MARCH 2 - 15, 2018 • VOL. 12 — NO. 5
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► Democratic candidates for governor stake out positions PAGE 4 ► BeltLine trail may reach Buckhead by 2020 PAGE 13
Coping with a Crisis: Opioid addiction in the suburbs EXCLUSIVE SERIES
Life after death: Families turn obituaries into protests against the stigma of addiction
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Hotel, apartments proposed for MARTA’s Lindbergh Center BY EVELYN ANDREWS evelyn@reporternewspapers.net MARTA is negotiating with a developer on a proposal that would bring a hotel, retail and apartments to the Lindbergh Center Station transit-oriented development. MARTA issued a request for proposals at the end of 2016 to redevelop a vacant lot and small site near its headquarters at 2400 Piedmont Road in southern Buckhead, hoping it spurs further mixeduse redevelopment around the station. “I think long term, there are a lot of things that will change at that development,” said Amanda Rhein, MARTA’s director of TOD projects. The Lindbergh Center Station is the site of MARTA’s first TOD development, which began over 20 years ago. Mixeduse buildings and two apartment complexes were built, but it wasn’t quite what MARTA envisioned and later phasSee HOTEL on page 14
MAX BLAU
Larry and Peggy Lord display a childhood photo of their sons Ashby and Hunter. Ashby, at right, died of a heroin overdose last year.
BY MAX BLAU
O
n a Sunday afternoon last April, the moment Larry Lord had dreaded for roughly two decades finally happened. His wife, Peggy, found their 35-year-old son Ashby no longer breathing in the basement of their ranch home on Sandy Springs’ Mount Paran Road. She tried performing CPR and called 911. But nothing the paramedics did could revive Ashby after a heroin overdose. Larry was devastated. Like many family members after a death, he faced the task of writing an obituary so that newspapers and the funeral home could inform their loved ones. Larry, an architect, considered himself a problem-solver.
First of a 4-Part Series The combination of prescription painkillers, heroin and synthetic opioids is killing people around the nation, including within Reporter Newspapers communities. In this exclusive four-part series, we will look at how local families, nurses, prosecutors, recovering addicts and others are responding to a growing epidemic that already kills more people than cars, guns or breast cancer each year. To share your thoughts and stories, email editor@reporternewspapers.net
A doctor’s overview of the opioid crisis. See Commentary, page 10 ► Usually, he could sketch out new doors or windows to make design problems disappear. He’d written obituaries, too,
most recently for his first wife and Ashby’s mother, Shannon, after she died from complications of cancer. But the circumstances of Ashby’s life posed difficult questions in how to talk about his death. Euphemisms are a tradition of sorts for overdose victims. Their obituaries say that they left this world or entered eternal rest while glossing over how it happened. The reasons vary from not speaking ill of the dead to a fear that it might reflect poorly on the living. “For many years, you never saw the word ‘addiction’ in an obit,” says Dr. Frances Levin, a psychiatry professor at Columbia University Medical Center. “That’s because of the stigma related to Continued on page 8
Massell calls for Atlanta unity in State of Buckhead address BY EVELYN ANDREWS evelyn@reporternewspapers.net
Sam Massell, who served as Atlanta’s latest white mayor over 40 years ago, urged unity between Buckhead and the rest of the city after a mayoral race that had strong racial division in the vote. “We know that Buckhead’s success, indeed Atlanta’s success, depends on one combined effort, not a dream of divisiveness,” said Massell, who is now president of the Buckhead Coalition, during his annual “State of the Community” address See MASSELL on page 23
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A repair design for the Lake Forrest Dam finally is gaining “momentum” with a preferred option after three years of talks, according to the head of a homeowners association working with the cities of Atlanta and Sandy Springs. But repairs would take a minimum of two years. Meanwhile, a recently filed emergency response plan shows the reason the state Safe Dams Program is pushing for those repairs. In a worstcase failure, the lake behind the dam would flood a huge section of Chastain Park within seconds, submerge such major roads as West Wieuca under five feet of SPECIAL water, and flow for miles both upA worst-case-scenario failure of the Lake Forrest stream and downstream on NanDam could flood a huge section of Chastain Park, cy Creek. as shown in blue on this map contained in an Emergency Action Plan filed with the state Safe The fatal potential of such a Dams Program by the city of Sandy Springs. flood is why the state classifies the 60-year-old earthen dam as “high-hazard,” which is not a judgment of its condition — though there is no question it indeed needs repairs. But work on a solution has dragged on since 2009 due to the dam’s location directly under the 4600 block of Lake Forrest Drive, right on the Atlanta-Sandy Springs border, which makes for complicated ownership and liability issues. Both cities, several individual homeowners, and a larger lake-owning group of homeowners called the Three Lakes Corporation all have repair responsibilities, according to the state. Neal Sweeney, the current head of Three Lakes Corporation, said there is no specific timeframe for agreeing on a repair option, but there is a sense of urgency, as the state could take the owners to court to mandate a fix. “Nobody wants to be in a position where all of a sudden we’re under the gun of some enforcement action,” Sweeney said. In recent years, Sandy Springs has taken the lead on studying repair options, splitting the cost with Atlanta. The work included removing the fish from the lake and lowering its level by 12 feet. City-hired engineers say the dam has several problems that could cause collapse: trees growing on its slope, a corroding pipe inside it, and an inability to handle the flow of water from a major rainstorm. Last fall, engineers presented the Sandy Springs City Council with two repair design options: an upgraded version of today’s dam, known as the “full pool” option for restoring the lake, or a new, smaller dam built farther upstream. Either option could cost roughly $7 million and take years to complete: nine to 12 months of design and permitting, and 15 to 18 months of construction, possibly including the closure of Lake Forrest Drive during work. Since then, city of Atlanta officials also reviewed the design options, according to Department of Watershed Management spokesperson Rukiya Campbell. Now, both cities say, they’re working with homeowners — around the lake as well as downstream — to get support for one of the designs to move forward with further engineering and public review. Sweeney said that Three Lakes Corporation has been “very actively cooperating” with both cities over the past eight to nine months, receiving useful expert advice. The current discussions are on “nitty-gritty stuff” like state environmental permitting and the possible construction impacts, he said. The homeowners “absolutely” prefer the “full pool” design to restore the lake, with the other option as “just a non-starter for us.” “Needless to say, going from lakefront property to what now looks like a wide, dirty creek” is not popular among the homeowners, he said, so the “full pool” is the way they want to go. Another question still hanging: Will the homeowners have to pay a share of the repairs costs? “That’s yet to be determined. Our position is, we shouldn’t be responsible for fixing Lake Forrest [Drive] or fixing the watershed,” Sweeney said, adding that some homeowners are willing to help in other ways, such as donating property easements for construction. BH
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Community Briefs PA R K IN P I N E H I L L S GETS A NAM E
Volunteers and public officials held a naming ceremony Feb. 24 to establish Indian Creek Park, which was developed under the placeholder names Pine Hills Park and Lenox Park. Neighbors and Atlanta Classical Academy students helping create the park were joined at the ceremony by the city of Atlanta’s Parks and Recreation Commissioner Amy Phuong, District 7 Councilmember Howard Shook and Shook’s policy advisor Sally Silver. The 4-acre park is located at 3148 and 3162 Lenox Road on two former residential lots about a quarter-mile south of the Lenox MARTA Station. The name Indian Creek was chosen because it has many ties to the neighborhood, said Joe Santifer, the head of the park’s friends group. A subdivision and garden club had that same name, the Creek Indians settled in that area, and Indian Creek itself runs nearby, Santifer said. The city purchased the land several years ago in effort to increase greenspace in Buckhead, and neighbors began pushing for the land to be developed into a fully-equipped park in late 2016. The Atlanta City Council in 2017 approved $3 million to improve and outfit the park and Old Ivy Park with equipment. Santifer said community meetings will be held in the coming months to get input on what improvements and amenities should be added to the park.
