07-06-2018 Buckhead Reporter

JULY 6 - 19, 2018 • VOL. 12 — NO. 14

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Buckhead fire stations feel the pinch of staffing ‘crisis’

New park rises among the bamboo

BY EVELYN ANDREWS evelyn@reporternewspapers.net Buckhead’s fire chief says the neighborhood could benefit from more stations, but there are not enough firefighters to staff them. The director of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Foundation said at a recent Buckhead Business Association meeting that citywide the department is in a staffing “crisis.”

“We are actually in a hiring and staffing crisis,” said Shirley Anne Smith, the executive director of the Buckheadbased foundation at the June 28 BBA breakfast.

The department has nearly 200 vacancies. Out of 48 fire chiefs, 44 are eligible for retirement in the next two years.

The department has the capacity to train 70 firefighters a year, but loses an average of 75 each year, Smith said.

PHIL MOSIER

From left, Atlanta Classical Academy students Anna Robbins, Jeanne Werner, Max Tippett, Serena Kapor, Aurora Santifer, Alexa Robbins and Daniel Santifer pose with bamboo in the new Indian Creek Park on July 1. Joe Santifer, who leads the park’s friends group and is the father of Daniel and Aurora, said the bamboo is planned to be a prominent feature of the park’s design. Read story page 13.►

EDUCATION Nonprofit helps students prepare for college

“Meeting Uber drivers has given me a new, and totally unexpected, view of metro Atlanta and the people who live here.”

JOE EARLE, AROUND TOWN

See page 4

See Commentary, page 11

WAITERS’ RACE Ready, set... serve?

OUT and ABOUT, page 7

See BUCKHEAD on page 23

Recycling facility won’t come to Lenox Square

BY EVELYN ANDREWS evelyn@reporternewspapers.

Despite receiving community support, the city’s next Center for Hard to Recycle Materials won’t be located at Lenox Square mall in Buckhead.

The plans were called off in a “mutual business decision,” and Live Thrive Atlanta, the recycling operator, is working to nail down a different Buckhead location, director Peggy Whitlow Ratcliffe said.

“The strong community support we received for this potential second location has strengthened our commitment to pursuing sites in North Atlanta,” Ratcliffe said.

Simon Propertiess, owner of the mall, declined to comment.

See RECYCLING on page 13

2 | Public Safety

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Thefts from cars remain Buckhead’s biggest crime, police chief says

BY EVELYN ANDREWS

so far this year, a 32 percent increase over this time last year, according to APD data.

“Putting a gun in a console or under a seat is not responsible,” she said. “It’s easy pickings.”

About 1,000 guns were reported stolen citywide in each of the last two years, she said. Shields suggested residents buy a lock box for their gun to secure to a fixed point in the car.

“We have to educate around responsible ownership,” she said.

Those thefts are often done by teenagers, sometimes putting guns in the hands of children as young as nine, she said.

“This is a situation that you cannot just go in with a head full of steam.

You’re dealing with kids that don’t have

evelyn@reporternewspapers.net

Thefts from cars, particularly of guns, remain Buckhead’s biggest crime problem, Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields said at a June 25 Buckhead Rotary meeting.

“It’s a consequence of having unsecured guns,” she said.

About 51 percent of crime across the city this year has revolved around vehicles, she said. Of that 51 percent, more than half occurs in Buckhead or downtown, due to the sheer number of cars in those areas and the frequency owners leave valuables inside them, Shields said.

In Zone 2, Buckhead’s police zone, there have been 1,189 thefts from cars

EVELYN ANDREWS

Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields speaks at the June 25 Buckhead Rotary meeting.

Thank You

for your support and vote on May 22, 2018. We were able to win 49 percent of the vote in the primary election and almost win the election without the need of a run off election. Please vote for me again on July 24, 2018. You can vote in the Run-Off Election even if you did not vote in Primary. Early voting days are July 2-20, 2018.

