9-1-17 Sandy Springs Reporter

SEPTEMBER 1 - 14, 2017 • VOL. 11— NO. 18

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► Few local dams have emergency plans ready PAGE 4 ► Commentary: Tackling hate in schools, for kids’ sake PAGE 10

Water wars

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City Council District 4 is only race on ballot

BY JOHN RUCH johnruch@reporternewspapers.net

Sandy Springs will have a city election so quiet, they almost didn’t have one at all.

Two candidates — Le’Dor Milteer and Jody Reichel — vying for the City Council District 4 seat make for the only competitive race and the only one that will appear on the Nov. 7 ballot, the city says.

No election will be held for all other, noncompetitive races. That means Mayor Rusty Paul and four incumbent councilmembers will remain in office without a vote, and newcomer Steve Soteres will automatically win the District 2 seat for which he is the See CITY on page 15 PHIL MOSIER

Left, Sisters Sophia Tadeo, 9, and Natalia Tadeo, 5, compete to knock down cups with water pistols in one of many family activities at the Movies by Moonlight screening of “The Lego Batman Movie” Aug. 25 at Sandy Springs United Methodist Church on Mount Vernon Highway.

Sponsored by Leadership Sandy Springs, the movie series continues Sept. 8 with “Beauty and the Beast.” See Out & About, p. 16. ►

EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATOR Pursuing ‘pizzazz’ in every lesson

Civil War monuments should be about marking transitions and remembering what happens when we can’t find peaceful solutions. People who attempt to violently remove them are exactly why we need them.

OUT & ABOUT ‘Beachy soul’ comes to the Springs

— A 35-year-old Brookhaven man

What should metro Atlanta officials do with Confederate monuments that stand on public land?

See COMMENTARY, Page 11

Page 8

Page 16

After 30 years, CAC grows to meet needs

BY JOHN RUCH johnruch@reporternewspapers.net In its 30th year of preventing homelessness and hunger, the nonprofit Community Assistance Center says needs in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs are only growing. So the CAC is growing, too.

With a $2 million capital campaign underway, the CAC is starting work on a greatly expanded food pantry at a 14,000-square-foot Roswell Road building it recently purchased.

And on the drawing board: two satellite locations for food pantries and counseling services in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs.

After starting small in 1987, says CAC See AFTER on page 14

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A parents group advocating for a new North Springs Charter High School building will hold an open house about their effort on Sept. 6.

Citizens for a New North Springs complain that the 7447 Roswell Road school, dating to 1963, is overdue for a new building, while Fulton County Schools has replaced more recent facilities. Among the group’s founders is District 4 City Council candidate Jody Reichel. Mayor Rusty Paul announced his support for the effort in a Facebook comment.

The open house will run 6 to 9 p.m., with a presentation at 7 p.m., at the North Fulton Annex, 7741 Roswell Road. For more information, see cfanns.org.

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The Secretary of State’s office is still investigating a 2016 city-run special election for possible polling place notification violations. The office said in June that the probe was nearing a conclusion, but spokesperson David Dove said it remains open and has yet to be scheduled for a State Election Board hearing.

The investigation concerns the May 2016 special election for the City Council seat representing District 3, a seat eventually won by Chris Burnett in a June runoff.

The District 3 election was held the same day as a county-run state primary election, but was conducted by the city itself at a single, separate polling place. That meant that citizens who wanted to vote in both elections had to visit two separate polls.

For this year’s municipal election, the city is once again contracting with Fulton County to run the election rather than doing it in-house.

PO LICE B O DY CAM ER A R O LLO U T IS CO M PL ETE All Sandy Springs Police Department patrol officers are now wearing body cameras on duty, according to Deputy Chief Keith Zgonc. The City Council approved the purchase of about 70 TASER Axon brand body cameras in March.

The cameras are always on, recording briefly and then re-recording over footage, unless the officer is responding to a specific incident, when he or she triggers it to keep recording.

Sandy Springs Deputy Police Chief Keith Zgonc demonstrates the deparment’s new chest-mounted body camera earlier this year.

JOHN RUCH

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City rethinks Mount Vernon roundabouts, starts demolition

BY JOHN RUCH johnruch@reporternewspapers.net

Vacant buildings on the triangle at Johnson Ferry Road and Mount Vernon Highway in Sandy Springs began coming down Aug. 25, partly for a future city park. But the city is now rethinking its controversial plan for the rest of the triangle: dual roundabouts that would eat into neighboring properties.

Among the buildings coming down is the former Eddie’s Automotive, which was once declared “historic” by the state Historic Preservation Division.

Mayor Rusty Paul and the City Council suggested in informal, internal conversation — without discussion in a regular council meeting — to rethink the intersection plan, according to Kraun. Improving the unusual, X-shaped intersection is a $26 million item on the new transportation special local option sales tax project list.

“There’s going to be some updates to see if there are better ways to do it,” said city spokesperson Sharon Kraun. “It could be roundabouts. It could not be.”

New design alternatives will be presented in a public meeting that could happen “within a matter of weeks,” Kraun said.

Meanwhile, the city’s TSPLOST project website page continues to describe the plan – known as Project T-0011 — as roundabouts.

The roundabouts — which had at least three alternative designs — were controversial for possible land-takings and concerns they would make traffic worse. The last significant public discussions about them was the mayor and council’s annual retreat in January, where they asked for refined versions of the roundabouts plan.

Since then, the mayor and council wanted to review more alternatives, Kraun said, partly because of studies about possible mass transit and alternative transportation on the Mount Vernon corridor. Those include a planned multi-use path and possible “multi-modal” lanes on the road.

The side of the triangle fronting on Roswell Road is pegged for a new park intended to pair with the new City Springs civic center going up across the street. That park has yet to be designed and has no specific timeline, though it might be funded by the main City Springs budget, depending on how spending looks as that project nears completion and a mid-2018 opening.

The city spent about $4.8 million to acquire the triangle, whose main structures were vacant mattress and carpet stores, as well as Magic Mike’s, the successor garage to Eddie’s Automotive. Eddie’s was a local institution founded in 1972 and known for servicing the city’s police car fleet.

Last year, the Eddie’s/Magic Mike’s

An earthmover moves rubble on the triangle property Aug. 25, as the new City Springs rises in the background.

building at 260 Mount Vernon Highway N.E. was declared “historic” by the state as an example of 1960s “Contemporary architecture” of the car-oriented suburbs. The building featured a rectangular, symmetrical look and a facade decorated with louvre-like wooden slats.

That historic designation stalled the roundabouts plan, because the project was using state and federal funds that required historic review and asset protection. For that reason, the city pulled out of that funding and put the project instead on the TSPLOST project list, which voters approved last fall. By funding the project itself, the city does not have to in-

JOHN RUCH

vestigate or preserve historic properties.

The city paid Magic Mike’s more than $73,000 to move to a new location on Roswell Road last year.

At around noon on Aug. 25, a small crew with a single earthmover was demolishing the old carpet store, and some preliminary demo work had been done on the roof of the Eddie’s/Magic Mike’s building.

When the demolition is complete, the triangle’s immediate future will be as a lawn that may or may not be open to the public, Kraun said.

“We’ll green it,” she said, adding that one structure will remain for a while: a giant billboard.

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Tom Woosley, head of the state Safe Dams Program, inspects Emergency Action Plans on file in the Floyd Building in downtown Atlanta.

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Few local dams have emergency plans ready

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If the dams at DeKalb County’s twin reservoirs in Dunwoody failed, a roughly 10foot wall of water would slam into nearby houses. Within an hour, the flood would lap against I-285 at a depth of 10 to 12 feet, and flow nearly five miles down the Nancy Creek’s bed in Brookhaven. Some areas would be submerged in more than 40 feet of water.

Hundreds of residents in the flood path would have little warning. Yet they would still have a precious chance to flee, because DeKalb recently filed an “Emergency Action Plan,” or EAP, about where the water would go in a worst-case scenario and who would get the alarm.

But among the 11 state-monitored public and private dams in Reporter Newspapers communities, that’s one of only a few that filed EAPs by a July 1 legal deadline.

The state Safe Dams Program is working to get the others — and all of the roughly 500 “high-hazard” dams statewide — to get into compliance.

“You’re realizing the sad reality” of how fast a dam-failure flood could hit homes and roads, said Tom Woosley, head of the Safe Dams Program, as he displayed the “inundation maps” for those Scott Candler Reservoirs in DeKalb. “I’ve had some owners go, ‘I didn’t know my dam could impact so much.’”

The state’s classification of a dam as “high-hazard” is not a judgment about its condition; the Candler Reservoirs, for example, have received recent good inspection reports. “High-hazard” means that if the dam did fail for whatever reason — accident, natural disaster, structural failure, terrorism — the flood likely would kill people downstream.

The lethal potential of water was fresh on Woosley’s mind. As he was displaying various EAPs in a state records office in downtown Atlanta, where they are available only as printed documents, the city of Houston was drowning in historic flooding from Hurricane Harvey.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency produced the concept of the EAP for public safety. The format varies state to state, but the basics are the same. There’s a map detailing the area that would be flooded in a worst-case, “sudden failure,” meaning all the water coming out of the dam within six minutes from the spot where the water would flow the strongest. There’s a list of all properties that would be flooded.

For dams where a flood would affect only a small number of homes or other buildings, the EAP may include contact information for specific people there. For dams with bigger impact zones, there is simply a list of properties that authorities would alert by making a reverse 911 call to all numbers in that area. For DeKalb’s Candler Reservoirs, that list of properties is nine pages long.

EAPs are intended for use by both dam owners and local governments. For the owners, the EAP notes three levels of problems and required responses.

Level 1 is an unusual wet spot appearing on the dam, which only requires “monitoring.” This level is intended partly to encourage dam owners to make regular inspections.

“All dams leak,” Woosley said, so the important part is knowing when a leak is unusual and a sign of a structural problem.

“Part of the idea is the owner … should be inspecting this dam routinely … There’s some judgment in there, which goes back to, ‘Hey, owners. Get to know your dam.’”

The other two levels are for serious problems and both require immediate notification of people in flood-zone properties. Level 2 is when water is seen flowing through the dam, requiring “protective actions” and repairs. Level 3 is imminent failure, which requires evacuation of everyone in the flood zone.

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The Emergency Action Plan for DeKalb County’s Scott Candler Reservoirs in Dunwoody shows in blue the area expected to be almost instantly flooded if both dams failed. Other maps in the plan show the flood extending miles away.

