Pet Pick

Marcus is as charming as he is handsome. He is the life of every party and, of course, a sta favorite. He loves to play with other dogs, but he dreams most about having a human family to call his own. He would love someone to go running with, watch movies with, and someone who will give his ears a scratch when they get itchy. Marcus is a 2-year-old hound dog who is in great health. To adopt Marcus or any of the other available dogs and cats searching for a home, visit pawsatlanta. org or stop by the shelter at 5287 Covington Highway in Decatur.

Pet Briefs

e international auction house Bonhams recently presented the 5th annual A Celebration of Dogs bene ting the Atlanta Humane Society. Held at the Bill Lowe Gallery, the lively cocktail bu et supper and exhibition of paintings from Bonhams upcoming auction of “Dogs in Show and Field” was chaired by Mary Moore Bethea, Bonhams representative, and Karen Spiegel. BNY Mellon Wealth Management was the Presenting Sponsor, and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and Springmont Montessori were lead sponsors.

Lifeline Animal Project recently won a $100,000 Lifesaving Grant from the Petco Foundation. A er taking over the management of two municipal county shelters in Dekalb and Fulton counties, Lifeline has worked tirelessly to lower the euthanasia by over 50 perecent in each of these communities. e Petco Foundation’s investment recognizes the work of the Lifeline organizations and supports their continuous e orts to create lifesaving communities in the Atlanta area.

Piedmont Bark has completed the third phase of massive renovation project and now o ers 48 large dog-boarding suites. Another 64 small dog-boarding suites are expected by the end of March. e new suites o er individual or family boarding in an open-air environment complete with individual climate controls. Boarding is even more luxurious with plush dog beds, stainless steel bowls and ltered water provided for all. Piedmont Bark is located at 501 Amsterdam Ave. in Midtown. For more information, visit piedmontbark.com.

Summer Camps

Atlanta International School Summer Camps 2015

Purpose. PLAY. Passion.

Whether your camper is a budding scientist, a theater enthusiast or a social entrepreneur, The Children’s School has a camp that satisfies every interest!

Visit http://tinyurl.com/TCSSummer or call 404-873-6985 to find out where your adventure begins!

An independent elementary school serving students age three through sixth grade 345 Tenth Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

Language Camps and More!

Orchestra

Chinese

Adult ESL

2015 Summer

Connection

Great Variety of Summer Camps – Athletics, Arts, Academics, and More – from Pre-School to 12th Grade!

For information, contact Barbara Klein email: barbara.klein@hies.org

(404) 303-2150 ext. 848

Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School 805 Mount Vernon Highway, NW Atlanta, GA 30327 www.hies.org/summerconnection

Filmmaking

June 8 – July 31, 2015

Register Now! www.aischool.org/summercamp

Convenient Buckhead location (404) 841-3865

Summer Horse Camps

Chastain Horse Park - convenient Buckhead location!

Mon-Fri 8:00am-1:00pm

Camp includes daily riding lessons, crafts, and games! Lots of fun!

Contact Bergen at 404-252-4244 or lessons@chastainhorsepark.org

Boarding * Riding Instruction * Therapeutic Riding Professional Clinics * Pony Parties * Camps

By Tim Sullivan

Everyone Gets a Trophy!

By Tim Sullivan

My buddy Schulzie and I have had a long-running snark about how kids get trophies for everything these days. Elliott is 7 and already has a gaggle of trophies, one from every team sport he has participated in and, already, he could care less about them. ey are scattered around the house propping up books, holding Legos and occasionally dating Barbie dolls when Margo gets a hold of them.

When we were kids, winning a trophy usually required something pretty spectacular so of course the want for one was tenfold. e largest trophy I ever won was for a league-wide foul shooting contest in the seventh grade. My brother Steve had placed in the tournament several years prior, so I knew what was at stake. ere were many kids to beat, but man did I ever want that big honking trophy.

Maybe it was because it was a Catholic school league but back then, the free throw was more sacred. I modeled my routine a er Chris Mullin, the legendary St. John’s University and NBA player. It was a slow ve dribbles while blocking out all of the world but the front of that rim. en a so ip to get the laces right, and just enough of a pause to make sure the hushed gymnasium swelled with anticipation. e drama was as thick as the shorts were short.

I placed second in the contest behind a kid named Rizzo, but he was some sort of foul shooting savant, so I was still pretty proud. And the trophy may have surpassed the achievement itself. In terms of raw materials I can envision a ridiculous Restoration Hardware writeup: Reclaimed mahogany, marble and steel harvested from a grammar school basketball trophy circa 1985, adorn this chic table lamp…$850.00. I sauntered around the gymnasium for a while carrying this beast of an award so as to be noticed by as many people as possible.

Like many kids, I had wall of trophies on my bedroom wall. It was like a shrine, and I draped a white cloth over the shelving and experimented with accent lighting. Okay, that might have been a little over the top, but somewhere along the line, kids who could barely walk and chew gum at the same time sported trophy collections that would rival Michael Jordan’s. Only they didn’t care. I’m not sure who to sue for the devaluation.

I coached Elliott’s 7-8 year old basketball team this winter and our record was 1-8. Trophies supplied by the league were to be distributed a er the last game (or basically whenever we felt like it). Early in the season, we had more tears than points and there were occasions where pleading was needed just to eld ve on the court. I’d called out “hands up!” so much from the sideline because coaching simple motor skills was more e ective than the 3-2 zone I failed at implementing. O ensively, trips down court where a shot was attempted were celebrated as minor victories.

But each Wednesday at practice I would see little sequences that looked like actual basketball and each Saturday we suited up for the games and gave it our best. We really did improve quite a bit. In the nal game, we almost beat an undefeated team, but we celebrated as if we did in fact, win. I was prouder than on the day I won that giant trophy in seventh grade.

