Atlanta Intown - April 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 collin@atlantaintownpaper.com

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Ann Taylor Boutwell, Kathy Dean, Art Huckabee, Lela Johnson, Denise Pajak, Clare S. Richie, Tim Sullivan, Phil Mosier, Melissa Weinman

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Collin Kelley collin@atlantaintownpaper.com

Going Green

Six years ago, INtown launched a regular monthly section called “Go Green.” The sustainable, eco-friendly movement was picking up speed in Atlanta and we were starting to hear from readers that they wanted more information about recycling, urban farming and how to build or renovate a home to make it energy efficient and “green.”

Our annual “Green Issue” published every April continues that mission to bring you more stories, features and news about how Intown is learning to live more conscientiously about the environment. Sustainability has leapt from grassroots to mainstream in those few short years as well.

The City of Atlanta now has an office of sustainability and is

working toward becoming one of the most “green cities” in the nation. The Midtown EcoDistrict, which we update in this issue, is hard at work on planting more trees, addressing runoff issues and adding bike lanes to take cars off the streets.

Once thought too expensive or a luxury, homebuyers are now actively searching for homes with green features and renovators want to add new technology and materials to help lower their energy costs. In this issue’s Home & Real Estate section, you’ll see just how prevalent the movement has become.

Editing the monthly section and these Green Issues over the past six years has also made me more conscientious about my own habits. I’m lucky to live in a building where recycling is encouraged and made easy for residents. Where separating plastics, paper and cardboard used to seem like a pain, it’s become second nature.

I’m also grateful to live in a neighborhood (shout out to the Old Fourth Ward!) where it’s easy to walk to restaurants and shops, meaning I get to leave my car in the garage and save on gas and polluting the air with more emissions. The BeltLine is nearby and I’m looking forward to strolling down to the Krog Street Market and up to the Ponce City Market when it opens. These little things can mean a lot as scientists continue to sound the alarm about climate change.

“Going green” is easier than you think. Give it a try!

By Collin Kelley INtown Editor

Promoting the importance of the environment has been Earth Day’s goal since its inception in 1970, and that recognition continues as the 44th annual event is marked in Atlanta and around the world this month.

While Earth Day is officially observed on April 22, events and happenings are taking place all month long around the city.

EarthShare of Georgia

The nonprofit that raises funds for state environmental organizations is hosting three big events for Earth Day 2014. For more about these events, visit earthsharega.org.

• Corporate Green Day Challenge: The event will be held April 5 from 9 a.m. to noon at various project sites. Nearly 500 employees from 16 company sponsors participated in the 2013 challenge, dedicating a Saturday morning to cleaning up parks and stream banks, planting gardens and mulching trees throughout Atlanta at 13 locations. The winning team of

the Corporate Green Day Challenge will be announced at the Leadership Breakfast.

• Earth Day Leadership Breakfast: Set for April 16 from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Georgia Aquarium, the 12th annual breakfast will see business and non-profit leaders of Georgia and beyond gather to celebrate sustainable business practices. The breakfast will feature environmental updates from several environmental leaders, displays from area environmental groups and a keynote address by Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd, president of American Meteorological Society. Marshall’s address, “Prehistoric, Contemporary, Futuristic: For Water, It’s All The Same, Or Is It?,” will focus on water issues and the correlations to climate change, while offering ideas on sustainable ways individuals and businesses can help conserve Georgia’s environment.

• Earth Day Party: This year’s party is April 24 at 7 p.m. at the Defoor Centre and will feature locally sourced food, music, eco-silent auction stocked with deals on eco-friendly products, unique getaways, outdoor gear and jewelry. Beverages provided by VeeV Fruite Cocktail and UVA Imports. Presented by Kaiser Permanente. Tickets are $60 per person and available at earthsharega.org.

Earth Day Kids Fest

This fun event is Saturday, April 12, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. Admission is $10 for adults and $6 for children (under 2 get in free). You can also ride your bike from home and get in for free. There will be live music, an eco-village with hands-on activities, games with the Atlanta Braves, Hawks and Falcons, canoe rides, healthy food and much more. Hosted by The Captain Planet Foundation and the Chattahoochee Nature Center. For more information: chattahoocheenaturecenter.org.

Native Wildflower and Vine Sale

Trees Atlanta will host the second annual event on April 5 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its headquarters, 225 Chester Ave. The sale will feature native, pollinatorfriendly plants, and will also specialize in perennials that will be planted along the Eastside Trail of the Atlanta BeltLine. All proceeds from this plant sale will benefit the nonprofit’s youth education programs.

Sweep the Hooch

Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, in partnership with Trout Unlimited and the National Parks Service, will conduct its 4th annual Sweep the Hooch on April 12, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cleanup will include 27 sites with more than 600 volunteers expected. Last year, more than 550 dedicated volunteers collected 3.7 tons of river refuse, with more than half a ton of trash recycled. To register, visit chattahoochee.org.

Earth Day on the Atlanta BeltLine

Atlanta BeltLine, Inc., the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership, Park Pride, Trees Atlanta, the Atlanta Community Tool Bank, Keep Atlanta Beautiful, and

GO WEST!

neighborhood partners are working together to clear invasive bamboo and debris along the Northeast Hiking Trail to celebrate this year’s Earth Day on the Atlanta BeltLine. The volunteer event will be held April 19 beginning at 8:30 a.m. at Park Tavern (corner of 10th and Monroe). Volunteers should wear sturdy, closetoed shoes, long sleeves and pants, work gloves (extra gloves will be available), and should bring a water bottle, bug spray, and sunscreen. Be prepared for moderate to heavy work. All ages are welcome, while children must be accompanied by an adult. To register, visit earthdayonatlbeltline14.eventbrite.com.

Decatur Earth Day Festival

The event will be April 19 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Wylde Center at the corner of Oakview and South McDonough. The festival is pirate-themed again this year (costumes encouraged) and will feature free arts and crafts for kids, 40 vendors, live music, cake contest and more. For details visit wyldecenter.org.

p.m. on Tech Walk The event is free, open to the public, features over 70 exhibitors and includes eco-friendly giveaways, recycling opportunities, a clothing swap, an office supply exchange, live music, and organic popcorn. This is one of the largest Earth Day celebrations in the southeast. For more information visit earthday.gatech. edu.

The Hoochie

The Nature Conservancy’s 20th annual gathering will be held April 25 at The Goat Farm in West Midtown. The event will honor President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter, who served on the host committee of the inaugural Hoochie. There will a curated art experience, live performances, gourmet food and a silent auction. For more information, visit nature.org/hoochie.

Volunteer Opportunities

Piedmont Park: The Piedmont Park Conservancy has numerous volunteer opportunities, including working to cleanup the park, becoming a park docent, volunteering at the seasonal Green Market and with the Dog Park Patrol. Piedmontpark.org.

Park Pride: The nonprofit is looking for seasonal volunteers to help with park cleanups and greenspace maintenance. Visit parkpride.org for details.

Trees Atlanta: All events are Saturday mornings, 9 a.m. until noon year-round. Please bring gloves and a bottle of water. Trees Atlanta provides all tools and instruction. Volunteers can also up at treesatlanta.org.

Chattahoochee Riverkeeper: From working all day at a festival, to assisting with river clean-ups, to helping out for a few hours in the office, there’s something available for everyone. Find out more at ucriverkeeper.com/volunteer.

Georgia Tech’s Earth Day Celebration

The 18th annual event is set for April 18, 10 a.m. to 3

Atlanta Streets Alive kicks off new season in historic community

By Collin Kelley INtown Editor

Tens of thousands participated in last year’s Atlanta Streets Alive events, and the 2014 schedule is shaping up to bring even more folks out to bike, walk, skate and enjoy their communities on streets closed to vehicular traffic for an afternoon.

The year kicks off in historic West End on April 20 from 2 to 6 p.m. More than 15,000 are expected to take part in the event, according to Rebecca Serna, Executive Director of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, which sponsors the ASA initiative.

The A 2.7-mile route will run along Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard, Murphy Avenue and White Avenue. There will be easy access to the event right outside the West End MARTA station. Along with the historic homes and landmarks (the Wren’s Nest and Adair Park, for example), there will be activities all along the route.

“We picked West End because we

feel like it’s an overlooked Atlanta gem,” Serna said. “There are so man beautiful homes, cultural assets and an active neighborhood association.”

West End isn’t the only neighborhood on the schedule for 2014. On May 18, ASA will take over a 3-mile stretch of Peachtree Street from Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to West Peachtree. A northern stretch of Peachtree will be spotlighted on Sept. 7, while the event will return to Highland Avenue on Oct. 5.

Serna said the growth of ASA has been amazing to watch. Nearly 160,000 people took part in last year’s street parties, including 83,000 on the Highland loop event alone.

“I think the success of Atlanta Streets Alive is a testament to the fact that there is a thirst for community engagement and the opportunities to see the city in a different way - outside a vehicle.”

This year’s ASA sponsors include MailChimp, Ponce City Market, Jamestown, REI, New Belgium, and the Waterfall Foundation, and partners include the West End Neighborhood

Wylde Center: The Wylde Center has weekly volunteer opportunities at the gardens it manages around the city including Oakhurst Garden in Decatur, Sugar Creek Garden in East Lake, Hawk Hollow and Edgewood Community Learning Garden. wyldecenter.org.

Association, Ceasar Mitchell, Atlanta City Council President. For more information, visit atlantastreetsalive.com.

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GREEN NEIGHBORHOOD

Midtown EcoDistrict has big plans ahead

By Collin Kelley INtown Editor

Recognizing sustainable businesses, more bike lanes and the ongoing streescape projects are all part of the Midtown EcoDistrict game plan for the rest of 2014.

Created by the Midtown Alliance in 2012, the community-wide action plan integrates sustainability throughout the neighborhood to establish the South’s first urban eco-district.

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Dan Hourigan, the Midtown Alliance’s director of transportation and sustainability, said one of the main projects for this year is EcoDistrict Luminaries, a certification program created to highlight businesses and buildings in Midtown that have made a significant commitment to green practices. Participants earn points in five categories by implementing specific initiatives that contribute to a more sustainable Midtown.

“We want to honor the businesses and their employees who are already working toward sustainability and inspire others to follow in their footsteps,” Hourigan said about the Luminaries program.

Residents, workers and visitors have more exciting projects to look forward to this year as well, including the completion of the Juniper streetscaping, which Hourigan described as a “showcase project.” He said the project is taking longer than expected, but there will be LED lighting installed, bioswales to help rainwater runoff, widening of sidewalks, new trees and a barrier-separated bike lane.

Hourigan said adding more bike lanes is another significant ongoing project, with plans to add lanes to Peachtree and West Peachtree, upgrading the lanes on 5th Street and extending the 10th Street cycle track to Myrtle Street. Thirty new bike racks have been installed in Midtown and the Midtown Alliance is working with the city of Atlanta, business owners and MARTA on where bike-share stations will go when the program comes online

next year.

Digital signs to alert pedestrians and bike riders when MARTA trains, buses and other transit will arrive at stops and stations will also be installed later this year. Hourigan said Midtown Alliance has partnered with OneBusAway, an app and software created at Georgia Tech and the University of Washington, to help improve the use of public transportation.

“OneBusAway will provide real time data for the digital signs and they will be hung at street level,” Hourigan said.

He said that the Midtown Alliance is also working with hotels, apartments and condos to have the OneBusAway feed displayed on lobby monitors.

Also planned for this year is continuing work on the Gateway Connector Project to enhance the Peachtree Street bridges that cross the Downtown Connector. The Peachtree bridges at Brookwood Station and just south of the Emory University Hospital Midtown complex will both feature monumental arches, bike lanes, widened sidewalks and planted medians.