Local dams and EAPs The Safe Dams Program has a small staff that often struggles to find owners and receive regular inspections of highhazard dams, especially the many littleknown private dams that impound leisure lakes in subdivisions. It’s having similar challenges on the newly required EAPs. Woosley said the state received “one that said, ‘In the event of failure, we’ll run for it.’” That was the entire EAP filed for a privately owned dam in Cobb County.

“They have since reconsidered their philosophy,” he added.

Of 11 local high-hazard dams, Woosley said, only three have completed EAPs: the Candler Reservoirs (including separate flood maps for each reservoir); Brookhaven’s Murphy Candler Lake; and Lake Northridge in Sandy Springs.

Those he said have not submitted include: Capital City Country Club Lake in Buckhead; Silver Lake in Brookhaven; Dunwoody Club Crossing Lake in Dunwoody; Lake Forrest on the Buckhead/Sandy Springs border; and Cherokee Country Club Lake, Peppertree Lake, Powers Lake and Tera Lake in Sandy Springs. Some owners have said they’re working on the EAPs, Woosley said, and the owners of Dunwoody Club Crossing Lake are appealing their high-hazard classification.

Safe Dams does not monitor federally regulated dams that may also be highhazard. One of those is Morgan Falls Dam on the Chattahoochee River on the Sandy Springs/Cobb County line. However, such dams also file EAPs with the state; the latest Morgan Falls plan was filed in January.

Lake Forrest is among the many highhazard dams with complicated ownership and repair issues. It sits directly on the Atlanta/Sandy Springs border beneath Lake Forrest Drive, and has a homeowners association involved in ownership as well.

The city of Sandy Springs is taking the lead on managing state-ordered inspections of its condition and consideration of possible alternative designs, but the process has dragged on for years. Meanwhile, the lake has been drained, though large storms could fill it up rapidly, the state says.

Sandy Springs city spokesperson Sharon Kraun said Safe Dams granted a twomonth extension on filing the EAP while alternatives are finalized as a necessary step to creating the response plan.

But Woosley said that’s not quite true.

“We can’t grant an extension … we can grant some discretion on enforcement,” he said, referring to the possibility of the state Attorney General suing the owners. “But technically, any that didn’t make the July 1 deadline, they’re out of compliance.”

With Lake Forrest, Woosley said, the city’s decision on a long-term fix is “irrelevant” to filing an EAP because the flooding issue would be similar. “You can get something in,” he said.

A major issue addressed by EAPs is that people often don’t know they live downstream from a dam. Woosley said people should check a program like Google Maps to see if they live along a waterway or valley that is near a dam — and any lake or pond in this area has a dam, he said.

“On the flipside, don’t panic,” if you’re near one of these high-hazard dams, he added. “Having an EAP is not a bad thing … and having an EAP does not mean the dam

is going to fail.”

Woosley said that homeowners are sometimes concerned that their property

JOHN RUCH

value could decrease due to its listing on an EAP. “I have no evidence that has ever happened,” he said.

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U.S. Sen. David Perdue made lengthy appearances at two recent events in Buckhead and Sandy Springs, where Georgia’s Republican junior senator spoke on a variety of federal issues.

Perdue had two major themes. One was strongly supporting President Donald Trump, while calling for bipartisan, pragmatic solutions to national problems. The other was the national debt as a crisis-level threat to national security.

On Aug. 23, Perdue spoke at a Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber of Commerce lunch at the Westin Atlanta Perimeter North hotel. On Aug. 25, Perdue joined a panel discussion on global security issues at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Buckhead. Sponsored by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, the panel also included retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Richard Hawley and Coca-Cola Company executive Michael Goltzman.

About 20 protesters gathered outside the hotel during the Buckhead event, chanting “Where’s David Perdue?” and making chicken noises as attendees exited. The protesters object to Perdue’s lack of public town hall forums. At the Sandy Springs lunch, which was heavily guarded by police but drew no protesters, Perdue told reporters he “absolutely” feels he is in touch with his constituents without holding town halls.

The following are some of Perdue’s comments on key issues made at one or both events.

President Trump

Perdue is close to Trump and addressed the president’s many contro-

versies and critics, both within and outside the Republican Party.

“I don’t understand why Republicans aren’t supporting a Republican in the White House,” Perdue told reporters, and to the Sandy Springs audience, praised Trump in the highest terms.

While acknowledging that “we have a person in the White House who doesn’t fit your mold of a president, doesn’t fit my mold of a president,” Perdue said Trump is like “men of destiny” such as Winston Churchill.

“Forget about his tweets. Forget about everything else the media wants you to focus on,” Perdue said. Instead, he listed what he said were Trump’s accomplishments, such as successfully nominating U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, reducing hundreds of business regulations, and convincing other NATO member countries to consider paying a greater share to that mutual defense program.

National debt

Underlying such issues as health insurance reform and military readiness is the national debt, Perdue said, and it should be seen as a “crisis” that could unite Americans like world wars have done.

He said typical answers from across the political spectrum — raising taxes, cutting spending or growing the economy — won’t work, and left the solution less clear than the problem, though he emphasized pragmatism and publicprivate partnerships.

Military

All money spent on the military and foreign aid is borrowed money, said Perdue, who serves on the U.S. Senate

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16 years of remembrance and reflection.

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Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul, left, lunches with Sen. Perdue.

Committee for Foreign Relations and several relevant subcommittees.

“We can’t solve every problem off of our budget,” he said. Without adequate funding for diplomacy and aid, war is more likely, he said.

Public-private partnerships are one tactic Perdue emphasized that can provide humanitarian aid while reducing the national debt.

“The encouragement for me is … more and more dollars are coming from the private sector and other governments because of our leadership,” he said.

said, adding that such a balanced approach reflects the unity among diversity the country needs in its politics.

He did not directly say what that context should be, but said he grew up in a diverse “melting pot” of a military town and that the signs “can’t be offensive.”

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Afghanistan war

Perdue praised Trump’s recently announced policy to allow more U.S. troops on more flexible missions in Afghanistan. “We told the enemy when we were leaving. … That’s no way to win a war,” Perdue said of the previous policy of reducing troop levels.

He said Trump’s plan to put emphasis on diplomacy is “refreshing.”

“Victory is not killing every member of Taliban. It’s to get them into a diplomatic conversation,” Perdue said.

“We are no closer to [victory] now than we were 10 years ago, but we now have a mission, we now have a definition of what victory is,” Perdue said.

Confederate monuments

Confederate monuments, most erected in the era of racist Jim Crow laws, are coming down in several Southern cities and Atlanta is considering the fate of its own. Perdue suggested that such monuments remain standing, but with new interpretative historical signs.

“I personally think the monuments and the whole memorabilia is part of history, but needs to have context,” he

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Bejay Osby Sarah Smith Elementary Bejay Osby has been teaching at Sarah Smith Elementary, a public school in Buckhead, for nine years. Osby began his teaching career at Sarah Smith and taught all subjects to fourth graders for the past eight years.

This year he became a fifth -grade teacher and will only teach math and science, his “two true passions.”

He also regularly incorporates exercise in his classroom and has his students help care for the school’s garden.

have ever had, but the most rewarding and satisfying as well.

Q:

What keeps you going year after year?

A:

Being in a superlative school with superlative students, parents, and teachers is definitely a constant inspiration and motivation that I am endlessly grateful for. I love what I do and I love where I do it!

Q:

What attracted you to teaching at first?

A: I love kids and I love

Q:

SPECIAL

Bejay Osby teaches math and science to fifth-graders at Sarah Smith Elementary.

teaching kids, but it wasn’t that simple. I initially chose a career path that I knew would be lucrative as an account executive, but I was miserable. Professionally, I have little patience for adults and I needed something more than just a job. I needed to be more creative. I needed to have a greater impact. I needed to become a teacher. I was afforded the ability to go back to school and change my path. It is without question that teaching is the hardest job I

How do you engage your students?

A:

In this day and age, you have to be creative to engage students. Technology is key, but project-based learning is just as important. I like for my students to create and connect, communicate ideas, argue various perspectives and get their hands dirty in their learning process.

I am also certified to teach health and physical education, K-12, so engagement in my class, and beyond, includes physical activity. We may do Pilates body breaks or

SPECIAL

Osby, center, poses with his students at the Dunwoody Nature Center where he said his class got the inspiration to create a pollinator garden at Sarah Smith Elementary.

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quick cardio bursts in the classroom, but I think play, and being involved in that play, can be crucial in teaching my students outside the classroom.

For example, you may find me on the basketball court, four-square court or pitching a game of kickball at recess. This helps build deeper connections with my students. I can help them problem-solve

in a competitive setting, and often bridges are built between students, especially those who may be more reluctant to join a game.

Q:

Do you have a project or special program you use year after year?

A:

The book “Wonder” by R.J. Palacio plays a key role my classroom each year.

The main character, Auggie Pullman, has a craniofacial abnormality, or “difference,” and is going to school for the first time in fifth grade. Last year, my class was so moved that they decided to raise money for the World Craniofacial Foundation (worldcf.org).

My students also enjoy creating each year an Explorer Wax Museum, when they “become” wax representations of the European explorers we study. They have full costumes and well-prepared, one-minute biographical speeches they deliver to the invited visitors of our museum.

My class heads our school’s “Captain Plant” gardens. My students last year were inspired to add a pollinator garden to help with the Monarch butterfly and bee population. With the help of the Dunwoody Nature Center and Blue Heron Nature Preserve, they grew milkweed from seedlings in our lab and eventually transferred them to beds outside.

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Is there a “trick” that works to get students involved?

A:

Overall, we have to be entertainers through our lesson presentations, classwork and projects. Learning, especially at the primary and intermediate levels, needs to be fun, motivating and differentiated.

Engagement is key. I strive to give my students razzle, dazzle, pageantry and pizzazz for each lesson each day. If you love what you are doing then students see that, and naturally want to be a part of that process.

Editor’s note: Through our “Exceptional Educator” series, Reporter Newspapers showcase the work of some of the outstanding teachers and administrators at our local schools. To recommend an educator for our series, please email editor@reporternewspapers.net.

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Education | 9

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Riverwood International Charter School in Sandy Springs has opened the school’s new building, part of the first of seven phases of construction.