ATL A N TA A UDUBON C ERTI F IES PATH400 S EG M EN T A S A WI LDLI F E SA NCTU ARY
A section of PATH400 has been designated an Atlanta Audubon Certified Wildlife Habitat. The Atlanta Audubon Society, which is located in Buckhead at the Blue Heron Nature Preserve, has a Wildlife Sanctuary Program that certifies properties that install native plants and provide food, water and shelter for birds and other wildlife, according to a press release. The certified section runs between Lenox Road and Old Ivy Road. It was the first completed segment of the multiuse trail and runs directly alongside Ga. 400. “Although the trail is immediately adjacent to a major highway, many portions of it feel as if you’re in the middle of the woods. Preserving that natural habitat has always been an important part of the PATH400 design, and we hope that future segments of the trail will be able to earn this certification from Atlanta Audubon as well,” said Denise Starling, the executive director of Livable Buckhead, which is spearheading PATH400, in the release.
A L UMN I OF F LORI DA SC HO O L H OL D V I G I L TO H ON OR SH OOTING VICTIM S Alumni of the south Florida high school where 17 students and staff were killed in a Feb. 14 shooting held a candlelight vigil in Chastain Park Feb. 16 to remember the victims. The vigil drew around 40 people who said they were former students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, some of whom graduated a few EVELYN ANDREWS years ago and some deAbout 40 people who said they were alumni of the Florida school where 17 people were killed in a shooting gathered cades ago. They told at a vigil in Chastain Park held to remember the victims. stories of the staff members who were killed, praised the sense of the community the school created, and demanded action on gun control. A Facebook group for school alumni created in the wake of the shooting has been used to help organize vigils across the county and spurred the Buckhead vigil, said Evan Goldberg, a Buckhead resident who helped organize the event. Several people said they felt the shooting was a call to action for them to push for gun control measures. “It’s time to take action,” Jennia Taylor said. “I’m tired of hearing this in the news.” “Seeing what has happened to all these kids is just really heartbreaking,” another alum said. “I just want to see a change. It has to stop.” Others spoke about their fear and sadness when they realized their children could have been the students killed or injured in the shooting had they not moved away from Parkland, Florida to Atlanta. “That could have been my child and I’m devastated by it,” one attendee said. BH
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Stacey Abrams, right, speaks while Stacey Evans listens at the Feb. 22 forum.
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The governor’s race came to Sandy Springs Feb. 22, as Democratic contenders Stacey Abrams and Stacey Evans appeared at a private candidates forum hosted by the Jewish Democrat-
ic Women’s Salon, a Facebook-based group with more than 1,000 members. The “two Staceys” are both former state representatives who hope to replace term-limited Republican incumbent Nathan Deal in this fall’s election. At the forum, held at Heritage Sandy Springs, they largely agreed on such
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issues as regional and statewide mass transit; expanding Medicaid and the HOPE Scholarship program for higher education; and supporting small businesses as well as the state currently incentivizes such big businesses as Amazon. Both Democrats would veto laws allowing firearms on college campuses. Evans added that while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been “bullied out of” studying gun violence by a federal funding restriction, she would order a state-level study as governor. The candidates also agreed that “religious liberty” legislation is intended as discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. To end it once and for all, however, Evans said moderate Republican lawmakers would keep it from a vote, while Abrams called for a forceful statement that LGBT Georgians will be protected by the state. Differences emerged on the tactics Democrats should use to break their statewide office losing streak, while also being able to work with Republicans in the legislature. Abrams called for motivating disengaged Democrats, saying that “we spend millions of dollars trying to convince Republican women in the suburbs that they really meant to be Democrats [and] they were just confused. That has not worked, not once.” Evans, by contrast, said, “You can’t be afraid to persuade,” while acknowledging that still won’t flip a Republican area at the ballot box but can move policy forward. Abrams and Evans also discussed their differing votes in 2016 on a state law banning large contracts with anyone who supports the controversial Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement, which seeks to pressure Israel into making various policy changes seen as favorable to Palestinians. Evans voted in the favor of the ban, saying it shows a pro-Israel position, while Abrams voted against it, saying she respects the civil right of boycotting, while finding this particular version to be “wrong” and “anti-Semitic.” Among the approximately 200 people attending the forum were state Sen. Jen Jordan, a Democrat who recently won the Buckhead-area District 6 seat; Sandy Springs City Councilmember Andy Bauman; Bobby Kaple, one of the Democrats seeking to challenge U.S. Rep. Karen Handel in 6th Congressional District this year; and Mike Wilensky, a Democrat seeking to replace Republican Tom Taylor in Dunwoody’s House District 79. The primary election is scheduled for May 22. Republican contenders currently campaigning include Casey Cagle, Hunter Hill, Brian Kemp, Clay Tippin, Marc Alan Urbach and Michael Williams.
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PERFORMANCES ATLANTA JEWISH MUSIC FESTIVAL Thursday, March 8 to Sunday, March 25
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SANDY SPRINGS TENNIS WEEK
Celebrate the Atlanta Science Festival [atlantasciencefestival. org] with the Blue Heron Nature Preserve by taking a naturalist-led family hike and scavenger hunt at the preserve’s Emma Wetlands. Free. 4055 Roswell Road, Buckhead. Info: bhnp.org.
Monday, March 12 to Saturday, March 17
The Sandy Springs Tennis Center, a public facility with 24 lighted courts, offers a week of free tennis activities for adults and kids in this second annual event. Tennis instruction, prizes, drawings and refreshments. 500 Abernathy Road, Sandy Springs. Info: sandyspringstennis.com.
Saturday, March 17, 2 to 3:30 p.m.
The festival returns for its ninth year with a diverse musical lineup of local, national and international musicians performing in locations throughout metro Atlanta including the Ahavath Achim Synagogue in Buckhead and the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta in Dunwoody. Highlights include Grammy winner Marc Cohn, Yemenite funk group Yemen Blues, and a special presentation of Billy Joel by ATL Collective. Tickets and other info: atlantajmf.org.
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ATLANTA CONCERT BAND Sunday, March 11, 4 p.m.
The Atlanta Concert Band presents “The British Folk Revival,” a concert featuring British composers. Free; donations accepted. Ahavath Achim Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Ave. NW, Buckhead. Info: atlantaconcertband.org.
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LEARN SOMETHING NORTHSIDE HEALTH SCREENINGS Wednesday, March 7, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Free screenings for adults include tests for non-fasting cholesterol and glucose, coronary risk profile, osteoporosis, cancer risk and audiology. Advance registration requested. Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta at Zaban Park, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Info: 678-8124063 or atlantajcc.org/pldb-live/northside-health-screenings-37527.
SMALL SPACE GARDENING
Saturday, March 10, 11 a.m. Master Gardener Tielke Baker discusses planning, planting and harvesting maximum production from small space gardening in an event presented by Dunwoody Community Garden and Orchard. DCGO greenhouse complex, opposite the skate park at Brook Run Park. 4770 Georgia Way South, Dunwoody. Info: dcgo.org.
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ry Center’s Cherokee Garden Library, will speak about the state’s historic gardens at this month’s meeting of the Dunwoody Garden Club. The club meets monthly on second Wednesdays from September through May. Free. North DeKalb Cultural Center, Room 4, 5339 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road. Info: dunwoodygardenclub.com.
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FREE TAX FILING Ongoing through Saturday, April 14
The Community Assistance Center in Sandy Springs is offering free tax preparation assistance through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which is an initiative of the IRS and United Way. Certified VITA tax prep volunteers will prepare and file tax returns for low- to moderate-income households earning up to $55,000 in 2017. Appointments required. CAC also offers training for VITA volunteers. 1130 Hightower Trail, Sandy Springs. Info: 770-552-4889, ext. 260 or email vita@ourcac.org.
Thursday, March 8, 7:30 to 9 p.m.
Emory scholar Dr. Jonathan Crane will discuss ethical concerns about self-driving cars at Temple Emanu-El as part of the synagogue’s TE Talks speaker series. A Q&A will follow his presentation. Crane is the Schinazi Scholar in Bioethics and Jewish Thought at Emory University’s Center for Ethics. Free, registration required. 1580 Spalding Drive, Sandy Springs. Registration: templeemanuelatlanta.org/calendar.
