Peachtree Corners Magazine - February/March 2021

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A SUMMER DAZE CAMP PREVIEW P24

INSIDE PEACHTREE CORNERS OFFICIAL CITY NEWS►

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CONTENTS EVENTS First Up

12 Peachtree Corners Teams Bring Faith to Sports

20 Silver and Gold

29 Black History Month 2021

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COVER STORY/COMMUNITY Peachtree Corners Teams Bring Faith to Sports

12

MOVE Rolling Along Silver and Gold

16 20

KNOWLEDGE A Summer Daze Camp Preview 24 Black History Month 2021 29 A Student’s Journey from Peachtree Corners to Brown University 32 BUSINESS Building a Thriving Community through the Peachtree Corners Redevelopment Authority 36 Setting a New Standard 38 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Wesleyan Artist Market Features Artists through Virtual Event 42 The Peachtree Corners Artist’s Corner: A Conversation with Blair LeBlanc 43 COMMUNITY Aging Well: A Senior Citizen’s Resource Guide

44

SPACES A Look Inside the UPCCA An Interview with Judge Davis

48 50

NOURISH A Valentine’s Day to Savor

51

BELIEVE A Spring Season of a Different Color: Holy Holidays around Peachtree Corners

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OFFICIAL CITY NEWS

Inside Peachtree Corners

About the Cover

BUILDING A THRIVING COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY P36

A SUMMER DAZE CAMP PREVIEW P24

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51 A Valentine’s Day to Savor

POSTAL CUSTOMER

43 A Conversation with Blair LeBlanc

INSIDE PEACHTREE CORNERS

The Blue Devils Basketball Team PEACHTREE CORNERS Coaches: Brian Johnson, back, and Robert Lammers, not pictured Players, back row, left to right: Daniel Roof, Carson Shell, Brayden Long, Elias Johnson, and Cooper Tillotson faith in sports Players, seated, left to right: Nolan Pinson and Cole Hunter (Players not pictured: Gavin Lammers and Luke Wilson) AGING WELL: A SENIOR CITIZEN’S RESOURCE GUIDE PAGE 44

February/March 2021 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

OFFICIAL CITY NEWS►

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HOLY HOLIDAYS AROUND PEACHTREE CORNERS PAGE 54

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PEACHTREECORNERS EDITORIAL

EXECUTIVE EDITOR & PUBLISHER

RICO FIGLIOLINI CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

KESEY ASHER EDITOR EMERITUS

KATHY DEAN EDITORIAL CONSULTANT

RITA FIGLIOLINI

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

JULIE DAVIS

THE TEAM & CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE RICO FIGLIOLINI

KELSEY ASHER

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.

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.

Publisher & Executive Editor

Contributing Editor

RITA FIGLIOLINI

KATHY DEAN

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!

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.

Editor Emeritus

Editorial Consultant

julie@livinginpeachtreecorners.com

JULIE DAVIS

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.

Writer

Account Executive

JULIE MURCIA

MARK WOOLSEY

Julie Murcia has been a graphic designer for several years and works with Peachtree Corners Magazine to design ads for our clients.

When she’s not doing that or other freelance work, she operates and owns a dog walking and pet sitting business.

Mark Woolsey is a communications professional who got hooked on radio and the written word at an early age. He attended Southern Illinois University and went on to pursue a 44-year broadcast career spanning nine states. He has worked as a news anchor, reporter, air personality, traffic reporter and meteorologist.

Graphic Designer

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PEACHTREECORNERS PUBLISHED BY MIGHTY ROCKETS LLC. Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 678-358-7858 editor@livinginpeachtreecorners.com Peachtree Corners Magazine is published six 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.

February/March 2021 issue Volume 2 Number 12 ©2020 Peachtree Corners Magazine The editors welcome submissions, event listings, achievements and photography. Please direct them to editor@livinginpeachtreecorners.com.

This publication is privately owned and managed

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Writer

KRIS BIRD

GEORGE HUNTER

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.

George Hunter is an IT professional from Alaska by way of Texas. His primary hobby is photography, covering a wide range of subjects from pets to cosplay, sports to fashion. Volunteering and fostering dogs brings him much joy. George, his wife Lila and their rescued dogs have made their home in west Gwinnett for almost 20 years.

Writer

Photographer

JOHN RUCH

PATRIZIA WINSPER

John Ruch is managing editor of the Reporter Newspapers in metro Atlanta. His freelance writing recently has appeared in such publications as the Washington Post and the Seattle Times. In his spare time, he writes fantasy novels.

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.

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FAMILY OF PODCASTS |

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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

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FIRST UP

Events, Programs & Fun Things to Do

Spring Outdoor Soccer Sign Up Happening now

Robert D. Fowler Family YMCA 5600 W. Jones Bridge Road, Peachtree Corners 30092 770-246-9622 facebook.com/FowlerY Spring youth soccer is signing up now at Fowler YMCA. The program runs February through May, and teams are available for children from ages 2 to 13.

Visit the YMCA facebook page for the sign-up link and details.

Wesleyan Artist Market▲ April 22 - 29

Online event artistmarket.wesleyanschool.org The 23rd annual Wesleyan Artist Market will feature the work of 84 professional artists, including several local artists, as well as 17 Wesleyan student artists. The Market will be hosted via Shopify’s e-commerce platform. Admission is free and all are welcome.

Town Green Calendar 5140 Town Center Boulevard Peachtree Corners 30092 peachtreecornersga.gov

Atlanta Jewish Film Festival▲

Important Note: All City events are subject to postponement or cancellation due to current health and safety concerns, as well as other mitigating factors. Please check the city website and calendar for updates.

February 17 - 28

Awards Show, March 10 AJFF.org The 21st Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF) will stream its diverse lineup of films to your home. Visit the website for tickets and details. (“The Crossing” movie pictured above)

The Lower Room

CornholeATL Spring League Registration Happening now; registration ends March 8

Town Green 5140 Town Center Boulevard, Peachtree Corners 30092

March 25 - April 3

Lionheart Theatre Company 10 College Street, Norcross 30071 678-938-8518 lionhearttheatre.org The story of Jesus’ passion through the eyes of the women who followed Him. Visit the website for details on the theatre’s COVID-19 safety measures.

Registration is now open for the CornholeATL Spring League. Leagues are forming for beginner, intermediate, intermediate +, and advanced divisions. League play begins March 17 and ends May 12. All games are played on Wednesdays on the Town Green at either 6:45, 7:30, or 8:15 p.m. For more information, email Marjie Foley at info@cornholeatl.com. Must be 21 or older. Register online at: http://cornholeatl.leagueapps.com/leagues/ cornhole/1607677-peachtree-corners-town-center---wednesdays--spring-2021

Important Dates Mark Your Calendar!

FEBRUARY BLACK HISTORY MONTH Groundhog Day, February 2

Valentine’s Day, February 14 President’s Day, February 15 Mardi Gras, February 16 Ash Wednesday, February 17 Purim, February 25-26

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MARCH WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

National Girl Scout Day, March 12 Daylight Savings Time, March 14 Pi Day, March 14 St. Patrick’s Day, March 17 Passover, March 27 - April 3 Palm Sunday, March 28

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Peachtree Corners Business Association Pms 350 c Pms 369 c

4989 Peachtree Parkway, Peachtree Corners 678-969-3385 | peachtreecornersba.com

Connect Over Coffee

Second Tuesday of the Month, February 9, 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, 5215 Town Center Boulevard, Peachtree Corners 30092 Meet and mingle with other Peachtree Corners Business Association members. No cost to PCBA members and their guests, no registration needed.

Southwest Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce

107 Technology Parkway, Peachtree Corners 30092 678-906-4078, www.southwestgwinnettchamber.com

First Friday Breakfast

Fridays, February 5 and March 5, 7:30 - 9 a.m.

we can create and manage your presence online

Atlanta Tech Park, 107 Technology Parkway, Peachtree Corners 30092 $15 for members, $20 for non-members, registration required.

Limited seating, no walk-ups, no online presentation ◄February 5 — Leading on the Other Side of 2020.

Dr. Tim Elmore, founder of Growing Leaders, discusses the best practices that leaders leverage to make decisions, prepare for the future and interface with teams.

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Fridays, February 12, 19 and 26, 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.

Atlanta Tech Park, 107 Technology Parkway, Peachtree Corners 30092 Members and non-members are invited for safe and socially distanced networking. Masks are required. Coffee is provided.

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COVER STORY

Peachtree Co Bring Faith

A

quick inbound pass whistles by, just out of reach of a defender. The ball’s grabbed, then quickly bounced — passed to another lanky youngster on the Tarheels (not the North Carolina college team, but youngsters on the cusp of being teenagers) basketball squad.

“Shoot it!” yells a teammate.

One quick pivot and a turnaround jumper later, the ball swishes cleanly through the net.

Such is a microcosm of youth hoops November through February at Peachtree Corners Baptist Church (PCBC), which plays host to a highly regarded and mainly intermural sports program that gathers in as many as 1,000 youngsters and adults annually. That includes boys’ and girls’ basketball (ages 7 to 12), with nearly a workday’s-worth of games playing out on a particularly chilly January Saturday.

As is the case with any such program, the scene is familiar. Players, parents and coaches shouting into the echoing cavern of the gym, the squeak of sneakers and the rhythmic ‘thunk, thunk’ of ball meeting hardwood.

Sit in the bleachers for a while, however, and the differences between it and some other programs manifest. No trash talk. No angry disputing of referee calls. Coaches who encourage instead of demean.

‘A good atmosphere’

“It’s the first time I’ve been here,” said Dan Marschke, a Walton County resident, in between yelling in-game encouragement to his grandson. “I think it’s a good atmosphere.”

Unfortunately, the “feel” has changed a bit this year with a pandemic continuing to rage.

As COVID-19 gained steam this past spring, adult basketball, tee-ball, and machine pitch baseball were shut down. The program returned with summer camps and precautions in place going forward.

As a faith-based organization, creating a team from youngsters, sometimes less than

By Mark Woolsey

12

Photos by George Hunter

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orners Teams h to Sports perfectly disciplined and lacking basketball experience, happens on the parallel tracks of skill improvement plus character / spiritual development. The recreational benefits of sports and fun are emphasized over winning and losing, said league coordinator Billy Sowell. Bringing players closer to Christ — pumping up that faith muscle, so to speak — is also a prime priority.

At PCBC, that takes the form of a devotional done in the course of weekly practice and prayer before games. Coaches, parents and kids all seem to appreciate the connection.

“I get to be closer to God,” is how 13-yearold Grayson McCollum put it, referring to those 15-minute practice devotionals. “He gave me everything that I am blessed with today so I want to be as close as I can.”

Not only has his faith strengthened, he indicated, but the experience has fostered a more even temperament. Cooperation, building each other up and taking responsibility are the default, not anger and blame shifting.

Peachtree Corners City Manager Brian Johnson, who coaches the Blue Devils team his 12-year-old Elias plays on, backs up that mindset. “The general benefit is learning teamwork and sportsmanship and how to be a good winner and a good loser,” he said, “and that practice makes perfect. It takes time to get better.” He added that personal development happens more than at the player level.

At the end of the season, Johnson said, “I feel like I’ve learned things, not just the kids.

For me it’s a little taste of what it’s like to be a teacher.”

As an adjunct to that notion, he’s mindful that how he handles a bad referee call or tough loss sets an example.

And sometimes playing in a structured environment can lead to an inflection point or alteration in direction. Tarheels player and coaches’ son Michael Brown Jr. said the experience has led to a changed view on sports.

“I always thought soccer was going to be

Continued on Page 14

February/March 2021 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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COVER STORY Continued from page 13 my thing, but basketball has proven to be a really fun sport,” he said emphatically.

He said that a winter holiday made longer by concerns over COVID-19 posed a challenge.

“We came back from break and you could definitely tell that we had been gone for a while,” Brown Jr. said. That rustiness led into some rehabilitative drilling on the basics.

Pandemic concerns have also made another kind of dent in the program. Sowell says four teams had been “quarantined” as of January 26, sitting out of games and practices.

Two of the teams involved were exposed to coaches who have tested positive. The other two stemmed from cases where a player had tested positive within two days of playing a game. Three of the teams had returned as of January 26, with the other set to come back the following week.

He said that a couple of games and several practices had been canceled.

COVID and other concerns notwithstanding, parents seem very happy with the sports ministry.

“Everybody knows about the program here,” said Karen McCollum, the mother of 13-year-old Grayson and 12-year-old brother Maddox. “We believe highly in keeping our kids involved in sports and keeping them focused. “They’ve learned so much from the coaches and the players.”

That’s like music to Sowell’s ears and, to him, is reflective of the program’s laser focus on faith. “We want to use sports as a way to introduce the love of Jesus,” he said, making it clear to the youngsters “that God gave them the abilities to play and have fun and that’s what we want to focus on.”

Onward and upward

Programs such as PCBC’s occupy an expanding role in the constellation of youth recreational sports.

South Carolina-based Upward Sports partners with churches to help them begin and maintain sports ministries, with more than 1,500 such congregations on its roster last year. Their Partner Engagement Manager, Drew Provence, said the goal is to help local congregations connect with their surrounding communities through the gospel.

“It’s a universal language,” is how Provence put it. “We’ve seen that 95% of all people interact with sports in some fashion.” And, he said, churches can use the outreach and that universal language as a way to attract new members to the flock.

Officials with the local church said that’s a story that’s repeatedly played out over the years, as players and families from the community at-large make the jump from setting foot on the property for a first time to becoming staunch members of the congregation.

14

Not just for kids

Sowell said that roughly 10% of those involved in their sports programs are church members. Capitalizing on that broad base to draw from, he said, the men’s basketball program has become very competitive with several former professional and high-profile college players among the ranks.

“That’s why I started the 35-and-over league for players who want to be more recreational than competitive,” he said.

That recreational and developmental focus is on full display in the winter Saturday youth basketball program, said Tarheels coach Michael Brown Sr. A former school basketball player himself, Brown said he’s “thrilled” that his son has also fallen in love with the sport.

“It’s a great thing for a father and a son or a father and a daughter. I really enjoy working

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with the kids. We’ve got a great community here and a lot of talent and if I can just offer a little guidance and motivation, it’s great.”

Girls allowed — and encouraged

That same dynamic applies in the church’s girls’ basketball league, which takes over the gym earlier on Saturday before the boys storm the court. So said Perry McWilliams, a church staffer who helps direct a girls’ team dubbed the Cardinals. He shares coaching duties with a family friend and his sister, and he said taking on that role after spending some time coaching boys’ squads has been a revelatory experience.

“This is my first year of coaching a team of young ladies and you would think they wouldn’t be as rowdy as the boys are — and that’s definitely not the case,” he said. “It’s an peachtreecornerslife

peachtreecornerslife

athletic bunch and they need just as much redirection as the boys do. That’s been very interesting. Kids will be kids, no matter what.”