“We’re still moving through the permitting process with the Georgia Department of Transportation,” Hourigan said, “but we hope it will happen this year.”

For more about the Midtown EcoDistrict program and projects, visit midtownatl.com.

For more about streetscaping in Midtown, see Page 23 for an article about Peachtree Street’s SoNO district.

Courtesy Midtown Alliance

Bike racks have become a common site around Midtown and more are on the way as part of the growing EcoDistrict.

Courtesy Midtown Alliance Digital transportation signage, similar to that pictured above in Toronto, is headed to Midtown.

IMPERIAL HOTEL REBORN

Downtown landmark offers supportive housing

The century-old Imperial Hotel in Downtown Atlanta has received yet another new lease on life after a major renovation project.

Rechristened The Commons at Imperial, the iconic building at 355 Peachtree Street now serves residents in need of permanent supportive housing. Atlanta-based Columbia Residential and the National Church Residences are the developers and owners of the building.

Originally built in 1911, the hotel has provided affordable housing, particularly to residents with special needs or those coming out of homelessness, since 1996. Following the renovation, the Imperial provides 90 units of sustainable, state-of-the-art housing near transit, jobs and services.

The building offers 24-hour concierge/ controlled entry and other security features. Each residence is equipped with a full, energyefficient kitchen and bathroom, and residents have control of the HVAC system of their living space. Sustainable improvements to the historic structure will not only ensure energy efficiency, but also provide for very affordable utility bills, which are included in the residents’ rent computation.

On-site facilities for residents include a fitness center, health resource room, job training office, laundry room, and library/ community room and a resource center – which is equipped with computers and a printer, and community engagement opportunities – such as a woman’s group and other support groups.

The newly renovated Imperial Hotel has been transformed into bright, airy apartments with incredible views of Downtown, hardwood floors and energy efficient kitchens.

Courtesy Columbia Residential

Eco-Briefs

Comcast is calling on community-based organizations in the Atlanta area to register for the 13th annual Comcast Cares Day on April 26. Billed as the nation’s largest single-day corporate volunteer event, the cable provider is encouraging organizations to submit proposals for projects and initiatives that benefit the local community. Comcast has contributed to projects proposed by a variety of local influencers, including public nonprofits, school districts and other community leaders that operate within the Comcast service area. Interested organizations should visit comcastcaresday2014.com to download the proposal request and determine their eligibility for participation.

Atlanta-based PodPonics (podponics. com) has launched its first consumer product, Lettuce Buy Local. The mix of greens is pesticide free, kosher, non-GMO and comes washed and ready-to-eat. Sustainably grown in Atlanta, the lettuce is available in two mix varieties: Green Mix with green romaine and green lollo, and Encore Mix with green romaine, green lollo and red lollo. Both product varieties are sold in select Whole Foods and Kroger locations throughout Atlanta and in the surrounding suburbs. Lettuce Buy Local is also available at farmers markets in Decatur, Piedmont Park, Georgia Tech, East Atlanta and Grant Park www.podponics.com.

Healthy Green Schools (healthygreenschools.com), a national initiative that seeks to make school environments safer, healthier and more sustainable, has launched a national certification program. Founded by Jennifer Hankey and headquartered in Atlanta, Healthy Green Schools offers certification upon completion of the program, which focuses on removing toxins that affect the health of children and implement projects that reduce waste and promote recycling. The organization has partnered with national companies that provide safe, non-toxic products at highly reduced rates, make investing in the certification program affordable for all schools.

The Captain Planet Foundation, an international environmental education foundation for youth based on the successful Captain Planet cartoon, has announced that Academe of the Oaks in Decatur has recently been awarded an educational grant of $800. Academe will use these funds toward an Edible Forest Garden.

According to a new National Parks Service report, 5.8 million visitors to people visited the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site, and Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area in 2012 and spent $268,088,000 in the metro area. The MLK Historic Site preserves the Auburn Avenue neighborhood where King was born, where he spent his boyhood years, where he preached and where he is buried. The site is one of Atlanta’s top visitor destinations, drawing 707,514 visitors in 2012, who spent $38,072,200 and supported 569 local jobs.

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COMPOSTWHEELS

Turning your spoil into soil

By Clare S. Richie

Think composting and farming are only for rural areas and small towns? Think again. Urban farms and community, school, and backyard gardens are on the rise in Atlanta. And they all share the need for quality soil to grow quality produce.

That’s where Compostwheels comes in.

In 2012, David Paull founded this compost pick-up service to turn organic spoil into fertile soil for Atlanta farmers and gardeners.

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Each week, participating neighbors place coffee grounds, tea bags, and food waste into their lined 5-gallon white pail. Compostwheels picks up the organic waste, by truck or bicycle, and delivers it to local partners who trade space for finished compost.

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“Partnership is about resource sharing,” Paull explained. Compostwheels processes waste from its Grant Park bicycle route in the neighborhood at Freewheel Farm. In exchange, the farm receives nutrient dense compost that adds needed organic matter to the farm’s urban soil. Grant Park residential customers also receive finished compost, 50 pounds worth, to use themselves or to donate to a farm, school or community garden.

Piedmont Park Conservancy has also teamed up with Compostwheels. The park houses scaled composting at its maintenance facility and uses finished compost for the park’s trees, lawns, raised beds and dog park.

“Generally, waste never leaves your neighborhood, which ensures quality soil stays local while minimizing use of fossil fuels,” Paull said.

And, in just two years, Compostwheels customers have collectively diverted 160,000 pounds of organic waste from local landfills.

Compostwheels is on a mission to educate Atlantans of all ages about the

importance of composting to urban agriculture. Education and outreach take place at local farmer’s markets, schools, and summer camps. Weekend markets at Piedmont Park, Grant Park, East Atlanta Village, and Peachtree Road are the perfect venue for meeting new customers and partners.

Through school partners, like Springdale Park Elementary School (SPARK), Paull reaches students and their families. He’s guest taught the school’s environmental science class and set up two contained compost piles on the school grounds for the children to observe. Compostwheels volunteered at SPARK’s Family Science Night and led groups children and parents through the composting process. According to Paull, “more than a dozen customers now donate finished compost for SPARK to use in either land based or roof garden.” As the composting network grows and spreads throughout our local communities, Paull is confident it will have a large impact on our local food system, economy, and environment.

For more about Compostwheels, visit compostwheels.com.

Photo by David Paul Freewheel farm owner Brent Hall spreads compost created by Compostwheels.

More than 80 volunteers recently gathered in Atlanta Memorial Park for the Atlanta Memorial Park Conservancy’s (AMPC) rst annual Peachtree Creek Cleanup Day.

Partnering with Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, AMPC recruited volunteers from both organizations as well as the Castlewood Civic Association, Springlake Civic Association, Brandon Civic Association, Wildwood Civic Association, Peachtree Battle Alliance, Memorial Park Neighborhood Association, Friends of Bobby Jones Golf Course, Diplomatic Leadership Corps, Pollack Shores and PSREG/Matrix Residential.

Among the over 2.3 tons of trash removed from the water: a shopping cart, 37 tires, hub caps, a car bumper, clothing, shoes, metal pipes, gutters, appliances, plastic bottles, golf balls and a golf club. e cleanup e ort focused on a 2-mile stretch of Peachtree and Tanyard creeks that that run through Atlanta Memorial Park from Colonial Homes to Howell Mill.

“ is event is just the beginning of the Conservancy’s e orts to improve overall water quality in the park and bring awareness of and involvement in the preservation of our local creek, water resources and Memorial Park,” said AMPC President Roxanne Smith.

AMPC is working to create a master plan for the Bobby Jones Golf Course, Bitsy Grant Tennis Center and Atlanta Memorial Park, which will focus, among other things, on solutions to improve conditions on those segments of Peachtree and Tanyard creeks running through the park, including storm water management and ood mitigation; restoration and preservation of creek beds to prevent further erosion; and management of sewer-related issues.

More than 80 volunteers turned out last month to clean up Peachtree and Tanyard creeks. Shopping carts, hubcaps, tires and 2.3 tons of other debris were pulled from the waterways by the volunteers.

Courtesy Atlanta Memorial Park Conservancy

IN BLOOM

Daffodil Project a memorial to children lost during Holocaust

More than 20,000 da odils were planted in Downtown’s Woodru Park last November and they came into bloom last month in time to celebrate the beginning of e Da odil Project.

e Da odil Project plans to build a Living Holocaust Memorial by planting 1.5 million da odils around the world to remember and represent the 1.5 million children who died senselessly in Nazi occupied Europe.

e vision for this project in Downtown Atlanta includes the possibility of planting da odils along the route of the streetcar, lining the path from the National Center for Civil and Human Rights to the King Center. e da odils planted around the children’s playground in Woodru Park kicked o the project.

A celebration to mark the launch of the The Daffodil Project in Downtown Atlanta was held on March 19 in Woodruff Park. More than 20,000 daffodil bulbs were planted last November to remember children lost in the Holocaust. In the photo above, Atlanta Ambassador Justina Rivera talks with honoree Ben Hirsch, a Holocaust survivor. At right, Central Atlanta Progress President AJ Robinson welcomed guests and honorees to the park.

Photos by Phil Mosier

City negotiating lease buyout with plans to sell historic attraction

By Collin Kelley INtown Editor

Mayor Kasim Reed said the city is in negotiations with CV Underground to buy out the remainder of their current 88-year lease on Underground Atlanta. A unanimous Atlanta City Council vote on March 17 authorized a purchase price of up to $8.8 million dollars for the 12-acre site.

Underground, owned by the Downtown Development Authority, has been leased for just $100,000 per year, while mortgage and upkeep has been costing the city roughly $8 million per year.

“ e time is right for us to reposition Underground Atlanta and stop the bleeding on our balance sheet,” Reed said. “With this move, we have the ability to market the property and solicit the best, most innovative ideas to transform it into a vibrant component of downtown. Based on the city’s track record with Ponce City Market, the Lakewood Fairgrounds and Buckhead Atlanta, I am con dent we will succeed with Underground.”

Reed said he hopes the sale of

Underground will be a catalyst for redevelopment just like the old City Hall East complex, which is being transformed into Ponce City Market. Developer Jamestown Properties bought the building from the city for $13.5 million up front with the potential for double that amount based on the success of the redevelopment.

e Underground retail and entertainment district, best known for hosting the annual Peach Drop on New Year’s Eve, was created a er the Civil War as bridges and viaducts were built over Downtown’s railroad tracks. e veblock section, containing about 12-acres, was eventually covered and forgotten as the street level was raised one-and-a-half stories by the end of the 1920s.

Underground was rediscovered in the 1960s and the original store fronts, brick streets and gas lamps were renovated and turned into a restaurant and nightclub district in 1969, including the original Dante’s Down the Hatch. e heyday was short-lived and Underground became home to vagrants until the late 80s, when it was resurrected again in 1989.

e second heyday didn’t last long

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either as the upscale retailers and restaurants ed and were replaced by small shops, chain stores and fast-food

restaurants. ere have been proposals to turn Underground into a gambling casino, a museum or an arts district.

Courtesy Underground Atlanta

The light tower in the courtyard area of Underground Atlanta is used each year for the Peach Drop.

DeKalb cityhood movements look ahead to 2015

By Melissa Weinman

ree movements to create new municipalities in DeKalb County all failed during the Georgia Legislative session. Supporters of cityhood bills for Lakeside, Briarcli and Tucker have indicated they will try again in 2015.

At a March 17 meeting of the House Governmental

A airs Committee, Sen. Fran Millar (R-Dunwoody) withdrew his bill to incorporate a city of Lakeside in central DeKalb County a er committee members said they weren’t ready to approve it.

“What you’re basically telling 70,000 people is they don’t have the opportunity to vote this year,” Millar said.