The first phase included the construction of the first two floors of a new classroom building at the school located off Heards Ferry Road. A third floor FULTON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT A photo of the new Riverwood International will be constructed in phase two, which Charter School shows the building will begin in the summer of 2018. The nearing completion in April 2017. first phase also included a new baseball field and an expanded and renovated cafeteria, according to school documents.

An additional expansion of the cafeteria will be done in phase two, as well as the construction of more classrooms and a media center.

The next phases will include the demolition of an old building, the addition of a new gymnasium, an auditorium and parking. All construction is planned to conclude in January 2022, according to documents.

LO VETT S T UD EN TS DI SC I P LI N ED F OR A NTI-SEM ITIC G AM E

The Lovett School has disciplined students involved with playing an anti-Semitic party game, according to a statement from Billy Peebles, the school’s headmaster.

The Buckhead private school was made aware of the game two weeks ago and conducted an immediate investigation, Peebles said in the statement.

“Two weeks ago, The Lovett School was made aware that several students, and students from other schools, were involved this summer in an off-campus incident with anti-Semitic overtones and other violations of Lovett’s character pledge and student handbook,” Peebles said in the statement. “The school pursued an immediate investigation, and significant responses — including disciplinary action and counseling — have been undertaken.”

News media, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, have reported the game was beer pong played at an off-campus party and called “Jews vs. Nazis.” One student was expelled and five were suspended, the AJC reported.

Peebles also said in the statement the school will learn from this “very troubling incident.”

“Character education is at the heart of all we do at Lovett, and we deeply appreciate the individuals and organizations across our community who are helping us to continue to learn and grow from this very troubling incident,” he said.

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Left, the school’s science lab is gutted after being damaged by smoke and fire. Right, a meeting room has been divided and turned into two temporary classrooms while the school building is being repaired.

St. Martin’s Episcopal School in Brookhaven reopened for its first day of school Aug. 17, but some students are located in remote classrooms on church property after a man started a fire in the school earlier this year.

Michael Hornbuckle, 40, who authorities said is homeless, was arrested July 6 and was charged with arson in the first degree for the July 4 fire.

The part of the school building that is closed included all classrooms for Pre-K and 1st grade and one kindergarten classroom. Those students now are taught in church Sunday school rooms. The students also eat in the church’s fellowship hall instead of their usual cafeteria.

All the church property used by the school, which is located on Ashford-Dunwoody Road, will have to be converted weekly to be used by the church, Kristi Gaffney, the school’s marketing and communications manager said during an Aug. 17 tour of the school.

Some teachers also had to discard school supplies and furniture that were damaged by smoke, she said.

The building remains gutted as contractors work to ventilate it to clear it of the smoke odor. The school is submitting paperwork to its insurance company to determine how much its insurance will cover, which will determine what possible improvements can be made to the building during reconstruction, Gaffney said.

Gaffney said they are lucky the school has been able to move to areas within the church instead of an off-site location.

“We are really fortunate they are letting us use the space,” she said.

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10 | Commentary

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Commentary / Tackling hate in schools, for kids’ sake In August, the country watched the streets of Charlottesville, Va., become a battleground, as white supremacists waved Nazi flags and shouted vile phrases about Jews and other minorities, and a rage-filled racist took the life of an innocent women and injured many others.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. surged by more than one-third in 2016 and have jumped by 86 percent in the first quarter of 2017. The ADL also reports that in 2016, the number of incidents reported of anti-Semitic bullying and vandalism in elementary schools and high schools across the country increased dramatically.

Thus, perhaps now more than ever, impressionable children are exposed to proliferating anti-Semitism and many other forms of hate that are rampant in the news, on social media and in casual conversation. They witness role models and leaders discussing it, repeating it, analyzing it, debating it — and it penetrates into their own vernacular without hesitation. But lack of maturity and understanding prevent them from truly recognizing the gravity of their own behavior and speech when they reiterate slurs, replicate symbols and repeat other comments and actions that offend, instill fear and hurt those who know more, those who know better.

As anyone who has been targeted can attest, the pain and terror inflicted doesn’t discriminate based on the offender’s ignorance. Furthermore, when one group is targeted, all are at risk. Therefore, anti-Semitism is not just a Jewish problem; it is truly a community problem.

Our schools are faced with the challenges of deciphering intent, determining appropriate responses and future prevention.

They must do this not only when hate acts and speech occur on school playgrounds

and school buses, in classan example to other commurooms, hallways and lunchnities. One of the top priorities rooms, at social and sporting to emerge from AIAAS’ Leadevents, but now when these ership Forum was focusing efbehaviors transpire outside forts on children — through school hours, via social media education, exposure, involveand direct messaging. ment, responsibility and more.

Many discipline the culAIAAS also launched a seprit. Some use the incidents cret Facebook group as a prias teachable moments. But so vate, nonpartisan space for much more can be done. the Atlanta community to disSchools and religious leadcuss instances of anti-Semiers have a perpetual obligation tism; within three days it had to always do better, not just for more than 3,500 members. It the students involved in partichas since become a commuular incidents but for the ennal support system for families tire student body and for the with children who experience future of the world at large. It anti-Semitic behavior from isn’t only important to teach classmates. those who perpetrate; bystandAll of these factors and ers are also culpable in such inmore have compelled the stances and need to know how growing grassroots effort, now to properly become “upstandapproximately 4,400 strong, to ers,” as the Anti-Defamation focus its attention and energy League espouses. on an ambitious endeavor to Earlier this year, the Atlanaddress these issues with all of ta Initiative Against Anti-Semthose who work to shape the Lauren Menis itism corralled nearly 200 of hearts and minds of children. the most prestigious leaders More than 200 impassioned Danielle Cohen from every sector in the greatAIAAS volunteers are currentLisa Fox Freedman er metro area to come together ly working together to host an are founding members at the first-ever Atlanta Leadeducational leadership event of the Atlanta Initiative ership Forum on Anti-Semiin November.

AIAAS is invitAgainst Anti-Semitism, tism to discuss how to stand which formed earlier this ing thousands of educationas a united city to combat anti- year and held its first fo- al and religious leaders from Semitism and hate in our com10 metro-area districts reprerum in Sandy Springs. munity. Topical presentations senting public schools, private from experts led to inspiring schools, homeschool groups facilitated discussions among the business, and religious schools, as well as educationreligious, law enforcement, academic, cival, religious, human and civil rights, and soic, nonprofit, arts and entertainment, culcial justice organizations at the local, state, tural, ethnic and social leaders, generating regional and national levels. They will adover 100 pages of ideas of how Atlanta can dress proactive and reactive responses to keep anti-Semitism and hate at bay and be passive and aggressive anti-Semitism and other forms of hate as they relate to children, schools, curriculum, policies, procedures, protocols, programs, resources, tools and much more. The event, whose date and location are to be announced, will include topical presentations from experts in the field and facilitated discussions amongst attendees.

To learn more about AIAAS, visit stopantisemitismatl.org, and to become involved, email volunteersaiaas@gmail.com.

Rabbi Spike Anderson of Temple Eman-El in Sandy Springs speaks at his table at the Atlanta Initiative Against Anti-Semitism forum hosted by his synagogue on March 30.

JOHN RUCH

© 2017 with all rights reserved Publisher reserves the right to refuse editorial or advertising for any reason. Publisher assumes no responsibility for information contained in advertising. Any opinions expressed in print or online do not necessarily represent the views of Reporter Newspapers or Springs Publishing, LLC.

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Community Survey / The future of Confederate monuments Confederate statues? They ought to be museum pieces.

That was the opinion of a nearly 44 percent plurality of respondents to our recent 1Q.com survey of residents in areas served

by Reporter Newspapers and INtown Atlanta.

The 200 respondents to the recent cellphone survey were asked to choose from among five possible answers setting forth options for what public officials in metro Atlanta should do with the Confederate monuments that now stand on public land. They were also asked what message Civil War monuments should convey.

About 16.5 percent of the respondents said the statues should remain just the way they are. About 12 percent said they should be scrapped altogether, while about the same number thought should be left in place with interpretative signs placed nearby to provide context about slavery or racist Jim Crow laws. Another 12 percent said monuments to leaders of the Civil Rights

movement should be placed near the Civil War statues.

“The monuments should merely be to acknowledge [and] remember a historical period, but not to celebrate a movement that tried to destroy our union and continue the abhorrence of slavery,” wrote a 62-year-old Sandy Springs man who thought the statues should be moved to museums.

A 20-year-old Brookhaven woman agreed. “Our history is our history. We should not glorify it. However, we do need to acknowledge it in order to learn from it and grow,” she wrote.

Monuments to Confederate leaders that stand in public places have stirred disputes recently from New Orleans, where several statues were removed, to Charlottesville, Va., where a protest in support of keeping a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee led to violence and a death. In Atlanta, city officials say they will put together a group of advisors to study and make recommenda-

tions on what to do with public Confederate statues and street names.

“I don’t believe we have a time in history where the losing side has been immortalized in such a fashion,” wrote a 37-year-old Atlanta woman who said the monuments should be removed.

“While we need to recognize that this chapter in our history existed, we should do so in a way that does not insult any segment of our population,” she wrote. “Don’t focus on the individuals, but more that a battle happened, and the outcome. Something symbolizing that American lives were lost, but not creating heroes out of fallen leaders that do not encompass today’s ideology.”

A 40-year-old Atlanta man who agreed the monuments should be scrapped said they sent the wrong message. “It should convey a message of building America to make it great, not a constant reminder of oppression,” he wrote.

And a 48-year-old Atlanta woman who

What should metro Atlanta officials do with Confederate monuments that stand on public land?

Move them to a museum 43.5% Keep them just the way they are 16.5% Keep them, but add interpretative signs about slavery or Jim Crow laws 12.5% Take them down and turn them into scrap 12% Keep them, but install new monuments to Civil Rights figures nearby 12% WIKIPEDIA

A portion of the carving on Stone Mountain, which depicts Confederate figures Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.

HERE’S WHAT SOME OTHER RESPONDENTS HAD TO SAY “They should convey a message of ‘No More!’ No more should there come or be a time where we can’t unite as the human race!”

--58-year-old Brookhaven woman “The Civil War happened and there was a lot of pride in the South. You cannot erase history by taking down monuments.

The Confederate soldiers were a proud group of men and should be honored.”

