APR. 15 - APR. 28, 2016 • VOL. 8 — NO. 8
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► Medical center campuses expanding in region PAGE 12 ► New ‘Perimeter Park’ remains on drawing board PAGE 14
Sunshine, laughter and cherry blossoms
DO MY FINGERS LOOK FAT? | P9
City offers $36 million tax abatement to lure Atlanta Hawks BY DYANA BAGBY dyanabagby@reporternewspapers.net
Maggie Cunningham with her daughters Lane and Harper took in a sunny day at Blackburn Park April 2 during Brookhaven’s Second Annual Cherry Blossom Festival. More photos from the festival on page 15.►
EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATOR Lovett School’s winning bandleader Page 16
“[I’m] sad to see the Braves move out of Atlanta, but excited to see a brand-new stadium and Braves experience.” 23-YEAR-OLD ATLANTA WOMAN RESPONDING TO OUR 1Q SURVEY ON THE BRAVES’ LAST SEASON AT TURNER FIELD
See COMMENTARY on page 10
OUT & ABOUT ‘Monarchs & Margaritas’ Page 18
PHIL MOSIER
The deal to bring the $50 million Atlanta Hawks training facility to Brookhaven first was nicknamed “Operation Slam Dunk.” But Brookhaven Mayor John Ernst, an Atlanta Hawks season ticket holder, suggested “Operation Windmill Dunk.” “I thought we should name it after Dominique Wilkins’ signature dunk,” Ernst said in an interview. Wilkins, known as the “Human Highlight Film,” played a key role in the team’s success in the 1980s and is known as one of the best dunkers in the NBA. The deal, dubbed “Operation Slam Dunk” on the city’s Development Authority agendas last month, became public on April 5 during a press conference at Philips Arena when the Atlanta Hawks announced a partnership with Emory Healthcare, Emory University’s medical clinic affiliate, to See BROOKHAVEN on page 11
Parents withdraw students after BIA announces Norcross location BY DYANA BAGBY dyanabagby@reporternewspapers.net
Six parents withdrew their children from Brookhaven’s new charter school after learning the school would be located in Norcross, Brookhaven Innovation Academy’s executive director says. “The board extensively focused on trying to find a location in Brookhaven,” said BIA Executive Director Bates Mattison, who also holds a seat on Brookhaven City Council. “The reality is BIA spent months lookSee PARENTS on page 13
2 | Community
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Ashford Park Elementary School’s Reading Team was honored at the April 12 Brookhaven City Council meeting for finishing second at the state finals of the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl. Mayor John Ernst signed a resolution honoring the team for its achievement. “Ashford Park lost a very close ‘one on one’ match” against the Division 2 winner, Gum Springs Elementary of Jefferson. “This was by far Ashford Park’s greatest Reading Bowl achievement to date,” states the resolution. The team was coached by Kerrie Jefferson and David Somerson. Team members include Gil Slomka, Melissa Olvera-Torres, Kyndal Duff, Haven Somerson, Jordan Spindel, Julia Mansour, Vedhika Krishnan, Mary Entrekin, Handley Greeley and Kate Lim. Ashford Park Elementary earned a regional championship and divisional championship after dominating at matches on Jan. 30, when they were the best of 55 DeKalb elementary schools; on Feb. 13, when they were the best of 15 metro Atlanta schools; and then taking home the divisional title on Feb. 27 by easily defeating five other teams. -- Dyana Bagby © 2016 The Joint Corp.
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“We are rolling forward together as one” -Interim CEO Lee May
Phase II
Recycling ◊ Garbage roll cart rightsizing ◊ Additional garbage roll carts Changes to garbage and recycling container requirements and collection procedures The DeKalb County Sanitation Division advances through Phase II of the Rolling Forward to One sanitation service change program. Please see below for county-provided recycling and garbage container options, and information on soon-to-be-implemented changes to garbage and recycling container requirements and collection procedures.
County-provided single-stream recycling options
18-gallon bin
65-gallon roll cart
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An office building and a five-deck parking garage on Lake Hearn Drive in Sandy Springs soon will be demolished for the I-285/Ga. 400 interchange project, and the state is moving quickly to tear down one and acquire the other. The construction contract for the highway project was officially approved by the state April 8. North Perimeter Contractors is creating the final design now, according to the state Department of Transportation, and construction will start by early next year and last into 2020. GDOT recently bought a two-story office building at Lake Hearn and PeachtreeDunwoody Road, and “the building is being staked and flagged for demolition in the next couple of weeks,” according to GDOT spokesperson Anna-lysce Baker. She could not give a specific demolition schedule. For 15 years, the building was the headquarters of Morrison Healthcare, a national food and nutrition services company serving hospitals, including Pill Hill’s Northside and Children’s Healthcare at Scottish Rite. Last month, the company moved out of the building and into a new headquarters at 400 Northridge Road in Sandy Springs, according to Tom Hughes, Morrison’s vice
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president of communications. Baker would not say what GDOT paid for the building, but Hughes said the company was satisfied with the sale. Meanwhile, GDOT is in negotiations to purchase the large parking deck within the Pavilion at Lake Hearn office park at 1150 Lake Hearn Drive. GDOT aims to acquire the garage by the end of this year, Baker said, but she would not say who GDOT is negotiating with and would not comment on the state of negotiations. Property records show the owner as Caram Properties LLC, whose registered agent with the state is the law firm Cohen, Pollock, Merlin & Small. The law firm did not respond to questions about the negotiations. The office building and the parking garage are the only two privately owned structures slated to be demolished for the I-285/Ga. 400 project, Baker said. One state-owned structure appears to be in the project’s path on the official right of way map: a GDOT salt barn in the southeast corner of the I-285 and Roswell Road interchange in Sandy Springs. “GDOT constructed [salt barns] in strategic places in order to have readily available salt and gravel during winter weather events,” Baker said. “If the salt barn is impacted by the project, an alternate site will be identified.”
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Ga. 400
I-285
H
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This five-level parking deck will be demolished for the 285/400 interchange project.
GDOT purchased this office building on Lake Hearn Drive, soon to be demolished. This photo illustration shows the location of the Sandy Springs buildings to be demolsihed for the I-284/Ga. 400 reconstruction project.
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The first room visitors encounter inside the new Church of Scientology in Sandy Springs is not a chapel or shrine. It’s a museum-like series of displays and videos about the religion’s basic beliefs and causes. Visitors to the Public Information Center, which opened April 3, can try out an e-meter—the unique electronic device Scientologists use in counseling members—and grab a snack in a small café. This center is part of the Georgia chapter’s new status as one of Scientology’s “Ideal Churches” or “Ideal Organizations.” As
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church indirectly reroom is available for New Location spond to the controverpublic use, as are semiThe new Church of Scientology, losies that have dogged nar rooms with audiocated at 5395 Roswell Road, is open Scientology since the visual equipment. to the general public on weekdays 1970s, when several of A museum-style rec9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on weekends 9 its top leaders—none reation of Hubbard’s ofa.m. to 6 p.m. For information about the church or using its community of whom remain in office is a special feature. spaces, call 770-394-4414, email atfice—were imprisoned Banks said the office is lanta@scientology.net or see scienin relation to a plan to a “symbol of respect” for tology-atlanta.org. infiltrate various U.S. Hubbard. government agencies. The tour included The 1995 death, from disputed causes, of a private auditing room where Scientola Scientology member under the care of a ogists undergo a kind of counseling via church organization in Florida has sparked the e-meter—one of the religion’s core regular protests, including a 2008 march practices in self-improvement. With its outside the local chapter’s former buildgauge and metal grips, the e-meter looks ing in Dunwoody. The recent documentasomething like an old-fashioned radio. ry film “Going Clear” repeated many alleScientologists believe the e-meter “meagations that Scientology is abusive of some sures mental stress” with tiny, unnoticemembers and harasses its critics. able electric charges and aids the “auditScientology officials say such claims ing” process, Banks said. are false and that the church is a target Another feature is the “purification cenof persecution. ter,” a kind of health spa with a sauna, large
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The Church of Scientology, originally located in Buckhead, has moved to Sandy Springs.