Millar said he would not be bringing the bill back before the Legislature next year.

“ ese people were not treated fairly,” Millar said.

“When Republicans don’t let people vote for self determination … then shame on us.”

Part of a last-minute agreement struck between Lakeside and Tucker advocates was that the two cityhood e orts would move forward together, which fell apart because of legislative rules.

Rep. Mike Jacobs (R-Brookhaven), who participated in the negotiations between the two groups, said a signi cant

change to the legislative process would have been required in order to approve both cityhood e orts this year.

“I fully support this compromise between Tucker and Lakeside and I hope that it will continue forward in the future,” Jacobs said.

e city of Briarcli proposal was dropped from consideration toward the end of the session.

“It is a very sad day for our neighbors and our county but we will gure out a way to move forward positively and together,” said Mary Kay Woodworth, chairwoman of the Lakeside City Alliance.

Tucker 2014 President Sonja Szubski said her organization hopes to continue the momentum. “We are planning on moving forward in 2015 to pursue cityhood for Tucker” she said.

Briarcli leaders say they plan to continue working to create the city.

“Briarcli Version 2.0 starts now,” City of Briarcli Initiative board member Keith Hanks said in an email. “What we cannot do as residents is sit idle, expecting things to be done for us.”

Briarcli supporters decried the maneuvering of Lakeside and Tucker to advance their cityhood movements, citing a lack of transparency in the failed last-minute deal at the Gold Dome.

Collin Kelley contributed to this article.

“What you’re basically telling 70,000 people is they don’t have the opportunity to vote this year.”

–Sen. Fran Millar (R-Dunwoody)

Ann Taylor Boutwell

Atlanta INtown historian Ann Taylor Boutwell gave special tours of the Margaret Mitchell House & Museum in March as part of Phoenix Flies, a month-long event that featured tours and events of the city’s historic homes, landmarks and spaces. Boutwell has been writing about history for INtown for nearly its entire 20-year existence. We’re proud to call her part of the family.

April 1, 1964: Final rites for Bessie Berry Jordan, the friend and housekeeper of the late Atlanta novelist Margaret Mitchell and her husband, John Marsh, were held at the Big Bethel A.M.E. Church on Auburn Avenue. In 1925, Jordan began working for the couple at their Crescent Avenue apartment and followed them at their subsequent apartments on West Peachtree and the South Prado. She protected them from overzealous fans, friends, and wannabe movie stars. In 1949, a er Mitchell’s death, Jordan was noted in the New York Times headlines as Mitchell’s rst bequeath. She also wrote a memorial piece title “My Sweet Miss Peggy” published in the Atlanta JournalConstitution Sunday Magazine

April 9, 1997: A dedication ceremony was held in Hardy Ivy Park at Peachtree and Baker streets for the Carnegie Pavilion sculpture designed by architect Henri Jova of Jova, Daniel, Busby. Atlanta’s old Carnegie Library façade, torn down in 1977, is now a tribute to higher education. Embedded in the pavilion’s oor are nine seals from area colleges and universities: Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University, International eology School, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, Morris Brown College, Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University and Emory University. A celebration of Henri Jova’s life is planned at the Atlanta Botanical Garden on April 3 at 5 p.m.

April 19, 1936: Atlanta’s rst annual Dogwood Festival opened Downtown with a police-escorted General Motors Parade of Progress. e six-day, citywide party o ered 37 gala events. Sightseeing excursions to Hettie Dunaway Gardens in Newnan were the most popular. Highlights included the Junior League’s Carnival Ball at the Piedmont Driving Club; “ e Enchanted Garden” an elaborate dance fantasy performed at the Lullwater Conservation Garden; and the elaborate Fairyland Pageant held at Georgia Tech’s Grant Field. Lakewood Park drew crowds to a midway of amusements created by Rubin & Cherry Exposition Company. e Fox eatre, the venue for the last event on April 25, was a performance of Carmen by the Metropolitan Opera. Dogwood Festival Director Mrs. Robert L. Cooney said that it took her four years of event planning to execute the city’s rst Dogwood Festival. e 78th festival will be held in Piedmont Park on April 11-13.

April 10, 1949: Cairo, Ga. native Jackie Robinson came to Atlanta with the Brooklyn Dodgers and played the rst integrated game in Ponce de Leon Ball Park against the Atlanta Crackers.

April 12, 1926: Child actor Jane Withers was born in Atlanta. By age 4, she was playing the vaudeville circuit in Atlanta. She was in the movie Giant (1956) and performed in television commercials as Josephine the Plumber.

April 15, 1913: On Confederate Memorial Day, 13-year-old Mary Phagan was murdered in the National Pencil Company at 39 South Forsyth Street. Factory superintendent Leo Frank was convicted of her murder and sentenced to death, but had his sentence commuted to life in prison by Gov. John M. Slaton. Frank was kidnapped from the jail and lynched in Marietta. He was pardoned in 1986.

April 18, 1992: Sadly, a team of specialists at Zoo Atlanta had to euthanize the 25-year-old polar bear, Linda. She had an incurable in ammatory condition in her toes. Linda’s cub, Andy Nicolas, born Dec. 25, 1982, was named a er Mayor Andrew Young. He was the subject of a popular children’s book, Andy Bear, written by Ginny Johnston and Judy Cutchins.

April 22, 1906: Atlanta donations swelled to $14,000 for victims of the San Francisco earthquake and re.

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

Photo by Cameron Adams

School Briefs

e Galloway School presents Honk!, a musical adaptation of e Ugly Duckling, on Apr. 10-13. Directed by J. Scott McNair, this musical comedy will feature 30 students of the Galloway community dancing, singing and acting. Tickets are $10. For more information, visit gallowayschool.org.

More than 150 Atlanta high school students were recently honored for their participation in the Regions Financial Scholars Program, a nancial education course designed to empower young people with the essential skills needed to make sound nancial decisions. Judge Glenda A. Hatchett, former chief presiding judge of Fulton County, was on hand to honor participants from South Atlanta and Booker T. Washington High Schools during an awards ceremony at Morehouse College.

Faculty, sta and students in the Clark Atlanta University Mass Media Arts Department recently met on campus with Russian journalism instructors and administrators (pictured right), as part of the International Visitor Leadership Program, which is the premier professional exchange program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural A airs. Participants in the program examined trends in journalism education in the United States. e visitors also toured WCLK-91.9 FM Radio and CAU-TV.

Heritage Preparatory School has announced the appointment of Rev. Soo Chang to the position of Head of School. With more than 13 years of experience in classical Christian education, Chang joins Heritage from Christ Covenant School in Winterville, North Carolina, where he served as head of school. Prior to Christ Covenant School, he served as Director of Admission, Chaplain, Professor of Bible Church History and Systemic eology at e Cambridge School of Dallas, Texas.

ATLANTA

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AERICA SUMMERS, MD, MPH

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.

Flu vaccinations available.

Location:

Health & Wellness Briefs

Curing Kids Cancer and the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta have announced the $1.5 million endowment of the Killian Owen/ Curing Kids Cancer Clinical Research Center at Children’s at Scottish Rite. Killian, who passed away in July 2003 at the age of 9, is the inspiration for the Atlanta-based non-profit Curing Kids Cancer.

With a sold-out attendance of more than 700 community leaders, the 4th annual White Coat Grady Gala raised $1.26 million for the Grady Health System last month. Donations support the Grady Health System’s vision to become the leading public academic healthcare system in the US.

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory Healthcare are partnering to launch the Congenital Heart Center of Georgia (CHCG). One of the largest programs in the

United States and the first in Georgia, the Congenital Heart Center of Georgia is a comprehensive program for children and adults with CHD, providing a continuum of lifesaving care from before birth through adulthood.

Piedmont Atlanta Hospital has received a grant of $25,000 from It’s The Journey, Inc., producers of the Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer. The grant will fund genetic counseling and testing for eligible, high-risk individuals who are underserved, uninsured and live south of Piedmont Atlanta Hospital.

Emory University Hospital and Emory University Hospital Midtown have received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline Heart Attack Receiving Center Accreditation. The program recognizes hospitals that treat the most severe type of heart attack known as STEMI, in which blood flow is completely blocked to part of the heart.

Killian Owen

After hour care is walk in only.

Call our hospital for more information about appointment hours and overnight services.

Pet Pick

Willie needs a hero. Could it be you? He has been at the shelter since 2011, despite the fact that he is great with people of all ages and other pets. He is also healthy and very mellow. He is a 7-yearold tuxedo cat who likes nothing more than napping. Are you looking for a low-key, low-maintenance kitty to love? To adopt Willie or any of the other dogs and cats available, visit pawsatlanta.org or stop by the shelter at 5287 Covington Highway in Decatur.

Call

www.BriarcliffAnimal.com

Serving Morningside, VA Highlands, Buckhead, Ansley & Emory

1850 Johnson Rd., NE at Briarcliff Intersection across from Sage Hill Shopping Center

Pets Are Loving Support (PALS) is seeking entries for its new “spokes-pet,” who will be crowned during the annual Pet Cotillion fundraiser on May 18. Visit palsatlanta. org to enter your pet and to vote for your favorite of those already entered.

The Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta is rolling out the red carpet for dogs, including in-room dining. Guests checking in will find organic bone-shaped cookies prepared by the hotel’s pastry team placed in their room, along with a cozy bed, water bowl, doggie dental kit and a variety of play toys. The in-room ‘MOpup’ dining program offers a selection of special pet-friendly dishes. The hotel’s English garden also has a special pet area.

PEACHTREE FACELIFT

SoNo stretch of street will get new sidewalks, trees

Midtown’s southernmost section of Peachtree Street—from the Fox Theatre to Emory University Hospital Midtown— will soon receive a major facelift.

The project between Ponce de Leon Avenue and Pine Street – south of North Avenue or SoNo, as it’s been dubbed – is the last of four major streetscaping projects along Peachtree being undertaken by Midtown Alliance. Enhancements will include new sidewalks, pavers, ramps, pedestrian light-poles, improved tree wells, new bike racks and landscaping.

Midtown Alliance has partnered with Central Atlanta Progress and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (ADID) to continue the upgrades past Pine Street to the Peachtree Street Bridge at the Downtown Connector.

To ensure safer pedestrian crossing, a new mid-block, high-intensity

activated crosswalk (HAWK) near the hospital has been proposed. The HAWK signalized crosswalk functions similarly to a stoplight, halting car traffic when a pedestrian indicates the need to cross. High priority bike facilities will also be implemented as part of this project. A bicycle lane will be installed on Peachtree Street south of Pine Street and will tie into the two-way cycle track on Peachtree Center Avenue in Downtown.

“Sharrows,” or “share the lane” markings, will be painted from Pine Street north to Pershing Point Park. In addition, new signage will alert drivers of the potential presence of cyclists.

The streetscape project is estimated to cost $1.04 million, with 100 percent of funding by the Midtown Improvement District. Construction is set to start this year, and the project is anticipated for completion in 2016.

Does

Consider joining a clinical research study at Emory University/Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to improve asthma treatments for African-Americans/Blacks!

To participate in this study, you must:

• Be 5-21 years old

• Have at least one grandparent of African descent

Qualified participants will receive:

• Asthma medications

• Lung evaluations

• Compensation for time and travel

By Tim Sullivan

The glue that holds the team together

We tried soccer with Elliott when he was 3 because, like most parents of newly upright children, we were convinced that he was a gifted athlete. But the season was marked by wild scrums around the ball, minor injuries and lots of tears. The highlight reel was all of a kid named Daniel who was actually very skilled. It seemed his father may have been running some drills at home. I guessed this because the dad stalked the sidelines like a madman screaming instructions at the poor kid. “Daniel! Get the ball! Dan-yull!! Dan-yell!!!” Daniel scored about 15 goals a game while most of the kids tallied dandelions and a burgeoning indifference to sports.

