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MAY 2020 • VOL. 14 — NO. 5
Perimeter Business
Buckhead Reporter
► The big decision of
pandemic reopenings
► Working from home
shows positives PAGE 5-8
Pandemic Food Pick-Up
TO OUR READERS
This May issue of the Reporter is a digital-only edition. We made the decision not to produce the printed publication with the health and safety of our staff and suppliers foremost in mind. The Reporter will return to print in June, so look for your copy as usual next month.
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Sole finalist for APS superintendent is named
PHIL MOSIER
Mask-wearing patrons get meals from a food truck from the Bhojanic Indian restaurant on Pine Tree Drive outside Garden Hills Park on April 24. Such food truck appearances, where customers typically pre-order and pick up their meals, have become popular in many Atlanta neighborhoods as safer ways to dine out during the pandemic. While the truck offered “touchless” delivery, this pick-up involved a hand-off between the worker and customer. See more photos of Buckhead’s pandemic activities on p. 4. ►
Buckhead Christian Ministry works to keep people in their homes during pandemic BY JOHN RUCH johnruch@reporternewspapers.net
Buckhead Christian Ministry was already near capacity in its mission of helping people in need across metro Atlanta avoid the loss of homes. Now in the pan-
demic economy, it’s found a way — with help from local governments and churches — to triple its daily emergency assistance applications as demand skyrockets. “The demand on our helpline was more than we could handle before this crisis. It’s just that now we’re being asked to do even See BUCKHEAD on page 17
After a months-long search for its new superintendent, the Atlanta Board of Education named a familiar face as its lone finalist for the leadership position in a written announcement on Tuesday morning. The board selected Lisa Herring, the current leader of the Birmingham, Alabama school district, as the finalist for the position of superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools. “We believe with her passion for serving students paired with her focus on equity and achievement for all, Dr. Herring is the best leader to take APS to a new level and close the achievement gap for so many of our students,” said school board Chairman Jason Esteves. If appointed to the role, Herring would start on July 1. Herring, who is completing her third year as Birmingham’s superintendent, is a Macon native who attended Spelman College for her undergraduate education. She completed her observational field work with APS, serving at Therrell High School in Southwest Atlanta. “My calling is truly to serve all people regardless of their background or influence,” Herring said in a press release. “It would be an honor to serve the people of Atlanta.” The search for a new superintendent began in September 2019 when Esteves said the board would not renew Meria Carstarphen’s contract. Carstarphen has See SOLE on page 9
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Arts organizations anticipate at least $10.6M in losses BY COLLIN KELLEY
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Nonprofit arts organizations across metro Atlanta are expected to collectively lose $10.6 million due to the coronavirus pandemic shutdown. The data comes from a new survey of more than 55 arts nonprofits conducted by Lara Smith, managing director of Dad’s Garage Theatre. The data comes from a survey of most of the leading arts organizations in metro Atlanta, including many nonprofits that are part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies cohort. The Atlanta Regional Commission assisted in the creation of the survey and data analysis. Some of the organizations surveyed include the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, Actor’s Express, City Springs Theatre Company, Horizon Theatre, High Museum of Art, Museum of Design Atlanta, Decatur Book Festival, 7 Stages, Atlanta Jewish Music Festival, City True Colors Theatre Company and Youth Ensemble of Atlanta. Organizations are looking at average losses of $25,000 to over $1 million, depending on budget size. For instance, organizations with budgets under $250,000 are currently set to lose an average of $25,000 while organizations with budgets of between $1 million and $2 million are set to lose $345,000 on average. “All in, right now there are $10.6 million in anticipated losses across the arts nonprofit sector in Atlanta,” Smith said. “This number will only go up, as these numbers are underreported, by a large margin. Four organizations with budgets of over $10 million participated in the survey, but only three reported anticipated losses. And we had one third of the region’s nonprofit arts organizations participate.” Perhaps the most disturbing figure in the survey is that 19% of arts nonprofits in Atlanta aren’t sure they are going to make it and may close permanently. Another 34% are only going to make it if they get assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) or similar loan programs. Smith said 96% of respondents expressed the need for additional funding in the form of an unrestricted grant with a total need of $4.78 million. Those surveyed indicated needing just over $2.5 million in loans, with 65% of that falling into the long-term loan category, as many have concerns they will not receive SBA funding. “There are organizations that have $1- to $2 million budgets, which may seem like a lot, are in precarious positions,” Smith warned. “If they lose $345,000 and don’t have a financial buffer, the losses could sink them.” Many arts organizations also expressed uncertainty about when they would reopen their doors. “Arts organizations are trying to wrap their heads around the timeline for reopening. Some were saying this summer, some were saying not until 2021,” Smith stated. There is some good news in the survey, including the fact that 64% of organizations started the COVID-19 crisis with a financial safety net in the form of a reserves, a line of credit or an endowment. The average amount of buffer is six months, but ranges from one month to four years. Also, 30% of respondents have not made any staffing changes, as they have been able to maintain current payroll and contractor payments. According to Josh Phillipson, who manages arts and culture for the Atlanta Regional Commission, the nonprofit arts and culture sector is a $719.8 million industry in metro Atlanta – one that supports 23,514 full-time equivalent jobs and generates $64.5 million in local and state government revenue. “Spending by nonprofit arts and cultural organizations totaled $434.8 million in metro Atlanta during fiscal year 2015,” Phillipson said. “This money moves through our local economy and supports a variety of businesses and government initiatives. Eventrelated spending by arts attendees totaled $285 million in metro Atlanta during fiscal year 2015, excluding the cost of event admission.” Smith said cutting arts organizations and artists out of economic relief packages would be a mistake, especially since our sector is central to building a strong economy. Arts and culture organizations – theaters, music venues, museums – have a symbiotic relationship with many other industries, such as tourism, hotels/hospitality, travel, restaurants and nightlife, she said. “’Dinner and a show’ is a real thing — people want to go out and have a great night on the town, they want to see a show and have a delicious dinner,” Smith added. “Music venues and museums draw in tourists, which helps our hotel and airline industries. When looking for new corporate headquarters, companies often consider the density of arts organizations — they know their employees want to live in a vibrant, fun, enjoyable town.”
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Public Safety | 3
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Crime Stoppers offers $4,500 reward for suspect in BeltLine dog attack BY JOHN RUCH johnruch@reporternewspapers.net
The owner of a dog that jumped on and bit a woman on the Atlanta BeltLine in Buckhead is being sought by the Atlanta Police Department. Police say the victim, who is a Buckhead resident in her 30s, and the suspect were each walking their dogs April 2 around 5 p.m. on the BeltLine near the Bitsy Grant Tennis Center at 2125 Northside Drive. According to a police incident report, the suspect’s dog broke free of its leash and ran toward the victim. The victim said she “picked up her dog and turned her shoulder facing the charging canine,” according to the police report. The attacking dog jumped and bit the victim on the upper arm, causing a serious wound that required surgery, according to APD. The suspect pulled her dog off of the victim. While several witnesses aided the victim, according to the report, the suspect said she would secure the SPECIAL dog, then left the area without An image of the suspect and the dog from a surveillance returning. video released by the Atlanta Police Department. APD released surveillance video and still images showing the suspect in a parking deck, apparently the one under the Bitsy Grant courts. The dog is described as a brown-and-white “pit bull” type. The suspect is described as a heavy-set black woman in her 40s or 50s, wearing a bonnet cap, black pants and a gray sweatshirt with a large white logo on the back. The suspect was driving a white BMW car with an Ohio license plate with the number HLM8829 and a front novelty plate reading “535 BMW.” The Crime Stoppers Atlanta tip line offers a reward of up to $4,500 for the arrest and indictment of a suspect. Anyone with information about the incident can call 404577-8477 or see the Crime Stoppers website at atlantapolicefoundation.org/programs/ crime-stoppers.
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Buckhead stays active during pandemic
PHOTOS BY PHIL MOSIER As COVID-19 cast a pall over the month of April, Buckhead remained active in some familiar ways — from playing in the parks to protesting at the Governor’s Mansion — but with some pandemic differences, too. Social distancing was common, though some people were willing to get closer to friends and food workers, and the recommended mask-wearing in crowded public spaces remained spotty.
