Atlanta Intown - October 2021

Amy Wenk

to collin@atlantaintownpaper.com.

Steve Levene Publisher Emeritus

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Sales Executive Jeff Kremer

Circulation

Each month, 27,000 copies of Atlanta Intown are mailed to homes and distributed to businesses in and around ZIP codes 30306, 30307, 30308, 30309, 30324 and 30329.

An inconvenient truth: Atlanta drivers are awful

Editor’s Letter

Collin Kelley has been editor of Atlanta Intown for almost two decades. He’s also an award-winning poet and novelist.

I’ve been trying to do more walking than driving since I moved to Midtown. Maybe that’s why every time I get behind the wheel these days, I’m hyperaware of just how awful Atlanta drivers are. Seriously, y’all are terrible.

The city is notorious for its interstate traffic, street racing, potholes, and metal plates instead of pavement, but I’m very worried about the lack of skills in my fellow drivers. Maybe being trapped indoors for all those months during the pandemic short-circuited the driving database, because the apparent lack of road knowledge, spatial awareness, and general courtesy is

On a recent Tuesday night, it was raining so I decided to drive rather than walk to the

ago on Atlanta drivers using their turn signals – you know that lever on the left of your steering wheel. Remember that? Huh?

And is it my imagination or have folks forgotten it’s legal to make a right-on-red when the intersection is clear?

Don’t even get me started on the drivers who don’t know how to parallel park. If it takes you more than two attempts to back into the space, then you need to find a deck or lot. Look, I’m a mediocre parallel parker myself, but I can also judge whether the space I’m trying to maneuver into is big enough. Because you know some yahoo has taken up two parking spots with their oversized SUV or is trying to avoid a scratch on their expensive baby.

Oh, and did you know that traffic lights are not merely suggestions? You are supposed to stop at them. And when the light turns green, put down the damn phone you’re not supposed to be holding anyway and MOVE!

If I were governor or mayor or president, my first piece of legislation would be requiring a road test before you can get your driver’s license renewed. I’m serious. And it wouldn’t be some parking lot test either. You’d have to drive into Midtown or Buckhead or Decatur during rush-hour and prove your worthiness to hold a license.

I’ll be the first one to admit that I’m not a perfect driver. The other day I accidentally turned onto a one-way street, but luckily no other cars were coming. It’s easy to get distracted on Atlanta’s constantly under construction roadways, similar-named streets, and filming traffic accidents and car fires on the cell phone you’re not supposed to be holding for clout on social media. I said what I said.

Look, I don’t want to be a scold, or a nag, or that old man shaking his fist, but goodgoogly-moogly, folks, pay attention and remember the streets of Atlanta aren’t your own private driveway.

Thank you for attending my TED Rant. Happy Fall!

Public safety training facility wins city approval despite public opposition

opposition to this project,” Brown said. “Since this whole process started, used fearmongering about crime to move their agenda forward. I think that’s really unfortunate.”

The day of the vote, Gov. Brian Kemp waded into the debate urging the council to approve the lease to combat the “crime crisis” happening in Atlanta.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms sought to calm concerns during a press conference on Sept. 9, where she also decried protestors showing up at the homes of councilmembers during the vote.

“Let’s have a civil conversation,” Bottoms said. “We’re not taking the entire parcel. We’re using 85 acres. There’s still going to be an urban forest. This is the beginning of a very long conversation.”

Despite the greenspace designation. Bottoms said it was the only suitable property for the training facility.

By Collin Kelley

The Atlanta City Council voted 10-4

on Sept. 8 in favor of the controversial public safety training facility – nicknamed “Cop City” by opponents – after 17 hours of public comment where 70 percent of the callers spoke out against the facility.

Voting in favor of the facility were council members Michael Julian Bond, Andrea Boone, Matt Westmoreland, Howard Shook, Marci Collier Overstreet, Andre Dickens, Cleta Winslow, JP Matzigkeit, Joyce Sheperd, and Dustin Hillis.

Voting against: Jennifer Ide, Antonio Brown, Carla Smith, and Natalyn Archibong. Amir Farokhi is on parental leave and did not vote.

Atlanta police and fire officials touted the need for the 85-acre facility after the Atlanta Police Foundation secured private funding for the $90 million project and sought to lease the city-owned property.

The facility will be located on the old Atlanta Prison Farm property on Key Road in DeKalb County, which is owned by the city. Plans call for a mock-up of a town, a

firefighting “drill tower,” emergency vehicle operations course (EVOC), classroom space, a firing range, space for ordinance disposal, and space for a helicopter to land in case of an emergency.

The 85-acres is part of a larger 300 acres piece of property that had been previously earmarked by the city for greenspace. Opponents – including residents, businesses, and sustainability/conservation nonprofits – said the project will destroy the city’s last opportunity to have a large regional greenspace inside the city limits. The city had previously earmarked the land for greenspace.

Both Archibong and Ide spoke out against the facility, stating that proponents of the facility had falsely conflated the project with fighting the current crime wave that has galvanized the city.

“We now see the manifestation of what happens when the government moves ahead of the population that is trusting them to keep them engaged,” Archibong said. “This facility will not be built for another couple of years. To conflate the issue of building this facility with an automatic reduction in crime is irresponsible.”

“You can’t fix or overlook bad process, and

there was just incredibly bad process here,” Ide said. “I think that we have not given enough attention to the environmental aspect of this and I don’t think we’ve given enough attention to our sister government in DeKalb County.”

Before the vote, Westmoreland introduced an amendment to strengthen the advisory council that the Atlanta Police Foundation must create as part of its lease agreement. The advisory council will include neighborhood residents and stakeholders.

Archibong and Ide attempted to introduce their own amendments to strengthen the lease, but both were voted down. Ide’s amendment would have pushed the effective lease date to January, which would have given the new administration time to weigh in on the agreement.

Brown said the entire process had been rushed and approval of the lease went against the public’s wishes. He accused the Atlanta Police Foundation and organizations pushing for the facility of fearmongering about crime and chastised fellow council members who voted in favor of the facility despite strong opposition from their constituents.

“The majority of the callers were in

“This location was envisioned in another way, but as we’ve had to readjust,” she said. “We’ll make sure the community and environmental organizations are involved. It’s not a pretty process, but it wasn’t pretty when we were building Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Turner Field or Westside Park, but the outcome of those developments has been satisfying to the community.”

Asked why she didn’t postpone a decision until a new administration comes into office in January, Bottoms said she wanted to lay the groundwork. “The new mayor will come in and put their fingerprint on it, but this is something that can’t wait,” she said. “I’m not going to put that burden on a new mayor.”

Dave Wilkinson, president of the Atlanta Police Foundation, was delighted with the city council vote. “What a great day in the City of Atlanta. It’s the most important security measure that we could introduce in our generation,” he said. “It will make our city safe for the next 50 years.”

Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant said the city approval was an immediate boost to the morale of his department. “It gives us encouragement that the citizens take public safety seriously. We’re not just addressing something today, but for years to come. The vote last night has transformed public safety in our city. What the council did last night puts us in a much better space.”

An aerial rendering of the fire and police training facility at the old Atlanta Prison Farm property.

News RoundUp

Former Atlanta City Council

President Cathy Woolard

was named the new chair of the embattled Fulton County Elections Board despite a warning from Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger that she was too partisan, and he would seek remove the entire board in retaliation.

A dozen western lowland gorillas tested positive for COVID-19 in September at Zoo Atlanta. The zoo believes a fully vaccinated caretaker with a breakthrough case of the virus may have infected the gorillas.

Buckhead’s Lenox Square now requires a parent or adult to accompany anyone under 18 years old at the mall after 3 p.m. The policy comes after a number of violent incidents at the mall, including two 15-year-olds who shot a security guard during a robbery.

Dueling Buckhead City feasibility studies released

By Amy Wenk

A group trying to break off Buckhead from Atlanta released a feasibility study that claims an independent city could raise more than $200 million a year in revenue, with almost $114 million in surplus.

The Buckhead City Committee commissioned Valdosta State University’s Center for South Georgia Regional Impact for the study, which asserts the proposed “Buckhead City” could be financially feasible.

The study outlines a structure for the new city, comparing its expenses to similar-sized cities including Sandy Springs and Roswell. The study area represented 25 square miles in Buckhead with almost 104,000 residents, or about 20 percent of Atlanta’s population.

State law requires a feasibility study for legislation proposing incorporation to be considered. Supporters of the cityhood effort are hoping to get legislation passed at the Georgia General Assembly next year, which would place a referendum on the November 2022 ballot allowing Buckhead residents to vote on whether to form a new city.

The feasibility study doesn’t address the financial impact that forming a new city could have on Atlanta. But Buckhead City Committee in a press release claimed that only 6% of Atlanta’s annual operating budget (combining both the city and schools) would be required to manage a new city.

“We’ve been saying all along that taxes paid to the City of Atlanta have not generated a fair return for Buckhead in terms of city services,” said Bill White, CEO of the Buckhead City Committee. “Given the same tax revenue, the administration of Buckhead City would deliver more and better services to the people of Buckhead, starting with a highly effective and properly compensated police force with a minimum of 250 officers.”

The feasibility study from Valdosta State University, which can be read at becnow.com, estimates the proposed Buckhead City could generate about $120 million of its roughly $200 million in annual revenue from property taxes. It says the city’s total expenses would be just under $90 million per year, with the biggest chunk ($30 million) allocated to fund its police department, which is proposed to have 250 law

enforcement officers.

The proposed city would have its own mayor, city council, city administration, fire department, municipal courts, parks department and public works department. But it would continue to utilize, through taxes and fees, the Atlanta Public Schools, city services such as water and trash collection, and Fulton County libraries, according to the Buckhead City Committee.

The cityhood effort has gained recent supporters, including Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black and State Sen. Clint Dixon, floor leader for Gov. Brian Kemp, who recently co-sponsored the cityhood legislation.

“People deserve to live without fear as they drive down the road or walk in a mall,” Dixon said in a press release. “The City of Atlanta has failed in epic proportions, and Buckhead has every right and reason to form a city with a strong police force and real leadership.”

The Buckhead City Committee had been

secretive about who was conducting its feasibility study, and institutions including University of Georgia’s Vinson Institute had declined to perform the study. Previously, only a select group of schools could perform the studies. But the Georgia House Committee on Governmental Affairs recently changed the rules, allowing any qualified University System of Georgia Institution to conduct the study.

Opponents of the Buckhead cityhood effort released a study Sept. 16 that claims there would be a substantial financial impact on the city if Buckhead were to secede.

The study, available at committeeforaunitedatlanta.com, says that the net fiscal loss to Atlanta would range from $80 million to $116 million per year if Buckhead were to break off.

Atlanta Public Schools would be hit harder, says the study, with an estimated $232 million annual loss. The study also says that both Buckhead and Atlanta residents would

Ground was broken Sept. 22 for longawaited improvements to DeKalb Avenue and Decatur Street, including a new turn lane, bike lanes, and resurfacing.

see increased taxes due to the loss of financial resources, among other impacts.

Atlanta-based consulting firm KB Advisory Group conducted the study. Staff members at George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis participated as consultants. It was paid for by the Buckhead Coalition. Anticityhood group Committee for a United Atlanta distributed the report.

“This study clearly shows that breaking up Atlanta is a bad idea. It’s bad for Buckhead. It’s bad for Atlanta. It’s bad for the metro region. And it’s bad for the state of Georgia,” Linda Klein, co-chair for the Committee for a United Atlanta, said.

Jim Durrett, executive director of the Buckhead Community Improvement District and president of the Buckhead Coalition, called the feasibility study from the Buckhead City Committee a check-the-box study. He said it’s “not deep and overly simplistic for the complexity of what they are pursuing.”

Georgia Institute of Technology Brain Research Study

NEUROSCIENCE AND MEMORY!

We are conducting neuroscience studies to observe and improve learning and memory in older adults.

Eligible participants will perform memory tasks while receiving magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans. *Non-MRI option available.

We are looking for men and women volunteers:

• 65 – 80 years of age

• In good physical health

You will be compensated for your participation.

We are actively recruiting participants and following CDC guidelines for in-person safety.

CONTACT US AT: maplab@gatech.edu or call (404) 913-0834

First segment of BeltLine’s Southside Trail opens

The first segment of the Atlanta BeltLine Southside Trail opened to the public in September.

Trail users will now be able to continue their walk, ride, or roll another 0.8 miles from the southern terminus of the Westside Trail at University Avenue to Pittsburgh Yards.

Additional work will be completed in the coming months including the addition of lights and cameras to the connecting trails at Allene Avenue and Manford Road, and the addition of a residential sidewalk from the end of the Manford connector trail to the intersection of Manford and Erin.

The trail, like other completed segments of the BeltLine, features an ADA-accessible concrete trail, granite-clad retaining walls, stormwater management system, fiber ductbanks, and, once cooler weather sets in, Trees Atlanta will install final landscaping.

– Collin Kelley

Meet the Candidates

Atlanta Intown and our sister publications Reporter Newspapers have teamed up for a series of Q&As with candidates running for Atlanta mayor, city council president, city council and school board. Q&As will begin posting Oct. 1 at reporternewspapers.net.

Joining Forces

PEDS merges with Atlanta Bicycle Coalition to advocate for safer streets

with really big goals for Atlanta” to join forces.

“Whether you are walking, biking, using a wheelchair or hopping on a scooter, a lot of the issues and barriers are the same when it comes to safety,” Serna said. “Particularly when it comes to high-speed streets and speeding drivers.”

Prior to the merger, the nonprofits partnered on common issues. For example, PEDS conducted data analysis that found most pedestrian fatalities occurred at transit stops. Another critical research finding was Atlanta’s High-Injury Network report, completed by John Saxton and delivered to the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition in 2018. Saxton’s research found that less than eight percent of Atlanta streets contributed to 88 percent of Atlanta’s fatal crashes due to dangerous high-speed driving on streets where people are walking or rolling to connect to transit.