So we put soccer on the shelf indefinitely, but this season Elliott and his buddy Colin schemed to get on the same team and the Decatur Recreation department kindly obliged. Kristen and I were skeptical and prepared for a short season so we just borrowed old cleats from a neighbor. At the first practice, he tentatively got into the flow. He seemed more comfortable playing defense. While most 6 and 7 year old kids are only concerned with scoring goals, he’s an assist guy. He bounced up from a hard slide tackle that would have signaled “game over” in past years. He ran hard, competed and smiled. This was a breakthrough of an hour at Adair Park for the Sullivan family.

As a kid, I lived and breathed basketball. In 2nd grade I spent so much time hanging around 5th and 6th grade team that Coach O’Toole gave me a uniform,

a spot on the end of the bench and a pack of tissues to wipe my nose. My brother Rob was a 6th grader and a starter. I’m pretty certain no one has tracked the history of Our Lady of Sorrows Elementary School basketball teams to positively say so, but I think they were the best ever. Two years later, his class carried the Varsity squad to another championship and three decades later I still think of that team when watching youth sports.

They were good athletes for sure, but what really set them apart was that they were all unselfish players. At point guard was Steve Hillebrecht, who was the most fundamentally skilled player on the team and perhaps in the entire league. On the wings were Eddie Byrne and Frankie Bensel - two sharpshooters who were absolutely menacing on the diamond-and-one press after a made basket. Down low, providing a good chunk of scoring and a wide shouldered presence, was Steve DeLuca.

Then there was the glue guy, Rob, who just made everyone better. A fitting role perhaps as Rob is the fifth of 10 children in our family - the baby brother to the older guys and the big brother to those of us in younger half. Rob was stronger than his relatively slight build would have suggested and

played a physical game. He boxed out and grabbed tons of rebounds. He would rifle outlet passes to the speedsters to start fast breaks. He played great defense, drew hard offensive fouls and wasn’t afraid to ham it up to ensure the ref got the call right. If needed, he even scored some points. Without him, the team would have been pretty good but with him, they were superlative.

So now at Elliott’s first soccer game I’m beaming on the sidelines as he quietly breaks up an advance on the defensive end. He gathers himself and the ball and foots it up to one of the star players at center forward for a scoring opportunity on the other end of the field. I’m thinking about glue. And I‘m thinking about what kind of an athlete and person I hope he grows up to be. And I’m thinking about his Uncle Rob and I’m thinking that I like the way this kid plays the game.

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.

Courtesy Tim Sullivan

Our Lady of Sorrows Elementary School Varsity basketball team, circa 1982, in White Plains, NY.

The much-anticipated Inman Park Festival takes place this month (more about that on Page 32), so it seemed appropriate to feature the neighborhood as our snapshot for April.

Inman Park is probably best known for its collection of colorful 19th and 20th century mansions in the Queen Anne, Italianate and Romanesque styles. The neighborhood was planned in the late 1880s by Joel Hurt, a civil engineer and real-estate developer who wanted to create a rural oasis connected to the city by the first electric streetcar. Hurt named the community after his friend and business associate, Samuel M. Inman.

If you drive down Edgewood Avenue, you’ll see the historic Trolley Barn, now an event space, where streetcars were stored and maintained along the route. With the new streetcar coming online this summer in Downtown and discussion of linking it to the Atlanta BeltLine, Inman Park may see “trolleys” once again.

Like many Intown neighborhoods, Inman Park saw a decline in the 50s and 60s as more people fled for the suburbs. In the 70s, the neighborhood started to bounce back and residents banded together to prevent the planned I-485 expressway from decimating the community.

Today, Inman Park is thriving with new businesses and restaurants, such as the hip Barcelona Wine Bar and pizza favorite Friti. New lofts and townhomes have been built on reclaimed industrial areas, while the 280 Elizabeth Street project is bringing luxury apartments and more retail to the neighborhood. The Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail, which runs along the neighborhood’s western border, has made Inman Park one of the most desirable residential areas in the city once again.

Clockwise from left: Barcelona is one of Inman Park’s most popular restaurants; a rendering of the under-construction 280 Elizabeth Street project; a tasting preview of The Spotted Trotter at Krog Street Market; one of Inman Park’s most beautiful mansions; and the historic Trolley Barn on Edgewood Avenue.

Summer Camps

..and bigger than ever! With six different sessions covering a variety of media and themes.

...where experienced teachers will use wide-ranging tools, such as games, computers and robotics, to make mathematics fun and exciting! For more information, dates and registration, please visit www.friendsschoolatlanta.org.

The Children’s School is now proud to share its commitment to excellence, innovation, and play through the establishment of TCS University , a personal and professional development institute, furthering active, lifelong learning in children and adults.

Session 1, Tuesday, June 17, 2014, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

INDEPENDENCE – Executive Functions in Elementary Students: Setting the Stage for Later Independence

Session 2, Wednesday, June 18, 2014, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

GRIT – Raising Self-Reliant, Resilient Children in a Hyperconnected World

For rates, registration and more information, please visit www.thechildrensschool.com.

TREE POWER

Buckhead-based company plants “solar energy tree”

Hannah Solar, a Buckhead-based company that designs and integrates solar technology, has installed the first “solar energy tree” structure in the state of Georgia.

The structure, designed and manufactured by Spotlight Solar, was planted at the company’s Collier Road headquarters on the first day of spring. The bright orange, artistic structure stands 22 feet tall and incorporates 12 distinctive Lumos solar panels.

The tree will provide enough energy through Hannah Solar’s electric vehicle charging stations to power a Nissan Leaf over 6,000 miles each year.

The newly renovated Atlanta headquarters of Hannah Solar, which was founded in 2008, incorporates 254 rooftop solar modules, making more energy than the building and its’ 23 employees consume. The solar tree provides more energy to help power Hannah Solar’s electric vehicle charging stations. The solar tree will produce over 120,000 kilowatt hours of clean energy over its lifetime and eliminate pollution equivalent to burning 9,000 gallons of gasoline, while saving over $15,000 in

electric energy costs or $31,500 in gas costs.

“We hope these structures will foster the adoption of renewable energy and environmental stewardship while educating consumers and businesses alike about the importance of solar energy to their business and the rapid development of a multi-billion dollar industry in our state,” said Peter H. Marte, CEO of Hannah Solar.

The state of Georgia is the fastest growing solar market in the United States, ranking 7th nationally in solar electric capacity. In 2013, $189 million was invested in Georgia to install solar for home, business and utility use. There is enough solar energy installed in the state to power 10,600 homes.

For more information about Hannah Solar, visit hannahsolar.com.

Courtesy Hannah Solar

Workers install the solar tree outside Hannah Solar’s offices on Collier Road in Buckhead. The tree will be used to charge electric vehicles.

2013 Top Performers — Individuals and Teams

Smith Team of the Year Kathleen Sickeler

Amber Mason The Derek Scheidt and Stephen Simonson Team

Mike Kondalski

Westmoreland Agent of the Year

Heaton Ed Woods

Patrick Peyer Erin Fye

Gerry Lowrey Nicole Davis

Michael Smith

Julie Duffy

Josh Howard Rachael Blatt

Lamar Golar

Sherry Warner Beth Smith

Michelle Wilson Rookie of the Year

Miriam Mathura Wilma Richardson

Melissa Stratton Kurt Harvell

Cliff Grable Faith Stratton Top Leasing Agent

Briefs

Kanga (getkanga.com), an on-demand crowdsourced delivery platform, has launched in Atlanta and is hiring drivers. The app-based service connects individuals, drivers and retailers for local shipping needs. Users place an order with a retailer and then a network of approved drivers bid to make the delivery. Kanga will be available on all iOS and Android devices. Routing status and shipment tracking will also available via web interface. Following launch, the company plans to expand throughout the Southeast during 2014, based on consumer demand. Kanga’s headquarters is on West Peachtree Street in Midtown. The startup, jointly led by entrepreneurs Scott Miller of Payleap and Everett Steele of Baby Robot Industries, received $1 million in funding. If you’d like to be a driver for Kanga, apply online at getkanga.com/jobs.

Raw Denim (rawdenimatlanta.com) has closed its physical location in the 12th & Midtown development and become an online only store after a brazen armed robbery last month. Thieves held up the store and took an estimated $10,000 worth of clothing and cash. This was the second robbery for the boutique, which was also the victim of a smash and grab when it was located in Buckhead last year. Owner Emily Lipman, who was featured on Bravo’s reality show e New Atlanta, said “I have made a very tough but I think best decision I can make. We are unfortunately closing our store front business in Midtown, but we will continue to carry our fabulous styles on our online boutique.”

The Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC) has announced that Brian P. McGowan will join the organization’s leadership team as executive vice president and chief operating officer. McGowan most recently served as President and CEO of Invest Atlanta, where he led economic development and job growth initiatives for the City of Atlanta. McGowan will focus on strategic transformation and building new regional economic development initiatives collaborating across all Chamber functions. Additionally, he will oversee the administration of human resources, IT, finance and building operations.

The Atlanta Streetcar has announced that 17 businesses that will open pop-up shops along the route this summer. Although the opening date for the 2.7-mile loop has been delayed, all the pop-ups shops are expected to be open by June 7. Some of the shops will include vintage home furnishings from City Issue, music and comics from Criminal Records, pop-up experts The Indie Craft Experience, Just Add Honey Tea Company, jewelry and gifts from Modern Tribe and interior decorating from Nandina Designs

Downtown Atlanta’s first skyscraper, the historic Flatiron Building, could be redeveloped into an incubator to foster entrepreneurship in the city’s core. According to a report in the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Arun Nijhawan managing principal with Lucror Resources, plans to buy and renovate the 40,000 square foot building into a “collaborative place” for Atlanta’s “makers, thinkers, and doers,” according to a document filed with Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development arm.

The new owners of Downtown’s landmark Olympia Building are in the process of finalizing redevelopment plans for the two-story structure. Based on new renderings, the building located at the intersection of Peachtree, Decatur and Edgewood will keep its historic look and a Walgreens pharmacy will open on the ground floor.

Jewelry store Cerese D. (ceresed. com) has opened in The Lumberyard complex at 1425 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd., Suite 40. Owned by Cerese Dolman and her mother, Deborah, the store sells handcrafted jewelry – necklaces, earrings, bracelets and statement jewelry – made in its onsite studio. Also inside the store is Sassafrass, a women’s boutique with clothing, hats, bags and other accessories.

By Collin Kelley INtown Editor

Spring is here and so are a slate of festivals happening around Intown this month. From arts and crafts to food and beer, there is something for everyone’s taste. After a long winter, heading out to one of the weekend events is sure to put the spring in your step.

SPRING FESTIVAL GUIDE

Arts, crafts, beer and parades all month long

Festival on Ponce

The spring edition of the popular festival will be held April 5 - 6 in the Olmsted Linear Park along Ponce de Leon Avenue. Visitors will enjoy fine art and crafts, folk and “outsider” art from more than 120 artisans, a children’s area, live acoustic music and a line-up of some of Intown’s favorite food trucks. For a full list of artists and events, visit festivalonponce.com or visit facebook.com/ festivalonponce.

Sandy Springs Artsapalooza

This year’s Artsapalooza will be held April 12 – 13 along Lake Forest Drive between Mount Vernon Highway and Hammond Drive. There will be more than 150 arts and crafters in every discipline, a children’s play area, local musicians, interactive art stations and more. Visit sandyspringsartsapalooza.com for more information.

