Peachtree Corners Magazine - APRIL/MAY 2020

DOING GOOD

Solving World-Sized Problems over a Kitchen Table

INSIDE PEACHTREE CORNERS

PEACHTREE CORNERS APRIL/MAY 2020 ISSUE 8

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LIVINGINPEACHTREECORNERS.COM

MAILED TO EVERY HOUSEHOLD IN THE CITY!

Local Schools Continue Serving through Crisis with Digital Learning Also in this issue:

Peachtree Corners Places of Worship Hold Onto their Faith and Reach Out The Challenge Facing Businesses and Government during the COVID-19 Crisis Wesleyan Artist Market, 3 Artist Profiles

NORTH MANOR

WHAT IT TOOK TO BUILD A NEIGHBORHOOD PAGE 34

5 PLACES TO ORDER MEXICAN FOOD FOR TAKE-OUT/DELIVERY PAGE 40

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Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ April/May 2020 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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EXCELLENCE AT HEART

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April/May 2020 â– Peachtree Corners Magazine

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Peachtree Corners, we’re in this together Let’s all pledge to keep our community connected

All the things that make Peachtree Corners so special didn’t happen by chance – it took all of us And it will take all of us to weather this storm and recover.

Join Hargray Fiber in supporting local businesses, families, seniors, students, and organizations Buy gift cards from local businesses • Order delivery or takeout from local restaurants Contribute to organizations that provide food or services to those in need Thank an educator, a healthcare worker, a first responder • Write a positive review of a local store or restaurant • Order flowers from a local florist for someone who’s alone Connect virtually with someone who needs a smile • Spread kindness

Take care of each other

If your business needs help during this time, please contact us at 470.725.0847 hargray.com/business

A Message from the Figs During this time of crisis with the COVID-19 virus, we wanted to personally say that we hope you are all healthy, staying safe and trying to maintain a “new normal” lifestyle. Whether you are working from home, learning from home or getting stir crazy at home, we are all in it together.

The amazing kindnesses that people are exhibiting are more than admirable. These are just a few examples: local businesses are being so charitable to employees, Noble Fin giving away Focaccia dough and Taqueria del Mar charging whatever you can pay for a family meal; Simpson Elementary School holding a Simpson Staff Parade through Peachtree Corners neighborhoods; people on Next Door volunteering to run errands for the elderly or infirm — and also offering to share their toilet paper! And so much more. Virtual applause all around!

To all the healthcare workers, essential workers, first responders, police officers, a huge THANK YOU for your dedication, courage and hard work! We appreciate you beyond words.

We hope that this issue of Peachtree Corners Magazine will allow you a brief diversion and a moment of pleasure in reading about this wonderful city we live in. From our family to yours: Stay safe, stay optimistic, stay informed and stay in touch.

“For United We Stand, Divided We Fall...We’re In This Together”

Rita and Rico Figliolini

CONTENTS EVENTS

First Up

8

KNOWLEDGE

Local Schools Continue Serving through Crisis with Digital Learning

10

NHS Foundation Fundraiser Gala Continues Its Mission Digitally

16

MOVE

Pinckneyville Middle and other Schools See their Soccer Season Fade Away

18

Norcross Youth Baseball and Softball Association Suspends their Spring Season

20

BELIEVE

Peachtree Corners Places of Worship Hold Onto their Faith and Reach Out

22

DOING GOOD

Solving World Sized Problems over a Kitchen Table

24

More Homegrown Nonprofits

26

Neighborhood Cooperative Ministry

28

COMMUNITY

For Kids, By Kids

30

Photos: Simpson Staff Parade

33

SPACES

North Manor Community

10 Local Schools Continue Serving through Crisis with Digital Learning

34

BUSINESS

The Challenge Facing Businesses and Government during the COVID-19 Crisis

36

Local Company Receives State GLOBE Award

39

NOURISH

5 Places to Order Mexican Food in Peachtree Corners

40

This Year We Can View Artwork Online - Wesleyan Artist Market 2020 Canceled, 3 Artist Profiles

42

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

22 Worshiping online...

24 Doing Good

49

OFFICIAL CITY NEWS

Inside Peachtree Corners April/May 2020 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

5

PEACHTREECORNERS THE TEAM & CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE

EDITORIAL

EXECUTIVE EDITOR & PUBLISHER

RICO FIGLIOLINI CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

RICO FIGLIOLINI

KATHY DEAN

Rico Figliolini is a creative director and social media strategist, three-time magazine publisher and podcast host. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York and is a political junky, sci-fi and anime fan, and avid reader and movie binger.

Kathy Dean has been a writer and editor for over 20 years. Some of the publications she has contributed to are Atlanta Senior Life, Atlanta INtown, Transatlantic Journal and The Guide to Coweta and Fayette Counties.

Publisher & Executive Editor

KATHY DEAN EDITORIAL CONSULTANT

RITA FIGLIOLINI

Contributing Editor

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

PATRIZIA WINSPER

JULIE DAVIS julie@livinginpeachtreecorners.com

PEACHTREECORNERS

COCKTAIL DRINKS FOR MOST ANYTIME ■ REAL ESTATE SNAPSHOT

RITA FIGLIOLINI

Writer

INSIDE PEACHTREE CORNERS

Editorial Consultant

Patrizia hails from Toronto, Canada where she earned an Honors B.A. in French and Italian Studies at York University, and a B.Ed. at the University of Toronto. This trilingual former French teacher has called Georgia home since 1998. Catch her reporting about our vibrant city on the Peachtree Corners Network.

Rita Figliolini has lived in PTC for 23 years with her husband and life partner, Rico Figliolini.

Proud mom of 3 — Jason, Kinsey and Jack.

Former Managing Editor of the original Inside Gwinnett, she’s now Advisor to PTC Magazine.

Telling stories is in our blood!

WINTER ISSUE 2019 LIVINGINPEACHTREECORNERS.COM

IoT. 5G. AI. City as Living Lab

TOWN CENTER PREVIEW PULLOUT

INSIDE PEACHTREE CORNERS

PEACHTREECORNERS SPRING ISSUE 2019 LIVINGINPEACHTREECORNERS.COM

ISSUE 2 ■ FREE

sweets & treats

Intelligent vehicle test track brings the future, and the world, to Peachtree Corners

PEACHTREE CORNERS FESTIVAL

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INSIDE PEACHTREE CORNERS

LIVINGINPEACHTREECORNERS.COM

MAILED TO EVERY HOUSEHOLD IN THE CITY!

RETIREMENT LIVING SUMMER CAMPS

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PEACHTREE CORNERS PET RESCUE

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Local heroes come to animals’ rescue

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019 ISSUE 4

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LIVINGINPEACHTREECORNERS.COM

DONNA WILLIAMS LEWIS

Julie Davis is an accomplished sales rep with over 20 years of experience in the telecom industry. When not working or spending time with friends and family, Julie can be found melting glass, as she is an avid fused glass artist.

Donna Williams Lewis is a freelance journalist who covered metro Atlanta for decades as a writer and editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Account Executive

PEACHTREE CORNERS JUNE/JULY 2019 ISSUE 3

JULIE DAVIS

HOT! HOT! HOT!

Writer

There are many options for homebuyers in Peachtree Corners, but more are needed

MAILED TO EVERY HOUSEHOLD IN THE CITY!

LIGHTS, CAMERA

APRIL_2019_PeachtreeCorners_C.indd 1

4/1/2019 5:42:56 PM

ACTION! TECHNOLOGY IN OUR SCHOOLS

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PEACHTREE CORNERS SWIM MEET PETS & THEIR PEACHTREE CORNERS PEOPLE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 ISSUE 5

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LIVINGINPEACHTREECORNERS.COM

FITNESS & FRIENDSHIPS FOR THE WIN!

MAILED TO EVERY HOUSEHOLD IN THE CITY!

INSIDE PEACHTREE CORNERS

A Summer of Rivalries, Friendships & Family

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TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION

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VOICES OF FOOTBALL

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PAGE 33

ISSUE 6

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LIVINGINPEACHTREECORNERS.COM

BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA Preparing for Life Through Scouting

GWINNETT SWIM CHAMPS City Swim Teams Shine

MAILED TO EVERY HOUSEHOLD IN THE CITY!

SPACES: APARTMENT LIFE

20 UNDER 20

A Guide to 20 Locations in the City

REMI DELONG

Kelsey Asher is a proud graduate of the University of West Georgia with a Bachelor’s in Communications. She has held a variety of marketing leadership roles for several small, startup companies in a variety of industries including publishing, construction and technology.

Remi DeLong is a student at Norcross High School, aspiring to be a special education teacher in the future. In addition to her studies, she is a part of the yearbook staff and is a varsity cheerleader. Her main hobbies include photography and raising her two pet goldfish.

Writer

Photographer

GREAT SPACES FOR CORPORATE & HOLIDAY EVENTS PAGE 20

POSTAL CUSTOMER

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PHOTO GALLERY AND WINNERS OF OUR “PETS & THEIR PEOPLE” GIVEAWAY

IB Programme takes local schools DECEMBER to an international level 2019/JANUARY 2020

POSTAL CUSTOMER

Local groups help businesses come and grow

KELSEY ASHER

YMCA HONORS RESIDENT WITH NEW PLAYGROUND PAGE 44

MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY FOODS & DESSERTS PAGE 40

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PUBLISHED BY MIGHTY ROCKETS LLC. Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 678-358-7858 editor@livinginpeachtreecorners.com Peachtree Corners Magazine is published four times a year by Mighty Rockets LLC. Opinions expressed by the contributing writers and editors are not necessarily those of the publishers, editors or Peachtree Corners Magazine.

The publisher will not accept responsibility for submitted materials that are lost or stolen. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of this publication. However, the publisher cannot assume responsibility for errors or omissions. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission.

Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisement it seems unfit for publication or does not fit in our guidelines.

April/May 2020 issue Volume 2 Number 8 ©2020 Peachtree Corners Magazine

KRIS BIRD

ANNIE FOGLE

Kris Bird is an Atlanta-based freelance writer who specializes in Marketing and Communications. After earning her degree from Stony Brook University, Kris has been working as a science fiction and fantasy novelist for the past decade.

Annie Fogle is a junior at Norcross High School and copy editor for the school’s yearbook. Her interests include traveling, non-fiction books and spending time with friends and family.

She would describe herself as a dog lover and Jeopardy enthusiast.

Writer

Writer

FAMILY OF PODCASTS |

Capitalist Sage, Peachtree Corners Life, Prime Luncheon with the City Manager, The ED Hour

KARL BARHAM

ALAN KAPLAN

Karl Barham’s company, Transworld Business Advisors, specializes in M&A and business valuations. For fun, Karl and his family can be found enjoying the family amenities around Peachtree Corners.

Alan Kaplan is a Realtor with Atlanta Fine Homes, Sotheby’s International Realty and a Peachtree Corners resident for 18 years. He is married with two young boys who are working actors and students at Peachtree Elementary School.

Co-Host on the CAPITALIST SAGE

Co-Host on the ED HOUR

The editors welcome submissions, event listings, achievements and photography. Please direct them to editor@ livinginpeachtreecorners.com.

This publication is privately owned and managed.

6

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ April/May 2020 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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Now may the LORD OF PEACE himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

THE LORD BE WITH ALL OF YOU. 2 Thessalonians 3:16

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7

FIRST UP

Events, Programs & Fun Things to Do

Success

THE LIFE CYCLE OF YOUR BUSINESS

Doubt & Uncertainty

Reinvent

A B Launch

Growth

Decline

Some events have gone to a digital format. For example, the Norcross High School Foundation for Excellence Gala has moved online, and the Wesleyan Artist Market encourages everyone to go to their website to view the artists’ work and support them.

Events

Uncertainty is the essence of business and it fuels opportunity.

Even if you haven’t considered selling your business recently, our brokers can begin positioning your business now for a smooth sale later. Schedule a complimentary consult with one of experienced business advisors to help you understand your business value and attractiveness.

Many events had been planned in Peachtree Corners through April and May, but with the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping across the U.S., most have been cancelled or postponed. Plans are changing daily, so it’s best to check directly with the event organizers or venues, via phone or website.

Here’s a list of sites and/or phone numbers so you can keep up to date with the latest information.

Time

At Transworld Business Advisors, we’re experts at pairing buyers with sellers of businesses even in times of uncertainty.

With a bank of qualified buyers looking for a business just like yours and the experience that having structured thousands of sales brings, we can get the maximum value for your company quickly and without the hassle of doing it yourself.

April & May Events on Hold or Online

NHS Foundation for Excellence bit.ly/NHSGives Wesleyan Artist Market artistmarket.wesleyanschool.org.

Government and Civic City of Peachtree Corners 678-691-1200, peachtreecornersga.gov Gwinnett County Public Schools 678-301-6000, gwinnett.k12.ga.us ANN BARHAM

Peachtree Corners Library Branch 770-978-5154, gwinnettpl.org Peachtree Corners Town Green peachtreecornersga.gov

KARL BARHAM

FREE SKIN CANCER SCREENING FRIDAY, JUNE 5TH 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM Cole Dermatology & Aesthetic Center

kbarham@tworld.com

Website: www.tworld.com/atlantapeachtree Facebook: @TransworldBusinessAdvisorsAtlantaPeachtree Twitter: @TBAAtlantaPeach

8

Recreation Autrey Mill Nature Preserve & Heritage Center 678-366-3511, autreymill.org Gwinnett County Parks Pinckneyville Park Community Recreation Center 678-277-0920, gwinnettcounty.com Robert D. Fowler Family YMCA 770-246-9622, ymcaatlanta.org/ ymca-locations/norcross West Gwinnett Park Aquatic Center 678-407-8801, gwinnettcounty.com

Theatres Cornerstone Christian Academy 770-441-9222, cornerstonecougars.org Duluth Wildcat Theatre 770-476-5206. duluththeatre.weebly.com Greater Atlanta Christian School Clifton Jones Theatre 770-243-2000, greateratlantachristian.org Lionheart Theatre Company 678-938-8518, lionhearttheatre.org Norcross High School Auditorium 770-447-2667, nhs-drama.com Wesleyan School Powell Theatre 770-448-7640, wesleyanschool.org

Business Curiosity Lab 470-550-1727, curiositylabptc.com

Transworld Business Advisors — Experts in business sales and acquisitions.

770-766-9855

United Peachtree Corners Civic Organization upcca.org

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ April/May 2020 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

3225 Holcomb Bridge Road Peachtree Corners, GA Call ahead 678-417-6900 Kendra A.Cole M.D. Double Board Certified Dermatologist

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Peachtree Corners Business Association 678-969-3385, peachtreecornersba.com Southwest Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce 678-906-4078, southwestgwinnettchamber.com

Important Dates

April Fool’s Day — April 1 Palm Sunday — April 5 Passover — April 8-16 Good Friday — April 10 Easter — April 12 Earth Day — April 22 Cinco de Mayo — May 5 Mother’s Day — May 10 Memorial Day — May 25

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April/May 2020 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

9

KNOWLEDGE

Education & Experiences

Local Schools Continue Serving through Crisis with Digital Le

I

n an effort to stall the spread of COVID-19, most businesses and organizations have closed temporarily or curtailed their activities in some way.

Many have found innovative ways to adapt and meet the needs of clients.

Few people would argue that schools across the nation — including Peachtree Corners area schools — have made the necessary changes quickly and efficiently. With short notice, they moved from classroom to digital learning.

Teachers are connecting online with their students while offering support to the parents working from home.

Administrators and school support staff are making sure that teachers, pupils and parents get everything they need, and providing free, nutritious meals for students who need them.

Local schools, public and private, have found ways to keep students learning, families involved and everyone connected so they can weather the storm together.

By Kathy Dean

10

Paul Duke STEM High School

Above, Career and Technical Education teacher Mr. Brooke Skelton practices social distances from his home office while helping Paul Duke STEM High School students complete their video projects. (Photo courtesy of Brooke Skelton) Left, French teacher Ms. Lauren Whaley uses Flipgrid to talk to students about their favorite French songs. Paul Duke STEM Highs School French students are participating in “Manie Musicale,” a national competition similar to March Madness.

French students throughout the U.S. are participating. They listen to French music, create brackets of which songs they think will win and then vote daily. (Photo courtesy of Lauren Whaley.)

Dr. Jonathon Wetherington, principal at Paul Duke STEM High School, explained that the teachers and staff are always prepared for Digital Learning Days as an emergency possibility. “As the COVID-19 concerns increased, we gradually began to ramp up our readiness the week prior to school moving to digital learning,” he said. “Given our regular digital learning on Fridays, we were well prepared for this experience, and I think we are getting better every day that goes by.”

He reported that the digital learning is going well. The students and teachers are highly engaged, he said, and students are

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ April/May 2020 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

checking in and continuing their learning every day. “We appreciate our parents pitching in and helping our students on a daily basis because we cannot be there for them like we are used to.”