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Bestselling author and pastor Adam Hamilton visits Dunwoody United Methodist Church to discuss and sign copies of his book, “Unafraid: Living with Courage and Hope in Uncertain Times,” one of Publishers Weekly’s “Most Anticipated Books of Spring 2018.” $16, includes a copy of the book. Registration required. 1548 Mount Vernon Road, Dunwoody. Info: dunwoodyumc.org.
HISTORIC GARDENS OF GEORGIA Wednesday, March 14, 9:30 a.m.
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Coping with a Crisis: Opioid addiction in the suburbs
EXCLUSIVE SERIES
Life after death: Families turn obituaries into protests against the stigma of addiction
A young Ashby Lord on the beach in a family photo held by his father Larry. At right, Ashby’s obituary as it appeared in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Continued from page 1 addictive disorders.” But with opioid deaths becoming increasingly common — roughly 50,000 people fatally overdosed in 2016 alone — more families are calling out addiction by its name to break the cycle of the stigma and shame associated with the disease. Like the well-worn tactic of holding a protest sign at a rally, the obituary has turned into a form of activism against the stigma of addiction. These obituaries include words of caution or advice. One for a 22-year-old Pennsylvania woman who died of a heroin overdose in 2016 reads: “The disease of addiction thrives in darkness and must be defeated in the light.” Another, written in 2015 for a 24-year-old Ohio man killed by heroin, offers: “They used to say it takes a community to raise a child. Today, we need to say that it takes a community to battle addiction. Someone you know is battling addiction; if your ‘gut instinct’ says something is wrong, it most likely is.” “I believe in honest expression,” Lar-
ry said in a recent interview at the family home. “You read about someone who died. You want to know. It never crossed my mind that I wouldn’t write about Ashby’s addiction.” Hours after Ashby died, Larry cleared off a space on his cluttered dining room table and started to write. He thought about how Ashby had grappled with the fear that myotonic dystrophy, an incurable genetic disease he’d inherited from his mother, might undercut his boldest ambitions. He started smoking pot as a student at the Galloway School in Buckhead, which later derailed his short-lived college soccer career, and spent his life cycling between using opioids and doing time in treatment. Larry wrote an opening line that went straight to the point: “Jonathan Ashby Lord, 35, died at home in Atlanta April 9, 2017, after a long struggle with myotonic dystrophy and drug addiction.” From there, Larry was faced with tougher decisions about the stark details. Do you mention the sight of Ashby’s cold, white lips on that fatal Sunday? Do you talk about the failed rehab
MAX BLAU
attempts? Do you gloss over the worst parts or mention it all to warn others? Larry’s wife, Peggy, urged him to be as candid as he felt comfortable doing. She remembered her sister’s response after learning how Ashby died: “Didn’t they go to church as children? Ashby wouldn’t have a drug problem if he’d come to church.” Peggy understood that talking about his disease as if it was a heart attack might have the power to demystify the nature of addiction. She felt the obituary might help others be more open — and if they were more open, perhaps they could work together to press for more research into the disease. Larry cranked out a first draft. He asked Peggy and his brother to give it a quick read. He’d gotten off to a good start, they told him. But what if he mentioned more about the good times to
capture Ashby’s full humanity? Larry agreed. Together, they added more details about how he loved playing with animals and talking to strangers. “Despite Ashby’s valiant struggle to overcome his drug addiction, the scourge of myotonic dystrophy coupled with addiction became a barrier to his creativity and athleticism,” Larry wrote. “Fortunately, this never interfered with Ashby’s love of animals, for which he had a special magnetism, or his particular talent for making friends with a wide variety of people.” From Brookhaven to Gainesville,
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other Georgia families have joined the Lords in acknowledging the role addiction played in a loved one’s death. Steve Ethridge hoped that writing about his younger brother’s death might lead to further research. On July 5, 2017, Timothy Ethridge was found dead in his Doraville residence. In the obituary, his family decided to write about how they had “watched in horror as his health declined” due to his alcohol and drug addiction. Steve, the author of the obituary, said the news should be out in “plain view” to show how bad addiction could get. “We decided to talk about it to help other people,” said his mother Edna, a resident of Brookhaven. “It ran in the [Atlanta Journal-Constitution]. I think it definitely helped others.” That was the hope of Kathy Fowler, a former DeKalb County elementary school teacher, after discovering that her 31-year-old son Joseph overdosed on heroin this past September. Joseph, a former student at Georgia State University’s Perimeter College in Dunwoody, had stayed clean for at eight months thanks to a recovery program. He’d found a job working as a cook in north Georgia. “Due to a heroin overdose, the light of a funny, intelligent, kind-hearted spirit was taken from our lives by a senseless and relentless drug,” Kathy wrote in the
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obituary. “Our family asks that you realize that no one is immune to the epidemic of opioid and heroin addiction that encumbers our culture.” When Larry finished Ashby’s obituary, he spoke with a minister to make sure the same sort of message would be conveyed at Ashby’s memorial service. Later that week, everyone from childhood friends to fellow former drug users in recovery traveled to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta to say one last goodbye to Ashby. They heard his story for better and worse. Some offered Larry condolences. Others thanked him for being honest. In talking about his son’s life, they said, he might somehow save the lives of other sons and daughters still in the throes of opioid addiction. Throughout that week, Larry says, several people had asked him, “What would you do differently?” “That’s the one that’s the hardest to answer,” he said. But one thing he wouldn’t change is those words in the obituary.
Max Blau is an Atlantabased journalist who has written about healthcare, drugs and addiction for such outlets as the Boston Globe and CNN.
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Commentary / The opioid epidemic: An American problem Editor’s Note: In this issue, Reporter Newspapers launches the special four-part series “Coping with a Crisis: Opioid Addiction in the Suburbs,” about local responses to an epidemic that is killing people nationwide and right here in our communities. Opioids are a class of addictive, often easily lethal drugs that include opium and morphine as well as substances with similar effects. Many opioids have legitimate medical uses for painkilling, but also can produce physical addiction and a sense of euphoria that attracts recreational drug users. National con-
troversy has raged over opioids available as prescription pills, such as oxycodone, while illegal varieties such as heroin and fentanyl now kill the most people through overdoses. Together, these opioids present complex problems to solve in both supply and demand. Hospital emergency rooms are a front line where opioids can be administered and where overdoses can be treated. The Reporter asked one local ER doctor to discuss the scope of the opioid crisis and what it brings through his doors every day.