My legal career of twenty-two years has afforded me a broad range of experience which includes private practice, Assistant Solicitor for the City of Atlanta, and most recently, supervising the largest division of the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office as a Deputy District Attorney.

Each of these positions were in service to Fulton County Citizens, resulting in a wealth of knowledge, understanding and respect for the great people of Fulton County. I am equipped with the years and variety of legal experience to ensure my ability to serve as your next Fulton County Superior Court Judge with wisdom, fairness and a work ethic that has gone unmatched.

I am asking you to vote for me on July 24, 2018.

Fani Willis

Judicial Candidate Fulton County Superior Court E D U C AT I O N , M E M B E R S H I P S , & P RO F E S S I O N A L A C C O L A D E S • Howard University, Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude, December 1992 • Emory University School of Law, 1996 • Law and Justice Award, Woman of The Year, Georgia's Most Powerful and Influential Attorneys 2017- 2018 E

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anything. If I don’t have food and I don’t have clothes, of course I’m going to steal, and you know what, I’m going to the part of town that has better stuff to steal,” she said.

Because car thefts are difficult to prosecute, a task force charged with finding people who broke into cars was disbanded years ago, Shields said. But because of the increases in the last two years, the APD reallocated officers earlier this year to pursue offenders.

“When the people committing these crimes know you will not pursue them, it’s free reign,” she said. “We had to reign that in.”

Officers assigned to tackle this crime have arrested “a couple hundred people” in connection with car-related crimes and have recovered about 40 vehicles since they were assigned three months ago, she said.

“We’re in the right area, but we still have our work cut out for us,” she said.

One of APD’s main challenges re-

mains recruiting and retaining officers, Shields said. Although officers have received incremental raises, the pay is still behind many other departments in the metro Atlanta area, she said.

The budget approved by the Atlanta City Council in June includes a 3.1 percent pay raise for current officers, but recruitment efforts won’t be assisted as the starting pay raise remains the same, according to the budget.

“We are going to have to get the pay on par,” she said. “It’s going to be a heavy lift for the city.”

An ordinance was introduced in City Council June 18 that would create an advisory committee to make recommendations on police and firefighter pay to increase staffing levels. The committee would include District 7 Councilmember Howard Shook, as chair of the council’s finance committee, as well as union, foundation and department representatives.

Clip & Save or Give to a Friend Jason Carter Former Georgia State Senator District 42

William Boddie State Representative District 42

Bensonetta Tipton Lane Former Superior Court Judge

Brenda BJ Bernstein Attorney

Page Pate

Partner Pate & Johnson, Adjunct Professor University of Georgia School of Law, Legal Analyst for CNN and WABE

Renee Rockwell

Attorney Licensed to practice in Georgia, Louisiana and Texas, Legal Analyst for CNN, HLN, MSNBC, FOX

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Pastor Emmanuel Lutheran Church ECLA

John Garland

Partner, Garland, Samuel, & Loeb, P.C.

Sherry Boston Dekalb County District Attorney

Sam Park

State Representative District 101

Andrew Margolis

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Bill Edwards Mayor South Fulton

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Community Briefs CHASTA IN A M PH ITH EATER M AY G ET N EW N A ME

The bank that purchased naming rights to the amphitheater at Chastain Park was acquired last month by another company, raising the question whether the amphitheater could be due for another name change.

State Bank & Trust Company signed a multiyear agreement with Live Nation, which operates the facility, to name the city-owned event venue in April. With the deal, Chastain Park Amphitheatre became State Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park.

The Georgia-based State Bank has several branches throughout the metro area, including one on West Paces Ferry Road.

The company was acquired in May by Texas-based Cadence Bancorporation.

Danielle Kernell, a Cadence spokesperson, said the company is not making announcements about name changes and other details until the deal is approved by regulators, which is expected to happen later this year.

PARK O V ER 4 0 0 REC EI VES G RANT, S K EPT IC AL SURVEY R ES PON S E

The proposed park over Ga. 400 has received its first grant from public money.