“Anyone that actually comes to the church finds out for themselves that all that is hogwash,” said Deb MacKay, the local church’s community affairs director. Visitors discover that “98 percent of what they heard or read on the Internet was perpetrated by some person who had an ax to grind” or the result of media manipulation, she said. “My response to that is come and find out for yourself,” MacKay added. “It’s not frightening. It’s very welcoming. There are no secrets here. People are happy.” The tour covered much of the sprawling brick building, a former real estate office that is much larger than the Georgia chapter’s previous locations. The chapter was founded in the 1970s on Piedmont Road in Buckhead, McKay said, before moving to Dunwoody and, more recently, Doraville. The move to Sandy Springs took over 10 years of fundraising and a freedom-of-religion lawsuit against a city zoning decision. The Roswell Road location was big enough for an “Ideal Church,” MacKay said, and “the church has historically been in this part of town, so everybody kind of wanted to stay in the community that they knew.” The interior is brightly lit with modern styling and quotes from Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard decorating many walls. A modest chapel is in the basement and one wing houses a bookstore devoted to Hubbard’s many writings. A conference
dispensers of vitamin pills and treadmills facing a mural of the Atlanta skyline and Georgia peaches. Scientologists believe that toxins built up in the body can be removed in the center. The Public Information Center highlights Scientology’s programs about human rights, which the Georgia chapter ties into Atlanta’s Civil Rights history. MacKay said a Scientology-produced human rights video plays in Atlanta’s National Center for Civil and Human Rights—confirmed by the Center—and that she recently spoke at a local high school about human rights for a class project on the death penalty. A private April 2 grand opening featured leaders of several nonprofits the Georgia chapter works with, as well as state Sen. Donzella James (D-Atlanta), who has frequently praised Scientology programs, though MacKay said she is not a church member. Video of the opening provided by the church shows James praising Hubbard as “before his time, during his time and…still most relevant at this time.” David Miscavige, the current leader of Scientology, also evoked Civil Rights at the opening, calling the new church the base of “Scientology for a new American South,” according to a press release. He called Atlanta “a city of grace and magic, a city where even oaks and magnolias possess souls; and a city of remembrance that also foretells of the future.”
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Bill Browning got the of the Sons of Union Veteridea after he was among ans of the Civil War. Genthe enemy. Well, not exactly eral Garrard, a Union cavthe enemy. But, at the very alryman, fought under least, some folks who could Sherman in the Atlanta have been his enemies 150 campaign and oversaw the years ago. burning of Roswell’s textile Browning, a native son mills, which provided much of Brooklyn, N.Y., a forof the fortune that built the mer bookseller and bankhouse where Browning er and a fan of U.S. history, works and his group holds now lives in Dunwoody. He its regular meetings. works at Barrington Hall, Browning’s camp is the white-columned mansmall. He hopes someday to sion in downtown Roswell. get up to 35 members. Only A few years back, he said, Managing Editor about eight or so are memsome friends who were fel- joeearle@reporternewspapers.net bers now, and two of them low Civil War buffs asked have returned to Wisconhim to join them in the Civsin. Still, he soldiers on. Peril War heritage group known as the Sons of haps someday, he said, his camp can add a Confederate Veterans. few monuments to the past. And he hopes “I said, ‘I don’t have the ancestry,’” the the group someday can give talks in schools 63-year-old recalled one recent morning in about the Civil War and what caused it. Perthe renovated barn behind Barrington Hall haps they could even debate members of where his office is located. the Sons of Confederate Veterans. That means he didn’t have any anHe thinks the conversation is critical. cestors who fought for the South during “I get really upset with people who say
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Bill Browning walks the grounds of Barrington Hall in Roswell.
the Civil War, a requirement to be a fullfledged member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, according to the group’s webpage, which says the organization wants to preserve “the history and legacy of these heroes so that future generations can understand the motives that animated the Southern Cause.” Then again, Browning said he doesn’t know that any of his ancestors fought for the North, either. It turns out that wasn’t a bar to being a member of the group known as the Sons of Union Veterans, he said. That group calls itself a fraternal organization “dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of heroes who fought and worked to save the Union.” He signed up. Browning now is camp commander of the Roswell-based chapter, which he said is the fourth and newest camp in metro Atlanta. On April 30, the group plans to hold a wine-tasting fundraiser, its first. Admission to the event, to be held at Vino 100 in Alpharetta, is $10. Browning heads what is officially known as the Kenner Garrard Camp # 4
we don’t need to talk about the Civil War any more. We do,” he said. “I just think it’s important to know who we are. The decisions we make have to be based on who we were. I know this is old and hackneyed to say, but we don’t go forward without looking backward... “Pretending it didn’t exist is not the way to go forward. Moving forward builds on where we were in the past.” Browning isn’t a Civil War re-enactor. But he knows a few. One recent morning, Eric Peterson, who helped set up the first local camps of the Sons of Union Veterans, dropped by Barrington Hall in full Union uniform. Peterson said he was dressed as Gen. George H. Thomas of Virginia, another officer involved in the Atlanta campaign. Why does he do it? “To keep the sacrifices of union soldiers alive,” he said. Browning says he doesn’t want to refight the war, but to remember it. “There’s no animosity, not in my camp,” Browning said. “I’m just asking for open discussions. I don’t feel like I’m fighting against the tide.”
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Does this phone make my fingers look fat? I think I’m in pretty good shape. I walk daily, I work out regularly, I do situps and push-ups and squats and lunges; I’ve advanced to the half-lord of the fishes pose in my yoga class. But I’ve become self-conscious about a part of my body that never bothered me before. And I’m beginning to wonder: Does this phone make my fingers look fat? I’m getting a bit sensitive about it because I’ve been making fat-finger calls since I got it. It’s not that hard to do. I’ll go to call one person on my favorites list and because she’s sandwiched between two other people on a smooth and glossy screen, I’ll hit the wrong favorite. It’s getting to be a problem, especially when I fat-finger call someone who is out of the country. My old phone never did that. It fit me just fine. It was like a well-worn, relaxed-fit pair of jeans; it was comfy and roomy and it made me feel good about myself and about the size of my text fingers. It had plenty of wiggle room. It was a 10-year-old Nokia with a smashed-in keyboard, but that had its advantages. For one thing, I could text with my thumbnail. That old-timey keyboard allowed for precision hits. I got a skinny new phone a few years ago, but it’s just too tight. Worse, it has a virtual keyboard that needs a fleshy finger to place a call. This updated, yet unforgiving, keyboard wants fleshy, but not TOO fleshy—it wants a perfectly shaped, size-four text finger. At least it has gotten accustomed to my digital heft, and it knows that when I type Vsn hou fi ? I mean Can you go? I’m learning, too—I’ve started texting the wrong word so it will self-correct to the right word, because that’s faster than trying to hit all right letters. I never used to have a problem with my fingers overlapping onto another contact or another letter, but now they’re spreading all over the keyboard. I feel like my fingers have developed muffin top. It’s really unnerving. I know, I know. I need to upsize to the “boyfriend-fit” version of a smart-
WOULD YOU GET A LUNG CANCER SCREENING IF WE CALLED IT A “LUNG-OGRAM”?
Robin’s Nest Robin Conte
Robin Conte is a writer and mother of four who lives in Dunwoody. She can be contacted at robinjm@earthlink.net.
phone, the one that’s designed for fullfigured fingers. But I can’t bear to part with this tiny little number that fits so perfectly into the back pocket of my jeans and the side pouch of my purse. So I’m going to take matters into my own hands—literally. I’m going to lose that finger flab! I’ve decided to put my digits through a good workout every day. I want the fingers of a 20-year-old. I found a set of easy finger exercises guaranteed to slim those digits down to stylus shape. I’ll warm them up with a series of stretches, then move to the toning and tightening. I’ll run them through a strenuous game of finger soccer for the aerobic component of the program, and then it’ll be time for the cool down. And while I FLEX two three four, STRETCH two three four, LIFT two three four, BEND two three four, please tell me that it’s not me...it’s my phone.