That direction is valuable and well worth it, said Johnson, despite many demands during his day. “I think that with growing up playing structured sports into college and having great coaches and parents to support me, I’d like to think I have something of value to add to my team and the league,” Johnson said. “I believe that’s worth a little extra time.”

McWilliams said he was surprised that some of the youngsters weren’t familiar with such elemental basketball phraseology as “traveling” and “triple double” and needed considerable drilling on the ins and outs of defensive play. Building on a firm foundation, he noted, there have been vast improvements since the season’s outset, not the least of

which has been fewer air balls.

McCollum said her boys and his teammates also have needed some on-court and courtside corralling. “There are always times when they don’t want to do something; they don’t want to go to practice or something like that. But we firmly believe that when you start something, you finish it,” she said. “Once they’re there, they love it, and it’s much better than sitting in front of an electronic device.”

Sowell wants to grow participation in the programs that they have now, but that’s proving difficult in one area.

With nearby Cornerstone Christian Academy and PCBC’s own preschool using the gym during the day and practical limitations on practice — having 11-year-olds doing shooting drills at midnight is far from optimal — he said they’re capped at roughly 220 hoops

participants on board. Sowell said he hates having to have a waiting list and to be turning away eager kids.

He has hopes that Cornerstone will eventually construct its own gym, giving PCBC more wiggle room and increasing participation.

No matter what 2021 and the years beyond might bring, Sowell has the overall goal firmly in his sights — making the Bible, and in particular one verse — a linchpin of the sports ministry.

“Our verse that we use is I Corinthians 9:25,” he said. From a modern Bible translation, it goes thusly: “All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. “ ■

February/March 2021 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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MOVE

SPORTS, FITNESS AND RECREATION

Rolling Along

Roller Hockey Program Thrives in Peachtree Corners

T

hey’re small by comparison, but scrappy. And quite skilled.

The Norcross Roller Hockey Program (NRH) at Pinckneyville Park on the Peachtree Corners-Norcross boundary may not gather in the thousands of youths and adults who take part in area football, baseball and recreational soccer programs, but interest is growing, said league officials, even if more than a few local people have no idea the program exists.

What they lack in size, they more than make up for in enthusiasm. The games are

By Mark Woolsey

16

like a fluid dance with a hockey stick accompaniment as players move rhythmically up and down the court on their inline skates, constantly in motion, deftly passing (and stealing) the hard plastic puck and taking shots at a hyper-focused goalie.

It’s a tight-knit and supportive bunch that gathers each week at a well-appointed rink that boosters think is likely the finest outdoor roller hockey facility in the Southeast.

“We are in excess of 100 players right now, “said John Hendry, President of the parent Peachtree Booster Club, which also includes a soccer program. “We have been as high as 250 people (in a non-COVID year), so it’s varied between 100 and 250 over the years.”

“A lot of it is letting people know we’re here,” he added.

Agreeing with that, Mark Ogden said, “It was tough getting the word out. We always found that a lot of people didn’t know about

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Clockwise from left: Norcross Roller Hockey’s MS Rink Rats vs. MS Gladiators Game at a January game (Photo by Paul Peterson, Visit his profile for more information, www.flickr.com/people/paulpete) Mark and Dianne Ogden The Mark Ogden Hockey Rink

the program. Either they weren’t close to it or we didn’t do a good enough job of publicizing it. You’re always in competition with other sports.” Ogden presided over NRH for nearly a decade and stepped away after his kids aged out of the sport.

A northern game moves south

Ogden gets a huge credit for advancing the program that kicked off in 1975 at the behest of northern transplants who wanted to bring their favorite sport south. Games — originally

continued on page 18 peachtreecornerslife

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Left, High school team vs. Norcross Roller Hockey coaches (Courtesy NRH) Middle Left and right, Norcross Roller Hockey’s MS Rink Rats vs. MS Gladiators Game at a January game (Photos by Paul Peterson, Visit his profile for more information, www.flickr.com/people/ paulpete) Bottom left Norcross Roller Hockey coach Mike Bergeson and right, Jim Asztalos (Courtesy NRH)

continued page page 16 it was only an adult league — were held in the gym at Peachtree Elementary School, later moving to a concrete slab in Pinckneyville Park after Gwinnett County built it in the early 1990s.

Longtime officials praise Ogden for lobbying the county to construct the current rink around 2006. The $1.6 million project included a sport court surface designed specifically for inline hockey, new dasher boards, quality lighting, an upgraded scoreboard and cooling fans for hot-weather games.

Today the operation is helmed by hockey vice president Nick Sally, who said NRH is still upping its game, having improved its website and increasing its social media presence. He brings a lot of cred, having grown up playing roller hockey and swatting the hard plastic puck in college and semi-pro play later.

Sally’s still hip-deep involved, playing in the adult program as well as coaching. His youngsters are in the youth division, which starts with 4 to 6-year-olds and extends upward to the youth hockey program encompassing categories from 8 and younger to 18 and under.

Skill and character

The kids obviously want to win, but Sally is quick to point out that “we try to make it very family friendly, which fits right into the Peachtree Corners vibe. We have proud parents cheering for the kids, but nobody is yelling and screaming at each other.”

The program puts a strong emphasis on recreation coupled with

18

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ February/March 2021 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

skill and character development, he and others said.

Three of the players on the Gladiators youth team that lost on a 10-9 shootout that January Saturday nevertheless displayed a pumped and positive vibe. To a person, they signal they’ve developed greatly and are by no means done with that process.

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“We put a lot of effort into the game and we may have lost, but we played pretty well,” said Ben Vanden Bos. He said he wants to shift to ice hockey at some point and got interested after seeing his uncle coach a team.

“I think I’ve become a lot more athletic playing roller hockey,” he explained. “It is harder than a lot of different sports. There are more mechanics with shooting and developing strength through skating.”

Teammate Eduardo Avila-Hinton Junior also has his gaze on the ice and said, in addition to developing character and motor skills, he’s been able to connect and make new friends. And he says it’s helped take his mind off teenaged stress (he’s 13) and the overall events of the year when he gets lost in midst of a contest.

And then there are the lessons that are not as apparent on the surface as are the toned muscles and rocket like passing and puck-handling. “It’s taught me to be more humble,” said Timothy Hendry, “and not act arrogant about how I play or how I am with sports. It’s also teamwork.”

“It’s a natural progression,” John Hendry, father of Timothy, said of the desire to glide and slide on ice. “As the kids get into the teenage years, a lot of them are moving up to ice. It’s a loss for us but it’s a win for the sport.”

On the plus side

He does point out the roller form of the sport has some distinct advantages over and differences from the iced version — even if they are close cousins.

Body checking is not allowed, and that means fewer injuries. Positions aren’t divided into offensive and defensive ranks, which results in a fluid, rhythmic motion up and down the court, making a game more of an endurance contest and a showcase for teamwork. Players are four to a team with a goalie instead of five.

And, said Hendry, there’s a financial factor. The league costs about $100 for a three-month season.

“I know how expensive other sports can be,” he said, running well into the hundreds of dollars “and this gives them the same benefit at a much lower cost.” It’s also a quick learn, he said. Kids step onto the play surface with no experience and within three weeks, “they’re skating and handling the puck and able to take part in the game.”

Ogden maintains a strong affinity for the game, even though he’s gotten out of active involvement with the league and booster club, and he thinks back to when he got involved. His oldest began playing after a neighboring friend took up the sport, then the other two joined in.

“I just fell in love with it,” he said.

As have literally successive generations. Youngsters playing in the program are following in the footsteps, well, skates of parents and even grandparents who also played.

With other roller hockey rinks having opened in places such as Snellville and Peachtree City and the local kids traveling to play teams there, the future looks busier.

“I see no sign of it going away anytime soon,” said Hendry. “I’ve been involved with this program for ten years and it’s definitely growing.” ■

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Silver and Gold A Glimpse into Gwinnett County Girl Scouts

B

By Kelsey Asher

20

eing a Girl Scout is about more than selling cookies and earning cute iron-on patches. It’s about young girls coming together to be a constructive force for good in their communities, spending time in the great outdoors and communing with nature.

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ February/March 2021 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

The Girl Scouts (GS) organization has endured a tornado of change in the past few years, what with similar youth programs such as the Boy Scouts (now Scouts BSA) opening to female enrollees, not to mention the limitations of extracurricular activities in the wake of COVID-19. Yet the merry band of sashed sisters marches on, thriving albeit in new formats.

Angela Pearson, National Delegate for the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta council and Service Unit Director for Norcross, has served girls in the program for decades and had interesting insight into the current state of the Scouts.

“We have switched to virtual for the majority of our activities.

The service unit is not pressing having any in-person events as that is a decision for families to make. Each troop is deciding what type of face-to-face activities they are participating in based upon their comfort level,” Pearson said.

“Safety is an important tenant of the Girl Scout program.”

peachtreecornerslife

Gwinnett Girl Scouts year round

In a normal year, the Gwinnett Girl Scouts calendar would be overflowing. Girl Scouts in Duluth have participated in the Christmas Tree Cheer Project for over a decade, decorating table-top Christmas trees to bring cheer into the rooms of children hospitalized during the holidays at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA).

This year, the partner charity was Meals on Wheels, since CHOA decided not to participate for safety reasons.

“We usually send around 75 hand decorated trees to CHOA each year. These trees go to children who are stuck in the hospital during the Christmas season,” troop leader Polly Barcena said.

“Each Girl Scout troop decides the theme of their trees. I have seen so many wonderful themes over the years. Examples include Star Wars, Micky and Minnie, Candyland, Disney Princess, Minions, Winter Wonderland and the list goes on!”

In the summer, many girls peachtreecornerslife

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Nearly 400 girls and volunteers enjoy activities from woodworking to outdoor cooking and science experiments to crafts. Older girls often return to volunteer as camp assistants after years of attending as campers.

Last year, the camp adopted a virtual format to allow for safe fun and fellowship. It is unclear if it will resume the virtual format for 2021, so visit lilburndaycamp.org for updates.

And let’s not forget the Gwinnett County Girl Scout Bake-Off, a staple for close to 35 years. Skillful baking relies on a knowledge of math and chemistry and helps foster an appreciation of the culinary arts. Each year, more than 100 Girl Scouts in grades K through 12 compete locally with a range of homemade goods they make — with no help from mom or dad. Contestants progress based on wins and the final county-wide competition is decided by community judges.

21 0 2 R U O E WELCOM TORS C E R I D f BOARD o From left (opposite page) Barcena Girl Scout Troop at the Capital A triumphant group of winners at a previous Gwinnett County Girl Scout Bake-Off. Campers at Lilburn Summer Day Camp enjoy campfire activities at a previous year’s camp (and above)

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continued on page 22 February/March 2021 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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continued from page 21 Though some of these events, and many others, have had to be adjusted due to the pandemic, Girl Scouts across the county still manage to connect in different ways and grow with their troops.

A different kind of troop

All troops have their purpose and their place, but some stand out for their unique function.

Gamma Gamma Sigma (GGS) is a feather in the cap of Gwinnet County scouting, celebrating 10 years with 35 current Girl Scout members. It was created as an avenue to retain older girls considering leaving the GS program, open to grades 6 to 12.

“The pillars of my troop are Sisterhood, Philanthropy and Academic Excellence,” Pearson said. “We are a community driven organization that strives to help girls build courage, confidence and character to help the world be a better place.” She explained that GGS is a unique leadership development program that combines the proven outcomes of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) through a “sorority-type” group targeting teens.

In yet another effort to include all young women, Gwinnett Girl Scouts also offers Outreach Troops, to make sure that no girls miss out on Girl Scouts due to language or financial barriers.

“We are committed to providing accessible program opportunities where they are most needed,” said Leslie Gilliam, Communications Advisor Temp of Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta. “This summer, Girl Scouts, in a partnership with Gwinnett County Parks, provided STEAM [Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics] kits to 400 Gwinnett girls to keep

them engaged in fun, educational activities as their worlds shrank due to the pandemic.”

A shining golden light

With every unique troop, there are unique go-getters who set themselves apart. For the truly dedicated and enterprising Girl Scout, there is the high honor of the Gold Award bestowed on those who exhibit the noble qualities professed in the official Girl Scout Promise and Law. The main requirement is the completion of an extensive service project that will have a lasting positive impact on a candidate’s community.

Charlotte Burts of Norcross High School recently received her Gold Award with her proj-

ect dubbed “Peachtree Corners Outdoor Education and Improvement,” which focused on environmental education for children ages 6 to 18.

Burts and her teams produced an extensive field guide about wildlife in Georgia, a children’s book about wildlife and sustainability practices, five directional signs and one message board at the Fields Club in Peachtree Corners. She has used the children’s book for literacy programs at Pinckneyville Middle School, and through this project has promoted environmental awareness at Simpson Elementary, Norcross High School, Simpsonwood United Methodist Church and Gwinnett County Public Library.

“It is crucial that people understand, appreciate and know about ways to protect the environment in their daily lives,” Burts said.

When asked about the fondest memories of her 12 years of scouting, Burts spoke of her troop hosting Father-Daughter dances. “Getting to see the girls and their dads take silly pictures and make their way through the craft tables, and reminiscing the years I did those activities with my dad, always made those nights so special to me,” she said. “My troop participated as the hosts of the dance many times, and every year we had the same excitement of picking themes and songs to give the younger girls the same amazing experiences that we had in previous years.”

Burts clearly has a strong altruistic mindset, along with the other fine young ladies of Troop 1106 that she has grown up alongside. So it makes perfect sense that she would want to make her troop proud with her Gold Award project.

“For as long as I can remember, I have always looked up to older Girl Scout members who were working toward the higher awards in Scouting. Hearing about the impacts that they made on the community and seeing the results

Top, the fun never stops at Gamma Gamma Sigma!

Above, Charlotte Burts reading about environmental education to kids for her Gold Award.

Right, Girl Scouts working a project.

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of these projects in schools and neighborhoods made me so excited for the time when I would have the opportunity to do the same,” Burts said.

What sets Girl Scouts apart

Kids these days have many worthwhile youth and recreational programs to choose from. So the question remains: why Girl Scouts?

“Girls have unique developmental needs and participating in a program tailored to those needs has well-documented benefits. Girl Scouts is, and always has been, the expert on girls. Girl Scouts is so much more than a single-gender youth program; it’s the only one that’s girl-led!” Gilliam said.

“Girls choose the exciting, hands-on activities that interest them most—whether that’s earning badges, exploring the great outdoors, learning business skills while selling Girl Scout Cookies, or making a difference in their community.”

Gilliam expanded upon the vibrancy of the Gwinnett program, pointing out that “it’s not unusual to see three generations of Girl

Scouts in a family.”

The success of Girl Scouts lies with the parents, leaders and girls who spend their time and energy to ensure its success. “Looking back, I am so glad I stepped up to be a Girl Scout Troop Leader,” Barcena said. “It was scary and unchartered territory. But my desire to develop my daughter into a servant-leader helped me to push past my fears.”