By Clare S. Richie

Two nonprofits dedicated to sustainable transportation advocacy for more than two decades, the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and PEDS, have merged.

“The newly united organization remains committed to championing an Atlanta where everyone moves safely, easily, and sustainably throughout the city,” said

executive director of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition.

Rebecca

of your mode of transportation or your ability challenges, it’s all about giving people more options and making those options equitable and accessible.”

Over the past few years, Serna noticed a generational shift in how people approached transportation.

“Previously, I heard from people who

said, ‘I’m a pedestrian; I’m a cyclist’,” Serna said. “Then, I started to hear from people more, ‘I just want to get around the city in the way that makes the most sense for me on any given day’.”

For the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, which started the popular Atlanta Streets Alive event and bike valet service at Atlanta United games and local festivals, it just made sense for “two small organizations

“That’s an example of community members and organizations working together to research the issues, raise awareness, and urge local agencies to make concrete physical improvements to streets,” Serna said. “That’s something that we’ve been able to carry forward.” And Serna expects to continue to build on PEDS’ knowledge and expertise on pedestrian issues.

Several PEDS board members now serve on the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition’s Governing Board and others were invited to join its advisory council. PEDS was dissolved after the asset transfer to the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition.

“We are committed to continuing our mission of making streets and communities

Serna,

“Regardless

Images from past Atlanta Streets Alive events around Intown.

in Georgia safe, inviting, and accessible to all pedestrians through this merger,” said Carolyn H. Rader, former board chair of PEDS.

The roots of the merger can be traced back to 2019, when the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition updated its strategic plan and broadened its focus.

“We expanded our goals to include streets safe for walking, biking, and transit,” says Naoya Wada, board chair of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition.” As a result, we adopted a new mission statement: to reclaim Atlanta’s streets as safe, inclusive, and thriving spaces for people to ride, walk, and roll.”

The pandemic in 2020 added a sense of urgency as nonprofits “took a hard look at their operations and asked themselves if they could be run more efficiently by merging or partnering differently,” per Serna.

Post-merger, advocacy will mostly remain local.

“Our geographic focus is primarily on the City of Atlanta” Serna said. “Adding transit advocacy is pulling us more in the regional direction but we want to be very measured and make sure we can deliver on our goals.”

At the state level, the merged nonprofit will continue to partner with Georgia Bikes and advocate for the Georgia Department of Transportation to improve safety on state-owned roads.

“Georgia Bikes has lobbied at the state level for bicycle and pedestrian safety legislation, for example, getting speed cameras in school zones,” Serna said. “That’s something we worked on with Georgia Bikes and PEDS. I recently learned that the City of Atlanta and APS have finally come to an agreement to have speed cameras installed in school zones.”

In preparation of the Nov. 2 municipal elections and change in governance, the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition has developed a policy agenda, posted mayoral and city council candidate responses to their questionnaire and hosted candidate forums called TransFormation Tuesdays. The mayoral forum is scheduled for Oct. 25 and additional forums may be added before the anticipated Nov. 30 runoffs.

“All forums are recorded and available online [atlantabike.org/ transformationtuesdays],” Serna said.

“We’re promoting them as a resource for people to dip into as their time and schedule permits.”

Another priority for 2021 is to create an infrastructure project tracker.

“This is part of our goal to hold our elected officials and city accountable for building planned projects,” Serna said.

“We will release the first set of projects we’re tracking in October”.

And in 2022, look for the merged organization to announce its new name at the annual Blinkie Awards event.

“What the merger has done is positioned us for growth,” Serna said.

Atlanta Bicycle Coalition Director Rebecca Serna.

Embracing third-place funny

Timmy Daddy

Tim Sullivan

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

This summer I won a Georgia Press Association Award (Thank you! Thank you!) and when I found out I enjoyed a quiet, proud moment alone. I take a lot of time and care with each one of these little essays so to be recognized felt pretty good. And perhaps I should have relished this feeling

To pass the time I decided to rename the collabs because perhaps the greatest contribution my generation has made to society is the branding of celebrity pairings with cringeworthy nicknames. “Benifer” and “Brangelina” leap to mind but I don’t know if the practice has been applied to musicians who team up for maximum star wattage.

The first song featured Lizzo and Cardi B. This one was sort of a layup, I mean “CardiBlizzo” is right there staring us all in the face! Not even my best stuff but Kristen exploded with laughter so I figured I might have something here… Margo was non-plussed though: “Dad, that’s not even funny.” When the kids were younger if a joke missed the mark, I could just tickle them and the result would be the same but nowadays it seems the bar has been raised, or entirely relocated to an unknown place. I was certain I could do better though, and Margo’s hostile veneer would crack. Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj teamed up, as they do. I offered up “Minaj A Grande” which in hindsight I admit, sounds a bit risqué. I can assure you it is a work of pure nonsense though as I have no idea what their songs are about. Either way, it didn’t matter. To Margo, that one was even less funny than the first. Maybe she’s laughing on the inside? Or maybe she’s slowly absorbing the wit and wisdom she will one day come to love and cherish. Or maybe not. Either way, we moved on.

for longer than the ten seconds I afforded it because when I told Margo I won an award she derisively asked, “What for?”

I explained it was for third place in the humor writing category and her razorsharp observation was “so you didn’t really win then.” My tender thought bubble was swiftly pierced with angst-riddled, preteen wit. Maybe the wrong Sullivan has a column? But it did occur to me that there is something quite meta-funny about the concept of placing third for humor writing. First place just wouldn’t carry the same comedic weight. So, take that, Margo!

Over Labor Day Weekend we were sitting in traffic, and we had a world of music at our fingertips with XM radio but since Margo was in the car you better believe the channel was locked on Hits 1. I can’t keep up with all the collaborations. It’s like if you don’t team up with other artists are you even trying to make a good song?

When Justin Bieber partnered with The Kid LAROI I decided to go full-on-middle-aged-dad with “That Bieber Kid” thinking this might land for some with its so-not-funny-it’s-funny sensibility. Not Margo though. At this point she was begging me to stop. And I would have. I might have. If only Drake and Travis Scott didn’t jump on this runaway train. Since all of Drake’s songs seem to be a series of him saying ‘Eh, something something something, Eh…’ I thought it would be just about perfect for this duo to be named “Eh, Travis.” I mean, that’s a good name, right? Feel free to play along at home!

By this point the front row of the car is giggling wildly and the back row is ready to unbuckle and drop a flying elbow. I was reminded of years ago when Margo was teething, and we found her gnawing on the corner of the wood coffee table and we were simultaneously horrified and amused and someone older and wiser than us said, “Wait till she’s twelve.”

Margo Sullivan when she used to laugh at her dad’s jokes.

YOUR VOTE COUNTS ON NOV. 2

2021 CITY OF ATLANTA CANDIDATE SCORES

MAYOR

PRESENTED BY COMMITTEE FOR A BETTER ATLANTA

FELICIA MOORE

KASIM REED

ANDRE DICKENS

SHARON GAY

ANTONIO BROWN

MARK HAMMAD

KENNY HILL

REBECCA KING

KIRSTEN DUNN

WALTER REEVES

ROOSEVELT SEARLES III

RICHARD WRIGHT

GLENN WRIGHTSON

NOLAN ENGLISH

CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

DOUG SHIPMAN

NATALYN ARCHIBONG

COURTNEY ENGLISH

MIKE RUSSELL SAM MANUEL

POST 1 AT LARGE

MICHAEL JULIAN BOND

TODD GRAY

BRANDON CORY GOLDBERG

ALFRED “SHIVY” BROOKS JEREME SHARPE

POST 2 AT LARGE

MATT WESTMORELAND

SONYA RUSSELL-OFCHUS

POST 3 AT LARGE

JACKI LABAT

JODI MERRIDAY

KEISHA SEAN WAITES

RALPH LONG III

SHERRY WILLIAMS

DISTRICT 1

NATHAN CLUBB

JASON WINSTON

KELLY-JEANNE LEE

RUSSELL HOPSON

CLARENCE BLALOCK

VICTOR TATE

DISTRICT 2

AMIR FAROKHI

DISTRICT 3

BYRON AMOS

ERIKA ESTRADA

ELIJAH PORTER

BRANDON GRAHAM

KEONA JONES

KEN WAINWRIGHT

INTERPRETATION

DISTRICT 4

JASON DOZIER

KIM SCOTT

CLETA WINSLOW

LARRY CARTER II

DEBORAH WILLIAMS

ROGELIO ARCILA

DISTRICT 5

MANDY MAHONEY

LILIANA BAKHTIARI

SAMUEL BACOTE

DOUG WILLIAMS

KATIE KISSEL

DISTRICT 6

ALEX WAN

COURTNEY DEDI

KATIE VOELPEL

JUSTIN CRITZ

DISTRICT 7

DISTRICT 8

MARY NORWOOD

DISTRICT 9

DUSTIN HILLIS

DEVIN BARRINGTON-WARD

DISTRICT 10

JASON HUDGINS

ANDREA BOONE MARCI COLLIER

DISTRICT 11

DISTRICT 12

JOYCE SHEPERD

ANTONIO

JENNÉ SHEPHERD

Beyond the BeltLine

Ryan Gravel’s new Aftercar space will jumpstart conversations about the city’s future

By Collin Kelley

Ryan Gravel, the urban planner whose master’s thesis became the Atlanta BeltLine, has a new vision to help start conversations about the future of the city.

Gravel plans to open Aftercar this November in the basement of the Telephone Factory Lofts, which are adjacent to the BeltLine’s bustling Eastside Trail in Poncey-Highland. Aftercar will be the physical space of Gravel’s nonprofit Generator, which helps people generate, pursue, connect, and deliver ideas that support the future of cities.

Originally conceived as a restaurant, Gravel pivoted during the pandemic to transform the space into a social house and shared workspace.

“Coming out of COVID, this is the

thing that will allow us to get open and get started,” Gravel said. “I still have a big vision for food and beverage service, but I wanted to get this space open.”

Gravel said the Aftercar space at the Telephone Factory, originally built in 1938 for the Western Electric Company and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was perfect for the venue, since the basement was the former cafeteria and dining hall. He said new bathrooms, office spaces, and “light cosmetic touches” would be part of the upgrade.

Aftercar will offer “reasonably inexpensive” monthly memberships during the weekday, offering a cool space to work on the BeltLine with Wi-Fi and coffee. There will also be private spaces that can be rented by the day or the hour for small event like film screenings, luncheons, and wedding receptions.

“Once we get up and established, we’ll include some form of food and beverage,” Gravel said. “It might be a full-on restaurant, or it might be pre-made, prepackaged food.”

Gravel has been transparent about his concerns with how the BeltLine has evolved, resigning from the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership in 2016 due a lack of equity and housing affordability along the 22-mile loop he envisioned as a graduate student at Georgia Tech.

Gravel said is vision for the BeltLine has always been one of inclusivity –making sure its success does not prevent people of all income levels from being

able to live along the corridor. Still, he plans to have his office at Aftercar.

“I’m frustrated on the slow delivery of the BeltLine, especially affordable housing and transit,” he said candidly. “The timetable for transit is unacceptable. Transit is what makes the BeltLine available for everyone.”

He said the creation of Generator and Aftercar are part of his looking ahead beyond the BeltLine to cultivate and amplify conversations about the future of Atlanta and other metropolitan areas, including more affordable housing, public transit that connects all neighborhoods, and cities and developers moving away from car-centric projects.

It’s that last part that led Gravel to make up the name Aftercar, which he said evokes a future beyond the automobile as we know it today.

“Growth and change are coming, and we aren’t having those conversations,” he said. “I want Aftercar to be a good place to change that.”

Intuit to buy Atlanta-based Mailchimp for $12 billion

By Collin Kelley

Intuit will buy Atlanta-based email marketing company Mailchimp for $12 billion in cash and stock the companies announced on Sept. 13.

Intuit, which offers financial services including QuickBooks, TurboTax and Credit Karma, said it will use the acquisition to “become the center of small business growth” and “disrupt the small business mid-market.”

“Together, Mailchimp and QuickBooks will help solve small and mid-market businesses’ biggest barriers to growth, getting and retaining customers,” said Sasan Goodarzi, CEO of Intuit, said in a statement. “Expanding our platform to be at the center of small and mid-market business growth helps them overcome their most important financial challenges. Adding Mailchimp furthers our vision to provide an end-to-end customer growth platform to help our customers grow and run their businesses, putting the power of data in their hands to thrive.”

Founded in Atlanta in 2001 and currently headquartered

at Ponce City Market, Mailchimp announced last year that it would become an anchor-tenant at the new Fourth Ward mixeduse development under construction along the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail.

“Over the past two decades, we’ve vastly expanded and evolved Mailchimp’s platform to help millions of small businesses around the world start and grow,” said Ben Chestnut, CEO and Co-founder of Mailchimp, in a media statement. “With Intuit, we’ve found a shared passion for empowering small businesses. By joining forces with Intuit, we’ll take our offerings to the next level, leveraging Intuit’s AI-driven expert platform to deliver even better products and services to small businesses. This is an exciting new chapter for Mailchimp, our 1,200+ dedicated employees, and customers.”

Around $300 million of the sale will be employee bonuses in the form of Intuit stock, according to the transaction details. Mailchimp employees don’t hold traditional stock options in the company like other startups, but instead had a profit-sharing model.

▼Residents of Inman Park’s Grinnell Lofts have filed suit against Painted Hospitality and its plans for the former Parish restaurant next door. The company, operated by Justin Amick and William Stallworth, plan to open The Painted Park at 240 N. Highland Ave. offering food and games inside and along the Atlanta BeltLine’s Eastside Trail. Since the restaurant space and the lofts share a driveway, residents at Grinnell were concerned about patrons and staff crossing the driveway to get to the greenspace where picnic tables and lawn games would be set up. Solutions, including building a tunnel under the driveway, a swinging gate, or a new curb cut to allow loft owners direct access, but have all proven expensive or unlikely to gain approval from the city.