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Our mission is to provide our readers with fresh and engaging information about life in their communities. Published by Springs Publishing LLC 6065 Roswell Road, Suite 225 Sandy Springs, GA 30328 Phone: 404-917-2200 • Fax: 404-917-2201 Brookhaven Reporter | Buckhead Reporter Dunwoody Reporter | Sandy Springs Reporter www.ReporterNewspapers.net Atlanta INtown www.AtlantaINtownPaper.com
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Community Survey Question: Do you plan to take in a baseball game at Turner Field before the Atlanta Braves move to their new stadium in Cobb County? Total Respondents (200)
40 & OVER 21%
NO 21% MAYBE 15%
YES 65%
C O NTA C T US
Managing Editor Joe Earle joeearle@reporternewspapers.net Associate Editor: John Ruch Intown Editor: Collin Kelley
WHAT RESPONDENTS HAD TO SAY
29 & YOUNGER 39%
30-39 41%
Household Income
Founder & Publisher Steve Levene stevelevene@reporternewspapers.net Editorial
Age
Yes. I want to see at least one more game in the stadium where the Braves have won so many. 129 (65%) Maybe. It depends on how the team does this season. 30 (15%) No Way. Iʼm not a baseball fan and/or donʼt care much about the team. 41 (21%)
Staff Writer: Dyana Bagby
$100K+ 37% $75$100K 16.5%
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Take me out to the ball game! And let’s go watch at least one more game before the Braves leave Turner Field for the suburbs. That’s what respondents to our most recent 1Q survey say. Nearly two-thirds of the 200 respondents said they plan to take in at least one more game at The Ted, the downtown Atlanta ball field the Braves have called home for two decades. The Braves plan to move to a new state-of-the-art stadium and development in Cobb County to start the 2017 season. Another 15 percent of the respondents to the cellphone-based survey of adults across the communities served by Reporter Newspapers and Atlanta INtown said they may go see a Braves game this season. Only 21 percent said they would not. “[I’m] sad to see the Braves move out of Atlanta,” said a 23-year-old Atlanta woman, “but excited to see a brand-new stadium and Braves experience.” Not everyone was so eager to see the start of suburban baseball. Some fretted about traffic. Others questioned the team’s decision to leave the central city, asking whether it still would be the “Atlanta” Braves. “I hate it. I much prefer Turner Field,” a 27-year-old Atlanta man said.
Contributors
“It’s always hard letting go, but new memories will be made at the new stadium.” 36-year-old Brookhaven woman “I’m excited that it’ll be a brand-new stadium. I hope it doesn’t cause traffic nightmares and I hope the stadium will spark new development in the area where people can ... hang out around the stadium.” 25-year-old Buckhead man “It will create more traffic.” 26-year-old Sandy Springs man “Financially, it makes sense. But the perception is it’s a racist move and antiAtlanta. Good luck with millennials! 30-year-old Atlanta man “I think they should drop the city of Atlanta from the name. The ‘Marietta Braves’ or ‘Cobb County Braves’ sounds more honest.” 31-year-old Brookhaven man
1Q is an Atlanta-based startup that has developed a technology which sends questions and surveys to a cellphone via app or text message from businesses and organizations across the country. Respondents are paid 50 cents per answer, through PayPal, for sharing their opinions. Payments may also be donated directly to charity. Sign up to be included in our local community polls at 1Q.com/reporter or by texting REPORTER to 86312.
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Letter to the Editor
Congratulations, John!
To the editor: It is inexplicable that the city of Brookhaven has yet to change the name of Cross Keys High School to Brookhaven High School. The citizens of the city of Brookhaven simply have very little connection to Cross Keys High School in the way that the citizens of Chamblee connect with Chamblee High School and the citizens of Dunwoody connect with Dunwoody High School. Advocates for Cross Keys High School will argue that Cross Keys is a storied name. Yet, these same Cross Keys advocates complain of a lack of support for Cross Keys High School from the residents of the city of Brookhaven. The reason is the residents of Brookhaven do not have an emotional connection to Cross Keys High School in the way they would to a Brookhaven High School. It is time to change the name of Cross Keys High School to Brookhaven High School.
Reporter Newspapers Associate Editor John Ruch has been named a finalist for a 2016 Award of Excellence from the Atlanta Press Club in the “Print/OnlineJohn Ruch Nondaily” category. Associate Editor Winners of the club’s annual awards are to be announced at a Press Club reception on April 18.
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APR. 15 - APR. 28, 2016
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Brookhaven offers $36 million tax abatement to lure Atlanta Hawks Continued from page 1
explained. “There is no debt. The building is the only collateral,” he said. build a 90,000 square-foot, state-of-theIn return for the tax abatement, the art practice facility in Executive Park in Hawks will pay the authority $302,900 a Brookhaven. The deal includes a $36 milyear for 15 years. The deal in turn saves the lion tax abatement from Brookhaven for Hawks $302,900 in taxes. the Hawks. This is a100 percent tax abatement, The facility will combine the Hawks’ Ernst said. Without the abatement, the training facility and Operations DepartHawks would end up paying more than ment with Emory sports medicine facili$600,000 a year in taxes. ties. Emory will become the team’s official Ernst also said that had Emory and the sports medicine provider and gets namHawks decided to build in Executive Park ing rights to the facility. Emory’s entire with no assist from the city of BrookhavSports Medicine Center will move to the en, the city would have only received about Brookhaven site as well. $35,000 a year in taxes – the rest would The move to Brookhaven is a “signature have gone to county and state governmoment for the city,” Ernst said at the April ments. 12 City Council meeting. “This is a good Marietta was also being considered for deal for Brookhaven.” the Hawks to locate a new practice facility, The Emory/Hawks partnership is a Ernst said, and there was also the chance the Hawks could have gone with Decide DeKalb, a county development authority. If the Hawks had gone with either of those, the city of Brookhaven would have gotten nothing, Ernst said. What happens if, for some reason, the Hawks default on the $36 million bond? Ernst promises the city will not be caught holding the ball. The Development DYANA BAGBY Authority only has the Left to right, Rep. Taylor Bennett, City Council members title of the building, Bates Mattison and Linley Jones, City Manager Gary not the land because Yandura, Mayor John Ernst and Council member John Park celebrate the Hawks plan to open a training Emory owns the land, facility during a press conference on April 5. he explained. Should the Hawks default the $50 million deal for the land purchase and authority would transfer the building back building construction with $14 million beto the Hawks and the city would recoup all ing covered by Emory Healthcare and the back taxes, he said. Hawks funding $36 million. Emory UniverHow to spend the $302,900 coming into sity will then provide a ground lease to the the city’s coffers over the next 15 years is Hawks for the practice facility. something City Council members will be That $36 million is where the city of considering. Ernst said he hopes it can be Brookhaven comes in to play as the sixth used in the area where the development is man for the Hawks. taking place, for improvements to traffic, To secure the deal to have the Hawks for example. and Emory locate the facility in BrookhavErnst plans to host a town hall on en, city officials agreed to offer the Hawks Thurs., April 28, at 6:30 p.m. at Montclair a $36 million tax abatement. Elementary School, 1680 Clairmont Place That means that after the building is NE, to address citizen questions about the constructed, the Hawks will transfer ownfacility and its impact on Brookhaven. ership of it to the Brookhaven Development Authority. Because the authority is a How it the deal began governmental agency, it is not required to The first meeting between city officials pay taxes. and the Hawks and Emory took place in “It was a ‘use it or lose it’ kind of situaearly February. tion,” Ernst said about the tax abatement. Councilmember Joe Gebbia, who repTo have a tax abatement, the authority resents the district where Executive Park must own the land, Ernst said, because govis located, said he put together the meeternment agencies don’t pay taxes. In turn, the DA then issues a $36 million bond that is purchased by the Hawks, he Continued on page 12 BK
Community | 11
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Three major medical center campus expansions across the north Perimeter area were announced in recent weeks as part of an ongoing regional boom. Northside Hospital is planning a renovation of its Pill Hill campus. Buckhead’s Piedmont Hospital will develop a “major project” as part of a heart center expansion. And Emory Healthcare announced a 60-acre sports medicine campus and Atlanta Hawks training facility in Brookhaven. Northside would not give details of its plans for its campus at Johnson Ferry and Peachtree-Dunwoody roads in Sandy Springs, but did say the plans are big. In December, the hospital received state approval for a 53-bed expansion in a “new patient tower,” boosting the total inpatient beds to 590, said Northside spokesperson Katherine Watson. And the hospital is preparing to submit an application to the state for a “major campus renovation and reconfiguration project,” she said. Northside’s Pill Hill neighbor, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite, has a 57-bed expansion project in the zoning review process. Piedmont Hospital plans to develop a “major project” at its campus at Peachtree and Collier roads after receiving a $75 million gift from the Marcus Foundation to expand its Piedmont Heart Institute,
according to Georgia Health News. The vision is to create a “destination” heart program that will be a national draw, like the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, and ensure that “no Georgian has to leave Georgia for heart and vascular care,” Kevin Brown, Piedmont president and CEO, told GHN. In Brookhaven, a major new medical area is springing up around the North Druid Hills Road and I-85 interchange. Children’s Healthcare is already undertaking a major expansion of its facility there, with most of the details yet to be revealed. On April 5, Emory made the surprise announcement that it had bought 60 acres of the Executive Park office park and will turn it into the new home of Emory’s Sports Medicine Center. The centerpiece of the site is a new training facility for the Atlanta Hawks pro basketball team. “Emory Healthcare has built outstanding orthopedics services over the past decade, and we are excited to continue to grow this area and work closely with the Atlanta Hawks,” said Dr. Jonathan S. Lewin, the president, CEO and board chair of Emory Healthcare in a press release. “Delivering on-site care not only will enable us to provide faster care to Hawks players, but also will enhance our ability to conduct sports performance research and translate what we learn to all athletes both professional and recreational.”