Dr. Wetherington admitted that some students were reluctant to complete their assignments, so teachers and staff call to check on those individuals.

“Also, our students are struggling — just like many of us — with the realities of our current situation, and we are reaching out more and more with phone calls and conference calls to provide some routine normalcy and support,” he said. “Our teachers love our students, and many of our stu-

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dents are worried about their future.”

For one of the weekly advisement lessons in March, the Gwinnett Student Leadership Team focused on helping the students learn how to handle their stress better. “Our students and teachers are truly amazing!” Dr. Wetherington said.

It’s just one example of the many Paul Duke STEM success stories. Another is the French teachers who were able to connect with their students to share musical moments with French songs. “I think our biggest successes are when we are able to connect with our students directly through a phone call or video

peachtreecornerslife

g earning

lesson,” he said. “These human moments help sustain our digital efforts, and they remind our teachers and students that we teach students, not subjects.”

Schools belong to the communities they serve, Dr. Wetherington noted, and “at times like this, it is wonderful to lead such a caring and passionate group of teachers committed to our students’ success.” He added that he truly appreciates all the support that the parents and students have shown, as well.

“I say to the students often that ‘We are learning together to lead tomorrow,’” he continued.

“I just never knew that tomorrow would come so soon, so I am grateful for how we are all learning together each and every day.” ■

Cornerstone Christian Academy “Cornerstone families: for those of you who have been around Cornerstone for a little while, you know me well enough to know that I desire to keep our doors open if at all possible. While digital learning is worthwhile, we all know it cannot replace face-toface interaction.” This is how the first communication regarding the Coronavirus situation to the Cornerstone Christian Academy community began.

After rolling out digital learning plans, Headmaster Colin Creel closed with this: “I am so grateful for all of our staff and their willingness to do whatever is necessary to ensure that the integrity of our students’ education is not compromised. In addition, thank you to our parent community for supporting our efforts to achieve this goal. We are blessed beyond measure. Onward and upward!”

Under the leadership of school principals, Cornerstone implemented digital learning protocols

on March 16. Parents were asked to pick up textbooks, journals, binders and other resources from the school.

Chromebooks were made available to students. Teaching teams collaborated to devise the best plan for close to 400 students in Kindergarten through Eighth Grade.

During the Coronavirus quarantine, students continue to check for uploaded assignment documents which include links to video and textbook resources, as well as online assessments. Middle School teachers are hosting live Zoom classes on a set schedule each morning and recording those classes for any student unable to attend.

Lower School teachers assign work through a nightly email to parents. Plans include detailed

instructions for the students as well as links to several online resources including videos and activities.

Teachers are also keeping it personal with sweet daily welcome videos encouraging their students to have a great day.

There are many opportunities for the teachers to assess their students’ work and provide support when it is needed.

In addition to daily required assignments, enrichment lessons and activities are provided. Physical Education (PE) videos keep the students active and have even included a fun video unit on juggling. The fine arts department is utilizing FaceTime to provide live piano and voice lessons.

In an effort to keep families connected, Cornerstone posts daily family challenges, jokes of the day submitted by students and

Clockwise from top: First Grade teacher Maria Dausch online with her students.

The Rawlings family participated in Family Sports Day, held on March 27.

The Flook children, Brooklyn, 2nd grade, and Sayla, Kindergarten with their dolls. Sayla is raising her hand to speak during a ZOOM class.

(Photos courtesy of Cornerstone Christian Academy)

dinner table topics on our digital learning parent resources page.

Families especially have enjoyed submitting their video answers to the school’s Family Feud game.

Everyone gathers, online, on Friday mornings to worship God together in Chapel; it’s a favorite part of each week for families.

Since they aren’t able to inter-

continued on page 13

April/May 2020 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

11

Violin Camp 2020!

June 15-28th

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Lunch is provided for day campers

Weekly field trips Sign up today: www.greateratlantachristian.org/summer-camp Questions? Email summercamp@greateratlantachristian.org or call 770.243.2275

Do you have a child interested in learning violin or who wants to continue playing?

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Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ April/May 2020 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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continued from page 11 act with the school community, non-teaching staff members have formed a Care Team, praying for families, writing notes of encouragement and making phone calls to see how to serve families.

A parent recently sent this note to Cornerstone: “Through our nine years at Cornerstone, we have been reminded again and again of something that was said to us by a parent when we first toured the school: “Cornerstone is like an extension of our family.”

Never has that been truer than it is now. In this time of adversity, we are all sharing the same fears, uncertainty, challenges and disappointments, but we are facing them together offering each other the same encouragement, hope, faith and love that a family does during difficult times.” ■

Norcross High School Principal William Bishop of Norcross High School said that NHS students and teachers have done an outstanding job moving over to learning and teaching digitally. This isn’t surprising, since the teachers have been growing their skills in using digital tools to teach students over many years.

“Our Norcross High School Foundation for Excellence has assisted the work in using digital tools by increasing the amount of technology that our students and teachers have access to at school,” he explained. “In the last few years, when we have been out of school for weather reasons, we have had Digital Learning Days, so this is not new to us.”

Still, Bishop added, learning digitally over a longer period of time is an adjustment for everyone. “In the past, if we are out of school two or three days, test dates or learning certain skills might be delayed until students returned to school,” he said. “As we look at the possibility of students learning digitally over a longer period of time, we have had to make a few adjustments in how we teach and how we assess student learning.”

One challenge the school faced was a handful of students

who were not participating in some of the classes. The teachers and other staff members reached out to them and their families, and “we have made great progress in the participation of our students,” Bishop reported.

That kind of focus on success is nothing new, he stressed, since NHS teachers and students are constantly making adjustments to ensure students are learning, whether in a classroom or online.

Digital Learning Days also brought an opportunity for some students to catch up on their classes. “Early in the semester, we had a few students who were behind in their work and needed to get caught up on their learning,” Bishop said. “With the support of their teachers, many of these students have not only learned new material online, they also caught up on the knowledge and skills they were missing before digital learning began.

“Our society values people who have knowledge and skills,” he continued. “It is key that our students continue to learn and grow whether it is in a traditional classroom or learning digitally.” ■

Greater Atlanta Christian School When the school year went to digital learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Greater Atlanta Christian School (GAC) had a ready solution and pivoted to its online learning platform.

Launched two years ago, GAC’s online Ethos School has been adapted to support the current need for digital learning for the school’s 1,600+ student body.

“Based on research and the demand for digital skills in the workplace, education systems are moving toward more online options,” said Director of Academics Dr. Betty Morris.

“Top tier colleges are leading the trend by offering higher educational degrees via an online platform.”

GAC was already educating more than 200 students across the globe through its Ethos School program before the

current health crisis.

Therefore, “our administration and highly-qualified teachers fully understood the online learning setting and were prepared to quickly transition the GAC educational experience into an online learning environment,” said High School Bible teacher Derek Wilson.

With modalities adapted to the age and needs of the students, GAC teachers are ensuring that learning continues and and that students and families feel supported during this challenging time. The response from parents and students has been overwhelmingly positive, for both the way in which GAC has supported students and families emotionally and also for the way in which students are adapting to the new learning environment.

With daily videos going out from its president, Dr. Scott Harsh, and frequent, uplifting messages going out through

Top, The Dixon family of Peachtree Corners has five students at Greater Atlanta Christian School, all participating in digital learning this spring.

Above, GAC eighth grader Zoe Schlueter meets with her class digitally.

(Photos courtesy of Greater Atlanta Christian School)

email and social media, GAC is making the most of the situation.

“Maybe the biggest difference-maker so far that I see is the tone of normalcy and excitement GAC has created for the kids during this time of online learning,” said parent Sandra Onal.

GAC students continue with their regular school day, with interactive instruction given in every class period. Teachers are using digital tools to fully engage students during class and are available to help before and after

continued on page 14

April/May 2020 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

13

continued from page 13 school as well.

Teachers are also finding creative ways to make class time fun and engaging. One teacher, Joann Waldrop, asked all of her students to bring their pets to class. Students are also scheduling lunch via Zoom together. The opportunities for connection are endless.

“There are many valuable lessons in all of this,” said Dr. Harsh. “Students are learning to adapt and make the most of the challenging circumstances.

Even when so much has come to a halt, our students are continuing to learn, connect, laugh and grow, even though school looks different. An essential element for personal growth is adapting to change and learning resilience and I’m so very proud of the way our students are responding.” ■

Wesleyan School

tance learning upon return from the break, and to train teachers.

During the break, the division principals, associate head of school, technology team and other administrators worked to prepare, and students began distance learning from home on March 25.

“While this certainly is an adjustment for everyone – students, parents and teachers – things seem to be going well,” said Wesleyan Associate Head of School Ramona Blankenship. “Our principals created a distance learning plan that started out gradually in terms of pace and workload.

They did this intentionally to lay a strong foundation and to give families as much bandwidth as possible to adjust to this new normal of students and parents working from home together.”

Blankenship said that, overwhelmingly, the feedback has been positive as parents are sorting out how to oversee school-

Wesleyan School students, left to right, Anslee and Jamarcus Davidson enjoy working at their own pace with distance learning.

Photo courtesy of Wesleyan School

Wesleyan School was scheduled to begin Spring Break at noon on Friday, March 13. As the global and national reality evolved that week, the administration and academic leadership had approximately 48 hours before Spring Break to craft a plan, notify families of the shift to dis-

14

work from home while many are working remotely themselves.

Bethany Davidson, mother to Jamarcus, 12th grade, and Anslee, 9th grade, as well as two Wesleyan graduates, said she thinks the school did an exceptional job rolling out the distance learn-

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ April/May 2020 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

ing model. “As a parent, I’m very grateful for all the hard work our administrators and faculty have done to help things go as smoothly as possible. It’s fun to be able to do things together that we don’t normally get to do, like have lunch on the porch.”

Davidson added that the family has decided that they enjoy this form of learning — with the exception of the social aspect.

“That’s the hardest part — being disconnected from our Wesleyan community which is so very important to us!”

According to Wesleyan Lower School Dean of Counseling and Student Services Nancy Jones, one of the big challenges everyone is facing — not just schools or students — is managing emotional health during this time.

“We believe that as a school, we are not just responsible for the academic well-being of our students, but also for their social and emotional well-being,” Jones said.

“To that end, we are working hard to provide resources to families to support them as they navigate this unprecedented time.”

Counselors in each division — lower, middle and high school — have curated articles for parents on how to talk to their children about the pandemic and provided links to activities and resources for student use.

“Middle and high school have started a Weekly Wellness Guide that is sent directly to students each week,” Jones continued.

“This includes a suggested daily schedule of activities students can do to clear their minds, relieve anxiety and stay healthy during this time of uncertainty. We are using Wesleyan’s digital platforms to provide check ins with students, and to provide light-hearted video moments for our whole Wesleyan community!”

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Ninth grade student Anslee Davidson said that she’s enjoying the freedom to work at her own pace. “I finished before lunch today and then was able to work on my music and then enjoy some time out on the lake,” she said.

“The biggest negative is not being with my friends and my teachers.

I miss them all so much.” ■

GCPS Delivers Education and Nutrition to Students As of March 16, Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) has shifted to digital learning in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

According to the GCPS website, “students and classroom teachers continue teaching and learning at home through Digital Learning Days.”

Teachers post assignments on their eCLASS C&I course pages during Digital Learning Days.

Students use the MyeCLASS student portal to log in to their course pages where they access assignments, resources and other materials.

If a student does not have access to a computer or device, teachers can provide alternative ways to access assignments, such as email. Teachers may also support student learning through other means, including phone calls, discussion boards or online conference tools.

An important factor of successfully switching to Digital Learning Days is making sure students stay healthy by supplying meals to students. Many GCPS schools are providing lunch for pick up, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., for anyone 18 years of age or younger.

These lunches are provided at no cost to the individual through the federal School Nutrition Program. The student or child must be present to receive the meal; a child does not have to be a student at the school site to

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April/May 2020 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

15

continued from page 14 receive a meal.

Through the week of March 16-20, there were 138,371 meals provided to students: 23,004 at 68 school pick-up sites and 115,367 at bus stops.

“The number of students participating has grown since the first few Digital Learning Days. Our school nutrition and transportation teams have done a wonderful job continuing to make and deliver meals to our students,” said Norcross High School Principal William Bishop.

Schools in Peachtree Corners where meals are available include Berkeley Lake Elementary School, Peachtree Elementary School, Stripling Elementary School, Duluth Middle School, Pinckneyville Middle School, Summerour Middle School, Duluth High School, Norcross High School and Paul Duke STEM High School.

That’s not all. School buses deliver meals at bus stops in select clusters — Berkmar, Central Gwinnett, Discovery, Meadowcreek, Norcross, Shiloh and South Gwinnett — and for several schools, including Berkeley Lake Elementary School. The buses make stops at their regular bus stops between 11 a.m. and noon.

To get a meal, the child must be at the stop when the bus arrives.

“In GCPS, we talk about the

two types of employees who serve our community — those who teach and those who support those who teach,” the GCPS website says. “We are so proud of the hard work that both types of employees have done and will do in coming weeks to ensure that learning continues for Gwinnett schoolchildren, and that lunches are provided to children who need them.”

For the latest information on student meals and GCPS Digital Learning Days during the Coronavirus crisis, visit the GCPS website, gcpsk12.org. ■

The school nutrition staff at Peachtree Elementary School puts together meals for pick up. At one of the meal pick-ups in March, bags of school supplies were included with the meals. Photo courtesy of GCPS

NHS Foundation Fundraiser Gala Continues Its Mission Digitally Not only have classes shifted to a digital format this spring, so has the Norcross High School Foundation for Excellence Gala.

Typically, the Foundation’s spring fundraiser is held in May, drawing about 450 people to Atlanta Tech Park to participate in a live auction and honor the Hall of Fame inductees.

This year, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Foundation for Excellence is putting the safety of the community first. “We’ll still recognize and celebrate the Hall of Fame inductees,” said Carrie DeLong, co-President of the NHS Foundation for Excellence, “but we’ll do that at some point in the future, whether at the Fall Appreciation event or the next

16

gala.” This year’s Hall of Fame inductees are Stephanie & Tye Hanna, Dave Huffman and Jesse McMillan.

DeLong stressed, however, that the gala is not cancelled, just “modified according to social distancing recommendations.”

While the in-person get-together has been put on hold, everyone is invited to purchase Teacher “Wish Bricks” for items that teachers have requested for their classrooms, clubs and sports.

“We utilize a cloud-based auction software which allows for mobile bidding,” DeLong explained. “Historically, we open the online auction about two weeks prior to the gala. This year, in lieu of an in-person gala, we’ll proceed

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ April/May 2020 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

with an online event.”

The fundraiser is open to everyone in the community April 1 through May 1. The wish bricks will be available for sale, at prices ranging from $40 to $700, along with silent auction items that include restaurant gift cards and a vacation home.

Last year, 306 bricks brought in $51,000 of the $159,000 raised at the gala. This year, there are 344 bricks available — 185 academic, 93 athletic and 66 fine arts — with a value of $73,631.

Purchasing bricks will help the NHS Foundation for Excellence achieve their mission “to ensure the success of all students at Norcross High School by building community support and by raispeachtreecornerslife

peachtreecornerslife

ing funds to cultivate excellence in academics, arts and athletics.”

DeLong and co-president Sandy Greenstein are working on plans that will make the online fundraiser interactive and fun. “Together we can still make a difference for students and faculty at Norcross,” DeLong said.

“Thank you for your support and stay tuned for more information!”

NHS Foundation for Excellence invites you to follow them on Facebook, facebook.com/ Nhsfoundation, and Instagram, nhsfoundation. Visit their website norcrosshighfoundation. org/Gala to find out more about participating in the gala. ■

peachtreecornerslife

Wesleyan Senior Receives Jefferson Scholarship

Two Wesleyan Seniors Receive Scholarship Honors

Wesleyan School senior Andy Yang has been chosen as a Jefferson Scholarship recipient at the University of Virginia. The program covers the full cost of attendance for four years of undergraduate studies at the University of Virginia, including a stipend for housing, books and supplies, and unique enrichment program, including foreign travel, networking, and mentoring programs. The total value of the scholarship and stipend exceeds $340,000.

Andy, son of Allen and Meilin Yang, is president of the Wesleyan Honor Council, captain of Wesleyan’s math and science bowl teams and a four-year

Wesleyan seniors Lindsey Mains and Andy Yang have been awarded the prestigious Stamps President’s Scholarship at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Not only does the top-level scholarship cover the full cost of attendance, including tuition, housing, books and supplies, but it carries additional benefits including priority housing, a stipend toward international academic experiences and unique mentoring opportunities.

member of the cross-country and soccer teams. Outside of Wesleyan, Andy was named to the American Math Competition’s Distinguished Honor Roll and he helped lead his Georgia chapter of the American Regions Mathematics League to a Division B victory in 2019.