Lincoln Property Company has teamed up with STHRN Hospitality Co. to create Westside Motor Lounge – a bar, restaurant, and entertainment concept – at Echo Street West. Lincoln will restore three automotive repair garages to create a large, indoor/outdoor bar with a variety of seating, lounging, and interactive spaces at the prominent corner of Northside Drive and Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway at the Atlanta BeltLine’s Westside Trail.

◄Home furnishing and accessory store CB2 has opened at Westside Provisions District in the former Bungalow Classic space. The new 8,350-square-foot location allows customers to shop in person and online for pick-up at the store. For those looking for design inspiration and expert space planning, CB2 Interiors offers a free design service for projects that range from small updates and styling advice to entire rooms and outdoor spaces. For more, visit CB2.com.

Young Black and Latinx professionals are invited to attend the first annual Black Future Weekend at The Gathering Spot in Atlanta on October 1-2 to network, learn about emerging trends and chart a brighter future in the tech fueled economy. The in-person and virtual event is led by nonprofit Dream Corps TECH, and speakers will include CNN’s Van Jones, Grammy-winning record producer Bryan Michael Cox, and Volt Energy CEO Gilbert Campbell. Learn more at blackfutureweekend.com.

Huff Harrington, comprised of a home furnishings store, fine art gallery and design firm, will combine its three businesses under one roof in a new space at the Galleries of Peachtree Hills, 425 Peachtree Hills Ave. The 8,500 square foot retail space will open to the public on Oct. 22. Find out more at huffharrington.com.

Identity and security tech company

Pindrop is downsizing its office space and moving from the Biltmore to The Interlock development in West Midtown. Officials said the move reflects the company’s commitment to a remote-first workplace. The new 25,000-square-foot space will help strengthen the affiliation with Georgia Tech’s incubator program, also located at The Interlock.

Wyatt – who previously served as Bank of America’s vice president/economist, developing advanced analytics and strategy in commercial lending – will work closely with board member companies, Chamber staff, outside firms, federal and state agencies to inform MAC’s ongoing strategy in the 29-county metro Atlanta

in-office care. Additionally, One Medical is clinically and digitally integrated with the Emory Healthcare Network. Visit onemedical.com for more details.

▼American ready-to-wear brand Veronica Beard will open its first Atlanta location later this year in Buckhead Village. Located next to Akris and the forthcoming Saint-Germain French Bakery & Café, the shop will offer its signature wardrobe, including dresses, tops, jeans, outerwear, shoes, swim and more.

▲Financial advisory company

▲Online pharmacy Capsule has launched in Atlanta offering free same-day delivery, refill management, and transition from your old brick-and-mortar drugstore. Patients will also be able to privately chat or text with expert pharmacists about their prescriptions. For more information, visit capsule.com.

Northwestern Mutual has awarded nearly $300,000 in grants to nonprofits as part of its annual Community Service Awards Program. Robert Spencer, wealth management advisor at Northwestern Mutual – Midtown, was chosen as a 2021 recipient of the award, receiving a $15,000 grant that he will donate to Kate’s Club, the nonprofit that helps children deal with grief.

The Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC) has named Ian Wyatt as the nonprofit’s vice president and principal economist.

region.

Membership-based primary care company One Medical has opened a fourth Atlanta location at Ponce City Market in Old Forth Ward. One Medical offers in-office care paired with 24-hour virtual care via its mobile and web app. Consumer memberships are $199 per year and most major insurance plans are accepted for

One Life Child Development Center is now open at Madison Yards in Reynoldstown. Founded by Dr. Alexandra Pillat, the psychology clinic specializes in early childhood diagnostic and therapy services, serving children ages 1 to 18 with developmental disabilities. Visit onelifecdc. com for additional information.

Climate Change: It’s Time to Go Really Big Now

Northeast; exceptional droughts depleting water supply reservoirs; and tens of thousands of deaths and injuries in this country alone. In 2020, nearly $100 billion in damages resulted from natural disasters in the U.S., thanks, at least in part, to climate change.

It’s been 150 years since a physicist named John Tyndall first discovered the molecular basis of the greenhouse effect—and more than fifty years since scientists warned a U.S. president (Lyndon Johnson) about the risks associated with carbon pollution. The growing sense of personal threat from climate change, especially among young adults, may finally help us reach the tipping point: a sense of urgency that significant actions must be taken now.

Above the Water Line

Sally Bethea

Sally Bethea is the retired executive director of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and an environmental and sustainability advocate.

Will 2021 be remembered as the tipping point in the public’s consciousness regarding climate change? It certainly better be.

This past summer, the devastating results of a warming planet were revealed (yet again) in unprecedented events: extreme heat waves (a “worst-case scenario” in the Pacific Northwest); increasingly destructive wildfires; catastrophic flooding from intense storms in the South and

Many of us who want to do “something” to ensure a safer, healthier future for our children and grandchildren understandably feel hopeless and overwhelmed – uncertain if anything we do will make a difference. Author and environmentalist Bill McKibben, who warned of the impacts of climate change more than thirty years ago, says: “There are no silver bullets, only silver buckshot.” Whether they’re called buckshot, or “stabilization wedges” as some prefer, the solutions are many and specific – from new and enhanced energy technologies and changes in government policies and funding to shifts in attitude and individual behavior.

Two Climate Action Tracks

The solutions fall into two (very large) buckets. The first includes the changes that must be made to the industrial (fossil fuel) systems that are breaking the planet’s ecological limits. The second includes the actions that we can take individually, with our families, and in our communities. Neither approach alone will achieve what

we must have: abundant, renewable energy sources for all that support a stable climate.

Not surprisingly, fossil fuel industries and their allies are continuing to shift blame for the problem to each of us, rather than taking responsibility for the consequences of their decades of profitfocused, climate-destabilizing actions. No longer denying climate science outright, industry messages and delaying tactics are more subtle – as they cynically ask people to calculate their carbon footprints, attempting to put the onus of climate action solely on ordinary people.

In April, the Biden Administration set new, more aggressive targets for greenhouse gas pollution reductions in all sectors, using an all-of-government approach. The goals – to be reached via multiple paths –are to create a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and a net zero emissions economy no later than 2050. A massive ten-year, $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill is poised to bring extraordinary changes to our energy sector, reducing climate-warming greenhouse gases and transforming the way we travel. It is time – nearly past time – to “go big,” or fatally resign ourselves and our descendants to catastrophic climate events.

Resources

We must help make systemic policy changes by voting for, and actively supporting, candidates with strong climate platforms at the city, state and federal levels – and by fighting voter suppression attempts. Talk to your friends, family and colleagues about the climate crisis and urge them to register, if they haven’t already, and vote.

We must take personal actions that make sense for each of us and our families; Green America has created a helpful list of options. For parents, ScienceMoms helps demystify climate science and provides ways to talk honestly about the crisis. Like the individuals highlighted below, you can use your talents, expertise, and passions to promote positive climate action.

An enthusiastic healthy living advocate and nonprofit strategist, Margie Cohen, discovered the food rescue group Second Helpings Atlanta through Volunteer Match; she began transporting surplus food from grocery stores and restaurants to groups in need and served on the organization’s board. Margie says: “You

can do as much as you want, on your own time. It’s a great combo mission: keeping the waste out of landfills, where it would produce potent greenhouse gases, and providing fresh, health food to those in need.”

Keaton Leier, a leading dancer at the Atlanta Ballet, co-founded Artists Climate Collective to build on his passion for the arts and commitment to the Earth’s health. The collaborative film Art to Action premiered recently by ACC (available through 9/28) features six original pieces that provoke emotions, inspire, and open hearts and minds to the climate crisis. Funds raised through ticket sales for the virtual event support three diverse climate action groups. Art projects with climate connections in costume-design, photography, and other mediums are in the planning stage.

Local naturalist and photographer Kathryn Kolb ¬– and hundreds of other dedicated tree and greenspace advocates – are pushing the city of Atlanta to create an enforceable program that actually protects intact forests and high-value trees. Our diminishing green canopy absorbs and sinks carbon that would otherwise contribute to global warming and reduces the urban heat-island effect. You can work for a cooler, climate-resilient city with City in the Forest, The Tree Next Door, Trees Atlanta, and/or your NPU (neighborhood planning unit).

If we’re lucky, it’s not too late. This is definitely our last chance. Act now!

Related Links

Register to Vote: sos.ga.gov/elections

Green America List of Climate Actions: greenamerica.org/greenliving ScienceMoms: sciencemoms.com

Second Helpings: secondhelpingsatlanta.org

Volunteer Match: volunteermatch.org

Artists Climate Collective: artistsclimatecollective.org

City in the Forest: cityintheforestorg.wordpress.com

The Tree Next Door: treenextdoor.org

Trees Atlanta: treesatlanta.org.

Sustainable Fashion Week comes to Atlanta Oct. 28-30

By Kathy Dean

Through the last week of October, Atlantans will have the opportunity to see how they can look good, save money – and make a positive impact on the environment.

Event creator Tanjuria Willis said that the first annual Sustainable Fashion Week Atlanta will offer “fashion shows from amazing designers, international panelists including the U.K., German Fashion Council and African Fashion Guide, demonstrations and pop-up boutiques where you can shop the sustainable brands.”

Willis is the owner of eKlozet Designer Consignment Boutique. She explained that the store offers up to 70% off retail on gently used designer brand clothing while providing a personal shopping experience for each customer.

The purchase of pre-owned clothing makes sense for customers and for the planet. “Buying secondhand clothing that already exists slows the fashion cycle and keeps clothes out of landfills by giving them new life,” Willis said.

She was inspired by her 8-year-old daughter to create Sustainable Fashion Week Atlanta, a 501c3 non-profit organization. Through it, Willis hopes to make Atlanta – and the world – better for the next generation by helping “increase

consumer awareness of sustainable and upcycle clothing and educate consumers while creating a platform for sustainable designers to showcase their collections.”

Fashion and the environment

A BBC article in March 2020 reported that the fashion industry accounts for

10% of global carbon emissions and nearly 20% of wastewater. Fashion also uses more energy than both aviation and shipping combined.

A big part of the problem is “fast fashion.” Consumers are pushed to buy new clothing seasonally to stay on trend while they dispose of barely used items.

“Textiles are the second largest pollutant to the landfills, most of which is fast fashion that is made using non-sustainable products and, in most cases, in toxic manufacturing plants offering low paying wages,” Willis explained. “This is contributing to global warming and is detrimental to the survival of future generations.”

In 2018, more than 17 billion tons of textile went into landfills, according to the EPA, and those textiles can take over 200 years to decompose, as documented in a Roadrunner article by Rachel Brown in January 2021.

“Our goal is to continue to grow Sustainable Fashion Week Atlanta to a full week of events with additional events throughout the year, bridging the gap between sustainable brands and mainstream stores,” Willis said. She added that she hopes Sustainable Fashion Week Atlanta will help consumers shop sustainable fashions with ease.

Event info

The First Annual Sustainable Fashion Week Atlanta is scheduled for October 2830.

ECO BRIEFS

Live Thrive is moving its A CHaRM’ing Adventure fundraiser outdoors due to the ongoing pandemic. The event will now take place in Zoo Atlanta’s Ford Pavilion on Oct. 7 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Funds raised from the event help cover the costs of operating the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM), Atlanta’s only permanent drop-off facility for materials too harmful for the curb. Tickets, which are $60, are available at livethrive. org.

The South Fork Conservancy (SFC) will showcase the work of metro Atlanta quilters in its first-ever online exhibit and auction called Quilting the Creek. The month-long auction is underway now and ends on Oct. 14 at 6:15 pm. Register and bid at 32auctions.com/SFC2021. Funds raised from the auction will help ensure that Atlantans have access to and enjoy the trails along the South Fork of Peachtree Creek, as well as to help build additional connecting trails from Buckhead to Emory and beyond.

Highlights of the week include a Kickoff Reception with Runway Fashion Show, presentations featuring sustainable and ethical designers, a Breakfast Meet & Greet with designers, and a Halloween-themed closing party.

Willis pointed out that, thanks to Ackerman & Co, Sustainable Fashion Week Atlanta will be hosted at Lee + White right off the Atlanta BeltLine. “With the support of our colleagues at InvestAtlanta and WEI Atlanta, we look forward to bringing Sustainable Fashion Week to the community of the ‘Warehouse Row’ redevelopment in the Historical West End,” she said.

There are several ways to get involved with Sustainable Fashion Week Atlanta, Willis shared. First, stay informed by visiting the website, atlsfw.com; there you can sign up for the newsletter and purchase tickets. Prices range from $35 for oneday general admission to $150 for a VIP Weekend Package.

Also on the website are applications for anyone who wishes to volunteer. Designers can apply to show their collections on the runway, and sustainable businesses can apply to be featured at the concept pop-up boutique.

For more information about the First Annual Sustainable Fashion Week Atlanta, follow on Instagram, @atlsfw, or visit the website, atlsfw.com.

Find out more about eKlozet Designer Consignment Boutique at eklozet.com or follow @eKlozet.

its inaugural Arts and Sciences Fellowship for 2022. With a mission to create personal experiences with nature through conservation projects, environmental education, and natureinspired arts, this nonprofit organization seeks two-person team applicants in the arts (visual, literary, performance) and life sciences (ecological, environmental, biological) for explorations of these fields at its 30-acre greenspace in Atlanta. Flourishing with wetlands, woodlands, meadows, and riparian creek areas, the four ecosystems at BHNP offer a unique opportunity for artists and scientists to crosspollinate their disciplines into thinking more specifically about endangered greenspaces and building community through ecological advocacy and expression. A stipend of $4,000 will be awarded to the selected team. For further details, qualifications, and how to apply, please visit the Blue Heron Nature Preserve website at bhnp.org/outdoor-art.

Wholesome Wave Georgia has received a grant from the USDA to support its Fresh for Less program, which since 2009 matches every SNAP dollar – dollar for dollar, up to $50 – with money for fruits and vegetables every time a customer shops at a partner farm, market, or Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share. Fresh for Less partners include the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market, visited by nearly 70,000 people in 2020.