Brookhaven offers $36 million tax abatement to lure Atlanta Hawks Continued from page 11
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ing at City Hall with Emory’s top management to fulfill part of the vetting process necessary for both sides to candidly discuss what a potential purchase of Executive Park would mean. There were two key takeaways from this meeting, he said. “First, they informed us they would not seek tax-free status. This condition was essential because our long-term validation for the original annexation was always predicated on full and taxable redevelopment of Executive Park,” Gebbia said. “We planned for a seven-year period before we would reach that phase, and now with this … purchase we would minimally be on target but most likely well ahead of schedule,” he said. Second, Gebbia said he presented the positive developments occurring in Brookhaven and particularly along the Buford Highway corridor, including: the advent of the Peachtree Creek Greenway; the announcement that Children’s Health
Care of Atlanta is building a new corporate headquarters across the street; and the redevelopment of Regency Plaza. “The Emory management team was also doing their vetting and trying to decide if the purchase of Executive Park in our city was conducive to their growth plans — and I can tell you they walked away very happy,” Gebbia said. “The combination of Emory buying Executive Park and the Hawks aligning with them to create a world-class sports medical facility puts Brookhaven in an unbelievable position,” he said. The effect on Buford Highway will be unavoidable, Gebbia said, but still very positive. He said he is already getting inquiries from hotels interested in moving into this part of town and that he expects to hear from many more entities in the near future. “What I am most proud of is having put the original deal together that enabled Brookhaven to annex the east side of I-85,” Gebbia said.
BK
APR. 15 - APR. 28, 2016
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BIA announces Norcross site; blame game between city and school arises Continued from page 1 ing for a location in the city and for one reason or another, the board couldn’t find anything. It was open in Norcross, or delay opening the school a year.” The state-approved charter school, scheduled to open this year, has a one-year lease with the Norcross location and could stay up to three years there as BIA continues to look for a long-term location, Mattison said. After learning BIA was going to be located in Norcross, a local mother immediately withdrew her child from the new state charter school. One parent, who agreed to be quoted only if not named, said, “it broke our hearts” to withdraw her child from the school. “When hearing that the school we all had so much invested in was to be located in Norcross…it broke our hearts,” she said of her family’s reaction. “From day one, the school has been aimed at the Brookhaven community and heavily backed by the Brookhaven city residents with hopes our children would be able to attend such an amazing school.” BIA’s board of directors looked at between 50 to 60 prospective sites in Brookhaven, the city of Atlanta, Chamblee, Doraville, Peachtree Corners, unincorporated DeKalb and Norcross, Mattison said. Mattison appeared at one point to lay blame for the school’s having to locate in Gwinnett County on city officials, after the city backed out of purchasing the stateowned Skyland Center building on Skyland Drive. In an April 6 email to a parent, Mattison stated, “If you live in the city of Brookhaven, I would encourage you to express your interest to see BIA in the city to your elected officials.”
He then went on to state that if BIA had known the city was not going to purchase the Skyland Center building, the school could have bought it directly from the state. Skyland, formerly a school, currently houses metro Atlanta’s Vital Records office and other state offices. “Two years ago, I found the building, Skyland Elementary, as a very good potential location for BIA. The city chose not to purchase the building. If we had known that the city was not going to buy the build-
the email to the parent. Mayor John Ernst said the city is willing to do anything it can legally to help the school, but said the two are separate entities. “And my understanding is that BIA said Skyland was not viable because the state couldn’t move out on time,” he said. BIA officials told the council in December they needed to have possession of the building and property by February to be able to open in August; the state’s offices wouldn’t
Mattison said. “I do think if citizens are interested in having BIA located in Brookhaven, they should contact their local government. BIA has no control over land or rezoning. We made sure there is a clear separation between city and BIA. The school is not funded in any way by the city.” At the same time Mattison is saying the city should help more in finding a site in Brookhaven for BIA, he also said in a recent interview, “I don’t know what the city could do – it’s not like the city has a bunch of property.”
Finding a long-term location
ing, BIA could have purchased the property directly from the state of Georgia,” Mattison stated in the email. The city did initially approve on Dec. 15 issuing up $3.3 million in revenue bonds to purchase the Skyland Center building, but reversed its decision on Dec. 23 after concerns were raised about Councilmember Joe Gebbia serving on the school’s board of directors and on the council. Gebbia resigned from BIA’s board. An independent legal review in December found no ethical conflicts with Mattison serving on the council and as executive director of BIA. “I believe the city has a responsibility to its residents to help provide good school options – which is something BIA can offer. Leadership of BIA met with the city of Brookhaven on multiple occasions to attempt to find a solution. Unfortunately, the city of Brookhaven showed no interest in assisting BIA. I hope that if enough Brookhaven citizens express interest in having this school here, the city will change their position,” Mattison stated in
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The reality is BIA spent months looking for a location in the city and for one reason or another, the board couldn’t find anything. It was open in Norcross, or delay opening the school a year. BATES MATTISON BROOKHAVEN INNOVATION ACADEMY
be out before July, so BIA was forced to look elsewhere. BIA is not a government agency, according to Ernst, so would not be able to buy the state-owned building without bidding on it, should the state decide to sell – the opposite of what Mattison told the parent. Mattison said he misspoke in his email. “That was an error,” he said. Mattison also said he is not trying to blame the city for anything. “BIA never intended to blame the city,”
BIA receives $7,200 per pupil annually from the state as part of being a public state charter school, Mattison said. The school is beginning with 420 students in K-6 with plans in the near future to expand to 540 students for K-8. At $7,200 per pupil a year for 540 students, the total comes to approximately $3.9 million a year. BIA is budgeted to use 15 percent of that $3.9 million – or approximately $600,000 – for rent or to purchase a facility, Mattison explained. The city was instrumental in getting the petition approved for the BIA state charter, paying for two separate studies at a total cost of about $63,000 to determine the feasibility of creating an independent city school district or a state charter school. The city did invest seed money for the petition that led to the creation of the school. But since that time there has been no involvement, Mattison said. “BIA would be extremely pleased to work with the city but these are two separate organizations,” he said. “There is great potential for partnerships, but [we] don’t know what that is right now.”
