cherry and Stanley Daniels spearheaded the formation of this non-profit organization in 1971.

This year, AFGA will continue its mission of awarding educational

scholarships to college students along with community grants for organizations that reinforce the value of architecture in neighborhoods. The Dorothy P. Spence Memorial Scholarship honors the beloved, late executive director of the Georgia chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Georgia). This scholarship assists students during one of their final two years of professional architecture studies at Georgia Tech, Southern Polytechnic State University, or the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Keeping alive the memory of a late AIA member, the John D. Mulford III Memorial Scholarship helps one student annually during one of their final three years of professional architecture studies at his alma mater, Southern Polytechnic

State University. The application deadline for both educational scholarships is Feb. 3. As David Green attests, the financial assistance can encourage architectural students to complete their education and make a transition into the workforce. His mother, who worked as a school teacher, would have had difficulty putting herself through graduate school at the same time as David and another son without

the financial aid of AFGA. A recipient of the scholarship in 1990, the architect describes it as “a huge help for me in the furtherance of my career.” David has maintained a long term association with Georgia Tech as a professor for its College of Architecture since his graduation, and now serves as a Principal at the architectural firm Perkins+Will. Through tax-exempt donations and volunteer support, AFGA will continue to make a difference in the lives of college students and with communities. See aiaga.org/afga for more information and to make a donation.

Melody L. Harclerode, AIA, a local architect, promotes the power of architecture and design as the PresidentElect of the Atlanta chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the Principal of Harclerode Architects (harcarch.com). For more information, check out aiaatl.org.

Architect and former AFGA scholarship recipient David Green at work.

Real Estate Briefs

Epic Development has been approved for a rezoning from commercial to multiresidential commercial for property located at 627 Irwin Street, at the intersection of Irwin Street and Auburn Avenue, in the Old Fourth Ward. Epic’s plan calls for a 10-unit high-end townhome development scheduled to start construction in the Spring.

Renderings of a proposed 35-story apartment tower at 6th and Peachtree in Midtown have caused a buzz. The unusual tower would integrate parking and 25,000 square feet of retail into an artful, stair-step design. Development company The Integral Group is looking for $70 million in funding to construct the firm Perkins + Will-designed tower, which would feature 400 apartments.

Druid Hills Baptist Church on the corner of Ponce de Leon and N. Highland avenues in Poncey-Highland is considering turning part of its property into a mixed-use development. According to a report in Curbed Atlanta, the century-old church wants to convert a portion of the property behind the main sanctuary into retail, office space, religious facilities and multi-family residential.The historic church, opened in 1914, would not be affected by

the development, but later buildings added to the property would likely be torn down.

Mitch Kaminer , Associate Broker with RE/MAX Paramount Properties and owner of Kaminer Property Management has been honored with the 2013 Realtor of the Year Award by the Atlanta Board of Realtors. Todd Emerson , Senior Vice President and Managing Broker of Harry Norman, Realtors Atlanta Perimeter and Blue Ridge Offices, was named 2014 President of the Atlanta Board of Realtors.

Online real estate brokerage firm Redfin has released its Top Ten Hottest Neighborhoods of 2014 list and the Morningside-Lenox Park neighborhood is number one in the Atlanta market and third nationwide. Inman Park came in second. Redfin bases its list on homebuyer searches on Redfin.com leading into the new year. Millions of pageviews, “favorited” homes and insights by Redfin agents all play into the selection process. Nationally, Morningside-Lenox Park ranked with up-and-coming neighborhoods in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Las Vegas, Austin, Seattle, Portland, Denver and Chicago.

Harry Norman, Realtors has relocated its Buckhead Northwest office to 4401 Northside Parkway, Suite 250, Atlanta, Ga. 30327, within the new One Riverside live, work and play community.