A doctor’s overview of the opioid crisis
became requirements with ramifications An opioid epidemic is sweeping this for financial reimbursements to healthcountry. The National Institutes of Health’s care entities. This led to the near univer(NIH) Institute on Drug Abuse currently essal adoption of pain as the fifth vital sign timates that 115 Americans die daily from in U.S. hospitals. So, when you come to opioid overdose. The NIH reports that 25 the Emergency Department with bronpercent of “chronic pain patients” misuse chitis or to have an insect reopioids, and 10 percent of those moved from your ear canal, patients develop an “opioid use you will be asked, “What is disorder.” Five percent of those your Pain Score?” patients will eventually move This did not go unnoticed on to heroin. Eighty percent of by the pharmaceutical comheroin users misused prescrippanies. OxyContin, a longtion opioids first. acting narcotic, was first marThis is primarily an Ameriketed in 1996. Big Pharma can problem, with a staggering has benefitted significantly 80 percent of the global supply Dr. Alan A. from opioids, over-exaggeratof opioids being consumed in Farabaugh ing the benefits while downthe United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Preven- is an emergency medicine playing the addiction risks. physician at Emory This has currently prompted tion (CDC) estimated in 2013 that Saint Joseph’s Hospital New York City to file lawsuits the economic cost of the opioid in Sandy Springs. against the pharmaceutical epidemic in the U.S. approximatcompanies for the manufaced $78 billion dollars annually. turing and distribution of the opioids. The epidemic has taken a while to beHowever, today the majority of opicome this prevalent, and many believe the oids in this country are illegally obproblem dates back to the 1990s. That’s tained and distributed. The amount of when the American Pain Society began to narcotics being received from Emerput forth the idea that pain was being ungency Department prescriptions are in dertreated. This eventually led to the conthe minority. cept of pain being “the fifth vital sign.” ViOpioid overdoses and fatalities have, tal signs traditionally are objective pieces unfortunately, become commonplace. of data used in medicine. Pain, however, is They are seen in the Emergency Departa completely subjective piece of data. ment on a daily basis. The Emergency The regulatory agencies of healthDepartment providers get lied to by pacare, The Joint Commission, a healthcare tients every single day, as patients ataccreditation organization, and the Centempt to receive narcotics. Drug dealters for Medicare and Medicaid Services ers are known to pay patients to come to (CMS) latched onto the concept of the “unthe Emergency Departments with fake der-treatment” of pain. In 2001, the Joint illnesses to get prescriptions. The most Commission put standards in place reccommon methods employed are faking ommending that all patients in a healthkidney stones, back pain or abdominal care setting must have their pain aspain. These patients know to list their sessed, as well as a documented response allergies to aspirin, NSAIDs and Tylenol, to the pain assessment. These eventually
so as to ensure that narcotics are all that can be used to treat their “pain.” There are patients who actually inflict injuries upon themselves to receive prescriptions. Patients will go from Emory Saint Joseph’s Emergency Department directly across the street to Northside Hospital’s Emergency Department to try to receive another prescription, and vice versa. Patients are known to go from provider to provider, place to place, “doctor-shopping.” This has ramifications on the suffering patients that actually have pain. The Joint Commission, CMS, the CDC, NIH, and federal and state legislatures, along with healthcare providers, have all gotten together to try to remedy this situation. Emergency Department providers have been clamoring for years to get a centralized prescription drug monitoring system in place. Georgia and other states recently have provided this capability. The first patient I ever looked up in the Georgia prescription database had 28 prescriptions for narcotics from 21 different providers and 15 different pharmacies in a 12-month period! The effort may be starting to make a difference. Prescriptions for opiates have actually declined since 2013, although overdoses and fatalities have not. Most Emergency Departments now rarely prescribe “long-acting” narcotics. Most only prescribe narcotics for the shortest time period possible. Other non-narcotic means of pain relief are being recommended. These steps should help eventually as the volume of prescription opiates decline. However, pharmaceutical companies will need to be regulated and held accountable, and the illegal opioid market will need to be curtailed, if long-lasting change will ever have the hope of taking place.
Letter to the Editor Ban barbaric back yard b owhuntin g of de e r Thank you for your great report, “Bowhunting in the ’burbs: Backyard deer-stalking draws fans and foes” (Feb. 16). Hunting with bow and arrow is called a “sport”? Killing and wounding poor animals is a “sport” in America! When I came
to this country 59 years ago, I was horrified! Animals running around with an arrow in their bodies, how horrific! I’ve lived in Dunwoody for 38 years. I am an old lady that has seen it all. I do not want this in my back yard! You have to be heartless to do such so-called hunting. We invaded those animals’ territory. There is hardly room for them anymore, I understand. This
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should be done in a humane way. We have to ban bow-and-arrow “hunting.” This is a barbaric way to hunt. I would like for one of these so-called hunters to have an arrow stick in his body just for them to see how it feels! You can call me cruel! Caroline Jakob Dunwoody
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Robin passes to her children the knowledge of how to drink a good cup of coffee in their pajamas.
SPECIAL
Wake up and smell the truth about a good cup of coffee Robin’s Nest
BH
My high school social studies teacher once led a class on types of government and explained a theory posed by someRobin Conte is a writer one (Aristotle? Machiavelli? Elton John?) that the potentially and mother of four who most perfect form of government, when corrupted, could belives in Dunwoody. She come the worst form. I’m fuzzy on the details, and I’m not getcan be contacted at ting political (step away from your keyboards!). I only want to robinjm@earthlink.net. say that this is exactly the way I feel about coffee. It’s the best of drinks and the worst of drinks. When it’s good, it’s very, very good, and when it’s bad, it’s awful. You get my drift. In the right hands, a fistful of roasted beans can become a most excellent beverage, a smooth and deep pool of refuge, especially when sipped from a solid mug on a chilly morning while watching the sunrise and hearing the birds sing. The mere fragrance of it has the power to lift you out of bed and coax you to begin another day. They don’t say “wake up and smell the coffee” for nothing. Yet this same beverage, when left to languish for hours on a dirty burner — say, in a gas station or in the galley of an airplane — turns into caffeinated radiator fluid, with the power to melt granite and an odor foul enough to cause pigs to cry. Bleh! Likewise, if the brew is so weak that you can see through it to the crumbs floating on the bottom of the cup, forget it. It is not fit to drink. Maybe you can use it to polish furniture, but for heaven’s sake, don’t drink it. And then there’s the temperature of the stuff. Just as beer is at its best when it’s properly chilled, coffee is best when it’s piping hot. If it cools down to tepid, I’d rather bathe in it than drink it. It’s got to be strong, but not rancidly strong, and hot, but not lawsuithot. And like fine chocolate, it must be smooth, not bitter. Give me some strong, hot sips, and eventually I’ll be able to form complete sentences. Now, I’m not one to toot my own horn, but let it be known that I do make a darn good cup of coffee. In fact, that’s the only thing that keeps my kids coming home from college. I don’t do their laundry, but every morning I will make a pot of coffee. I take heart in that, because when it comes to breakfast, a pot of coffee is about all I’m going to make. Sometimes I sprinkle some cinnamon over the grounds, but that’s the extent of my effort in the a.m. Pajama-clothed bodies will lumber in and out of our kitchen, lured by the aroma of morning, and through half-closed eyes I will point at a box of Cheerios and the French press as I take my hot sips, while visions of waffles dance through our heads. My kids have learned to respect the brew. And though I have failed in other areas of child-rearing and have not taught them what many people would call “the basics,” I have taught them what makes a good cup of coffee. Sewing on a button, making a pot roast, balancing a checkbook — those are particular life-skills that they will have to pick up on the streets. As for coffee: Start with good, dark coffee, because quality matters. Don’t skimp on the amount, because quantity matters. Add a dash of cinnamon if you want a nuance of flavor. Drink it hot and fresh, unless you move up to Boston one day and morph into someone (like your relatives) who enjoys drinking old coffee over ice. Make it strong, make it dark, drink it hot, drink it now, and maybe spice it up a bit. It may not be the secret to life (although there may be a life lesson hiding in there somewhere), and it has nothing to do with governing bodies, but it is the key to the perfect cup of coffee. I think it will take them far.
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A guide to the tax districts that could fund BeltLine, parks BY EVELYN ANDREWS evelyn@reporternewspapers.net
Several types of tax districts have been proposed to help fund the BeltLine – including a forthcoming Buckhead segment -- and possibly the park proposed to be built over Ga. 400. The details of such tax districts can be confusing. The following is a guide to how various types work and what they can and cannot do, with descriptions from Georgia State University professor David Sjoquist, an expert in state and local taxation and urban and regional economics.
Community Improvement Districts
Community improvement districts consist of commercial property owners voluntarily signing on to be part of the CID and to pay taxes into it at a certain millage rate. They typically focus on transportation infrastructure projects, Sjoquist said. CIDs were made legal by an amendment to the Georgia Constitution that was ratified in 1985. By law, CIDs cannot tax any residential owners or properties, including single-family homes, condos or apartments. Community improvement districts are one of the most popular and wellknown taxing districts, said Sjoquist. There are 25 active CIDs throughout Georgia and metro Atlanta, including in Buckhead, downtown Atlanta and Perimeter Center. The Buckhead CID’s tax rate is 3 mills and it brings in around $6 million in tax revenue each year, according to CID documents. The CID includes areas along Peachtree Road and Ga. 400. Its main borders are near Old Ivy, Rox-
boro, Peachtree and Roswell roads, but it also includes the Buckhead Village area and Lenox Square mall. “CIDs fund largely additional services. You’re not increasing the property value, but it does make a place look nicer,” Sjoquist said. The movement to allow CIDs in Georgia was started by a Cobb County developer seeking traffic improvements around Cumberland Mall. “At the time, property owners relied on business owners’ associations to support needed improvements, but these organizations often did not raise enough funds to either directly fund projects or provide sufficient matching funds for state or federal grants,” a GSU study on CIDs said.