Sweetwater 420 Festival

The annual music and beer festival is marking its 10th year by moving out of Candler Park to Downtown’s Centennial Olympic Park on April 18-19. Along with all the brew, the music lineup includes Sublime, Still Pulse, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Galactic, G. Love & Special Sauce, Dirty Heads and many more. For dance fans, the Not So Silent Disco will feature Two Fresh, Paul Basic & Supervision and George Acosta among others. The Relapse 420 Comedy Tent will feature comics from around the city, Gas South is sponsoring a cornhole tournament, plus there will be a kids area and artist market. For full details about the weekend and to buy VIP tickets, visit sweetwater420fest.com.

Atlanta Dogwood Festival

The 78th annual event will take place April 11-13 in Piedmont Park. Hundreds of artisans will be on hand along with live music, a kid’s village, food and more. The Backyard Barbecue & Brews will be Saturday and Sunday featuring craft beers, wine, moonshine and barbecue. Also returning this year is the International Village with cultural performances from around the globe The annual Disc Dogs Southern Nationals and the Atlanta High School Art exhibition will also be part of the festival. For full details on all the weekend’s activities, visit dogwood.org.

Atlanta Arab Festival

This celebration of Arab culture will be held April 26-27 at the Alif Institute, 3288 Marjan Drive. There will be music, food, art and more. Admission is $2 per person or $5 per family. More details at alifinstitute.org.

Inman Park Festival

The 43rd annual Inman Park Festival is set for April 25 – 27 with more than 150 fine artists lining the treeshaded streets of the neighborhood. The centerpiece of the festival is the annual parade – floats, bands, local nonprofits and residents – which steps off at 2 p.m. (rain or shine) along Edgewood and Euclid to Austin Avenue. There will also be two days of live music on three stages, a Kidzone at Springvale Park, a dance festival at the Trolley Barn and food of all kinds from local restaurants. The annual Tour of Homes will also take place that weekend (more information on Page 45). Parking for the festival will be nearly nonexistent, so visitors are strongly encouraged to take MARTA to the Inman Park station, bike or walk to the festival. A free shuttle bus will be circling the area from noon to 6 p.m. - just wave your arms to flag it down. For more, visit inmanparkfestival.org.

ON THE HUNT

Easter egg hunts around Intown

By Lela Johnson

Hop to it! Easter egg hunts are planned around Intown. Tickets are available now for Callanwolde Fine Arts Center’s Eggstravaganza on April 19 from 10 a.m. to noon. Featuring thousands of eggs to hunt, Atlanta Braves games and prizes, and the Easter Bunny himself, this “family favorite” event is a can’t miss. Tickets and more information at callanwolde.org

Fernbank Museum will host its annual Dinosaur Egg Hunt on April 12. Mark your calendars for a day of music, games, egg hunting and more from 8 to 12. Be sure to buy tickets in advance on fernbankmuseum.org as this popular event will fill up quickly.

Hop over to the Atlanta History

Center in Buckhead for Egg Hunt on the Farm on April 14. Arts, crafts, games and a visit with the Easter Bunny are all planned for this special event. More information at atlantahistorycenter.com.

Allen Snow Showcase of Homes

Contemporary and well planned

A guide for arts and cultural entertainment for the entire family

Visual Arts

Simone Leigh: Gone South: Atlanta Contemporary Art Center presents the work of New York artist Simone Leigh, who uses installation, sculpture and video to speak on African culture, feminism and pop culture. Opens April 4. $5 to $8. thecontemporary. org

Print Big!: Groups of artists are paired against each other and carve opposing images on printmaking blocks so large that a steamroller is needed to complete the work at this annual Atlanta Printmakers Studio event. April 12. Free. atlantaprintmakersstudio.org

Go West!: Drawn from the collection of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Wyoming, this High Museum exhibit features major works of art and important artifacts focused on the American West over the course of a century. Closes April 13. $12 to $19.50.

The Lion King: Up Close: Get an intimate look at the Simba, Nala, Mufasa and Scar masks, as well as the Zazu puppet, from the Broadway in Atlanta musical production of “The Lion King.” Closes April 27. $8.25. puppet.org

BLIND/SIGHT: Conversations with the Visually Inspired: Photographer Billy Howard and illustrator Laurie Shock celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Center for the Visually Impaired with a photo series focused on people and an interpretative illustration of what they see. Tuesday through Sunday. $5. museum.oglethorpe. edu

Interference: Reactions to Shooter Video Games: Artist Temme BarkinLeeds interferes with the original design of war video games in her paintings and animations by flattening and sugarcoating the images in this Callanwolde exhibit. Monday through Saturday. Free. callanwolde.org

Topophilia: Stephanie Dowda’s photography series explores the powerful sensations the natural environment stirs within humans, taking its inspiration from Yi-Fu Tuan’s geography theory of the same name. Wednesday through Saturday. Free. getthisgallery.com

Witness: The Photographs of Billy Howard: “Witness” features photographs taken on assignment during the last 15 years by Atlanta’s Billy Howard, who travels internationally to photograph global health initiatives. Monday through Friday. Free. cdc.gov/museum

Performing Arts

Maurice Hines is Tappin’ Thru Life: Life-long performer and Tony Award nominee Maurice Hines narrates his glamorous career through song and dance as he pays tribute to his brother, Gregory

Hines, and the singers who have inspired him, from Frank Sinatra to Lena Horne. Opens April 2. $30 to $75. alliancetheatre. org

Dividing the Estate: In this comedy, matriarch Stella Gordon keeps her aging and money-strapped children on a short financial leash with no signs of sharing her 100-year old estate. April 2 through April 20. $20 to $50. theatricaloutfit.org

Archer Live!: Hear live readings of classic scenes from the Emmy Awardnominated series and a moderated discussion among cast members H. Jon Benjamin as Agent Sterling Archer, Aisha Tyler as Agent Lana Kane and more at The Tabernacle. April 4. $47. tabernacleatl.com

Voices and Harps: Moya Brennan, Cormac de Barra: Moya Brennan, lead singer of Irish folk band Clannad and considered by many as the “First Lady of Celtic Music,” joins harp virtuoso Cormac De Barra at this concert at Emory’s Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts. April 4. $20. arts.emory.edu

Pilobolus: Like its biological namesake – a feisty little fungus that thrives in farmyards – Pilobolus continues to grow toward the light, expanding and refining its inventive and collaborative dance works. April 5. $22 to $49. ferstcenter.gatech.edu

Charlotte’s Web: Center for Puppetry Arts presents E.B. White’s classic story of a friendly spider who plans to save Wilbur the pig through her wits, words and webs. Tickets include a “Charlotte the Spider Hand Puppet” workshop. Opens April 8. $16.50. puppet.org

The Lion King: This lively stage adaptation of the Academy Award-winning 1994 Disney film comes to the Fox Theatre with the story of a young lion prince who fulfills his destiny to be king in the African Pride Lands. April 10 through April 27. $25 to $170.85. broadwayinatlanta.com

Stephen Mills’ Hamlet: Atlanta Ballet redefines the limits of dance with this modern production of Shakespeare’s enduring masterpiece set to the spellbinding music of Philip Glass at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. April 11 through April 13. $20 to $120. atlantaballet. com

St. John Passion: On the eve of Passion Sunday, New Trinity Baroque performs one of Johann Sebastian Bach’s finest works featuring Swedish tenor Leif Aruhn-Solén, baritone Paul Tipton and Atlanta’s soprano Wanda Yang Temko at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church. A free pre-concert talk begins at 7 p.m. April 12. $9 to $39. newtrinitybaroque.org

Elemeno Pea: Simone and Devon’s sisters weekend getaway is interrupted when Simone’s demanding employer crashes the party and needs her help to keep her trophy wife status in this three-ring circus comedy at Horizon Theatre. Closes April 13. $20 to $40. horizontheatre.com

Abbey Road LIVE!: Don’t expect moptop haircuts and vintage guitars from this tribute band but rather a heartfelt tribute to The Beatles’ 1962-1966 “Red Album” in honor of Beatlemania’s 50th anniversary. April 18. $15 to $20. variety-playhouse. com

Britten’s War Requiem: Robert Spano leads the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in this 20th century tribute to Great Britain’s fallen soldiers. April 24 through April 26. $24 to $75. atlantasymphony.org

The Barber of Seville: Rossini’s comedy has had its share of laughs from generations of opera lovers with its story of a wily barber, masterful disguises and hilarious antics, all in the name of love. Opens April 26. $26 to $140. atlantaopera. org

Trey McIntyre Project: For five years, McIntyre has led his own cuttingedge dance company through a bold and beautiful passion project, infusing classical ballet with the vibrant, soulful energy of American rock, classical, and jazz. April 26. $39.72 to $65.64. rialto.gsu.edu

Mozart in Paris: The Georgian Chamber Players present a concert of Mozart’s only composition for string trio (Divertimento in E-flat major, K.563), and Franck’s Piano Quintet at Trinity Presbyterian Church. April 27. $10 to $20. georgianchamberplayers.org

PILOBOLUS AT FERST CENTER

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BLINDSIGHT

Georgia Gardens

Barnsley Gardens

Gibbs Gardens

Smith-Gilbert Gardens

Atlanta Botanical Gardens

Vines Gardens

Editor’s Note: We joined forces with our sister publications, Reporter Newspapers, to put together this guide for some colorful garden road trips. The Road Trip feature will pop up from time to time when we find recommendations on where you should go to get out of town.

As spring returns and nature begins to color the landscape, it’s a good time to check out places where flowers really strut their stuff. Here are seven gardens located in Georgia.

Some have stories to tell. Others offer exotic flowers or displays of floral beauty. Clean out the SUV, load up the family and take a moment to smell the roses, or the irises, or the daffodils.

Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta

Efforts to create an Atlanta garden began in 1973, and the garden opened in 1976. It now occupies about 30 acres and five main buildings, and operates as a nonprofit charged with developing and maintaining plant collections for display, education, research and conservation.

Address: 1345 Piedmont Avenue

Hours: Tuesdays through Sundays – 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. November through March; 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. April through October; Thursdays – 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. May through October; closed Mondays, except holidays.

Dunaway Gardens

Callaway Gardens

Dunaway Gardens, Roscoe

Actress Hetty Jane Dunaway in 1934 opened a “theatrical training ground” on her husband Wayne P. Sewell’s property six miles from Newnan, Dunaway Gardens says on its website. Her stone-walled gardens hosted theatrical and dance performances. They fell into disrepair and were overgrown by kudzu and ivy for nearly half a century. Owner Jennifer Bigham began restoring the gardens in 2000, and the gardens reopened in 2005.

Address: 3218 Roscoe Road

Hours: Scheduled to be open only on selected weekend days in April, May and June. Open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and noon until 4 p.m. on Sundays. Cost: $10 for adults; $8 for children.

What it’s known for: Past association with celebrities, such as Minnie Pearl, an amphitheater, the Hanging Gardens.

For more information: (678) 423-4050 or dunawaygardens.com.

Gibbs Gardens, Ball Ground

Retired landscape company founder James H. Gibbs started building a combination of 16 gardens in 1980 on 220 acres around his Cherokee County home, the gardens’ website says. He opened the house and garden to the public in 2012.

Address: 1987 Gibbs Drive

Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, from June 12 through Dec. 12.

Cost: $20 for adults; $18 for seniors 65 and older and for children aged 4 to 17; free for children 3 and younger.

What it’s known for: Daffodils, ferns, a lane shaded by maples and cypress.

For more information: (770) 893-1880 or gibbsgardens.com.

Barnsley Gardens, Adairsville

Cost: $18.95 for adults; $12.95 for children aged 3 to 12; free for children younger than 3. What it’s known for: Orchids, roses, hydrangeas, a Japanese garden, desert plants, high elevation plants.

For more information: (404) 876-5859 or atlantabotanicalgarden.org.