Burts explained that development through scouting happens one step at a time. “As you complete service projects, go on campouts and complete Scouting Journeys, you are able to learn so much about yourself and being a member of a community, which is an unparalleled experience for young girls,” she said.

A popular scouting song that has been around for ages (at least as far back as this writer’s tenure as a Brownie and a Junior), sums up one of the great values of scouting: “Make new friends but keep the old. One is silver and the other’s gold.”

And that leads to an old cliché that rings true: Once a Girl Scout, always a Girl Scout. ■

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KNOWLEDGE

Education & Experiences

A Summer Daze Camp Preview

MJCCA Summer Camps 2021

The Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA)

By Kelsey Asher

24

COURTESY OF MJCCA

S

ports, s’mores and plenty more await camping kids this summer. Though it may seem a tad early, camp rosters will fill up fast as occupancy may be limited for safety. Don’t miss out on the perfect camp for your child.

Please note that, as well that with current health considerations, changes in camp schedules may occur. So please contact camps directly for the most up-todate information.

Camp Catalog is made up of many interesting offerings for single or multi-week camps, kicking off the first week of June and coming to a close in mid-August. All camps will be held at Zaban Park, except the sleepaway Camp Barney Medintz in the north Georgia mountains.

Fees start at $385 a week, with preferred pricing for members of MJCCA and discounts for attending multiple weeks of camp. Before and after care may or may not be offered, so stay tuned.

The traditional day camp experience offered is Camp Isidore Alterman (CIA) and CIA Jr. CIA Jr. is for Rising Pre-K and CIA welcomes Rising K-6th Grade. Camp fun activities on deck include canoeing, archery, arts and crafts, bumper boats, fishing, swimming and so much more. Children will be organized into small groups of no more than 15 in a cohort model, to avoid too much unnecessary mixing.

Hoping to keep up their game in the off season? Sports at MJCCA is a solution. From improving their

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ February/March 2021 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

backhand in Tennis to getting into the swing of things with Intro to Golf, a sports-minded kid has many options to choose from.

If your kid has a flare for the dramatic instead of a flare for the athletic, have them join the cast of The Little Mermaid Jr. or Shrek the Musical Jr. in a multi-week camp experience, or perhaps twinkle their toes in one of MJCCA many dance camps. There are also an astounding number of theme camps available that explore specialized hobbies, art and professional interests.

Interested but on the fence?

Small in-person group tours with MJCCA’s camp directors will be held on select days to give parents and kids alike a chance to see where the summer fun happens, learn about camp and ask questions. Tours are scheduled for March 14, March 21 and April 18.

There is a 10:30 a.m. group and a 1:30 p.m. group.

A Virtual New Parent Orientation is to be held May 4, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. This will allow parents yet one more avenue to ask questions and peachtreecornerslife

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know what to expect this summer.

Get a more complete overview of MJCCA Camp information by visiting mjccadaycamps.org for the full 2021 camp catalog and schedule.

Camp All American

Camp All American is the recreational camp ministry of Perimeter Church, created to serve Johns Creek area kids in an enriching, safe environment. They also have satellite camps at other churches around Atlanta — and even one in Florida.

This week-long summer camp is open June 1 to August 6. Summer registration opens February 7 at 10 p.m. When you sign up for camp, your child is divided into smaller “camp groups” depending on gender, specialty and grade.

Ages served range from 5 years all the way to 11th graders in the CIT program. Day camp and sleepaway camp options are available.

Learn more by attending one of their Discovery Days for an opportunity to meet the staff, tour the peachtreecornerslife

campus and ask questions about Camp All-American. Registration for Discovery Day opens February 10. The first tour option is March 21 at 1:30 p.m.; May 1 at 3:30 p.m. is the second. For more information or to register, visit campallamerican. com.

Camp Evergreen

Camp Evergreen is a Christian camp located in the serene mountains of north Georgia near Lake Burton. It has its own manmade self-contained lake (dubbed Lake Dean), that boasts a blob water feature, as well as a zipline and a swimming hole supervised by licensed lifeguards. Other activities on deck include canoeing, campfires, hiking, horseback riding (for an additional fee) and the list goes on.

The camp is wilderness centered and believes nature can speak on its own without extras.

Programming intentionally leaves out bells and whistles and focuses on creative, fun approaches to all activities. The staff does their best to make sure every child is comfortable, which is reflected in the wide array of camp options they offer.

Campers can come for a fourday day camp from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. that is integrated into ongoing Overnight Camp sessions, or stay overnight in a 4-day, 7-day, 10-day or 14-day stint depending on age.

Cost varies depending on the option selected, so hike to campevergreen.org to get a full view.

Camp Flashback

As a sponsored program of the Dunwoody Preservation Trust (DPT), Camp Flashback transports kids to a simpler time, allowing kids to be kids in the shining sun while learning about the great history of Dunwoody. They’ll enjoy summer fun and learning at Dunwoody’s only authentic history camp — the Donaldson-Bannister Farm — staffed by loving, licensed educators with a low kid-to-staff ratio of 5 to 1. Campers must be age 7 to 12 years.

Kids will spend their days like 1870s farm children, with old-fashioned activities like hand-churning butter and ice-cream, milking and feeding goats, grooming a pony, weaving, sewing and an ever-growing list of things to do.

Registration is open now for five one-week sessions: June 14-18, June 21-25, June 28-July 2, July 12-16 and July 19-23. Pricing starts at $235 per camper per week, with

discounts for DPT members. Flash over to dunwoodypreservationtrust.org/camp-flashback/ for additional information.

Club SciKidz Camps

Dust off your beakers and safety googles, because ClubSciKidz has STEAM education fun planned this summer! The Club SciKidz crew will be setting up shop at St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church in Dunwoody for four weeks, from June 21 through July 19.

Camp themes offered include Coding Kaleidoscope, Robot Engineer, Young Surgeon, Emergency Veterinary Medicine, Mystical & Magical (Harry Potter), and much, much more.

For more information on camp themes and camp locations, visit clubscikidz.com/camp-locations/#atlanta-science-day-camps.

Dunwoody Nature Center Learn all about the creatures that make their home in the forest wonderland around Dunwoody Nature Center, with a delightful mix of full and half day camps. The camp schedule kicks off June 1 and continues through August 13.

Explore some exciting camp focuses like Up in the Air, a deep dive into the world of animals that fly, soar and zoom in the sky. Or maybe Creek Week is more your speed, splashing around the locally famous Wildcat Creek and learning about the vitality of its ecosystem.

Or what about Ooey Gooey Science, chock full of hands-on experiments to foster a genuine scientific interest? And that’s just the start!

The standard cost for a full fiveday camp is $275 for members and $310 for non-members. Campers aged 3.5 to 4 are invited to attend from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Rising K-5 attend for a full day until 3:30 p.m.

Early Bird drop-off begins at 8 a.m., with a $45 charge for five days, and late pickup is offered for K-5 until 6 p.m. with a $70 charge for five days. Register at dunwoodynature.org or call 770-394-3322.

GAC Summer Camps

With more than 30 summer enrichment programs in athletics, arts, academics and fun, Greater Atlanta Christian School (GAC) campers have a daily opportunity to make new friends, explore new talents and experiences in a safe, Christian environment. The incredible group of trained counselors make sure your child will be

continued on page 26

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woodward.edu/camps February/March 2021 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

25

continued from page 25 encouraged and celebrated in all they do.

Though the first two weeks were canceled due to COVID-19 concerns, GAC Summer Camps are slated to commence June 15 and continue through the end of July.

Virtual camps will be added, and other camp programs as well, as

safety guidelines allow.

Pricing varies depending on the program. Before and after care is available for some camps. Learn more at greateratlantachristian. org/summer-camp/summer-camp.

The High Museum of Art Camps

Dive into art this summer at the

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High! Young artists will explore the museum’s galleries, create original artworks and showcase their masterpieces in a special exhibition each week. Campers also will learn about the Museum’s collection and special exhibitions while honing their skills in drawing, painting, and design.

Professional teaching artists will inspire your child to look closely, experiment with materials, and try new techniques. Their weeklong camps are designed to serve rising 1st through 8th graders.

The High Museum member price is $350 per week, $450 for non-members. Official camp programming spans from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, with aftercare available until 6 p.m. for an added $50 fee.

Registration opens February 9.

Camps sessions begin June 7 and will continue through July 30.

Pace Academy Summer Programs

A special message from Pace Academy: “At Pace, we believe some of life’s greatest lessons are learned outside the classroom. When school is not in session, we offer programming to keep children — Pace students and students from other schools — active and

engaged. We offer full day and half-day summer camps; specialty programs like Athletic Camps, Danger Camp and Theatre Workshops; STEM Camps and Clinics; and Academic Enrichment Opportunities.”

We offer the opportunity for your camper to be registered in two separate half day programs to create a full day camp experience for your camper. Your camper will need to pack their lunch, but we will supervise your camper at lunch so they can stay on campus for all day fun!”

Registration is open for all camps. For information and pricing, visit paceacademy.org/programs/summer-programs.

Primrose School of Peachtree Corners Summer Adventure Club

At Primrose School’s Summer Adventure Club, children become engineers, artists, explorers and more as they discover the joys of design thinking, a fun and innovative way to learn.

Camps are available for children in grades K-5. Stay tuned for dates and times at primroseschools.com, and be sure to choose the Peachtree Corners location. ■

ACTIVE PLAY. ENRICHING EXPERIENCES. TRUE RELATIONSHIPS. From day camp to dozens of specialty camps, GAC offers something for every camper from the age of 4 to 18.

7 weeks of day camp & specialty camps June 7 - July 30, 2021 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Extended care is available 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Lunch is provided for day campers Sign up today: gac.growcamps.org

Questions? Email summercamp@greateratlantachristian.org or call 770.243.2275

26

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ February/March 2021 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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Black History Month 2021

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lack History Month takes on special significance this year.

It comes just after Kamala Harris was sworn in as the nation’s vice president, becoming the first female, first Black person and first person of South Asian descent to hold the position.

The annual celebration also comes in the wake of last year’s global Black Lives Matter protests for racial justice and the passing in July of civil rights legend Congressman John Lewis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many of the Black History Month observances typically held in and around Peachtree Corners, sending them into the virtual world or cancelling them all together.

But the celebration will go on at many area schools, including Wesleyan School.

“At Wesleyan, we are seeking to engage in parts of history that are often forgotten, but that were pivotal in creating a better future for current generations,” said Dr. Jennifer Pinkett Smith, the school’s director of diversity. “Students and teachers learn about history that shows the resilience and courage of African Americans who often sacrificed their own safety and lives for equality.”

Here’s a sampling of Black History Month activities planned

By Donna Williams Lewis

at schools and elsewhere in the Peachtree Corners area.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS Greater Atlanta Christian School

Celebrating Black History Month has been an annual tradition at Greater Atlanta Christian School (GAC), said Charles Edwards, the school’s director of diversity and inclusion.

“The year 2021 provides an even broader opportunity to share valuable contributions and struggles through historical people and events, alongside today’s

headlines,” Edwards said. “America is a land of complicated history and delving into the ‘whys’ with students creates conversations leading to better understanding, respect and appreciation for the diversity we embrace.”

Plans now underway include spotlights on Black heroes during the elementary students’ Spartan News Live program, shown in classrooms three days a week.

Similar spotlights are in place for Middle and High School with a culminating, schoolwide Black History Month chapel program

continued on page 30

Top left, a dance group performs a hip hop routine at Greater Atlanta Christian School’s Black History Month Chapel in February 2020. From left, Adalia Thomas, Kennedi Milton, Taylor McIntosh, Abagale Payne, Kate Gary, Camryn Marion, Bridget Salter, Taylor Spotts, Zoe Jones, Sasha Niles and Lily Boehm.

Top right, From left, Milani Anderson and Denver Tolson sing a medley of spirituals at Greater Atlanta Christian School’s Black History Month Chapel in February 2020.

Above, Wesleayn School installed a “Periodic Table of Black History” graphic at school.

Continued from page 29 which will be held in-person and virtually on February 26. The annual program for grades K-12 typically includes music, dance and videos created and presented by GAC students and readings offered by students and a notable guest speaker.

Wesleyan School

Lower School students at Wesleyan School will journey through Black history with the book, “28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World.” Each day they will learn about contributions and the fight for equality that continues today.

Middle school students will journey back to the 1930s and learn about the use of “The Green Book,” a travel guide used by Black people to live and travel safely in America. Students will also learn about visionaries who continue the fight for equality.

High school students will view the Teaching Tolerance lesson “What Counts as History” and discuss how to keep the conversation about black history as a part of everyday history.

represented voices of history?” and “How can we develop a character that influences social justice?”

Summerour Middle School — The school plans an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) Door Decorating Contest, art displays, essay contest, Black author highlights in the media center and a celebration at the end of the month with student performances.

Duluth High School — The Social Studies Department will record a presentation of student performances that will be shared in classes. Students will also produce daily short videos of alumni, staff and students discussing historical figures, present influencers and their own experiences.

Duluth Middle School — A tribute to HBCU/Greek organizations includes school staffers sharing history and their experiences.

Drama students will perform two virtual plays, “Kwanzaa Heroes” and “Freedom Riders.” Students will learn about several historical figures through a “virtual wax museum” and will hear Black History Month facts during daily announcements.

Norcross High School — Individuals who have made significant contributions

PUBLIC SCHOOLS The following was compiled from information provided by the Gwinnett County Public School system and individual schools.

Coleman Middle School — Mini-lessons about black history will be made during morning announcements. Project-based lessons ask questions such as “How can we amplify the under-

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Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ February/March 2021 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

in science, math, literature, history and other areas will be recognized throughout the month. Videos and sources for additional information will be shared.

Peachtree Elementary School — Historic and impactful Black people will be commemorated during daily morning newscasts and highlighted in ongoing lessons.

Pinckneyville Middle School — The observance will include inspirational videos during morning announcements, student book talks and a virtual museum field trip to one of the museums that offer them such as The Center for Civil and Human Rights and The National Museum of African History and Culture. The school’s annual Black History Month celebration takes place virtually on Feb. 21, featuring student performances and guest speakers.

Paul Duke Stem High School — Social Studies teachers and the Black Student Association plan daily messages highlighting “important and innovative Black leaders” and Black History will be highlighted daily in history classes.

Video broadcasting students will create a special video with guest speakers that will be their major project for February. Black History and Culture spirit week takes place February 15-19 with themed dress-up days for faculty and students including Red, Black and Green Day (unity); College Day/HBCUs; Camouflage Day (in recognition of military contributions); Cowboy Day (in recognition of Black cowboys); and Black is Beautiful (wear all black in celebration of Black people).

Simpson Elementary School — The school plans to conduct a series of interactive discussions on Zoom for fourth and fifth graders with speakers from the journalism, legal, government and medical fields who will speak on the history of Black people in their professions.