Special Improvement Districts
A bill in the Georgia House of Representatives seeks to create a new type of improvement district that would function similarly to a CID, but would be able to tax commercial residential properties in addition to commercial properties. The legislation was created specifically to help fund the Atlanta BeltLine, an enormous project that is planned to include 33 miles of multi-use trails, a 22-mile streetcar route and 2,000 acres of parks. Some of those parks and two major segments of the multi-trails have been completed. There currently are not any special improvement districts in Georgia, Sjoquist said. The district would be for areas around the BeltLine and would have to be approved by at least 51 percent of the taxpayers in the proposed district proposed or of the taxpayers owning at least 75 percent of the assessed proper-
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A map shows the borders of the Buckhead Community Improvement District.
ty value in the district, according to the legislation. It would have an administrative board similar to CIDs and would have five to 13 members that are owners of the taxable properties in the district, the legislation says. The legislation has also been discussed as a way to fund the park over Ga. 400, although officials behind that project say special taxes or raising taxes is not needed and is not currently being pursued as a way to fund the project, although that could change. The legislation would also have to be amended to be able to be used for the park.
Tax Allocation Districts
To use a TAD, a city or county first designates a specific geographic area that has the potential for redevelopment. A TAD is initially funded through debt, often bonds, and pays for public improvement projects. The property tax base value in the TAD area is frozen. Any increase in property value in that area due to the redevelopment is taxed and goes into the TAD to pay off that debt. The property tax revenue that is generated at the frozen property value goes to the entity that would normally collect it, Sjoquist said. TADs are most often used to fund revitalization or redevelopment projects, Sjoquist said. When cities or counties use them, they gamble that the public improvements funded by the TAD will spur enough economic development to pay off the debt that originally funds a TAD, he said.
TADs carry several risks, including that not enough tax revenue could be generated to pay off the debt used to fund the TAD, Sjoquist said. They can also increase displacement of low- and moderate-income households if they increase property values in the area, he said. Tax allocation districts, or TADs, have been used as the primary funding mechanism for the BeltLine so far. The BeltLine TAD takes some property tax revenue that would have gone to the city of Atlanta, Fulton County and APS. The Great Recession in 2008 caused the BeltLine TAD funding to slow, but has bounced back, Sjoquist said. “For a while things were kind of rocky, but now they are doing fine,” he said.
Special Services Districts
In a special services district, additional taxes are levied on property owners who benefit from specific county-provided services and pay a dedicated millage rate for those services, he said. For example, residents in unincorporated areas can be in a special district to fund county police services. Special services districts are most often set up by a county to fund services in unincorporated areas that don’t have city services, Sjoquist said. The idea of creating a special services district to help fund the park over Ga. 400 was floated in a concept draft study on the park, but has not moved forward so far. BH
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BeltLine trail may reach Buckhead by 2020 BY EVELYN ANDREWS evelyn@reporternewspapers.net
A new BeltLine trail could be in Buckhead within three years, planners said at a community meeting. Negotiations with Georgia Power to facilitate some work of a segment of the Northeast Trail that would extend to Buckhead are still ongoing, but Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. said at a public meeting Feb. 15 that the segment could be completed by the end of 2020, which is earlier than originally expected. ABI is at least two years away from beginning construction on the segment of the trail that would end at the Lindbergh Center MARTA Station. The meeting, which was held in Rock Spring Presbyterian Church in Midtown near I-85, drew a standingroom-only crowd of about 100 people. The Northeast Trail is part of the larger BeltLine plan, which proposes 33 miles of multiuse trails, a 22mile streetcar route and 2,000 acres of parks. The Northeast Trail would be the second BeltLine trail to be built in Buckhead following the completed Northside Trail near Piedmont Hospital. The Eastside Trail in Midtown and Westside Trail have also opened. The Northeast Trail runs from Monroe Drive, where the Eastside Trail ends, to the Lindbergh Center. For planning purposes, ABI has broken the four-mile trail into three sections: Monroe Drive to Westminster Drive; Westminster Drive to Mayson Street; and Mayson Street to the Lindbergh Center station. The first section is entirely in Midtown. The second ends in Buckhead at Mayson Street near the Armour Yards development, and the third is entirely in Buckhead. ABI’s goal is to finish design work on the entire Northeast Trail in two and half years, according to the presentation. ABI estimates it will be at least two years before work on the Mayson Street to Lindbergh Center segment could begin. Design work is planned to start in June and would take 24 to 30 months. ABI is seeking federal funds to help pay for this segment, which can slow down the process, Katherine Owens, the BeltLine’s principal engineer for the project, said at the meeting. That segment is planned to converge with the Peachtree Creek Greenway, PATH400 and the South Fork Conservancy trails, Owens said. “That really opens up some pretty significant connectivity we haven’t had,” she said. BH
The section from Westminster Drive to Mayson Street is the segment that was discussed in detail at a July 2017 meeting during which ABI revealed that it was in negotiations with Georgia Power to facilitate some work on the trail while it replaces power infrastructure parallel to the segment. It would pass through an existing tunnel under I-85 and enter Buckhead. Having Georgia Power assist with some work would allow them to begin this segment of the Northeast Trail sooner than previously expected, Owens said. “We have a really great opportunity to advance something we didn’t think would happen so quickly,” she said. Georgia Power will start clearing and grading the area this spring, then install the new power poles in the fall and complete the work in the spring of 2019. It can’t do that work during peak times for power usage in the summer and winter, said Tony Rogers, a project manager at Georgia Power. Negotiations on what work Georgia Power will do for the BeltLine are still in the works, but ABI projects it could finish that segment of the BeltLine by the winter of 2020, depending on when it secures funding. Design work for the Midtown section from Monroe Drive to Westminster Drive would also begin in June and last 12 to 18 months. One resident said she is concerned the lack of sidewalks and the prevalence of damaged sidewalks in the Lindbergh area would be dangerous for the probable uptick in pedestrians in that area once that BeltLine segment has been built. Shaun Green, a BeltLine engineer, said improving that infrastructure is a “critical aspect of this design work.” Sally Flocks, the founder and CEO of the advocacy group Pedestrians Educating Drivers on Safety, or PEDS, said she was happy to hear pedestrian infrastructure in that area is planned to be improved and said having more pedestrians will make it safer because cars will pay closer attention to them. Several residents voiced concerns about what they believe to be homeless encampments being created along some BeltLine property and near Georgia Power’s construction area. “We’ve dealt with encampments like that and we still do. We always encourage anyway viewing it or dealing with it to call 911,” Owens said. Lighting and cameras will be installed on this trail and all future trails built from now on, Owens said. To view the full presentation, visit beltline.org.