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The idea of a new 5-acre park beneath the Dunwoody MARTA Station’s elevated tracks drew praise from residents and officials when it was unveiled at a public meeting in April 2014. Someone at Google Maps got excited enough to add the dream park to the company’s Perimeter Center map. But two years later, “Perimeter Park @ Dunwoody MARTA Station” remains a paper park. A final design was chosen, apparently in late 2014, by the Perimeter Center Improvement Districts. But the park remains on the drawing board with no schedule for completion. “We are researching funding sources [and] options and working with the city of Dunwoody and Perimeter Mall…on the transfer of the land, but there is no timeline for this,” said PCIDs External Affairs Director Tammy Thompson. Perimeter Park would be a redevelopment of a fenced-off strip of trees along a wide concrete drainage ditch just north of the MARTA station and extending to the Perimeter Station shopping center. The area is bordered by Perimeter Center Parkway to the west and the back end of Perim-
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SPECIAL The final design of the planned Perimeter Park under the Dunwoody MARTA tracks includes a big lawn and a landcaped stream. To view a larger version of this map, go to ReporterNewspapers.net
eter Mall to the east. The park was the brainchild of PCIDs, with the city of Dunwoody willing to maintain it as part of the city park system. PCIDs commissioned designs from the consulting firm Kimley-Horn and Associates, which were unveiled at Dunwoody City Hall meetings in spring of 2014. The designs generally called for turning the ditch into more of a stream with landscaped banks, along with bridges across the water and an open, pedestrian-friendly connection between Perimeter Center Parkway and the mall’s loop road. There also was talk of illuminating the MARTA track pillars with decorative lighting. Two alternative designs had different options for the area immediately north of the MARTA station. One was a grassy “great lawn” design and the other had a pond that doubled as stormwater management. The final design selected by PCIDs went with the grassy option, showing two circular lawns with seating areas. The design is dated November 2014, but Thompson could not confirm exactly when it was approved. During the 2014 meetings, PCIDs president and CEO Yvonne Williams said the park’s land—partly on mall property and partly in city of Dunwoody right of way— could be acquired at no cost. But, she said, construction would be done as money became available. However, not even the land acquisition is worked out yet, according to PCIDs and the city of Dunwoody. BK
APR. 15 - APR. 28, 2016
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Community | 15
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City Council approves bike, pedestrian plan BY DYANA BAGBY dyanabagby@reporternewspapers.net
Brookhaven City Council brought cheers from the audience April 12 when it approved a bicycle, pedestrian and trail plan for the city. Implementation of the plan is expected cost approximately $9.2 million in a short-term phase; $25.2 million in a mid-term phase; and $32 million in a long-term phase lasting 15 to 20 years. Betsy Eggers, chair of the Peachtree Creek Greenway, has been riding her bike for a year and said she JACK HONDERD was thrilled the plan was approved unanimously by council. “We are very excited they unanimously changed this to a short-term project. That means we still have five to 10 years to go, but it gives us momentum to be able to keep what has started going,” for the Peachtree Creek Greenway, she said. Eggers’ husband, Jack Honderd, said the plan is a win-win for cycling enthu-
siasts and pedestrians but also for those who prefer to drive. With more people walking and riding bikes, there are fewer cars on the road, meaning less traffic, he said. “This creates choices for all citizens,” Honderd said. “A lot of people are interested in walking or biking to nearby destinations, like a shopping center or a park … but they don’t feel safe doing it. This plan gives them that choice.” Brookhaven City Council a year ago approved a $96,866.12 contract with Pond and Company to develop a comprehensive bicycle, pedestrian and trail plan for the city. The project’s focus was to develop plans aimed at creating a map for future investment as well as a prioritized list of feasible and cost-effective projects. The plan approved includes 20.4 miles of new “sharrows,” lanes shared by bikes and cars; 6.9 miles of new bicycle lanes or cycle tracks; 31.3 miles of new sidewalks and 38.7 miles of new multi-use trails.
This creates choices for all citizens. A lot of people are interested in walking or biking to nearby destinations, like a shopping center or a park … but they don’t feel safe doing it. This plan gives them that choice.
Annual festival offers good family fun There was something for everyone at the 2nd Annual Cherry Blossom Festival held April 2 at Blackburn Park. Top right: Noa Bea McTighe, 3, shows off her freshly painted face in the Childrens Village. Bottom right: Dojo Dunwoody Team members Reid Tindel, 7, and Akshay Chaturvedi, 5, practice their moves. Bottom left: Katie Ray and her dog, Copper, try out the agility course in the Pet World Arena. PHOTOS BY PHIL MOSIER
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SPECIAL
Retiring band teacher Stutz Wimmer leaves a legacy of excellence at The Lovett School.
Editor’s note: Through our new “Exceptional Educator” series, Reporter Newspapers is showcasing the work of some of the outstanding teachers and officials at our local schools. If you would like recommend an Exceptional Educator, please email editor@ReporterNewspapers.net.
Stutz Wimmer
teaches band and jazz band at The Lovett School. He’s taught at Lovett since 1987, and began teaching seven years earlier. He plans to retire at the end of this year. Under his direction, Lovett’s jazz bands have competed successfully in national competitions. In March, Lovett’s Ellington Jazz Ensemble placed third among a dozen bands from across the country selected to compete at the Swing Central Jazz Competition in Savannah, the school said. “He’s been such a huge influence on the kids,” said Jen Sarginson, associate director of communications at Lovett. “He’s just a passionate teacher and a very talented musician himself.” Q: What attracted you to teaching at first? A: As an undergrad/grad college student I dabbled in it some, working with local high school students on sort of a one-toone basis, and discovered I was pretty good at it (though, in my mind, I was a player first). In truth, grade schools had been rough on me. By the time I’d graduated from high school I had become about as “disengaged” from school as one can be. That said, I had some wonderful, inspiring teachers/mentors in college. And the band director under whom I student taught was among the most successful folks in the region. In hindsight, they were some of the best role models one could have had. I was hooked. Q: Has the appeal changed? A: It hasn’t! Honestly, as I look toward retirement in just a few weeks, I truly feel that I’ve never had to really “work” for a living. Teaching is such a kick. There’s noth-
ing more rewarding than to help young people get excited about the thing you are so excited by personally. Music must be the easiest subject of all to teach when it comes to getting kids to fall in lock-step. Q: What keeps you going year after year? A: I’ve never really seriously thought about doing anything else. I do love the challenge, especially as you see a group continue to progress as they grow older. Many of my students started working with me as sixth graders, some even earlier. By the time they graduate (we’re graduating 13 students this year), we all understand the program and each other. It’s a very personal and gratifying thing. I can count on one hand the number of days in 37 years when I wasn’t eager to get back to school. And the Lovett School is probably as good a place to work as any place can be. It’s an amazingly supportive family of like-minded people, guided by some of the brightest and capable folks I’ve ever encountered. Q: What do you think makes a great teacher? A: That, of course, differs from teacher to teacher. For me, an effective teacher has to be passionate, committed and deeply knowledgeable about the subject. Kids can see right through a teacher who lacks sincerity or skill. They “get it” so fast! If you love the subject, as I do, and the enthusiasm for it spews out of you like I’m told it does in my case, you can’t help but inspire most of the students. Tenacity is also key. I’ve never been much of one to accept “no” for an answer. (It’s gotten me in a pickle on more than one occasion!) Fortunately, Lovett has been a Godsend for me in that regard, too. The administration has supported pretty much every out-of-the-box idea I’ve ever presented. To be honest, I’m a bit of an iconoclast by nature. Same-old, same-old doesn’t work very well for me. It’s important that the kids find relevance in the work they
Education | 17
APR. 15 - APR. 28, 2016 ■ www.ReporterNewspapers.net are asked to do. That’s where my own high school education ran off the rails. Because of that, I’ve taken great care in keeping that from happening to the kids in my charge. You also have to be empathetic to be an effective teacher/coach. It totally can’t be about your ego, though ego does naturally play a role. It’s mostly about the kids and their families. It’s really hard to be a kid these days and even harder to be a parent. Positive outcomes require lots of personal attention, interaction and empathy to negotiate the worst of times. But if you care, the kids sense that. Parents, too. Word gets around pretty fast regarding whether you’re ally or adversary. I can’t imagine being a teacher without liking/believing in the families you teach (though I’ve known some “teachers” who don’t). Finally, you have to be willing to put in extra time. If you want a gig that’s 40 hours a week, teaching is not for you. My wife Carla is an amazingly patient and supportive woman. I could not have done this without her support. How lucky am I? Q: What do you want to see in your students? A: I want to see them discover the value and depth of music that may not at first be familiar to them. In my case, as a jazz enthusiast, most of my students are less familiar with the history and art form that is expressed through jazz music. It’s a beautiful thing to have a student develop a deeply held passion to learn to play well and be committed to working for years in order to play at the highest of levels. Q: How do you engage your students? A: As described above. The music mostly does it -- that, coupled to some degree with my own enthusiasm for it. The combination pretty much closes the sale. It’s easy to engage the students. Really easy. Q: Do you have a project or special program you use year after year? Why do you keep going back to it? A: Yes! Lovett students are generally motivated/driven by goals and outcomes. Nothing “jazzes” them more than a good challenge, provided they are interested in the subject. I’ve never been one to accept mediocre music-making either. Can’t stand the sound of it! I’ve always held a belief that students, given proper instruction and
lofty goals, are capable of rising to a nearprofessional level by senior year. Toward that end, I’ve involved my students in two particular national competitions that we take a shot at most years. The Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Festival and Competition, sponsored by Jazz at Lincoln Center (and Wynton Marsalis) is one of them. The Savannah Music Festival’s Swing Central High School Jazz Band competition is the other. Both are Super Bowllike events. Bands from all over the U.S. enter via recording. The top 15 or 12 bands, respectively, are selected from among hundreds of entries and invited to attend the finals contests in New York or Savannah. Lovett has been a finalist at the Essentially Ellington festival four times, and Swing Central five times, I believe. We weren’t chosen as a top finalist for Essentially Ellington this year, but were for Swing Central. We placed third overall in Savannah, the first time we’ve ever placed in the top three there. We also earned a third place finish in New York in the early 2000s. Nothing motivates Lovett/Ellington Band students more than the possibility of long-shot success. Q: Is there a “trick” that works to get students involved? A: No tricks. The music, camaraderie and now, a legacy established by so many years of really wonderful groups, attracts the up-and-comers to the program. I’m most proud of the fact that The Lovett Ellington Band seems to have established a solid reputation for success and quality. It’s fairly self-sustaining at this point. I’m really proud of that. Q: What do you hope your students take away from your class? A: I want them to know what it feels like to perform at the very highest level the art form has to offer. I want them to carry their enthusiasm out of here when they graduate. I want them to share that experience with everyone, and get their own kids involved in music when the time comes. I want them to “get this” like I have. I have little doubt that the students who just returned from Savannah will never forget the experience. You should have heard them play. My, oh my!