Tanjuria Willis

COMPASSIONATE CARE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER

Northside Medical Midtown is now open in one of Atlanta’s most vibrant areas. The physicians and staff of more than 20 practices are ready to see you and your family.

Clinical Specialities include:

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Peachtree Women’s Clinic 470-875-1050 • peachtreewomensclinic.com

Randy Rudderman, MD Plastic Surgery 678-566-7200 • drrudderman.com

Sovereign Rehabilitation 404-205-5567 • sovereignrehab.com

Surgical Specialists of Atlanta 404-847-0664 • surgicalspecialistsofatlanta.com

Thomas Eye Group 678-538-1968 • thomaseye.com

University Gynecologic Oncology 404-300-2990 • ugynonc.com

NOW OPEN Northside Hospital Center for Perinatal Medicine 404-898-2550 • northside.com/cpm

Ready for a Comeback

What the city’s housing authority wants from the Atlanta Civic Center

— that the property must include “quality greenspace and truly affordable housing for families and the service industry employees who work in the Old Fourth Ward, downtown and Midtown districts.”

By Sean Keenan

Editor’s Note: Atlanta Intown has partnered with nonprofit journalism organization Atlanta Civic Circle (atlantaciviccircle.org) to bring our readers more in-depth coverage about the critical issue of affordable housing in the city.

At long last, Atlanta’s housing authority is on the hunt for developers that could revive the Atlanta Civic Center.

Built in the late 1960s and anchored by an impressive performance hall that once hosted opera singers, ballet dancers and political icons, the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center has been deserted since 2014, aching for a comeback.

On August 31, Atlanta Housing (AH) dispatched a request for qualifications

(RFQ) – a document that outlines the agency’s hopes for the legendary Old Fourth Ward site – calling on developers to flex their revitalization muscles and, ultimately, apply for the job.

The project entails revamping more than 13 acres of what AH called “developable land,” 4.3 million square feet of which could be turned into “affordable and market-rate housing,” the RFQ says.

That much square footage could spawn thousands of new housing units, according to Darin Givens, co-founder of urbanist blog ThreadATL. And with the site’s current zoning, he told Atlanta Civic Circle, “You could build apartment buildings as tall as anything in Midtown.”

All of that, of course, could be complemented by new offices, hotel rooms, retail and green space.

“AH’s vision is to embrace the site’s diversity while transforming it into a true

civic anchor at the heart of a new livable, equitable and resilient mixed-use, mixedincome community,” per the document.

Breathing new life into the languishing Atlanta Civic Center the way the RFQ lays out would not only reinvigorate the historic performance venue, it would also pay homage to the site’s life before the existing structures were erected.

“The site was originally home to Buttermilk Bottom, a community of approximately 16,000 people that took root in the early 1900s,” the RFQ reminds would-be developers. “By the 1940s, the community was well established as an African American enclave.”

In the 1960s, however, city officials deemed Buttermilk Bottom blighted and “targeted it for urban renewal,” leveling the community “to make way for a new plan, which prioritized grand civic venues over neighborhood housing,” the document says.

Urban planning experts, city officials and the five top contenders for Atlanta mayor told Atlanta Civic Circle in August that it’s crucial for the rebirth of the property to be a boon for intown housing affordability and community services – and not another engine for rampant gentrification.

Kasim Reed, who was serving as mayor when AH purchased the Civic Center in 2017, “believes that any redevelopment of the site should include a collaborative process with the surrounding community and provide working people the opportunity to live in an area with access to transit, employment centers in Midtown and downtown and high-quality schools,” according to Anne Torres, a spokeswoman for Reed’s current mayoral campaign.

City Council President Felicia Moore, another mayoral contender, said the same

Also vying for the mayor’s seat, City Councilman Antonio Brown said he, too, would “like to see Atlanta Housing conduct community engagement sessions with the surrounding communities to understand what they would like to see the Atlanta Civic Center developed into.”

Andre Dickens, a city councilman and mayoral candidate, noted that, with close proximity to a MARTA rail stop, the Civic Center has the potential to become an important “transit-oriented development with many levels of affordability.”

Like his competitors, Dickens said he wants comprehensive community engagement to contribute to the planning process “to make sure we get the best possible development with enough affordable housing and the ability to preserve the unique character of downtown.”

Adding to calls for affordable housing and greenspace, attorney and mayoral hopeful Sharon Gay said the new development “should be a major job creator, since it should include offices, significant retail and restaurant spaces and a major grocery store.”

“It could even include a new hotel ideally located close to Atlanta’s business center downtown,” she added.

Gay also said, “given the magnitude and significance of this project,” it’s critical that the planning process isn’t rushed. “The next administration must be significantly involved in this major development, and no big decisions should be made before the inauguration of the next mayor.”

The deadline for the RFQ is Oct. 15, and a shortlist of development firms is expected to be identified by Oct. 28 – less than a week before the city elections.

Once AH has narrowed its options down to two or three developers, the request for proposals (RFP) will go out, meaning detailed plans for the site will begin to materialize. A development team is likely to be assembled by early 2022.

Two proposed site plans for the Civic Center property.

We Are Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Your Next Home Could Be In… Piedmont Heights

By Collin Kelley

Where is it? Shaped like a slice of pie, this Intown neighborhood is bounded by I-85, the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail and Piedmont Avenue. The tip of the pie is the busy intersection of Piedmont and Monroe Drive. It’s the city’s oldest community, first settled in 1822 even before Terminus (Atlanta’s original name) in 1837.

Wait… does that mean Ansley Mall isn’t in Ansley Park? Even locals get this confused, believing the shopping center is in Ansley Park or Midtown, but, yep, it’s Piedmont Heights. Surprise!

That means you have Publix, LA Fitness, Starbucks and a host of other small shops and businesses right in your neighborhood. Further up Piedmont, you’ll find Sprouts, Two Minit Car Wash (famous for their mechanical gorilla out front) or knock down some pins at Midtown Bowl.

Where should I eat? You can grab pub grub before a show at Smith’s Olde Bar, have a burger at Grindhouse, some Mexican at Little Rey, or grab a daiquiri and some wings at Cirque, located in the historic Trust Company Bank

building designed by famed architect Henri Jova.

Where do I live? There are a number of apartment options, including the recently renovated Ansley Forest, but if you’re looking to buy, be prepared to spend in the high $600,000s to more than a million for a townhouse or single-family home. You can occasionally find a condo for under $200,000.

Little Rey

Developer sought for affordable housing project at city hall

By Collin Kelley

The City of Atlanta has issued a request for proposals to build affordable housing on a vacant lot across from City Hall in Downtown.

The 13-acre property at the corner of Trinity and Central avenues would put the issue of affordable housing on the city’s doorstep. Invest Atlanta—the city’s development authority— in partnership with the Department of City Planning issued the request for proposals (RFP).

“Activating and redeveloping public land expands access to affordable housing for all who wish to call Atlanta home,” Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said in a statement. “To have this physical, tangible commitment to housing equity literally across the street from Atlanta City Hall should serve as a reminder that Atlanta is a city for everyone.”

Developers must meet a number of objectives for the project, including building affordable rental housing with a design that accommodates diversity in household sizes and income levels. The project must also be mixeduse, meaning there will be retail, dining, or offices incorporated on the ground floor.

The RFP can be found online at investatlanta.com and proposals are due by Oct. 13.

The 1.3-acre property across from City Hall at Trinity and Central avenues.

‘A great library’ begins new chapter

In front of several hundred attendees at the May 25, 1980 dedication of the Atlanta Central Library, then-Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson proclaimed, “A great city deserves a great library.” The 10-story, Brutalist style building in Downtown by internationally renowned architect Marcel Breuer, his associate Hamilton Smith, and local firm Stevens & Wilkinson reinforced the city’s growing national and international stature, and pleased architecture lovers with a strong, sculptural form; exterior concrete panels; a dramatic, concrete staircase; and minimalist details.

Atlanta Central Library grew in significance as Breuer’s last major project following his 1981 death, yet diminished with support as architectural taste disfavored the Brutalist style. Passage of the 2008 library bond referendum with stipulation for the construction of a new central library spurred preservation groups, the Atlanta Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and the public to rally for saving the Atlanta Central Library from possible demolition.

By 2017, the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System hired architectural firm Cooper Carry in association with Vines Architects as designers and Moody-Nolan in 2018 as architect of record for the $44 million library renovation project. The architectural team worked with Library Leadership and Fulton County Library Capital

Perspectives in Architecture

Melody Harclerode, FAIA enjoys connecting the public to wondrous places as an award-winning architect, author, and executive director of Blue Heron Nature Preserve.

Improvement Projects Administrator Al Collins to prioritize additional natural light into the building, reorganization of excess interior spaces, flexible uses with exterior and interior spaces, new exhibition areas, and use of environmentally-friendly materials and systems as design goals. Library visitors will find a dramatically renovated building with a composition of new exterior windows that maintains the rhythm of existing concrete panels, add sunlight into the second and third floors, generate captivating streetscape views for building users, but also assisted in the 2019 decision by National Parks Service to temporarily deny a historic designation for the Atlanta Central Library.

Visitors proceed from an expanded plaza for community and private events in front of the library into the new entry vestibule. A new staircase in the revamped lobby draws attention to a new atrium that centers and connects interior spaces in the library. Once closed for public use, the newly accessible rooftop terrace will attract public and private events to the building. Library champions will appreciate the

Melody Harclerode

The Atlanta Public Library in 1982 (Courtesy AJC and Georgia State University Archives)

The Marcel Breuer Staircase, named after the library’s architect.

The newly renovated library in 2021.

preservation of Breuer’s iconic stairwell connecting multiple floors and linking enthusiasts to the building’s historic past.

An attendee of the 1980 Atlanta Central Library dedication, Cooper Carry principal architect Tim Fish recognizes the importance of the renovated library “to bring together our community” of multi-generational members, civic groups and professionals seeking gathering spaces, teens and adults in pursuit of career advancement, and new and current visitors. The library is expected to open for the public this fall. During these contentious times, Atlanta residents and visitors will be well-served by this vision for the Atlanta Central Library.

G e t y o u r h o m e p r e p p e d f o r s a l e .

W i t h j u s t a f e w s i m p l e i m p r o v e m e n t s , y o u r h o m e c a n s t a n d o u t i n t h e m a r k e t a n d a t t r a c t m o r e b u y e r s w i t h K e l l e r O f f e r s W e c a n h e l p y o u d e t e r m i n e t h e u p d a t e s t h a t w i l l n e t y o u t h e m o s t , w i t h n o m o n e y u p f r o n t .

C a l l F r a n k t o d a y t o g e t s t a r t e d .

W e ' r e a p r o u d S P A R K P a r t n e r a n d s u p p o r t e r o f t h e P T O !

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W W W B R O C K W A Y R E A L E S T A T E N E T

F R A N K B R O C K W A Y K

Mayor Maynard Jackson talks with library director Ella Yates during construction of the library in 1979. (Courtesy AJC and Georgia State University Archives)

The atrium inside the library today.

668 E. PELHAM ROAD OFFERED FOR $1,299,000

Finding fall colors where you may not expect them

Recently I was able to spend a day with Darrel Morrison, a highly regarded landscape architect known for designs that mimic native plant communities.

Darrel was the dean of The School of Environmental Design at UGA way back when I was in school. He explained (or, rather, re-explained, as I am only a fair student) that we can do better than using native plants simply as chess pieces in a landscape. Instead, gardeners can create more successful and interesting designs by noticing which plants grow together in nature, then matching those communities with the corresponding manmade conditions.

Most everyone who sees a healthy forest, rock outcrop, or meadow appreciates their natural beauty. Many would like to capture it and bring it home.

Darrel insists that it can be done. By successfully duplicating these plant communities at people’s homes, offices and schools, we can celebrate Georgia

Grow a moss garden

landscapes while creating better wildlife habitat with numerous other benefits.

Darrel worked with our landscape architect to select plants for a meadow at Trees Atlanta’s future home. He matched the existing nutrient-poor, sandy soils with the native plant community best suited for those conditions: a meadow along a Georgia granite rock outcropping.

The fall colors of a meadow are subtle, elegant, and long-lasting, and the morning light and dew accentuate the beauty even more.

My long-winded point is to emphasize the importance of learning about your patch of dirt to be landscaped – soil type, drainage, and sun exposure. Then, identify the plant community found in places similar to your existing site, and focus on the plants that thrive in that particular environment. Your plants will be more

Learn to grow your own moss garden. On Oct. 22, Annie “Mossin’ Annie” Martin, a nationally recognized expert on moss gardening, will present “The Magical World of Moss Gardening” at Trees Atlanta, 225 Chester Ave., Atlanta. This program is free and open to the public, but you should register to reserve your spot at www.treesatlanta.org.

likely to flourish and you will recreate a beautiful landscape found in the mostloved wild places of Georgia.

As our day together ended, Darrel and I headed down U.S. 78 towards Athens. When we hit the outskirts of Loganville, we saw a sea of dark purple. It was in fact Purpletop (Tridens flavus), a native grass common in the Piedmont. It went on for miles – just one plant in the right place, a member of a southern meadow plant community. We both agreed we had never seen the highway look that good, and all the D.O.T. had to do was let it grow.

This grass gets to be around three feet tall and is one of many meadow

grasses that really show off in the fall just before the leaves change. Unlike the trees, though, they retain warm colors throughout the winter.

Our native grasses should be an important component in our gardens as they provide habitat for beneficial insects and larval food for butterflies, as well as seeds and shelter for many bird species.

Our plant communities are very diverse, from full forests with an open canopy and little else but a carpet of moss, to a meadow with over a hundred native perennials and grasses. Fall can bring out a unique splendor in each of these communities.

Plants to grow for extra fall color

Consider these grasses and perennials if you have room for a small meadow or perennial border and want some fantastic fall color.