Stripling Elementary School — The tentative plan for a schoolwide Book Museum includes each class selecting a book and discuss-

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ing its main character. Students will create a display to post in the hallway and a classroom Google Slide to inform and inspire others.

The slides will be compiled and placed on the school’s website.

COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS Gwinnett County Public Library — The Grayson branch will offer a program for schools and the public on “The History of African American Voting and Civil Rights, 1865-Present.” The Norcross branch plans virtual programs on February 7, 14 and 21 on how to create your own art piece inspired by a contemporary Black artist’s work using tools and materials you probably have around the house.

The Suwanee and Centerville branches are partnering to do a three-part virtual series on HBCUs, including a program on the history and future impact of HBCUs on March 11 at 9 a.m., a panel discussion with HBCU alumni on March 18 at 6:30 p.m., and an HBCU admissions talk — “What Every Teen Needs to Know” — on March 25 at 6:30 p.m. For more details and links to these programs, visit the library system’s social media accounts or https://gwinnettpl.libnet.info/ events.

United Ebony Society of Gwinnett County — The United Ebony Society actively works to educate, engage and promote community involvement emphasizing the diversity of Gwinnett County.

The organization’s annual display and program at the Gwinnett County Justice and Administration Center will not be held due to the pandemic. Instead, the United Ebony Society is partnering with Gwinnett County Community Outreach and other organizations to host virtual presentations and a service project. Students will be involved in this event.

Topics will include “African American History in Gwinnett County, historical sites, genealogy, and African American pacesetters throughout the African Diaspora.”

Details are being finalized and will be available on unitedebonysociety. org and Facebook. ■

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February/March 2021 â– Peachtree Corners Magazine

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A Student’s Journey from Peachtree Corners to Brown University Kaitlyn Williams: Joining the team before stepping onto the field

PHOTO BY NICK DENTAMARO / BROWN UNIVERSITY

Kaitlyn Williams was a high school sophomore at Greater Atlanta Christian School when she visited Brown University the first time for a soccer tryout. It was love at first sight for the Peachtree Corners native, who was smitten with Brown’s beautiful architecture, the enthusiasm the students had for learning, and the coaches and players who, three years later, she would join on the varsity women’s soccer team.

“I could tell that they really loved the team and loved each other,” she said. “It just seemed like a great opportunity to be a part of a community that strives to make each other better.”

Like her fellow first-year students at Brown, Williams was asked to postpone the official start of her school year to the spring term. But she has already become

32

part of the women’s soccer community she so admired.

Each week this fall, Coach Kia McNeill sent the team a series of training activities — dubbed a PACT plan — focused on developing the team’s physical conditioning, attitude and character, and technical skills and tactical prowess. Weekly activities included community-building activities — like playing games and cooking a teammates’ favorite recipe, virtually — and panels with team alumni and professional players, all held over Zoom.

One panel featured the captains from Brown’s Ivy League championship-winning women’s soccer teams, who spoke to current players about how their team experience had shaped their professional trajectories.

“It was really cool to see how

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ February/March 2021 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

connected they still were, even the ones who hadn’t played together in 30 or 40 years,” Williams said. “You could see the impact the team has had on them — not just because they made close friendships, but also because the connections they made helped them excel in their professional worlds, and it also allowed us to create those connections with them.”

She also got a jump start on her coursework this fall. As part of the University’s offer for first-year students to remotely enroll in a fall course, free of charge, Williams took Intermediate Calculus, a requirement for her concentration in applied mathematics.

“It was a really good way to meet other people,” she said. “And it gave me the chance to exercise my mind a bit before starting in the spring.”

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Now that Williams is finally on campus, she is looking forward to embarking upon a full course load that will allow her to complement her math studies with courses like Principles of Economics and Sport in American History.

“I’ve never thought about sports from the perspective of the effect they have had on American history,” she said. “I’m excited to explore that more deeply.”

Williams also looks forward to having the opportunity this term to deepen the connections that she made with her teammates virtually last fall.

“I’ve only met a handful of them in person,” she said. “I’m really excited to meet the team.” ■ — Sourced from Brown University

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There are two ways There are two ways to sell a business. to sell a business.

NHS Swim and Dive Team Competes at County Meet In January 2021, Norcross High School (NHS) Swim and Dive team members competed at the County meet, and Preston Lin won the County 100yd Breaststroke.

NHS Girls’ Swim Team State Qualifiers are: Catie Choate, Caroline

The hard way.

Lantis, Christina Bonacci and Emma Fass; Dive Team qualifiers are Samantha Baker and Kenley Diaz.

The NHS Boys’ Swim Team State Qualifiers are Preston Lin, Kevin Li, Noah Brown and Christopher Nilsson.

NHS Football Player Honored Jalen Garner of Norcross High School (NHS) was selected as the 2020 7A Defensive Player of the Year.

The Transworld way.

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Engineering students at Paul Duke STEM High School created a winter wonderland and held a drive-through Snowman Extravaganza and Light Show over the holiday season. The life-sized snowmen were designed and made from a student-created Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine.

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Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ February/March 2021 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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February/March 2021 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

35

BUSINESS COMMUNITY

Building a Thriving Community through the Peachtree Corners Redevelopment Authority

D

riving along the Holcomb Bridge corridor in Peachtree Corners brings one up against a medley of sights.

Condos. Offices. Strip shopping centers. Apartments built well before the turn of the

By Mark Woolsey

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century, some showing their age.

But not much freshly turned earth, construction equipment or framed skeletons of buildings.

City officials would like to see more of the last — quite a bit more in fact.

Why the Redevelopment Authority?

Superimposed on present reality is their vision of how the area could one day look — provided that a newly created quasi-independent authority can forge multiparty development

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ February/March 2021 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

meetings working to establish a local entity. The final step was appointment of nine members to the authority board at a Dec. 12 council meeting.

Now it’s time to turn what’s been on paper up until now into a reality.

Look for a laser focus on the authority’s zone of responsibility, encompassing roughly one-third of the city’s footprint and centering along the Holcomb Bridge corridor.

City Manager Brian Johnson says zeroing in on that area simply makes sense.

As he explained, “The southern portion of Peachtree Corners was developed first so the area we put into the redeveldeals involving itself, developers, opment zone is the oldest part landowners and city governof the city. A parcel ment. can be developed That’s why the and over time the Peachtree Corners surrounding area Redevelopment can change its Authority was character.” created. Working That argues within a general that the current framework creatbest use of a ed by the state of property might be Georgia, the mayor, something difcity manager, planferent than how ning staffers and it was imagined council members Brian Johnson decades ago. spent months in peachtreecornerslife

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One example: a commercial development such as a strip shopping center built with large parking lots and stores set well back from the street. Contrast that with the more modern approach to such commercial space — buildings set closer to the road and parking somewhat hidden. Another: a residential neighborhood where the surrounding turf has gone industrial.

Either of those, or other instances, could get a new lease on life.

How the Authority helps development

Community Development Director Diana Wheeler said creation of an initial citywide usage/development plan after incorporation in 2012 and a package of existing incentives (such as allowing variances on density) lured investment in other parts of the city — the Town Center development being a prime example.

But that didn’t fly along the Holcomb Bridge Corridor.

“We actually had a developer run some numbers for us to see what the issues were,” she said.

“We found those numbers didn’t work.

“From a developer’s point of view, they’d approach a property owner and say they were interested in purchasing. The apartment owner would say it’ll cost you such-and-such because we’re making so much right now (due to high occupancy levels). So the

developer is not only paying for the land but also buying out an existing business.”

Enter the redevelopment authority, which has both some unique powers and more flexibility in making deals than the city at large.

“For one thing,” said Johnson, “They can sole source and not have to bid out projects.” With a city, for example, if it’s a project above $50,000, they have to let it out for competitive bidding.

That means an authority can go the distance with a private developer in consummating a development.

A redevelopment authority also has the power of eminent domain, can condemn property and abate nuisances. And it can cut breaks on property taxes.

“We’re looking at a domino effect,” said Wheeler. “If we get one or two under our belt, then the motivation will be to have things happen organically after that.”

Not only will the authority be able to plan and implement brick-and-mortar projects, it can also have a hand in various community improvement initiatives, such as reducing crime and preserving open space, said city officials.

Challenges and assets

One possible hitch involves the authority’s ability to get its hands on sufficient revenue to jumpstart development.

Johnson said such entities typically start out without revenue, so the city would have

We had over 30 applications from citizens to be on this board and all were good and well qualified. It was very difficult to choose.

Weare Gratwick City Councilmember

to pony up dollars up front. And Blending various types of since Peachtree Corners has no housing with nearby restaurants property tax, that shuts off one such as a coffee shop is but one potential source of financing. example, he said. But “what is Johnson said somewhat down more important is the highest the road, the authority could and best use of a property,” derive revenue in a number of Johnson added. “Maybe a big ways, such as buying a building industrial development could and leasing it out to tenants be in the works for the area or for steady rental income. In the Amazon may want to create a early going, city officials said, distribution center.” selling bonds might well supply operating funds.

Time to get moving Shaun Adams, an attorney Now that the mechanism and who has served with the United its people complement are in Peachtree Corners Civic Associplace, he has a definite timeline ation, was among those appointin mind moving forward. ed to the board in mid-December.

Johnson foresees the board He looks forward to delving into taking three to six months to such details. get comfortable in its role and “I will want to dig into (the become educated on the area city’s existing) plan in more dewithin their jurisdiction and tail and see if I can identify adspending the second half of the ditional opportunities,” he said. year vetting details and doing “I’m honestly excited to serve in due diligence. this capacity.”

“Just because something Other board members include looks good from 30,000 feet real estate, education and engidoesn’t mean it looks as good neering professionfrom 10,000 feet,” als from different Johnson warned. parts of the city He added, “Maywho represent be by the end of a variety of eththis year, there’s a nicities, ages and vetted opportunity genders. with a developer City Council who would step member Weare forward and say, Gratwick said ‘I’m interested in whatever happens a certain location in coming months, and want to do a the recently constispecific deal. And tuted board is well Weare Gratwick I’m going to need up to the task. He’s help to make that one of two council members who happen.’” will exercise ex-officio oversight The city manager hopes that over the semi-independent would lead quickly to working entity. on the hard-core details of turn“We had over 30 applications ing a set of plans into brick and from citizens to be on this board mortar. He said here are many and all were good and well combinations under which a dequalified. It was very difficult velopment could come together, to choose,” he said. He said the including dealmakers employing final compliment is a diverse mix sub-developers who specialize in that represents “the best and the one specific aspect of design or brightest.” construction.

Johnson thinks the deals that In the context of a mature emerge from the work of those city running out of undeveloped bright minds will likely take one land, city officials hope those recurring form. “Mixed-use dehigh-fliers who make a cruise velopments are mentioned more along Holcomb Bridge Road will in connection with this because get a much different visual expethey work,” he said. “You can rience in the months and years prevent having too much of one to come. thing in a small area by mixing Think flying dirt, the roar uses and those uses can feed off of bulldozers and steel-framed each other. They are symbiotic.” skeletons. ■

February/March 2021 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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Setting a New Standard A world-renowned engineering society builds a cutting-edge home on Technology Parkway

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ou may not know what ASHRAE is, but you know its work: the clean and comfortable air we all take for granted inside many modern buildings.

The international professional society’s standards are behind everything from the filtering of airplane cabin air to the energy efficiency of office buildings that mitigates climate change and dependence on foreign oil.

Today, it’s a major authority in the COVID-19 fight, penning standards for halting the coronavirus’s spread through HVAC

By John Ruch

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systems that are promoted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And now ASHRAE is your neighbor, having recently moved into a new $20 million global headquarters on Technology Parkway meant to be a living laboratory for “walking the talk” on energy efficiency.

“We harness the collective wisdom of the world’s experts and bring that wisdom to bear on some of these challenges,” said Jeff Littleton, ASHRAE’s executive vice president, in a recent interview.

ASHRAE (pronounced “ashray”) is the easier-on-the-tongue version of the group’s full name, the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers. The society traces its history back to 1894,

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ February/March 2021 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

when a group of heating and air-conditioning engineers convened in New York City. A merger with a society of refrigeration engineers in 1959 produced the current organization.

Today, ASHRAE has more than 55,000 members in around 130 countries. It offers training and professional certifications for those in the HVAC and refrigeration industries, and stages conferences that attract up to 75,000 attendees. It funds research at universities and specialty labs to the tune of $5 million a year.

But ASHRAE’s most influential role is writing industry standards that are taken so seriously, some of them become law.

ASHRAE isn’t a trade association designed to promote its industry; it’s a professional society with a nonprofit mission of promotpeachtreecornerslife

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Jeff Littleton

ing the public good. ASHRAE’s priority is not what might make your HVAC contractor the biggest paycheck, Littleton said, but what will best ensure “health and human comfort.”

“We have an obligation to serve the public trust,” said Littleton. “... We are a true-blue professional society, and that drives a lot of what we do.” peachtreecornerslife

Chuck Waters

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ASHRAE

The energy efficiency of buildings is a major standard set by ASHRAE, whose word has been federal law for decades.

“Back in the 1970s, when the oil embargoes caused oil and gas shortages in the U.S. and lines at gas stations and all that, the U.S. Department of Energy came to ASHRAE and said…, ‘The built environment in the United States is

burning too much energy and we need to cut back on that,’” said Littleton.

The result was a regularly updated code for commercial buildings in federal law that has been adopted by many state and local jurisdictions as well. On such standards, ASHRAE goes beyond heating and cooling to virtually every “building technol-

ogy” related to energy usage.

It’s one of the ways, Littleton said, that ASHRAE is a “really big player in trying to mitigate climate change.” He noted that while motor vehicles are often depicted as the villains of climate change, buildings are major factors: 35% of the world’s final-customer energy use and 40% of energy-related green-

house gas emissions, according to ASHRAE. Last year, ASHRAE responded to another national crisis: the COVID-19 pandemic. “People started calling us [asking], ‘What do we do? What do we do when we find out someone in our 10-story office building had

continued on page 40

February/March 2021 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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continued from page 39 COVID?’” Littleton recalled.

ASHRAE quickly formed a pandemic task force and subcommittees with more than 100 members, including not only industry experts, but also medical doctors and epidemiologists. In some ways, it’s familiar turf for the society, which writes standards for hospital ventilation systems and how to prevent outbreaks of some specific bugs, like the air-conditioning-loving bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease.

For COVID, the society is regularly devising best practices and rules for preventing the coronavirus from blowing around inside buildings, with everything from air filters to virus-zapping ultraviolet systems addressed. “Right now, we’re developing a … guidance document on outdoor dining because we’re getting requests from jurisdictions that want to get those open as soon as possible,” said Littleton.

While ASHRAE always develops its standards and practices with public input and review, one way it makes money is keeping the final documents exclusive and selling them to authorities and organizations.

But not with COVID guidance.

All pandemic-related material is

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free to view and download from the society’s website.