“Not only is Andy incredibly gifted in the classroom and a member of multiple honor societies, but he also contributes to the Wesleyan community in countless ways — all while being uniquely kind and humble in his interaction with his peers,” said Ken Connor, Director of College Advising at n School. ■

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MOVE

Sports & Recreation

Pinckneyville Middle and Other Schools See their Soccer Season Fade Away

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he field had never looked greener for the bright-faced squads of Pinckneyville Middle School Soccer at the 2019-2020 school year’s start, but Gwinnett County Public School (GCPS) closures amidst the Coronavirus pandemic have left parents and students wondering if their season will reconvene.

According to Pinckneyville Middle School Soccer Coach Sara Sanders, Pinckneyville Middle School tryouts commenced in mid-October in preparation for the Middle School Soccer tournament that normally takes place in March, but it has since been postponed.

Pinckneyville Middle School Soccer functions as a popular club sport, with one Boys and one Girls team spanning grades sixth through eighth. Because of the classification as a club instead of an official Middle School sport, Sanders and her team must work creatively to equip their players with everything they need.

Each year Sanders contacts other coaches to get Pinckneyville Middle School Soccer uniforms made, though this does mean that each child keeps their uniform at the end of the season. From scheduling to transportation and everything in between, no small detail can be overlooked. Sanders credits Sonia Lee, Sandra Goring and Gene Rouille with keeping her sane and on track.

Pinckneyville MS Soccer Club background

The soccer club at Pinckneyville Middle School kicked off

By Kelsey Asher

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The Pinckneyville Middle School Soccer Girl’s team fight for the ball during an intense practice.

The players on the Pinckneyville Middle School Soccer team do their part to support the game by helping set up their goal.

five years ago with Sanders at the helm, starting with eighth grade boys then expanding to all grades, eventually adding a Girls team as interest grew.

Typically, both teams have set separate practices, but they often practice together as well. This gives players the chance to hone their skills and interact with fellow students who they might not otherwise have the chance to. Both teams are currently in the top five teams of their respective leagues, with the girls ranked first and the boys ranked third.

Sanders has had the opportunity to watch former Pinckneyville Middle School Soccer players go on to play as Norcross High School seniors, bringing everything full circle. In order to further that legacy, Sanders has made efforts to keep the players in game shape should the season pick up again soon.

“We have been doing virtual practices to stay sharp. I send the kids two practice sessions that they complete during the week and then record myself the other three days of the week

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ April/May 2020 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

for them to practice simple foot skills and moves to help keep them technically and tactically sound,” said Sanders.

She added that though parents and students are disappointed with the interruption in their season, the soccer club tries to stay positive through this difficult time. Pinckneyville Middle School soccer falls under the jurisdiction of GCPS and must abide by all extracurricular protocols handed down by Gwinnett County.

In the soccer community, the new suggested end-of-game procedure asks for touching of elbows or fist bumps instead of the customary handshake. It is unclear if more rules will change peachtreecornerslife

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in response to the Coronavirus outbreak.

Pinckneyville Middle School Soccer anticipates reinstatement by GCPS along with all other extracurriculars on hold.

Other school soccer programs in Gwinnett County face similar questions and challenges.

Cornerstone Christian Academy

The nearby Cornerstone Christian Academy has faced similar challenges and setbacks, but the staff continues to celebrate past successes and remains hopeful for the future.

Cornerstone Athletic Director Chuck Faust had much to say in support of the growing soccer peachtreecornerslife

program. “The soccer program has come a long way in the last five years. We have quite a few soccer players who play on elite teams outside of our school, but the sense of camaraderie that our community provides has the players desiring to play at Cornerstone as well,” he said.

Austin McDonald heads up the boy’s program, while Chip Marsten and Helen West lead the girl’s program. According to Faust, the school itself has grown at a quick pace, and therefore the talent pool for soccer and other sports has expanded.

The sportsman-like atmosphere provided to Cornerstone Cougars helps to foster school pride, and sport successes seem to also boost admissions for parents searching for strong sports programs to augment their students’ private school education.

“The players have a sense of

stone Christian Academy as well when the schools shut down in response to Coronavirus. Both boys and girls teams had already played about four matches, with the boys undefeated as well as achieving some big wins against large school rivals.

Play has been suspended along with school closure, but the season has not yet officially been postponed, according to Faust. Like many other schools in Gwinnett County and beyond, Cornerstone Christian Academy is monitoring how the current health situation develops and will utilize all information available to plan any protocols that may protect student athletes going forward.

Below, Cornerstone Christian Academy and Wesleyan School face off earlier in the school year in a flurry of grass and dirt.

Bottom left, a Wesleyan Soccer player takes her shot in an early season game.

Greater Atlanta Christian School

Some highly competitive schools, such as Greater Atlanta very positive start to our season and would very much like to continue. Saying that, obviously we are mindful of the much bigger picture going on in the world and we fully stand by the decisions of our school and others in the decision-making process,” he said.

When asked about how the current health crisis might influence the future of the game, Jacquet remarked that “the world will be in a different place when we are done, and some additional safeguards may be put in place either by us or mandated by health officials. Everything we do will be under review as we pick things back up.”

Wesleyan School pride when they compete for the school. We love feeling like an underdog when competing against the big schools. This passion is contagious for the parents and fans on the sideline,” said Coach McDonald.

Regarding the benefits of the Girls program, Coach West had this to say. “Cornerstone soccer is a place where our girls can have fun, play with their friends and represent our school. For many of our players, the team is less stressful than their club programs. This brings a different kind of joy to their game,” she said.

The soccer season had already kicked off for Corner-

Christian School (GAC), have a significant number of student athletes in many sports eager to play once it is deemed safe.

Greater Atlanta Christian School, a private school located in Norcross, fills its rosters with student soccer athletes from sixth grade to high school level.

Their trophy case looks rather full, with five state championships and 15 regional championships, among other accolades.

Thom Jacquet has served as Varsity Soccer Head Coach at Greater Atlanta Christian School for 29 years, with two sons and a daughter that have worn GAC Spartan Soccer jerseys at one time or another. “We have had a

Similarly, Wesleyan School’s varsity teams were roughly halfway through their season when the school suspended play due to the Coronavirus. The varsity boys had played eight games before suspension was called prior to Wesleyan’s spring break.

Wesleyan CFO and Head Coach of Varsity Boys Soccer Billy Coxhead had much to say about the success of Wesleyan Soccer and its access to student participation. In the past six years, the varsity boys soccer team has been state champion twice and a state runner-up once, among other achievements. But despite its competitive nature, Wesleyan Soccer

accepts the majority of students that tryout.

“At Wesleyan, most players can find a place to play on one of our teams. However, we play public schools every year before we play our Region schedule.

Our varsity teams are competitive with the public schools even though we do not have the depth of players that public schools have,” said Coxhead.

This ability to allow as many students to play as possible allows coaches to have yet another outlet to instill “life lessons more than remembering win-lose records”, according to Coxhead.

“Soccer is vital to our school because we believe that athletics further the overall mission of Wesleyan,” said Assistant Coach of Varsity Girls Soccer, Glen Archer.

But of course, the more names on the rosters simply means more kids waiting to see when they can return to the field.

The student athletes at Pinckneyville Middle School, Cornerstone Christian Academy, Greater Atlanta Christian School and Wesleyan School come from diverse backgrounds across the Gwinnet County community, but they all share a love for the game of soccer. It remains to be seen if these schools will finish their seasons, but of course the health and safety of the players proves top priority. ■

April/May 2020 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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Norcross Youth Baseball and Softball Association Suspends their Spring Season Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic Two Pinckneyville Park Baseball teams congratulate each other on a good game.

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o many kids enrolled in Pinckneyville Park Baseball, the program is not merely a sport but a way of life. They come home from school, throw on their team gear, grab their gym bag and hop in the car to go practice or play a game.

But all that activity slid to a halt on March 17 when the Norcross Youth Baseball and Softball Association (NYBSA) suspended all games and practices at Pinckneyville Park and Collins Field to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. Gwinnett County followed suit on March 22, closing its parks except for trails and open areas provided visitors adopt social distancing. The NYBSA has scheduled a meeting of its board of directors on April 5 to determine next steps regarding

By Kelsey Asher

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this year’s season schedule. In the meantime, practicing on any of the seven baseball and softball fields is prohibited.

Prior to the season suspension, Pinckneyville Park Baseball had already held its draft, celebrated its opening day for Spring 2020 and played into its second week. Reactions to the interruption appear mixed.

Gwinnett County City Manager and Pinckneyville Park Baseball Coach Brian Johnson noticed a wide range of emotions from parents, fellow coaches and players involved in the program.

“There were a few parents, maybe the day of (the season) being postponed or the day after, that felt that maybe it was a bit early. In baseball you’re not as close, versus a sport like basketball where you are all up into an opponent’s space and touching them a lot. But as things have progressed, I don’t think any parent doesn’t think it was a wise decision,” said Johnson.

Though health and safety prove the major concern, player morale has certainly been affected.

“I know a ton of kids, my son included, who were extremely upset when we told them the season

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ April/May 2020 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

would be suspended indefinitely.

Lots of the boys shed some tears because they love the camaraderie, they love the challenge, they love the sport,” said Johnson.

Participants and supporters of Pinckneyville Park Baseball are part of a unique approach to recreational sports that may help foster a greater sense of community. The non-profit NYBSA works in partnership with Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation to provide organized sports.

“NYBSA was established in the early 1960s to provide a recreational baseball and softball program and travel baseball program for the youth of our community.

The program strives to promote the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical development of all program participants through supervised competitive sports,” said NYBSA President Jason Pressman

The county owns and operates Pinckneyville Park, while NYBSA manages the everyday baseball and softball operations.

Additionally, NYBSA owns & operates Collins Field at Dan Watts in Norcross.

“(The partnership) also contributes, because it

is non-profit, to parental and personal involvement because I think more of the parents of kids on the teams invest their time as they see ‘We’re a part of the process, We get an opportunity to weigh in and influence things,’” said Johnson.

Currently about 600 participants make up the over 50 teams in the NYBSA baseball and softball programs. The age ranges and skill levels involved start at U-6 (under six) tee-ball and progress gradually in challenge level until Pony Level, with a maximum age of 14 years old. There are also an impressive number of all-star and traveling teams that play in tournaments locally and nationally.

Regarding how the Peachtree Corners community can support the NYBSA and Pinckneyville Park Baseball, Pressman urged residents to follow Coronavirus quarantine guidelines as outlined by county, state and national officials. In an abundance of caution, the NYBSA website discourages impromptu get-togethers of players and parents at any of the fields it uses.

Pressman expressed gratitude for the patience and understanding of the coaches, players, volunteers and fans, as well as the entire NYBSA board for their leadership and guidance during these challenging times.

The NYBSA will continue to monitor county, state and national recommendations and act accordingly. Pressman and the other NYBSA board members prepare to meet via teleconference on April 5. ■

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April/May 2020 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

BELIEVE

Faith, Belief & Purpose

Peachtree Corners Places of Worship Hold Onto their Faith and Reach Out

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he Coronavirus pandemic has affected how churches, synagogues and other places of worship can serve and minister. Faith centers are working tirelessly to keep members of their congregations plugged in to their religious communities. They are also sending out messages of reassurance and encouraging everyone to keep the faith.

Staying safe, staying strong Fran Redisch, director of the Chabad of Gwinnett said, “Right now we’ve done what we have to…cancel all of our regular

By Annie Fogle

22

events.” She added that leaders of the Chabad sent out an email to all the Chabad members to let them know that all meetings and programs would be postponed and “made sure to include encouraging articles in the message to the members so that everyone can stay positive and not panic during these difficult times.”

The Church Council of Christ the King Lutheran Church has announced that, in compliance with the Governor’s request, they are postponing all their regularly scheduled activities until they get the go-ahead from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Pastor Dale Sillik added that since the church’s wi-fi cannot handle streaming the service live, they will be recording worship and posting it online for members to watch at their leisure.

Corners Church of Christ has decided to stream online services

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ April/May 2020 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

for the entire month of April. In addition, they have pre-recorded a series of videos for their members to watch if they miss a live stream or just want to stay connected to the church.

Landmark Church has also postponed services at this time and will be posting updates to keep their members informed.

Pastor Darragh Griffith of Mary Our Queen Catholic Church announced on their website that he will continue to post online and will be holding biweekly Rosaries.

He encouraged members to stay calm during these uncertain times and reminded them to continue witnessing the Gospel to their communities and in their families.

Keeping calm, keeping connected

In order to keep members of the church connected, Mount Carmel UMC is offering weekly

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Above, a zoom meeting from one local church group, like so many going on in America.

peachtreecornerslife

Gathering with our small groups online, live streaming Sunday services and expanding our prayer and care team outreach has given us multiple ways to stay in touch with and be of service to our church community.

Reverend Jennifer L. Sacks Unity Atlanta Church

online services, and is encouraging small groups to continue to meet through Zoom, a group video chat app. The church is offering oneon-one counseling sessions where church members have an outlet to voice their worries during the pandemic.

Mount Carmel is also encouraging members to care for their neighbors by making phone calls, sending cards and giving out virtual high fives.

Lead Pastor Jay Hackett said that even though the church campus at Peachtree Corners Baptist Church (PCBC) has been closed, the church leaders are working tirelessly to keep members engaged. He added, “It’s been an interesting season, but we’ve moved all services online. We want to flatten the curve as much as we can.”

PCBC has been keeping members connected through their life groups, which reach out to the community and take prayer requests. The church is working with the program Unite, a multi-denominational group of churches that pulls together resources for those in need, helps with Neighborhood Cooperative Ministry (formerly Norcross Coop) and works with seniors in the community.

Peachtree Corners Presbyterian Church sent out a message to their members saying that they would begin streaming services live, so that their members can stay plugged in. They will continue to post updates on their website’s bulletin, and the church encourages their members to rely on the unfailing love of God to keep them grounded.

Perimeter Church has decided to hold online services on Sundays and is offering recordings of the services on their website, Facebook and You Tube. They have also posted resources for young families, students, seniors and anyone else struggling at this time. Leaders of the church are encouraging members to pray for the vulnerable members of the community and practice social distancing by staying home as much as possible.

Looking to help, looking ahead

Laura Apsey, communications director at Simpsonwood UMC, said that the church has been “very fortunate with our

congregation, and many of our members have asked how they can volunteer. So that’s why we’re really leaning on our care team.”

The care team, as Apsey explained, is “a group that does quick check up calls, organizes drop-offs to the Neighborhood Co-op and works to provide for the community.” The care team has also begun doing medication and grocery drop-offs to elders in the community, so that the most vulnerable can stay safe.

Additionally, Simpsonwood UMC is holding services online.

Head Pastor John Purrington said, “It’s important for everyone to find a silver lining in all of this, and it’s important to see this as an opportunity to spread God’s love to those who need it.”

Reverend Jennifer L. Sacks

of Unity Atlanta Church stated, “While our physical distance is great, the spiritual and social connections of our church have multiplied in beautiful ways. Gathering with our small groups online, live streaming Sunday services and expanding our prayer and care team outreach has given us multiple ways to stay in touch with and be of service to our church community.”

With Easter coming, she said, church members have an opportunity to view the celebration as an overall experience rather than a one-day event. Rev. Sacks added that it’s important to remind the members of the congregation, “The uncertainty and fear are not permanent, and new life lies ahead.” ■

Our garden and labyrinth are always available for your prayer and reflection. We hope they will bring insight, peace, and renewal to all who enjoy them.

Alleluia!

Visit our Facebook Page for a livestream of our services.

RENEW! REJOICE! GROW! 400 Holcomb Bridge, Norcross, GA 30071 770-447-1166 | www.ccnorcross.org

Mary Our Queen Catholic Church All Are Welcome Easter Sunday April 12th 7am, 8:30am, 11am Weekly Schedule Monday, Thursday & Friday 9am Wednesday at Noon Saturday 5pm Sunday 8:30am, 11am & 5pm 6260 The Corners Parkway Peachtree Corners, GA

770-416-0002 www.maryourqueen.com

April/May 2020 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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DOING GOOD

Solving World-Sized Problems over a Kitchen Table Local nonprofit helps people 1,400 miles away

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t was just to be a simple lemonade stand, a way for Peachtree Corners resident Jennifer Yin to engage her two young sons in raising money for a cause. What Yin didn’t know was that this stand would lead to an answer to her prayers.

The former teacher turned full-time mom had been looking to do more with her life in 2018 as her youngest started preschool — something impactful, but flexible enough to fit her lifestyle. She was reading a book about poverty with her women’s discipleship group at Perimeter Church when she became fixated on a section about water scarcity and contamination.

“It talked about mothers and daughters walking miles to fetch water that was dirty, and having no other option, and seeing their children getting sick from this water,” she said. “I thought, okay, I’m a suburban stay-at-home mom, what can I do to make any type of impact in this global crisis?” Yin said. “I just couldn’t shake it. I had dreams about it. … I prayed that God would give me the opportunity to do something with this.”