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Hotel, apartments proposed for MARTA’s Lindbergh Center Continued from page 1 es stalled. MARTA has since done several other TOD projects at various stations. The developer, currently known only as Upper East Side, LLC, has proposed two buildings that would bring 208 residential units, a 143-room hotel and 18,000 square feet of retail space fronting Piedmont Road. The RFP also requires the developer to help build a new grid of streets, which is thought to help with walkability and also improve the ability to develop nearby parcels. Rhein said they are in the midst of negotiations and plan to present the proposal to the MARTA Board of Directors in the coming months. The developer could not be reached for comment. The transit agency owns several parcels around the station. The proposal is for a vacant lot at 2562 Piedmont Road and a small site at 572 Morosgo Dr. The proposal includes two buildings, according to a rendering released by MARTA. One of
the buildings would be one lot and the other lot would be used for a parking structure, according to the rendering. The developer also owns the lot at 2450 Piedmont Road that is between the two MARTA-owned lots, Rhein said. It is the site of a long-vacant building that formerly housed a Shoney’s restaurant. This provides the opportunity to redevelop the boarded-up building that Rhein once called an “eyesore.” “The intent is to construct the project on all three parcels once assembled,” Rhein said. Sally Silver, District 7 Councilmember Howard Shook’s policy advisor, said she is most excited about the hotel aspect of the project. “I think this is getting closer to what MARTA originally envisioned for this site,” she said. Silver said this proposal would also get the UPPER EAST SIDE, LLC area closer to her vision of Lindbergh as the A rendering shows the hotel, apartments and retail space proposed best place to live in the city because of its proxfor two lots near MARTA headquarters at 2400 Piedmont Road. imity to rail lines and ease of access to Buckhead and Downtown. “I’ve been a major proponent of Lindbergh for years because the location is perfect,” she said. MARTA is still working on being included in the SPI-15 design district, which would guide planning with TOD-friendly restrictions, Silver said. Bill Murray, the zoning chair of NPU-B, which would eventually weigh in on this proposal if it moves forward, said he thinks the development would be good for the neighborhood because there is not a hotel anywhere in the neighborhood. “I think it fits everything MARTA is trying to do,” he said.
A map of MARTA’s Lindbergh Center Station transit-oriented development master plan area, with the parcels included in the proposal shown in purple and numbered 1 and 2, in an image from the request for proposals document.
C O R R EC T IO NS The story “Buckhead neighborhoods propose security camera systems” in the Feb. 16 issue incorrectly stated the possible location of one North Buckhead Civic Association camera. It would be installed on Ivy Road, not Old Ivy Road. The story also incorrectly stated that the Pine Hills Civic Association’s 10-camera program would cost $700,000. The correct amount is $70,000. The “Business Openings” notices in the Feb. 16 Perimeter Business section incorrectly reported the former location of Tootsies, which recently reopened in The Exchange at 3167 Peachtree Road, Buckhead. The store was formerly located in the Shops Around Lenox.
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Horse Lovers Summer Camp Chastain Horse Park - convenient Buckhead location! Boys and girls ages 4-8 – Mon-Fri 8am-1pm Many weeks to choose from during Summer 2018 Camp activities for our younger riders include horsemanship instruction (grooming, safety and more), riding lessons, crafts and games!
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K–12
DeKalb School of the Arts First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta The Galloway School The Lovett School Mount Paran Christian School Oglethorpe University More information at alliancetheatre.org/satellitecamps
Registration now open at thewalkerschool.org/summer
Your summer. Your adventure.
BEYOND CAMP
SPRING BREAK & SUMMER
DRAMA CAMPS
ON SALE NOW! SPRING BREAK CAMPS APR 2 – 6 // SUMMER CAMPS BEGIN MAY 29
Register now!
404.733.4700 alliancetheatre.org/dramacamp
Customize your summer camp experience. Galloway’s g360 Summer Camp is open to all children ages 3 and up and is held on our campus in beautiful Chastain Park.
Register now at gallowayschool.org/camp
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SPRING CAMP April 2nd – 6th Now Registering Hurry before we fill up!!!
Josh Powell Camp has been getting kids active in the great outdoors every summer since 1972.
Great SUMMER activities: swimming, archery, canoeing, arts and crafts, fort building, gaga ball, and more!
Registration currently open for current K-2nd graders.
(Houston’s Rest.) from 8:10-8:25 am and drop-off at 3:00 pm
Weeks of May 29-June 1, June 4-8, June 11-15, June 18-22, June 25-29, July 9-13, July 16-20, July 23-27, and July 30-August 3. 5242 Wade Green Road, Acworth, GA 30312 (678) 369-0780 (call or text) Hey@JoshPowellCamp.com WWW.JOSHPOWELLCAMP.COM
2018
Summer Connection
Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School From June to August, Elite Studios is hosting summer camps for dancers of all ages! Our summer dancers get to explore all styles of dance—from contemporary to hip hop—as well as arts, crafts and dance-themed games.
Learn more at elitestudiosatl.com/summer-camp THE EXCHANGE AT HAMMOND 5962 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, GA 30328 ELITESTUDIOSATL.COM 404.500.1738 © 2018 Elite Studios, LLC
An Endless Variety of Summer Camps: Athletics, Arts, Academics and More! Pre-School - Grade 12
www.hies.org/summerconnection | (404) 303-2150
MARCH 2 - 15, 2018
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NOW ENROLLING 4 YEARS TO 12 YEARS ulum
ic Summer Curr
soccer
Voyagers 2018
arts & crafts
field trips
May 29th - August 3rd
It’s all about Fun! swimming
games
$225 per week Includes Most Field Trips ($100 Enrollment Fee)
(404) 843-8375 • children.stjohnatlanta.org 550 Mount Paran Rd NW, Sandy Springs, GA office@stjohnchildren.org
REGISTER
EXCITING SUMMER ADVENTURES
T O D AY !
ESA CAMP
June 4th–June 29th, 2018 Camp Adventures for 2-year-old to 8th grade • Before and After Care • Half and Full Days • Multi-Week Discount
JUNE 4 – JULY 20, 2018 AGES 5 – 17 Sports, Music Technology, Fun & Games, Community Service, Science Camp for Girls, Technology, Lego Animation, Robotics, SAT/ACT Prep, Website Design, more...
New & Returning Favorites • Drone Camp • Circus Camp • Music Camp • Science Camp • Sports Camp • Preschool Camp and much more! Visit us online at epsteinatlanta.org/esa
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Climb to new heights. Traditional day, sports, and specialty camps for children 3-18 years Learn more at westminster.net/summer
SUMMER CAMP
Explore the great outdoors in the city.
May 30-Aug. 11 Ages 2-13 Half or Full Days EARLY DROP-OFF & LATE PICK-UP
SUMMER CAMPS at
WESTMINSTER Love. Challenge. Lead. Change.
Blue Heron Nature Preserve bhnp.org • 404-946-6394
1424 WEST PACES FERRY ROAD, NW | ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30327 404-609-6212 | WESTMINSTER.NET
A traditional summer camp for girls in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina.
SPORTS BROADCASTING CAMP is back for our 11th year in Atlanta
July 16-20, 2018
Boys and Girls 10-18 will have an opportunity to learn from the Pros Meet Sports Celebrities Make Sports Anchor Tapes
Nation’s #1 Sports Broadcasting Camp
Make Play-By-Play Tapes of the Super Bowl & NBA Finals Make Reporting Tapes from a Pro Stadium Participate in Sports Talk Radio and Pardon The Interruption (PTI) shows and much more
Offering 13-day and 6-day sessions.
For more information and to register, visit: www.hollymont.com
Day/Overnight options available. For more info: 800.319.0884 or www.playbyplaycamps.com facebook.com/sportsbroadcastingcamps • youtube.com/sportsbroadcastcamp
Center for Global Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurial Studies™
Summer Programs 2018 Brandon Hall School Featuring our Signature Program
Explore art, get messy, and have a blast!
Global Youth Leadership in Action ELL Global Village™ Earth Science Field Studies
June 17 - July 7, 2018; July 8 - July 28, 2018 (3-Week Sessions)
Customized Summer Programs available June through August 2018 Justine McDonald, Director of Summer Programs, jmcdonald@brandonhall.org
www.brandonhall.org/summer
REGISTER AT HIGH.ORG/CAMP
Like/Follow us on Facebook!
facebook.com/BHSGlobalYouth
Find Your Path. Lead The Way.™
Creative, Visual, Performing & Studio Arts Camps for ages 5g1g
MondaygFriday, g:ggamggpm Before & After Care, 8amg6pm
Small camps for kids age 2-18 www.holyspiritprep.org/summer
5ggg Chamblee Dunwoody Road Register Online at spruillarts.org ggggggggggggggg
School Break Camps offered in the Spring!