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Top left, members of two families play soccer in Garden Hills Park April 24. Shown from left, are (front) Marc Castelo, Nicholas Irvezaj, 9, and Bella Irvezaj, 10; and (rear) Olivia Castelo, 16, and Lulu Castelo, 14. Above, a protester who declined to give her name demonstrates against Gov. Brian Kemp’s pandemic business reopenings outside the Governor’s Mansion on April 24. She was one of many who drove past the mansion in a distanced protest. Middle, Amanda Circiu demonstrates in support of Gov. Kemp’s decision. Bottom, at Chastain Park, visitors — some distancing, some not — enjoy the grounds of Bobby Jones Golf Course on April 18, turning the greens into play and picnic space.
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Perimeter Business | 5
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Perimeter Business
Focusing on business in the Reporter Newspapers communities
Spring 2020 | Pandemic Impacts Businesses
Businesses ride the closing and reopening roller coaster BY JOHN RUCH
Shop, who has been cutting hair in Dunwoody for 42 years, 10 of them in the current 5064 Nandina Lane location. He and The coronavirus pandemic has been a barber Ron Whitehead served a slate of 20 roller coaster of rough decisions for many customers on the busy day, including 32local businesses, whose owners went from year client Jeff Raasch, who was getting facing shutdown orders in mid-March to that trim. figuring out whether and how to reopen in In accordance with new state safety late April. rules and suggestions, Smith wore a face Gov. Brian Kemp issued a surprise order mask while working, and served only one allowing the reopening on April 24 or 27 of customer at a time. The shop exceeded at certain businesses that had been shuttered least of the state suggestions; instead of due to close-quarters service and the likelispacing customers 6 feet apart in the waithood of COVID-19 transmission in them. At ing area, they took a number at the door press time, his statewide shelter-in-place orand were allowed in only one at a time afder was set to expire April 30, and bars and ter getting a call. The shop skipped some nightclubs remained closed. other suggestions, including that customKemp’s order was intensely controverers also wear masks and that barbers wear sial, seen by many medical experts -- ingloves and face shields. cluding the White House advisors -- as Plenty of customers were eager to show premature and dangerous, and by some up for a cut or trim. Among was Raasch, PHIL MOSIER owners and customers as a reasonable rewho said he simply needed a haircut. Ernie Smith, owner of Ernie’s Barber Shop in Dunwoody Village, gives a turn to economic life. Some local businessRaasch said he was used to the world trim to 32-year customer Jeff Raasch on April 24, the first day the business es allowed to reopen ventured into the new he grew up in during the 1960s and ’70s, was allowed to reopen under Gov. Brian Kemp’s controversial order. world of pandemic business, while many when workers stayed home when they others remained closed pending more testwere sick and others covered for them. He ing. said the pandemic disruption has been a “bizarre experience” and that “you can’t always live your life in fear of what might happen or nothing will be accomplished.” A barber returns to work He said he felt safe with Smith’s measures and suggested the pandemic can be defeated Ernie Smith expertly clipped a customer’s bangs on the afternoon of April 24, a month afwith good manners. ter coronavirus pandemic closure orders cut into his Dunwoody Village business. “I am very thankful for our loyal clientele,” said Smith, the owner of Ernie’s Barber Continued on page 6 johnruch@reporternewspapers.net
Doing ‘essential’ business is essentially challenging BY JOHN RUCH johnruch@reporternewspapers.net
The shelter-in-place orders that had Georgia residents holing up through at least April 30 also gave them plenty of opportunities to patronize shops for food, booze, medicine and other “essential” services. But for workers and owners in pandemic conditions, doing “essential” business was essentially challenging. From pharmacies to construction sites, from pizza shops to liquor stores, businesses are forced to find new ways of doing nearly everything. Some deal with a crush of new customers; others face the disappearance of regulars. Workers aim to cut the coronavirus risk through precautions — or may be too scared to work at all. Legal verbiage like “essential,” “critical” or “minimum basic operations” doesn’t make any of them immune from the pandemic’s impact on every facet of life. The following are how some local businesses are dealing with it.
The pizza place
The ban on dine-in restaurant business
forced many to scramble to convert to takeout service. The local pizza place has the advantage of already being built around takeout and delivery. But it’s not immune from the economic ravages. Napoli New York Pizza Italian Kitchen & Catering operates at 276 Hammond Drive in Sandy Springs, along the oncebusy Roswell Road spine of the city. “We’re struggling like everybody else who managed to stay open, I assume, just because daytime — you see what rush hour is like now,” says owner Kenan Atli. “… It’s a ghost town… Rush hour, you can just, like, dance around in the middle of Roswell Road.” Nights used to be the slow time for Napoli, but now that home-delivery business is what the shop relies on, said Atli. “Obviously, we’ve lost all of our catering business,” he added. But the shop remains fully staffed — only now with the table server running the cash register and the delivery driver wearing a mask and gloves. “I just took this place over a few months ago,” said Atli. But the business itself is one
Top, a Choate Construction publicity image of work on the Hyatt House hotel on Peachtree-Dunwoody Road in the Medical Center area of Sandy Springs.
of those that has been there seemingly forever — Atli says the cook has worked there since 2000 and the pizza oven has been blazing since 1972. “We’re still around,” he said. “We’re still opening the doors, making sure the employees get paid.
SPECIAL
The pharmacy
A pharmacy is a good business to be in during a pandemic. Getting items on shelves and safely into the hands of cusContinued on page 8
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Businesses ride the closing and reopening roller coaster Continued from page 5 “It’s [a] simple, common-sense approach to the situation!” said Raasch. “As I read once in a book written by Robert Fulghum, everything we need to know in life we first learned in kindergarten. Just be nice to each other! Respect one another! Play fair! Put things back where you found them! Wash your hands before you eat! Clean up your own mess! And most importantly, when we go out into the world, or even just cross the street, make sure we stick together and look out for each other!” Another reopening day customer was Terry Nall, a former member of the City Council and recently an unsuccessful candidate for mayor. Nall said in a text message that he felt “very safe. Ernie and Ron went beyond the guidelines by allowing inside only the current customer in the chair. They have enough waiting area to social distance, too, but opted to be stricter about the distancing.” Nall said he wasn’t a fan of the shutdowns in the first place. “I’m a ‘guardrails and guidelines’ leader instead of [a supporter of] outright closures,” said Nall. “The ‘guardrails and guidelines’ approach is much more rational, proportional and unemotional than responding with government closures. Business owners then have the choice of complying or closing and provid[ing] safe options for customers to achieve the same result of ‘flattening the curve.’ Government does a terrible job of picking winners and losers via closure orders.”
Restaurants wait
Battle & Brew, a gaming restaurant in Sandy Springs, and NFA Burger, a new restaurant in Dunwoody, are surely eager to get back in normal business while they eke through the pandemic on takeout service. So is Jason Sheetz, owner of the Sandy Springs restaurants Hammocks Trading Company and Under the Cork Tree as well as the Woodstock steakhouse Prime 120. But all are skeptical about Kemp’s timetable. Battle & Brew co-owner Soel Tran said management is still discussing the reopening possibility internally, but expressed safety and financial concerns. “While we would love to reopen fully to the public and hang out with all of our geek and gaming friends again, we have serious reservations on the feasibility/safety of the restrictions being lifted so soon,” said Tran in an email. And social distancing rules don’t fit with the gaming-oriented business model, meaning Battle & Brew could be in a “death limbo spot” if it reopened with full expenses but only a limited ability to make money. “It feels like a really dangerous gamble right now for people and businesses alike,” Tran said. NFA Burger owner Billy Kramer said he isn’t changing his pandemic mode of operations “until I feel it is safe for me, my family and staff. “I just got off the phone with a doctor who has spent the last month on the front lines and asked him the following ques-
tion: ‘Will you take your family out for dinner next week?’ His answer was an emphatic no,” Kramer added. “If a business or restaurant wants to reopen or expand their current operations, I have nothing against them and hope for the best,” said Kramer. “However, my family and I won’t be participating.” Sheetz says he closed his Sandy Springs restaurants on March 14 for safety reasons and isn’t sure how to rethink that plan be-
downs. Sheetz said that is the last business he would plan to reopen. “It’s almost more important for us to kind of finish the good work that the food pantry’s doing before we replace it with a business,” he said. “…A week or two’s not going to make the difference to us at this point. A week or two keeping the food pantry open will make a big difference to a lot of people.” Sheetz sounded a note of hope about figuring a way out of the shutdowns. “I think it’s as controversial a topic as exists. It’s beyond Republican and Democrat,” he said. “It’s just, do you open or do you not open? Is it safety or is it a business? Is it the economy or is it health? And it’s both. It’s everything. And just because we don’t have the answer right now doesn’t mean we won’t figure it out.”