Enter the lemonade stand, set up on a corner near her home in Riverfield, and a man who walked up to buy a cup for 50 cents. He asked why she was raising money, and her heart skipped a few beats when he told her of a water nonprofit he knew about.

The man who runs it, he said, lives right in our neighborhood.

By Donna Williams Lewis

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Above, The Yin Family — from left, Ben, Arty, Jennifer and Matty — continues the tradition of their lemonade stand in May 2019 near Simpson Elementary in Peachtree Corners. The stand raises money for Water@Work Ministry’s efforts to get affordable clean water to people who struggle for clean water in the Dominican Republic. (Photo courtesy of Debbie Cicero) Right, orphanage near Neiba, Dominican Republic, in February 2019. One of the organization’s water plants provides free water to the orphanage. (Photo courtesy of Juan Luis Vilorio)

‘It’s you and me, kid’

That man turned out to be Dan Blevins, a retired chemist for Dow Chemical who lives in Amberfield with his wife, Susan. Blevins is executive director of Water@ Work Ministry, a group whose mission is to “transform the lives of over one million of the poorest people in the Dominican Republic

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ April/May 2020 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

through clean water distribution plants, business incubation and access to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

It is one of numerous local nonprofits — some known and some largely unknown — that are helping people at home in a wide variety of ways in Peachtree Corners and around the world.

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Water@Work partners with churches in or near poor rural communities in the Dominican Republic to build water purification plants where clean water is either unavailable or expensive to buy. The plants are designed to become self-sustaining businesses for the churches, which sell the purified water at well below

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Left, Dan Blevins, Water@Work’s executive director, visits the organization’s construction site Mision de los 7 in Doña Ana, Dominican Republic, in March 2019. (Photo courtesy of Juan Luis Vilorio) Below, a young man helps to load water bottles onto a truck from Water@ Work’s Agua Ben water plant in Neiba, Dominican Republic, for distribution in the community in September 2019.

(Photo courtesy of Pastor Manuel Aquino)

market prices. Water@Work also provides vehicles the churches can use to distribute water to remote areas.

Suwanee resident Tom Flaim, a civil engineer, founded the organization in 2011 after a trip to the Dominican Republic. One year later, Blevins volunteered to become the group’s operations director, drawn to it after years of conducting water purification efforts around the world as a missions leader at Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church.

The organization made significant strides during its early years, fueled by a great deal of funding from Flaim. But insufficient fundraising was being done and, by 2016, Water@Work was struggling to stay afloat. The group’s Dominican Republic staff had to be cut in half to three people. U.S. staff was cut from four paid positions to none.

Blevins, still a volunteer but now executive director, turned his focus to figuring out how to navigate the nonprofit world. He got connected to Blackbaud, a leader in nonprofit management software, and was beginning to see progress through marketing and fundraising campaigns when he got an email from Yin. They met over Blevins’ kitchen table, where he asked if she could write emails, make calls, do research. Everything else, he said, she could learn “on the go.”

“I told her, ‘It’s you and me, kid.

You’re going to be the director of

communications,’” Blevins said.

Yin laughed as she recalled accepting the volunteer job.

“Because when I prayed for an opportunity, the one part I didn’t pray for was a paycheck,” she said.

Her primary focus is still the home she shares with her husband, Ben, a financial advisor, and their sons Matty, 8, and Arty, 5. She calls Water@Work “my passion project.”

“I absolutely love what we’re doing,” Yin said. “We’re following our calling. We’re staying in our lane, and we’re making the greatest impact that we can.”

Blevins said Yin has “really grown into her role.” Working together, they raised about $300,000 in 2019. An additional employee has been hired in the Dominican Republic, and they hope to employ a development director soon.

“We went through a valley back in 2018,” Blevins said, “and now we’re on our way up.”

Water, for the long term

About 1 billion people worldwide lack access to a reliable supply of clean, safe water, according to the World Health Organization.

“In the Dominican Republic, the local governments often provide ‘city water’ from a communal well to an extent, but they don’t spend the extra money to do sufficient treatment so it’s safe for you to drink,” Yin said. “And that’s only going to the people who have enough resources to buy a home that has running water, which

is typically a single spigot in a sink.”

Water@Work currently operates six water purification plants in the country.

Each plant serves about 5,000 people, including children in schools and orphanages. Two more plants are expected to open this spring.

“A lot of well-meaning people put a lot of money into things that don’t last when it comes to clean water interventions,” Blevins said. “I think we’ve solved that problem, at least in the Dominican.”

Yin wants everyone to know that anyone can do something to help others. She is thrilled that her sons have asked to do a lemonade stand every summer.

“I want to raise my boys to know that whatever work they pursue, I want it to be impactful … and to leave the world a better place than when they first came in,” she said. “And that certainly doesn’t have to be as direct as working for a nonprofit. You can help people in so many different ways.”

How you can help

Donations can be mailed to Water at Work Ministry, Inc., P.O. Box 923053, Norcross, Ga. 30010. To volunteer or find out more about the group’s work, fundraising events and mission trips, call 770845-5029 or send an email to jyin@ wateratworkministry.org. Find the group online at wateratworkministry.org and facebook.com/WaterAtWork. ■

April/May 2020 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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More Homegrown Nonprofits

By Donna Williams Lewis

As nonprofits everywhere take on additional challenges and suffer financial setbacks due to the coronavirus pandemic, here’s a look at some other local nonprofits and how they work on an ongoing basis to improve life for others.

Above, about 125 people attended the annual Bridges Peachtree Corners Black History Event at Landmark Church. The Feb. 29 breakfast featured an address by the Rev. Ira Joe Johnson, coauthor of “Benjamin E. Mays and Margaret Mitchell: A Unique Legacy in Medicine,” and musical selections from the Amayz gospel group and North Metro Academy students. (Photo courtesy of Beth Moore)

Bridges Peachtree Corners

Serves to unify neighbors of different races, cultures, genders and backgrounds within Peachtree Corners in an effort to strengthen the community, create awareness and inspire others to identify and serve the needs of the community. The group was co-founded in 2014 by two residents, Joe Sawyer and Pat Quigley, who has since moved on from the group. Bridges hosts Community Breakfast Forums about six times a year and sponsors several outreach programs, such as an annual com-

Left, Joe Sawyer, president of Bridges Peachtree Corners, and Peachtree Elementary School staff members take turkeys to the school’s freezers. The organization, which works to build community unity, raised money to buy about 30 turkeys that were donated to families of students at the school. (Special)

munity job fair and holiday food giveaways for needy families.

“We have one of the biggest Black History Month events in Gwinnett County and we’re working on a Back to School Gospel Jubilee,” Sawyer said. Learn more about the group at bridgespc.org or on Facebook. ■

Corners Outreach

Eight-year-old program that provides tutoring and mentoring through after school programs and summer camps. Corners Outreach works with more than 500 students in Gwinnett and DeKalb counties each year to increase high school graduation rates. In 2018, Corners Outreach launched Corners Industries, which hires parents with a focus on fair wages, increasing their value of education and developing life skills.

Headquarters is at 2 Sun Court, Suite 220, in Peachtree Corners. “From our office, each of our community centers are only 10 minutes away,” said Larry L. Campbell, the group’s executive director. “Please come by and meet our staff any Monday morning.” Information about annual events, including a Student Celebration, Evening with a Purpose Annual Gala and charity golf tournament can be found at cornersoutreach.org.

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Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ April/May 2020 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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Campers gather for a group photo at the end of Corners Outreach 2019 Summer Camp.

The program served more than 300 elementary students, offering academics, sports, games, lunch and more at several locations, called “clubs.” Each club sees new volunteers each week, and more than 50 teens join as camp guides. (Photo Courtesy of Amy Campbell)

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Volunteers of all ages come out to help Fully Furnished Ministries pick up donated furniture and deliver it to families in need.

(Photo courtesy of Fully Furnished Ministries)

Fully Furnished Ministries

Collects gently used furniture and household items from donors and delivers them to families in need. Founded in 2005, the ministry grew out of Perimeter Church after a pastor there received a call from a parishioner with an item to donate, and shortly thereafter received a call from a family with a need for that same item. Several years later, the group became an independent nonprofit.

In 2018, Fully Furnished Ministries began restoring furniture to provide better quality and reduce discards. The group is developing an awareness challenge called “Feel the Floor” in which families will be asked to sleep on the floor for one night to get an appreciation of what some needy families experience every night. Learn more about the ministry at fullyfurnishedministries.org, or on Facebook and Instagram.

Volunteer Natalie Ingram shares some time with Furkids dog North West. Furkids rescues homeless animals and nurtures them while finding homes for them. (Photo courtesy of Furkids)

Furkids

Helping Mamas CEO Jamie Lackey looks over inventory at the organization’s Norcross warehouse along with, from left, volunteer Lenora Ealy and Demitrah Rasmuessen, Helping Mamas’ Manager of Volunteer Resources. The warehouse holds essential items for children from birth to age 12 including diapers, wipes, car seats, clothes, bottles, period supplies and much more.

(Hannah Lozano Photography)

Operates the largest cage-free, no-kill shelter in the Southeast for rescued cats and Sadie’s Place, a no-kill shelter for dogs. The group has rescued and altered more than 45,000 animals since its founding in 2002

by Peachtree Corners resident Samantha Shelton. Furkids’ mission is to rescue homeless animals and provide them with medical care and a nurturing environment while working to find forever homes for all of them.

Shelton started the group after she found a stray mother cat with kittens and was unable to find a shelter that would take them. After 18 years, Furkids recently moved its headquarters and cat shelter from rented space in Doraville, Ga., to a nine-acre campus at 5235 Union Hill Road, in Cumming. Meanwhile, Furkids has expanded its presence in Peachtree Corners with a new Pet Adoption and Resource Center next door to its thrift store, which is located at 4015 Holcomb Bridge Road, Suite 400.

“The community can come for adoptions and appointments for low-cost vaccine clinics and more,” Shelton said. For more information about Furkids and its annual events, including Paws for Cocktails, visit furkids.org.

Helping Mamas

“We are a baby supply bank, connecting helping mamas to mamas needing help,” said Jamie Lackey, founder and CEO. The group was founded in 2014 by two mothers and social workers who saw a gap in services — public assistance programs like WIC and SNAP don’t allow for diaper and other baby supply purchases. To date, Helping Mamas has served more than 75,000 people and donated more than 1 million products to families in need, Lackey said.

The group’s annual signature events include a women’s empowerment dinner called “Thrive” and the “Ultimate Bachelor Viewing Party,” which features former cast members of the show “The Bachelor” who are flown in by Helping Mamas. Helping Mamas is based at 4487 Park Drive, Suite A1, Norcross. For more information, visit helpingmamas.org.

April/May 2020 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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Participants compete in an obstacle course to raise money for Promise686’s 2019 spring fundraiser.

The organization partners with church communities to care for vulnerable children. (Photo courtesy of Promise686)

Promise686

Partners with church communities to prevent children from entering foster care by meeting tangible needs; by intervening and supporting foster families once children do enter care; and by connecting children and families for a lifetime through adoption. The organization was launched in 2007 by a group out of Perimeter Church whose founding members experienced adoption and fostering children firsthand.

“Our mission is to mobilize church communities to care for vulnerable children,” said Audrey Hayes, creative director. In 2018, the group created The Promise Network, a network of churches and affiliate partners that now includes 24 out-of-state Affiliate Partners and 506 churches nationwide. Promise686 is based at 19 Holcomb Bridge Road, Norcross.

Learn more about the group and its fundraisers at promise686.org.

Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries

Ramping up services for people in need, co-op gets new building, new name

By Donna Williams Lewis Since 1988, the collaboration of churches traditionally known as Norcross Cooperative Ministry has been on the front lines of helping people in need. Director Shirley Cabe has been with the organization from its start, watching the local need grow along with the county’s population.

“This immediate area that we’re in, which is Norcross and Peachtree Corners, especially the Norcross side, has the poorest of the poor in Gwinnett County,” she said.

“These are the families whose children are on the free and reduced lunch program, families that are low wage, living paycheck to paycheck,” Cabe said. “They’re your restaurant workers, your day laborers. They’re below the poverty level and they struggle every day.”

The organization annually serves about 30,000 people, or about 600 to 700 families per month, who need food or seek help with everything from rent money to getting their water reconnected or finding a job, among other needs, Cabe said.

With Gwinnett’s population projected to increase by nearly 50% over the next 20 years, the coop is gearing up to meet expected increasing demand for its services and to foster self-sufficiency.

Last fall, the organization purchased and moved into a new

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building at 500 into the building, but it Pinnacle Court, remained operational tripling the size of and was serving clients. its former location NCM has several and achieving paid staff and about the first step of a 200 regular volunteers plan to develop a who, like its clients, one-stop center come from well beyond housing multiple Norcross and Peachtree nonprofit providCorners. Many of the ers that can serve volunteers are conits clients. nected to the co-op’s 25 To better reflect member churches, said its expanding Cabe, who calls them Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries (formerly Norcross Cooperative programs and geo“the heart and soul of Ministry) recently moved into a much larger facility at 500 Pinnacle graphic reach, the what we do here.”

Court. The organization annually serves about 30,000 people in need.

(Photo courtesy of to Kyra Slack) organization has “The volunteers that been given a new are still here and even need in our area.” name — Neighsome new ones that The new building has enabled borhood Cooperative Ministries we’ve picked up (during the coroNCM to offer a client-choice model (NCM). The name change will be navirus outbreak) — I’m just so for food distribution and provide phased in over the spring and thankful for their heart to serve healthier, refrigerated food opsummer. and be on the front lines with us tions; add a new tutoring program Peachtree Corners City Counduring this critical time,” she said. targeting kindergarten readiness cilmember Weare Gratwick, a Right now, NCM is desperately and third grade reading profinew addition to NCM’s board of in need of non-perishable food ciency; add a computer lab where directors, recently reflected on and financial assistance, along clients can pay bills, look for jobs the organization’s long-term imwith other ongoing needs includor work on resumes; and triple the pact. “Over the last 10 years, NCM ing personal care items such as selection in the clothes closet. As has invested over $15 million into diapers, soap and shampoo and before, there’s a registered nurse our community to help families paper supplies, Cabe said. Clothon site. While most of the children in crisis. With our new larger ing donations temporarily cannot NCM serves are insured by Medbuilding, we are well positioned be accepted until the building icaid, many of the adults have no to handle needs of the commureopens. health insurance. nity as the county continues to School supplies and office A $2.9-million capital campaign, grow,” Gratwick said. “Given the supplies for students and teachers “Beyond the Building,” will soon be larger footprint that we have and unwrapped toys for Christlaunched to help pay off the new been serving for years, this is the mas are collected at seasonal building. ideal time to update our name times.

At the end of March, the organito Neighborhood Cooperative Learn more about NCM and zation was following CDC regulaMinistries as we work to be the how you can help at ourncm.org.■ tions by not allowing the public best neighbor possible to those in

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ April/May 2020 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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Peachtree Corners Business Association “Where Businesses Come To Grow”

We’re Helping Provide COVID-19 Business Resources The Peachtree Corners Business Association is proud to be able to continue to support local businesses in our community. We are all stronger when we work together.

Supporting the Community In March the PCBA was proud to award a check to Norcross Meals on Wheels as part of our community outreach program. This donation will help provide additional resources to deliver nutritious meals to the home bound, elderly and disabled people during this difficult time.

COVID-19 Business Resource Center Visit the PCBA’s website for details on resources and support available to businesses including Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs), food take-out / delivery, and virtual networking.

PCBA offers membership levels starting at just $125/year.

678.969.3385 www.PeachtreeCornersBA.com April/May 2020 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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COMMUNITY

For Kids, By Kids

Peachtree Corners Kids web series highlights what’s happening

A

t the cusp of the new year, another exciting venture has made its way to Peachtree Corners. Tytan Pictures, which has been operating the city’s social media outlets for years, is producing a new web series unlike anything Peachtree Corners has seen before.

Showcase for the city

the 25 kids who would eventually make up the talented cast we have today.”

“It was also hard because it felt like, as the audition process went on, everyone just became more and more talented,” Stone added. “It was really a shame, at the end of the day, to have to let some of those kids go, but that’s all a part of creating something like this.”

Brown said that getting to explore Peachtree Corners while doing research for the show has been a memorable experience. “I

By Annie Fogle

who couldn’t make it to filming that day,” Brown remembered. “It was really fun for me because I originally auditioned to be a part of Tytan as an actress, but after the web series took off, I began working more behind the scenes.”

Where it’s going

James Stone

“We wanted to highlight all the amazing things happening in Peachtree Corners, but present it through the eyes of its youth,” said James Stone, producer of the Peachtree Corners Kids web series. He said the show’s creators got the idea when they realized the best way to reach kids is through social media platforms like YouTube, where the episodes are posted.