Meanwhile, a neighborhood association survey found that nearly half of respondents do not support the park that would cap the highway between Peachtree and Lenox roads.

The proposed park has been estimated to cost $250 million, making funding the park one of the major questions among residents and some board members of the Buckhead Community Improvement District, which has spearheaded the park.

Of the 128 people that responded to the North Buckhead Civic Association’s online survey, 52 percent supported the park, according to the group’s recent newsletter. A third supported using tax money to help fund the park. About half expressed concern the park could increase traffic congestion; about a third worried it could cause noise pollution, the newsletter said.

The $600,000 grant comes from the Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank, a state program administered by the State Road and Tollway Authority, and will help fund utility and topographical surveys of the park area. That work could begin as early as September, the release said.

“SRTA is proud to partner with BCID to accelerate the delivery of this highly innovative project,” said Chris Tomlinson, the executive Director of SRTA, in the release.

The CID also announced in the release that an unnamed donor has expressed interest in pledging $1 million.

The CID is working with MARTA to

BH

Community | 3

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identify improvements that could be made to the Buckhead MARTA Station, which would be located within the park, the release said.

ATLANTA POLICE DEPLOYING BIKE OFFICERS IN BUCKHEAD

The Atlanta Police Department began deploying bicycle officers in Buckhead in May to help increase response times to crimes.

“I’m thrilled because anything that can get away from automation and get more officers on street level and interacting with people is great,” Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields said in a brief interview.

Bike officers can more efficiently navigate heavy traffic, including by cutting through parking lots, said APD spokesperson Sgt. John Chafee in an email.

The bike officers are part of a “joint effort” with MARTA, Chafee said.

The day after being assigned to Buckhead on May 10, the bike officers were able to catch up with three people darting between vehicles in rush hour traffic on Peachtree Road, later finding out one had an outstanding warrant for stealing from a car.

The bike officers were able to get to a shoplifting call quickly on June 1 and can-

vass the area to find the suspect, who had fought with security before escaping, Chafee said.

FIR M CHO SEN TO D ES I G N B ELTLINE’S NEW B U CKHEAD SEG M ENT

A firm has been selected to design and engineer the latest segment of the Atlanta BeltLine park and trail system in Buckhead, starting this summer and lasting about two-and-a-half years, when construction might begin.

Heath & Lineback Engineers is the lead firm selected to design the Northeast Corridor Trail, according to Atlanta BeltLine

Inc. It will partner with Perez Planning & Design, Site Solutions and various consultants on the $4 million planning effort.

Heath & Lineback is well-known for planning parks and trails, including Brookhaven’s Peachtree Creek Greenway and a section of PATH400 that will connect Buckhead and Sandy Springs.

The Northeast Trail section of the BeltLine will run between Monroe Drive, where the Eastside Trail ends, and the Lindbergh MARTA Station. It will also connect other trail systems around I-85, including PATH400 and trails on the North Fork and South Fork of Peachtree Creek.

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4 | Education

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A nonprofit brings students like Alejandro Rico from Grant Park and other parts of the city to The Westminster Schools for a free program aimed at helping low-income students perform better in school and ultimately attend college.

“It helps me meet new people and understand new concepts in school and in life,” said Rico, who is in seventh grade at Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School.

“It’s nice to be in the presence of people who want to help students.”

The program, called Odyssey, is its 17th year operating out of The Westminster Schools, an expensive private school with one of the largest endowments in the nation.

Odyssey isn’t for remedial or gifted students, but rather the students in the middle that may slip through the cracks, said Jeff Cohen, the executive director, on a recent tour.

“We’re looking for that average student who has potential,” he said. “They just need the same chance as the kid who gets to go to Westminster.”

The program accepts low-income students, measured through qualifying for free lunch at their public schools. About 80 percent come from Atlanta Public Schools, with the others coming from surrounding districts.

And Odyssey has proven results, Cohen said. All the students who attend graduate high school, and 100 percent of students who apply to college are accepted to at least one, he said.