--56-year-old Buckhead woman “General Lee is a difficult one. Instead of waging guerrilla warfare, SS

he led the South to peaceful concession with the North and aided in the reconciliation and unity of the country. While the early ‘cause’ and motivations were unjust, he symbolized a 180-degree change in attitude that many racists today should follow.”

--49-year-old Sandy Springs man “Respect for the Union. Mercy, but not reverence, for the Confederates.”

--53-year-old Atlanta man “Civil War monuments should be about marking transitions and remembering what happens when we can’t find peaceful solutions. People who attempt to violently remove

Other 3.5%

them are exactly why we need them.”

--a 35-year-old Brookhaven man “The monument should convey the reason why South and North fought.

The Civil War was not only about independence, but it was about slavery, and slavery is a dark and shameful part of U.S. history. This country was built on slavery and the monuments are there to remind us of the dark past.”

--37-year-old Atlanta woman “They fought for a cause they believed in.”

--46-year-old Buckhead man “Despite slavery, African-Americans are more than just slaves. They

said the monuments should be removed said the message should be simple: “The South was defeated.”

The results had some political divisions.

Moving the monuments to museums was by far the top choice of Democrats and independents. Republicans’ responses were less uniform, with a 36 percent plurality preferring to keep the monuments unchanged. Of 53 Republican respondents, none chose “take them down.”

The overwhelming majority of respondents – about 86 percent – were white.

About 8 percent were African-American.

The museum move was the top choice of white respondents, about 43 percent of them. Scrapping the monuments was the top choice – about 44 percent -- among African-American respondents.

A 35-year-old African-American Atlanta man who thought the monuments should be removed said they hinder efforts to resolve old wounds. “Things need to change for us to move forward,” he wrote.

But others saw the statues as a link to the past. “These monuments are a part of our history in the city of Atlanta,” wrote a 24-year-old white Atlanta woman who thought they should be left alone. “Why would you take down a piece of history?

They don’t represent what we believe now.

They represent what they believed then.

They remind us that we our lucky to live in this day and age and they teach children about the past. We can’t just erase history.”

“Never forget your past ... or you will be doomed to repeat it,” a 38-year-old DeKalb County man wrote. “What is now was not what was back then, and what was back then is not what is now. Today, we have no concept of what was back then.”

But what should be remembered, and how? The questions aren’t easy. As a 33-year-old Atlanta man who thought the statues should become museum pieces noted, “History is complex.”

are a great example of what it means to rise above all obstacles and challenges in life. They are WARRIORS!!!”

--41-year-old Sandy Springs woman “It should convey that we are all equal. That we are to treat each other with kindness and love. An equal standard and acceptance. That no one is above the other. It should pay respect to those who have dealt with a lack of civil rights and recognize the damage it has done to them and our society. We will not stand for inequality. The Lord claims equality over us and it is our responsibility to claim that for one another.”

--23-year-old Atlanta woman

12 | Community

Grammar Snob I am a coffee snob. I am a chocolate snob.

And when it comes to grammar and punctuation, I am an annoying snob.

I am one of those people who can Robin Conte is a writer ruin a good and mother of four outing by who lives in Dunwoody. complainShe can be contacted at ing about robinjm@earthlink.net. improperly punctuated signage. Put more genteelly, I have a cultivated appreciation for a properly punctuated sentence and for pronouns in their objective form.

So in my column for today, I am going to extol the virtues of grammar and punctuation. I am going to use words and phrases such as “aforementioned,” “as it were,” and “grammatically speaking.” I am going to use the serial comma. And, as a bonus, I am going to give you a free

Robin’s Nest

Facebook.com/TheReporterNewspapers ■ twitter.com/Reporter_News grammar lesson.

Here it is: “For you and I” is grammatically incorrect because “for” is a preposition and thus takes the objective form of a pronoun. “For you and me” is correct, grammatically speaking. Always.

There. Now that that’s out of the way, I will proceed to signage.

I enjoy a pithy phrase as much as the next person, whether it’s embroidered on a kitchen towel, stamped on a stack of cocktail napkins, or painted on reclaimed wood. For instance, I bought a sign for a sommelier friend of mine that read, “A meal without wine is breakfast.”

It’s funny and correctly written, so it passes my test.

But not all signs are so spot-on. I will find signs with misplaced modifiers and participles dangling all over the place, signs that pay no attention to punctuation (witness: “Weekends are a girls best friend”). I find others, such as “Blessed,” “Family,” and “Chardonnay” that apparently have no idea what to do with a phrase and play it safe with single words.

Then I will come across a plaque that’s selling for $24.95, and, while I might agree with the sentiment, I will develop a nervous tic at the sight of a poorly punctuated phrase and will continue exhibiting physical symptoms of stress at the mere memory of it until I am at last compelled to correct it in writing … and per-

haps publish that correction, as it were. Take this sign, for instance: “But first coffee.”

Now I ask you, what is first coffee? Is first coffee a drink that is served on a first date while performing first aid for a firstclass first impression?

No. No, it is not.

What I want is a sign that says this: But first, coffee. Add a comma and you have created a sign that I can get behind. If you really want me to buy it, you can write this: But first … coffee. That SPECIAL Robin brushes up on her grammar lessons. gives me more of a pause, more of an “ah and sip” of the aforementioned sign to plummet. moment with which to begin my day.

And annihilating sales of signage is not And because my theme today is splitmy goal here, for I respect anyone’s right ting hairs, I will continue with an examto print words on wood and make a few ple of a questionably punctuated humorbucks. I only want to heighten your awareous sign: “You had me at merlot.” ness of signage punctuation to the point This, of course, is a clever and amusthat when you pass a poorly punctuated ing play on the “Jerry Maguire” line, “You one, you, too, will develop a nervous tic. had me at ‘hello,’ ” and thus, in my gramBeyond that, my goal is simply to hold matically uptight world, should be puncyour interest in grammar and punctuatuated with “merlot” in quotation marks. tion enough to keep you watching for my Therefore, I believe that the sign should next column, which will be dedicated to be written like this: “You had me at ‘merthe Oxford comma. lot,’” which would naturally cause sales

Brookhaven council denies proposed Johnson Ferry townhomes

BY DYANA BAGBY dyanabagby@reporternewspapers.net

The Brookhaven City Council voted unanimously Aug. 22 to deny a developer’s request to build 17 townhomes on Johnson Ferry Road near Pill Hill because the proposed development does not fit in with the comprehensive plan for the area.

The council vote follows the city’s Community Development Department recommending denial of the proposed development and the Planning Commission’s vote to recommend denial based on land use.

The property is near the I-285/Ga. 400 interchange and includes Nancy Creek at its southeastern boundary.

Tom Platford, representing developer Majestic Investment Corporation, requested a 60-day deferral at the council meeting so the developer could look over the plans and gather more input from area residents who oppose the proposed development.

“We’ve also retained counsel to advise us,” Platford told the council.

Majestic Investment Corporation was seeking to rezone 1611, 1621 and 1659 Johnson Ferry Road, near Pill Hill in Sandy Springs, from R-100 (single-family residential) to R-A5 (single-family residential) to allow for 17 townhomes that would be priced between $650,000 and $850,000 per unit, according to city documents.

The property takes in about 13.5 acres.

City staff members say the development

would cover about 1.5 acres, but representatives of the developer told the city Planning Commission the development would cover about 4 acres.

Councilmember Linley Jones made the motion to deny the request.

“I have followed this process since its genesis … and unfortunately I’ve not seen Majestic make any significant effort to work with the community,” she said. “The community’s interests have been completely disregarded.”

A two-month deferral would only delay the inevitable, she said.

“All along the city has been clear in its denial of this application and the inconsistency of this application with the goals of the city,” she said. “This application has wasted a lot of the city’s time and investment already.”

The property is in the Lakes District, where townhomes are discouraged, according to the character area of the district set out in connection with the city’s comprehensive plan. The plan recommends that future development within the Lakes Character Area be permitted only if it maintains the single-family detached character of the surrounding neighborhood, according to a Community Development Department memo.

Councilmember John Park restated what he has told developers in the past – to bring their “A” game at the beginning of any proposed development.

CITY OF BROOKHAVEN

A rendering of the townhomes that a developer wants to build on Johnson Ferry Road near Pill Hill. The City Council denied the application at its Aug. 22 meeting.

“And that should have happened 60 days ago,” he said. “If you want a new entitlement … you have to demonstrate the benefit to the community. That has not been done.”

Prior to the vote, several residents spoke out against the proposed development.

Fay Ann Sherris said she was speaking for hundreds of single-family homes surrounding the property and also for those who live downstream on Nancy Creek, but who may not live in Brookhaven.

“We started off not being opposed to development on this land,” she said, “however through the course of this process we have been so distraught by how the developer is approaching it and handling it. And then after seeing the flooding two weeks ago … I don’t think this land can be developed.”

Sherris accused Platford of being inconsistent in what he has planned for the

property, including filing paperwork with the city that states development would occur on 1.5 acres of the 13.5 acre property, but then telling the Planning Commission the total acreage for development would be more like 4 acres.

She added that she and her neighbors are “gravely concerned” about flooding in the area, especially after the area saw severe flooding during recent heavy rains.

Bill Gannon, who lives in Sandy Springs and near the Johnson Ferry property, said he was speaking on behalf of the High Point Civic Association and other homeowners associations.

He told the council that in 2011, after DeKalb County denied a special land use permit to build a soccer complex on the site, the city of Sandy Springs requested a hydrology study be conducted on the property by future developers.

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Fulton transportation plans seek local input

BY JOHN RUCH johnruch@reporternewspapers.net

Two Fulton County transportation and transit planning efforts sought public input in a Sandy Springs double-header meeting Aug. 29. Among the priorities on a narrowing list favored by attendees were extending heavy rail along Ga. 400 and adding bus service to Abernathy and Johnson Ferry roads.

The meeting, which drew about 20 attendees to City Hall, reviewed two separate and distinct plans that both aim to wrap up with recommendations in December: the North Fulton Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) and the Fulton County Transit Master Plan.

The two plans have different focuses and timeframes. The CTP covers north Fulton’s six cities and looks ahead 25 years, a timeframe that has it mostly, but not exclusively, sticking to road and multi-use path projects. The Transit Master Plan is a 40year plan, focused on mass transit, for all of Fulton except the city of Atlanta, which has its own transit plan already funded by a new sales tax boost.

The CTP, an update of an earlier version from 2010, has been in the works for a year.

The Transit Master Plan only began in June and held its first local meeting in late July.