Bowling and movies
Local operators of bowling alleys and a movie theater weren’t ready to reopen immediately, either. Brandt Gully, owner of the independent The SPECIAL Springs Cinema & Taphouse Justin Amick at the Painted Pin. theater in Sandy Springs, said he was “just kind of stunned and not fore Kemp issues specific rules. sure what to make of it” and that “it doesn’t “We certainly aren’t going to barrel forfeel right” to reopen. It also doesn’t make ward in trying to have all guns blazing by sense in the most basic way, Gully said: that time because, you know, we just won’t “One of the issues, and it’s not the main isbe ready,” Sheetz said in a phone interview. sue, but we don’t have content. There are “…It’s the safety of the employees and the no new movies.” guests. … We want to make sure that everyJustin Amick, president and CEO of the one is protected from everybody. And those company that operates Buckhead’s Painted rules are just very unclear. They haven’t Pin and the Westside’s Painted Duck highbeen stated.” end bowling parlors, also expressed sur“Are we going to fill up the dining room? prise and concern. “Although I couldn’t be Absolutely not,” he added. “Are there a few happier to have bowling solidified as one people who are going to want to come out of life’s most essential needs, I’m surprised and get out, yes. Is it the smart thing to do? by the accelerated timeline to be able to reI don’t know.” open our doors to the public,” he said. Even if safety was worked out, Sheetz Justin Amick elaborated on the consaid, the finances of running a restaurant cerns in a joint statement with his father still have to work. He noted that dining-in Bob Amick, owner of the Concentric Resbusinesses have a wide range of models, taurants group, which includes TWO Urfrom fast food to high-end, and require cerban Licks, Bully Boy and Parish. tain volumes of customers to pay the bills. “We are scared to death about the new Pandemic rules could affect that and take norms, strict limitations and guidelines long planning from restaurant owners. that will make it impossible to be financialThe sudden prevalence of takeout and ly viable,” the Amicks said. “A rushed redelivery is a new part of the financial equaopening could be the nail in the coffin for tion. “I know some restaurants that have many companies. We won’t risk the safety done real well with takeout. I know others of our staff, families and patrons, as their who think it’s a waste of time,” he said. well-being is of the utmost importance.” Sheetz said that, ironically, he and his “It honestly — it really puts us in a partners intended to reopen Hammocks tough position,” said Gully, the theater for takeout service as soon as this weekend owner, about Kemp’s announcement. “I’m after weeks of planning how to reconfigsure there’s intent there for the governure the business. “Now we’re pumping the ment to throw us a lifeline here and allow brakes on that, going, ‘Hold on,’” he said. us to reopen. But truthfully, I don’t really Sheetz’s other Sandy Springs restaulike the position I’m in. I closed before I was rant, Under the Cork Tree, has been entirerequired to close for the same reason I likely converted into the temporary Solidarity ly won’t open when I’m allowed to open.” Food Pantry, especially to serve restaurant “Obviously, I have some significant conworkers who lost their jobs in the shut-
cern over opening, and I think for certain we wouldn’t be opening on Monday,” said Gully, who closed the doors of his theater on March 17. Gully said that Hollywood studios are not planning to release major films for another eight to 10 weeks. He expected a reopening of theaters no earlier than midJune. Opening even earlier would mean finding other types of movies to screen, raising one of many financial viability questions. “We can’t just open. You have to have something to show,” he said. The unknown details of Kemp’s reopening order would matter a lot. Gully noted such factors as what level of occupancy the theaters could have, what safety rules would be required, and whether there would be any additional insurance liability. Meanwhile, like many business owners, Gully is using some of the idle goods and services for charity — selling beer growlers and giant bags of popcorn at curbside to benefit a children’s cancer organization.
Weighing the reopening odds
A hair stylist was among those worried about how to return to business and weighing their odds. Marla Whitmer, a stylist of 10 years’ experience who lives in Sandy Springs, will head back to work on Friday at a Salon Lofts location in Roswell. Not because she feels protected against the coronavirus. It’s that the salon is going to resume charging her and the other stylists rent on their spaces. Does she feel safe? “No. I don’t,” she said. “I think it’s too early.” For Whitmer, it’s not the first time the financial pressures of the pandemic crisis have forced her to compromise on safety since the salon closed a month ago. She said she recently began quietly making house calls for select clients “because I thought the unemployment would kick in a little bit quicker than it did. So I kind of had no other choice, really.” “I felt OK,” she said of the risks of going to clients’ homes. “I would pick and choose a few that I would allow” and made sure there weren’t “multiple people in a small room,” she said. Returning to the salon is a different story, she said, especially as Georgia’s COVID-19 reports continue to rise. She said she wishes the salon would wait two more weeks to reopen. Many of her clients have no such qualms. “Surprisingly, my phone, the day that Gov. Kemp announced that [reopening order], I was getting calls, texts, emails about scheduling immediately,” Whitmer said with a low laugh. Whitmer questioned whether some of the state-required safety items will be available in the pandemic market demands. And she said she thinks it’s “a little crazy that they don’t provide certain things if that’s what they want us to do. Because how do you go a month without pay and then have to invest in infrared thermometers and products and all that stuff?”
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Perimeter Business | 7
Many in Perimeter Center eager to keep working from home, survey says BY JOHN RUCH johnruch@reporternewspapers.net
The pandemic’s forced experiment in teleworking has many Perimeter Center employees eager to keep doing it at least part-time, according to early results of a survey by the Perimeter Community Improvement Districts. “This is, overall, a strange time,” but also “an opportunity in some ways,” said Johann Weber, manager of the PCIDs’ Perimeter Connects alternative commuting program, during the organization’s quarterly project update meeting held virtually on April 29. Weber helps local companies come up with commuting programs for their employees. The survey showed workers realizing many positives -- as well as some downsides -of working from home, said Weber. Even with some businesses returning to operations while the pandemic continues, there are also lessons for how teleworking and planning can help with safety requirements like social distancing, he said. The results are preliminary because the survey is still open. Weber said there were 405 responses so far, many from Cox companies, but with more than 50 employers represented. Respondents included executives, managers and workers, he said. Weber said employers should work now on formalizing a telework policy, including ways to track performance and health effects on employees and helping them to limit their virtual workdays. The PCIDs offers free help in drafting such policies through perimeterconnects.com. In Buckhead, the nonprofit Livable Buckhead offers similar assistance through livablebuckhead.com. During the pandemic, employers also should use part-time teleworking as a way to increase social distancing in the workplace, along with such measures as staggered departure and arrival times for employees, Weber said. He said the pandemic may have long-term effects on workplace design, reversing a trend toward higher-density spaces with workers clustered together.