Education | 21
MARCH 2 - 15, 2018 ■ www.ReporterNewspapers.net
Education Briefs Come to CAMP CHATUGA for your best summer ever!
One, Two, Three and Four Week Sessions for Boys & Girls Ages 6 to 16 To receive a $50 DISCOUNT off your 2018 registration, email us at sherry@ campchatuga.com by May 1st and mention this Reporter Newspaper advertisement!
BMX (Bikes) • Horseback • Waterskiing • Crafts • Drama • Archery • Riflery Sports • Animal Care • Frisbee Golf • Outdoor Living Skills • Campfire Cooking Fitness (Yoga, Zumba®) • Canoeing • Guitar • Nature • Survivor • Diving Swim Games • Swing/Line Dancing • Cheerleading • Tubing • Creative Writing
Mountain Rest, SC (864) 638-3728 www.campchatuga.com
LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS PLAN FOR PROTESTS FOLLOWING FLORIDA SHOOTING Local public school systems are preparing for nationwide student demonstrations in response to a school shooting in Parkland, Fla., that killed 17 people and sparked a gun control debate. Organizers around the country are calling for a 17-minute school walkout on March 14, exactly one month after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, according to APS Superintendent Meria Carstarphen, who said that the district will support students that participate. Participation in the approved demonstrations is optional, but any students who participate in non-sanctioned demonstrations will be punished, Carstarphen wrote. DeKalb Superintendent R. Stephen Green said in a letter to parents that the district will support students who peacefully protest as long as they do not disrupt school operations or threaten the safety of students and staff. Fulton Schools said in a press release it will support student demonstrations as long as they do not occur during instructional time. None of the school districts have plans
for major security changes in the wake of the shooting, though APS says it will resume “active shooter” drills.
SANDY SPRINGS STUDENTS SHOWCASE STEAM PROJECTS
Sandy Springs students will view exhibits and demonstrate projects in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics at the Sandy Springs Education Force’s eighth annual STEAM Showcase at North Springs Charter High School on March 14. The evening portion of the event is free and open to the public, which is invited to learn more about STEAM initiatives in Sandy Springs’ 11 public schools. The public will also be able to try out robotics and learn about film photography, among other exhibits, according to SSEF. The event includes students from Fulton County Schools’ two high schools and two middle schools in Sandy Springs: North Springs and Riverwood International high schools and the Ridgeview and Sandy Springs middle schools. The showcase will run 6 to 8 p.m. at North Springs, 7447 Roswell Road. For more information, visit sandyspringseducationforce.org. —Evelyn Andrews
Ranked by U.S. Dept. of Education in
Top 20 Schools Nationwide for Tuition Value (in two-year private sector)
Where Science & Technology Connect!
An education you can afford for a future you can depend on!
Refer a friend & receive a
Club
$25 CREDIT
toward your own camp registration. See our website for details!
SciKidz Where Sc ience & Te chnology Co nnect!
54 Camps to Choose From for 2018
Extreme Science • Veterinary Science • Chemistry • Medicine • Rocket Science • Paleontology • CSI • LEGO Robotics • Aerial Robotics-Drones
Engineering & Technology
www.ClubSciKidz.com Enroll Online!
Follow us on
Call today to schedule tour and complimentary lesson!
• Build Your Own Computer • Minecraft Camps • Stop Motion Animation • 3D RPG Video Game Design • Java and Scratch Computer Programming • 3D Printing • Droid Inventor
Complete registration online!
678-493-5651
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support@clubscikidz.com
SUMMER CAMP 2018 MAY 30-AUGUST 3
Have a Blast! with us this summer. Our professional staff has prepared another exciting summer of fitness and educational fun. We will encourage each child to express his or her own creativity as well as explore and discover new activities.
Choose from 2 exciting and amazing camps!
SUMMER CAMP 2018
:: Sports Camp :: Tennis Camp Space is limited. Register today!!
• Financial Assistance • Certifications • Accredited Curriculum • Job Placement Assistance • Day & Night Classes • English as a Second Language Program • GED Preparation
Associate of Science Degrees & Short-term Diploma programs in Accounting, Medical Office Administration, Human Resource Management, HVAC, Information Technology, Business Management
5303 New Peachtree Road, Chamblee, GA 30341
770-216-2960
www.ict.edu | Campuses in Chamblee, Morrow and Gainesville
22 | Classifieds
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Reporter Classifieds
Personal & Professional Services Directory
REAL ESTATE
HELP WANTED
Affordable Senior Condo for Sale/Lease – Affordable Senior Living Condos. Purchase or Rent - Mount Vernon Village in Sandy Springs HOA includes: All Utilities, 1 Meal/Day, Housekeeping, Laundry, + lots more. Call today Kim at Dunwoody Brokers 404-414-8307 or kim@dunwoodybrokers.com
Drivers Wanted
SERVICES AVAILABLE Driveways & Walkways – Replaced or repaired. Masonry, grading, foundations repaired, waterproofing and retaining walls. Call Joe Sullivan 770-616-0576. Home Tending – Regular inspections of your unoccupied property…”0n market or just away”. Call Charles at 404-229-0490.
CEMETERY PLOT Arlington Memorial – 3 lots for sale in the Calvary Section located in lot 276D, spaces 2, 3 & 4. Asking $5,900 each or $17,000 for all. This section is almost sold out and prices through the cemetery would be $,6,900 each. Beautiful views and the most desirable section. Cemetery will assist in showing. Email: mrmccabe@hotmail.com
Senior Services North Fulton, a non-profit organization, has an opportunity for drivers in their transportation program. If you live in the Roswell, Alpharetta or Johns Creek area of north Fulton and would like to earn some extra money, set your own hours, like to drive, have a car, and like to be of service to seniors, please contact Mobility Manager at
Time for new headshots?
BUCKHEAD STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY www.thebuckheadstudio.com Peachtree Rd NE, Atl, GA 30326 • (404) 462-2385 We travel. Corporate, Group, Portrait, Environmental.
REGISTER FOR SPRING 2018
(770) 993-1906 ext. 242
Management – Financial Services Business is Booming and I need help. Six figure potential! Complete training program, Flexible hours, No experience necessary. Please fax resume to 404-920-2702.
Certify to Teach all adult populations: Comprehensive mind/ body/spirit curriculum, Yoga Alliance, 200 hr. certification, CEUs
Naima Lewis Ph.D.,C-IAYT, E-RYT
www.HydyInc.org | info@hydyinc.com
Showroom, Design, Build
Spring Clean-up Special
Matthew’s Handy Services
• Window Cleaning • Gutter Cleaning • Pressure Washing • Family Owned • Licensed and Insured • Free Estimates
Shelves • Organizers • Carpentry Drywall • Painting • BBB rated
Small Jobs & Chores are My Specialties!
404-547-2079 Mwarren8328@gmail.com
www.WindowCleanAtl.com
“Serving Metro Atlanta Since 1998”
• PAINTING • WINDOWS • SIDING • GUTTERS
770-971-1577
www.paintingplus.com
The Handyman Can • Plumbing • Electrical • Sheetrock • Floors • Tile • Framing • Kitchens • Painting • Roofwork • Concrete • Stained Glass • Antique Door Restoration as well as many other issues...
John Salvesen • 404-453-3438 thehandymancanatlanta@gmail.com
• ROOFING
justTRASHit!
JUNK REMOVAL & RECYCLING
We Haul Away: We Clean Out: *Furniture *Appliances *Construction *Pianos *Hot tubs *Paint cans
*Basements *Garages *Attics *Offices *Storage units *Estate sales
(770) 314-9867 www.justTRASHit.com
SHOWROOM
IN HOME CONSULTATION
404-910-3969
www.RemodelingExpo.com
48 KING STREET ROSWELL, GA 30075
Belco Electric
Come Visit us in
Chamblee!