Vines Gardens, Loganville

Address: 3500 Oak Grove Road, Directions: Take I-285 East to Exit 39B. Take U.S 78 East for about 21 miles. Turn left on Hoke Okelly Road SW, then turn left onto Oak Grove Road.

Hours: sunrise to sunset, unless otherwise posted. What it’s known for: 25-acre garden, a model railroad that opens May 10. For more information: (678) 277-0890 or gwinnettcounty.com.

Smith-Gilbert Gardens, Kennesaw

The 16-acre gardens grew up around the historic Hiram Butler House, which was built in 1880. Robert Gilbert purchased the property in 1970 and over the next 35 years, Gilbert and Richard Smith added the gardens and sculpture collection. The house and gardens, owned by the city of Kennesaw, now feature more than 3,000 species of plants.

Address: 2382 Pine Mountain Road

Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Mondays.

Cost: $7 for adults; $6 for senior citizens and active duty military; $5 for children aged 6 to 12. What it’s known for: The garden features 31 sculptures. For more information: (770) 919-0248 or www.smithgilbertgardens.com.

Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain

Cason J. Callaway, a textile magnate from LaGrange, and his wife, Virginia, conceived of these gardens in the 1930s and began working on them in the 1940s, according to the garden’s website. Open to the public since 1952 and now operated by a foundation, this 2,600-acre resort complex offers golf, water sports and restaurants. The garden features a butterfly house, and claims to be home to the world’s largest azalea garden. Peak azalea blooms are expected in late March and early April.

Address: 17800 U.S. 27

Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Cost: $18 to $25 (depending on type of ticket) for adults; $15 to $20 for senior citizens 65 and older; $9 to $12.50 for children 6 to 12; 5 and younger, free.

What it’s known for: Azaleas, butterflies, native plants, seasonal special events such as a hot air balloon festival in the summer, and holiday lights in November and December.

For more information: 1-800-225-5292 or callawaygardens.com.

In the 1840s, Englishman Godfrey Barnsley bought acreage in northwest Georgia and began building a mansion and formal garden for his wife, Julia. She died before the project was completed and work stopped until Barnsley dreamed that Julia appeared in the garden and told him to finish the project. Barnsley’s descendants lived at the property until 1942. In 1989, Prince Hubertus Fugger Babenhause of Germany bought the land and restored the garden. The property now is home to the Barnsley Resort, which includes cottages, restaurants, a spa and golf course.

Address: 597 Barnsley Gardens Road

Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Cost: $10 for adults; $8 for seniors 55 and older; $5 for students and children aged 4 to 11; free for children younger than 4. What it’s known for: 19th century boxwood gardens, wildflower meadow, rose arbor. For more information: 1-877-773-2447 or (770) 773-7480 or barnsleyresort.com.

BOOKS BY LOCAL AUTHORS

Here’s a roundup of new and recently published books by local authors. Since April is also National Poetry Month, you’ll notice several new volumes of verse, as well.

Book of Hours: Poems by Kevin Young (Random House) Young’s poems about the death of his father are juxtaposed with those about the birth of his son. In a recent Fresh Air interview, Young told Terry Gross that those two events have been transformative for his life and work: “It was a way of just writing about what had happened and also the way that the cycle of life informed my life, from death to birth to... a kind of rebirth that I felt afterward.”

East Atlanta by Henry Bryant and Katina

VanCronkhite (Arcadia Publishing) The two East Atlanta residents weave together the history of the eclectic neighborhood, from the Battle of Atlanta during the Civil War to its renaissance as a thriving community of residents, shops and restaurants.

Hanging the Peachtree Bandit by Tom Hughes (The History Press) On December 15, 1921, during the height of the Christmas shopping season, one of the most daring robberies of a jewelry store sent shock waves down Peachtree Street, resulting in the manhunt, and arrest, of eighteen yearold Frank DuPre, a young man accused of killing two men simply to steal a ring for a young woman he had known for but one week. The book follows DuPre’s legal battle to avoid the gallows, pitting the city of Atlanta against itself in what would become the first significant challenge to capital punishment in Georgia.

Swift Hour: Poems by Megan Sexton (Mercer University Press) A search for shadows and light ties this collection together as Sexton explores the grieving mothers of the Disappeared of Argentina, the censorship of Anna Akmatova, to Ghandi’s ashes being scattered into the Ganges.

Only Ride: Poems by Megan Volpert (Sibling Rivalry Press) Volpert’s new collection of minimalist prose poems tackles suburban malaise, including sharp – and funny –details on how to avoid becoming one’s parents, how to manage a body addled by disease, and how to keep having the best possible time in life.

Prisoners, Lovers and Spies by Kristie Macrakis (Yale University Press) The Atlanta author explores invisible writing, uncovered through stories about scoundrels and heroes.

Macrakis is professor of history, technology, and society at Georgia Tech.

On Occasion: Four Poets, One Year by Karen Head, Blake Leland, JC Reilly and Robert E. Wood (Poetry Atlanta Press) Four poets, friends and colleagues gave themselves an extraordinary, year-long writing assignment. This stunning collection, which take place over the change in seasons, holidays, vacations and other life-altering events, is the thrilling result of their collaboration.

FRESH FROM THE MARKET

Intown farmers markets re-open for the season

By Collin Kelley INtown Editor

Spring has sprung and that means Intown’s eclectic array of farmers markets have re-opened – or soon will – for the season. Some of the old favorites such as East Atlanta Village Market and Peachtree Road Farmers Market are back in action, but there’s also a newcomer at Freedom Park.

Freedom Farmers Market

This new market is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. now through Dec. 20 at the Carter Center in Poncey-Highland. The Freedom Market is run by a small group of farmers, including Celia Barss of Woodland Gardens, Charlotte and Wes Swancy of Riverview Farm, and Laurie and Will Moore from Moore Farms and Friends. Expect fresh produce, baked goods, cheese and dairy, farm fresh eggs, handmade preserves and honey, prepared meals, fresh coffee and more. There will also be regular pop-up restaurants for those who want to grab a bite. Information: freedomfarmersmkt.com.

East Atlanta Village Farmers Market

The market reopens on April 10 from 4 to 7 p.m. and will continue every Thursday through Dec. 18 at 561 Flat Shoals Ave. There will be fresh produce, locally-made food and products, chef demos and much more throughout the season. Information: farmeav.com

Morningside Farmers Market

Open year-round, this neighborhood market at 1393 N. Highland Ave. is a Saturday morning favorite for the locals who walk over to check out organic produce, freshly prepared foods and baked goods. Market hours are 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. The cooking demo series by local chefs will be starting up again soon, too. Information: morningsidemarket.com

Grant Park Farmers Market

Grant Park Farmers Market re-opens April 13 and will be open on Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. through Dec. 21. There will be locally grown fruits, vegetables, artisan produced breads, cheeses, and other delicacies. Information: grantparkmarket.org.

Green Market at Piedmont Park

Now in its 11th season, the Green Market at Piedmont Market has more than 40 vendors including local farmers, bakers, sauce makers, crafters, chef demonstrations, canning workshops, live music and history tours of the park. The market is open every Saturday now through Dec. 13 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. near the 12th Street entrance. Information: piedmontpark.org.

Peachtree Road Farmers Market

Located in the parking lot at Cathedral of St. Phillip, 2744 Peachtree Road in Buckhead, the market will open for its eighth season on April 5 from 8:30 a.m. to noon and continue every Saturday through Dec. 13. There will be 50 weekly vendors, regularly scheduled chef demonstrations, live music and kids’ activities. Information: peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com.

East Lake Farmers Market

The East Lake Farmers Market (ELF Market) will be held every Tuesday beginning April 15 from 4 p.m. to sunset. The market will continue through October. The annual Collard Green Cook Off benefiting Wholesome Wave, a food assistance program, will also be held on opening day. The market is set up at 2343 Hosea L. Williams Drive. Information: elfmarket.org.

Below

Above: The East Lake Farmers Market offers up all kinds of delicious greens, including okra and tomatoes.

Left: Fruits and vegetables at the Grant Park Farmers Market.

Center: Freshly harvested carrots at the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market.

Below Left: Shopping at the Piedmont Park Green Market.

Below Right: The Peachtree Road Farmers Market always has a colorful array of local, fresh foods.

Atlanta venture’s goal is to uplift rural Haitians

By Clare S. Richie

Coffee brings people together. That sentiment is evident in Reggie Grand’Pierre’s vision for Itiah Coffee: to link Haitian coffee growers to Atlanta consumers, one relationship at a time.

“From the mountain tops of Haiti to your cup,” is how Grand’Pierre describes the venture. Itiah Coffee also proudly shares 20 percent of its net profits to uplift rural Haitian communities.

Grand’Pierre, a Haitian born Atlanta entrepreneur, started Itiah Coffee after a 2009 visit to his home country. During that trip, he met with his wife’s uncle, a coffee grower and college friend, who owns a coffee-roasting house. This encounter sparked the idea to create an income producing coffee venture that gave back.

To test the idea, Grand’Pierre ordered 100 10-ounce bags of Rebo Cafe, a Haitian grown coffee brand. It sold quickly. In 90 days, he sold 268 bags to his friends and colleagues and raised $200 for Haiti. The idea had legs.

By July 2011, the one-person initiative evolved into Itiah Coffee, LLC and welcomed three Haitian-born members to the management team – Frantz Bourget, Edouard Demetrius and Pierre Richard Thomas. The team has experience with the Haitian agricultural sector, Haitian grassroots organizations in rural communities, and conducting business in the U.S.

This journey has had its share of challenges. Poor infrastructure in rural Haiti, such as

inadequate facilities and roadways, made it difficult to connect with growers. Coffee growers are tempted to produce crops harvested more frequently, like cabbage, which their families can consume. In addition to reducing the coffee supply, switching crops is contributing to deforestation, since coffee grows in the shade.

Grand’Pierre and his team are not easily discouraged. “I am Haitian and have the patience to grow both the supply and the demand side of the business,” he said. In 2013, Itiah Coffee launched its own brand from the Fond Baptiste community. Customers enjoy the coffee’s bold, sweet flavor with no aftertaste. They like knowing exactly who grew their fresh coffee and the added goodwill of fundraising for Haiti.

“The experience of 2013 gave us great insight into sourcing and importing coffee from Haiti,” Grand’Pierre explained. With a healthy inventory on hand, the company is working to identify a stable region to expand its supply. Once identified, Itiah Coffee will invest in organic certification of the product that already grown without pesticides and fertilizer. The management team is also working on a reinvestment strategy that will spur local ownership in the identified region.

To thoughtfully increase demand, Itiah Coffee is focusing on expanding its coffee club. Each month you can receive fresh Haitian coffee by signing up at itiahcoffee.com. Coffee does connect people. Enjoying Itiah Coffee can also transform lives.

Courtesy Reggie Grand’Pierre

Itiah Coffee founder Reggie Grand’Pierre, front, with coffee growers in the village of Fond Baptiste in Haiti.

Quick Bites

The Buckhead Wine Festival will return to Andrews Entertainment District, 56 East Andrews Dr., on April 5 from 2-7 p.m. (with a VIP opening an hour early). The event will feature more than 150 wines and craft beers. Five seminars will be held throughout the day including: Wine 101, Old World vs. New World, Craft Beer 101 with a Cicerone, Picking the Perfect Wine Glass… A Riedel Seminar, and Introduction to Cocktail Mixology. In addition, Cellar 56 Wine Bar & Bistro will host two special Winemaker dinners. A portion of the proceeds will benefit The Giving Kitchen, whose mission is to provide crisis grants to members of Atlanta’s restaurant community facing unanticipated hardship. VIP tickets are $60, while general admission tickets are $25 at andrewsdistrict.com.