Survey results so far
The survey found that 82.7% of respondents were now working from home five or more days a week, a result that Weber said would have sounded “crazy” at the start of the year. Prior to the pandemic, respondents said, only 4% worked from home that of-
ten, though 38% already did so one to two days a week. Another 19% had never worked from home. “Obviously, there are a lot of challenges, to put it moderately… but this is pretty spectacular,” Weber said of the teleworking. And many respondents like the experience, with 82% wanting to continue working from home one or more days a week, and 50% a majority of the week, according to Weber. Broken down further, a bit of 30% of respondents wanted to work from home one or two days a week, and a similar percenter wanted to work from home three or four days. A bit over 15% wanted to work from home five or more days a week. More money and time and less stress were among the reasons respondents liked working from home. Only 2% reported no positives from the experience. The top choice among positives was saving money by not commuting, chosen by 66.4% of respondents. A little over half cited decreased stress from the lack of a commute. Other physical and psychological health benefits included getting more sleep and spending more time with family and friends (both chosen by 43.2% of respondents) and increased exercise and healthier eating (30.6% of respondents). On the work side, 33.6% of respondents felt they were more productive when working from home, while 7.9% felt less productive. The negatives were less pronounced but significant. Weber said they centerd on the “massive meshing of work and home life, and those are things that aren’t always conducive to each other,” where distractions can range from “startled dogs” to “moody teenagers.” About 28% of respondents said their home workspace isn’t the same quality, while 27.2% citied a lack of proper equipment and 20.7% reported having internet access issues. Frequent distractions at home were cited by 17.5% of respondents; 16.8% said it’s difficult to stay motivated, and 14.3% felt lonely. Of the respondents, 22.7% said they have trouble unplugging from work. With the pandemic as a backdrop, 33.8% of respondents said they were anxious about it and 22.7% said they were worried about their job or the health of their company.
8 | Perimeter Business Continued from page 5 tomers are the new challenges. At Tuxedo Pharmacy & Gifts, an independent store at 164 West Wiecua Road in Buckhead, pharmacist Dawn Sasine says there have been a lot of new customers due to neighborhood and social media buzz. “The community has definitely been rallying for small businesses,” she said. “…I think people feel more comfortable coming here than maybe a big chain or a grocery where they do have to go inside.” The biggest challenge, she said, is finding suppliers to keep up the inventory. “Everything from the essentials — wipes, gloves, masks, etcetera — to the things that are keeping people home and occupied, [like] puzzles,” she said. Yes, the “gifts” side of the business is booming, too, with what Sasine says is “tremendous” demand for puzzles and games. The pharmacy has ordered “hundreds and hundreds” of puzzles to refill the stock, she said. The demand has the pharmacy staffed at normal levels, but working in a new world where customers come for curbside pickup only. “We’re just running around shopping for them,” Sasine said. Also new in the pandemic era are demonstrations of local support. “We are overwhelmed and touched by the support of small businesses and the community,” said Sasine, describing people as dropping by to offer food, cards, positive comments “and just love.”
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The liquor store
If a pandemic makes you want to throw back a few, you’re not alone — beer, wine and liquor stores have stayed open throughout the various shutdown and shelter orders. But you might want to raise a glass to the folks going through the challenge of selling the stuff at places like Cambridge Bottle Shop in Brookhaven’s Cambridge Square shopping center at 2036 Johnson Ferry Road. “Business is OK, but we have to close early,” said manager Kenny Chaudhri. “There is an employee issue. Nobody wants to work.” The staff members, he said, are worried about catching COVID-19 in the aisles. “They’re scared. They don’t want to come,” he said. Chaudhri said he and his wife are running the store for now, letting customers in one at a time, or offering curbside pickup. “It’s hard,” he said. “You know, it’s hard, not like normal times. This is a bad time.”
The construction crews
While doctors and nurses battle COVID-19 in the hospitals of Sandy Springs’ Medical Center area, work continues virtually next door on a new Hyatt House hotel. Overseen by the Sandy Springs-based national firm Choate Construction, it’s just one of scores of construction projects forging ahead in the pandemic, either because outdoor work is exempt from restrictions or the work is considered “critical” to public interests. But doing that work in the pandemic
era takes many special steps — even for an industry used to following safety rules. “Our industry by its nature — we are safety-conscious more than a lot of industries,” said Michael Hampton, Choate’s chief administrative officer. “As an industry, it’s on our mind constantly.” Now safety includes social distancing, masks, face Top, Tuxedo Pharmacy & Gifts. (Google Maps) shields, gallons of Above, Napoli New York Pizza Italian hand sanitizer, temKitchen & Catering. (Google Maps) perature checks for all workers, a ban on where workers may have to handle tasks indoor meetings. Even the roll call is done as a team, Hampton acknowledged that without the customary passing around of might not be 100%, either. a clipboard, Hampton said. “I wouldn’t say if I walked on any site “I keep seeing creative ways of how that I couldn’t find two workers possibly in guys… are setting up wash stations on projclose proximity, but in a lot of these situaects where they don’t even have running tions they’re family members,” he said. water yet,” he said. In figuring out new ways of doing busi“So we’re doing everything we can to ness during the pandemic, Hampton said, make that sure that, while our essential contractors are all in it together. business continues, that there’s no risk to “And one of the nicer byproducts of this the workers on site,” he said. is the collaboration that’s happening beThat also means projects may not be at tween contractors because, you know, this “100% efficiency,” he said, but the compaisn’t a competitive advantage,” he said. “So ny aims to follow the safety guidelines, and we are sharing our best practices with our “that’s what the workers want as well.” competitors and they are likewise.” Asked about the feasibility of maintaning social distancing on construction sites
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Education | 9
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Sole finalist for APS superintendent is named Continued from page 1 served since 2014, and her contract will expire June 30. Georgia law mandates that the school board wait a minimum of 14 days after announcing its finalist before officially making its appointment. During this period, the board will hold meetings and media events to introduce Herring to the community. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, all events will be held virtually and the board will share updates to its website and social media platforms. “I am a trained counselor who knows to listen and learn in order to better serve the community,” Herring said in the press release. “I look forward to hearing your questions and concerns as we seek unique ways to engage together during this time of social distancing.” In a video conference posted by the school board on April 21, Esteves said candidates went through up to four rounds of interviews. While the board was impressed with several applicants, Esteves said Herring “impressed all of us with her Georgia roots, passion for equity and student success and strong experience that has prepared her to lead Atlanta Public Schools.”
■ Online: atlantapublicschools.us/doman/14240 ■ Mail: Atlanta Board of Education,130 Trinity Ave. SE, Atlanta, GA 30303
Lisa Herring.
Herring “brings 25 years of experience improving progress and student achievement in urban settings across the southeast,” Esteves said. APS has about 52,000 students, more than 5,200 teachers, and 91 learning sites, according to the district. That dwarfs Birmingham City Schools, a system of over 22,000 students across 42 schools.
SPECIAL
The public can participate in virtual question-and-answer sessions held by the school board over the next several weeks. Questions can be submitted in the following ways: ■ Email: atlantaboard@atlanta.k12.ga.us ■ Phone: 404-802-2267
I am a trained counselor who knows to listen and learn in order to better serve the community. LISA HERRING
Why wait? You can tour The Mansions at Sandy Springs Assisted Living & Memory Care on-line TODAY! Considering a move for yourself or a loved one? We're ready to talk to you! Call Vicki Luna at (470) 338-5064 and we'll set up a time to conduct an easy virtual tour of our beautiful community with you.
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Commentary: Lessons on what worked, and what needs to change The coronavirus pandemic has forced enormous changes on society. The Reporter asked local experts in various fields -- from arts to religion, urban planning to politics -- what lessons the pandemic has taught them about what works well in a crisis, and what needs to change. The participants included Rabbi Spike Anderson of Sandy Springs’ Temple Emanu-El synagogue; Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch; Ryan Gravel, the founder of the Atlanta BeltLine and consultant on Atlanta’s urban design plan; and Alison Hamil, who painted a pandemic mural for the city of Brookhaven.