Broomsedge – Andropogon virginicus – This early successional grass lives for just a few years but reseeds nicely. It has a long-lasting bronze fall color. The height ranges from three to five feet. Like many grasses, it grows taller with more moisture and most of the height is in the seed head.

Little bluestem – Schizachyrium scoparium – ‘Standing Ovation’ is a cultivar that stays upright. You need a bit more patience for this longer-lived grass as it is a bit slower than broomsedge to establish but makes for a good companion plant. It can handle dry to slightly wet-to-dry soils. It has reddish purple to silver fall color. The grass gets 2 to 4 feet tall. There are a number of cultivars available in the market that vary in leaf and fall color.

Blue mist flower – Conoclinium coelestinum –This is the foolproof flower. It has reliable purple smoke-like flowers in the fall and the pollinators are all over it. When it’s really happy, mist flower will hold its ground with the competitive river oats. I pull a lot of this plant up and still have a purple party for several weeks when it blooms in September and October. It likes average soil moisture and can take full sun to part shade. It can reach almost 3 feet tall.

I must include a tree for your fall planting. Pawpaw (Asminia triloba) is a fourseason tree, and if your garden has average soil and partial sun to almost full shade it will thrive.

This native tree grows to about 30 feet tall and looks pretty tropical with its slightly drooping leaves that turn a nice yellow in the fall. Its maroon flowers give way to the largest edible fruit native to North America. The fruit resembles a small pale green mango and taste like very sweet banana. You have to get them fast or the raccoons and possums will beat you to it. The tree can work as a lovely specimen, but it helps to have two trees for the best fruit production.

Little bluestem

Greg Levine co-executive director of Trees Atlanta, describes himself as happiest when his hands are in the dirt.

The Environmental Gardener

pawpaw

broomsedge

REAL ESTATE BRIEFS

on-site maintenance, a bike repair room and storage and a yoga studio. Find out more at ascentpeachtree.com.

Wendover Housing Partners has opened Hartland Station, a new mixed-income community in at 2040 Fleet St. SW. The property features 131 one, two and threebedroom units, with rents starting at $ 861 a month. Community amenities include a business center, fitness center, activity room with kitchen, splash pad and playground for residents to enjoy. For more information, visit hartlandstation.com.

National Church Residences has opened True Light Haven, the organization’s newest affordable senior housing community at 295 Penelope Drive. This124-unit independent living apartment community for seniors 55 and older features a fitness room, a business center, in-unit washer and dryer hook-ups, a generous community room with a kitchenette, multi-purpose rooms, shuttle service, free Wi-Fi, and free utilities for all residents. Visit nationalchurchresidences.org for more information.

The Justin Landis Group and Team Rich Richardson, two of Atlanta’s top-producing residential real estate teams, have launched a new real estate brokerage named Bolst Its purpose is to pursue a public benefit of a reduction in homelessness, more affordable housing options, and an increase in home ownership in underserved communities,

▼A reimagined historic mansion and new residences are now for sale at Frederick Trust in Druid Hills. Located across from Olmsted Linear Park at 1609 South Ponce de Leon Ave., the project is named for the landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted who planned the Druid Hills neighborhood and park. The 1922 Georgian Revival-style mansion has

▲Constructed on top of an existing parking garage, the 29-story, 345-unit Ascent Peachtree in Downtown offers city views from all residences with studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, townhomes and penthouses starting on the 12th floor. The property features high-end design, pool and rooftop terraces, and amenities like concierge services, flex workspaces, conference rooms,

Compass real estate recently marked its third anniversary in Atlanta. The company now has three offices – North Atlanta, Buckhead, and Intown – and more than 430 agents. Since opening in 2018, the company has grown to the largest residential real estate office by sales volume in Greater Atlanta, according to a report from Atlanta Business Chronicle.

starting in Atlanta. During their most recent campaign, Home for the Holidays, their team worked toward a goal of helping 200 families find their dream home while raising over $100,000 to help the Atlanta Mission transform the lives of people experiencing homelessness. For more information, visit bolst.homes.

been transformed into two homes and has retained its sweeping staircases, millwork, stained glass windows, chandeliers and other historic details. Behind the mansion, four manor homes have been built in the same style as the mansion including all the luxury details. Prices range from $1.5 million to $2.15 million. Find out more at fredericktrust.com.

Crystal Visions

Witchy Kombvchy infuses their fermented tea with a bit of magic

[with dermatomyositis], my stone medicine-loving acupuncturist, Laura, taught me how to make crystal elixirs to support both me and him through this difficult time. The chrysocolla stone elixir helped me enormously with feeling held and supported through that crisis, so when we decided to offer our kombucha to others, we added the elixir to it. It is tasteless and odorless, but full of powerful, loving energy that helps our DNA withstand sustained stress and move through trauma.

Q. Where did you learn how to make kombucha? Is it truly easy to do it yourself at home or is there a high amateur failure rate like there is with sourdough starter?

By Megan Volpert

It’s fall, it’s Halloween, so maybe a drop of magic is just what you need to put a little pep in your step. Leah and Mark Tioxon are the witches and owners of Atlantabased Witchy Kombvchy, a kombucha tea infused with crystal and “healing intentions.”

The kombucha is made in small, slowaged batches that are available online and at a growing number of local stores, including Littles Food Store in Cabbagetown, Lotta Frutta in Old Fourth Ward, and Kelly’s Market and Seed to Star, both in Decatur. We caught up with head witch Leah to talk about her family-run company and get her brewing-inspired In the Mix playlist for our Spotify channel.

Q. What makes you a witch? What makes your kombucha witchy?

A. To me, a witch is anyone who is in intimate relationship with nature and the (often) unseen energies that exist in and around us. A witch listens, observes, and participates in the dance of life, honoring the seasons and cycles of one’s own journey and the world at large. I have dedicated my life to continually deepening my relationship with nature, with my intuition, and with cosmic, ancestral, and elemental energies. I embrace the unknown and unknowable, and I do my best to help others have fun with and make their own meaning of the mystery of this grand adventure of life. Our kombucha is witchy because it is infused with crystal elixirs and healing intentions. When Mark was sick and in the hospital

NEW RESTAURANT RADAR

Kinship Butcher & Sundry is now open in Virginia-Highland at 1019 Virginia Ave. The chef-driven concept from Myles Moody and Rachael Pack is comprised of a butchery, a small grocery store, and a coffee bar from Connan Moody’s Academy Coffee. Find out more at kinship-atl. com.

Biggerstaff Brewing Company is open in Old Fourth Ward at 537 Edgewood Ave. serving up its own beers, coffee, charcuterie, sharable snacks, pastries, and more. Owner Clay and Sarah Davies worked with Staplehouse (located next door) chef Ryan Smith on the food menu. Find them on Instagram @biggerstaffbrewing.

A. A friend gave us a starter SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) which is kind of like a yeast starter for bread. They shared with us the simple process and a few tips, and we just started experimenting with different flavors until we arrived at what we produce today. Brewing kombucha can seem a little bit intimidating or scary at first but it’s actually very simple and easy. In fact, we think it’s easier the easiest of the fermented foods to make.

Q. Where do you get inspiration for new kombucha flavors? Can I just think of kombucha pairings the same way I think of wine pairings? What do I need to know to properly select my meal when I’m in a kombucha mood?

A. We tried different teas and juices, until we found first one and then a second combination of flavors that we loved.

Gold-leaf encrusted steak, fresh seafood, raw bar, and cigar lounge are all on the menu at Steak Market, 793 Juniper St., in Midtown. Find out more at steakmarket.com.

Our original kombucha is a cherry flavor. Our new flavor is a ginger-apricot-peach. We experimented a LOT to find the freshest, best-tasting flavors, using our own picky tastebuds and the feedback from many volunteer testers. Mark never liked kombucha until we started making our own, and I’m one of those super-taster people with extra tastebuds, so we would not settle for sour-tasting, bland, or overwhelming flavors. We had to get our kombucha exactly to our liking, and we aren’t easy to please! Luckily, our customers seem to love our kombucha as much as we do. You can absolutely think of kombucha pairings in the same way as wine pairings. Our “red top” cherry flavor is like a red wine, while our “yellow top” ginger-apricot-peach is more like a white. I’ve created several cocktail and mocktail recipes for our kombucha, as well, using herbs from our garden, homemade bitters, and more. Mark has been experimenting with cold brew kombucha. The key is to try everything.

Q. This is a family business you run with your husband. How do you divide the labor and what’s your typical day like?

A. Mark does the brewing and bottling, I supervise the crystal elixir-making, and sing to the brew and reiki the scobys. We rarely have a typical day, but on any given day you can find us making deliveries to stores, restaurants, and households around town. We all pitch in to help unload pallets of supplies, coordinate photo shoots and marketing, and share our kombucha at local events. Mark does the photoshoots to support our marketing, and our amazingly loyal and enthusiastic clients have spread the word about our product far and wide, keeping us busy as we scale up production and distribution.

To order and find out more, visit witchykombvchy.com or @ WitchyKombvchy on Instagram.

Food Network star Chef Palak Patel has opened her first concept, Dash & Chutney, featuring vegan Indian street food at Chattahoochee Food Works, 1235 Chattahoochee Ave., on the Upper Westside. Visit dashandchutney.com for the menu and more.

Incoming

Pielands: New York-style pizzeria in Virginia-Highland from Billy Streck. (Any minute now)

How Crispy: Chicken sandwich pop-up opening brick-and-mortar in Summerhill (November)

Humble Pie: The team behind Lazy Betty’s new concept at The Interlock (Spring)

Witchy Kombvchy co-founder Leah Tioxon.

QUICK BITES

The developers of the Lee + White mixed-use project in West End have released new plans and renderings for the food hall, a retail village made of shipping containers, and outdoor lawn space. MDH Partners and Ackerman & Co. said construction on the new phase is currently underway and will be delivered in spring 2022. Originally planned as new construction, Lee + White’s food hall will now be in the pre-existing Building 1020 and comprise 28,000 square feet. Construction is currently underway to revamp the space, and the full building will consist of full-service restaurants, including the second location of Lake & Oak barbecue, fast casual dining options, and 13 food stalls.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium has added new food and beverage options in time for the 2021 Falcons season, including Moe’s Southwest Grill, Pita Mediterranean, King’s Hawaiian Grill, 4 Rivers BBQ, and barbecue from SOKOME. A second locations of West Nest, featuring chicken sandwiches and wings, is open in section 115 of the lower concourse. Molly B’s seafood concept also has a second location near section 338 featuring lobster rolls, fish sandwiches, and shrimp po’boys

Wholesome Wave Georgia received $646,781 from the USDA to support the “Georgia Fresh for Less” program, which matches SNAP benefits for fruits and vegetables at participating farmers markets and farms. Wholesome Wave is the only Georgia nonprofit to receive the USDA’s Nutrition Incentive Grant, and it is one of three nonprofits in the Southeast to receive this grant.

Prepared foods brand Fitlife Foods is opening a brick-and-mortar location in Tuxedo Festival shopping center in Buckhead. Chef-prepared, fresh meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks will be available for pick-up in preportioned small, medium, and large sizes. Visit

Flynn McClanahan has been appointed to executive chef at Atlanta Fish Market, part of the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group. Chef Flynn succeeds Bobby Holley, beloved chef who passed away suddenly last month from a rare cardiac condition. McClanahan previously worked at Pano & Paul’s, Chops, Alon’s Bakery, The Palm, The Lobster Bar.

Kevin Rathbun Steakhouse, Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, C&S Restaurant Group, Aria Restaurant, Atlanta Fish Market, Chops, Il Gaiallo Osteria & Bar, Kaisers Chophouse, Kaleidoscope, KR Steakbar, Kyma, Lagarde American Eatery and Pricci are teaming up for the first annual Maestro Golf Tournament on Monday, Nov. 1 at St. Marlo Country Club in Duluth. The event is in memory of Chef Bobby Holley. All proceeds will go towards establishing a college education fund for his children. Registration is available through bigtickets.com by searching for Maestro Memorial Golf Tournament. The deadline is Oct. 18.

The Atlanta Chili Cook Off will be held Oct. 23 from noon to 5 p.m. at Brook Run Park in Dunwoody. Sample some of the best chili the region has to offer from more than 75 restaurants, caterers, amateur cooks, and junior chefs competition teams. General admission and tickets are available at bigtickets.com by searching for the event

Restaurant RIP: Iconic Buckhead Diner, closed since the pandemic began, officially shuttered for good after 30 years in August. Taco Mac at Lindbergh City Center closed in September after 15 years citing “safety challenges” in the parking due to the uptick in crime around Buckhead.

During these uncertain times, HammerSmith is here for you and your family. We provide safe, essential services, architectural designs and home renovations. Start planning today for how to live better in a changed world.

Moving Meditation

Adelaide Tai left the 9 to 5 grind to pursue art and music

By Isadora Pennington

“It feels like a dream,” said artist Adelaide Tai. Working as an independent artist for the past six years, she has ventured beyond getting by to truly thriving. As she sat perched atop a bench and backlit by large picture windows in a friend’s living room transformed into a temporary studio, Tai appeared to glow in the late afternoon light. On the day that I visited her, she was working on a new

painting, and I was lucky enough to watch it transform from blank canvas to ephemeral composition.

Tai is a Taiwanese American artist who has been making paintings since she can remember. She had her first solo exhibition in 2015 after leaving a draining career as an art consultant and quickly found her footing as an independent artist. Today she splits her time between her apartment in Los Angeles and bouncing around with various friends in Atlanta who allow her to create her paintings in their homes. She’s

actively sourcing a studio here so she can create large scale works. Her pieces are predominantly commissions or created for exhibitions with galleries that represent her.

Working with watercolor inks, enamel, and epoxy resin among other liquid mediums, her pieces embody movement and embrace texture in evocative abstract compositions. Her process usually begins with deciding a color palette, and sometimes the ideas come to her while she’s asleep. Future Medicine, her recent body of work that was released in April, was inspired by a dream. She then composed smaller studies and practice pieces before returning to Atlanta to complete the finished works. Tai says she enjoys the playfulness of painting and pushes herself by adding new mediums and experimenting with textures within a defined color palette for her works.