“If there’s not equity, then the future is bleak,” Cohen said.

Odyssey recently started an alumni program to ensure students who attend college are supported and have mentoring available, he said.

The program gives each grade special

projects to engage them over the summer, such as sixth grade’s task of determining how to make Atlanta more livable. The students walked the BeltLine to study gentrification and pedestrian access, he said.

Through these projects, the instructors can teach math, writing and reading concepts “sneakily,” he said.

Some grade levels tackle tough topics, such as school shootings, bullying, suicide

EVELYN ANDREWS

Alejandro Rico, a student at Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School in Grant Park, poses for a photo at the Odyssey program on June 12.

and how those problems affect minorities, in “town halls."

The program was started by Westminster, located in Buckhead on West Paces Ferry Road, in 2001, Cohen said.

“Westminster wanted to give back and to be part of the community,” he said.

The program runs during normal school hours, meaning many students are leaving their homes before 7 a.m. to take MARTA or ride Odyssey-provided shut-

JULY 6 - 19, 2018

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tles, he said.

But the program has enough popularity that hundreds of students apply for the spots to be essentially in school for four to six weeks over the summer, depending on their grade level. Over 900 students applied for the 370 spots Odyssey had this year, Cohen said.

The students have strict attendance requirements and are only allowed to miss three days, he said.

Michael Hambrick, who was a guest teaching at Odyssey, said the commitment from the students to show up each day is “amazing.”

Odyssey absorbs most of the $2,500 cost to teach and feed each student for the entire summer of programs, lessons and field trips. It only requires families pay a $35 fee to show their committed to the staying in the program, Cohen said.

Odyssey also pays for its students to take the SAT, the standard test for college applications, he said.

Odyssey is a nonprofit funded through year-round fundraising efforts. Contributions come from foundations, individuals and corporations, with in-kind donations from Westminster through the free office and classroom space it provides.

It also relies on volunteers who assist instructors and help students. Many, like Micah Daly, are from nearby schools and return to volunteer for several years, Cohen said.

Daly, who attends Woodward Academy in Johns Creek, has volunteered at Odyssey for three years, he said.

“The kids are incredible,” he said.

“They remember me every year. You realize you have such an impact on them and their future.”

Education Briefs

The assisted living services at The Piedmont at Buckhead Senior Living Community are about the whole family and the whole YOU. Of course, we can help you with your daily needs.

But did you know you will also have options for fitness, socializing, healthy fine dining, and more? And services are tailored to you, so you’ll get just the right amount of help you need, when you request it.

But the best part? No matter if you need a little help or a lot, the difference you’ll feel will be amazing.

Please call The Piedmont at Buckhead to schedule your complimentary lunch and tour.

LO CAL S C H O OL DI STRI C TS AP PR OV E N EXT YEA R’ S BUD G ET S

The DeKalb, Fulton and Atlanta public school districts each approved their budgets for the 2018-2019 school year in June, which all include pay increases for employees.

The DeKalb Board of Education approved the district’s $1.8 billion budget at its June 26 meeting. The budget includes a 2.5 percent pay increase for employees, according to a press release.

Following protests by bus drivers over low salaries and benefits, the budget includes a $772,418 increase in the transportation budget, the release said.

Funding for 10 new school resource officers and one new sergeant was also approved at a cost of $860,000, according to the release.

DeKalb lowered its millage rate to 23.18 mills from last year’s 23.28 to offset property tax revenue increases, the release said.

The Fulton board approved its $1.7 billion budget at its June 28 meeting. With the new budget, most employees will see a 2 percent pay increase beginning in January 2019, according to the release.

The budget also includes funding for school safety advisory committee, the release said.

Atlanta Public Schools adopted its $1.1 billion budget at its June 4 meeting, according to the system’s website. The budget included a 1 percent pay increase for employees, according to the website.

B I A S EL EC TS N EW AS S O C IAT E H E A D OF S C H O OL

Brookhaven Innovation Academy has selected a new associate head of

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Christy Morrell has been selected as the new associate head of school at Brookhaven Innovation Academy.

school following the school’s approval of a new head of school in April.