ALISON HAMIL
Artists have been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis. In an industry that was already undervalued, artists are struggling now more than ever. But there is a silver lining – society is no longer able to ignore the socio-economic problems that are being exposed by the crisis. Considered “non-essential” workers, artists have to constantly fight to prove their relevance and benefit to society. Most artists struggle to meet their basic needs because of a lack of public arts funding and an underlying belief that art should be free. Study after study shows the massive economic value of the arts, but we’ve been making that argument for years and it’s gotten us nowhere. Maybe it’s time to reevaluate some of our basic assumptions about what makes a good life. Should economic growth and accumulation of wealth always be the end goal? What about fun, beauty, and enjoyment of the present moment? Artists have a knack for helping us experience all of those things. Let’s take this opportunity to shift our values and elevate artists to the level of respect and dignity they deserve. This is our chance to rebuild the industry in a way that will allow artists to flourish. Now is a great time for institutions to invest in public art, which can unite and uplift the community while also employing artists who may otherwise be out of work. Going forward, artists need opportunities to create and display their work without having to worry
about keeping a roof over their heads. Whether through the private or public sector, artists need continued support and a safety net to get through times like these. It is time for us to take care of each other, and to say goodbye to the myth of the starving artist once and for all.
RYAN GRAVEL
A recent hot-take from the Twittersphere is that COVID-19 will turn the tide on a decades-long movement of re-urbanization. Some people suggest that our short-term need to be physically distanced from each other will remind us why we love low-density, car-oriented sprawl. I think that’s an overreaction, of course, but it speaks to at least one underlying truth. While urban living comes with many advantages, sometimes we just want some space. When the crisis of this pandemic is behind us, I don’t think it will change whether we want to live in cities, but I do hope it will change how we live in them. I’ve written before that I’m living my dream – that my Atlanta BeltLine thesis is slowly becoming real and I’m lucky to live and work on its route. The difficulty of getting people to not use it as much, and to physically distance themselves when they do, speaks volumes about the kinds of infrastructure we need to en-
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dure crises like this. The fact that it’s so congested, even during a global pandemic, illustrates a pent-up demand for a public realm that is designed for our increasingly crowded urban life. We need to finish the BeltLine, of course, but we also need more public spaces – more and wider sidewalks and massive new regional parks where we can really get away from each other. Cities need both active and passive open spaces. They serve different purposes. Large, expansive natural parks that are not filled with sports fields, playgrounds, splash pads and other highly programmed areas are just as important because they give us a chance to get away from other people – something that is really important in times like these. Every great city has great open spaces and oftentimes, they’re what we love and remember most about our experiences there. Think of Paris without the Tuileries or New York City without Central Park. We know intuitively that investing in an infrastructure of wide open spaces will come with significant costs – but also with multiple benefits. In addition to making us stronger and more resilient, those open spaces will also make our city the kind of place we want to live. The need to physically distance ourselves from each other is essential during COVID19, but it’s also just a good metric for designing the cities we love.
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RABBI SPIKE ANDERSON
We have never experienced anything like coronavirus as a society. Our synagogue, like religious institutions everywhere, is made up of individuals who are increasingly experiencing real angst and fear related to their jobs, their health and that of their loved ones, and feelings of isolation. In short, the “unknown” looms more distinctly than it has for us in living memory. I believe that, in some ways, our synagogue was built for times like these. If our mission is to bring light into a darkening world (hope and goodness), and provide an avenue for spiritual development with like-minded people, now is the time when these strengths are most poignant. Temple Emanu-El has always been “high touch,” as opposed to “high-tech.” One of our first challenges was how to do both. If we could not bring our people to their Judaism, we would have to find a way to bring Judaism to our peo-
ple, wherever they were. Clearly, our millennial Rabbis were invaluable in helping us make the vital changes, as well as to acclimate our congregants as fast as possible. Our in-person daily classes now were to be conducted and attended via Zoom. Our Friday night Shabbat services, now conducted in an empty sanctuary, were to be experienced via Facebook live. Our social interactions were now “face-to-face” from the safety of our own homes. Pastoral care, which I always think is best faceto-face, was now screen-to-screen. Not surprisingly, the numbers of congregants who attend through these new mediums has doubled, and in some cases, tripled. Ample time plus acute need has led to increased engagement. A saving grace has been the mobilization of groups of congregants who make daily calls to others in our congregation. This type of outreach ensures that no one falls through the cracks and we can be there to help them if they need food or medicine. As important, these daily
phone calls bring connection, even if it is with congregants whom they do not (yet) know. There is a Hebrew expression attributed to the prime minister of Israel, Golda Meir, as she led her country against enemies that pressed its borders: “Ayn Brayra,” which translates as, “There is no choice.” Religion (paired with science) is what will get us through this plague. It offers hope, connection, and the understanding that we are all part of the human experience, even if this is new to us. The hope is for better days, soon. The connection is with one another, and God. And the link to human experience allows us to see ourselves as something greater, and thus, far from alone.
MAYOR LYNN DEUTSCH
As mayor, I have been incredibly proud of Dunwoody staff’s ability to transition rather seamlessly from a traditional office setting to a virtual scenario. The city continues to move forward and has actually been able to expedite some public works proj-
ects as a result of the reduction in vehicle traffic. I am impressed with the quality of work that continues to happen, permitting, inspections, park construction and more are signs that Dunwoody is open for business. As we continue to travel through this challenging time, I expect that the next step for Dunwoody, like many businesses, will be a hybrid of some work occurring in the office and some work continuing to be conducted virtually. We’ve learned to be flexible and creative, but we haven’t forgotten the importance of face-to-face communication. Our officers are on the streets. Our public works and parks teams are on-site. Our public meetings are more meaningful and productive when we can actually see and interact with the public. We can only do so much for so long virtually. That’s why I look forward to reopening City Hall when the time is right and in a way that’s safe for all. Because of this pandemic, things might look different. But our commitment to this community is unchanged.
WORTHWHILE CONVERSATIONS WHEN CAN WE UNBUCKLE THE SEATBELTS? THE LAST 4-5 MONTHS WERE FULL OF TURMOIL IN FINANCIAL MARKETS. IS THIS UNUSUAL COMPARED TO OTHER MARKETS L&W HAS OBSERVED OVER 49 YEARS? In our 49-year history, we’ve seen a lot of markets that created financial uncertainty, which makes planning difficult. The “flavor” of each dish offered up by a market is always distinct, but the basic ingredients are the same. The key to a successful outcome in personal financial health is not unlike following a healthy diet – get sound ongoing advice from someone who has your best interest at heart. WHAT DO YOU MEAN, “…YOUR BEST INTEREST AT HEART”? Linscomb & Williams has a long-tenured executive client who was recently and unexpectedly forced to retire early from the hospitality industry. We explained it this way: Ask someone, “What should I eat?” and you likely won’t get the same recommendation from your neighborhood butcher as from a Registered Dietician. Your butcher might recommend the pork spareribs that just arrived, knowing you’ll find that recommendation appealing. The dietician, on the other hand, insists on a balanced program that will achieve your ultimate health goal, though it includes items you might not like. WHERE’S THE CONNECTION TO FINANCIAL ADVICE DURING MARKET TURMOIL? Much of what passes for financial “advice” today is equivalent to the butcher selling you the pork spareribs. The pork spareribs are what he has on hand to sell; he thinks they will work OK for you and that you’ll be happy. He’s
Bill Kring, CFP®, and MaryJane LeCroy, CFP®, discuss the Fiduciary Standard and placing the client’s best interest first with Sam Tortorici, CEO & Director, Cadence Bank, N.A., and President, Cadence Bancorporation.
not that concerned whether it is the best option for your long-term health. The majority of financial advisors today still operate outside a pure fiduciary standard, and are under no legal obligation to put your best interest above their own. PRESUMABLY, L&W FOLLOWS A DIFFERENT APPROACH? At Linscomb & Williams, we are like that Registered Dietician. Following the fiduciary standard, we are obligated to put your interest ahead of our own. This is always important, but most especially, in times of market turmoil -times when it makes sense to get a second opinion from an experienced firm with no products to sell. We have an experienced team to deliver that second opinion right here, right now.
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Linscomb & Williams is not an accounting firm. Subsidiary of Cadence Bank. Investment Products: Not insured by FDIC. Not bank guaranteed. May lose value. Not insured by any Federal Government Agency. Not a bank deposit.
12 | Commentary
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Carol Niemi is a marketing consultant who lives on the Dunwoody-Sandy Springs line and writes about people whose lives inspire others. Contact her at worthknowingnow@gmail.com.