“We certainly don’t want to profit from the fact that the pandemic is going on,” said Littleton. The society finds it rewarding enough that its task force experts “have really risen to that challenge. It’s really had a big impact. … We’re really proud of that work as an organization.”

ASHRAE aims to live up to its own standards. It did so when it moved in 1984 from New York to metro Atlanta, building a high-efficiency headquarters in DeKalb County near I-85 and North Druid Hills Road. That site is now in the young city of Brookhaven and neighboring Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, which has a $1 billion hospital project that made it clear it was time to move again. The society looked around for a site to set a new standard with its headquarters — and found it in Peachtree Corners.

Littleton said the attractions were plentiful. Hotels, green space and restaurants for the many visiting students and experts. A “high-tech look” and fellow cutting-edge infrastructure enthusiasts, like the Technology Parkway autonomous vehicle test track.

ASHRAE now calls home an

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ February/March 2021 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

old office building at 130 Technology Parkway that dates to 1978.

Instead of tearing it down, the society retrofitted it into a futuristic, hyper-efficient HQ. Its interior is heated and cooled with a “hydronic” system of fluid-filled panels instead of duct-blown air, and by the end of April the site will be studded with solar panels. The goal is a “net-zero-energy” building, meaning it will create as much energy as it burns. In short, ASHRAE is doing what it tells everyone else to do.

“If we, as a society, are really going to reduce the energy consumption in the built environment that contributes to climate change and all of that, we have to deal with existing buildings,” said Littleton. “... So ASHRAE is walking the talk.”

In the society’s public spirit, the building is also an experiment, “a learning lab, a showcase to demonstrate what’s possible.”

Eventually the building will have an online dashboard publicly displaying its energy performance to see if it’s living up to its promise.

“A lot of building experts around the world are watching very closely,” said Littleton. “You throw enough money at any building, you can get there. But can we demonstrate that we can

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do it in an economical way?”

Much of that experiment is on temporary hold in the pandemic, which has already taken the wind out of what was supposed to be a banner year for ASHRAE. In 2020, the society planned to celebrate its 125th anniversary — counting from an 1895 debut annual meeting of its ancestor organization — and to have a major grand opening celebration at the new headquarters.

Now health concerns have the society shying away from even a ribbon-cutting, and most of the 110 staff members remain working from home to avoid COVID. But that, too, shall pass, and ASHRAE is looking forward to enjoying its new home and setting new standards.

“We’re excited to be here in Peachtree Corners. It’s a cool place. It’s got hotels and restaurants and everything close by,” said Littleton. “Working with the folks from the city of Peachtree Corners has been great. They’re very responsive.

“It’s just ironic that we’re not really using the building right now, but it’s going to be really neat.”

For more about ASHRAE and its work, see ashrae.org. ■

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February/March 2021 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITY

Wesleyan Artist Market Features Artists through Week-Long Virtual Event Artists Clockwise from left: Ariana Blackard Andy Free Kathleen Plate Julian Tablada Susan Westmoreland

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he Wesleyan Artist Market will host its 23rd annual event virtually April 22-29. The fine arts, jewelry and fine wares show is a long-established Spring tradition and one of the premier school sponsored art shows in the Southeast. This year, the Market will feature the works of 84 professional artists plus 17 Wesleyan student artists.

Many of Wesleyan’s top selling artists from 2019 will return in 2021 and will be joined by established and emerging artists from across the Southeast.

(2020’s market was cancelled due to COVID-19.)

Local Peachtree Corners and Norcross participating artists include Allison Wright (mixed media), Andy Free (wood),

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Elizabeth Ables (ceramics) and Julian Tablada (watercolor).

Typically held on Wesleyan’s campus, the Market will be hosted virtually via Shopify’s e-commerce platform due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns. The show has been extended from three days to a full week to accommodate the virtual platform.

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ February/March 2021 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

Kirsten Scott, 2021 Market CoChair shared, “We remain as committed as ever to bringing outstanding art to our community. The virtual platform is an exciting opportunity to carry on the great tradition and community-building spirit of the Wesleyan Artist Market.”

Wesleyan Artist Market Media Sponsors for 2021 are: ■ Presenting Media Group Sponsor — Peachtree Corners Magazine and Peachtree Corners Life ■ Opening Night Presenting

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Sponsor — Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Magazine (AH&L) ■ Advertising and Publishing — Imagine Advertising & Publishing, Inc., and ■ Digital Media Management – Stirrup Media Management.

Opening Night, April 22, AH&L will present “The Art of Collecting: Where to Begin & Making It Approachable” via online seminar. The presentation will feature a discussion with interior designer Liz Godwin, art consultant Colleen Lane and artist and designer Tyler Colgan about the process of procuring art. AH&L’s Home & Design Editor Suzanna Cullen Hamilton, a former antiques and fine arts dealer, will moderate the online seminar.

Admission is free, and all are welcome to join the event online.

For the complete artist roster and more information about the Wesleyan Artist Market, go to artistmarket.wesleyanschool.org. ■ Source: Wesleyan Artist Market

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lair LeBlanc is an American artist living between New York City and Atlanta, Georgia. She grew up in the Peachtree Corners area.

“When I think of growing up in Peachtree Corners, I think of running around my neighborhood, rolling down hills, the smell of sweat and cut grass in the summer, dancing on the kitchen counter with my sister and our friends after school. It was a really normal, magical place to grow up,” LeBlanc said.

Her first solo painting exhibition was held September through October 2020 in Athens, Georgia, and marked both her transition from photography and her homecoming from a year living in New York City. Recently, her photography landed in international press, including Artforum and ARTnews in January 2020. Her next exhibition opens June 2021.

Like the Peachtree Corners area itself, LeBlanc appears to be in a constant state of professional transformation, as exhibited by her recent switch from the medium of photography to her current commitment to painting.

“I completed a project called Sacred Bloom, in March ’20, with Burnaway magazine. Which was a great experience,” she said. “I got to work with both Executive Director Erin Jane Nelson and Editor-In-Chief Logan Lockner.

Erin helped me edit my work and Logan wrote a beautiful lyrical poem to accompany it. What I love about Burnaway is they have a very strong focus but stay open to oddities. So on Sacred Bloom, I felt guided, but they also gave me the freedom to develop it and let it evolve. They are just ideal collaborators.”

As far as her professional career goes, LaBlanc said she thinks that project marked her last photo work. “Since then, I pushed all my chips into painting. I prefer moving forward. I’ve got blinders on and am full force ahead.”

When asked about where she draws her artistic inspiration, LeBlanc noted many sources she pulls from. “In this new body of

By Kelsey Asher

The Peachtree Corners Artist’s Corner: A Conversation with Blair LeBlanc

Top, clockwise, Photograph by Leo Heikkila, 2021; Image courtesy of Blair LeBlanc Studio.

Basquiat ’82, 2020. Rockstar, 2020. Image courtesy of Blair LeBlanc Studio.

Above, X, 2020. Image courtesy of Blair LeBlanc Studio.

work, Dream (2021), I conceptually create a painting for mega art dealer Larry Gagosian. So to make the work, I spent my summer studying the characteristics of what makes a painting that draws record-breaking sales,” she said.

“Surprisingly, the research brought me back to the people that inspired me to be an artist in the first place: Warhol, Picasso, Basquiat. I pulled from each of them and made my version of their work. I think of these paintings as universal or “Blockbuster.” They function in a similar way as a blockbuster movie or a pop song.”

She pointed to The Beatles as an example. “You can go deep into their history, learn about their philosophy, sexuality, politics, influences, instruments, fashion…all of that. Or, you can just enjoy “I Want to Hold Your Hand” when it comes on at a beach party. Their music has a kind of open complexity that doesn’t ask anything of you, but offers it if you want it. And that’s the quality I hope to capture in my work,” LeBlanc said.

The young artist has a sharp vision for her creative journey that will take her very far, allowing her fans to escape into the brilliant worlds of her making, which are fresh, new and familiar all at once. ■

February/March 2021 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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COMMUNITY

Aging Well A Senior Citizen’s Resource Guide

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he golden years are meant to be filled with meaningful shared experiences with family and friends, but in the chaotic times that we currently find ourselves, it takes a fair amount of extra effort to make sure the mind stays sharp and the body keeps active. That’s why we have compiled a helpful roadmap to local resources for senior citizens in and around Peachtree Corners, ranging from thriving residential communities to senior centers and at-home care.

This guide mentions

By Kelsey Asher

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many services typically offered, but for the most up-to-date information, please contact the businesses directly.

RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES Village Park Peachtree Corners Make your home just around the corner. Village Park Peachtree Corners provides all of the comforts and services of premier senior living within minutes of The Forum and other local shopping, dining and entertainment favorites. Choose between many living styles, from independent or assisted living to memory care — or in one of the luxury bungalows and cottages.

“Cottages and bungalows offer the same designer finishes, 10-foot ceilings, patios, natural stone countertops, full kitchens,

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ February/March 2021 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

gas fireplaces and washers and dryers; however, bungalows are stand-alone homes that include garages, while cottages are garden-style homes with designated parking spaces and closer proximity to the main building,” explained Kari Samuelson, COO of Galerie Living (Village Park Senior Livings’ Parent Company).

Cottages residents receive two meals a day and weekly housekeeping, included in their fees, while bungalows have customizable dining and housekeeping options. All residents have access to the amenities, including a heated pool, fitness center, full-service salon, courtyards, library, theater, club rooms, coffee bar and full-service restaurant.

More than simply focusing on the comfort and happiness peachtreecornerslife

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of the residents, Village Park has made it a top priority to keep residents healthy during these tumultuous times.

“Village Park is grateful to be one of Georgia’s first senior living communities to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, with over 95% of residents vaccinated for COVID-19 in December 2020,” Samuelson said. “We are continuing to follow the safety guidelines provided by the CDC and are looking forward to the new possibilities the vaccine brings to our communities.”

For more about Village Park Peachtree Corners, visit villageparkpeachtreecorners.com or call 770-416-0502.

The Mansions at Sandy Springs For a comfortable place to call home in Peachtree Corners, The Mansions of Sandy peachtreecornerslife

Springs is an excellent option.

In addition to the standard features that one would find in most reputable establishments, Mansions has a few standout luxuries, such as a washer and dryer in every unit, as well as a balcony or patio for all units.

Pet lovers who can’t bear to part with Fido appreciate that small pets are allowed for a nominal one-time fee. But as nice as the personal utilities are, the communal benefits are equally so.

The dedicated activities director makes sure to keep residents entertained, currently bringing in entertainers and performers once a week on Fridays, along with planning in-house activities and off-site outings. (Of course, outside trips are put on hold until it is safe to resume them.)

Some highlights of the Friday Follies include guitarists, pianists and soloists. Mansion also often hosts special speakers, some of whom are residents or from local organizations. One notable resident has given several talks on behalf of the Sons of the American Revolution, for example.

Besides providing entertainment, Mansions has gone the extra mile — or hallway — to continue connecting with their seniors, holding exercise classes in the hallway for safe social distance and delivering daily surprise goodies to raise spirits during times of isolation. Fortunately, residents are now able to move around more freely than they were in months prior, but it’s nice to see how the community has banded together.

When asked about how to stay healthy and happy during these times, Director Debbie Brennan had this advice: “Stay mentally healthy, stay social. If you can go outside and take a walk, that’s a great thing.”

Brennan is especially excited about the new walking trail that recently opened in Crooked Creek Park, which Mansions sometimes takes residents to walk along if they are physically able.

For more about life at the Mansions of Sandy Springs, visit mansionsseniorliving.com,

then select the Sandy Springs community for contact information.

Vineyard Johns Creek This brand-new assisted living and memory care facility is slated to open July 2021, pending occupancy approval. Currently, interested persons can schedule a private tour. Sales Director Jennifer Farine expanded on pioneering approaches that they plan to implement at Vineyard Johns Creek.

For instance, the dining room will be open for residents from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day for their meals, instead of only at

Opposite page, Village Park Peachtree Corners Top left, The Mansions at Sandy Springs Gallery sample room from site.

Top right, Bea from Mansions happy to get her vaccine. (Photo from Aimee Minton at Mansions Sandy Springs) Above, coat drive at Vineyards Johns Creek Left, Barbara makes wonderful floral arrangements from flowers donated by the Kroger in Rivermont Square on Holcomb Bridge Rd. Mansions Sandy Springs

Continued on page 46 February/March 2021 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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Continued from page 45 designated eating times, allowing for more independence and freedom of choice. In-room concierge style dining service is also offered, as well as an open community kitchen. Other amenities include a RENEW Salon and Spa, movie theatre, library, gym and more.

In light of recent health concerns, a telehealth room will be in place to allow for safe medical consultation, in addition to traditional medical care monitoring. Farine even mentioned the use of Amazon Echo smart speakers in resident rooms for entertainment as well as communicating with staff.

Talk about utilizing technology to create a brighter tomorrow for our seniors today!

For more about Vineyard Johns Creek, go to vineyardjohnscreek.com or call 470-3297688.

Parc at Duluth Over the past 18 years, Parc at Duluth has provided an attentive independent and assisted living community, with 135 apartments for independent residents and 35 assisted living units.

For residents with an interest in superb cuisine, this is the place to be, offering a full-service white tablecloth dining experience. Other notable features include weekly housekeeping and linen cleaning and 24/7 concierge service. A licensed personal trainer leads exercise classes, and a personal training experience is included in residential costs. Seniors can relax by the pool with a fun beach read or join in water aerobics.

Resident participation numbers in scheduled activities have been limited due to health concerns and to allow for social distancing. Visitors are currently allowed for independent residents, with prior reservation to avoid too many outside people in the building at one time.

Additional support from the local community has been a welcome source of comfort as well.

Towards the beginning of shutdown, the National Guard came in several times to assist in a deep clean of common areas.

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Schools in the area also want to make sure that residents know that the community cares.

“Notre Dame Academy has been a great support, providing residents with cards and entertainment in our courtyard,” said Suzanne Nicol, Director of Sales and Marketing. “It has been a really great relationship here in the community.”

In warm months, the staff held outdoor events as much as possible, and as the weather cooled, they got creative finding space to allow for safe enrichment, such as hallway bingo and other unique modifications.

(Restrictions have since relaxed to allow for more traditional interactions.)

In May 2020 during Mother’s Day Weekend, Parc at Duluth held a Drive Through Car Parade with over 100 families smiling and cheering as they drove around the perimeter of the complex.

“The biggest thing for seniors right now is to find a way for some type of safe social interaction, which is one of the most important things for our residents, being socially engaged instead of stagnant,” Nicol said.

For more information on Parc at Duluth, visit parcatduluth.com or call 770-622-6880.

AT HOME CARE A Hand to Hold With its main office located at 3459 Holcomb Bridge Road in Peachtree Corners, A Hand to Hold is a leading provider of professional, reputable at-home care with dedicated A Hand to Hold Care managers.