“It’s kind of like a moving meditation,” Tai said of her process. “I recently described painting as running, especially with the medium that I use, because it’s time sensitive. You only have so long of a window before the paint or the resin starts getting tacky and you really can’t manipulate it anymore. So, it’s like a sprint or a jog where you just have to keep going and you kind of get in a rhythm or a flow and you can’t slow down. The constraints kind of force you to stay present.”

On the day that I visited she was starting a new painting. I watched as she mixed pigments, holding the bottles of paint up to the light and considering them with solemnity before thoughtfully pouring and distributing them across the canvas. Her demeanor shifted to serious and contemplative as she worked, her eyes

studying the piece with a devotion that called me to keep my thoughts to myself so as not to interrupt the process. Once the paint was poured and radiating out across the surface, she moved around the piece and used a paintbrush to gently coax the edges towards one another, overlapping or stopping just short of touching other colors. The vibrant paints were rich, moody, and dimensional. Music played softly in the background and otherwise the room was silent, punctuated only by the gentle movement of her brush and the clicking of my camera shutter as we circled around the piece before her that was in the midst of becoming.

In addition to her career as a painter, Tai is also a singer and songwriter. Prior to the onset of the pandemic, she was the headliner of a group called Lady Clementine’s Fantastic Party, later shortened to Clementine’s Party. The Atlanta-based ensemble produced a sort of “surfy” rock sound with melodies reminiscent of dreamy pop music from days gone by.

“I was so sad because we had some really fun and exciting things lined up. We were going to play our first festival and had some music almost ready to release, but it just stopped, and it was really disappointing. It did make me reevaluate where I’m trying to go with music, and I realized that I wanted to start something fresh.” She is currently working with producers and musician friends to produce a project simply under her name, Adelaide. She hopes to debut a new, fresh project in the coming months.

“My family is really creative,” said Tai of her upbringing. “I think everyone is creative; I think being alive and being a

spirit in a body means that you’re creative. But definitely my family culture cultivated that practice in me.” She shared that her entire extended family embraces music and told me of the music-filled summer

gatherings and holidays that she didn’t realize were not the norm for every family.

“My dad plays many instruments and grew up playing the piano. On my mom’s side of the family, everyone plays an instrument or sings. I didn’t realize that it

was not normal, I thought that was what every family did. It wasn’t actually until recently that I realized that music isn’t a main point of gathering for every family. Every Christmas, every summer, anytime we get together with extended family it just turns into a jam session,” said Tai.

I found it interesting that while Tai has grown up in a setting that is positively saturated with music, she says that she rarely sings or participates when her family performs. Why? Because “everyone is just so good,” she said with a laugh. Admittedly, at times she faces her own feelings of inadequacy or imposter syndrome, and it has taken some time to become comfortable with the fact that she is indeed a working artist who earns her money from art.

“I feel like I’m healing ancestral wounds of suppressing creative energy,” said Tai, noting that while virtually everyone in her family is an artist or musician in some way, none of them have pursued those creative passions as a means of earning a living. It is still expected that everyone has a reliable source of income

Frightful Fun Ghost tours, haunted houses, parades and more for Halloween

By Collin Kelley

If you’re looking for some thrills and chills – or just a little fun – then Intown is the place to be for Halloween. We’ve rounded up a guide to some of the events worth your attention. Be sure to check for COVID-19 guidelines and don’t forget your mask – it is Halloween, after all.

in the form of a standard 9 to 5 job, something which Tai has been grateful to be able to avoid since she first embarked on her creative career. “[My ancestors] couldn’t imagine that being a way to support themselves or their families, but things are different now.”

Indeed, things are different for Tai these days. With enough large commissions to keep her busy and fund her lifestyle, she has cultivated the ability to split her time between LA where the atmosphere, energy, and setting inspire and push her and Atlanta, the small-town-big-city that still feels like home with a community that continues to embrace her.

To see more of her artwork, check out her website at hiadelaide.com. If you’d like to get a taste of her music, you can go to Clementine’s Party on YouTube at www. shorturl.at/jIKPW and stay tuned for the new music which will be released under just her name, Adelaide Tai.

▲Oakland Cemetery

The 14th annual Run Like Hell 5K is both in-person and virtual this year. The Oct. 9 event begins at 8 a.m. with a course through the cemetery. For the virtual event, runners can complete the 5K inside the

cemetery or along any route that equals 5K any time between those dates, recording and submitting their times. The annual Halloween tours of the graveyard, Capturing the Spirit of Oakland, will be held Oct. 14-31. Designed to enlighten rather than frighten, the tours bring to life the stories of some of the cemetery’s notable and notorious residents. For registration and more details visit oaklandcemetery.com.

Decatur Ghost Tour

This guided walking tour covers a little more than a mile as participants stroll around downtown Decatur and visit sites such as the DeKalb County Courthouse, High House and the city cemetery. Tour guides retell the

stories, both historical and paranormal, of some the city’s haunted spots. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $12 for children 10 and younger. Advance tickets are required and can be purchased at decaturghosttour.com.

The Wren’s Nest Séance

The historic West End home of Joel Chandler Harris will present this new Halloween experience now through Oct. 30. This séance seeks to solve the mysterious

disappearance of a magician’s supply salesman who was last heard from long ago attempting to capture a rabbit that would be pulled out of a magician’s magical top hat. Seating is very limited, so get tickets at twnseance.eventbrite.com.

◄Woodland Spirits

Come face-to-face with dozens of ghostly “visitors” lurking among the trails in WildWoods and Fernbank Forest at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History through Nov. 7. As guests wander the trails, they will cross paths with spirits who were unable to let go of the physical world and appear in the shadows, up in the trees, and waiting in plain sight for their next scare. Also, ‘Nocturnal Activity: Life After Dark’ will explore the habits of nocturnal animals and night-blooming plants. Get tickets and details at fernbankmuseum.org.

Netherworld

Named one of the scariest haunted houses in the world year after year, Netherworld returns with “Rise of the Netherspawn” and “Return to Planet X in 3D” to mark its 25th anniversary. Descend into underground caverns to face the terror of the abominable

continued on page 40

Netherspawn and run from the aliens on Planet X using advanced 3D technology to put you up-close and personal with the creatures. The haunted experiences run through Nov. 13. Get tickets and details at fearworld.com.

L5P Halloween MonsterFest

Details were still being ironed out at press time, but this year’s event is set for Oct. 16-17 and will include a “monster hunt” through Little Five Points, costume contest, artist market, Monster Ball and a “cocktail parade.” Find out more at l5phalloween.com.

▲

Legends & Lore Tour

Head to historic Rhodes Hall in Midtown for a “spooktacular” ghost tour Oct. 27-29. Hosted by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, tours will be given at 6:30, 7:30, and 8:30 p.m. Known as one of the most haunted buildings in Atlanta, Rhodes Hall is a hotbed of paranormal activity and has been featured on TV shows such as “Ghost Hunters” and WSB-TV’s “Georgia’s Haunted Hidden Gems.” Enjoy socially distanced spirits on the porch before your tour. Spaces are limited. Ages 21+. $35 per person. Masks

required indoors. More information and tickets are available at georgiatrust.org.

The Pirates Treasure Hunt

Put together a crew of landlubbers and hit the streets of Atlanta on Oct. 30 to collect pieces of eight coins, participating in challenges, and finding clues for the hidden treasure. This mix of escape room and scavenger hunt is for teams of two to six people and pirate costumes are encouraged. Pirate crews can begin anytime between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tickets are available for $50 per team (plus a $2.50 ticketing fee) at thecityscavenger.com.

▲Atlanta Botanical Garden

The annual “Scarecrows in the Garden” runs through Oct. 31 with more than 100 kooky and creative characters perched throughout the Midtown greenspace. They’re all the creative handiwork of area schools, businesses, organizations, and local artists. On Oct. 24, kids are invited to dress up in their best costumes and participate in socially distanced activities during “Goblins in the Garden” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit atlantabg.org.

Jason Cook

Remembering Willie B.

Terry Maple’s new book chronicles great ape

By Collin Kelley

Dr. Terry Maple left Zoo Atlanta 20 years ago, but his fondness for its most famous resident, a western lowland gorilla named Willie B., never went away.

Maple, now director emeritus of the zoo, has written a new book “Atlanta’s Iconic Ape: The Life of Willie B.,” which is out now in hardback, paperback, and eBook from Palmetto Publishing.

“I should have written this book years ago,” Maple said. “I kept meticulous records and I’d known Willie B. since 1975 when I first arrived in Atlanta.”

Atlantans of a certain age will recall that Zoo Atlanta was in a dismal state in the 1970s and 80s before Maple took over as director in 1984. Maple said the city had decided to spend money on bringing the Braves to Atlanta rather than helping the struggling zoo, so it fell into decline.

“The zoo was depressing and an embarrassment to the city. It was named one of the worst zoos in America. No one with any sense would have taken the job as director, but I did. I felt it was my duty after then-Mayor Andrew Young asked me to take the job. I had a friend call from New York and ask, ‘Why are you doing this? You’re going to ruin your career.’”

But Maple believed Zoo Atlanta had promise, and his first mission was to free Willie B. from the concrete bunker he lived in with a tire swing and television to keep him company. Visitors would gawk and shout at him through thick glass, and Willie B. often looked depressed.

Willie B., named after former Mayor William B. Hartsfield, had been ripped from his mother’s arms in Africa in 1961 and brought to the zoo, where he lived in isolation for 29 years.

Maple, who had grown up in San Diego and frequented its world-famous zoo, had promise. He envisioned a large outdoor habitat where Willie B. and other gorillas could live naturally rather than in confinement.

“I knew what could turn the zoo around if we rebuilt around science,” Maple recalled. “We needed to get the top primatologist on board, and we had those right here in Atlanta at Emory University’s Yerkes Primate Center.”

The city and community rallied to help the zoo and then the Ford Motor Company stepped forward with the first $100,000 check to make the gorilla habitat possible. The automaker still gives money every year for the upkeep of the Ford African Rain Forest.

When the habitat opened in 1988, Maple and the zoo staff were uncertain how Willie. B. would adapt to being outside and interacting with other gorillas – including females.

“I had hope for him,” Maple said. “I was afraid the girls would beat him up, but they liked him a lot.”

Willie B. would go on to father five offspring: Kudzoo, Olympia, Sukari, Willie B., Jr., and Lulu.

Willie B. would succumb to heart disease in 2000, and although Maple had already departed the zoo to teach at Georgia Tech, he was kept informed of the gorilla’s condition and final moments. “It was very comforting to know that he died peacefully,” Maple said.

Maple said Willie B. remains an important figure for Zoo Atlanta.

“There’s never been another ape like him. His fame had to do with his own resilience. His story mirrors the city’s resilience,” Maple said.

Dr. Terry Maple

If it’s October…It’s ELEVATE

Inside the Arts

Camille Russell Love

Camille

Russell Love

Love has been executive director of the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (@atlantaoca) for more than two decades.

When the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) launched ELEVATE in 2011, OCA staff envisioned a curated, temporary public art program that would focus attention on and showcase specific Atlanta communities – using as creative fuel local artists and resources (community-based organizations, private businesses, community centers, etc.).

The goal was to employ free public art activities and events in the service of good – art appreciation, civic responsibility, social justice, and economic and cultural vitality. And while this year’s ELEVATE activities began in September and were expanded to include eight Atlanta neighborhoods, October is ELEVATE’s signature program month.

For the last decade, ELEVATE has provided a platform for artists and galvanized resources that are both well-known and more obscure. Moreover, the ELEVATE 2021 theme, Reopen, Reconnect, Reignite, gives OCA staff and their partners an opportunity to bring to COVID-weary Atlantans programming that will stimulate their minds and reinvigorate their souls. Three programs of note taking place during October are outlined here.

From Oct. 8-10, Atlantans will want to make their way Downtown to bear witness to the rebirth of Mitchell and Broad streets. Cat Eye Creative will bring South Downtown to life with vibrant murals created by artists such as George F. Baker III, Chris Veal, VAYNE, AESEK, and Lucy Luckovich. Additionally, a large-scale outdoor photography exhibit will be on display with work by Kristin Ferro, Nicole Hernandez, Chilly-O, Matt Swinsky, Elliot Liss, and QUANATL.

The Downtown area will also be the site of three other art-related activities: an exterior neon exhibition by Tayler Drattlo; an impressive gallery exhibit (featuring 30 of Atlanta’s finest artists including Adam Crawford, Diana Toma, and Julio Ceballos); and a Binders Art Supply “pop up” shop.

On Oct.17, at 3 p.m., ELEVATE will partner with France-Atlanta and Atlanta Contemporary to present A Dance, Reunited. The event will include a screening of Letters from the Continent, a dance performance by Indya Childs, and a panel discussion with artists and community leaders about the resurgence of the global arts community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Film creator Faustin Linyekula and Dance Canvas Executive Artistic Director, Angela Harris, will lead the panel discussion. Letters from the

Continent was co-produced by HAU Hebbel am Ufer. It was conceived and shot in May and June 2020 and features 21 artists from various African cities, including Cape Town, Dakar, Lagos, Maputo, Moroni, and Tunis (france-atlanta.org and atlantacontemporaty. org).

Also in October, Grant Park-based experimental art gallery, Arts Beacon Gallery, will partner with muralist creatives from The Lotus Eaters club on Oct. 23 for an all-day, live mural painting event. Ten local artists will paint over 1,000 square feet of murals on the walls of the Artist Cove at The Beacon – an industrial complex turned shopping, dining,

and arts destination. In addition to live mural painting, the Color the Cove event will feature DJs spinning, live bands, performance art, and an artist market with one-of-a-kind wares. Local breweries and food trucks will provide yummy treats while patrons enjoy this giant outdoor art celebration .artsbeacongallery. com).