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Wednesday, April 27, 11:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m. Vince, Barbara and Suzanne Dooley speak at the Elaine Clark Center. Grandson Matthew Dooley has cerebral palsy and attended the center in the late ‘90s. Tickets: $175. Includes jewelry silent auction. Proceeds help fund expansion efforts. For more information, email: cmurray@ecvc.org or call 770-458-3251.The Capital City Club, 53 W. Brookhaven Dr., Brookhaven, 30319. elaineclarkcenter.org.
‘HEARTS WITH HOPE’ Saturday, April 30, 6:30 p.m. The Partnership Against Domestic Violence “Hearts with Hope” Gala features an auction, food, guest speakers, dancing and entertainment. Tickets: $400. Black tie attire. Monies support PADV’s general operating budget, allowing for its free programs and services. The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead, 3434 Peachtree Rd., Atlanta, 30326. Learn more: padv.org.
‘ BEAUTY AND THE BEAST JR.’ Wednesday, April 20, 7 p.m. Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic School invites all to their spring musical, ‘Beauty and the Beast Jr.’ $5. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. In the school’s gym. Additional shows April 21-23. 1350 Hearst Dr., NE, Atlanta, 30319. Call 404-862-2763 or visit: olaschool.org for details.
‘MONARCHS & MARGARITAS’ Saturday, April 30, 6-9 p.m. Get ready for a whole new “Monarchs & Margaritas” (and Moonshine!) Upscale, casual party in Dunwoody Nature Center’s meadow. Event includes live music, valet parking, signature drinks, whole-roasted pig and corn in shuck, as well as catered menu. Southern chic attire. $75. 5343 Roberts Dr., Dunwoody, 30338. Call 770-394-3322 or visit: duwnoodynature.org for information and tickets. Restoration by Henry Schwartz www.papermilldental.com 404-596-5727
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‘A NIGHT WITH TAURUS’
SHOW & SALE
Saturday, April 30, 7 p.m. Chastain Friends invites all to “A Night With Taurus” at the Chastain Horse Park. Celebrate the zodiac season of Taurus by watching or riding the mechanical bull. Event features live music, whisky tasting, dinner, dancing and silent auction. Benefits Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Tickets: $95; $100 after April 18. Visit: ANightWithTaurus.com to purchase or for details. Call 404-7912798 with questions. 4371 Powers Ferry Rd., NW, Atlanta, 30327.
Saturday, April 23, 1-5 p.m. Opening reception for show and sale features work by Chastain Arts Center instructors and students, including a variety of jewelry, pottery, paintings, prints, scarves, garden art, photographs and more. Free admission. Continues through May 28. 135 West Wieuca Rd., NW, Atlanta, 30342. For further details, go to: ocaatlanta.com/Chastain.
HARRIS JACOBS RUN Sunday, May 1, 8 a.m. It’s time for the 23rd annual Harris Jacobs Dream Run at Marcus Jewish Community Center-Zaban Park. 5K race/ run; 1-mile special needs walk. 2017 Peachtree Road Race qualifier. Chip timing, T-shirts, post-race party. $15-$35. Shuttle service from Georgia Perimeter College. 5342 Tilly Mill Rd., Dunwoody 30338. Register at active.com. Questions? Call 678-812-3981 or go to: atlantajcc.org under “sports.”
ARTIST MARKET
Thursday, April 28, 7-9 p.m. Celebrate the arts at Wesleyan School’s 18th annual artist market. Event features fine art, custom-made jewelry, ceramics, photography and more. Food trucks, live entertainment, children’s activities. Continues April 29, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and April 30, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free admission. The community is welcome. 5405 Spalding Dr., Peachtree Corners, 30092. For further information, visit: wesleyanartistmarket.org or email: info@wesleyanartistmarket.org.
APR. 15 - APR. 28, 2016
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Out & About | 19
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‘TAMING OF THE SHREW’ Friday, April 29, 7 p.m. In this modern text of the Shakespeare classic, the main plot depicts the headstrong, obdurate shrew Katherina and her suitor Petruchio, who uses various psychological torments to “tame” her until she becomes a compliant and obedient bride. $10. Additional shows: April 30, 7 p.m. and May 1, 3 p.m. Dunwoody United Methodist Church, 1548 Mount Vernon Rd., Dunwoody, 30338. Questions? Go to: dunwoodyumc.org or call 770-394-0675.
p.m. Join the Georgia Botanical Society and Park Naturalist Jerry Hightower as you travel above rock cliffs, through mature oak-hickory forest and floodplain forest. $3 Daily Park Pass not required if displaying a current Annual Park Pass or an America the Beautiful Pass. Reservations necessary; call 678-538-1200. Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, 1425 Indian Trail, Sandy Springs, 30327. For details, go to: nps.gov.
Among the fascinating people who
live and work at Canterbury Court:
SMART MONEY
LEARN SOMETHING!
Mattie Hickey-Middleton
DEFENSIVE DRIVING
Exercise Specialist since 2005
Tuesday, April 19, 2:15-5:45 p.m. A two-day AARP defensive driving class for adults as well as teens aged 15 and up. Guidebook: $15 for members; $20 non-members, and required for certificate. Class continues on April 20 and participants must attend both. Registration required by calling 404-851-6157. Sandy Springs Branch Library, 395 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs, 30328. Email: comments@ co.fulton.ga.us for details.
Tuesday, April 26, 6-8 p.m. This workshop, particularly aimed at but not limited to women, focuses on budgeting and investment advice. Suitable for adults and elders. Open to all. Northside Branch Library, in the Multi-Purpose Room, 3295 Northside Parkway, NW, Atlanta, 30327. Email: comments@co.fulton.ga.us or call 404-814-3508 with questions.
JOB SEARCH
RESUMÉ DEVELOPMENT
Tuesday, April 19, 6:30-7:45 p.m. Learn how to stage an effective job search using a variety of methods. For adults. Class limited to 15 participants. Free and open to the public. Call 404-848-7140 or swing by the Brookhaven Branch Library to register or for additional information. 1242 N. Druid Hills Rd., Brookhaven, 30319.