In the pandemic era, locals plant ‘victory gardens’
Carol Niemi is a marketing consultant who lives on the DunwoodySandy Springs line and writes about people whose lives inspire others. Contact her at worthknowingnow@gmail.com.
Matthew Webster’s sons -- from left, Daniel, 7, Evan, 5, and Austin, 3 -- keep their eyes on the new family garden.
During World War I, patriotic Americans planted victory gardens. They were so popular during World War II that home, school and community gardens produced 40% of the nation’s fresh fruit and vegetables.
SPECIAL
In the coronavirus pandemic, victory gardens are back -- and many residents of Dunwoody and Sandy Springs have planted one. Their reasons vary from worrying about job security and the stability of the nation’s food supply to having time on their hands and wanting to teach their children important values. Many are first-timers with small gardens consisting of neat rows of raised beds, containers of varying sizes, small spaces in flower beds and even a mobile garden. Others are more experienced gardeners using the quarantine to rediscover gardening. “I’m planting one to teach my kids and be less dependent on the grocery store supply chain, get some exercise, spend time outside and build something,” said Steven Simms of Mill Glenn, a consultant whose office is currently closed and whose job “may be at risk if the economy doesn’t recover soon.” Simms is growing a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in his three SPECIAL Blueberries in Lisa Stacholy’s garden. newly constructed raised beds.
SPECIAL
Steven Simms considers his brand-new raised beds his family’s “insurance plan.”
“Fewer trips [to the grocery story] mean less chance of exposure to the virus,” he added. “Times like these remind me that the great convenience our freemarket economy provides can easily get disrupted, so providing some of our own food is an important part of our family ‘insurance’ plan.” Concern about a food shortage is motivating other more experienced gardeners. “I decided to plant a garden when we started hearing reports of food shortages,” said Dunwoodian Jennifer Carabacca, who has a small backyard garden. “I’ve had a garden on and off, but this year is bigger with more variety.” Cliff Gott, of Sandy Springs, has planted his entire garden in a 7-cubic-foot dump cart, which he is incorporating into his children’s homeschool curriculum. “My wife and I try to expose our kids to ‘life skills,’ and being able to garden is an important [one],” he said. “The COVID-19 quarantine just so happened to align with our plans for a spring garden.” One life skill he’s teaching is practicality because his wheeled garden solves the problems of too much shade and too many hungry deer. During the day, he moves the cart into the sun, and at night he moves it into the garage to prevent the deer from getting “a late-night snack.” Dunwoodian Matthew Webster also credits the pandemic for his garden. “I always liked having a veggie garden but hadn’t had time with three young
kids or a spot with enough sun close to the house -- until recently,” he said. “The whole pandemic thing provided me with both the time and the motivation to get going again. Also, I’m expecting inflation and possible shortages of quality produce.” He tries to involve his boys -- Daniel, 7, Evan, 5, and Austin, 3 -- as much as possible. “They help some, but it’s not always easy to keep them focused,” he said. Some people have victory gardens they started after other threatening events. “We’ve done a victory garden every year since 9/11,” said Lisa Stacholy, a Dunwoody-based architect, whose two children were very young at the time. “The enemy was clear and known, but the ‘waiting for the other shoe to drop’ was the PTSD type of event that we wanted to shield our young kids from,” she said. Despite the pandemic, gardeners are clearly happy people “Planting a garden is a great way to create lasting memories,” said Gott, the mobile gardener. But what if you live in an apartment? Try the Dunwoody Community Garden and Orchard, at Brook Run Park, where 4-by-8 plots cost $60 a year. Though all are currently taken, the wait list is wide open. The DCGO sells plants at its greenhouse daily 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and offers classes at “the barn,” currently on hold till the city reopens the park to group activities. Information is at dcgo.org.
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Joe Earle is editorat-large at Reporter Newspapers and has lived in metro Atlanta for over 30 years. He can be reached at joeearle@ reporternewspapers.net
Around Town
Catching up on catchball
It looks a lot like volleyball when it’s being played. cludes four teams and about 80 players, Gurvitch said, Two teams of six women each line up on either side and players say other teams have sprouted in nearof a net dividing a court laid out on a gym floor. The by communities. Most of the players are between age players send a brightly colored ball back and forth 30 and age 50, said Carissa Mindt, a 29-year-old staff above the net, continuing until the ball hits the floor member at the MJCCA who never played catchball, but and a point is scored. Players can spike the ball to the now coaches it. floor or block shots at the net. The new teams have attracted a variety of types The game differs from volleyball because these playof players. Debi Tzuberi first heard about the sport ers don’t hit the ball back and forth. Instead, they catch through her husband, who’s Israeli. “When I was in it and then throw it. That’s why this young sport is high school, I was athletic,” she said, “but I never cared called catchball. about volleyball. It’s hard to hit the ball. I gave [catchAnd it’s, um, catching on. At least it is in and around ball] a try and I thought, ‘This is really fun.’ … My first Dunwoody. season, they call me ‘Crash.’ I went through about three Catchball was devised in Israel sometime during the pairs of knee pads.” past decade, local players say. In fact, the game is so asDuring the last weekend of February, four catchball sociated with that country that a recent American nateams from the MJCCA traveled to Las Vegas to comtional tournament brought in a pair of Israeli refs just pete in the fifth annual USA Catchball Games. The to be sure everything was on the up and up. “It’s a big tournament drew teams from from California to St. thing in Israel…,” said 47-year-old Dunwoody player Louis to Washington, D.C., Gurvitch said. The Atlanta Yael Matana, who grew up in Israel but moved to the teams finished somewhere in the middle of the pack, U.S. before the catchball craze started. “It’s meant for Mindt said. women. Volleyball is harder [to play]. I love catchball They hope to do better next year. In the meantime, JOE EARLE and I hate volleyball.” they’ll keep trying to improve their skills – when the Rachel Gurvitch, center, attacks as Shiri Tzuk prepares to Like many of her Dunwoody teammates, Rachel MJCCA was closed recently to try to hinder the spread block the shot and Hagit Yehuai, Dana Zvi and Debi Tzuberi Gurvitch first heard about catchball from friends in Isof coronavirus, Mindt sent team members drills they prepare to enter the fray during a recent catchball practice rael or among the local Israeli community. Talk about could work on home. at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta. the game started turning up on social media or in chats Gurvitch sees part of the appeal of the sport is that it with family and friends, she said. gives women something to do outside their homes and Gurvitch, who’s 44 and who teaches at Georgia State University, grew up in Israel but families. “In earlier years, when we were young mothers, we didn’t have time to think moved to the U.S. about a decade ago, before catchball got going. Once she heard Israeabout much more,” she said before a recent practice. “As kids grew up, we are a comli friends describe the game, though, she thought it would be a good sport for American munity, and it’s our time to switch back to [work on] ourselves. Catchball allows that, in women, too. She and some friends started organizing their own teams. that it can fit everyone. We don’t have to be a super-athlete to be on the team.” Gurvitch said they checked around with local churches, Ys and other places where And unlike other sports, the game is easy to learn, she said. Sports such as basketball volleyball was played regularly, and ended up at the Marcus Jewish Community Center or softball or even volleyball can be hard to learn and new players can find it’s difficult of Atlanta after pointing out to leaders there that the game offered a new sport for womto make older bodies perform properly on the court or field. en that they could add to the center’s activity schedule. Gurvitch said there’s really only one skill required to start playing catchball: “You That was about three years ago. The program has grown steadily since and now inhave to be able to catch the ball.”
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H I GH M U S E U M O F A R T A T L A N T A
Atlanta History Center asks residents to save, donate materials about historic pandemic BY JOHN RUCH johnruch@reporternewspapers.net
Color your summer with fun!
Register your young artist for week-long art camps at the High! Camp sessions for rising first through eighth graders. Campers will explore the museum collections, experiment with a multitude of artistic media, create art projects in our themed workshops, and make new friends! Registration is open! Visit high.org/camp.