October is ELEVATE month. Make time in your schedule to join us this October for these and many other events. Come celebrate ELEVATE’s 10th anniversary as we imagine and look ahead to the next ten. Visit elevateatlart.com to see the full lineup of events.

Tickets for Obama Portraits tour at High Museum available this month

The famed portraits of former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama by artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, respectively, will be at the High Museum of Art in Jan. 14 - March 20, 2022.

Tickets for “The Obama Portraits Tour,” organized by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, will be available to members first Oct. 1115, followed by access for Museum Pass holders (Oct. 18-19) and general admission, which begins Oct. 25.

Tickets will be available at High.org and are expected to sell out since the High is the only Southeastern venue for the tour.

Collin Kelley

Clockwise from top left: “Color the Cove,” a mural by The Lotus Eaters collective; dancer Zachary Todd; artist Charmaine Minniefield’s “Praise House” installation.

Remembering a day on the town for the staff of Atlanta’s own version of ‘WKRP’

From the Crates

Kelly McCoy is a veteran Atlanta broadcaster who writes about the days popular music only came on vinyl records, which often were stored in crates.

The best pair in Atlanta.

I’m talking about two of Atlanta’s best radio stations ever, WQXI AM 790 and WQXI FM 94.1. The two — known as “Quixie” and “94Q” — broke the molds, wrote the playbooks … add your favorite cliché here. If you ever watched the TV show “WKRP in Cincinnati,” that fictional radio station was patterned after WQXI.

I could write five columns on Quixie and 94Q, but for this piece I’ll share an adventure that wasn’t typical of radio stations then, and completely out of the universe in today’s world of radio.

In those days, to motivate us for big ratings periods, The Big Guy, Gerald S. Blum, known as Jerry, always did something to motivate the staff to do their absolute best on the air, and any time we represented the stations. Quite often, this would entail having a prominent speaker join us at a fancy restaurant. For example, we once were wined and dined at The Coach and Six restaurant, with U.S. Sen. Max Cleland as our “guest motivator” for the evening.

In September 1983, the on-air staff for both stations got a memo to mark our calendars for a special day when Blum would gather a group of motivational speakers at hotel in the airport area. Jerry would provide transportation. This meant limousines of course. Radio was show business in those days and limos were a treat, but not uncommon.

On “motivation day” three limos carried us south. As we got closer to the airport, we noticed we’d passed the last hotel of any size with a conference room. Is Jerry flying us somewhere?

The “new” airport had plenty of room for three fine rides to pull up and unload. Jerry hustled us inside like a school busload of excided students and shouts, “Let’s go…follow me!” In a few moments we’re in the Delta Crown Room giddy for this unknown adventure.

After he calmed us down and we were seated, Jerry handed each of us an envelope with our name handwritten on the outside. Once he told us to open them, we were in complete shock and over the top

excited about what we were about to do. There was a photocopy of a personal note, handwritten by Jerry.

“I just wanted to say thank you for busting your butts to make these the best radio stations in the country,” the note said.

“To show my appreciation, we’re spending the day in New York!” Attached to the note were airline tickets and three $100 bills. Three hundred bucks!!

After quieting us down again, he said we’d end our day with dinner at Peter Luger Steak House, his favorite steak house, before returning home.

Who in their right mind would take two airstaffs to New York, give them cash, and “turn them loose?” I recently spoke with J.J. Jackson, Jim Morrison, Fleetwood Gruver, Neil Williamson and Craig Ashwood to

did get lost amongst the many for a few moments. He was the tallest on the staff, and from Alabama. Once again Hondo to the rescue by finding a perch and yelling, “Roll Tide!” Magically from all those bodies a long arm was waiving. Russ was safe.

Time to eat. Peter Luger Steak House was legendary, and we were all stuffed and spoiled. There may have been champagne. We had a very happy limo ride to

LaGuardia, and a party flight home to our smaller town, Atlanta. Our day was magical, special, and we were motivated for sure.

We continued the “Best Pair in Atlanta” status for long time. Of course, every other station in town hated us with envy. Most people in radio never have experiences like this group did. Not only the people on the air, but throughout the building.

The Big Guy was our team leader. Jerry also made us feel like family. Those of us still alive are so thankful for our time there. We’ll always be the Quixie/94Q family.

compare memories of our wild day. There were maybe 15 of us there that day.

Of course, we had limos in New York. We hadn’t been riding long when we saw the actor Jack Klugman dressed in camo pants. Someone shouted, “we love you!” He smiled and waved.

We all as a group went to the top of the Empire State Building. Once we arrived, Neil “Hondo” Williamson yelled, “Go Dawgs” for all New York to hear. We’d tried to go to lunch at the famed restaurant the Windows of the World, but someone was wearing jeans…back then, a no-no.

We split into groups, determined a designated location and time to meet later that day, and took off to play in the city. In those days, shopping at Bloomingdale’s was a big thing to do. Most of us got goodies for our significant others, then off to Central Park, more funky shopping, and as much NYC as we could squeeze into three hours.

No one got arrested, but Russ Davis

Leaf Watch

October will see fall leaves ablaze with color in North Georgia, North Carolina

By Collin Kelley

October is primetime to see the fall foliage at its peak color, so set aside a weekend for a drive to North Georgia or North Carolina.

According to the Fall Foliage Prediction Map at smokymountains.com, leaves will peak a little earlier than usual in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina between Oct. 4-11, while Oct. 18-25 will offer the brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows in North Georgia.

At this writing, Georgia State Parks were still limiting access if parks become too overcrowded to maintain social distancing, so be sure to check gastateparks.org for updates. The same goes for the Smoky Mountains, where the National Park Service is requiring masks in all buildings and in crowded outdoor spaces

According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, these are the parks to check out the best foliage color along with some recommended hikes and activities.

Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge

An hour north of Atlanta in Dawsonville, you’ll find the Southeast’s tallest cascading waterfall. A short, flat path leads to a boardwalk offering the most spectacular views. There’s also an easy-to-reach overlook at the top. For a tougher challenge, start from the bottom of the falls and hike up the steep staircase.

Black Rock Mountain State Park

At an altitude of 3,640 feet, Black Rock Mountain in Clayton is Georgia’s highest state park (Brasstown Bald is the state’s highest peak). Roadside overlooks and the summit visitor center offer sweeping views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The 2.2-mile Tennessee Rock Trail is a good choice for a short, moderate hike. For an all-day challenge, take the 7.2-mile James E. Edmonds Backcountry Trail.

Cloudland Canyon State Park

Located in Rising Fawn, one of Georgia’s most beautiful parks offers easy-to-reach rim overlooks and challenging trails. A favorite hike takes you down a staircase to the bottom of the canyon, where you’ll

North Georgia

Roosevelt State Park

find two waterfalls. The 5-mile West Rim Loop is moderately difficult and offers great views of the canyon.

F.D. Roosevelt State Park

Many people are surprised to find hardwood forests and rolling mountains south of Atlanta. The 6.7-mile Wolf Den Loop is a favorite section of the longer Pine Mountain Trail. For a touch of

Moccasin Creek State Park

Georgia’s smallest state park sits on the shore of a gorgeous Lake Burton. Guests can choose from the 2-mile Hemlock Falls Trail or 1-mile Non-Game Trail with a wildlife observation tower. Hwy. 197 is a particularly pretty road, passing Mark of the Potter and other popular attractions.

Tallulah Gorge State Park

Tallulah Gorge near Clayton is one of the most spectacular canyons in the Southeast, and you can choose from easy or difficult trails. Hike along the rim to several overlooks with waterfall views, or hike to the bottom of the gorge for a bigger challenge.

Highlands

While the leaves will be past their peak, the annual Highlands Food & Wine Festival (highlandsfoodandwine.com) returns Nov. 11-14 with music, tastings, dinners and more. Highlands also offers great shopping, dining, and the chance to explore the scenic surroundings.. Visit highlandschamber.org for more information.

history, drive to Dowdell’s Knob to see a life-size bronze sculpture of President F.D. Roosevelt and views of the forested valley. Ga. Hwy. 190 is a pretty driving route.

Fort Mountain State Park

This park in Chatsworth is best known for a mysterious rock wall along the mountain top, plus a variety of trails. For the easiest walk, take the 1.2-mile loop around the park’s green lake. For a challenging, allday hike, choose the 8-mile Gahuti Trail. Mountain bikers have more than 14 miles to explore. Hwy. 52 has beautiful mountain scenery and overlooks worth stopping to see.

Smithgall Woods State Park

Protecting more than 6,000 acres around Dukes Creek, this is the perfect spot for fly fishing while enjoying fall color. Day visitors can picnic near the creek, and overnight guests can hike a private trail to Dukes Creek Falls. A 1.6-mile loop climbs to Laurel Ridge and provides a view of Mt. Yonah once most leaves are off the trees.

Smithgall Woods has some of the park system’s most sought-after cabins and is near wineries and Helen’s Oktoberfest.

Unicoi State Park & Lodge

Ziplines take you high above the forest canopy for a unique view of leaves near Helen. If you’re up for a steep hike, take the 4.8-mile Smith Creek Trail up to Anna Ruby Falls. Unicoi offers a lodge and restaurant.

Vogel State Park

Near Blairsville, the 4-mile Bear Hair Gap Trail makes a nice day trip for experienced hikers, offering a birds-eye view of the park’s lake. For an easier walk, follow the Lake Loop to a small waterfall below the dam. The twisting roads around Vogel, particularly Wolf Pen Gap Road, offer some of north Georgia’s prettiest fall scenery.

NORTH CAROLINA

Cashiers Valley Leaf Festival

At press time, the annual Cashiers Valley Leaf Festival at Village Green in downtown Cashiers was still on for Oct. 8-10. More than 100 Artisans, food, entertainment and more are staples of the event. Visit villagegreencashiersnc. com for more information.

Asheville

Enjoy dining, shops, visit the Biltmore Estate, take a ride on the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, or have a drink at one of the breweries or distilleries. The Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands is set for Oct. 14 and Oct. 17 in downtown. Visit romanticasheville.com for more information.

LEAF Festival

A short drive from Asheville, just below Mt. Mitchell and near Black Mountain, the music festival features African, Latin, Appalachian, Cajun, Celtic, Blues, Bluegrass, and more Oct. 14-17. Visit theleaf.org/the-festival for tickets and information.

Smoky Mountains Smithgall Woods

LEAF Festival

Moccasin Creek State Park

When In Rome

Picturesque city in the Appalachian foothills is perfect for a weekend getaway

By Collin Kelley

Built on seven hills at the confluence of the Etowah, Oostanaula, and Coosa rivers, Rome is a charming alternative for quick weekend getaway.

Around 90 minutes northwest of Atlanta, Rome is probably best known as a college town thanks to the presence of Berry College and Shorter University, but there’s also plenty of museums, historic sites, dining, shopping, and beautiful places to stroll along the river.

Where to Stay

Rome is mostly a chain hotel room town, so if that’s what you’re looking for, go for the two that put you right smack-dab in the middle of the action: Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham (wyndhamhotels.com) or Courtyard Marriott Riverwalk (marriott.com). At press time, rooms were going for around $135 per night. Both hotels are downtown, so all the restaurants, shopping, and places of interest are literally outside your door. There also both on the Oostanaula River, so see if you can book a room with a view.

The other option is Airbnb (Airbnb.com). There are a few places downtown, but you’ll likely be in the more residential

areas outside the city center. From lofts to charming cottages, there’s likely a home to suit you.

Where to Eat

Broad Street is Rome’s bustling main thoroughfare, and you’ll find plenty of delicious places to eat and shop (more on that in a minute). Harvest Moon Café (myharvestmooncafe.com) has giant burgers and tortilla chips with homemade pimento cheese dip, while La Scala (lascalaromega.com) offers up pasta, fresh seafood, and a good wine list.

Ana’s by the River (anasbytheriverrome. com) has rotolo, sandwiches, and salads or if you’re craving Mexican food, El Zarape (elzaraperome.com) has tacos, fajitas, and margaritas. For dessert, stop by City Creamery

(facebook.com/thecitycreamery) for some hand-scooped ice cream or frozen yogurt.

What to See

To get the lay of the land and a spectacular view of the rivers and downtown, go to historic Myrtle Hill Cemetery. Built in 1857, the terraced resting place’s most noted residents are former First Lady Ellen Axson Wilson, the wife of President Woodrow Wilson, and Private Charles Graves, a World War I veteran chosen as the “Known Soldier” to be buried alongside the “Unknown Soldier” at Arlington Cemetery in Washington. Graves’ mother objected, and he was brought home to Rome instead.

Another Rome landmark is the Clock Tower, which dates to 1872. There’s a museum inside that’s open the first Saturday of each month. If you want to climb to the top for another impressive view of Rome, it’s 109 steps to the top.

Walking and biking paths along the river are a great way to relax and check out the city. Be sure to cross the Robert Redden Footbridge, which was formerly a railroad bridge across Oostanaula River where it meets the Etowah to form the Coosa. There’s a touch of Paris on the bridge, as couples have attached locks to the railing to symbolize their love.

The Chieftains Museum is located in the home of Major Ridge, a leader of the

Cherokee tribe who was eventually assassinated for his role in ceding Indian land to the United States, which led to the infamous “Trail of Tears” – the forced removal of indigenous people to reservations.

The Town Green just off Broad connects to the riverfront and is often the spot for concerts, events, or just chilling with the free wi-fi.

Berry College has more than 80 miles of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails, and disc golf courses, all open to the public. The European style feel of the campus and its lovely ground are also perfect for a stroll. The campus has become a favorite movie location, with “Stranger Things,” “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Remember the Titans” are just some of the tv shows and films that have been shot there.

To find even more tourist spots, romegeorgia.org.

Where to Shop

Head back to Broad for some unique shopping, including a stop at Dogwood Books (dogwoodbooks.net), which has 20,000 used, rare, and new titles to choose from. Do Good Boutique (dogoodboutique.shopsettings. com) offers women’s apparel, accessories, jewelry, food items and home goods that are fair trade, use re-purposed or recycled materials, and support charities. Riverside Gourmet (riversidegourmet.com) is a charming shop full of kitchen necessities, gadgets, and wine, while Whistle Britches (facebook.com/ whistlebritchesrome) has women’s clothing, accessories and more.