BIA announced June 25 that it has selected Christy Morrell, who was previously at Oconee County Schools where she taught third and fourth grades along with health and physical education. The new head of school, Julie Tolbert, also previously held a position at Oconee County Schools.

BIA has received failing grades in a state review and has experienced frequent leadership turnover, but school officials say they are dedicated to turning the school around. BIA was originally envisioned by Brookhaven city officials, but the city is no longer involved. It is temporarily located in Norcross and plans to permanently move to Chamblee.

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6 | Art & Entertainment

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Selected dates, Friday, July 13 through Sunday, Aug. 5.

Popular hits of the 50s and 60s come alive in this Tony Award-nominated Broadway musical presented by the Stage Door Players. Music and lyrics by Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller. Spruill Center for the Arts. 5339 ChambleeDunwoody Road, Dunwoody. Schedule and ticket info: stagedoorplayers.net.

DUNWOODY NATURE CENTER SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

Saturday, July 21, 7-9 p.m.

Honeyboy and Boots, a husband-wife guitar and cello duo, bring their blend of Americana, traditional folk, alt-country and blues to the Dunwoody Nature Center. Seating available on a first-come, first-served basis in the meadow or on the back porch. Outside food and drink welcome. Craft beers, sodas and water available. $5 adults; $3 students; free for members and for children 3 and under. 5343 Roberts Drive, Dunwoody. Info: dunwoodynature. org/2018-summer-concert-series.

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Saturday, July 21, 7:15 a.m.

The Brookhaven Parks & Recreation Department hosts its fourth annual It Starts in the Park 5K/1K, which will begin and end in Blackburn Park. All ages and skill levels wel-

JULY 6 - 19, 2018

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Art & Entertainment | 7

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come. Volunteers needed. $30 through July 19; $35 on race day. 3493 Ashford-Dunwoody Road, Brookhaven. Register: itstartsinthepark5k.itsyourrace.com/event.aspx?id=7259.

Info: Philip Mitchell at Philip.Mitchell@BrookhavenGA.gov, or call 404-637-0512.

GET INTO THE COMMUNITY GEORGIA MASTER GARDENER MARKETPLACE

Saturday, July 14, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Purchase garden products and plants ranging from old-time favorites to specialty and native varieties at this marketplace held in conjunction with the 2018 Georgia Master Gardeners Association Conference. Free. The Galloway School, 215 West Wieuca Road N.W., Buckhead. Info: facebook.com/GeorgiaMasterGardenerAssociation.

SUMMER BLOCK PARTY AND WAITERS’ RACE

Sunday, July 15, 3-7 p.m.

The Shops Buckhead Atlanta will host a Summer Block Party at Center Plaza featuring live entertainment, outdoor cocktail bars, food tasting pop-ups from all restaurants on the property, children’s games and a bocce ball court. The second annual Waiters’ Race takes place at 5 p.m., when metro Atlanta food preparers and servers will navigate obstacles with a loaded server’s tray in one hand. All proceeds benefit the Giving Kitchen, a nonprofit organization that provides emergency assistance Continued on page 8

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Golf • 18 hole executive course • Covered driving range • 3 hour rounds • Lessons • League Play

8 | Art & Entertainment

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Continued from page 7 to restaurant workers in crisis. The Shops Buckhead Atlanta, 3035 Peachtree Road N.E., Buckhead. Info: theshopsbuckheadatlanta.com/summer and waitersraceatl.org.

DIVE IN MOVIE NIGHTS ►

Thursday, July 19, 6-10 p.m.

Watch the movie “Grease” under the stars with Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta Young Adults. The movie starts at dusk. Ages 21 and up. Free; complimentary snacks.

Town Brookhaven, 4330 Peachtree Road N.E., Brookhaven. Info: atlantajcc.org/grease.

Friday, July 13, 9 p.m.