“It’s the only way to showcase this beautiful city to those who live here because every kid today is busy looking at social media, and the best way to market all the great things here is to embrace that,” he said.

The web series isn’t just for kids. Stone claims the target audience is “anywhere from 10 to 25 years old, and of course, includes a secondary audience of all the parents of the amazing kids we’re working with here on the show.”

The show’s founders were also inspired by the technological advancements that have been made in Peachtree Corners over the

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past couple years, like the new Curiosity Lab. Episodes of the web series will be posted online to the Peachtree Corners Network YouTube channel.

They’ll focus on places around town, school, technology and how to have fun in our great city.

Stone explained that the most important thing is that “we try and keep some of the creative power

So, what’s next for the Peachtree Corners Kids web

in the hands of the kids who are starring in the show.”

Cast of many talents

The cast of the show is made up of kids from ages 10 to 18 who have interests ranging from sports and cooking to technology and the arts. According to Associate Producer Karli Brown, who became involved with Tytan Pictures last year, “some of the Karli Brown cast members have even been featured in movies and television shows.”

She said that while the level of talent is an asset to the show, it only made the audition process that much more difficult. “It seemed like everyone who came in was just an amazing actor or really gifted musically. We were really surprised at the level of talent here in Peachtree Corners, and that’s why it became so challenging to narrow it down to

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ April/May 2020 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

worked as a location scout and got to go see what the city had to offer while planning out the episodes of Peachtree Corners Kids. It was amazing to be able to see what the city has going on entertainment-wise because there were just so many options.”

She also proved an asset to the production team after showing off her acting skills in the first episode. “I ended up filling in at the last minute for someone

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series? According to Stone, they’ll continue to create outstanding entertainment that represents our city.

“We want to keep making content that’s relevant to the people of Peachtree Corners. For example, new trends in fashion or what’s going on in health, and really just provide more opportunities to showcase the broad

spectrum of talent that’s here in the city,” he said.

Brown added, “I’m really looking forward to making videos about summer life in Peachtree Corners and getting to dive into what that will look like for the kids in the city.”

Most importantly, though, Brown and Stone are hoping that, with the web series, they can

make a real impact on the city and the people that live here.

“At the end of the day, for us, it’s all about not only showcasing life here to the citizens of Peachtree Corners, but also to the rest of America,” Stone explained.

“We want to be able to shed some light on this amazing city and show everyone how great it is to live and work here.”

Be sure to tune into The Peachtree Corners Kids web series to keep up with all the interesting events and places in our city. For more information on the web series or to view episodes, subscribe to the Peachtree Corners Network on YouTube.

You won’t want to miss it! ■ ■

April/May 2020 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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Food to-go & Delivered from Local Restaurants in Peachtree Corners Great places to safely order your next meal for curbside pick-up or delivery.

Do check the individual business website or call for most current information.

BURGERFI 6141 Peachtree Parkway Peachtree Corners BurgerFi.com 770-609-8310 Current Hours: 11A to 8PM 7 days a week Ways to OrderDelivery: DoorDash, UberEats, Grubhub Special: “For nearly 10 years, BurgerFi has earned your trust in many ways, including trusting us in procuring clean food for your consumption and maintaining the highest levels of cleanliness, sanitation, and food safety. We have focused on enhancing our procedures to strengthen our approach to address COVID-19.”

FIREBIRDS WOOD FIRED GRILL 5215 Town Center Blvd.

Peachtree Corners Town Center https://peachtree-corners.firebirdsrestaurants.com/ (770) 225-4662 Current Hours of operation: Sun. – Thurs.: 11-8 and Fri. & Sat.: 11-9 Ways to OrderDelivery: DoorDash, UberEats and Postmates Special: Offering Family Meal Deals starting at $29.95 and our 21 day aged steaks are cut in house and available for pickup to grill at home.

‘CUE BARBECUE 5260 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.

Peachtree Corners30071 www.cuebarbecue.com (470) 299-5117 Current Hours of operation: Sun-Thurs 12 p.m.-7 p.m.

Fri-Sat 12 p.m.-8 p.m.

PETERBROOKE CHOCOLATIER 5135 Peachtree Pkwy Suite 930 Facebook @peterbrookeatlanta 770-817-8118 Current Hours of operation 11:00-7:00 pm Mon-Sat Closed Sundays Ways to OrderDelivery: Free PTC Delivery, Grub Hub and Uber Eats Special: Offering Curbside pick up. You can find most of their Easter treats with an order form on Facebook Album (Easter 2020).

Also Free Local Delivery to PTC.

BEARD PAPA’S PEACHTREE CORNERS 5215 Town Center Blvd. Suite 620 Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 www.instagram.com/beardpapasPC 770-807-0564 for Curbside pick-up Monday-Thursday from 3:00pm to 8:00pm Frday-Sunday from 1:00pm to 8:00pm Ways to Order Delivery: Postmates, Doordash, Grubhub and Ezcater.

Special: “We are practicing social distancing with a contact-less experience by maintaining at least 6 ft of distance at all times.”

REDLANDS GRILL 5245 Peachtree Pkwy Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 www.redlandsgrill.com 770-263-9755 Noon-7pm Every Day

Ways to OrderDelivery: Online (website) and UberEats, or call

Ways to Order Delivery: ChowNow Online Ordering and take orders over the phone for Curbside Pick-up

Special: Offers curbside service, call and drive up “we will bring the food out to you.”

Special: “We’ve got you covered with various Family Meal options, listed on our menu and available to

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Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ April/May 2020 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

order through ChowNow! Enjoy a complimentary slice of our carrot cake, or a $10.00 Gift Certificate, with any purchase of two or more entrees!”

JASON’S DELI 5131 Peachtree Pkwy Peachtree Corners, GA jasonsdeli.com 770-368-9440 10am - 10pm Ways to OrderDelivery: Doordash as a delivery. Offering Pick Up & To Go Service along with Delivery and Curbside Service.

LAZY DOG RESTAURANT & BAR 5224 Peachtree Parkway Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 470-735-4501 www.lazydogrestaurants.com

Special: Please call ahead to place your order for takeout, this will allow us to prepare orders and process payment safely. Follow us on instagram @pokeworks_ peachtreecorners for regular updates and specials.

Ways to OrderDelivery: UberEats, DoorDash, order online through website or download our app Special: Text BOBBY to 36000 for specials and deals. We have Cheeseburger and Chicken Tender Family Meals. Sign up for our loyalty program through our app for daily specials and other free food.

MARLOW’S TAVERN Town Center Blvd., Peachtree Corners GA 30092 marlowstavern.com 470-5501197

MARCO’S PIZZA 5270 Peachtree Parkway Peachtree Corners, 30092 Marcos.com 770-840-9991

11am to 8pm Ways to OrderDelivery: Services used to order (Doordash, Ubereats, etc.) Delivering ourselves

Sunday to Thursday 11am- 9pm Friday and Saturday 11am-10pm Delivery, Carryout, Doordash and Ubereats.

Special: We have always been about cleanliness and sanitation and now doing both twice as often and following CDC guidelines. We are practicing non-contact delivery and curbside service. We thank you for your continued loyalty and support.

Ways to OrderDelivery: We are open for delivery or carryout.

Consumers can now seamlessly order Contact-Free delivery by phone, or through the Marco’s Pizza app or online at Marcos.com, where you can indicate this in the delivery instructions box as you place your orders.

Current Hours of operation Mon - Fri 11am - 9pm Fri & Sat - 9am - 9pm Ways to OrderDelivery: Services used to order (Doordash, Ubereats, etc.) Please order from our website or call the restaurant directly.

Special: Lazy Dog is offering family meals that feed 5 starting at $25 and for every meal ordered, one will be donated. Donations have already been sent to MTN Food Bank. Pantry packs with essentials are available for $40 including milk, eggs, butter, bread, chicken, rice, veggies and toilet paper. Pizza Night and Backyard BBQ meal kits are now available.

POKEWORKS 5160 Town Center Blvd Suite 520 Peachtree Corners 30092 POKEWORKS.COM 678.825.2489 Current Hours of operation 11AM-2:30PM MONDAY-SATURDAY Ways to OrderDelivery: Ubereats, Grubhub, Doordash, And Postmates peachtreecornerslife

Special: We’ve brought back our Unlimited Medium 1-Topping pizza for $6.99/each for either carryout or delivery to feed families in these uncertain economic times.

ANDERBY BREWING 110 Technology Parkway, Suite 200 Peachtree Corners, 30092 anderbybrewing.com (770)559-7550 Current Hours of operation: Tues-Fri: 4-8P; Sat: 12-8P; Sun 12:30-5P Ways to OrderDelivery: Online ordering will be available by Tuesday, April 7th. For now call ahead.

Special: Open for to go purchases only. We have growlers, 6 packs, and cases available for sale as well as merch and gift cards. For what’s on tap, checkout Facebook or our website.

CHEESEBURGER BOBBY’S 6050 Peachtree PKWY, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 www.cheeseburgerbobbys.com 770-300-0032 Sun-Thurs 11am - 8pm, Fri-Sat 11am - 9pm peachtreecornerslife

ZOES KITCHEN 5150 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 100 Peachtree Corners, Ga. 30092 peachtreecorners@zoeskitchen.com 770-246-5026 Open 11am-8pm Ways to OrderDelivery: We are serviced by UberEats and Door Dash. You can order online through Zoeskitchen.com Special: During this time we are offering family meals that feeds up to 4-6 people. We are offering to deliver these at no additional charge to our neighbors. If ordered in advance, we can deliver to your entire neighborhood, Office, or facility.

peachtreecornerslife

Grubhub & Postmates.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

DUNKIN DONUTS 5075 Peachtree Parkway, Peachtee Corners, GA 30092 Ways to OrderDelivery: Open 24 hours a day only serving through drive through front door is not open Special: Regarding if you need any other help I am ready to help anyone I am manager my name is Laila my phone number is 404 435 9998 nobody should sleep hungry pray for the whole world LON U Lon U Chinese & Thai 5005 Peachtree Parkway #860 lonunorcross.com Lunch mon- fri 11-2:30 dinner mon-thur 4-9:30 fri 4-10:30 sat 4-10:30 sun 12-9:30

THREE DOLLAR CAFE 6050 Peachtree Pkwy, Suite 100 Peachtree Corners, Georgia 30092 www.threedollarcafe.com 770.441.8520 Sun-Thurs: 11am - 8pm Fri-Sat 11am - 9pm Ways to OrderDelivery: Delivery is available through EZCater, Doordash and Uber.

>>Photos from the recent Simpson Staff Parade of course keeping social distancing was a must.

Photos courtesy of Simpson Elementary staff

Special: For the first time ever, we are now offering deliveries through Three Dollar Cafe Delivery. Deliveries over $50 are free.

Ways to OrderDelivery: Doordash Ubereats Grubhub Eatstreet Beyond menu Q menu

PLANET SMOOTHIE 5275 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 106, Ptc, Ga 30092 www.planetsmoothie.com (470)545-1996

NEWKS EATERY 5185 Peachtree Pkwy Peachtree Corners GA 30092 www.newks.com 470-545-4572 11am to 9pm Ways to OrderDelivery: Doordash, Ubereats, Postmates, & Grubhub

Current Hours of operation M-SAT 9am-6pm; SUN 10am-6pm Ways to OrderDelivery: Services used to order DoorDash, UberEats, Postmates, GrubHub Curbside Service! Use Mobile App to Order & Pay then call on arrival’ ‘

SUSHI OSAWA 5270 Peachtree Pkwy, 119, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 www.sushiosawa.online 470-222-8888 Current Hours of operation: Mon-Tue: Closed Wednesday to Thursday: 11am-8pm (without break) Friday to Saturday: 11am-9pm (without break) Sunday: 11am-8pm (without break) Ways to OrderDelivery: We are available for takeout by phone: 470-222-8888 or Online order (10% off Promotion) Ubereats, Doordash, Postmates & Grubhub Special: Sushi Osawa is available for takeout Order Online www. sushiosawa.online ( 10% off promotion, check online for detail) or call 470-222-8888 ( we will not accept walk-in orders) We are delivery partnered with DoorDash, UberEats,

FIRE & STONE ITALIAN PIZZA KITCHEN 5215 Town Center Blvd, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 (470) 219-5100 www.fireandstonekitchen.com Monday and Tuesday 4 PM – 9 PM Wednesday – Friday 11:30 AM – 9 PM Saturday and Sunday 12 PM – 9 PM

TIFF’S TREATS 5230 Town Center Blvd. #130, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 cookiedelivery.com 470-387-1200 Current Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday 9AM-10PM, Saturday & Sunday 10AM-10PM Ways to OrderDelivery: We are a delivery service, and do not use other third party delivery services.

Special: “We are open for delivery and pickup (order in advance only) and continue to follow all guidelines and local ordinances. All of our deliveries are now interaction-free.

April/May 2020 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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SPACES

Real Estate & Home

North Manor Community What it took to build a neighborhood

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t first glance, you might think that North Manor is an idyllic, tree-lined community with a heart of gold. And after spending some time there, you’d know you were right.

Turn onto East Jones Bridge Road from Peachtree Highway and suddenly the atmosphere changes. Almost immediately, the scenery shifts from strip malls and restaurants to a picturesque neighborhood peppered with community centers and churches.

Despite the current climate, families are still

North Manor memories

outside taking advantage of the winding sidewalks and sharing a neighborly wave. The schools and playgrounds are currently closed, but on normal spring days, happy children would be making what they’ll later describe as their childhood memories.

Southern hub of Atlanta. Tech Park had already been built, and young families were flocking to the “city in the forest” in large numbers.

Jim Gaffey has one of these families.

Because most of the residents in North Manor were transplants, no one knew each other.

There was no infrastructure in place, no main roads to cut off driving distance and no recreational facilities. Gaffey knew that he’d moved to a rural area; finding an old moonshine still in one of the creeks behind his house confirmed just how far out in the country he really was.

One of the biggest obstacles

This could be any town in “Mayberry, America,” but what you don’t know is that if it weren’t for the residents of this little community, Peachtree Corners would look very different today. Back in the 1980s when the houses were first being built in North Manor, it was still a rural area surrounding what is now modern-day Peachtree Corners.

It was considered a transient community, and houses went for the high $70s to low $80s. Most of the families moved from the Northeast for jobs in the quickly developing

he encountered was the schools in which he was to send his two young boys. The roads were still being measured by a horse and buggy journey, and the closest schools available were Summerour Middle School and Norcross High School.

Gaffey met with the Superintendant of Schools at the time to address the issue, but instead of reassurance, he was told: “We’ll never build schools in Peachtree Corners just to have them left empty when you all move on, just like you did in Dunwoody.”

He’d already tried and failed twice to start a swim club for the

North Manor community, but it was hard to get anything accomplished in a neighborhood full of strangers.

A proposed road leads to a mission

Then came the big announcement that changed it all. The “East Jones Bridge project” is what caught Gaffey’s eye. East Jones Bridge Road was proposed to become the major highway to cut through in Peachtree Corners, just like the modern-day Holcomb Bridge Road.

It would have sliced the North

Above, left, to right:

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North Manor home circa 1980s First soccer team out of North Manor At the bus stop, circa 1984 First North Manor swim team, the Marlins Marlins with medals Marin swimmers treated to burgers Opposite corner, long time resident of North Manor and well known real estate agent Nancy Minor.

Left, Jim Gaffey and his wife Carol, a career teacher that was assigned to Simpson Elementary School on day one.

Photos courtesy of Jim Gaffey and Nancy Minor peachtreecornerslife

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Manor community in half with a major highway running through it. Then they’d add a Planned Unit Development (PUD) modeled after similar neighborhoods in Columbia, Md. “I looked at the original plans in the local media and saw red,” Gaffey recalled. “I’d just moved from New Jersey where there was no thought behind the plans — they were just putting up buildings anywhere they would fit — and I felt like it was following me down South.”

At the time, there was no real sense of community in the neighborhood, no one to stick up for the little guys and no way of finding out when the hearings would be held. The writing was on the wall for North Manor community just a mere three years after it was built.

Gaffey knew from his experiences in the Northeast that the East Jones Bridge project and subsequent developments would decimate the community.

Connections + contacts = success

Obviously, that’s not the case when you look at the community today. So how did a collection of neighbors who didn’t know each other build the stately North Manor that we know today? The answer is churches.

The residents of the community banded together at the many different congregations in the area, such as Peachtree Corners Baptist Church and Simpsonwood United Methodist Church.

“Then a unique thing happened,” Gaffey said. “We started to help one another.”

With the solidarity of the com-

munity growing in the churches, they had a fighting chance. By the time they held the first town meeting at the Good Age Building, it was packed with families ready to protest the new building plans.