The caregivers are experts in geriatric care with specialties in nursing, mental health and social work. The company carefully selects employees who are fully insured, drug tested and come with worker’s compensation coverage.

For more information, visit ahandtohold.com or call 770992-5820.

Top, Aimee and Daryl deliver donuts to Mansions Sandy Springs residents Middle and bottom picture, The First Senior Center Staff that delivered daily lunches to seniors during shutdown

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ February/March 2021 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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SENIOR CENTERS First Senior Center First Senior Center is located in Norcross, and just so happens to be the first senior daycare in Georgia that is Vietnamese owned and operated. It boasts a diverse community of senior citizens from all walks of life, with staff catering to seniors who speak numerous different languages. Their clients consist mainly of Southeast Asians from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Korean, Thailand, Burma and China, according to Founder Von Tran.

“First Senior Center supports the health, nutritional, social and daily living needs of older adults, so they can continue to live safely in their homes and communities for as long as possible,” Tran said.

The center takes a personalized approach to keep the people it serves healthy and happy.

“Our Adult Day Health program is unique in that we employ individual-directed programming that provides our members with activities tailored to their specific needs and interests,” Tran said. “Our Day Program is filled with activities and occasional outings, moderate exercise and programs throughout every day.”

As of January 1, the center resumed its normal activities while adapting to current needs, including offering telehealth through Zoom. Nutritious breakfasts, lunches and snacks are provided with dietary

restrictions noted and planned for.

The center also made sure that clients had delicious meals throughout the shutdown, delivering 34,000 lunches and over 94,000 pounds of groceries over the last nine months in fresh and storable food, according to Tran. Partnerships with non-profits like Atlanta Community Food Bank helped bridge the food security gap.

Going the extra mile for our elderly is always in style.

To see if you or a loved one could benefit from First Senior Center, visit firstseniorcenter. com or call 470- 289-2222. Additionally, the center is seeking community support to meet senior needs, so please reach out with potential assistance ideas.

Norcross Senior Center The Norcross Senior Center is one of many services offered to Gwinnett County seniors age 60 and over by Gwinnett County Senior Services. For the safety of their clients, all operations and programs have been suspended at the center, and other Gwinnett County centers, with hopes of reopening once it is safe to do so.

During normal operating times, seniors receive services and participate in activities that support their independence, enhance their dignity and quality of life, meet their diverse needs and interests, reflect their experience and skills, and encourage community involvement and socialization.

Services may include transportation to and from the center, breakfast and lunch, and individual counseling. Activities may include educational and fitness classes, arts and crafts, recreational interests, volunteering, day trips, basic haircutting and more. Some activities and day trips may require minimal fees.

Seniors must apply to become a participant at the center.

For more information, including how to apply and application requirements, visit the Senior Services page at gwinnettcounty.com.■

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They offer a range of services for varied needs, from companionship and personal care to individualized independent living plans based on medical needs. 24-hour on call service is available for their clientele. To learn more, visit homematters. com or call 678-828-2195.

Alan Kaplan

Co-Host of the ED Hour

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Weekly Onlin

770-421-1302.

Peachtree Corners Life A weekly podcast that explores Peachtree Corners’ community, people and businesses, hosted

by Rico Figliolini

Capitalist Sage A twice a month business podcast, hosted by Karl Barham and Rico Figliolini

Prime Lunchtime with Brian Johnson A monthly podcast about the city, development, issues and news with guest City Manager Brian Johnson, hosted by Rico Figliolini

EVERY PODCAST IS FACEBOOK LIVE STREAMED facebook.com/ peachtreecornerslife Podcasts are available on the website livinginpeachtreecorners.com, and on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcast, SoundCloud and YouTube

The ED Hour A podcast on education and achievements, hosted by Alan Kaplan and Rico Figliolini

Brian Johnson

Monthly guest on Prime Lunchtime with the City Manager

Karl Barham

Co-Host of the Capitalist Sage

Rico Figliolini Podcast Host

February/March 2021 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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SPACES

Real Estate & Home

A Look Inside the UPCCA United Peachtree Corners Civic Association

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ou may have wondered what it was like to work for the United Peachtree Corners Civic Association (UPCCA). We’ve spoken with Gay Shook and Debbie Mason to find out about how the organization works, what they do and what they’re looking forward to for the future of Peachtree Corners.

Longtime UPCCA member Gay Shook started out in the newspaper business. Her husband Ron worked for the New York Times for more than 30 years and retired as VP of his regional group.

From editor to chairman

When they moved to Peachtree Corners over 35 years ago, he

By Kris Bird

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noticed that Gwinnett County did not have its own newspaper.

He saw a niche in the market and took a chance, starting the “The Weekly.” He even pulled some strings with contacts at the New York Times, who helped design “The Weekly’s” masthead. He then asked his wife, Gay, to be the editor, and they worked at the newspaper together.

The paper covered from Norcross to Duluth, turning out great news and talented journalists. Politicians even began to pay attention, Gay said. “We wrecked a few careers. Let’s just say, if your moral compass spins, I am going to know about it.”

When her husband fell ill in 1997, they had no choice but to consolidate to an online version.

By this point, Gay had her pick of organizations to join, and she chose the UPCCA. She became the Chairman of the Peachtree Corners Improvement Project.

“Peachtree Parkway looks as good as it does now because of us,” she beamed. They should be proud. The parkway is clean and

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ February/March 2021 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

green with manicured roadsides and tree-lined streets. It doesn’t have any of the usual eyesores you would see on a major highway.

“Developers knew that if they wanted anything, they had to go through us,” Gay said. She remembers their reputation preceding them with community leaders.

What you may not know is that the UPCCA actually got the peachtreecornerslife

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help of Tech Park for the major cleanup project. They conducted a study and took aerial shots of the parkway to help calculate how much money it would take for mowing and garbage pickup. In the end, they came up with $1.41 per square foot as a goal for the cleanup project. The organization used that number to estimate how much money they would need to raise every year.

UPCCA decided to go with Piedmont Landscaping Company for the project because the President, Drew Watkins, was willing to go the extra mile. “There was an ugly pit next to the access road behind what is now Chicago Hot Dog,” Gay said. I asked him if there was anything he could do to make it nicer, and he made it happen.”

Securing the sign

But the greatest uphill battle that she remembers from her days in the UPCCA was the talisman to this beautiful city, the Peachtree Corners entrance sign. Originally, it was supposed to be positioned off the exit near what is now the Target shopping center. Gay had bigger plans, but that involved seeking special permission from the Georgia Highway Association.

The commissioner of the Department of Transportation, Russel McMurry — who you may know as the person in charge of fixing the infamous burned overpass in Atlanta — was working as a district engineer at the time when he gave them the go ahead for the sign.

Then it was just a matter of finding a way to secure funds for the sign, and it was Representative Tom Rice who handed Gay the answer. He notified the UPCCA about a special grant that the city could apply for, and the county would match the funds to reach their goal.

The city got the grant, but even with that, the funds for the sign fell short. It was Paul Duke himself who provided his last gift to the City of Peachtree Corners. The UPCCA decided to get creative and change the sign — including the words “Entering Paul Duke Parkway” — and the Duke family made up the difference for the iconic entranceway we see today.

“When you enter, you know you’re in Peachtree Corners, because it looks different than any other suburb of Atlanta,” Gay said, noting that all the group’s efforts were definitely worth it. “It just goes to show, you can make anything happen, all you need is the right person to help.”

The first lady gets involved

Gay said she believes that the community members of Peachtree Corners are what make this city so special. Members like Peachtree Corners developer and innovator Jim Cowart. “I saw him do things for people that nobody knew about. If someone had a baby, they would find a baby basket full of supplies on their doorstep a few days later,” Gay shared. “And I knew so many people like that,

who were always doing things for other people silently.”

Other important people in UPCCA’s success story include the first lady of Peachtree Corners, Debbie Mason. Mason joined the UPCCA in 2007. Her husband, Mayor Mike Mason, was one of the founding members of the organization and eventually went on to be the president.

When Debbie’s oldest son graduated college, Mike asked her to become a member. She took over as chairman of the Peachtree Parkway improvement project from Gay. “I was like Gay 2.0,” Debbie joked, “I treated the project with just as much love as her.”

The city eventually took over the highway improvement project and the UPCCA donated any leftover funds to the city. “I was glad to be rid of it,” Debbie remarked about the more than $25,000 worth of funds they procured over the years. “It definitely was a labor of love.”

UPCCA keeps it all together

So what have the members of the UPCCA been up to since achieving cityhood in 2010?

“People always ask: what do we still need the UPCCA for, now that we’re a city?” Debbie said.

She explained that, even though they don’t have any real pull in government office, the UPCCA acts as the liaison representing the people of Peachtree Corners to the county. In matters where the city and the county don’t always agree, Debbie knows the UPCCA will always side with the citizens.

“We keep the community connected at a time when people are as disconnected as they’ve ever been,” she said.

And connected we are. The UPCCA now coordinates tons of city-

wide meetings which are open to anyone. “We maintain a level of transparency with the city,” Debbie said. Those meetings include their annual C.O.P.S. meeting, which allows residents to keep an open line of communication with the Gwinnett Police Department and stay informed about what is going on in their community. It always has a huge turnout.

There is also the “Great American Cleanup” where Peachtree Corners compete for the award in “most pounds of trash picked up.”

Not to mention the annual $1,000 scholarship the association gives to two resident students of the community. Despite the pandemic, Debbie is still planning the Peachtree Corners Festival, but it will likely be moved to later in the year than June.

This year, the UPCCA will also be bringing back the “Star Award Program” to recognize the unsung heroes of Peachtree Corners.

Speaking of unsung heroes, Debbie was recently diagnosed with uterine cancer; even though she recognizes that it could be potentially problematic, she still plans on being involved in the UPCCA as much as possible.

“This will be the biggest challenge I have ever had to overcome.

But I just have to try and listen to my body, and say no when I don’t have the energy,” Debbie said.

From the pandemic to the tumultuous election, Gay and Debbie are looking forward to seeing how the events of the last year will affect the future of Peachtree Corners. But one thing will always stay the same — UPCCA’s dedication to serving its community.

To stay up to date on all the UPCCA events or nominate your hero, visit UPCCA.gov and subscribe to their newsletter. ■

February/March 2021 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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An Interview with Judge Davis

By Kris Bird

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recently had the pleasure of speaking with Judge Warren Davis about the history of Peachtree Corners, how he rose through the ranks and what he wants for the future of our great city.

When did you move to Peachtree Corners?

I first came to Georgia in the 1970s, but I bought the house in Peachtree Station in 1990.

I loved the infrastructure of Peachtree Corners; the sidewalks were clean, parks were developing everywhere, and it was one of those few places that had good access to downtown with the traffic still being somewhat reasonable.

How did you become a judge?

I actually started as a patrolman for Gwinnett County Police Department, back when East Jones Bridge Road was still a dirt road and Jimmy Carter Road didn’t even exist yet!

Gwinnett PD has a really great educational program, where they will pay for you to go to school, and you stay working for the department for at least one year after you graduate.

I used to be out on the beat, when it was rainy or cold, usually chasing down an aban-

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doned car. And then I would go to court hearings and see the judge and think: he looks really warm and dry; maybe I’m in the wrong career.

So Gwinnett PD sent me to law school, and when I finished, I stayed another year and moved up from there. I owe my success to the Gwinnett County Police Department.

What makes Peachtree Corners so special?

It’s the little things. When Peachtree Corners got its cityhood, we never had to reinvent the wheel. We kept the county organizations, like the police and fire departments, and didn’t have to create our own.

When you live in a place where crimes against children and human trafficking are a huge part of your crime rate, it helps having officers who are trained in a unique field like SVU. That’s something we would never have if we had to put our resources into a smaller police department. From a judge’s standpoint, I can appreciate the skillset that Gwinnett PD brings to the table.

The beauty of Peachtree Corners is that when we became a city, we got to combine common areas with common interests. Gwinnett County has always been a leader and will continue to be. That leadership

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ February/March 2021 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

all began with Tech Park and the innovation it brought to the area. That niche brought top notch schools, plenty of medical centers to choose from and then all the shopping you could ever need within a few square miles.

Now we have a great support system. The YMCA helps people at all levels of the economic spectrum. We have many great church organizations, and three healthy, organic grocery stores all within 10 minutes of each other. Peachtree Station, and most Peachtree Corners developments, have a community pool, which people tend to bond around.

I hardly have a reason to go inside the Perimeter now, but when I do it is pulse-pounding and rare!

How has the pandemic affected your work?

I’m happy to say that we did better than most. As a judge, I legally have to be in a courthouse for hearings. So, I have been video conferencing court hearings from the same spot I always sit.

I’d say about 2% to 3% want to have their appearance in person, which is fine, because I just sit behind Plexiglass and everyone stays safe.

The only problem is that we cannot have jury trials for

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obvious reasons. I feel bad for those people who are awaiting sentencing, because we are about two years behind when it comes to trials now. Hopefully, we can get the system moving again soon.

What would you like to see for the future of Peachtree Corners?

Right now, we need to do what our ancestors did and just survive. We have great leaders working on the issues, looking at problems and making adjustments.

Peachtree Corners has always been willing to go out on a limb and try new tech — that’s what built Silicone Valley — and I believe that’s what our city is moving towards.

In the future, I want to see us keep striving towards better transportation. We already have great research studies and programs in place for timing stoplights and managing our traffic, not to mention the exciting autonomous driving system. But a great transportation system is so important because every great city has it, and eventually it becomes everyone’s form of transportation.

I believe that the leaders of Peachtree Corners have a plan, and it’s a good plan. We just need to keep doing it. ■

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NOURISH

A Valentine’s Day to Savor

By Sarah Douglass, Contributing Writer

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill

Give your taste buds some love this Valentine’s Day with Firebirds Wood Fired Grill’s Table for Two dinner special. Available for dine-in, carry-out and delivery, this special includes an appetizer, two entrées and a dessert to share. The main courses feature a selection of a 7-ounce filet topped with lobster and spinach fondue, Key Lime grilled salmon or New York Strip. We all know a romantic evening isn’t complete without drinks, so after you finish your Black Tie Chocolate Cheesecake, be sure to try one (or more) of their “Love Potions.”

5215 Town Center Boulevard, Peachtree Corners 30092 770-225-4662 | peachtree-corners.firebirdsrestaurants.com

Mojitos

In honor of Valentine’s Day, Mojito’s has scheduled live music on Friday, February 12 and Saturday, 13. Couples can choose from two different package deals of food and drinks served by candlelight. These special deals will be available Friday night through Sunday night in celebration of the weekend of love.

The Forum, 5161 Peachtree Parkway, #630, Peachtree Corners, 30092 770-686-3254 | mojitosbistro.com

Grace 1720

Celebrate Valentine’s Day all weekend long at Grace 1720 with a dining experience that’s guaranteed to be special. Reservations for Friday, February 12 through Sunday, February 14 can be made through OpenTable or by calling.