Both plans seek to seize momentum for re-

gional-minded transportation improvements in the increasingly car-choked area.

In particular, the Transit Master Plan aims to be ready in time for the General Assembly’s 2018 session, where legislators are expected to have groundbreaking discussions on possible state funding and management of public transit systems.

The meeting introduction was given

by Gabriel Sterling, a Sandy Springs city councilmember and candidate for Fulton County chairman. He said he would not talk about what local officials are thinking, instead emphasizing that the public really will set priorities in the plans.

“Y’all’s input is absolutely necessary,” he said, adding that solutions are needed as the massive growth projected over the next two decades looms. “Essentially, South Carolina — the population of South Carolina — is going to get dropped on metro Atlanta,” he said.

Both plans have dedicated websites with more information and online surveys for further input. For the CTP, see northfultonctp.com. For the Transit Master Plan, see fultoncountyga.gov/tmp-home.

Transit Master Plan Since the July meeting, the Transit

Master Plan has narrowed its list of roadway corridors that could be improved with transit to eight, of which three are at least

partly in Sandy Springs.

Some of the options would extend into other counties, which are not directly part of this plan, but might tie in via the Atlanta Regional Commission, JOHN RUCH which is the main funder.

Heavy rail train service along Ga. 400 was a favored The three local priority priority in sticker voting at the Fulton County corridors and range of trantransportation planning meeting Aug. 29 at City Hall. sit options included: Ga. 400 (between North at setting priorities on transportation Springs MARTA Station to Holcomb Bridge improvements. Besides Sandy Springs, Road or Old Milton Parkway): Heavy rail, it includes the cities of Alpharetta, light rail, bus rapid transit.

Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park I-285 (between the Cobb County line and Roswell. and the city of Dunwoody in DeKalb CounAmong the CTP proposals for Santy): Light rail, bus rapid transit. dy Springs in the nearer term are widenAbernathy/Johnson Ferry roads (in Saning Hammond Drive and adding bicycle dy Springs and listed as extending to Ashand pedestrian amenities. Another is furford-Dunwoody Road, though only a sepather extending the PATH400 multi-use rate part of Johnson Ferry goes there, and trail from its current Buckhead segment. that end is a different county, DeKalb): FreCurrent plans would take it into Sandy quent bus, regular bus.

Springs and, as part of the state’s reconSticker-voting strongly favored heavy struction of the Ga. 400/I-285 interchange, rail along Ga. 400, where MARTA has probring it through the Medical Center to posed a Red Line extension, and frequent Peachtree-Dunwoody Road. The CTP probuses on Abernathy/Johnson Ferry. The Ga. poses extending PATH400 further along 400 heavy rail has been popular in other Peachtree-Dunwoody to Abernathy Road.

Fulton cities’ meetings, consultants said.

As a longer-term idea, the CTP propos-

CTP options

The CTP takes a regional approach

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14 | Community

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After 30 years, CAC grows to meet needs Continued from page 1 Chief Executive Officer Tamara Carrera, “our organization is bigger. Our cities are bigger. The need in our community is bigger. … We’ve been slowly moving from [covering] basic needs to self-sufficiency.”

When the CAC began, Carrera said, the local poverty rate was estimated at 4 percent. Today, it’s around 14 percent, and she thinks that undercounting people.

“Food insecurity, which is the new name for hunger, is very prevalent in the community,” she said.

Originally called the Community Action Commission, the CAC was a project of the Sandy Springs Ministerial Association, a group of area church leaders. Its first office was a room provided by Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church. Within a year, it expanded service into the Dunwoody area.

In 2005, after a previous capital campaign, the CAC moved into its current headquarters at 1130 Hightower Trail in northern Sandy Springs. Among its new programs there was the CAC Boutique, a thrift store that provides goods for clients and raises funds from public sales.

Today, the CAC has 11 staff members, 350 volunteers with its Boutique, and about 1,200 on special projects. Each year, the organization serves 2,300 to 2,500 families — about 5,000 to 6,000 individuals.

The Hightower Trail location is now bursting at the seams. Last year, the CAC got a rent-to-buy deal on a former construction company office building nearby at 8607 Roswell Road. The CAC Boutique moved into the house-like front, and now work is beginning to construct the food pantry and other back-end facilities for the thrift store. The buildout is being performed by Sandy Springs-based Choate Construction, whose vice president for interior work, Steve Soteres, just became the city councilmember-elect for the area.

On a recent tour of the building, which is much larger than it appears from the street, Carrera said the extra space is already having a major boost for the Boutique, whose retail space increased in size from 1,000 to 3,000 square feet.

The Boutique raised $35,000 a year ago and is on track to bring in $75,000 this year, she said. The CAC hopes to get that to $500,000 a year and make the store the organization’s major funding stream.

At the back of the building, a former break room will become a “little supermarket” for the food pantry. Set to open early next year, the pantry has its own rear entrance. “It’s very dignified,” Carrera said.

She pointed out the door to a wooded area that is part of the property, but currently has an easement placed on it. “We would love to have a vegetable garden in there,”

she said, though that is not part of the immediate plan.

Also planned are the satellite officJOHN RUCH The CAC Boutique at 8607 Roswell Road, in a building es aimed at where the food pantry will open early next year. “pockets of poverty” on centage of home ownership, though it Roswell Road near I-285 — the CAC has remains to be seen how that plays out. its eye on specific space — and someCarrera said those housing affordabiliwhere in southeastern Dunwoody. ty and displacement factors mean popula“This building will be like the mother tion changes in the CAC’s service area. ship,” Carrera said.

“The housing is not a Sandy Springs isThe CAC will retain the Hightower Trail sue. It’s a metro Atlanta issue,” she said. building as the administrative headquar“The poor are being pushed out and out. ters and for counseling, education and And I tell you, if the Earth was flat, they youth programs, some of which will soon would just be pushed [off]” — she finished have room to expand there. the thought by sweeping her hand across a The CAC has raised about $1.5 million desk. of its $2 million goal, including $200,000 She said she hopes Sandy Springs finds a from its volunteers. way to continue to be a city where the very The CAC’s headquarters, an area of rich and very poor can live together. Regardmany lower- and middle-income apartless, she said, the CAC will continue to fill loment complexes, is changing rapidly. cal needs, particularly in employment and Skyrocketing rents are pricing out many job training, which will expand at the Highresidents in the short term. In the long tower Trail building. After all, new businessterm, the city is gearing up to incentives in new developments need new workers. ize massive redevelopment focused on “There are jobs. There are not enough mixed-income housing and a larger perpeople trained for those jobs,” Carrera said.

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Community | 15

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City Council District 4 is only race on ballot Continued from page 1 sole candidate.

The lack of opposition to any incumbent comes at a time when the elected officials are overseeing enormous — and often hotly controversial — changes to the city: the new City Springs civic center, the arrival of the Mercedes-Benz USA corporate headquarters; traffic-altering and property-acquiring road projects; massive, highdensity redevelopment on Roswell Road and the former historic Glenridge Hall site.

Unchallenged re-election is sure to be taken as a sign of public support. In an email, Paul expressed enthusiasm about seeing through some of those major planning efforts, as well as a promised challenge to the city of Atlanta’s management of the local water system.

“I’m honored and delighted that I’ll be able to finish the tasks I’ve started: City Springs, TSPLOST-related transportation initiatives and overseeing implementation of the Next Ten [new land-use plan and zoning code] rollout that gives the city much better tools for managing development in Sandy Springs,” said Paul, who will enter his second term. “Going forward, I hope we can make real progress on a regional transportation/transit plan, upgrade Roswell Road with a more boulevard look and feel, and, most important-

ly, ensure that we have more control over water service and costs for our citizens.”

However, that lack of opposition came with a footnote — the four-day mayoral candidacy of businessman David Crim, who rapidly withdrew from the race, citing the time commitment and a desire to not cost the city money by holding an election.

Crim said he filed to challenge Paul due to concern about large redevelopments and city spending, which he said many longtime residents also worry about.

“The city was founded pretty much on … having local control over apartment development and stopping the apartment development that was occurring,” Crim said. “It’s just a total reversal of the whole reason we were founded.”

But on northern Roswell Road in District 2, massive redevelopment is a priority of many voters — and of future Councilmember Soteres, a construction executive. Incumbent Ken Dishman, who did not run for re-election, citing family and work demands, won the seat as a redevelopment advocate, and Soteres has pledged to carry that vision through.

Returning incumbent councilmembers include Andy Bauman, Chris Burnett, Tibby DeJulio and John Paulson.

The District 4 race

The only Sandy Springs citizens to have

a ballot choice Nov. 7 are those in City Council District 4, in the north-central part of the city, where incumbent Gabriel Sterling is leaving to run for Fulton PHOTOS BY JOHN RUCH County chairman.

District 4 candidates Le’Dor Milteer, left, and Jody Reichel, The race is between Miltand Mayor Rusty Paul eer, a TV host, and Reichel, a partment’s Citizens Police Academy and real estate developer and landlord. volunteered on Leadership Sandy Springs’ Milteer is a journalist who says she Movies by Moonlight event. wants to improve the council’s commuReichel is a 25-year resident of the city nications and diversity. She is vice preswho has said she is focused on improving ident of broadcast at the Atlanta Assothe quality of life. ciation of Black Journalists. There, she “If I am fortunate enough to serve our produces and hosts “In Contact,” a public community, I would focus my time and enaffairs TV program for the African-Amerergy on important issues such as traffic ican community. If elected, she said, she challenges, smart business development, would continue to host the program as and continuing efforts to make Sandy part of her civic outreach.

Springs a walkable city,” she said in a cam“I think it goes hand in hand” with paign announcement statement. council service, said Milteer, whose camShe owns 21 rental properties and paign theme is “connecting the communiserves as treasurer of the Mount Vernon ty to the council.”

Woods Homeowners Association.

Milteer says it is important that both Her twin children graduated from District 4 candidates are women and that North Springs Charter High School, where she is African-American. she served as Parent Teacher Organization “We are a diverse group here in Sanpresident in 2013-2015. Reichel is founder dy Springs,” she said. “I think having and operator of the Holiday Gift Program a diverse group of people involved in at Jewish Family and Career Services. For making decisions matters.”

22 years, the program has helped families Milteer formerly ran two local salons of all faiths that are in need over the Christalong central Roswell Road. She has parmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa holidays. ticipated in the Sandy Springs Police De-

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16 | Out & About

Facebook.com/TheReporterNewspapers ■ twitter.com/Reporter_News ture Preserve and several private homes.