The grassroots campaign was started, but they had little time to block the vote and almost no outlet to plead their case. The group found two members of the commission and Gaffey met with them to try and influence their vote without success.

Then, a member of the community they’d gotten to know from congregation events, Scott Ferguson, won one of the seats on the commission. He became the key to the success of their campaign. Now they had a powerful member of the campaign on their side — and inside information about

when the votes were being held.

By the time the plan was put to a vote, the turnout was far beyond what they’d ever imagined.

The North Manor community collected signatures and raised $96,000, all through good, old fashioned door-to-door campaigning.

They won the day and successfully blocked the project that would have changed the face of Peachtree Corners forever. The Linfield subdivision never would have been built, and Simpson Elementary or Pinckneyville Middle schools never would have existed. Jones Bridge Park wouldn’t be the tranquil place for people to escape that it is; instead, it would be a loud eyesore of a bridge.

And, of course, the North Manor

community wouldn’t be the beautiful oasis it is today.

The start of PCSR

Once Gaffey had a platform on which to stand, the neighbors were able to successfully start the North Manor Swim and Racquet Club. Today, you know it as the Peachtree Corners Swim and Racquet Club (PCSR) — a staple to the community.

“The club founders, all North Manor residents, were involved in blocking multiple large-scale developments in the early 80s that would have dramatically impacted the area,” said Sonny Peiper, a board member of PCSR, as he recalled the swim club’s humble past.

Peiper and many other North Manor residents are

faith.” Residents of North Manor first fell in love with the forests surrounding the neighborhood, the creeks where their children might play and the idea that one day it might be a strong community.

Today, with 262 homes, the residents can marvel at having some of the most desirable schools in the county, top-notch community amenities, vibrant bus stops and sidewalks filled with smiling faces. Now, because of the affluent subdivisions that have slowly popped up around the community, North Manor will be protected from any future development plans that might jeopardize all that the residents have accomplished.

It was the neighborly bond with each other that became the most important factor in transforming the North Manor community from a rural afterthought into one of the most desirable neighborhoods in the metro Atlanta area. When Minor is asked if she’ll ever leave North Manor, she simply says, “I love my neighborhood.”

The original residents have lived there long enough to witness the evolution of the neighborhood.

Now, their children are grown and looking for homes of their own, and there’s something comforting about watching them try to find communities just like the one their parents have built. ■

excited to celebrate the 35th year of the Waverunners swim team.

You can follow them on Facebook and Twitter at #Waverunners35.

The swim club is an intricate part of North Manor’s charm. While other areas worship on Fridays, residents here are dazzled by the “Thursday night lights” and all that it means to their history.

North Manor creates a legacy

Nancy Minor, a real estate agent who has lived in the community since its first inception, recalls that “buying in the neighborhood was a leap of

April/May 2020 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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BUSINESS COMMUNITY

The Challenge Facing Businesses and Government during the COVID-19 Crisis

M

arch 2020 proved to be the beginning of trying times for many businesses in the U.S. To protect people from the spread of Coronavirus, officials — local, state and federal — advised businesses to consider ways to lessen the risks for their employees and customers.

In Peachtree Corners as across the country, some

businesses closed temporarily, some cut their hours and had to lay off employees, and others asked their staff to work from home.

Corporations and small businesses made whatever changes

they could to protect everyone.

As the situation became more dire, more aggressive action became necessary.

Peachtree Corners City Manager Brian Johnson explained that officials face a difficult task as they balance taking measures to protect community health and not hurt local businesses.

The State of Georgia and County of Gwinnett take action

Several businesses were impacted by executive orders by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp. On March 16, the governor closed all schools through March 31 in an effort to curtail the spread of COVID-19.

Another executive order, on March 23, ordered all businesses in the state “which possess a license to operate as or otherwise meet the definition of ‘bar’” to cease operation. On April 2, Governor Kemp issued a shelterin-place order for the entire state of Georgia, which was planned to be

in effect from April 3-13. Schools were to remain closed for the rest of the school year.

On April 2, Governor Kemp issued a shelter-in-place order for the entire state of Georgia, which was planned to be in effect from April 3-13. Schools were to remain closed for the rest of the school year.

The governor had been reluctant to take such drastic measures, as he did not wish to close businesses and cause workers to lose their jobs. However, the dramatic increase in Coronavirus patients threatened to overwhelm the healthcare facilities and endanger public health further.

On March 27, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners, and all of the county’s 16 cities — including Peachtree Corners — told everyone to stay at home from March 28 to April 12. The order was put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19.

The local emergency order required all non-essential businesses — for-profit, non-profit and private educational — in Gwinnett County to cease operating, except for the minimum necessary activities. However, if employees or contractors work from home, the business could continue to operate.

Peachtree Corners enacts emergency ordinance

Peachtree Corners also moved to protect its residents. On March 25, an emergency meeting was held in Peachtree

Brian Johnson

By Kathy Dean

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Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ April/May 2020 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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Corners, during which the mayor and city council voted unanimously to pass an emergency ordinance affecting certain businesses in the city, specifically public establishments where social distancing recommendations could not be maintained.

Gyms, fitness centers and studios, theatres and live performance venues, bowling alleys, arcades and similar businesses were ordered to close temporarily.

Restaurants, brewpubs and breweries and other eating establishments were told to close their dine-in and outdoor/patio service. However, they were allowed to continue to prepare food and offer it to customers through delivery, takeout and drive-thru service. Cafeterias and dining services in hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities were not affected by the ordinance and could remain open.

Businesses, such as restaurants and pubs, licensed to sell alcohol were allowed to sell unopened bottles or sealed containers of alcohol for take-away. And any businesses that stayed open to the public was ordered to take steps to restrict person-to-person contact and maintain a distance of six feet between individuals in the establishment.

The City’s efforts to support business

On March 27, the Peachtree Corners mayor and city council approved several measures to help businesses during the Coronavirus crisis.

A 60-day deferral for business license fees was announced, so fees normally due by March 31 were deferred until May 31, with no penalty fees added. Also, convenience fees for online and internet payment of business license fees were waived tempopeachtreecornerslife

rarily. Alcohol excise tax payments were deferred, too, without penalty.

In addition, the City of Peachtree Corners asked landlords to join with the city as Community Partners and offer tenants a 60-day deferral on rent payments and requested that banks give their customers a 60day penalty-free deferral on loan payments.

The city’s website is adding a page to showcase and promote the Community Partners who are helping the community during the current difficulties.

“None of us in our lifetime have had to encounter the circumstances we are now facing,” said Mayor Mike Mason. “Be assured the Council and I are committed to doing everything we can as a city to ensure all who live and work here are safe. And we are committed to doing all we can do to ensure our businesses survive and are able to return to operating as they were before the outbreak of the coronavirus.”

Peachtree Corners Businesses Meet the COVID-19 Challenges

Better times ahead

In a video interview, Johnson said that activity at Curiosity Lab has slowed down due to the current restrictions on international travel and groups gathering.

However, he pointed out, there’s still a lot of communication with organizations who want to be involved with Curiosity Lab, including Gwinnett Tech which is looking to bring in an advanced vehicle auto repair shop.

“There are a lot of companies queuing up,” Johnson said. Once the crisis has passed, “the gates are going to open and we’ll have a lot of activity.”

Some of the tech companies may even be able to help during the COVID-19 outbreak. Johnson said that one of the start-up companies at the Innovation Center specializes in sanitizing and destroying germs. “Their system is undergoing testing to see if it will destroy the Coronavirus,” he reported.

Stay current with the latest information at the Peachtree Corners website, peachtreecornersga.gov, and Instagram account, peachtreecornersga. ■

Business owners in Peachtree Corners are meeting the challenges of the Coronavirus crisis with innovative ideas and a dedication to keeping their employees busy and their customers happy.

Lisa Proctor serves as Peachtree Corners Business Association (PCBA) president as well as CEO and president of Sanford Rose Associates — Lake Lanier Islands. She reported that her recruiting business is adjusting to a new normal, trying to keep up with clients who have essential roles that

need to be filled and finding ways to help clients who are trying to retain their current staff.

“We are providing our clients with virtual interviewing solutions to automate their interviewing process at all levels and locations for all of their candidates, as well as helping several of our clients with best practices in implementing a remote work environment,” she said.

It’s not the only business that’s staying busy digitally.

Proctor said that a local CPA firm has reached out to their clients with a virtual plan. “They will be

Businesses finding new ways to use social media sites like Facebook and Instagram to reach their customers and share what they are doing to make it safe to order and buy from them during the emergency stay-at-home orders.

able to work with their clients utilizing technology to ensure both their clients and their staff can work remotely and still hit their regulatory and business reporting requirements,” she explained.

continued on page 38

April/May 2020 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

37

info, specials and menus. Here are some other sites to check.

Peachtree Corners Town Center — ptreecornerstowncenter.com The Forum — facebook.com/ ForumPeachtreeParkway The PCBA has several web pages.

Go to peachtreecornersba.com,

Rojoli Services Helps Peachtree Corners Tech Business Keep Working

Continued from page 37

Restaurants get creative

Not every business can shift to a digital format easily. Retail establishments and restaurants, for example, rely on people walking through the door. Some restaurants shut down temporarily while others have found different ways to keep going.

Brian Johnson, Peachtree Corners City Manager, stressed that restaurants are a very important part of the local economy — and the community. “We have a lot of restaurants here, and the owners and workers are our neighbors and friends,” he said.

Several restaurants are offering online ordering and to-go, curbside pick-up and drive through service. A meal can include a bottle of wine, as the City has loosened restrictions on alcohol sales in an effort to help restaurants weather the situation.

“We have seen some very creative things companies are doing,” Proctor said. “The challenge seems to be how long they can maintain doing it.” She shared a few examples, such as Taqueria Del Mar selling bulk boxes that included groceries and supplies and Noble Fin giving away a roll of toilet paper with every bottle of wine purchase.

The Noble Fin restaurant website reflects its attitude during the COVID-19 crisis: “Life is changing and so are we.” The website also features a new to-go menu; bottles of liquor, wine and beer are also available for pick-up via email orders.

“We began our To-Go service as soon as possible, but we also kept the pricing lower,” said

38

under PCBA Events and News, click on Member Blog; there’s a link for “Open and To-Go Dining Options in Peachtree Corners Amid Coronavirus Corners”. Also, visit peachtreecornersba.com/ covid-19 and peachtreecornersba. com/hotdeals. ■

Noble Fin owner Cliff Bramble.

“We began selling our wines by the bottle for half price. And we began a free give-away of a pound of bread dough.” In three days, the restaurant gave away 120 pounds of dough to the local community.

“We hope to continue with the dough, but we are taking it day by day at this point,” Bramble continued. “Most importantly, we raised almost $9,000 for our staff through our loyal guests.”

Keep informed to keep their doors open According to Proctor, the challenge is communicating the business and restaurant changes and specials to potential customers, especially since things are changing quickly. PCBA is making a strong effort; on March 19, the organization posted a blog with updates that link back to the individual restaurants web pages so they can post their newest deals and their hours of work.

Johnson added that the community is coming together and doing a great job of sharing information about what restaurants are doing and encouraging others to support them. “It’s great to see a line of cars waiting for their orders,” he said.

The best way to keep your favorite restaurants going strong is to support them at this time.

Go to their websites for the latest

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ April/May 2020 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

Launched in 2016, Insiten is a rapidly growing technology company headquartered at Curiosity Lab in Peachtree Corners. The company develops software and provides consulting services in the corporate strategy, finance and operations space. Their marquis product, TackleBox, empowers teams to present Excel analysis with speed and confidence by delivering automated PowerPoint presentations, real-time dashboards and powerful insights.

The coronavirus public health emergency and the associated stay-at-home/social distancing mandates caused Insiten to quickly implement a work-fromhome strategy. Employees were

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forced to abandon their “ultimate developer paradise,” where they enjoyed state-of-the-art equipment and in-person collaboration. With all employees remote, Insiten had to rethink how they could continue to effectively collaborate.

The tech company’s IT and cloud solutions partner, Rojoli Services, jumped into action by providing the tools, infrastructure and security to provide business continuity. This enabled Insiten to rapidly pivot to a work-athome model.

“Working with Rojoli to put in place the right tools and infra-

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structure to ensure connectivity across the team was crucial to our business operations,” said Adam Trien, Insiten CEO. Using Microsoft Teams, Insiten’s employees and their clients were able to stay connected with online meetings, file sharing, project management and other collaboration tools. Utilizing Microsoft 365, Insiten was able to use familiar desktop applications across different devices while keeping their files secure.

Rojoli Services implemented a cloud-based infrastructure with key benefits that included flexibility, disaster recovery and business continuity, collaboration, security and the ability to work anywhere with an internet connection. Rojoli partners with many small businesses in the Peachtree Corners area, helping them to overcome technology challenges and thrive.

Now, more than ever, that’s critical for businesses, large and small. “We’re in this together,” said Gentry Ganote, Rojoli Services CEO. ■

Local Company Receives State GLOBE Award

Plurium Technologies recognized by Georgia Department of Economic Development for its expansion into global markets.

A Peachtree Corners IT hardware business was recognized recently for entering new international markets.

Plurium Technologies, of Avalon Ridge, received the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s GLOBE Award at the state Capitol.

There were 36 winners throughout the state, located in 16 counties. Seventy-two percent of the 2019 GLOBE winners were small businesses with 100 employees or less. Forty-four percent of the winners employ a work force of less than 20. Plurium employs only four in Peachtree Corners, but has a vast network of partners around the world, according to General Manager Jonathan Lesciauskas.

The company began supplying businesses in seven countries and now in 51 countries since 2019.

With offices in Singapore and France, Plurium provides pre-owned IT networking hardware, such as switches, routers, fully configured cabinets. The company also provides IT professional service globally. ■

Fine Wine & Spirits Store Expected to Open Late Spring

Plurium Technologies general manager, Jonathan Lesciauskas shows off the locations of the company’s vast network of international partners.

My greatest source of satisfaction is serving others, both in real estate and in my community.

The city’s first free-standing wine and package store has broken ground and may be ready to open by the end of May. The Corners Fine Wine & Spirits is located at 5730 Peachtree Parkway, adjacent to the new RaceTrac that is also under construction. Find more details on the business’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook. com/The-Corners-Fine-Wine-Spirits-435919646470378/ ■

Whether you are looking to make our community your new home, moving locally or across the world, I am proud to offer the highest level of service.

As a real estate expert who understands market trends, I am passionate about leveraging my acumen and the unrivaled marketing and resources of Sotheby’s International Realty® to achieve the best value for your investment.

World-Class Marketing | World-Class Service.

Alan Kaplan c. 404.909.6000 o. 770.442.7300 alankaplan@atlantafinehomes.com atlantafinehomes.com | sir.com

Atlanta Fine Homes, LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each franchise is independently owned and operated.

April/May 2020 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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NOURISH

5 Places to Order Mexican Food in Peachtree Corners

Kiko’s Tacos & More Serving excellent Mexican dishes, their spin on chicken breast will blow you away! The Pollo Monterrey at Kiko’s Tacos & More is covered with melted cheese, roasted poblano pepper strips and sautéed mushrooms, served with a side of beans and rice to compliment the meal perfectly. The dish impresses all Mexican food lovers as it introduces a flavorful blend to excite your taste buds.

In the current health climate, you may need to call in advance to receive curbside pickup for to-go orders.

3435 Medlock Bridge Road, Peachtree Corners 30092 770-441-1818 | kikosmexican.com

La Parrilla Mexican Restaurant La Parrilla’s newest dish is officially out, providing you with tastes that leave you wanting more! In the seafood section of the menu, the grilled Mango Salmon fillet is complemented with chipotle mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus and their signature homemade mango sauce. Recommended by all, the guacamole dip brings a contrasting taste that pulls this ultimate meal together.

During these times of restrictions, La Parrilla is offering their menu online through delivery, to-go orders and DoorDash.

5131 Peachtree Parkway, Suite #1005 Peachtree Corners 30092 770-242-0766 | laparrilla.com

Photos & Article

by Remi DeLong

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Moe’s Southwest Grill It’s back at Moe’s! White meat chicken has returned as a selection for building your ideal burrito. When included in the Homewrecker Burrito, it’s combined with rice, beans, cheese, pico and guac, and placed inside a flour tortilla to complete an outstanding burrito. Served with a variety of sauces and chips, Moe’s has enough variety to suit everyone in your party.

As we navigate through the changing environment, Moe’s has announced delivery service by curbside, pickup or to-go orders.

4880 Peachtree Corners Circle Peachtree Corners 30092 770-797-9340 | moes.com

Willy’s Mexicana Grill Taqueria del Mar Bar & Grill In the photo of the Pick 4 Tacos plate, the Fish Taco del Mar and Carne Asada tacos are paired with the Shrimp Po-Boy and Bang Bang Shrimp tacos, offering a different taste explosion with every bite. These delicious combinations at Taqueria del Mar can be accompanied with their signature Margarita del Mar to add the perfect flavor.