Chef Steven Satterfield (pictured) of Miller Union has been named a finalist for “Best Chef: Southeast” in the 2014 James Beard Foundation Awards Announced today at The Publican in Chicago, this year’s James Beard Award finalists were selected by an independent volunteer panel of more than 600 judges across the country. 2014 James Beard Foundation Award winners, including the winner of “Best Chef: Southeast,” will be announced on May 5 at an awards ceremony held in New York’s Lincoln Center.

Formerly known as the Winter Beer Carnival, the organizers have moved this year’s event to April 5 and have christened it simply as Beer Carnival. Held at Atlantic Station, the afternoon tasting extravaganza from 1 to 5 p.m. will feature more than 100 beers, food, midway games, carnival rides, music and more. VIP tickets are $65, $40 for general admission if purchased in advance at thebeercarnival.com or $50 at the gate.

Sweet Auburn Barbecue (sweetauburnbbq.com) is now open in its PonceyHighland location at 656 N. Highland Ave. The restaurant is the third concept in owner Howard Hsu’s Sweet Auburn brand, following the successful food truck and retail counter at the Sweet Auburn Curb Market. Hsu uses fresh, local ingredients with simple preparation to prepares the fusion of Asian and Southern barbecue.

Octane Coffee (octanecoffee.com) will open a new outpost in Buckhead’s Atlanta Tech Village in mid-April. The space will feature a full coffee and bar in the lobby of the building at the corner of Piedmont and Lenox roads. There will also be a large outdoor patio space. Octane has additional locations in Grant Park and West Midtown.

Restaurateur Riccardo Ullio is expected to open Novo in late spring or early summer in Dunwoody, 5592 Chamblee Dunwoody Road. According to a report in Atlanta magazine, Ullio will adapt menu items from his Inman Park Itlalian restaurants Fritti and Sotto Sotto for a more family-oriented eatery. Diners will order from kiosks and staff will seat customers and deliver food.

Vine & Tap (vineandtapatl.com) is now open at 2770 Lenox Road in Buckhead offering small plates and by-the-glass wine selections.

At press time, Varuni Napoli (varuni.us) was expected to be open April 1 at 1540 Monroe Drive. The quick-serve restaurant will feature Neapolitan-style pizza and “street food” like the kind found in Naples. Pizzas will be made deli-style in front of the customer. There will also be a walk-up window along Monroe.

Baraonda has announced it will be offering “Uncorked” wine dinners to benefit Atlanta nonprofit organizations. The dinners, which will feature traditional Italian cuisine and unique wine pairings, will cost $35 per person, inclusive of tax and gratuity. For every attendee, Baraonda will provide 20 percent back to the organization. For more information, call (404) 915-7294.

TASTING INTOWN: The Wrecking Bar Restaurant Review

By Art Huckabee

Does your house have a basement?

If it’s like mine, it’s filled with all those “keepsakes” that would be better off at Goodwill. How would you like to have a brewpub in your basement; replete with valet parking and a side entrance where visitors could come and go at will?

The Wrecking Bar is that kind of basement. Located in an historic home between Little Five Points and Inman Park, the house has been everything from a private home to a church to a dance studio to an antiques store. The current owners have re-purposed the main floors into a special events space while turning that dank and musty space known as a basement into a charming and welcoming pub.

At initial blush, the supporting columns, plumbing pipes overhead and exposed brick walls remind you of your subterranean, grotto-like location. Yet the bar and various dining rooms are well lit and filled with all sorts of seating options. There is a very inviting and welcoming feel to this place.

The wait staff rivals some of the higher end restaurants in the area, bringing unsolicited refills of housebottled water, extra plates and even re-folding your cloth napkin when one leaves his or her seat.

As the term brewpub refers, they not

only serve beer here but also brew it onpremise. The varied selections include Pale Ale, an IPA, several Stouts, and others, including a German Rauchbier that has a smoky aroma; you would swear it’s brewed with bacon. The beers are very good and change often. They are available in 8-ounce “shorty’s” and 16-ounce pints.

In addition to the beers, there’s a large selection of whiskeys and bourbons; at times they even offer the elusive Pappy Van Winkle line. There is a small wine list as well.

Now to the food… This place is very bit a gastropub. I’m not “dissing” the beer here but the food shares the spotlight. There’s no short order cook turning out greasy burgers and fries and nachos. On the contrary, Executive Chef Terry Koval, formerly of Canoe, Room at TWELVE and Farm Burger, along with a team of chefs, is creating interesting starters, salads, sandwiches and entrees, many using locally provisioned products from the likes of Darby Farms, H&F Bread and East Atlanta Veggies. Many dishes also

Photos by Art Huckabee

The Köln Malt Crusted Trout.

incorporate the excellent house-brewed beers.

e Kale Ale Cheese Fondue contains aged Gouda and sharp cheddar. It de nitely tastes and smells of ale. It’s served with a pretzel and local fruit and veggies. is stu would be good on a shoe. Order an additional pretzel, as you’ll want to get every last drop.

e “Wreck Fries” are great for sharing. ey could be a little crispier. ey get limp stacked in their serving crock. e dipping sauces are all good with the green goddess and the horseradish mustard getting the best of show.

ere’s enough variety on the menu that every one should nd something to their liking. e Köln malt crusted North Carolina trout is pan roasted and accompanied by a butternut and brussels sprout hash. e sh was moist and aky with only a hint of the malt that makes the favorite pale ale of Cologne, Germany. e hash was a favorite of the table. e squash was tender and the sprouts had just the right amount of crunch.

e celery root barley was prepared in a creamy risotto style with lots of local fresh veggies, pumpkin seeds and pecorino cheese. It was a comforting dish with lots of avor that managed not to be too heavy.

e chicken and dumplings also managed to remain a lighter dish. e butternut squash puree with the chicken jus was the perfect broth for the tender chicken and the al dente gnocchi.

e only item that that came up a little short was the House Pastrami Sandwich. e house-cured and smoked brisket was more fat than lean. While Jack Spratt’s wife would probably love this dish, this diner did not. e table shared a “Wrecking Bar” for dessert. It’s a distant cousin to the “Kit-Kat Bar” but far superior and the perfect sweet note to end the meal.

ere are no other basements nor for that matter, very few brewpubs that approach the quality of beverage, food and service as does the Wrecking Bar.

e Wrecking Bar is located at 292 Moreland Ave. NE and can be found online at wreckingbarbrewpub.com.

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.

ATLANTA ROOF CLEANERS

1 - WE CLEAN ALGAE STAINED & STREAKED ROOFS

SAFE LOW PRESSURE CLEANING OF:

• ASPHALT SHINGLE ROOFS

• CLAY (BARREL/FLAT) TILE ROOFS

• SLATE TILE ROOFS

• CONCRETE TILE ROOFS

• CEDAR SHAKE ROOFS

2 - “SOFT WASH” CLEANING OF YOUR HOME’S EXTERIOR SURFACES

• CLEANS DISCOLORED STUCCO/HARDI PLANK/DRYVIT/VINYL SIDING

• CLEANS DIRTY PAINTED TRIM (GUTTERS/SOFFITS/FASCIA/WINDOWS/COLUMNS/PORCHES)

• A SOFT SPRAY GENTLY COVERS YOUR HOME’S SURFACE, DISSOLVING DIRT & GRIME WHILE KILLING MOLD, MILDEW & ALGAE!

3 - HIGH PRESSURE WASHING (HOT/COLD WATER)

• CLEANS ALGAE/MILDEW COVERED CONCRETE, BRICK, NATURAL STONE STEPS, WALK & DRIVEWAYS, RETAINER WALLS, POOL AREAS

Buckhead – Brookhaven – Sandy Springs – Dunwoody - Intown References available and provided upon request

Above: The “Wrecking Bar” dessert.

Below: Kale Ale Cheese Fondue.

GREEN-FRIENDLY

Sustainable, energy-saving homes important buying factor

By Kathy Dean

As environmental awareness grows, prospective homeowners are looking for houses that are energy e cient and sustainable. Atlanta builders are up to the challenge, as they continue to design and construct more green-friendly homes.

“Homebuyers are increasingly interested in well-built and sustainable homes,” said Beth Fore, Vice President of Operations and Consulting at Cablik Enterprises. “Buyers are becoming aware of the way that a home’s structure a ects their utility bills, and they’re looking for proper insulation techniques and products.”

Some of the points that people are looking for these days include LEED-certi ed builders, EarthCra Houses and Energy Star appliances. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a rating for the design and construction of green buildings, homes and neighborhoods. EarthCra Houses are residences that meet criteria such as proper site planning, resourcee cient building materials, indoor air quality and water conservation. And Energy Star products use about 20 to 30 percent less energy than is required by federal standards.

Fore noted that spray foam insulation has become quite popular since it’s a key component to constructing a solid building envelope, the barrier between the home’s conditioned and unconditioned environments.

“Cablik Enterprises has signi cant experience in green building practices,” she said. “We built the rst LEED-Silver certi ed home in Atlanta, and a strong majority of our homes are built to EarthCra standards. In addition, we’ve included geothermal systems and advanced HVAC [heating, ventilation and air conditioning] systems for some of our clients. We can build as green as a homeowner wants to go.”

Green building practices don’t require that homeowners sacri ce comfort or style. Cablik Enterprises’ 975 at e Park, a collection of four modern townhomes located near Piedmont and 10th Street, o er skyline views from the windows, balconies and roo op decks. ey have three bedrooms, three baths, oor-toceiling glass windows and rich, hardwood oors.

Nestled in Midtown, the West Highlands neighborhood o ers new Cra sman style homes in the low $200s. e Brock Built Properties community boasts plenty of green space that includes Herman H. Perry Park, picnic areas, walking paths and a playground.

Brock Built is so dedicated to green building and conservation that it has developed the GreenSmart program, designed to save energy.

e GreenSmart program is extremely comprehensive and includes sprayon insulation that lls wall cavities, energy e cient plumbing and lighting xtures, house wrap and air sealing. Radiant low emissivity (low-E) glass is used for windows to heat and prevent sunlight from overheating rooms, and radiant barrier roo ng blocks 97 percent of all radiant heat going into the attic to keep houses cooler.

“Many of our homeowners are focused on both ongoing energy e ciency—including R38 blown-in insulation (which exceeds the code requirement of R30), tankless water heaters, and water-saving plumbing xtures—and sustainable and recycled materials like the engineered oor system made from recycled material and engineered hardwood ooring,” reported Kirstin Hobday, Chief Operating O cer of rive Homes.

Hobday added that one of the most e ective materials she has found for green building is radiant barrier sheathing, a product that keeps the attic temperature cooler and ultimately reduces energy costs.

rive Homes currently has een modern townhomes available at 712 Oakview in Decatur. Priced

from the mid $400s, each townhome features a two-car garage, a roo op terrace and top of the line nishes throughout.

“I think it’s important for any forward-thinking builder to be focused on energy e ciency and thinking green,” Hobday stated. “From the low-E double-pane windows and doors and the use of e cient heat pumps with fresh air intake, to professional air sealing and the use of a radiant barrier sheathing, we’ve researched and adapted the best practices of EarthCra certi cation to our construction speci cations in an e ort to build highly energy e cient homes.”

Another Decatur neighborhood, Park Overlook, is a unique enclave of 10 single-family homes priced from the mid $600s. e alley-entry homes, many on private, cul-de-sac homesites, have had so much interest that the nal three homes are currently under construction by Monte Hewett Homes.

“We’ve been building energy-e cient homes for many years, long before it was an important buying factor for homeowners,” said Dina M. Gundersen, Director of Marketing at Monte Hewett Homes. “In

Brock Built Homes (above and inset) have built these “green homes” called West Highlands west of Downtown.