Atlanta Audubon representatives will be available at each site. $24-$30. Info: atlantaaudubon.org.

COMEDIAN CAROL LEIFER AT MJCCA

TEAL TROT BROOKHAVEN

•

BUCKHEAD

GET ACTIVE WALK WITH A DOC

Saturday, Sept. 9, 9 to 10 a.m.

A new monthly exercise and education initiative featuring walks at Brook Run Park kicks off with a walk hosted by Dr. Stephen Szabo, director of community oncology at the Winship Cancer Institute. Sponsored by the City of Dunwoody in partnership with Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital, Walk with a Doc is open to all ages. Walks will be held on second Saturdays and hosted by health care professionals who will offer support and answer questions along the way. Free.

4770 N. Peachtree Road, Dunwoody. Info: walkwithadoc.org.

•

DUNWOODY

•

SANDY SPRINGS

People ages 50+ are invited to the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta for a day of activities including water aerobics, introduction to pickleball, Jewish cooking and Israeli container gardening. In remembrance of 9/11, Cary King, a decorated U.S. Army and National Guard veteran, will give a keynote address at 1:30 p.m. Lunch included; transportation available upon request. $5; $10 at the door. Advance registration required: atlantajcc.org/seniorday. 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Info: Earl Finley, earl. finley@atlantajcc.org or 678-812-4070.

Saturday, Sept. 16, 10 a.m.

Check in begins at 8 a.m.

Sunday, Sept. 10, 6 p.m.

The Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance’s annual Teal Trot 5K Walk/Run celebrates and remembers gynecologic cancer survivors and patients and those who care for them. $35; $45 after Sept. 9; $20 for children ages 6-12; younger children free.

Proceeds support education, awareness and patient outreach programs. Chastain Park Amphitheatre, 4469 Stella Drive N.W., Buckhead. Info: tealtrot.com.

PERFORMANCES

HOT PURSUIT 5K

Saturday, Sept. 9, 7:45 p.m.

Brookhaven Police host their 5th annual Hot Pursuit 5K to support the department’s annual Shop with a Badge event. A nighttime glow run begins with a Tot Trot for youngsters at 7:45 p.m. The race kicks off at 8 p.m. and is an official Peachtree Road Race qualifier. $35. Race route starts and ends on Apple Valley Drive with parking in the rear lot of the Brookhaven MARTA station, 3360 Peachtree Road, Brookhaven.

Registration: itsyourrace.com.

SENIOR DAY AT MJCCA

Monday, Sept. 11, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

BACKYARD WILDLIFE SANCTUARY TOUR

The Atlanta Audubon Society’s annual selfguided tour features six Certified Wildlife Sanctuary properties along a 19-mile route from Sandy Springs to Atlanta. Ticket prices include admission to the Atlanta History Center, home to the Goizueta Gardens, which are part of the tour. Also on the tour are the Lost Corner Preserve in Sandy Springs, Buckhead’s Blue Heron Na-

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Friday, Sept. 15 to Wednesday, Sept. 20 Act3 Productions presents an award-winning satire that begins in a fictional white enclave in Chicago in 1959 as community leaders try to stop the sale of a home to a black family, and then returns in 2009 as gentrification sets in to the now predominantly black community. 6285-R Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. Schedule and ticket info: act3productions.org or 770-241-1905.

Friday, Sept. 8, 6 p.m. Movie begins at dusk.

Sunday, Sept. 10, 5 to 8:30 p.m. Concert begins at 7 p.m.

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Comedian, Emmynominated writer and best-selling author Carol Leifer takes the stage at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta for a comedy show touching on aging, love, family and the world of Jewish humor. Leifer, author of “When You Lie About Your Age, The Terrorists Win,” will sign copies of her book after the show. $20-$25. 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Info: 678-812-4005 or atlantajcc.org/bookfestival.

KIDS AND FAMILIES

Saturday, Sept. 16, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine.

Melissa Babcock, M.D.

welcome. Tickets: $12-$16. 9135 Willeo Road, Roswell. Info: chattnaturecenter.org or 770-992-2055.

Heritage Sandy Springs’ outdoor concert series wraps up with the beachy soul music of The Tams, a group formed in the ’60s that had several hit singles. Picnics welcome. Food, beer and wine available. Free.

Entertainment Lawn at Heritage Green, 6110 Blue Stone Road, Sandy Springs. Info: heritagesandysprings.org or 404-851-9111, ext. 1.

SUNDAYS ON THE RIVER

Sunday, Sept.

10, 6 to 9:30 p.m.

Bob Bakert and his six-piece band take their smooth jazz sounds to the Chattahoochee Nature Center’s Ben Brady Lakeside Pavilion. All ages

Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” will be presented by Leadership Sandy Springs on a giant 30-foot screen in an event that also features pre-movie activities, performances and food trucks. Free. No pets. Sandy Springs United Methodist Church, Activity Center terraced lawn, 85 Mount Vernon Highway N.W. and Sandy Springs Circle, Sandy Springs. Inclement weather info: 404-256-9091. Other info: leadershipsandysprings.org or the Movies By Moonlight Facebook page.

JUNIOR BEEKEEPER PROGRAM Saturday, Sept. 9, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association conducts a one-day program for children ages 6 to 13 that’s all abut honeybees — how they pollinate flowers and make honey, and why they are so important. Kids can suit up in safety clothing and participate in a live beehive inspection. Blue Heron Nature Preserve, 4055 Roswell Road, Buckhead. $35 per child. Sign up: edward.hoehn@gmail. com or metroatlantabeekeepers.org.

SEPTEMBER 1 - 14, 2017

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Out & About | 17

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DOGGY DIP DAY

Sunday, Sept. 10, 1 to 4:30 p.m.

Canines get their day in the water as pool season closes at Murphey Candler Park.

Small dogs up to 35 pounds swim from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Dogs over 35 pounds swim from 3 to 4:30 p.m. $10 per dog. 1551 W. Nancy Creek Drive, Brookhaven. Info: brookhavenga.gov.

“PAINT THE PARK” Saturday, Sept. 16, 1 to 4 p.m.

Artists of all ages are invited to draw inspiration from natural surroundings and “Paint the Park” at Blackburn Park. Completed pieces of artwork will be displayed in the park, visible from Ashford-Dunwoody Road, until the event ends. Art supplies and paper will be provided for free.

Bring your own easel and canvas, if desired. Winning pieces will be displayed at Brookhaven City Hall. Free, including free refreshments. 3493 Ashford-Dunwoody Road, Brookhaven. Info: annmarie.quill@ brookhavenga.gov or 404-637-0508.

PREDATOR ANIMALS OF SANDY SPRINGS Sunday, Sept. 17, 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Learn about the animal predators in the local area, including foxes, bobcats, owls, eagles, the occasional bear and the newly arrived coyotes. Sponsored by Sandy Springs Recreation and Parks. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. $10 family; $5 per person. Lost Corner Preserve, 7300 Brandon Mill Road, Sandy Springs.

Info: 770-730-5600 or registration.sandyspringsga.gov.

LEARN SOMETHING “BEHIND ENEMY LINES” Thursday, Sept. 7, 7 to 10 p.m.

Marthe Cohn, a 97-year-old Holocaust survivor and former spy in World War II will

share her story at the Buckhead Theatre, an event rescheduled from a cancellation earlier this year. Her book about her experience, “Behind Enemy Lines: The True Story of a French Jewish Spy in Nazi Germany,” will be available for purchase. Hosted by the Intown Jewish Academy. Tickets: $20 and up. 3110 Roswell Road, Buckhead. Info: jewishspy.org or 404-898-0434.

GENDER EQUITY IN MEDICINE Sunday, Sept. 10, 12:30 p.m.

A community health education forum features a panel discussion by medical professionals on the importance of equal treatment for women in medical research, drug testing and treatment, and how to advocate with your doctor and policy makers about optimal treatment. Presented by the Health Professionals and Ketura Groups of Hadassah Greater Atlanta. Congregation Or Hadash, 7460 Trowbridge Road, Sandy Springs. $18 at hadassah.org/events/ gem2017; $20 cash at the door. Info: Ellen Sichel, ellen@customcalm.com, 770-3136162 or Debra Sharker, dsharker@bellsouth.net, 404-936-2955.

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Tuesday, Sept. 12, 8 p.m.

David Gushee, a theology professor at Mercer University who drew controversy in 2014 for his stance on LGBT inclusion, discusses his insider’s account of the frictions and schisms of evangelical Christianity at the Atlanta History Center. Gushee will be in conversation with Barbara Brown Taylor, author of the New York Times bestseller “An Altar in the World” and her memoir, “Leaving Church.” $10 public; $5 History Center members. Atlanta History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Road N.W., Buckhead. Info: atlantahistorycenter.com or 404-814-4150.

PARTIES WITH A PURPOSE TASTE OF BUCKHEAD

Thursday, Sept. 14, 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; VIP admission 5:30 p.m.

The 14th annual Taste of Buckhead offers unlimited tastes from Buckhead’s premier restaurants along with wine, beer and spirit tastings in a fundraiser for the Buckhead Business Foundation, the charitable arm of the Buckhead Business Association. $50; $75 VIP. The Stave Room, 199 Armour Drive N.E., Buckhead. Info: tasteofbuckhead.org.

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18 | Food & Drink

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Cibo e Beve’s Chef Harrell: From Easy-Bake Ovens to TV shows

my dad passed, I joked with him and told him how sweet he was for acting like he liked it. I’m sure it was terrible.

Q: What was your first restaurant job?

A: I worked at Chiapparelli’s Restau-

How are you going to provide safety and independence for your parents?

Chef Linda Harrell.

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Editor’s Note: In our new series “Food for Thought,” we talk with chefs, restaurateurs and other foodies who are helping the culinary and dining scene boom in Reporter Newspapers communities.

Chef Linda Harrell runs Cibo e Beve, an Italian restaurant at 4696 Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. She has more than 25 years of professional cooking experience, including at the James Beard House in New York City, and has competed on such TV shows as “Kitchen Inferno” and “Beat Bobby Flay.” (A rerun of her 2015 “Beat Bobby Flay” appearance airs Sept. 7, 3 p.m., on the Food Network.)