6th and Peachtree

Mitch Kaminer

DRUID HILLS - Story book charm at its best! Gracefully

DRUID HILLS - Tastefully renovated ranch w/ all the upgrades one would expect. Formal dining room, expansive living room, chef’s kitchen. 3Bed/2Bath $389,900

FMLS: 5197407

Bradford Smith 404-210-4141

MORNINGSIDE - Magnificent home with no detail overlooked. Large spaces, marble/ heavy millwork/crown moulding throughout, professional grade kitchen, large fenced level backyard. 6Bed/5.5Bath $1,250,000 FMLS: 5243230 Bradford Smith 404-210-4141

ANSLEY PARK - 1920’s bungalow featuring beautiful hardwoods, 10’ ceils, 4 fireplaces, huge master closet, back deck, brick patio, basement w/tons of storage. 3Bed/3Bath

$650,000 FMLS: 5220314

Lisa Barnhart 404-771-1178

JOHNSON ESTATES - Exceptional all brick home with 4 finished levels. 10’ ceils, granite/SS kit, keeping rm w/fireplace, custom closets, finished terrace level. 5Bed/6.5Bath

$1,190,000 FMLS: 5177482

Marc Castillo 404-449-6862

VININGS - Custom brick executive home w/ gunite pool, waterfalls, outdoor fireplace, hardwoods, new cook’s kit, enormous partially finished terrace level. 4Bed/3Bath $799,900

FMLS: 5231610

Sally Westmoreland 404-354-4845

TOCO HILLS - Features large eat-in kitchen, separate dining rm, full laundry/mudroom, spacious bedrooms, refinished hardwoods, lrg patio overlooking back deck. 5Bed/3Bath $360,000 FMLS: 5208988 Mike Kondalski 404-234-9379

DECATUR - Fabulous new home from Stoney River Homes. Summer 2014 completion –Work now with builder for customizations. 4Bed/3Bath $799,900

FMLS: 5243872

Kathleen Sickeler 404-368-3234

BUCKHEAD - Featuring eleven, 4-story townhomes designed by award winning architects Smith Dalia & constructed by Cablik Enterprises. 3Bed/3.5Bath $999,900

FMLS: 5182846

Allen Snow 404-931-1176

VIRGINIA HIGHLAND - Stunning home w/ original details and modern updates! Beautiful living spaces. Front porch, screened-in porch and 2nd story sleeping porch. Private yard. 3Bed/3Bath $799,000 FMLS: 5227494

Tanya Marlatt 404-518-8787

MARIETTA - Gated 9700+ sf estate. 1.37 acres. 6 car gar, gourmet kit, 2 islands, custom cabinetry, pro appl., hardwoods, elevator, in-law suite, walk-out yard w/ creek. 6Bed/6Bath/2HalfBath $1,850,000

FMLS: 5201648 Liz Baska 770-712-8767

WEST MIDTOWN - Stunning unit w/breathtaking view of Midtown skyline. Beautiful hardwood floors. Open modern kitchen. Large master bedroom w/en suite bath. 2Bed/2Bath $330,000 FMLS: 5222199

Patrick Jones 404-680-9534

PONCEY-HIGHLAND - Pre-construction purchasers may select finishes for a custom home. Homes include 2-car gar, custom lighting, fine cabinetry, stone c’tops, roof-top terrace, & balconies. 3Bed/3Bath $579,900

FMLS: 5029379 Allen Snow 404-931-1176

OLD FOURTH WARD - Sought after condo located on courtyard level. Excellent location and great investment opportunity.

1Bed/1Bath $155,900

FMLS: 5238187 Tonya Marlatt 404-518-8787

MIDTOWN - Final opportunity to purchase NEW inventory in Midtown! Dramatic design. Stunning views. Amazing curves. It’s 1010 Midtown. Incredible floorplan & walls of huge windows. 2Bed/2.5Bath $729,900

FMLS: 5181788 Sales Center 404-815-4622

DOWNTOWN - Huge unit. Multilevel loft w/25’ ceilings and industrial windows w/courtyard views. Spectacular finishes in upgraded kitchen & bath. Concrete floors. FHA approved!

$229,900 FMLS: 5217214

Wayne Anderson 404-202-1138