City council approves ’21 street paving plan ► PAGE 5
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Bill Gates to headline online Book Festival By CATHY COBBS newsroom@appenmediagroup.com DUNWOODY, Ga. – The Marcus Jewish Community Center’s Book Festival has landed an international superstar to headline its virtual “In Your Living Room” winter edition –technologist, business leader and philanthropist Bill Gates. Gates will appear via Zoom on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. along with interviewer Kristen Welker, an NBC News chief correspondent, to discuss his new book, “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions we GATES have and the breakthroughs we need.” The $36 admission price includes a copy of Gates’ book, which will be shipped to ticket holders after the event by one of the MJCCA’s partners, A Cappella books. The event will be recorded for ticket holders who cannot attend the session live. MJCCA Book Director Pam Morton said festival organizers were honored to be chosen to be one of Gates’ limited appearance locations, which the Gates’ camp calls “town halls.” “To be able to book someone of his stature is very exciting,” Morton said. “He is such an amazing person and will be a great addition to the event.”
Gates has spent a decade investigating the causes and effects of climate change. With the help of experts in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, political science and finance, he has focused on the steps that must be taken to stop the “planet’s slide to certain environmental disaster.” The event is part of the National JCC Literary Consortium, which is made up of more than 80 Jewish Community Centers in North America. Advanced registration is required. Morton said upcoming events include actress Sharon Stone on April 1, who will be discussing her book, “The Beauty of Living Twice,” CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin on April 7 and the author of “Broken in the Best Way,” Jenny Lawson, on April 13. Other authors lined up for the winter session include: • Thursday, March 4 - Walter Isaacson, “The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race” - In conversation with Holly Firfer • Sunday, March 7 - Mark Gerson, “The Telling: How Judaism’s Essential Book Reveals the Meaning of Life” - In conversation with Rabbi Brian Glusman • Thursday, March 11 - Annabelle Gurwitch, “You’re Leaving When? Adventures in Downward Mobility” -
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The empty parking lot outside 211 Perimeter Center Parkway suggests business is nowhere near returning to normal in one of the state’s largest office districts.
Local survey suggests baby steps for employees’ return to offices By CATHY COBBS newsroom@appenmediagroup.com DUNWOODY, Ga. – The Dunwoody City Council heard an update from the Perimeter Center Improvement Districts indicating that most local corporations will be slow to return to in-person work. At the council’s Feb. 8 meeting, Johann Weber with the CIDs’ Perimeter Connects Program, said the organization contacted 120 employers, and 33, repre-
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senting about 24,000 workers, provided updates. Nearly half, about 44 percent reported that 5 percent or fewer employees were working onsite. Twelve companies reported that about a quarter of their workforce was on site. The average property occupancy was only 13 percent, according to the property managers in the Perimeter area.
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