Tuesday, April 26, 6:30-7:45 p.m. Learn how to create a resumé that can be tailored to the jobs you are applying for. Class limited to 15 participants. For adult audiences. Free and open to the public. Visit the Brookhaven Branch Library to register or call 404-848-7140. 1242 N. Druid Hills Rd., Brookhaven, 30319.
STRESS RELIEF
PROTECT YOURSELF
Wednesday, April 20, 2-3 p.m. Have fun while you color your stress away. Supplies and coloring sheets provided. Free. All are welcome. Open to the first 20 participants. For adults 18 and over. Call 770512-4640 or visit the Dunwoody Branch Library to sign up. 5339 Chamblee-Dunwoody Rd., Dunwoody, 30338.
Wednesday, April 27, 4-5 p.m. Find out about the common forms of identity theft and how to protect yourself, what to do if you suspect you are a victim and how to prepare in advance. For adults. Free. Open to the community. Drop by the Brookhaven Branch Library to sign up or call 404-848-7140. 1242 N. Druid Hills Rd., Brookhaven, 30319.
AIDS LECTURE
MENTAL HEALTH Saturday, April 23, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The National Alliance for Mental Health Northside Atlanta holds its 2016 Mental Health Fair to answer questions about services and advocacy for individuals suffering from mental illness. Peachtree Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 3434 Roswell Road NE, Atlanta 30305.
FOR KIDS Wednesday, April 20, 7-8 p.m. Salaam Semaan, MPH, DrPH, Deputy Associate Director for Science, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, presents “Connecting Art and HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment.” Part of the lecture series accompanying Yale University’s “The Art of Public Health” exhibit. $5. Oglethorpe University Museum of Art, 4484 Peachtree Rd., Brookhaven, 30319. Call 404-364-8555 or visit: museum.oglethorpe.edu/events to find out more.
FOREST WALK Sunday, April 24, 10 a.m.-3:30
MARVELOUS MOTHERS! Tuesday, April 26, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Create a dimensional canvas as a Mother’s Day gift to celebrate Mom! Registration required and started April 1. Space is limited. Free. All are welcome. Geared for youngsters aged 5 and up. Email: leah.germon@fultoncountyga.gov, call 404-303-6130 or go to the Sandy Springs Library to register. 395 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs, 30328.
Dancer • Swimmer • Exercise Therapist • Teacher Music Lover • Volunteer • Canterbury Court Ambassador
My motto is exercise AND socialize.
IT’S ALL ABOUT HAVING FUN! Running 17 exercise classes each week, plus private sessions with people recovering from injury or surgery, would surely exhaust an average person. Of course, Mattie’s far from average. She’s a bundle of energy who loves to dance, works a variety of music into her classes, and joins Canterbury’s walking club whenever she can, especially when they’re training for the annual Peachtree Road 10k. She says residents and staff are so much like family that she’s always encouraging people to move here.
Mattie invites you to discover her Canterbury Court.
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Buckhead retiree finds passion in painting BY MARTHA NODAR
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Retired after a long career as a financial analyst, Buckhead artist Leon Borchers now has a studio in his home and says he’s “living his dream.” “I was always interested in art, but never took the time to paint until after I retired,” he said. “I put it off for 40 years.” Drawing a parallel between his career and his art-making, Borchers Artist Leon Borchers said he is driven by the same traits that helped him succeed in the business world—a meticulous eye for detail, a deep sense of planning and a dose of self-discipline. And yet, he is quick to admit he paints just for “his own pleasure.” He spends several days each week in his home studio just for the fun of it and refers “Annie in Red Hat,” an oil-on-paper work. to his craft “as a wonderful pastime.” “I just enjoy the moment,” he said. he emphasized that most of the time he ends After taking some classes and working up either donating his paintings to charity or with a mentor, Borchers joined the Buckgiving them away as gifts to his friends. head-based Atlanta Artists Center about 10 It has been the ability to unleash his creyears ago and began exhibiting his work. But ativity to fill in the gap between life before and after retirement that has added color to his life. Borchers and fellow AAC members, who also belong to the AAC’s Tuesday Sketch Group, are showing “Charismatic Characters” at the Buckhead Branch of the Fulton County Public Library System through May 10. “Annie in Red Hat,” is one of Borchers’ oil-on-paper pieces in the exhibit. Fellow AAC member Jane Springfield said she was “struck by the elegance” of the painting. Long-time AAC volunteer Cheryl D’Amato agreed. “This is a poster-esque painting of a striking, elegant female form,” D’Amato said. Sandy Springs artist Clara Blalock said the piece showed “a wonderful movement around the canvas.” She also found the image intriguing. “Is this lady waiting for a train or sitting in a hotel lobby?” Blalock posed. “What is her story?”
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What “Charismatic Characters” a portrait exhibit by AAC members of the Tuesday Sketch Group
Where Buckhead Public Library 269 Buckhead Avenue, Atlanta 30305 Ph. 404-814-3500
When Now through May 10
Open Reception April 16, 2:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Community Room / Cost: Free
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Cross Creek Spring Yard Sale – Saturday, April 23 (rain date Saturday, April 30) between 8:00 am – 2:00 pm. 1221 Cross Creek Parkway (off of Bohler Rd).
Driveways & Walkways – Replaced or repaired. Masonry, grading, foundations repaired, waterproofing and retaining walls. Call Joe Sullivan 770-616-0576. Handyman Services – plus local moving & delivery capabilities. References Available. We offer Experienced, Dependable and Fast Services. Call Cornell at 803-608-0792. No job to small.
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Adult person willing to work days, nights and weekends. Full time position with Jacobs Engineering as maintenance tech/parks attendant for Sandy Springs Rec Dept. salary 15.00 per hr. and full benefits. Mail or email resume to City of Sandy Springs Recreation & Parks Department at: 7840 Roswell Road, Bldg 500, Sandy Springs, GA 30350 or ryoung@sandyspringsga.gov Mosquito Joe is looking for Field Technicians in Dunwoody. Position is seasonal during the active mosquito spraying season, April-early Nov. Technicians need to be able to walk customer property, carry heavy equipment (60lbs) for long period of time in warm temps. Flexible hours. Contact Salma Ibarra 404-996-138, northatlanta@mosquitojoe.com
Exciting! Fun! And Rewarding Opportunity! - The Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber seeks an ambitious, commission based sales person to sell memberships. Work from home and engage with businesses that are helping our community grow and prosper. Call Suzanne Brown, Vice President/Client Services (678) 443-2990 or email suzanne@ sandysprings.org.
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Police Blotter / Brookhaven From Brookhaven Police reports dated March 27 through April 6 The following information was pulled from Brookhaven’s Police-2-Citizen website and is presumed to be accurate.
ARRESTS
SUMMER CAMP 2016 JUNE 1 - AUGUST 5 Space is limited. Register today!
Have a Blast! with us this summer! Our professional staff has prepared another exciting summer of fitness and educational fun. We will encourage each child to express his or her own creativity as well as explore and discover new activities. For more information or to register, contact Ashley Donnerson at 770.698.2017 or adonnerson@wellbridge.com
March 27, an arrest for cocaine possession. 1200 block of Executive Park Drive –
On March 27, an arrest for theft of services. 1600 block of Buford Highway – On
2800 block of Clairmont Road – On
March 27, arrest for simple battery.
March 27, an arrest for disorderly conduct.
3300 block of Buford Highway – On
100 block of Windmont Drive – On
March 28, an arrest for disorderly conduct.
Public Safety Briefs Escaped sheep graze along Dresden Drive They say the grass is greener on the other side. A herd of some 20 sheep thought March 29 was a great time to find out if this was true. At about 1 a.m. that day, Brookhaven police began receiving 911 calls about loose sheep walking along Dresden Drive. With the sheep were two sheep dogs. They were following along, but obviously not herding. Officers arrived at the scene to find there were sheep grazing on the side of the road as the dogs watched. Brookhaven police then became the shepherds. “They knew the sheep are located near Skyland Park. That’s where they are kept and the sheep are used to graze green spaces,” said Officer Carlos Nino, spokesperson for BPD. Officers shouted, waved their arms and used their bodies to make the sheep and the dogs move back toward their fenced enclosure. “The officers just had to run them up into the direction of the fence,” Nino said. After getting the sheep to the fence, the officers called the phone number on a sign and the herder came down to meet them. He quickly gave the dogs two commands and the dogs jumped into action, herding the sheep into the fenced area. “The dogs did their job,” Nino said. Someone either opened the fence or left it open, allowing the sheep and dogs to escape for the midnight jaunt. The officers and herder “were all laughing,” Nino said. No arrests were made and the sheep face no charges, police said.