At left, a home at Park Overlook from Monte Hewett Homes.

our Park Overlook community in Decatur, we installed water saving plumbing xtures, a feature that future homeowners have asked about. We also make sure that every home goes through blower door and ‘duct blaster’ testing to ensure the integrity of the building envelope.”

She neatly summed up Monte Hewett Homes’ philosophy: “’Green building’ is no longer a buzz word, it’s an expectation—and rightly so.”

John Wieland Homes & Neighborhoods prides itself on building green, energy-e cient housing. eir homes are out tted with aerated plumbing xtures and watersaving toilets, Energy Star appliances and lighting, and e cient heating/cooling systems with programmable thermostats. Building features include quality insulation, house wrap, vinyl windows with low-E glass, waterbased paints and engineered lumber made of renewable materials.

Turnbury Gates in Chamblee is a John Wieland gated neighborhood of luxury townhomes. Homes surround the neighborhood’s central park that features a sparkling pool and private pavilion with an outdoor fireplace.

Whether your favorite coordinates are above sea level or right on the water, Royal Shell Vacations and Landmark Vacation Rentals have an amazing array of vacation homes in the majestic mountains of Western North Carolina and the sunny beaches of Southwest Florida. We take care of everything, so you can give yourself a break from endless searching and vacation arrangements, and get on a level with what you really want to do.

options from private estates and cottages to condominiums and

How Much Green Does ‘Green’ Mean?

By Denise Pajak

Most homeowners want to make eco-friendly upgrades to their homes and home buyers are starting to expect energy e cient features. Going green is more a ordable than ever. But how green can you go?

e answer is di erent for every homeowner. Of course, you want to save money on utility bills. But it’s also about improving your family’s comfort, reducing their toxic chemical exposure, and lessening your environmental impact. It depends on how long you’ll live in the house, as well, and if the initial cost is worth it. Here are some things to consider.

Tankless water heater. For under $500, a hot water recirculation pump could save you its cost in about a year, depending on your water use. A reliable pump like Grundfos manufactures, for example, keeps hot water circulating so you don’t waste gallons of water waiting for your shower to heat up. Peter Michaelson, CEO of Renewal Design Build reminds us, “ ink about how much energy is used to capture, clean, distribute and heat clean water in our community.” With that pump, you’ll reduce your water bill along with the carbon footprint of your city’s water supply. Tankless water heaters used to be cost prohibitive, but are now a ordable and common in new homes and, according to Energy Star, can save $100 or more per year. ere’s also a federal tax credit for installing one.

Soy insulation. Another easy, a ordable green upgrade is soy insulation that’s blown into your home just beneath the roof and oor. e soy has fewer volatile organic compounds than traditional insulation. If you have a dra y house, you’ll feel the results instantly, as will your power bills. An added bonus is its soundproo ng from outside noise.

Manage your expectations. Keep in mind the return on investment for any renovation is not 100 percent.

According to Real Estate Agent Kelly Walsh at Adams Realtors, “a renovated kitchen will bring a 75 percent return on

Denise Pajak Guest Column

investment, which is the largest return for any renovation.” Appraisers have a tough time with adjustments for green upgrades because they must nd similar green upgrades on neighborhood homes that have sold recently. Real Estate Valuation Certi ed Appraiser Gary Johnson says, “As demand for energy-e cient homes increases, and more homes in your neighborhood have the features, the easier it will be to nd comps to support the value of the upgrades.” So if you’re concerned about resale value, consider upgrades others in the neighborhood are doing as well.

Green aesthetics: beauti cation saved from land lls. Green aesthetic updates have brought a new “cool factor” to homes. Buyers love a home with functioning character that sets it apart from the competition. Kara O’Brien of Kara O’Brien Renovations, LLC turns parts of salvaged buildings into new things. “We build custom doors, cabinets and vanities from antique wood that would have gone to a land ll, like beams from an 1840’s cotton mill, and 80-yearold science lab countertops from high schools and colleges.”

Bottom line. Pick the green upgrades that you will enjoy the most while you live in the home. at’s the direction the market is heading. In the long run, the bene ts will far outweigh their costs.

Denise Pajak is Vice President, Mortgage Banker with Private Mortgage Solutions based in the Private Bank of Decatur o ce in downtown Decatur.

INSIDE & OUT

Home and garden tours in bloom for spring

By Collin Kelley INtown Editor

If you’re looking for some inspiration to spruce up your home and garden, these upcoming home and garden tours around Intown are sure to help.

ASA Decorators’ Show House & Gardens

e walls of Palazzo Rosa, the 44th annual Decorators’ Show House & Gardens, are no stranger to the creative minds of the Atlanta Symphony Associates’ annual group of elite designers. Originally designed in the Italian Baroque Style by three Georgian architects —Neel Reid, Hal Hentz and Philip Shutze—the home is now considered a “green” house with an innovative geothermal heating and cooling system. e home is open

to the public from April 26 until May 18 and proceeds will bene t the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Tickets are $25 if purchased before April 25, $30 a erwards or at the door. For tickets and more information, visit DecoratorsShowHouse.org.

Buckhead Garden Show

e Southeastern Horticultural Society is planning an abbreviated edition of its annual ower show at the Buckhead eatre on April 25 - 27. e Southeastern Flower Show, usually held at the Cobb Galleria, will return in 2015, but this year e Garden Show in Buckhead will focus on community gardening. Speakers will include Vince Dooley and Steve Penley along with a marketplace, photography exhibit, children’s activities, local chefs, oral designers and the announcement of a “legacy garden” at Charlie Loudermilk Park. For tickets and information, visit www.sehort.org/gardenshow.

Inman Park Tour of Homes

e 2014 Tour Of Homes is part of the annual Inman Park Festival on April 25-27. e tour will feature 11 homes and points of interest in the community. Homes featured this year include those with Victorian, Gothic, Cra sman-style bungalows, modern lo s and Inman Park United Methodist Church. Advance tickets are $15

at inmanparkfestival.org or $20 at the sales booth located at the intersection of Euclid Avenue and Elizabeth Street during the festival. Tour hours are noon to 4 p.m. on Friday and noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Druid Hills Tour of Homes & Gardens

e 46th annual tour will take place May 2-4 and feature seven homes and gardens, as well as the Callanwolde Artist & Pottery Market and Lullwater Conservation Garden Plant Sale. New this year will be a series of “Bar Talks” at Emory Village including Frank Neely of Frank G. Neely Design Associates at Slice & Pint on May 2 at 4:30 p.m.; Eric King & Holly Brooks of King Landscaping at Saba on May 3 at 5:30 p.m.; and Larry Bosarge of Southern Outdoor Construction & Design at Ink & Elm, on May 4 at 4:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchase at druidhillstour.org. Proceeds from the tour and events bene t the Druid Hills neighborhood.

Central Presbyterian Church

Palm Sunday Processional April 13 9:45 a.m. Washington St. Courtyard

Palm Sunday Worship April 13 11 a.m. Sanctuary

Maundy Thursday April 17 12:15 p.m. Rand Chapel

Good Friday April 18 12:15 p.m. Rand Chapel

Easter Sunday April 20 11 a.m. Sanctuary

Real Estate Briefs

A new 222-unit apartment complex called Alexan at Krog Street is under construction next door to the Stove Works complex in Inman Park. e mid-rise apartment complex is being built by Trammel Crow Residential and is expected to be completed by the summer of 2015. e apartments will wrap around the parking deck mostly concealing it from the street. e apartments will average 901-square-feet with one and two bedrooms available featuring stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and hardwood oors. Amenities will include a pool, club room, dog wash, bike repair shop (it is on the BeltLine Eastside Trail, a er all) and a “hammock garden.

Atlanta Realty Partners pitched a multi-building, mixed-use project to Midtown’s Neighborhood Planning Unit-E for the empty property on 10th Street near Piedmont Avenue. e development at 182 10th Street would feature at 16 story building 164 condos, a 24-story apartment building (that would actually face 11th Street) with 284 units and a ve-story structure with 46 apartments. e yet-to-be-named project would stretch along portions of Piedmont, as well as 10th and 11th streets and also have 3,500-square-feet of retail on the lower oors.

Fuqua Development is set to break ground on a new mixeduse project at Piedmont Avenue and Cheshire Bridge Road. e 6-acre property, which is now the Rock Springs shopping center, will feature 300 apartments and 34,000-square-feet of real space, including anchor tenant Sprouts Farmers Market.

On the heels of Walton Communities being tapped to build a mixed-use development at MARTA’s King Memorial Station, Invest Atlanta is soliciting responses from developers to do the same at the Edgewood/Candler Park Station. e property is a parking lot across DeKalb Avenue, which connects to the station via pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks. It’s bounded by Whitefoord and Mayson avenues, LaFrance Street and the tracks. According to the materials from Invest Atlanta, a mixed-use development of residential and retail is sought along with keeping the connection to the MARTA station. ere’s also a possibility of building in green or passive space.

JOHNSON ESTATES - Features updated kitchen, large rooms, tons of natural light, full basement, situated on huge lot. 3Bed/2Bath

$450,000

FMLS: 5251691

Bradford Smith 404-210-4141

BUCKHEAD - Charming home 1 block from the governor’s mansion in Argonne Forest. Perfectly maintained, beautiful large private backyard. 5Bed/3.5Bath $874,900

FMLS: 5262187

Debbie Heaton 404-434-2262

BUCKHEAD - Home on wooded lot in Brookwood Hills. Open flr plan, gourmet kitchen, living room has cement flrs & stack stone fireplace. 4Bed/3Bath $925,000

FMLS: 5251159

Lisa Barnhart 404-771-1178

OAK GROVE PRESERVE - Fabulous home w/clubhouse, pool/ gym. Chef kit w/butler pantry, cstm flr & built-ins,

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

MORNINGSIDE - Highest quality construction by Hedgewood Properties. All brick w/stacked stone and side entry kit garage, fully fenced yard. 4Bed/4.5Bath $669,000

FMLS: 5258976

Sally Westmoreland 404-354-4845

BUCKHEAD - Townhouse in private gated community, fully renovated kit, master on main w/jacuzzi tub, walk-in closet, private fenced back yard. 3Bed/2.5Bath $339,900

FMLS: 5258340

Rachael Blatt 404-285-9059

KIRKWOOD - Charming newer Craftsman w/ open floor plan, spacious kit, lrg master suite, huge unfinished attic space, hardwoods. 3Bed/2Bath $349,900 FMLS: 5259331

Amber Mason 678-637-3530

Patrick Peyer 404-784-7936

MIDTOWN - Desirable location. Rare loft w/2 premium parking spaces. Renovated throughout. New hardwood floors. True walkable neighborhood. 2Bed/1Bath $199,900

FMLS: 5249938

Drew Cockrell 404-323-2273

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 $724,900

Tanya Marlatt 404-518-8787

FMLS: 5227494

BUCKHEAD - Rarely available. Unequaled square footage on one level. 4 tiled balconies, chef’s kitchen, double master suites, amazing views of the city. 2Bed/2Bath/1HalfBath

$1,299,000 FMLS: 5206416

Marc Castillo 404-449-6862

MIDTOWN - Beautiful Southeast corner home. Spacious living area. Gated secured parking. 24 hr concierge. Resort-style amenities. 2Bed/2Bath $284,900

FMLS: 5253861

Judy Hollowell 404-441-9681

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

1Bed/1Bath $152,500

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. 3Bed/3Bath $949,000

FMLS: 5181791 Sales Center 404-815-4622

MIDTOWN - Amazing views. Southern exposure. Spacious layout. Large balcony. Granite countertops, s/s appliances. Floor to ceiling windows. Walk to everything. 2Bed/2Bath

$374,900 FMLS: 5245940

Jim Fountain 404-431-1311