The Forum, 5155 Peachtree Parkway #320, Peachtree Corners 30092 678-421-1720 | grace1720.com

At Grace 17•20 we are practicing social distancing and extra cleaning precautionary measures at this time.

Private event space available Hours of Operation Monday-Thursday 11:00-9:00 Friday-Saturday 11:00-10:00 Happy Hour Daily 4:00-6:00 5155 Peachtree Pkwy., Suite 320 Peachtree Corners, Georgia 30092

www.grace1720.com 678-421-1720

February/March 2021 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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Where to Eat

Peterbrooke Chocolatier

Nothing says romance quite like chocolate covered strawberries.

Peterbrooke Chocolatier’s Valentine’s Day specialty is just that — hand-dipped chocolate strawberries with milk, dark and white chocolate options. You can mix and match your customized order inside a heart-shaped box. Complete your romantic gesture with a chocolate rose for that special someone in your life.

They can accommodate walk-ins, but manager Scott Gottuso recommends pre-ordering your strawberries for the romantic day.

The Forum, 5135 Peachtree Parkway #930, Peachtree Corners 30092 770-817-8118 | peterbrookeforum.com

Marlow’s Tavern Go the extra mile with extra everything. Or keep it light to feel just right. This is your life. Your recipe. So don’t let anyone tell you how to salad.

5210 Town Center Blvd, Suite 210 Peachtree Corners, GA 30093 (470) 233-7586

$3 off your purchase (show this ad)

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Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ February/March 2021 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

Marlow’s Tavern has a plan to make your date night special, whether it’s at home or a safe night out. They’ve prepared a romantic Prix Fixe menu to enjoy with your loved one. Wine pairings are available for both dine-in and takeout. Available for dine-in or takeout, the Prix Fixe meal includes: ■ First Taste — Tavern Salad for Two, Asparagus Fries or Warm Brie Fondue (choose from one to share).

■ Main Plate — Surf and Turf, Pan Seared Trigger Fish or Grilled Center Cut Filet (chose one per person).

■ Sweet Plate — Warm Chocolate Cake (to share).

5210 Town Center Boulevard, Suite 260, Peachtree Corners 30092 470-550-1197 | marlowstavern.com ■

To advertise in this section please contact Julie Davis at julie@livinginpeachtreecorners.com peachtreecornerslife

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Ted’s salads are made with the freshest ingredients, locally sourced whenever possible.

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grab some

wings watch the

games dine-in • pickup • delivery hootswings.com Peachtree Corners Town Center 5215 Town Center Blvd, Ste 680 Peachtree Corners, GA 30092

(470) 462-2800 @hootswings

February/March 2021 ■ Peachtree Corners Magazine

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BELIEVE

Faith, Belief & Purpose

A Spring Season of a Different Color: Holy Holidays around Peachtree Corners

S

pring is coming soon to warm our weary bones after a long winter, and with it the sense of hope and rebirth. With that in mind, many look forward to Passover, Easter and other celebrations in the area, so break out the matzah and the egg-dyeing kits!

Beth Shalom

Beth Shalom does not currently have much information posted about the Passover holiday as they are currently observing the Purim holiday, which commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman (an Achaemenid Persian Empire official who planned to persecute the Jewish people as recounted in the Book of Esther).

Regarding Passover, the Sisterhood Gift Shop Network of Beth Shalom is holding a Passover gift shopping event on March 14 from 1 to 2 p.m. For one day only, Beth Shalom Gift Shop items can be purchased at home via Zoom, then picked up and paid for at the shul circle on March 19, 12 - 2 p.m., or March 21, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Email Jody Kassel at jodykassel5@ gmail.com to RSVP. There are three main events related to Purim at Beth Shalom.

The first is the Mishloach Manot, which means ‘sending portions.

The ritual that revolves around sending food to Jewish family and friends. Beth Shalom’s Purim Mishloach Manot program is their youth department’s largest fundraiser, and they ask that those who wish to participate in the holiday do so in a few different ways.

By Kelsey Asher

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1. For just $6 per recipient, you can send a bag to anyone on the Beth Shalom membership list, including the preschool families and staff at Beth Shalom.

2. By making a donation of $180, you can send a bag to everyone in the shul.

Each family was mailed a personal link to a Happy Purim website with instructions on how to complete orders. This year, the bags will be delivered to homes between February 21 and February 26.

Then there is the Erev Purim Megillah Reading, or reading of the Book of Esther, on February 25 at 7 p.m. Join in on Zoom and wear a costume, a customary way to celebrate Purim, in reference to Esther’s historic “dressing up” as a queen to hide her true heritage.

Fun games will also be part of the evening.

Lastly, the Return to Shushan Purim Celebration will be held February 28 from 12 to 1:30 p.m., weather permitting This will feature outdoor games, crafts, lunch, a costume parade and Children’s Megillah reading. If necessary, due to bad weather, the parade will be moved to a car costume parade.

Please visit bethshalom.net for any updates to holiday activities.

Chabad of Gwinnett

After a rousing conversation with Rabbi Yossi Lerman, his passion to help the good people of Chabad of Gwinnett celebrate an authentic Passover Seder in the comfort and safety of their own homes appeared abundantly apparent. Similar to last year’s accommodations, staff and volunteers will assemble Passover kits that will contain many of the non-perishable necessary ingredients and the instructions to have a Passover Seder at home.

The ‘family’ of Chabad of Gwinnett clearly puts so much heart and faith into these holy preparations, as evidenced by the hard work of Rabbi Lerman, his

Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ February/March 2021 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

wife Esther, and all the dedicated individuals that make the home Seders possible. Zoom trainings will also be held as another helpful resource to guide people through Seder procedures.

“Everything today is DIY — Do It Yourself Passover,” Lerman said, “We are very excited about the fact that we provide not only the square, machine-made matzah, but we also make the handmade round matzah. That is the authentic matzah; if I went back to Egypt to meet my great-great grandfather, his matzah was round like the handmade matzah.”

The chicken and brisket that traditionally feature in the Seder meal are not provided, though Chabad of Gwinnett has graciously given financial assistance to some of those in the community who might need support to purchase those Seder items.

Traditional Candle Lightings will be held throughout Passover, with additional information included in the kits. On March 27, the First Seder and Eve of Passover, the holiday candles will be lit after 8:31 p.m. A Torah reading and blessing will also be given with all candle lightings. March 28 marks the Second Seder and First Day of Passover, with the lighting after 8:32 p.m. The final day of Passover is April 4.

To RSVP and learn more, visit chabadofgwinnett.org for updates to the Passover 2021 schedule.

Rabbi Lerman has requested anyone with questions contact him at rabbi@chabadofgwinnett.org or 678-595-0196.

Peachtree Corners Baptist Church

Peachtree Corners Baptist Church (PCBC) currently has plans to hold 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. services both in-person and online for Easter Sunday, April 4. More information will be posted on pcbchurch.org.

Unity Atlanta peachtreecornerslife

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All Sunday Services are available both in person (with advance registration and masks required) and livestreamed. Unity Atlanta’s special Lent Series entitled “Destined to Rise” begins Sunday, February 2. The Palm Sunday Service will be held March 28 at 11 a.m. and the Maundy Thursday Service is April 1 at 7 p.m., in both in-person and livestream formats.

Easter Services are scheduled on Sunday April 4. Sunrise Service with be in person; the time and possibility of livestreaming it are both to be determined. The Unity Atlanta website will have updates closer to the date.

An in-person and livestream Easter Service will also be held 11 a.m. Please visit unityatl.org for updates.

At press time, many places of worship were still in the process of making holiday event and service plans. Please check the websites for the most up-to-date information.

Beth Shalom bethshalom.net Chabad of Gwinnett chabadofgwinnett.org Christ the King Lutheran Church ctklutheran.org Corners Church of Christ cornerschurch.org Landmark Church landmarkchurch.org Mary Our Queen Catholic Church maryourqueen.com Mount Carmel UMC mtcarmel-umc.org Peachtree Corners Baptist Church pcbchurch.org Peachtree Corners Christian Church peachtreecornerscc.org Peachtree Corners Presbyterian Church pcarpchurch.org Perimeter Church perimeter.org Simpsonwood UMC simpsonwoodumc.org

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From the Mayor’s Desk

Extending a Helping Hand to Our Small Businesses Since March of last year, the pandemic has upended the day-to-day lives of each of us including our small businesses which have suffered dearly trying to keep their doors open while also feeding their own families.

In late September, the cities in Gwinnett County were given federal grant money (CARES Act) to disperse in our communities. We had a short deadline of December 1st but were determined to help our small business community. As a result of a tremendous effort by the city staff, we were able to award federal grants totaling $2.66 million to 118 qualified local businesses. The funds will assist in providing relief to business operators that experienced a downturn in 2020 when they were forced to adjust their operations and/or shut down as a result of the pandemic.

The funds are part of monies received by the city from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill passed by the U.S. Congress in March of 2020. The funds will help bolster our efforts to meet the needs of Peachtree Corners small business owners and operators most impacted by the pandemic.

The city targeted restaurants, retail stores, hair and nail salons, and fitness centers to receive the funds.

Additionally, the city awarded funds to non-targeted businesses, such as medical offices and daycares, that met the criteria established by the city.

One recipient is Andrew Hoppen, owner of Taqueria del Mar. Andrew is also a resident. He told the city that ever since the pandemic, he’s had to operate at 60-70% capacity based on prior years. As you may or may not know, the margin of profits for restaurants is typically 3-6% so it doesn’t take an accountant to figure out that he would not have been able to continue operating his business much longer without the CARES funds.

Businesses may use the monies awarded to them by the city for rent, payroll, utilities, and inventory. Overall, restaurants received 50% of the total funds, nail and hair salons, 9%, retail stores 5%, fitness centers 4%, other targeted business 6%.

Non-targeted businesses received 25% of the total.

Grants ranged from $1,000 to $50,000.

The city received over 160 applications for the Small Business Assistance Program. City staff spent countless hours reviewing applications and communicating with businesses to get the required documents to make informed decisions and to comply with the CARES Act. The $2.2 trillion CARES Act passed in March is the largest economic stimulus package in U.S. history amounting to 10% of total U.S. gross domestic product.

We all depend on the many small businesses in our city, and we are very pleased that the city has the opportunity to help this segment of our business community. These grants will also go a long way in helping our city’s long-term economic recovery.

Most important, as we approach what has to be the strangest year in many, we were just grateful that we could help improve the lives of those struggling every day. Thanks to Gwinnett County for passing along the funding, and thanks to our staff for a real heroic effort in getting the checks processed.

We hope it helps make life a little easier until this pandemic is over.

Please stay safe everyone.

Mike Mason, Mayor

Our small business community is the lifeblood of our city. And we are not alone, some 30.2 million small businesses operate in this country according to the Small Business Association Office of Advocacy.

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

Mike Mason, Mayor

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 February/March 2021 ■ Inside Peachtree Corners

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INSIDE PEACHTREE CORNERS Important COVID-19 Vaccine Update

Do you Have the Fix-It App?

With reports of the coronavirus surging to new levels, it is more important than ever that everyone remain diligent in following the advice of the medical experts.

■ Wear a face mask ■ Maintain social distance ■ Wash your hands ■ Avoid large gatherings ■ Avoid being in crowded, poorly ventilated, closed settings There is still much to learn about the many known longterm health impacts of COVID-19 which makes it imperative that we continue to take precautions to avoid contracting the virus.

Vaccines against COVID-19 are starting to become accessible, and although the supply at this point is limited, over the next few months we should see appointments become accessible to all of us. Thus far, the distribution has been slow as federal, state and county health departments work together to coordinate distribution. Please remain patient, follow the safety mandates outlined above

See a sidewalk that needs repairs, a pothole or missing street sign in Peachtree Corners?

Now you can report it on your smartphone using the city’s app called “PC Fix-It.” Download the free app for you Android or iPhone.

The app allows you to create service requests and submit photos right from your mobile phone.

You can also report and keep up with issues currently in progress on the city’s website using three simple steps.

1.

Visit: www.peachtreecornersga.gov 2. Locate “Residents” tab then, 3. Click on the link marked “Report

an Issue Fix-It”

while we wait for the vaccines.

Also remember the Governor’s executive orders remain in place. These include: 1. It is a violation for people to gather in groups of more than 50 persons if they are required to stand or be seated within six feet of any other person.

2. It is a violation for bars to allow more than 50 persons on the premises or to exceed 35% of the fire capacity, whichever is greater.

3.

It is a violation for restaurants to have seating arrangements that do not ensure at least six feet of separation from seating to seating or utilize physical barriers to separate groups sitting within six feet of one another.

For updates and information contact the Georgia Department of Health: GA COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline (888) 357-0169 GA Department of Health Main Number (404) 657-2700

City Announces Redevelopment Authority Board Members At its December meeting, the City Council confirmed the nine board members of the city’s new Redevelopment Authority. The new Authority will focus its efforts on identifying residential, recreational, business, commercial, and industrial areas that may benefit from reimagined uses which would be in better keeping with the current needs of the community.

A property identified as presenting a redevelop opportunity receives focused attention and financial investment to re-energize, create jobs and revitalize the business climate. The Redevelopment Authority can plan, administer, and implement redevelopment and community improvement projects as well as provide assistance in identifying and obtaining public funding for industrial, commercial or residential improvements or expansion projects.

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“Since our city was incorporated in July 2012, the city council has sought ways to reinvigorate areas of the city that may be renewed in ways more beneficial to all who live and work in Peachtree Corners,” said Mayor Mike Mason. “We believe establishing a Redevelopment Authority will have a positive impact and will benefit our entire city.”

Redevelopment plans can help communities: ■ Attract new jobs and businesses

city’s manager, Brian Johnson. “This requires economic development activity to be more innovative as new projects have to be planned and built on previously developed properties.”

The Redevelopment Authority is organized under state law and is governed by a nine-member board. Each member serves twoand four-year staggered terms and is appointed by the City Council.

The inaugural members are: Shaun Adams

Michelle Lara

Jay Ashtiani

April Noa

Stimulate private reinvestment in local neighborhoods and businesses

Scott Haggard

Bo Reddic

Andrew Kroll

Sherry Scruggs

■

Reduce crime

Jun Lin

■

Stimulate development of improvement programs

■

Preserve open space

■

Build or improve roads, utilities and public facilities.

■

“We are transitioning into an increasingly urbanized city, resulting in a decreasing amount of undeveloped property,” said the

Inside Peachtree Corners ■ February/March 2021 ■ peachtreecornersga.gov

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All members are Peachtree Corners residents with broad backgrounds such as attorneys, real estate professionals, educators and engineers. The men and women who make up the board come from all geographic areas of the city and include a mixture of different races. Councilmember Phil Sadd and Mayor Pro Tem Weare Gratwick will serve as ex-officio non-voting members.

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INSIDE PEACHTREE CORNERS Who to Contact for Streetlight, Water and County Road Repairs The city of Peachtree Corners works together with state and county governments and utility companies to ensure roads are maintained, water service is provided, and streetlights are working properly.