On Sept. 21, Harrell is teaming up with James Beard award-winning Chef Virginia Willis at Food 101, a neighboring sister restaurant of Cibo e Beve, on a special four-course “It’s Grits” dinner. Tickets can be purchased at culinarylocal.com.

For more about the restaurant, see ciboatlanta.com.

Q:

When did you begin cooking? Do you remember the first meal you cooked?

A:

1Q.com/reporter or text REPORTER to 86312

Some of my earliest memories are of me helping my mom in the kitchen.

Most of the food prepared with my mom was for my immediate family, as well as all of my delicious Easy-Bake Oven cakes.

When my paternal grandmother passed away, I inherited her cookbooks and that is when I started to experiment with recipes on my own.

The first thing I did was ask my dad what I could make him, and he asked for Hungarian goulash. I made it, but decided the recipe needed to be tweaked (never having made this dish before, mind you) and the result was a plate of beef in a paprika sludge. A few years ago, before

rant in Little Italy, Baltimore. I was 13 and it was my first real job. I did a little bit of everything. I remember I couldn’t even reach into the sink [so] they gave me a dish rack that I stood on and I would clean sinks full of garlic [and] lettuce. Sometimes I would bus tables. The most exciting night of working there was when President Jimmy Carter came in to eat. He was president at the time and it was crazy when he came in. I remember I was warned not to go near his table for any reason.

Q:

How was cooking on “Beat Bobby

Flay?”

A:

It was an amazing experience.

Bobby was great and my competitor is an awesome guy. It’s funny, I was on a show before that and I had tried to do too much, and I decided to keep it simple when I was on Bobby’s show.

Q:

Did you prepare

for it?

A:

Not really. All you’re doing is cooking and I do that every day. It’s the timing that is the tricky part and it’s kind of hard to prepare for that part of it.

Q:

What’s the hardest thing about cooking on TV?

A:

You have to appeal to the judge’s palate. For example, on “Chopped,” if you have Scott Conant, he doesn’t like raw onion. If you use it, he’s probably not going to like your dish, which leaves you at an unfair disadvantage. On “Beat Bobby Flay,” the featured ingredient was fennel. You have to make that ingredient the star, so I did. One of the judges said I should have used pasta. Well, it’s a pasta dish then, not a fennel dish.

Q:

What do you think of the era of competitive cooking we seem to be in right now – good or bad for the industry?

A:

I think it is good for exposure, but unfortunately I think some people go to culinary school now because they have an unrealistic impression of what their career will be when they graduate. It’s a big surprise because it’s not like the Food Network.

SEPTEMBER 1 - 14, 2017

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Food & Drink | 19

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Q:

Why did you choose the restaurant name Cibo e Beve, which means “Food and Drink” in Italian?

A:

Well, I wanted to name it Cibo, but someone already owned the rights to that name, so one of my partners came up with Cibo e Beve.

Q:

Meatballs are a specialty of yours.

How many can you eat in one meal?

A: Max of two of mine at the restaurant.

If they’re smaller, I can eat maybe four.

Q:

What is your guilty pleasure to eat when you are nowhere near other foodies and professionals?

A:

Wow, I don’t even know where to start. I really eat whatever I want. I love cereal. Cap’n Crunch or Honey Nut Cheerios. Mmmm.

Q:

What do you dislike most about being a chef?

A: Sometimes having to work on holi-

days is difficult. But I really do love what I do, so it’s a small price to pay.

Q:

What do you love most about being a chef?

A:

The instant gratification of cooking your heart out and having someone smile when you watch them enjoying whatever it is that you just made. I love that. And creating. There are so many things I love about what I do.

CHEF H A R R EL L’S G L U TEN - F R EE CHIC K EN M EAT BA L L S • 1 lb. ground chicken • 2 oz. grated Parmigiano Reggiano • 1 1/2 tsp. dry leaf oregano • 1/2 tsp. onion powder • 1 tsp. minced fresh garlic • 1 egg • 1/2 cup instant potatoes (unseasoned) • 3/4 tsp. salt • Freshly ground black pepper (about 6 good turns) Mix all ingredients well. When meat mixture is blended, form into 2-ounce balls and place into a pan with 1 cup of chicken stock and 2 ounces olive oil or coconut oil. Cook balls, turning to cook evenly. Keep cooking until chicken stock has evaporated and balls begin to brown. Turn meatballs to brown evenly. When cooked and nicely browned remove from pan.

Serve with your favorite sauce.

N EW STEAKHO U SE CO M ING TO B R O O KHAVEN

Michel Arnette, owner of the Brookhaven restaurants Valenza, Haven and Vero Pizzeria, is set to open a steakhouse next year at the new Apple Valley Brookhaven development at 2700 Apple Valley Road.

The steakhouse and bar will be named Arnette’s Chop Shop, according to Simon Arpiarian of Stream Realty Partners, which is renovating the 70,000-square-foot site.

“Stream Realty Partners is very excited to welcome Arnette’s Chop Shop to our AVB office project in Brookhaven,” said Arpiarian. For more information about the project, see avbbrookhaven.com.

MED ITER R ANEAN EATERY O PENS IN SANDY SPR ING S

Shami Kitchen, a quick-serve Mediterranean restaurant, opened last month at 8363 Roswell Road in Sandy Springs.

The 45-seat restaurant is open for lunch and dinner six days a week, and offers catering. For more information, see shamikitchen.com.

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20 | Making a Difference

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Pizzeria donates 1,000 pies to families in need Making

A Difference

PHOTOS BY JACLYN TURNER

Deshawn Visco and Lisa Maclellan making 50 cheese pizzas.

BY JACLYN TURNER Baking a thousand pizzas is no small job, but Lisa Maclellan is feeling energized.

After all, by making food, she was making a difference.

Lisa and her husband, Morgan, own the Your Pie Perimeter pizza restaurant at 123 Perimeter Center West in Dunwoody and have just received the company’s award for community engagement for their local efforts.

Last August, Your Pie founder Drew French brought together his franchise owners at the company’s annual Franchise Fest and challenged them to give 1,000 pies to hungry kids in need. The Maclellans took that challenge and by the end of July, with help from their employees and general manager Andrew Gehrhardt, had reached the goal of 1,000 pies.

“The challenge really resonated with us,” said Lisa. “While it did start at the brand level, it was a really local initiative. It was such a strong expression of our culture that we’ve tried to create here, and the community isn’t just a checkmark on our values system, it’s really something that we believe. It was so neat to have the opportunity to give back to the community we serve. To be able to give back in a positive way, is really special.”

“Here at Your Pie Perimeter, we are nothing without the support of those we serve,” Morgan said. “For us, our guests are more than just customers — they are part of our Your Pie Family.”

The owners reached out on Facebook to its customers to ask where the need was,

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and the response was overwhelming. They were connected to nonprofit and local organizations through social media, networking with City Council members, and connecting with Karen Shanahan, the director of community service at the Marist School in Brookhaven.

“The owners of Your Pie Perimeter have made hundreds of children happy with their donations of pies,” Shanahan said. “Some of the reMorgan and Lisa Maclellan, cipients were children in homes of domestic viowners of Your Pie Perimeter. olence, children whose parents struggle daily to keep food on the table, [and] poor children who were excited to just enjoy a pizza of their own.”

Organizations that Your Pie Perimeter worked with included Family Promise, La Amistad, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Ronald McDonald House and Bright Future Academy. Volunteers would pick up the pies throughout the year from Your Pie to distribute to children and families in need.

Once a week, Your Pie would give fresh, personal pizzas to the families temporarily staying with Family Promise, a network of interfaith organizations working to end homelessness.

During the summer, Your Pie often provided lunches during summer programs at La Amistad, which works to achieve educational excellence and quality of life for Latinos. A volunteer recalled how the kids looked forward to the pizza day with great anticipation.

Your Pie has about 50 locations around the Southeast and specializes in customizable personal pizzas, paninis and salads and a selection of craft beers.

The restaurant, originating in Athens in 2008, was a pivotal meeting spot for Lisa and Morgan while in college at the University of Georgia. After time spent in the corporate world, Morgan looked for an entrepreneurial opportunity, and brought a Your Pie to the Perimeter area in January 2015. He loved how good food and craft beer could bring people together. Now, the couple is franchising a second location in Grant Park, which will open later this fall.

“We love pizza. We love craft beer,” said Lisa. “But we are also about the faith, family, food, fun, which is why we got into all of this, and community plays a big role.”

Another recent fundraiser called for guests to participate by donating $2.50 to provide a lunch and a peach to a child in school through the partnership of Smart Lunch, Smart Kid. The Georgia Peach Council would donate a fresh peach for every Peach Prosciutto pizza donated. The donors got their names listed on the restaurant wall.

“Morgan and I both enjoy being known as the pizza people, but bigger than that, we want to be known as the pizza people that make a more lasting impact than the food you are enjoying in our restaurants,” Lisa said. “That’s through the team we lead, young people we get to mentor, and the guests that come in every day.”

For more about Your Pie, see yourpie.com.

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22 | Public Safety

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Police Blotter / Sandy Springs Capt. Steve Rose, of the Sandy Springs Police Department, provided the following information, which represents some of the reports filed with Sandy Springs police Aug. 14-Aug. 24.

looked to be used as a bookmark.

B U R G L A RY

7700 block of Ro-

400 block of Berkley Run — On Aug. 16,

swell Road — On Aug. 14, a woman said she left her purse, containing her wallet, in a filing drawer, partially open. She left her office for a short while. At the end of the day, she noticed her wallet was gone.

a 24-year-old woman reported someone entered her apartment during the night, while she slept, by forcing open a deadbolted door. Her wallet, $400 cash, and credit cards were stolen. One of the cards was later used for $43 on XRT Health.com.

on the date of the theft. The check reported stolen was made out to a woman for $647 and the coworker made the deposit of the stolen check. The workplace’s internal video shows what appears to be the coworker concealing something from the victim’s purse. The case was moved over to CID for investigation and warrants.