Police make arrests in Brookhaven Craigslist robbery A woman who attracted a Brookhaven man using a Craigslist ad saying she was “seeking a long-term relationship” has been arrested and charged with theft by deception. Autumn Bailey, 28, of Cleveland, Ga., was arrested April 1 in DeKalb County by the U.S. Marshal’s Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force and charged with theft by deception in Brookhaven. Also arrested and charged with theft by deception was Jezlias Maysonet, a 33 year-old man, who also was from Cleveland. Brookhaven Police’s Maj. Brandon Gurley said detectives allege that on March 16 Bailey met with a man who reached out to her after seeing her dating ad on Craigslist, “seeking a long term relationship.” The man met Bailey at a Brookhaven hotel where they decided to get a room together, according to police. Bailey told the man he would have to pay for the room up front, in cash, to avoid a paper trail, said Gurley. The man told police he laid out the money in his seat for Bailey but then a man, identified as Maysonet, ran up and snatched the money and fled the scene, according to police. Several tips via Crime Stoppers helped located the suspects, Gurley said. Both were released April 2 on $500 bond each.
Autumn Bailey
Jezlias Maysonet
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APR. 15 - APR. 28, 2016
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1700 block of Briarwood Road – On
3300 block of Buford Highway – On
2000 block of Burton Plaza Lane – On
March 28, an arrest for battery.
March 27, a report of theft.
2600 block of Buford Highway – On
3300 block of Buford Highway – On
March 28, a report of a runaway juvenile.
March 28, an arrest for harassing phone calls.
March 28, a report of theft.
2600 block of Buford Highway – On
3500 block of Buford Highway – On
2600 block of Buford Highway – On
March 29, a report of theft by taking auto.
March 28, a report of harassing communication.
March 28, an arrest for obstruction and interference. 3200 block of Buford Highway/North
Cliff Valley Way – On March 28, an arrest for obstruction and interference. 2800 block of Hermance Drive – On
March 29, an arrest for theft by receiving stolen property. 1600 block of Clairmont Place – On
March 29, arrest of wanted person located. 900
block of Rice Street – On March 29, an arrest for failure to appear. 1600
block of Clairmont Place – On March 29, an arrest for fire lane violation. 3800
block of Peachtree Road – On March 29, arrest for begging and soliciting. 3400 block of Buford Highway – On
March 30, an arrest for battery-family violence. 3300 block of Buford Highway – On
April 1, arrest for theft by receiving stolen property. 2900 block of Clairmont Road – On
April 1, arrest for false representations to city departments.
1900 block of Sterling Oaks Circle –
2000 block of North Druid Hills Road
March 28, a report of fraud-impersonation.
On March 30, report of harassing communication.
2600 block of Buford Highway – On
3400 block of Blair Circle – On March
March 28, a report of harassing communication.
31, report of suspicious person/vehicle.
700 block of Town Boulevard – On
March 31, report of disorderly conduct.
March 28, a report of harassing communication.
1000 block of Barone Avenue – On
– On March 30, report of theft-articles from vehicle. 2000 block of North Druid Hills Road
– On March 30, a report of theft-articles from vehicle. 700 block of Brookhaven Avenue – On
March 27, a report of theft.
1300 block of Cliff Valley Way – On March 27, a report of simple battery.
1600 block of Buford Highway – On March 27, a report of simple battery.
1700 block of Briarwood Road – On March 28, a report of battery.
2400 block of East Club Drive – On
March 28, a report of simple assault. 3400 block of Buford Highway – On
1800 block of Corporate Boulevard –
On March 30, report of simple battery.
B U R G L A RY
31, report of burglary-no forced entry.
3800 block of Peachtree Road – On
April 6, arrest for hit-and-run. 2400 block of Briarcliff Road – On
April 6, arrest for transactions in drugrelated paraphernalia within the city.
THEFT 1700 block of Briarwood Road – On
March 27, a report of theft by taking auto.
March 31, a report of fraud-impersonation.
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March 29, a report of battery.
3600 block of Buford Highway – On
– On April 6, arrest for urban camping.
2600 block of Buford Highway – On
2800 block of Buford Highway – On
A S S AU LT
March 31, report of burglary-forced entry.
1200 block of North Druid Hills Road
4200 block of Peachtree Road – On
3500 block of Buford Highway – On
3500 block of Buford Highway – On
April 4, arrest for armed robbery.
– On March 29, a report of criminal trespass warning.
March 29, a report of shoplifting.
April 2, two people were arrested for possession of a firearm and knife during the commission of a crime.
3300 block of Buford Highway – On
2200 block of North Druid Hills Road
March 29, a report of criminal trespass warning.
2900 block of Buford Highway – On
2600 block of Buford Highway – On
March 28, a report of aggravated stalking.
March 28, a report of an unruly child.
3800 block of Peachtree Road – On
April 3, arrest for battery.
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Public Safety | 23
www.ReporterNewspapers.net
3400 block of Blair Circle – On March
R O B B E RY 3300 block of Buford Highway – On
March 31, a report of an armed robbery of a business.
OT H E R 2800 block of Clairmont Road – On
March 27, a report of city ordinance violation. 3300 block of Buford Highway – On
March 27, a report of city ordinance violation. 3600 block of Buford Highway – On
March 27, a report of firing a weapon.
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404.969.4400
Advertised APY and rate apply to the initial term only. 1Opt-Up option is based on the published rate for the standard 24-month Certificate of Deposit and can be exercised by contacting us when the published rate exceeds the initial advertised rate and APY. 2The maturity date will not change. Therefore, if the rate change is executed in the 10th month, the new rate will be in effect for the remaining 13 months. Annual Percentage Yield of 1.36% is accurate as of 2/15/16. The APY assumes that interest remains on deposit until maturity. Withdrawal of interest will reduce earnings. 3Minimum deposit to open a CD for this offer is $10,000 (new and existing money) to earn advertised APY. Term is 23-months. Early withdrawal penalties may apply. Offer is subject to change or end at any time without notice. Offer not valid for retirement CDs, brokerage deposits, institutional investors, public funds or in conjunction with other promotional offers. Interest compounds daily and may remain in the CD or be paid monthly or quarterly by check or transferred to an account with us. CD is automatically renewed into a 24-month standard CD at maturity unless we receive contrary instructions from you. Important Information about FDIC Deposit Insurance Coverage: Midtown Bank and Bank of Sandy Springs (Divisions of First Landmark Bank) and First Landmark Bank are the same FDIC-insured institution. Deposits held under First Landmark Bank or the trade names Midtown Bank and Bank of Sandy Springs are not separately insured, but are combined to determine whether a depositor has exceeded basic federal deposit insurance limits. Midtown Bank | 712 West Peachtree Street Atlanta, GA 30308 | 404.969.4400
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Join Us and Party For a Purpose
5 Seasons Brewing Battle & Brew Bishoku Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop Café Posh Chef Rob’s Caribbean Café Cibo E Beve
May 14
Hammond Park th
7-11 pm
For one night only more than 20 Sandy Springs restaurants will be rocking the big tents in the heart of Sandy Springs. Enjoy this all-inclusive event with food, w i n e , b e e r , c o c k t a i l s a n d l i v e m u s i c .
Dantanna’s Tavern Food 101 Hammock’s Trading Co. Hudson Grille Il Giallo Maya Steaks & Seafood
Live music from Ed Roland & the Sweet Tea Project, Tony Levitas and FRIENDS and the Tommy Dean Trio.
Meehan’s Public House Nancy G’s Nothing Bundt Cakes Rock ’N’ Taco Taziki’s Mediterranean Café Teela Taqueria Three Sheets Tin Can Fish House Under the Cork Tree *Restaurant list subject to change
Buy Your Tickets Today at FoodThatRocks.org EST.
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