The following roads are maintained by Gwinnett County or the state of Georgia, however, all requests should be reported to Gwinnett County’s Department of Transportation

Check below for telephone numbers and website links to report an issue or outage.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

For issues on Gwinnett County or State maintained roads: Did you know there are 18 roads that are either County or State managed that run through the city? (see bulleted list) These are maintained by Gwinnett County, not the city.

Issues Include: potholes, sinkholes, damaged signs, high grass, sidewalk and curb damage, damaged or missing traffic signs, traffic signal issues, tree removal.

Contact Gwinnett County to report issues: 770-822-7474 Gwinnett County:https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/web/gwinnett/Services/CitizenSelfService/

Amwiler Road Buford Highway Bush Road Crooked Creek Road East and West Jones Bridge roads Holcomb Bridge Road Jimmy Carter Boulevard Jones Mill Road Langford Road Medlock Bridge Road P’tree Corners Circle Peachtree Ind. Boulevard Peachtree Parkway S. Berkeley Lake Road S. Old P’tree Road Spalding Drive Winters Chapel Road

For water-related issues or concerns: Contact the Gwinnett County

State-of-Art EV Charging Stations Installed at Town Center

The city has recently added an EV (electric vehicle) charging station at the Town Center which will include 16 stations.

Twelve Tesla V3 Superchargers are now operational at the plaza and four universal charging stations, two 350 kW chargers and two 150 kW chargers, will go live in the new year.

The chargers installed at the Peachtree Corners Town Center were funded by the charging network providers, who recognized the value of the site to their customers.

In early 2021, the plaza will be capable of charging all types of EV models.

This plaza will be one of the largest public charging facilities in the state of Georgia and the largest in metro Atlanta.

Read more details on the city’s website, www.peachtreecornersga.gov. In the News tab on the homepage select the story titled: State-of-Art EV Charging Stations Installed at Town Center.”

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

Department of Water Resources Phone: 678-376-7000 Issues Include: interruption of water service, loss of pressure, sewer overflows or backups, water line leaks or breaks, running or leaking fire hydrants, sewer issues, concerns regarding water (taste, color, or odor) For electric power streetlight outages: Contact Georgia Power: 1-888-655-5888 https://www.georgiapower.com/community/ outages-and-stormcenter/power-outage-overview/street-light-outage.html Issues Include: power outages, power interruptions, downed power lines, streetlight outage.

All other requests should come through the city’s Fix-It app or you may call the Public Works line at 470-395-7020. The Fix-It app is free and available for both iPhones and Android users. Look for the app in the App store (iPhone) and Play Store (Android phones) using “Peachtree Corners” as the search term.

Curious about Curiosity Lab? Curiosity Lab’s Innovation Center offers more than 25,000 square feet of diverse space and serves as home base for tech startups and corporate innovation teams.

From private offices to suites and co-working options, innovators can take advantage of the Center’s video conferencing facilities, a 50-seat classroom, a prototype design studio, the network operations control center, and large event space.

For more information visit www.curiositylab/ptc or call 470-550-1727.

CANCELED: City’s Annual Spring Shredding/Recycle Event The city’s free electronics recycling and paper shredding event for Peachtree Corners residents that was scheduled for April 2021 will not be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

■ February/March 2021

Inside Peachtree Corners

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INSIDE PEACHTREE CORNERS Solar Roadway System Installed on Technology Parkway Peachtree Corners not only is the first smart city environment powered by next generation connectivity, it now has bragging rights to a new solar roadway system which produces energy for a solar-powered EV charging station located at City Hall.

The installation also marks the first road surface-powered solar panels to be activated in a United States city.

■ The solar roadway is located in a section of Technology Parkway’s autonomous vehicle test lane and was provided to the city through a partnership with The Ray, a nonprofit living laboratory and proving ground located along an 18-mile stretch of Interstate 85 spanning between LaGrange and the Georgia/Alabama state line.

■ The new system at Peachtree Corners will produce more than 1,300 kilo-

watt-hours of electricity annually for a Level 2 EV charger at City Hall at no cost to EV motorists. The charger is also equipped with an energy storage system for nighttime charging.

■ The Wattway solar roadway panels, manufactured by French transportation innovator Colas Group in partnership with the French National Solar Energy Institute, were engineered to be more durable and efficient – resulting in a 21% performance increase over previously deployed panels.

Tips for Residential Basement Buildout Finishing your unfinished basement can be a great way to increase your home’s value while giving you the extra space you need.

It is a very popular endeavor because the basics are already in place, the structure is built, you just need to partition the basement in the way you want it.

There are some basic things the Building Department will need from you at the time of permit. (Yes, you do need a permit to do any construction in your unfinished basement.)

So, first things first, you must make an application for a permit, that will require that you submit plans for your buildout. This is what we want to talk about today. We do not require stamped plans from a design professional for residential projects unless there is a special engineering problem like removing a wall or a similar event that might call into question the structural stability of the buildout.

For the most part we receive CAD or hand drawn basement plans because you are just creating partitions, but there is still much we

need to know to approve a buildout. This list is not all encompassing, but it should help you understand what we are looking for.

■ Label all rooms, we must know the function of each room.

■ Emergency escape and rescue openings, basements and every sleeping room require a window or door that opens directly to the outside and allows you to move away from the structure. We also need the size of doors and windows on the plan.

■ Appliances: Show the location of water heaters, furnaces, ranges, fireplaces, etc. Let us know if the appliances are gas or electric.

■ Plumbing fixtures: Show the location of plumbing fixtures, let us know if they are existing or new.

■ Electrical: Show the location of electrical receptacles and if they are GFCI receptacles, show the location of lighting fixtures. And last but not least, show the location of smoke/carbon monoxide detectors.

That is the basic plan information we need on a basement buildout.

One other thing to keep in mind, if you are adding a bedroom and you are on a septic tank system, please contact Gwinnett County Environmental Health before submitting your plan to get approval for the added bedroom.

Mark Mitchell CBO, MCP Chief Building Official City of Peachtree Corners mmitchell@peachtreecornersga.gov

Homeowner’s Septic System Maintenance Guide Did you know, as a homeowner, you are responsible for maintaining your septic system and periodically inspecting your system and pumping out your septic tank? If your septic system isn’t maintained, you might need to replace it, costing you thousands of dollars.

A malfunctioning system can contaminate groundwater that might be a source of drinking water.

Top Four Things You Can Do to Protect Your Septic System: 1.

Regularly inspect your system and pump your tank as necessary.

■ You should have a typical septic system inspected at least every 3 years by a professional and your tank pumped as recommended

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by the inspector (generally every 3 to 5 years). Average indoor water use in the typical single-family home is almost 70 gallons per person per day. Leaky toilets can waste as much as 200 gallons each day.

2. Use water efficiently.

■ The more water a household conserves, the less water enters the septic system. Efficient water use can improve the operation of the septic system and reduce the risk of failure.

3. Do not dispose of household hazardous wastes in sinks or toilets.

■ What goes down the drain can have a major impact on how well your septic system works. Do not flush dental floss, feminine

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hygiene products, condoms, diapers, cotton swabs, cigarette butts, coffee grounds, cat litter, paper towels, and other kitchen and bathroom items that can clog and potentially damage septic system components if they become trapped. Flushing household chemicals, gasoline, oil, pesticides, antifreeze, and paint can stress or destroy the biological treatment taking place in the system or might contaminate surface waters and groundwater. If your septic tank pumper is concerned about quickly accumulating scum layers, reduce the flow of floatable materials like fats, oils, and grease into your tank or be prepared to pay for more frequent inspections and pumping.

4. Care for your drain field. Your drain field is an important part of your septic system. Here are a few things you should do to maintain it: ■ Plant only grass over and near your septic system. Roots from nearby trees or shrubs might clog and damage the drain field.

■ Do not drive or park vehicles on any part of your septic system. Doing so can compact the soil in your drain field or damage the pipes, tank, or other septic system components.

Understanding the Value of Your Code Enforcement Team As the 2021 year begins, the Peachtree Corners Code Enforcement Department would like to take this opportunity to let you know what it is our team does in your community.

Health and safety are primary ways that code enforcement officers impact our community.

We are charged with enforcing adopted ordinances that take into consideration the safety and well-being of the public. Enforcement of these ordinances can be essential to the provision of safe and healthy living and working conditions for the members of the community.

While respecting the rights of property owners, code enforcement officers take action to correct conditions that include issues such as: ■ parking on grass/dirt ■ too many vehicles ■ overgrown grass (more than 12 inches) ■ trash/debris ■ in-operable vehicles ■ regular maintenance of home/business exterior

■ Keep roof drains, basement sump pump drains, and other rainwater or surface water drainage systems away from the drain field. Flooding the drain field with excessive water slows down or stops treatment processes and can cause plumbing fixtures to back up.

For more info, read the EPA’s 16-page Homeowner Septic System Guide: https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/homeowner_guide_long. pdf Keep a maintenance record: https://files.constantcontact.com/08b27db1401/7bf2ac49-f0ef-4212b947-822c154293f8.pdf Georgia Department of Public Health Homeowner Septic System Guide: https://files.constantcontact.com/08b27db1401/5ec05776-a132439e-a2c7-54029c00a10a.pdf

These are just a few of the issues code enforcement addresses to ensure the quality of life for our residents and business owners.

The city’s code enforcement officer 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 investigation, the officer will visit the offending property and work with the property/business owner or resident to abate any violations found.

Code enforcement is a profession that requires continual training and education to stay informed of changing codes. Officers receive training through state and national organizations, including the Georgia Association of Code Enforcement, American Association of Code Enforcement, and the International Code Council.

The code enforcement goal is through communication and education – to provide prompt, courteous and professional service, to encourage responsible property maintenance and to gain voluntary compliance. All this helps to keep Peachtree Corners the city we are proud to call home for both our families and our businesses.

Recognize the U.S. Veteran in Your Family with an Engraved Brick The next big event at the Veterans Monument will be the installation of new brick pavers in late May before the Memorial Day ceremony which falls on May 31 this year.

The Peachtree Corners Veterans Monument Association will accept orders for bricks for the Memorial Day installation through Friday, March 12.

To order pavers: 1.

Visit www.ptcvets.net 2. Locate the “Donate” tab 3. Click “Donate a Brick” in the pull-down menu 4. Scroll down to middle of page and click on the box marked “Order a Personal Brick” Be sure to visit the city’s new YouTube Channel Peachtree Corners Network at Youtube.com/peachtreecornersnetwork

5. Complete the form, payment processed through PayPal 6. You may also print and mail the form along with your check.

Orders received after March 12 will be installed in November.

For questions, email Bob Ballagh at bob.ballagh@comcast. net

February/March 2021 ■ Inside Peachtree Corners

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INSIDE PEACHTREE CORNERS Enroll in Coding, Data Science Boot Camps The Coding and Data Science online boot camps are back again by popular demand. Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners is once again collaborating with Georgia Tech to offer the virtual boot camps.

Learn How to Code Learn the specialized skills to become a web developer. Through a fast-paced, immersive curriculum, you will learn the skills needed to become proficient in front-end and back-end technologies.

Learn more: https://bootcamp.pe.gatech.edu/coding/ or call 404-3693107.

Learn Data Analytics With the rise of data in today’s economy, the program teaches the practical and technical skills needed to analyze and solve complex data analytics and visualization problems.

Learn more: https://bootcamp.pe.gatech.edu/data/ or call 404-369-3107

Keep Up with Gwinnett COVID-19 Cases by ZIP Code The Gwinnett County Health Department gathers data on coronavirus cases and creates a weekly report with information on confirmed cases and deaths, cases and deaths by race, age, and other criteria. The reports are generally posted each Tuesday afternoon.

To access the weekly reports: ■ Visit www.gnrhealth.com, ■ Select the blue boxed area titled “COVID-19 Information” ■ Scroll down page, click on yellow box link labeled “View Report Archive”

Order PTC T-Shirts, Coffee Mugs and More Online Shop the city’s online store for T-shirts, coffee mugs, etc. Several T-shirt designs are available.

You can find the details on the city’s website, www. peachtreecornersga.gov 1. Locate the “Residents” tab 2. In the pull-down menu select “City Online Store” to view items and place your order.

Purchases must be made online. You will be notified via email when the items are ready for pick up at City Hall. No walk-in purchases available. For questions, call City Hall: 678-691-1200.

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Inside Peachtree Corners ■ February/March 2021 ■ peachtreecornersga.gov

Recycle at City Hall ■

Household Batteries

■

Cell Phones

■

Toner Ink Cartridges

Recycle bins are at the back entrance to City Hall.

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peachtreecornersga

TRUSTED EXPERTS. PERSONALIZED CARE. When it comes to managing your health, Peachtree Corners Internal Medicine is committed to providing nothing less than excellence to our patients across every stage of life. Offering a range of internal medicine services, we provide expert care in a small office setting. From diagnosis to treatment and management, our staff works with you to create a personalized care plan, so you never feel like just another number.

6460 Spalding Drive, Suite A Peachtree Corners, GA 30092

Visit ptcmedicine.com to learn more or call 770-449-6320 to schedule a virtual visit.

February/March 2021 â– Peachtree Corners Magazine

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Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ February/March 2021 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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Exceptional Senior Living means we’re here for you...

Experience a staff dedicated to extraordinary hospitality, service and care.

Experience a reassuring sense

of safety and peace-of-mind.

Experience a genuine

community of neighbors and friends.

Questions?

Allow us to be your resource during this uncertain time.

Contact us TODAY and schedule your personalized tour of our beautiful community!

INDEPENDENT LIVING |

PERSONAL CARE

Parc at Duluth | 3315 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Duluth, GA 30096 | 770.622.6880

parcatduluth.com

NO SCARRING. NO CUTTING. NO BLEEDING. NO STITCHING. NO PAIN. NO PROBLEM. Introducing SRT. The non-surgical alternative treatment for non-melanoma skin cancer.

Cole Dermatology & Aesthetic Center 3525 Holcomb Bridge Rd. Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 Phone: 678-417-6900 frontoffice@colecosmeticskincare.com

www.ColeDermCosmetic.com

New year, new face! Come see us for some of our top-of-the-line treatments to improve stubborn acne, acne scarring, dark spots, wrinkles and even sun spots for an overall refreshed appearance.

We are offering Smoothbeam acne laser, Fotofacial RF, and chemical peels all at discounted prices!

We are offering 50% off Smoothbeam acne laser for the New Year!

Fotofacial RF, which is used to prevent aging, is also being offered at $50 off per treatment. In addition, all chemical peels are $50 off for a limited time. Call us today to schedule your appointment with our cosmetic coordinator, Lauren.

Lauren is a Registered Nurse who graduated from Kennesaw State University.

50% OFF ACNE LASER 64

Peachtree Corners Magazine â– February/March 2021 â– LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com

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peachtreecornerslife

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