THEFT

Captain STEVE ROSE, SSPD

2090 Dunwoody Club Drive — On Aug.

16, a 27-year-old employee of a frozen yogurt shop said someone accessed the employee area and stole her wallet containing several credit cards, $200 cash, and srose@san 8339 Roswell Road — On Aug. 17, a pasome gift cards. Her cards later were dyspringsga.gov trol officer checking the back of a busiused at several locations. The transacness complex saw a damaged door hantions occurred before she was alerted by dle and pry marks to the rear door of a the bank. Internal video shows a man go 5600 block of Glenridge Drive — On Aug. business. Inside, there were footprints ing into the store and into the employee14, an employee said she attended a meetand a cash register had been thrown to only area. He was described as 20 to 40 ing within the office, in a meeting room the floor. The cash drawer was missing. years old and with scruffy facial hair. near the front. During that time, the front 5501 Glenridge Drive — On Aug. 18, the desk receptionist was away at lunch; how 5600 block of Roswell Road — On Aug. victim said she was moving into the apartever, they could see the front reception area 17, a 25-year-old woman reported that ment and at some point left her purse on from the office. She and others noticed a while at her place of employment, a man a table. About an hour later, she and the woman described as having long braids, came in, past an area restricted to those others in the apartment noticed the purse flowing white shirt, white purse, wearing who are not employees, and wanted to was missing. One of her credit cards was flip-flops, in the reception area. Later, the use the phone. She stopped him and he used at a gas station just after the theft. victim, while in her office, received fraud yelled at her, then turned and left. She alerts from AMX. She checked her purse noticed that her phone was gone too. He 300 block of Northridge Drive — On and found that her wallet was gone. A card was described as about 5’-8” tall, and bald.

Aug. 20, cops were called to meet firewas used at Atlantic Station for several fighters on a fire at a coin laundry. The thousand dollars. The store’s video showed 2000 block of Spalding Drive — On officer found a brick inside on the floor a woman who matched the description enAug. 17, a tree service employee reportand shattered glass from the door. A cash tering and exiting the store. ed that someone stole three chainsaws, a register was on the floor, drawers open, pole saw, two blowers, two pairs of climbno money visible. The owner later said 400 block of Breakwater Ridge — On ing saddles, two pairs of climbing spikes, $150 cash was missing from the register.

Aug. 14, a 53-year-old man reported that and a climbing rope. He was working at sometime between 9:30 p.m. and 11:00 the property and left the items unattend 8300 block of Roswell Road — On p.m., his 2007 Range Rover was stolen. ed for approximately 2 ½ hours while he Aug. 21, the owner said sometime overHe said a man named Juan had the car assisted other employees. night, someone came into the business for three days prior, doing body work for and took four security cameras, worth him, and returned the car home at 9:30 400 block of Greyfield Lane — On $100 each. The owner said the place was p.m. The owner then left until 11 p.m.

Aug. 17, a woman reported that her locked, but no forced entry was found. when he discovered the car was missing. roommate “stole my stuff and tossed my room.” She said he took her comput 7100 block of Roswell Road — On Aug. 200 block of Hilderbrand Drive — On er, Jordan’s, Beats headphones, and her 21, a 53-year-old woman reported someAug. 16, a woman reported that a check neck massager. The inside of the apartone entered her apartment and placed a had been stolen from her purse, and later ment had been ransacked. book on her sofa. The book contained an deposited at a bank in Sandy Springs. She “account card” in a man’s name, which and a coworker were working together 700 block of Abernathy Road — On Aug. 18, the owner of a concrete company said his Kenmore flatbed truck and metal concrete forms were stolen. GPS showed SANDY SPRINGS the truck to be on Wayside Lane in DalNOTICE OF TEXT AMENDMENT las, Ga. The truck was later found on the side of the road. It had been torched.

Petition Number:

TA17-0005

Petitioner:

City of Sandy Springs

6350 Peachtree-Dunwoody Road — On

Location:

6550 Scott Valley Road

Request:

An Ordinance to Amend Division 8.3, Signs, Article 8, Site Development, of the Sandy Springs Zoning Ordinance

Public Hearing:

Planning Commission September 28, 2017 at 6:00 p.m.

Aug. 18, a 57-year-old woman reported she was shopping at a big-box store and used her debit card. She remembered putting the card in her pocket when she left. Later, she discovered that the card was missing. Later still, she found out the card was used at other big-box stores in Alpharetta. About $100 had been spent.

Mayor and City Council October 3, 2017 at 6:00 p.m.

Location:

Sandy Springs City Hall Morgan Falls Office Park 7840 Roswell Road Building 500 Sandy Springs, Georgia 30350 770-730-5600

1400 block of Spring Creek Lane — On

Aug. 18, a 52-year-old woman reported

her Glock 22, valued at $300, was stolen from her apartment.

6300 block of Roswell Road — On Aug.

19, the staff at a medical spa reported a woman had $1,000 worth of Botox and fillers. At payment time, she said she left her purse in the car. She never returned.

She was described as expressionless.

900 block of Brandywine Circle — On

Aug. 22, a 35-year-old man said a package was stolen from his home. The package was delivered around 10:45 a.m. Shortly after, a skinny man got out of a dark vehicle and took the package, which contained AA and AAA batteries.

6690 Roswell Road — On Aug. 23, at a

health club, a 61-year old man said between 7 p.m. and 7:50 p.m., someone took his gym bag, clothing, keys to his car, home, and business. The lock on his locker had been cut. Two other members said their locks were cut, but nothing was missing.

5555 Roswell Road — On Aug. 23, a

46-year-old woman reported that an acquaintance who helped her move into her apartment took her 1997 Ford F-150 truck and has absconded.

5580 Roswell Road — On Aug. 23, a

14-year-old girl reported she placed her book bag under the bench in the women’s locker room at a gym. About an hour and a half later, she returned to discover that it was gone.

An 80-year-old man reported that he

and his organization, called Voices of the Sword, planned a mission trip to Israel. He found a website called missiontripairfare. com and paid $23,000 up front for reservations. The confirmation said he would receive tickets anywhere from after the payment to a week prior to departure. Two days before departure, he was contacted by the company and told there was a problem with the airline and the tickets were cancelled. He spoke to a man named Fred who was the financial manager, who said a refund would be forthcoming. At some point, the victim began to suspect that his refund was in jeopardy so he drove to 10 Glenlake Parkway, Suite 130, where he was told the company, rented space there. His attorney did some looking around and found that the website was under the same name as the company rental agent. The person in question was the subject of several civil cases and had a bankruptcy on record. The victim ultimately spent another $28,000 to go on the trip. This sound familiar? A similar fraud was reported from a church in Florida a couple of weeks ago. Same circumstances.

6600 block of Glenridge Drive — On

Aug. 24, a representative for Ashton Woods Homes reported that between Aug. 21 and SS

SEPTEMBER 1 - 14, 2017

■

Aug. 24, someone took framing materials, valued at $20,000, from a work site.

A 66-year old man reported he posted an

ad on Craigslist’s “Looking for Love” category, and received a response from a woman. She arrived at his home via Uber, and the couple danced, drank, and enjoyed their mutual company for a period. Later, the woman took the victim to the bedroom for a non-sexual massage. The victim said he passed out until about 3 a.m. when he discovered the woman was gone, as was his cellphone, camera equipment, and $480 cash. She was described as 5’-8”, medium build, in her mid-30s and with a tattoo on her left breast. She went by the name “Desire.” Well, whatta you going to do? Folks, before you go looking for Desire, in the interest of justice for the victim, know that all these years in police work tell me that Desire may not be her real name.

5000 block of Cross Gate Drive — On

Aug. 24, a 78-year-old woman reported her platinum ring with diamonds, valued at $10,000, was stolen from her bathroom dressing table drawer. She had two separate contractors in the home during that time who had access to the area. On those dates you’re having work done, especially inside work, remember that if someone wants to commit a theft, they’ll look in the obvious places, somewhere they can quickly scan and steal — such as a drawer or jewelry box. Make them unavailable. Just for that period, relocate those valuables where someone would have to look for a while to find them.

THEFTS FROM VEHICLES Between Aug. 14 and Aug. 23 there

were 22 thefts from vehicles.

ARRESTS 800 block of Cimarron Parkway — On

Aug. 14, just after 9 p.m., patrol officers were dispatched to a suspicious-person call at the apartment complex. The caller said it appeared to be a drug transaction. He located two men standing around a car in the parking lot area. The officers spoke to the men, neither of whom had ID on them.

One of the men said the car belonged to his brother. When asked if the officer could look into the car, the man declined. A K-9 was requested to come to the scene. During that time, one of the men took off running.

The other remained. Cops found about 254 grams of marijuana and other items consistent with distribution. The car was impounded and warrants obtained for possessing the marijuana with the intent to sell it and for obstruction.

6400 Peachtree-Dunwoody Road — On

Aug. 17, a home improvement store’s security officers detained two men they said left the store without paying for a cart full of power tools valued at $1,190. When stopped and asked to return to the store, the two abandoned the tools and attempted to leave. The police arrived about that time and the two were later arrested and accused in connection with the incident and jailed.

COME SEE WHY

C HEF LINDA MADE THE COVER OF CHEF MAGAZINE

4600 block of Roswell Road — On Aug.

17, officers stopped a suspicious juvenile just after 2 a.m. He was well away from his home in Atlanta and he had two checkbooks, not his, and a screwdriver, a tool which often is used to pry windows and doors of vehicles. The officers at the time did not have enough for a warrant for the juvenile, so they took him home. The officers were able to trace the checkbooks to their owners who had reported them stolen. A drug store had video of one of the trucks that had been broken into, and showed the juvenile near it, walking away, just after the truck was broken into, and just before the officer stopped him. The juvenile has a record in Atlanta for breaking into cars. Later, after putting everything together, they were able to obtain warrants for the juvenile so they went to his home and arrested him. They did so, but the Fulton Juvenile Intake refused him. Without other options, they took him back home.

5600 block of Roswell Road — On Aug. 22, an officer said he was on patrol just before 10 p.m. when he was dispatched to check out a suspicious person. Minutes later, the officer saw the man twisting a street sign in what appeared to be an attempt to dislodge it. The man told the officer he tried to twist the sign off the post because he thought it was stupid. He was arrested.

8100 block of Colquitt Road — On Aug.

19, an officer was called to meet with a witness to a previous burglary when he spotted one of the suspects. The officer approached the subject in question, who was sitting in a car, near one of the apartment buildings. The officer recognized the passenger as a person who was being sought by police. He noticed the man hiding something in his hand. Despite repeated requests to show his hands, the man refused. The suspect eventually did show his hands, and the crack pipe contained in them. He was arrested and accused of disorderly conduct charges, pending the results of the burglary investigation.

READ MORE OF THE POLICE BLOTTER ONLINE AT

www.ReporterNewspapers.net

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Public Safety | 23

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