I was still determined not to just hand out “participation” trophies, though, so at the team party I made up a category for each of them – Best Passer, Best Defender, Most Improved, Mr. Potential, etc. – and toasted their achievements. I really enjoyed coaching these kids so handing out the trophies was thoroughly enjoyable. And I’m sure you all knew this already but it nally occurred to me that the reason everyone gets a trophy nowadays is not for the kids, it is for the adults.

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@sullivan nerugs.com.

Resale shop in Toco Hills aids victims of sexual exploitation

By Martha Nodar

O ering assistance to survivors of domestic sexual exploitation is the goal of Wellspring Treasures, an upscale resale shop tucked into the Toco Hills shopping center.

“ is shop has been tremendously embraced by the community,” said Kathleen Kennard, who oversees all four stores operated by nonpro t Wellspring Living. “We are very appreciative.”

Decatur resident Jill Rowe said she has been a frequent customer since the store opened last year.

“From the outside this store looks like a boutique in Europe,” Rowe said. “I was struck when I rst walked in the shop. e way it is set-up and the quality of the merchandise are very sophisticated. Prices are consistent with the quality.”

A welcoming ambiance begins as one steps into the store’s front door, which may be open depending on the weather. Patrons are likely to nd so music playing in the background and a friendly sta ready to o er a fresh cup of tea.

A room with a view of the parking lot highlights the furniture gallery – a section of the store decorated to induce a feeling of comfort with so silk pillows, a dining room table and chairs, a china set, an armoire, throw blankets, lamps, art work and home décor.

Friends Claire Capshew and Allison Harper of the Emory area said they generally stop by the shop when they visit the shopping center as part of their routine.

“Claire and I typically come by at least twice a month,”

Harper said. “ ey have good quality items here that are very unique. It also feels good to contribute to the organization’s mission.”

Kennard said proceeds from the shop o set the operating expenses of a Wellspring Living’s recovery campus in the Atlanta area designed to help survivors of domestic sexual exploitation. She said these expenses include the cost of food, clothing, counseling, education, housing maintenance and grounds upkeep.

Donations of furniture, home décor and women’s clothing in good condition are always welcome, Kennard said.

“Just about everything we have here has been donated,” said Barbara Halpern, the shop’s assistant manager. “As the result, we are able to be frugal and maintain this store through our volunteers. As we continue to grow, we will need more volunteers.” e store is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. For more information call (404) 875-9797 or visit wellspringliving.org. e Buckhead Coalition has elected new o cers and executive committee members for 2015. Renewed for two years was its Founding President Sam Massell, with the two-year Chairman’s position being lled by Je rey C. Sprecher, who is Chairman and Chief Executive O cer of Intercontinental Exchange.

Rowe, Capshew and Harper said they never leave the store without checking out a small section carrying women’s clothing and accessories, such as tops, pants, scarves, shoes, purses, and jewelry. Books are also sold here.

Paces Properties – the developers of Krog Street Market in Inman Park – plan to resurrect the Atlanta Dairies complex on Memorial Drive in Reynoldstown. According to Curbed Atlanta, the $125-million redevelopment would simply be called Atlanta Dairies and include retail, commercial, o ce and residential. e development will have an entertainment component with places for live music, bowling, skee-ball, a pinball bar, 24-hour diner and a “literary center” with a co ee shop feel.

Electronics retailer Radio Shack recently announced it would close 1,784 stores as part of bankruptcy ling, including the locations at Buckhead Crossing, Perimeter Mall and on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs.

As Buckhead Atlanta continues to open new stores and restaurants, OliverMcMillan has announced ve additional retailers will be opening soon: Billy Reid will o er menswear and women’s wear in a 2,104-square-foot boutique expected this summer; Davido of Geneva will open its rst freestanding store in Atlanta o ering handcra ed cigars, tobacco products and accessories in the spring; Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery will have a 13,183 showroom to showcase its top-ofthe-line xtures this summer; French-Italian appareal brand Les Copains will open its rst U.S. shop at a date to-be-announed; and swimwear shop Vilebrequin will open its rst Atlanta store in the summer.

Inman Park-based House of Current has been recognized with a Silver Award in the 2015 Graphis Advertising Annual. Graphis, the international journal of visual communication, selected the new branding campaign created for the Grand Canal Shoppes in Las Vegas.

Paranoia Quest, an interactive gaming experience, has opened in Downtown at 72 Broad St. Groups of friends (or strangers) are forced to nd their way out of a series of harrowing situations including a zombie apocalypse, an infectious disease scenario and war games. Players solve puzzles, nd caches, use clues, tools and pure wit to nd their way out. For more details, visit paranoiaquest.com.

Made Again, an incubator for local and sustainable artisans, is expected to open this month at Inman Quarter at 280 Elizabeth St. in Inman Park. Made Again provide an online sales platform as well as marketing and branding services. e agship store will be stocked with handmade and sustainable products from its clients. For more, visit madeagainatl.com.

US Fitness has expanded into the southeast with the acquisition of Atlanta Fitness. Over the next several months, the Atlanta Fitness clubs will transition to the Onelife Fitness brand name, and a signi cant investment will be made in new equipment, existing club upgrades and new locations.

TOPSHOP and TOPMAN will be opening their rst store in Atlanta on March 12 in Buckhead. e 15,600 square foot store inside Lenox Square will o er both brands across two oors. In addition to clothing for both men and women, there will be accessories, footwear and a complimentary personal shopping service. Across Peachtree Road at Phipps Plaza, Robert Graham will open a 1,239 square foot store on the main level o ering a full range of men’s sportswear, premium denim, furnishings, accessories, outerwear, eyewear, footwear, jewelry as well as women’s sportswear.