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The coronavirus pandemic is a disaster that will be long remembered — and the Atlanta History Center is asking area residents, business owners and others to start preserving items now for posterity’s historical record. In a new initiative called the “Corona Collective,” the Buckhead-based museum is seeking stories and materials of various types that preserve experiences of this desperate and challenging time. That includes physical items, though the History Center will not accept them during social distancing measures. “Contemporary collecting is basically predicting the future, and someone in the future I’m sure will wish we had thought of something to save right now,” said Sheffield Hale, the History Center’s president and CEO,’ in a written statement. “A great example are artifacts from the Spanish Flu pandemic in Atlanta [in 1918-1919]; there were similar restrictions then, but few artifacts representing that.” The initiative launched April 7, and within two weeks had received materials from more than 100 people, ranging from personal essays to photo collections to videos. Paul Crater, vice president of collections and research services at the museum, said donated items include a 26-year-old woman’s account of how she nearly died of COVID-19 and a Google Docs file describing ways to help shuttered restaurants and their employees. Then there are more whimsical artifacts. “We received a short documentary about this band who played social distancing shows in Ormewood Park before the stay-at-home order, and they’re being tugged around in boat by a truck and they’re playing to people while people are sitting on their porches, and it’s really fun,” he said. On the History Center’s website, Collections Manager Erica Hague gave an overview of the effort. “We are living through historic times—times that we need your help to document,” she wrote. “At Atlanta History Center, it is our mission to preserve and interpret the history of the greater Atlanta area for future generations—and we’re reach-
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ALL PHOTOS BY ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER STAFF
Opposite, bike messenger Chad Pack and a companion pose in masks downtown. Above, a sign promotes social distancing on the Atlanta BeltLine.
Right top, a “quarantine” sign on a truck at a J.B. Hunt trucking facility in Lithia Springs. Right, chalked messages on the steps of the North High Ridge Apartments on North Avenue.
ing out to you for help. “… Though you may not realize it, you’re already documenting this time of constant change. You create the historic record when you take a photo of something that makes you feel more connected while self-isolating. Maybe you’ve seen a sign, received an email, or in some other way have connected with the rapidly changing world in the wake of [the] coronavirus. Perhaps it was the empty toilet paper aisle at Kroger, a furlough notice, the cancellation of a planned trip, emails from your child’s school, or a note to an at-risk loved one. Maybe it’s the receipt for a donation you made to support a local small business or essential employee.” Hale noted that commonplace items can be valuable now, because they are often lost in the long run, not preserved because they were seen as not special at the time. “That which is most common shall be least common,” he said, citing a common phrase in the History Center’s Civil
War collecting. Crater said that similar efforts from the DeKalb History Center and the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were among the inspirations for the “Corona Collective.” A particular model for gathering history as it happened, he said, was a similar program by the Missouri History Center during the 2014 Ferguson police-shooting protests. Choosing which items to preserve in the museum’s collection -- and even how to preserve such items as that Google Docs file with its hundreds of hyperlinks -- are among the challenges of the effort, Crater said. “But I’ve always had this aspiration to do something like this and to be nimble like this,” he added, and the opportunities are big, too. One goal is to use the material as starting points to solicit donations of physical items and oral histories when it is safe to do so. Another possibility: pop-up ex-
hibits highlighting some of the neighborhood-oriented artifacts and inviting residents of those areas who might never have visited the museum before. The museum chose to seize the moment and collect history in action that affects everyone, Crater said, and the submissions so far show a “sense of civic involvement and humanity that is really compelling to me.” The History Center will consider materials from residents of cities in the immediate metro Atlanta area, including Brookhaven, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs. Residents of other areas will be directed to local historical societies elsewhere, said spokesperson Howard Pousner. The museum’s staff is taking photos in the neighborhoods as part of the collection as well, with many of the images available on the website at atlantahistorycenter.com/research/coronavirus-collective. The website includes
details about what types of materials will be accepted, copyright and other usage rights, and other information about the “Corona Collective.”
OTHER PANDEMIC HISTORY PROJECTS
The following organizations also are seeking pandemic items and memories from metro Atlantans. DeKalb History Center “The COVID-19 Chronicles” dekalbhistory.org Heritage Sandy Springs “COVID-19 Community Journal Project” facebook.com/heritagesandysprings Georgia Historical Society “COVID-19 in Georgia” georgiahistory.com
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Buckhead Christian Ministry works to keep people in their homes during pandemic Continued from page 1 more,” said Keeva Kase, president and CEO at the nonprofit, which is based on Piedmont Road but works throughout the metro area. “…I think that what’s been illuminated is that the social safety net was already in bad shape, so people are coming around to shore it up right now as best they can.” Founded in 1987 by a group of local churches, BCM is known for providing emergency assistance in the form of a food pantry — now temporarily closed — and money to cover rent, mortgages or utilities. But its real speciality is offering long-term financial planning and support to make sure households at risk of homelessness stay stable. According to its annual report, BCM in fiscal year 2019 served 5,952 individuals, including 1,885 people who avoided eviction. Kase says the nonprofit was on track to help 8,000 people this year. Noting that about 25% of the metro population falls below the federal poverty level, Kase said, “They were in need before this happened.” As school districts began announcing pandemic closures in early March, Kase said, local assistance nonprofits took notice and predicted that a shock to the system was coming. On March 13, leaders of several organizations, including the Sandy Springs-based Community Assistance
We got ourselves virtual very quickly. If you think about it as wartime, we secured the fort. We got our people in their positions, and then we continued to do what we do best. KEEVA KASE, PRESIDENT AND CEO
a month. That’s in a time when BCM is not only trying to meet the pandemic demand, but also has long-term commitments, including 15 families on 12- to 18-month rental assistance as part of its “Budget for Life” financial coaching program. On the other hand, help has arrived in forms ranging from money to moral support. “There’s some artillery that’s showing up,” says Kase. The Fulton County Board of Commissioners provided $250,000; the small Sardis United Methodist Church in Buckhead, a BCM partner, gave $2,500. Buckhead’s Northside SPECIAL Church, another BCM partKeeva Kase, president and CEO of Buckhead Christian Ministry. ner, gave $25,000 as part of more than $62,000 in donations to charitable nonprofCenter, joined in a conference call to stratits. Lynette Brown, the church’s director egize. of missions, said in a press release that One conclusion was that a lot of food the focus is on housing and hunger “at a assistance programs would be ready, time when resources have been suddenwhile BCM’s version was in a low-use time ly and drastically stretched trying to meet of year. BCM decided it would close the the needs of those in our community most pantry and focus on its programs to keep impacted by the economic fallout of the people in their homes. “We recognized pandemic.” that what we do best is direct financial asAnd while the THRIFTique isn’t maksistance,” he said. ing money, it also isn’t costing rent, thanks BCM also realized that shutdown of its to landlord Alex Davis, said Kase. “He was own office was likely coming. “We got ourjust like, ‘Man, don’t worry about it. We’ll selves virtual very quickly,” he said. “If you figure it out. You’re doing great work in think about it as wartime, we secured the fort. We got our people in their positions, and then we continued to do what we do best.” Can’t Find Your Home in The challenge was large and involved retraining staff and volunteers for new roles and new ways of doing the work on an upgraded website. In the end, Kase said, the effort paid off by increasing intake capacity. Formerly, BCM could handle eight client appointments a day under the largely in-person system. Now it can handle up to 24. But the shutdowns also came with costs to BCM. A major fundraiser was canceled. Its popular Buckhead THRIFTique thrift store on Miami Circle had to close just months after a renovation doubled its size and tripled its income. “We had a grand opening and a grand closing in a matter of six or seven weeks,” said Kase of the store closing, which he estimates would have brought BCM $40,000
the community and we need your resources now more than ever,’” Kase said. Kase said he’s also inspired by the nonprofit’s hundreds of volunteers and by such board members as Dr. Patricia Meadors of Buckhead’s Piedmont Atlanta Hospital. Meadors, an emergency room physician, showed up for a board vote via Zoom conference still clad in her personal protective gear, he said. “She’s a board member and she’s dedicated to the mission because she knows who we serve,” he said. Now BCM is using those resources to try to keep pace with a demand where “nearly every call for assistance is COVID-related,” Kase said. “Job loss and lack of childcare for those still working are leading barriers for households in need.” And it’s just the beginning, he noted, as such impacts as eviction hearings in court have yet to come back online. “The bills are stacked way up against the people. That’s a reality that’s maybe coming at us in a way I hope we can get prepared for,” he said. BCM’s approach of long-term support is one that has to be kept in mind with the pandemic crisis, Kase said, “because this not just about a Band-Aid covering up a wound. This is a full recovery that we’re looking at. This is 30, 60, 90 days at a minimum that we’re looking at. We need to start talking about recovery at this point.” For more information about BCM and its programs, see BuckheadChristianMinistry.org.