• Family Owned since 1972 • Fast, Dependable Service by Professional, Uniformed Electricians
770-455-4556
Check out our new website www.BelcoInc.com
404.355.1901
Personal & Professional Growth Opportunity in Atlanta, GA
To Advertise, call 404-917-2200 ext 110
Kitchen Bathroom Basement
since 1968
678-565-8800
Yoga Teacher Training
Course starts 2018 March 31st
Home Services Directory
Atlanta’s Premier
The Quick Shot Corporate Package (Reg. $175) $145 for the month of March, in-studio
With two professional in-house polishers, we can make your silver flatware, tea sets, bowls and trays more beautiful than ever before. Bring it by or call us for an estimate today!
and follow us on
WINDOWS
• Windows • Doors • Siding and more! • BBB A+ • Free Estimates • Family Business Established in 1980 3660 North Peachtree Road - Chamblee, GA 30341
770-939-5634 • www.quinnwindows.com
Appliance Repair ALL WORK GUARANTEED
Call Kevin 24/7 770.885.9210
• All Major Appliances & Brands FREE Service • Stoves, Ovens, Dishwashers • Refrigerators, Disposals Call with • Washers, Dryers Repair or $25 Service • 30 Years Experience Charge Servicing All of Metro Atlanta
.com
No Contracts Same Day Service
Get 4th Visit
FREE!
C ELEBRATING
45
YRS OF SERVING YOU WITH S ECURE , PROFESSIONAL QUALITY SERVICE
Tranquil Waters Lawn Care Aeration Leaf Blowing Power Washing Free Estimates . Senior/Veteran Discount No Contract Necessary . Commercial Residential
678-662-0767 Call Mike
MOVE-IN/ MOVE OUT
$25 OFF
QUICK FREE QUOTE
770-656-2726 FLAT RATES
BH
MARCH 2 - 15, 2018
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Massell calls for Atlanta unity in State of Buckhead address Continued from page 1 Feb. 22. “I think it’s safe for me to say that with very few exceptions, all Atlantans agree that a city combined as one will be a city of much greater strength and opportunity for success.” Unity was also the theme of the Buckhead Coalition’s annual luncheon held earlier this year that featured Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms as the keynote speaker. The theme was chosen in response to the divisive mayoral election battle between Buckhead resident and former Councilmember Mary Norwood and Bottoms. Massell, whose organization endorsed Norwood for mayor, urged Buckhead to come together with other parts of the city, using the “Atlanta Together” slogan that was introduced at the annual luncheon. “As we discuss the ‘State of our Community,’ we see the need and benefit from coming together, this time geographically, north side and south side, to reinforce the whole and enjoy what ‘Atlanta together’ can generate,” he said at the event, which was held at the City Club of Buckhead and hosted by the Buckhead Business Association. Massell said he helped bring unity to Atlanta during his tenure as Atlanta City Council president in the 1960s through creating a commission intended to help ease racial tensions and address the concerns of the gay community. As mayor, he appointed the first woman City Council member, Panke Bradley, he said. “There is no stopping us, as we become stronger with every inclusion,” Massell said. Massell’s 1973 re-election campaign had its own racial tensions, but he said that he did not intend to base the campaign on race. Massell lost that election to Maynard Jackson, who became the city’s first black mayor. Massell said it took years for the city to overcome the divisions created by that election, but it was helped by the fact that the African American community was celebrating the milestone. “There was such excitement from the African American community to have elected the first African American mayor,” Massell said. “It overcame frictions to some extent.” Massell said that nearly half of Atlanta’s tax revenue comes from Buckhead, despite the community’s residents accounting for 20 percent of the city’s population, a statistic he frequently cites. “You can sense that the tail is wagging the dog,” he said. Norwood voiced concerns about this statistic after she lost the mayoral election at the Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods January meeting, during which she urged Buckhead residents to press the new administration on whether the neighborhood is getting its fair share of city-funded improvements. BH
EVELYN ANDREWS
Buckhead Coalition President Sam Massell gives his annual “State of the Community” address Feb. 22 at the City Club of Buckhead.
While there is no coordinated movement for Buckhead to leave Atlanta and be its own city, Massell said the idea is brought up occasionally by residents and the media. He pushed back against the idea. “The obvious result would be a headline on Wall Street of Atlanta bankrupting,” he said. “That would bring the development and progress and growth of Atlanta to a standstill, which would obviously damage Buckhead.” He said the state of Buckhead remains healthy and the area is attracting the country’s leading developers that are adding office space, hotel rooms, condos, apartments and entertainment facilities. The success of Buckhead affects the entire metro area, a responsibility he encouraged the audience to take seriously. “Keep in mind that how Buckhead succeeds affects the entire city of Atlanta, and its success sets the tone for the entire region of well over six-million citizens. Take this responsibility seriously,” Massell said. In response to a question from an audience member, Massell praised Bottoms’ performance so far and said she supports Buckhead and the coalition’s efforts. “It’s really too early to grade her, even if she’s excellent, but she’s been good so far. She’s supportive of Buckhead,” he said. Another audience member asked about the plan to build a park over Ga. 400 spearheaded by the Buckhead Community Improvement District, which Massell and the Buckhead Coalition helped create. He said the CID’s mission is to relieve traffic congestion, and taxes the CID members voluntarily pay into the CID shouldn’t be used to fund the park while traffic is still a problem. “There’s nobody more appreciate of parks than I. Parks are wonderful, but don’t take tax money from people in Buckhead to build a park as long as there is still traffic in Buckhead,” Massell said. The CID has created an independent nonprofit to oversee the park’s creation, but the CID could still help fund the park through donations to that nonprofit.
American Jewish Committee presents
Atlanta Unity Seder Tuesday, March 13, 2018 6:00 pm – Registration 6:30 pm – Seder Begins RSVP Required global.AJC.org/2018-unity-seder $36 per person / $18 for students/ young professionals For More Information call 404.233.5501 Includes Dinner and a personal Haggadah AKC Certified Kosher Celebrate Passover with Atlanta’s religious, ethnic and international leadership, through the retelling of the Passover story with modern day examples. The program will include Table Discussions, musical performances and unique stories told by survivors of tragedies from around the world.
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CONGRATULATIONS To Our 2017 Top Sales Associates | Sandy Springs Office
TOP INDIVIDUAL & TEAM
DAVID CHANABERRY & ASSOCIATES
JILL HUITRON
#1 Individual Total Sales Volume & Closed Units
#1 Team Total Sales Volume & Closed Units
Jill.Huitron@HarryNorman.com
David.Chanaberry@HarryNorman.com
404-376-5114
770-265-9080
TOP INDIVIDUALS & TEAMS OVERALL PAM HUGHES
STACEY ADAMS
FRAN SHIVERS
BARBARA MALM
#2 Individual Total Sales Volume & Closed Units
#3 Individual Total Sales Volume & Closed Units
#2 Team Total Sales Volume & Closed Units
#3 Team Total Sales Volume & Closed Units
Pam.Hughes@HarryNorman.com
Stacey.Adams@HarryNorman.com
Fran.Shivers@HarryNorman.com
Barbara.Malm@HarryNorman.com
404-626-3604
404-271-9949
404-403-5555
404-310-5164
ADDITIONAL TOP PERFORMERS
GITTE CLAUD
404-316-1111
BONNIE WOLF
404-216-9296
CHERYL BRODNAX
404-277-1009
SUSAN ODER
404-308-6337
PHEBE ETHEREDGE
404-374-8458
MISS EMMIE
BRENDA REEVE
404-245-4130
BOBBI PENTECOST
770-656-8734
FRAN ALLEN
404-550-2651
HOWARD ROHAN
404-354-2444
BARBARA OLIVER
ROOKIE
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
OF THE YEAR
BONNIE WOLF
LINDSEY BURROUGHS
404-216-9296
678-834-3940
404-667-4211
Harry Norman, REALTORS® | Sandy Springs Office | 5290 Roswell Road, Suite A | Atlanta, GA 30342 | HarryNorman.com BH