With recent restrictions, Taqueria del Mar is receiving online orders only, for pick-up or delivery. In addition, the restaurant will provide fresh food products and family meal kits to-go, if needed.

5075 Peachtree Parkway Northwest, Suite 105A, Peachtree Corners 30092 678-820-9836 |taqueriadelmar.com

Willy’s, known for its custom burritos, has introduced a brand new to-go Taco Box, the perfect solution for families or small gatherings. The box feeds four to six people and includes 16 hard or soft tacos, a choice of protein, lettuce, Monterey jack cheese and pico de gallo. In addition to these wonderful options, the box offers a variety of sides.

As times are changing, order online for pick up or call DoorDash to place your order.

3384 Holcomb Bridge Road, Peachtree Corners 30092 770-417-3575 | willys.com

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

This Year We Can View Artwork Online Wesleyan Artist Market 2020 Canceled Spotlight on Three Artists

Mother Nature in all of her springtime glory inevitably awakens our artistic side. Most of us don’t create art, but we certainly enjoy visiting artist markets where one can take in professional expressions of creativity and talent across a broad variety of artwork.

My imagination was sparked while meeting the artists behind three inspiring bodies of work.

They’re among 80 artists scheduled to exhibit at the ever-popular Wesleyan Artist Market planned for the last weekend in April.

For 22 years, artists have been submitting portfolios, hoping for a coveted spot in the show. The panel gets more selective every year, guaranteeing an exhibition that exceeds all expectations.

By Patrizia Winsper

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Caryn Crawford

Mixed Media and Oils On the Wesleyan Artist Market This would have been Caryn Crawford’s fourth year exhibiting at the market she describes fondly: “It’s a real privilege and honor to be a part of such a great experience in the community.

You’re bridging student artists with the regional artists they

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ April/May 2020 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

bring in. It’s great to speak with students, encourage them and see what’s going on there. That’s been really fun.”

Crawford loves to see so many gifted artists come together using different media. Since proceeds go to the Wesleyan Arts Alliance, supporting student programs, facilities and art education at the school, she loves being a part of “giving back to something wonderful.”

The Making of an Artist Crawford grew up in the culpeachtreecornerslife

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turally rich city of New Orleans.

As a young girl she recalls always having a paintbrush in hand and enrolling in every art class available. She loved visiting art galleries with her mother. “It was a neat place to grow up and to see art everywhere,” she recalled, evoking the colorful vibrancy of the street artists’ works.

Crawford has been a decorative painter for 20 years, working on wall textures, murals and ceilings. Today, she and a partner work on projects more likely to involve “Frenching-up furniture

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pieces.”

In a natural extension, Crawford progressed into abstract art paintings using acrylics and mixed media about 10 years ago.

“Mixed media involves using different materials on the canvas like oil pastels or even objects from outside; pieces of glass or cut-up tissue paper, for example,” she explained. Primarily, she creates paintings using acrylics and oil pastel crayons.

Crawford enjoys the thrill of challenging herself beyond her comfort zone. Recently, she’s been painting with oils, working on landscapes and impressionist style paintings.

“It’s been beneficial later in my career to train under some regional painters as mentors. Teresa Gerard is an abstract painter I love to work with. I see her about twice a year. Weekly, I meet with James Richards in his studio in Tucker, doing oils,” Crawford said.

She loves the ability to blend oils, finding the vibrancy and tone of the colors fun to work with. Since starting to do more landscape work, Crawford finds that oils allow her more time.

“It’s been great to expand a little bit. Oils are a whole different world,” she said. “They allow me to have more time to play on the canvas, to accomplish what I want. You want your eyes to be drawn to it from a distance. Oils help to accomplish it.”

Inspiration Having been so abstract, Crawford suspects she’s drawn inspiration from the outdoors, from different colors and the environment.

“You don’t know what you’re looking at in an abstract painting, but you are looking at something.

You usually can’t see that in a painting. You have to ask each artist about it. Those shapes and colors do represent something,” she clarified.

The low country and the east coast of northern Florida inspire her landscapes. “I paint on Amelia Island a lot. It’s fun,” she smiled.

A former Wesleyan parent and artist, Crawford said, “I’m so thankful that I’m asked to do this every year. It’s neat to see everybody’s gifts. They come from above. I feel like any gift I have is

Opposite page, Artist, Caryn Crawford in one of her home studios.

Above, Crawford shares a fun piece still in progress Above right, a Bible verse will eventually be added to this piece Right, Crawford at work painting a landscape with oils. She prefers to kneel when she paints (Photos by Patrizia Winsper)

from above, and I’m very thankful for this opportunity to share it with others in the community.”

Commissions The best way to contact Caryn Crawford is through Instagram, @caryncrawford, or on her website, caryncrawford.com. Depending on the time of year and how many shows she’s doing, one can usually expect a commission to be completed within a month or two.

Every commission is a source of inspiration, as well as a challenge, Crawford noted. When someone says, “Can you paint this?”, a lot of times, it’s the first time you’ve painted it. It involves a little research. “It’s great to work alongside mentors to help me through some of that process,” she shared.

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Leslie Rae Cannon Acrylic

On The Wesleyan Artist Market A former Wesleyan parent, Leslie Rae Cannon volunteered at the show before participating in it as an artist. After nine years, she is still thrilled to receive the congratulatory email about being selected as one of its vendors.

She shared her enthusiasm for the show, “You’ll be inspired.

Wesleyan goes outside of our little community, pulling in brand new artists and giving them their start. They really raise the bar on quality art. They’re constantly reevaluating, trying to make it even better.”

Besides it being her first real art show, it’s her favorite because Wesleyan spoils vendors. “When you arrive, a hoard of volunteers (parents, teachers, students) come out and take your art to the booth,” Cannon said. “The hospitality is sweet. It’s the most comfortable, warm feeling being in that show.”

As a mom and former art teacher, Cannon shared another thing she loves about the show: being interviewed by students.

The Fine Arts classes tour the exhibits and students get to choose an artist. “I love being picked for an interview,” she exclaimed.

“My kids were educated there, so I enjoy giving back. I love the fact that these kids have access to art as part of their everyday life. They won’t ever be afraid to try something. The art they’re exposed to and the different classes they have access to are wonderful. It’s endless what they can do, and they have great teachers,” she added.

Cannon enjoys the student artists, “They’re phenomenal! So many of them eventually become professional vendors in the show.

I’ve been able to follow one girl in particular; I’ve even purchased some of her prints. She’s very creative and paints on anything that will stay still long enough. I can’t wait to see what becomes of

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her. I’ll be able to say, “I knew her when.””

The Making of an Artist “I’ve been drawing since as long as I can remember. My parents set up a desk in the living room when I was little. My dad worked for an office supply company. My biggest treat would be when he brought home new glue, paperclips or Scotch tape; I would go to town. I remember drawing very young,” she recounted.

A native of DeKalb, Cannon took the limited elementary and high school art classes available

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to her at the time. She knew she wanted to use her creativity in some way and studied oils, acrylics and watercolors at Presbyterian College.

“I majored in art, but my dad was adamant that I also have a job. When I graduated in the 80s, social media didn’t exist. To be a prominent artist, you needed to be in a gallery and know people.

The starving artist was a real thing,” Cannon explained.

So, she majored in education and taught in Gwinnett County for 10 years. Cannon shared proudly, “Kids would leave 5th grade with no fear of painting or peachtreecornerslife

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sculpting; they’d been exposed to it as a regular class since kindergarten.”

After her second child, she stayed home and began to dabble in her own art. With young children in the house, the fumes from oil paints didn’t seem like a good idea — nor did their drying time. Depending on the environment and number of layers, it could take days or weeks to dry.

This clashed with her preference to work fast, so she started painting with acrylics and never looked back.

Well known for her nests, Cannon loves thick paint, vibrant peachtreecornerslife

Opposite page, Artist, Leslie Rae Cannon with her coveted nest painting.

Clockwise from above, Mini acrylic painting gymnastics Small Bunny painting in white frame. Swap out the painting for every occasion or holiday!

An acrylic painting of Cannon’s daughter playing soccer Fun holiday or special occasion butterfly mini paintings Detail - Fun holiday or special occasion American Flag mini painting (Photos by Patrizia Winsper)

colors and large, loose brushstrokes. She includes texture and drips in her paintings, ranging in size from small to extra-large.

Cannon hopes to share the joy of art with adults who are afraid to paint. She plans to assemble groups to get over their reservations. She revealed what she’d convey, “Get your hands dirty, make a mess, play, enjoy it! Just have a relaxing, fun, non-threatening time.”

Inspiration Having always been drawn to birds and nests, Cannon remembers a comment her mother-

in-law made decades earlier. It powerfully echoed back to her the first time her eldest son came home for a visit from college, “All my chicks are in the nest.” She recalled those words and the sentiment resounded with her more than ever before.

Cannon created her first huge painting of three eggs in a nest, representing her children. Upon seeing it, her husband left a note which read: “The drawing over the mantle is beautiful. DO NOT SELL.” Naturally, she took it to her next show and ended up selling it for more than her original asking price.

Since then, she recreates that painting for the mantle every year, and every year, she inevitably sells it.

“Nature inspires me, and I also like the human figure,” she said. While she is fond of painting nudes, she likes them to be a little abstract. “They’re not very detailed, you can hang them up without having to put a box over certain parts.”

Commissions Contact Leslie Rae Cannon on Instagram or Facebook, @leslieraecannon_art. Commissions are fully customizable. The number

of eggs in the nest can reflect your family size; colors and backgrounds can be customized. Cannon enjoys working with interior designers, and will match paint chips, swatches of wallpaper and upholstery to match your room.

Depending on the canvas size and her commission schedule, she can usually turn pieces around in two to three weeks if nothing else is going on. “I ask a lot of questions to get a feel for what you like,” Cannon said. “I adore incorporating individual touches that would be unique to your piece.”

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Michael Tablada Ceramics

On The Wesleyan Artist Market For Michael Tablada, The Artist Market represents his busiest time of year. It’s also the only time he makes “normal pieces,” like mugs, vases and bowls.

He described the show, the only one he participates in yearly, as a great community event and an exciting time. “It’s an invitation to come see a gathering of artists — from the community and from several states away — who participate. Over the years, there’s been a great mix of beautifully executed, high-end art and crafts made by self-taught individuals. Though they exhibit a wide range of work, the content is family friendly.”

The show also provides an opportunity for students to exhibit and sell their art. It’s fascinating to see what middle and high schoolers can accomplish, Tablada added.

“We have top notch facilities and a plethora of media we work through,” he said. “Middle school classes are doing advanced painting techniques. High school classes are able to get on the wheel and create large-scale pottery exploring a variety of techniques.”

Proceeds from the show are used to grow the amazing facilities at Wesleyan. Whether it’s upgrades for studios, an opportunity for a student trip or a guest speaker. “We try to bring in outside influences. The Wesleyan Arts Alliance advocates for the arts, helping us strive for the best student programs,” Tablada explained.

Several students have unbelievable talent. Some are selling artwork made in class; then they go home and make more to sell.

Others make baked goods or jewelry on their own. One student, who graduated last year, had a soap business she had started in middle school. She created her own self-sustaining business and has an online store.

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The Making of an Artist Tablada grew up in Alpharetta, Ga. He discovered his love for clay at Auburn University and started creating art in 2003. “I love how the slightest touch can change the look of the clay; it’s easily manipulatable,” he explained. “It can be anything you want it to be. I enjoy working with such a versatile medium because of all the possibilities.”

While telling Bible stories at

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school or before a congregation in church, Tablada creates pottery.

Fusing music, visual art and the spoken word, he aims to elicit emotion using the gospel. “I enjoy combining elements to make as big an impact with the artwork as I can,” he said.

Tablada loves presenting. “Students go to chapel and many attend church, too,” he said. “To break up that rhythm by including pottery and music, they get mesmerized peachtreecornerslife

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by the art. Before they know it, they’re captivated by the message as well. I love to draw emotions out of people as they connect with the experience. It’s pretty unique to be able to do that in a live setting.”

The process used to create his pieces is emblematic. Distressing the vessels represents sin, for example. Conversely, waves and blue glaze represent baptism. The story behind his creation dictates the methodology used. For exampeachtreecornerslife

Top row of pottery by Michael Tablada, left to right, The Pharisee, Judas, Criminal on Cross, and Christ the Living Water Bottom row, left to right, Potter, Michael Tablada creating a vessel with student onlookers Mary Magdalene, John The Baptist (Photos courtesy of Michael Tablada)

Inspiration

ple, throwing stones at the vessel “Criminal on Cross” while it’s being made represents the crowds who threw rocks at Jesus.

Conversely, the “John the Baptist” pitcher is laying down on a bed of waves. The figure is undisturbed while being dunked under the water. This represents how John the Baptist fully accepted the will of God and laid down his life for Him.

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Tablada’s art is spiritual. A strong Christian faith is the backbone of his work, he said, and it wasn’t until after college that his faith really blossomed at Wesleyan. Until then, he had always considered himself a Christian but never truly explored what that meant.

“I started reading the Bible and the words came to life as I asked to know God personally.

Being surrounded by a community of believers at Wesleyan played a big part in my faith journey,” Tablada said.

For the last 10 years, his artwork has centered around illustrating Bible stories in a novel way. “I give my pottery human characteristics represented in Bible stories. Each piece is derived from stories in scripture,” he shared.

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His vessels start off whole and utilitarian. One could actually use them as a bowl, a vase or a pitcher. But when he distresses them, they become worn, representing sin.

“Just as our sins eat away at us, removing the original function God had intended for us, the same is true for the vessels.

After distressing them to varying degrees, they are no longer able to hold liquid or to be used. Or maybe the piece becomes so fragile it’s about to break,” he said.

Tablada described his creative process. “I get new ideas about how I can turn a piece of pottery into a representation of something from the Bible. Whether it’s to teach a lesson for a presentation or to create a finished work of art.” He added that he likes to work on some pieces in the classroom, opening the door for

faith-based conversations.

Commissions Visit Tablada’s website — michaeljtablada.weebly.com — to learn more. Popular designs on his website are recreated upon demand — all handmade, of course.

Biblically themed pieces that are duplicated often include elements to make each one unique; forms, sizes, textures or colors may vary.

“I take commissions for unique pieces often ordered for Christmas, birthdays or one-ofa-kind wedding gifts. These have included coffee sets, sculptures and biblically-themed book ends.”

A consultation with the artist ensures pieces are created to inspire the recipient.■

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22nd Wesleyan Artist Market Cancelled Due to COVID-19 Concerns The Wesleyan Artist Market has emerged as one of the premier school sponsored art shows in the region. As popular as it is, the 22nd Wesleyan Artist Market, planned for April 2020, has been cancelled in an effort to help slow the spread of Coronavirus.

“We’re grateful to the community for the incredible support and outreach we’ve received over the years, and particularly, for the momentum going into the 2020 show,” said Gina Solomon, who serves as a co-chair for the 22nd Wesleyan

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Artist Market along with Nadine Araim and Kirsten Scott.

“It’s a great loss for all of us,” Solomon added. “From Wesleyan’s standpoint, we will miss the largest community building event all year. We love hosting and bringing incredible artists and artwork to the community.”

Support artists through online purchases She explained that it’s tough for the artists right now, as major art shows all over the region have been cancelled due

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to COVID-19. The artists prepare all year for the Spring art season and with the cancellations, they’ll be sitting on excess inventory.

Solomon suggested that art lovers follow the Wesleyan Artist Market at artistmarket.wesleyanschool.org to see the artists’ work and reach them directly.

“We also continue to highlight our artists and our sponsors via @wesleyanartistmarket,” she said. “Many of our artists have gone heavily virtual to move the excess inventory right now. They also have great messages of inspiration and light, and our hope is that the power of the arts can still bring joy and relief at this difficult time.”

A difficult time for many Solomon stressed that she and the rest of the Wesleyan School community are also very concerned for the show’s local

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sponsors, as businesses are especially hard hit during this time.

“Mostly, our hearts are broken for the community at large, and the pain and suffering associated with the pandemic,” she said.

On a positive note, Solomon reports that, since the cancellation, the outpouring of encouragement and connection has been tremendous.

“We have nothing but gratitude and just want our community of artists, sponsors and patrons to be well,” she said.

“We will never take for granted the freedom of assembly and we look forward to hopefully seeing everyone from Peachtree Corners and beyond in April 2021 — stronger than ever.”

To find out more about the Wesleyan Artists Market and participating artists, go to artistmarket.wesleyanschool.org. ■

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INSIDE PEACHTREE CORNERS

From the Mayor’s Desk

Public Safety Cameras in Our City Community safety is a top priority in our City; the City Council and I consider this is of utmost importance. Peachtree Corners is extremely fortunate to have the services of the Gwinnett County Police Department to patrol our neighborhoods, and public areas.