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VOTERS GUIDE
FULTON COUNTY SHERIFF In the Fulton County sheriff’s race, incumbent Theodore “Ted” Jackson faces challengers Walter Calloway, Myron Freeman, Patrick “Pat” Labat and Charles D. Rambo. All of the candidates in the partisan race are Democrats, so the primary will decide the election. Calloway and Freeman did not provide Voters Guide answers.
Theodore “Ted” Jackson reelectsherifftjackson.com
What is motivating you to run for this office? I want to continue and build on the re-entry and recidivism programs that I started in the jail. Also, to continue all the programs for the youth, seniors and homeless initiatives. I am working to return the agency to the Triple Crown rating that it once held. I will strive to continue to work with our law enforcement partners to address crime in the whole county.
Patrick “Pat” Labat labatforsheriff.com
What is motivating you to run for this office? My 30-year career in public safety, and 10 years as chief of the city of Atlanta Department of Corrections, uniquely positioned me to lead the Sheriff’s Office. Executive-level leadership matters. I look forward to serving the citizens of Fulton County by providing the active, engaged and transparent leadership you deserve. The loss of the agency’s
prestigious Triple Crown Accreditation, which allows agencies to standardize practices and defend against costly lawsuits, was a tremendous blow. I accomplished a great deal for the city of Atlanta and will expand upon those innovative ideas at the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.
Charles D. Rambo ramboforsheriff2020.com
What is motivating you to run for this office? I am motivated to run for sheriff because my passion and expertise in the agency’s functions will bring more active and involved leadership to the people of Fulton County. This is my finest hour to step up immediately following the primary election with a plan for Constitutional Policing, addressing circumstances brought on by COVID-19 affecting our criminal justice system.
FULTON COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE Fulton County Superior Court Judge Constance Russell is not running for reelection. Appearing on the ballot in a nonpartisan election for her seat are Melynee Leftridge Harris, Tamika Hrobowski-Houston, Lizz Kuhn and Ashley Baker Osby. Hrobowski-Houston did not provide Voters Guide answers.
Melynee Leftridge Harris
melyneeleftridgeharris.com What is motivating you to run for this office? As our next Superior Court judge, I am commit-
to key races on June 9 ballot
Many races will appear on the June 9 primary and special election ballot. The following are Voters Guides to candidates in some key local races. For full answers from the candidates and more election coverage, see ReporterNewspapers.net. ted to making our neighborhoods safer and ensuring victims of crime have an opportunity to be acknowledged and heard in court. Additionally, I believe people who come to court are entitled to have their cases heard (and their concerns thoroughly and responsibly addressed) by a judge who will follow the law and interact with them professionally and respectfully. Judges are “servant leaders.” I recognize that being a judge is to be in service to our community.
W. Barnes of the Fulton County Superior Court and also a former law clerk for Matthew O. Simmons of Clayton County Superior Court. I also have judicial experience since January 2016 and have practiced in Superior Courts all around the state of Georgia.
Lizz Kuhn
In a nonpartisan race, incumbent Fulton County Superior Court Judge Rebecca Crumrine Rieder is being challenged by Shermela J. Williams.
lizzforjudge.com What is motivating you to run for this office? It is time for me to give back to my community. As a child, I was a victim of a broken system. As a teacher, I saw judges rubber-stamp punishments for children without an adequate inquiry into the situation. As a lawyer, many clients, friends, persons in law enforcement and lawyers complain about justice not being properly applied and complain about the inefficiency of the system. While we do have the best system of justice in the world, there is room for improvement. The community benefits from an improved system and I am committed to the cause.
Ashley Baker Osby OsbyforJudge.com
What is motivating you to run for this office? As a Magistrate Court judge, I feel that as a Superior Court judge I could make a more influential impact on cases and for the constituents of Fulton County. I was a law clerk for the late Honorable Rowland
FULTON COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE
Rebecca Crumrine Rieder KeepJudgeRieder.com
What is motivating you to run for this office? I am the incumbent running to continue to represent the people as a Superior Court judge. After 17 years serving metro Atlanta as a litigator, I bring my vast experience and legal knowledge to the bench and serve the people of Fulton County. People before the court are in crisis and courts are about people. I am fair, impartial and patient, and hold all responsible pursuant to law. I treat all people with dignity, listen to the evidence, and decide and rule in a timely fashion.
Shermela J. Williams ShermelaForJudge.com
What is motivating you to run for this office? I am running for judge to make Fulton County a better, safer place for everyone. My father was murdered when I was 7, but his killer was never
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held accountable. Though painful and tragic, his murder ignited my desire to become a lawyer and a judge. Competent, qualified judges are essential to the integrity of our justice system. I have seen and experienced firsthand the huge impact of judges’ decisions on our community and our individual lives. I am running to ensure that we have the most qualified and best representation of our community, for our community, on the bench.
FULTON COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE In a nonpartisan race, incumbent Fulton County Superior Court Judge Rachelle Carnesale is being challenged by Tiffany Carter Sellers. Carnesale did not provide Voters Guide answers.
Tiffany Carter Sellers ElectTiffanySellers.com
What is motivating you to run for this office? I chose to pursue this seat because I believe Fulton County residents deserve to have judges who are fair, efficient, effective, excellent and, most importantly, committed to Fulton. Unfortunately, this courtroom has the largest complex criminal caseload of any of the courtrooms in our Superior Court. I believe our residents deserve to have judges who are efficiently moving cases -- working hard to decrease the number of backlogged cases crowding our courts. As the 1st Chief Judge in South Fulton’s Municipal Court, I have experience efficiently processing cases, having disposed of more than 6,000 cases in 18 months with no backlog.
electkenyajohnson.com What is motivating you to run for this office? At the age of 25, I lost my mother and grandmother, both of whom passed without a will. As an only child, I was forced to handle their affairs through grief and confusion and we lost our family home. It then became my mission to educate citizens about the importance of estate planning to create legacies to care for our loved ones. As a criminal prosecutor, I assisted families after traumatic crime events. I’ve risen through the legal ranks to co-manage a county governmental office with a $9 million budget and co-lead over 100 employees.
Diane Weinberg DianeForJudge.com
What is motivating you to run for this office? I have dedicated my life to representing clients in Probate Courts across the state of Georgia. After the honorable Judge Toomer announced her retirement, I received encouragement from colleagues to run. Fulton County deserves a judge who is experienced, compassionate and efficient. I have achieved many honors throughout my career and have earned the reputation across the state of Georgia for managing complex matters. My goal is to take that experience, build on the court’s current successes, and bring a fresh approach to the Fulton County Probate Court.
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Georgia Institute of Technology Brain Research Study SEE YOUR BRAIN AT WORK! We are conducting a memory and stress study to examine spatial navigation techniques used during a computerized virtual navigation game. This is a two-day study and eligible participants will perform some of the navigation tasks while receiving magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans. *Non-MRI option available. We are looking for men and women volunteers who are: • 65 – 80 years of age • In good physical health COVID-19 Notice: We ARE currently taking calls for future participant scheduling. CALL NOW! You will be compensated for your participation:
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MARCH 201 8 Vo l . 2 4 N o. 3
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FULTON COUNTY PROBATE COURT JUDGE
Kenya Johnson
e r. c o m
Tim Curtin, Kenya Johnson and Diane Weinberg are running to fill a Fulton County Probate Court judge position after the retirement of incumbent Pinkie Toomer. Curtin did not provide Voters Guide answers.
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