Redden Footbridge

The view from Myrtle Hill Cemetery

Town Green

Harvest Moon Cafe

Hit the Slopes North Carolina ski resorts offer runs for experts and beginners

By Jacob Nguyen

If you want to strap on your snow skis but don’t want to travel to Colorado, Utah, or New England, jump in your car and head to North Carolina. The western part of the state has some great ski resorts that are not only affordable, but just a few hours away from Atlanta.

These resorts are prefect for families, beginners, and expert skiers and snowboarders of all ages. You’ll find death-defying vertical slopes or gentle hills for when you inevitably

fall. The slopes start opening in November with man-made snow before the real thing arrives and generally stay open until the beginning of March. Be sure to check the weather because warm spells can occasionally close the runs.

Appalachian Ski Mountain

The road that leads to Appalachian Ski Mountain climbs upwards through an unassuming neighborhood dotted with homes until you find yourself atop a mountain overlooking Boone, NC. The old-school style ski resort has two slopes for more seasoned

skiers and snowboarders, as well as two areas for beginners. It’s an especially good resort for kids and novices, and the gentle beginner slopes even have travelators to help get you back up the hill. If you don’t own any ski equipment or clothing, don’t worry: the ski shop in the lodge has everything you need for rent. There’s also a cafeteria serving up American family-style fare and a large outdoor deck to watch all the action on the slopes. Keep in mind that the Christmas and New Year’s holidays time are extremely busy. Visit appskimtn.com for reservations.

deck overlooking the slopes. And if you’re hungry after skiing, head to the nearby Pedalin’ Pig (thepedalinpig.com) for some of the best barbecue in the state.

Beech Mountain Ski Resort

If any ski snobs tell you that North Carolina doesn’t have steep or challenging slopes, then direct them to Beech Mountain. At 5,506 feet, Beech has the highest ski area in the eastern United States. There are 17 runs on 95 acres with eight lifts to get you to the top. There’s also an ice-skating rink and tubing park, plus a big Barvarian-style lodge with food and views. At the top of the mountain, another lodge offers drinks and snacks and amazing winter views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Visit beechmountainresort.com for reservations and information. If you’re a fan of “The Wizard of Oz,” Beech Mountain is also home to the old Land of Oz amusement park (landofoznc.com) based on the movie and books. While it’s been closed for decades, it still partially exists and opens to visitors for several weeks in the fall.

Wolf Ridge Ski Resort

Sugar Mountain Ski Resort

This resort boasts the largest ski area in the state and draws huge crowds. During last year’s break between Christmas and New Year’s, lift tickets were completely sold out, so be sure to make reservations early. Once inside the resort, you’ll find very steep slopes – including a 1,200-foot vertical drop – and gentle slopes for beginners and intermediates. There are 21 runs over 125 acres and high-speed lifts get you to the summits quickly and efficiently. If you don’t want to ski, be sure to check out the snowshoeing trails, tubing park, and iceskating rink. The lodge offers food and a large

Located just 40 minutes north of Asheville, Wolf Ridge is a small resort perfect for beginners and intermediate skiers. Experts might find it a little boring, but if you’re still learning, this is definitely one to visit. There are 14 runs and four lifts, with a vertical drop of 700 feet at the highest slope. The lodge at the base of the slopes offers food and great views. After a day on the slopes, you’re close enough to Asheville for a drive into the city for dinner, shopping, or checking out the famed Biltmore Estate (Biltmore.com). Visit skiwoolfridgenc.com for reservations and information.

Cataloochee Ski Area

Open for more than 50 years, this resort in Maggie Valley is the oldest in the state. Cataloochee has 18 runs and five lifts aimed at beginner and intermediate skiers and snowboarders. A rustic lodge at the base has a big deck and food service. Like Appalachian Ski Resort, it’s a steep drive to the top, so be prepared when snowy and icy weather sets in. Visit cataloochee.com for more information.

Jacob Nguyen at Appalachian Ski Mountain.

The slopes at Sugar Mountain Ski Resort.

Mountain Events

◄Oktoberfest in Helen

The 50th annual Oktoberfest continues daily throughout October with local businesses and restaurants serving up music, food, and plenty of beer. See the details, band schedule, where to stay, and more at gamountainguide. com.

▼Dollywood

Dolly Parton’s theme park in Pigeon Forge, TN is hosting its annual Harvest Fest events through Oct. 30 The rides, games, and entertainment are open during the day, before the park transforms for whimsical, eye-catching displays of lighted jack-o-lanterns and other harvest themed illuminations. Visit Dollywood. com for more details.

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Tennessee Valley Railroad

A perfect way to see the changing fall colors is by train, and the Tennessee Valley Railroad based in Chattanooga is running weekend trips all month long on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. There are several routes to choose from and there’s even a dinner option to enjoy a meal in the dining car. Visit tvrail.com for information, reservations, and to see COVID-19 safety information.

▲Wings Over North Georgia Air Show

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will headline this year’s air show, Oct. 30-31, at the Richard B. Russell Regional Airport in Rome, GA. The event will be held 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and will utilize a drive-in format offering spectators the perfect mix of social distancing while watching some of the top military and civilian aviation performers. Visit wingsovernorthgeorgia.com for more information.

Georgia Mountain Fall Festival

Head to the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds Oct. 8-16 for the festival, which will offer musical performances, arts & crafts, attractions, food and more. Visit georgiamountainfairgrounds.com to find out more and see the fairgrounds’ full schedule of events.

▲Fall at Biltmore

The famed Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC is the perfect place to check out the changing leaves, along with touring the mansion (including a special rooftop tour), winery, gardens, and more. Find out more at biltmore.com.

Nowhere else can you enjoy a true mountain lifestyle a stone’s throw from the charm and vibe of Georgia’s favorite mountain town, Blue Ridge Only at Old Toccoa Farm, behind the beautifully appointed Gate House, can you enjoy custom homes and residences of unparalleled quality and design alongside a magnificent mountain “links-style” golf experience. Here, People, Lifestyle & Design live together and nature stands center-stage Home of the 2021 Georgia State Golf Association Public Links Championship

Obtain the Property Report required by Federal Law and read it before signing anything. No Federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property. This is not intended to be an offer to sell nor as a solicitation of offers to buy property in Old Toccoa Farm by residents of any state where prior registration is required.

Photographic credit: Square Frame Media

Milling around Georgia’s historic grist mills

Travels with Charlie

Charles Seabrook

Veteran Georgia journalist Charles Seabrook has covered native wildlife and environmental issues for decades.

For “Travels with Charlie,” he visits and photographs communities throughout the state.

In scores of early Georgia towns and settlements, water-powered grist mills were vital to the communities’ well-being. The mills ground farmers’ corn and wheat into meal and flour — the basic foodstuffs of households — and often provided other needed services such as sawmilling and cotton ginning.

Thankfully, several local governments and organizations and private landowners in Georgia have given high priority to restoring and preserving old grist mills located within their bailiwicks. Saving the mills will help future generations understand how the structures played huge roles in the state’s history — before steam power, electricity and other technology replaced waterpower.

By my count, some 40 once-thriving mills driven by a waterwheel or a water turbine survive in the state in conditions ranging from intact to dilapidated. With their old dams, ponds, mill races, big waterwheels and other accoutrements alongside shady creeks and rivers, many of them have become some of Georgia’s most picturesque and photogenic attractions.

Several still stand along the same creeks where they originally were built. The scenic Loudermilk Mill in Habersham County, for one, still sits along Hazel Creek at the same spot where it was erected in the 1850s. Other old mills have been moved lock, stock and barrel — and waterwheel — to new locations, such as the historic grist mill that graces Stone Mountain Park in DeKalb County. It was built in 1869 along a creek in Fannin County in north Georgia, but was restored and moved to Stone Mountain in 1965.

As the historical marker for the Stone Mountain mill states: “A grist mill was a functional structure that served an entire community. The millstones inside the building ground whole, dried grain like corn or wheat. The resulting meal or flour was then ready for baking. Because of this

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1 | Starr’s Mill, Fayette County

2 | Healan’s Head Mill, Hall County

3 | Hurricane Shoals Park grist mill, Jackson County

4 | Sixes Mill (aka Gresham Mill), Cherokee County

5 | The Old Brick Mill, Floyd County

6 | Grist Mill at Hamburg State Park, Washington County

7 | Grist Mill equipment at Hamburg State Park, Washington County

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vital role the grist mill often became the center of a town and an important part of the economy. Is it any wonder that many Atlanta roads still bear their namesake: Akers Mill, Browns Mil, Henderson Mill, Howell Mill, Moores Mill…”

My bucket list includes visiting and photographing all of Georgia’s still-standing water mills to document their stories and serene beauty. For a handful of them, however, time is of the essence: They have been abandoned for so long that only a heroic restoration effort may save them.

Still, even the ruins of former mills (of which there are many in Georgia) may be worthy of admiration because of their own charm and rich history. Some mill remnants, such as the Sope Creek ruins in Cobb County, are on the National Register of Historic Places. The ruins are all that remain of a manufacturing complex that ran on the creek’s waterpower.

For the most part, visiting most of Georgia’s surviving grist mills is relatively easy. Many of them are in public parks or other publicly accessible places. And although some are on private property with “no trespassing” signs, they may be opened to the public on special occasions.

Exploring the Heart of Georgia Wine Country

Three wine visit Yonah Mountain Vineyards in part one of this series

and her Mercedes Sprinter. The Vino Van was established in 2017 as a way for Billie to bring her “friends in wine” safely to North Georgia wine country and share her love for wine. Growing up in Mississippi, Billie’s grandmother owned a small grocery that, in May 2016, her family worked to have added to the National Historic Registry. It was her family values that made her build a business immersed with something she loved. Billie studied wine at Vino Venue in Atlanta, Emory University, and Subvino in Nashville. She currently holds a WSET (Wine Spirit and Education Trust) Level 2 certification. Making unforgettable memories with friends and family over wine is the heart of The Vino Van.

Women + Wine

The Dahlonega / Lumpkin County area of Georgia is known as the “heart of Georgia wine country” and in 2018 became the AVA Dahlonega Plateau (an AVA, or American Viticultural Area, is a label given by the Alcohol and Tobacco Bureau to a specific area of land that is designated by a unique climate and geographic area).

The history of Georgia wine dates to colonial times and in 1880 the state was the sixth largest producer of wine with nearly 1 million gallons per year. The original vintners took indigenous varietals like Muscadine and Scuppernong and made sweet wines, while the newcomers experimented with traditional grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling,

Chardonnay and unique ones like Seyval Blanc and Tannat.

It wasn’t until the 1980’s that some of the first commercial wineries were established in North Georgia, like Habersham Winery in Helen and Chateau Elan in Braselton. Three Sisters Vineyards was the first within the

Dahlonaga AVA. Now, there are 101 wine making permits in Georgia.

We joined Billie Harris of The Vino Van on a recent Friday to travel north and visit three unique wineries that help tell the tale of Georgia wine. Our adventure began in front of VinoTeca where we met Billie, driver JT

The first stop was Yonah Mountain Vineyards (yonahmountainvineyards.com) in Cleveland, the 12th established winery in the area. We arrived and were welcomed by a huge, covered veranda perfect for enjoying their wine flights while taking in an exceptional view of the mountain landscape. Yonah, the Cherokee word for bear, also boasts a 5oo-seat event facility recently added for weddings and private events. The rooftop is covered with Tesla solar panels, which covers half of the electricity for the vineyards. They also boast an 11,000 square foot underground production area – including the only aging cave in the area – as well as a private tasting room. Founder Bob Miller and wife Jane retired to Florida after raising their children in Smyrna, but Jane wanted a farm, so they purchased 200 acres in Cleveland in 2005. It was a friend that suggested planting grapes on the land. They went to Napa and worked with growers and vintners as well as a consultant who walked them through what to plant and how. Their first vines, planted in 2008, arrived on a UPS truck. Now they produce 20 different wines in six vineyards, named after their daughter and five granddaughters.

A highlight of the visit was our opportunity to sit down with Bob, who explained that his “job is to walk around and talk to people.” He is a consummate storyteller. After playing the piano for us, he gave a tour of the facility including the caves, tasting room and event facility, all while

Katie Rice & Sarah Pierre Rice owns VinoTeca in Inman Park and Pierre owns 3 Parks Wine Shop in Glenwood Park.

From left, Billie Harris, Sarah Pierre, and Katie Rice tasting the wine at Yonah Mountain Vineyards.

Vineyard co-founder Bob Miller tickles the ivories.

pouring us samples from their catalogue of wines – each one with a different story.

Yonah Mountain employs an Australian winemaker named Tristin, and Bob gives him free reign to try and make the best wine in the Southeast. They use French Oak for aging and are experimenting with Hungarian oak and different yeasts for fermentation with bottles aged for at least a year.

As for their fruit, 60 percent of grapes came from their property and 40 percent are sourced from California, but they never blend the grapes. Many wineries found that it is cheaper to source grapes than to grow onsite because in Dahlonega there is a significant amount of rain (averages at 62 inches per year) which creates mildew and makes pruning a constant battle. They employ a ‘small army’ to constantly keep the vines in check. The hard work and attention to detail, while sparing no expense, shows in the quality of their traditional wines.

Insider Tip

Grab a sandwich from nearby Sheilah’s Village Market (sheilaahsvillagemarket. com) to enjoy with your tasting at Yonah. Her shop occupies the very first Yonah Mountain tasting room!

Wine Highlights

The first wine made at Yonah was Genesis named after the first book of the Bible. This is the highest selling wine at Yonah and is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petite Verdot. The wine is rich and opulent with plum, black raspberry and toasted caramel.

Part 2 of this trip to the North Georgia wineries will appear in our November issue.

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