However, we felt there was more the City could do to assist the GCPD in ensuring the safety of our citizens, our businesses and those visiting.

You may have read in the news recently about Georgia Power’s program that offers cities a service to install cameras and license plate readers at strategic entry points. A number of surrounding cities have added public safety cameras through this program. The cameras record traffic movements and scan license plates.

We will begin implementing Georgia Powers’ program in the coming months. I am sure you have questions. Below is a series of Q&As which should address the majority of your queries. Please know, we are all available and happy to answer any additional questions you may have.

Q: Why is the City doing this? Has the crime rate risen in Peachtree Corners?

A: No. The cameras are designed to enhance GCPD’s crime-fighting capabilities. The City decided to add the video/license place recognition cameras as another step in ensuring everyone’s safety.

Q: How many cameras will be installed and where will these cameras be located?

A: With GCPD’s assistance, the city has identified 15 locations, which are all at major entry points into the City. The cameras will only capture activity in the public right of way. The locations were chosen based on factors such as traffic count and crime statistics.

Q: Will the cameras include recording activity in neighborhoods and other residential areas?

A: No, the cameras will only record activity on the selected 15 major access points. The purpose for these camera locations is to capture traffic on major thoroughfares coming in and out of our City. The accompanying map shows the locations where the cameras will be located.

Q: Will the City or residents have access to the video footage from the cameras? And how long is the video kept?

A: Only the GCPD will have access. The camera system retains video footage, which is stored in the cloud, for 30 days, after that new video footage replaces the oldest footage.

Q: Do the cameras simply record automobiles coming and going?

A: In addition to traffic activity, the cameras are equipped with License Plate Recognition (LPR) capabilities. The cameras will scan license plates and alert police if vehicles are flagged as stolen or of interest in a criminal investigation.

Q: Where are the cameras mounted?

A: The cameras and LPRs are mounted to utility poles and streetlights. They are high-speed, computer-controlled cameras that capture all license plate numbers that come into view, along with the location, date and time.

Mike Mason, Mayor

Q: How are the police notified? How does the LPR technology work?

A: The readers send an alert to officers’ laptops when a tag is read that may be connected to a stolen vehicle, car-jacking or other criminal activity.

Q: How much do these cameras cost? Did the City purchase them?

A: The cameras will be leased from Georgia Power for $285.00 per month per camera and Georgia Power will repair or replace any camera that isn’t working properly. This was a less expensive option over purchasing the equipment. Additionally, the lease agreement ensures the cameras will be maintained by the provider. The monthly cost includes the camera itself, electricity and cloud storage of data.

Q: When will the cameras be installed?

A: The City is coordinating with Georgia Power; the work is expected to be complete by late summer.

Q: Will additional cameras be added at a later time?

A: It’s possible, the GCPD will help in assessing whether additional cameras are needed.

Gwinnett County’s newest and largest city, Peachtree Corners, was founded July 1, 2012 and is located along the Chattahoochee River in the southwest corner of the county. The city is home to over 40,000 residents and 2,700 businesses.

Peachtree Corners City Hall 310 Technology Parkway Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 Telephone: 678-691-1200

Continued on the next page Be sure to visit the city’s new YouTube Channel Peachtree Corners Network at Youtube.com/peachtreecornersnetwork

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INSIDE PEACHTREE CORNERS Continued from page 49 Q: Can these cameras be installed at the entrance to my subdivision?

A: The City is working on a program that would allow subdivisions to request the cameras to be installed at the entrance. The subdivisions must meet certain criteria. Each neighborhood would be responsible for the cost of installing and the monthly/yearly cost of operation. We expect to have more information on this program in the near future.

Peachtree Corners has relatively low crime rates; however, we have state and county roads that run through our City carrying over 150,000 vehicles daily through our city limits. Adding an additional crime-fighting tool that the police can use makes our City that much safer.

Sincerely, Mike Mason, Mayor

Site Preparation on Former Fiserv Property to Begin Soon Site preparation activities will soon get underway at the former Fiserv property. The 115-acre site, which was purchased last fall, is to be developed into a 55+ residential community.

The property is located on East Jones Bridge and was sold last fall to The Providence Group of Georgia for an age-restricted community development. The Suwanee, GA-based builder expects to have the first homes available for sale in the fourth quarter of this year.

The East Jones Bridge development will offer condominiums, townhomes and single-family homes for active adults. The community will consist of up to 916 mixed age-restricted residential units. Additionally, the development will include independent assisted living and memory care components. The gated community includes 4,000 feet of frontage along the Chattahoochee River.

For questions, please contact The Providence Group at 678-475-9400.

Medlock Bridge and Bush Road Intersection Improvements to Begin this Spring Intersection improvements are on the way for Bush Road at Medlock Bridge Road.

Operational improvements and upgrades to the traffic signal will be included, and the southbound Bush Road turn lanes will have increased capacity.

The goal of the project is to improve vehicular and pedestrian safety and reduce congestion during peak hour travelling. Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in April 2020.

All existing travel lanes will be maintained during construction, but intermittent interruptions due to construction activity are possible but will be minimized to the greatest extent possible.

Mayor and City Council approved a construction agreement with Vertical Earth, Inc. for just over $1.1 million. Funding for the project will come from the 2017 SPLOST through an intergovernmental agreement with Gwinnett County.

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INSIDE PEACHTREE CORNERS City Receives ARC Green Communities Certification Earlier this year, the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) announced that the city of Peachtree Corners and three other metro Atlanta cities (Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and Woodstock), have been certified through the agency’s Green Communities Program.

The program recognizes these cities’ efforts in demonstrating leadership in sustainability practices. Developed in 2009, the ARC Green Communities Program recognizes local governments that invest in programs and policies that lead to a more sustainable region.

Peachtree Corners was recertified at the Bronze level for providing single-stream curbside recycling to all residents and hosting an annual electronic waste disposal event for residents to safely and properly dispose of electronic appliances and devices. All winners earned certification points for sustainable measures implemented in their communities.

“Protecting our environment and recycling responsibly have always been of paramount importance to our city,” said Mayor Mike Mason. “I am very proud that Peachtree Corners has once again been certified by the ARC.” The nationally recognized program showcases the many ways that local governments can reduce their environmental footprint. In metro Atlanta, 20 local governments – 13 cities and seven counties –

L-R, Doug Hooker, ARC’s executive director, Peachtree Corners’ Economic Development Manager, Jennifer Howard, Mayor Mike Mason, ARC’s Sustainability Coordinator Kelsey Waidhas and Kerry Armstrong, ARC’s chairman of the board.

are currently certified under ARC’s Green Communities Program. This is the first program in the country to promote sustainability through a green certification program for local governments.

“These local governments are to be commended for demonstrating an ongoing

commitment to conserving energy and protecting our natural resources,” said Kerry Armstrong, ARC board chairman. “Their efforts set a positive example for other communities while fostering a sense of regional pride.”

Have you completed your Census survey?

CANCELED - Shredding, Electronics Recycling Date Set for April 18

Just a reminder — the Census Bureau has begun mailing invitations to participate in the Census online.

When you receive yours, it will include a code used to log in to the Census website to complete your questionnaire. This is a quick and simple process to complete online.

We’re all distracted by the coronavirus news -- but this is important. The data collected is used to determining voting districts, federal grant monies for community needs such as funding care for the elderly and the young and much more.

Please take a moment and complete your survey. You can complete it online, by telephone or by mail.

Visit 2020census.com for more information.

Be sure to visit the city’s new YouTube Channel Peachtree Corners Network at Youtube.com/peachtreecornersnetwork

The city’s annual free electronics recycling and paper shredding event for Peachtree Corners residents that was scheduled for Saturday, April 18, at City Hall has been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The City expects to reschedule the event to take place sometime in the fall. Please watch for an upcoming announcement in a future e-newsletter.

Please remember this event is open to Peachtree Corners RESIDENTS ONLY.

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INSIDE PEACHTREE CORNERS Cybersecurity: Keeping Our City Safe Brandon Branham the city’s Chief Technology Officer, graduates nationally recognized cybersecurity program With the increasing number of local municipalities becoming victims of cybersecurity attacks, cities can no longer sit on the side lines hoping their technology infrastructure will hold up. Cities must be proactive in their approach to defending their organizations information and systems.

Peachtree Corners, one of the world’s leading Smart Cities, understands the importance of cybersecurity and its affect on the future of smart city technologies. This is why Brandon Branham, the city’s Chief Technology Officer, recently went through a rigorous 12-week collaborative readiness program, led by Fortune 500 CISOs (Chief Information Security Officers) and peers who deliver their proven frameworks and insights on how to lead and secure a network and an organization – protecting data assets and the enterprise brand. This program coaches participants on what it means to think and act as a cybersecurity leader. The program was offered through the Professional Development Academy.

When asked what the city is doing to protect itself against cybersecurity threats, Branham said: “Peachtree Corners is proactive in protecting the sensitive data of our residents and businesses. We use many of the standard tools necessary to ensure the city’s data and technology infrastructure is safe, whether that be through the use of firewalls, spam filters, threat intelligence services, anti-virus, and the like.

“However, I want to point out something here, cities and companies around the world, can have some of the best tools and technology when it comes to protecting networks, but the biggest risk to any organization is still that eight inches between the keyboard and chair.

We as the city can set up every piece of technology out there, but if one of our employees clicks on a link in an email that contains a virus

or ransomware, an attacker just gained access to the city’s network and can cause significant damage.

“This is why the city takes a proactive approach to training employees what to look for in phishing attempts and periodically run its own phishing tests.

It’s imperative for organizations to continue to train their staff as attackers are getting more sophisticated with their phishing attempts.”

When asked, what were some of the biggest takeaways from the program, he said: “It was getting to learn from some of the greatest leaders in cybersecurity and gaining leadership development training from General Colin Powell on how to move an organization forward in the right direction.”

Curiosity Lab Intern Shares Experience Curiosity Lab has been privileged to work with two Paul Duke STEM High School students this academic year. They have each worked with one or more startups to learn and deploy valuable skills. Danielle Sophamisay is one of the interns (pictured) -- her story is below: “My experience at the Curiosity Lab has been incredible. My internship with Insiten has given me new insight into different areas of the business environment. I started with a programming boot camp where I was taught the basics of JavaScript and HTML. Then, I transitioned to the graphic design aspect of using Photoshop to make wallpapers and making a website aesthetically pleasing while still being user friendly. My favorite part would have to be the atmosphere at the Curiosity Lab. The wall art and decorations give it a fun and inviting feeling.”

Note: Insiten is a startup company that connects people, processes and data, find more at inciten.com

Reporting a Code Observation/Violation HOW DO I REPORT AN OBSERVATION/VIOLATION? There are several ways to report an observation/violation.

1. You can access the city website, www.peachtreecornersga.gov – then under the “How Do I …”tab click “Report an Issue” in the pulldown menu and follow the instructions.

2. Use the city’s Corners Connect app. The free app is available for both iPhones and Android users. Search for “Corners Connect” app in the App Store (iPhones) and Play Store (Android phones). After you download the app – all you need to do is click the “PTC Fix It link and follow the prompts.

3. Or call City Hall directly – 678-691-1200.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A COMPLAINT IS RECEIVED? Our Code Enforcement Officers will answer questions and investigate complaints from citizens on a wide variety of issues. Depending on the nature of the complaint and the results of the inspection, the

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Officer visits the reported property and works with the property owner/ resident to correct any issues found. Depending on the type/size of the violation there may be more than one follow-up inspection required.

From the date the Notice of Violation (NOV) is issued, the owner/ resident is given a specific time frame in which to correct violation(s) and come into compliance. A NOV can be verbal, a door hanger, a written notice and at times a phone call.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF A RECEIVE A NOTICE OF VIOLATION? Correct the violation either before or by the corrective action date given. If for any reason you are unable to come into compliance within the time frame given or have questions, please call the Code Enforcement Officer who issued the NOV to discuss the violation/resolution.

Our Code Enforcement Team works with the community through communication and education with a goal of voluntary compliance while encouraging responsible property maintenance.

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INSIDE PEACHTREE CORNERS Home Improvement Projects Hiring a Contractor VS Do-it-Yourself If you are thinking of building a deck, finishing a basement, renovating your kitchen, updating the bathroom or any other home project on your residential property, then you will need to decide: Should I hire a contractor or do it myself?

There are many things to consider: Do I need a permit? You can find that information on the city website. In the “Residents” tab, select “When Do I Need a Building Permit” in the pull-down menu. If you do not find the answer you need, please call the Building Department at 678-691-1200. If indeed you do need a permit, there are legal requirements for which you or your contractor must qualify.

First, if you decide to do the work yourself, you must be an owner/occupant. In other words, you must own the home, and it must be your primary residence. In any other case you will need to hire a general contractor.

So, let’s say you own the home and it’s your primary residence, first you must make application for a permit which you can find on our website Please or call City Hall for assistance.

In the application process you must sign an affidavit stating you are acting as the general contractor for the work to be performed.

This is a legal document that says you will

preside over the work including the trades, such as plumbing, electrical and mechanical. Be aware that if you do not do the work yourself, you must hire licensed contractors to perform the work, and they must submit affidavits or apply for permits from the city. You will be responsible for permitting including providing plans to the Building Department, calling for all inspections, and providing a safe working environment.

Of course, not having to pay a general contractor can be a cost-saving endeavor. However, there are hidden dangers. By signing the affidavit, you are saying you are completely responsible for code compliance. The city cannot recommend, or tell you how to complete your project, the city will inspect for code compliance and report code violations only.

Also, there is a matter of insurance for accidents or injuries by you or your subcontractors, if you are acting as the general contractor, you are responsible for providing insurance for the project. This is not meant to be a complete statement of responsibilities, but is provided to give you an idea of some of the responsibilities and issues that could arise from acting as the general contractor.

OK, after all that maybe you decide you

don’t want the responsibility of acting as the general contractor, maybe you want to hire a contractor. Typically, after you and your general contractor have discussed the project and came to an agreement on the price and materials, your work is done, at least with the legal aspect of code compliance.

The general contractor is responsible for permitting, plan review, getting the proper inspections for code compliance, and he or she must be licensed by the State of Georgia, and carry liability insurance (state law) for the project.

As you can see, there is much to weigh when making this decision. As Building Official, I have advised those that have asked to take everything into consideration, not just the initial cost savings of doing it yourself. You have every right as an owner occupant to pull your own permits and do your own work, just make sure you have a clear understanding of the state minimum code requirements and your responsibilities under the law.

Mark Mitchell CBO, MCP Building Official City of Peachtree Corners, GA

Illicit Stormwater Discharges How to Prevent Stormwater Pollution in Your Neighborhood Stormwater runoff flows from rooftops, driveways, paved roads, bare soil, and lawns into stormwater drainage systems, which includes catch basins, yard inlets, pipes, ditches, ponds and streams. It picks up pollutants and transports them directly to our waterways where they are discharged with no treatment and hurt our environment.

What is an “Illicit Discharge?”

An illicit (illegal) discharge is any discharge to our stormwater drainage system that is not composed entirely of stormwater.

Disposal of anything other than stormwater in storm sewers is illegal!

■ Septic Tank Seepage /

Illegal Sanitary Connections ■ Washing Car & Laundry

Wastewater / Detergent ■ Improper Waste Oil or Automotive

■

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Fluids Disposal Home Improvement Waste (concrete, paint, solvents, sealers) Pesticides and Fertilizers Pet Waste Pool / Spa Discharge Cooking Grease / Household Waste Trash and Debris

You Can Protect Water Quality by: ■ Never dump anything down

storm drains ■ Use lawn and garden chemicals

sparingly; sweep up any excess from

paved areas ■ Repair vehicle leaks; cover spilled

fluids with kitty litter then sweep

into household waste ■ Pick up after your pet ■ Plant ground cover to control

soil erosion ■ Keep grass clippings, leaves,

litter, and debris out of street gutters

and storm drains ■ Direct downspouts onto grassy areas ■ Wash your vehicle on grass instead

of the driveway

Be sure to visit the city’s new YouTube Channel Peachtree Corners Network at Youtube.com/peachtreecornersnetwork

■

Dispose of used oil, antifreeze, paints and other household chemicals in an approved manner

Report a suspected stormwater discharge violation online (https//www.peachtreecornersga.gov/residents/report-an-issue-fix-it) or call City Hall 678-691-1200

TEMPORARY CHANGE TO TRASH PICKUP SERVICE NOTICE: Waste Management has significantly reduced its field work force in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, effective Monday March 30, Waste Management suspended pick-up of bulk, yard waste, and anything outside of the carts until further notice.

Pick up of solid waste and recycling carts will continue as normal.

Yard waste service will be credited on your account by Waste Management for as long as the service is temporarily suspended.

April/May 2020 ■ Inside Peachtree Corners

53

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Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ April/May 2020 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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Peachtree Corners Magazine â– April/May 2020 â– LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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