Dive into Briarwood Pool and watch the movie “Coco” in a splashy event sponsored by the city of Brookhaven. Free. Concessions available. 2235 Briarwood Way N.E., Brookhaven. Info: 404-637-0542.

KIDS AND FAMILIES

BEAT THE HEAT FITNESS CHALLENGE

MOVIES UNDER THE STARS

MEGA BOOK SALE

Through Wednesday, July 11, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

All books are $1 at the five-day Sandy Springs Friends of the Library Book Sale, which starts Saturday, July 7. The library will begin a six- to nine-month closure on Aug. 8 for interior renovations. 395 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs. Info: 404-303-6130.

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Saturday, July 21, 10 a.m.

Kids can plant grass or chia seeds inside a caterpillar constructed out of cloth and sand/compost and then decorate it, take it home and wait for “hair” to grow. Little Diggers is a free family gardening series presented monthly through October by Heritage Sandy Springs. Best suited for ages 6-10 with accompanying adult. Heritage Sandy Springs Farmers Market, Mount Vernon Highway at City Springs, Sandy Springs. Info: heritagesandysprings.org.

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Tuesday, July 17, 5:30-8 p.m.

The Friends of the Brookhaven Library group is sponsoring pizza-and-a-movie nights on Tuesday evenings at the library. Adults must be accompanied by a child. Register by 4:30 p.m. on the day of the movie to be included for dinner. Call or visit branch to register. Open to first 15 participants. Free. 1242 North Druid Hills Road N.E., Brookhaven.

Info: 404-848-7140.

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J U LY 2 6 • P G

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Monday, July 16 to Monday, July 22 The Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta offers a week of wellness-related activities and fun fitness challenges. Free. Advance registration required: atlantajcc. org/beattheheat. 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Info: DeAnne Jacobson at 678-812-4025.

JULY 6 - 19, 2018

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Art & Entertainment | 9

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LEARN SOMETHING

HIGH

HIGH MUSEUM OF ART ATLANTA | HIGH.ORG

ORGANIC INSECT ► CONTROL

Saturday, July 14, 11 a.m. to noon.

Learn about organic insect control in this month’s Dunwoody Community Garden & Orchard Master Gardener Session. Free.

Refreshments served.

DCGO greenhouse complex in Brook Run Park, opposite the skate park. 4770 Georgia Way South, Dunwoody.

Info: dcgo.org.

Enjoy free admission and special programs on the second Sunday of each month.

AUTHOR LECTURE: SANDRA GUTIERREZ

Tuesday, July 17, 7 p.m.

Food personality Sandra Gutierrez will discuss her book “The New Southern Latino Table” at the Atlanta History Center. Gutierrez creatively marries the diverse cuisines of more than 20 Latin American countries with the food of the American South. Her talk is presented in conjunction with the Atlanta History Center exhibition “¡NUEVOlution! Latinos and the New South,” which continues through Dec. 31. $10, $5 for members. Reservations suggested.

Info: 404-814-4150 or reserve tickets online at AtlantaHistoryCenter.com/Lectures.

SUBMIT YOUR EVENT LISTING WITH US AT

calendar@ReporterNewspapers.net

JULY 8 & AUG. 12 Designed for little kids, big kids, and the whole family, Second Sundays are for everyone. Visit us each month and experience new interactive, innovative family activities inspired by our collections and ever-changing exhibitions.

Second Sundays are sponsored by the Lettie Pate Evans Foundation.

Atlanta’s

T R I PA DV I S O R “ C E R T I F I C AT E O F E XC E L L E N CE ” E IGHT C O N S E C U T I V E Y E A R S S T. SI MONS ISL A N D, GEORGI A #KINGANDPRINCERESORT

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Our mission is to provide our readers with fresh and engaging information about life in their communities.

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Community Survey / Will The importance new distracted of women drivingonlawthework? ballot Hands off that cellphone when you’re behind the wheel.

Now it’s the law. And a large majority of the respondents to our most recent community survey think it will help cut down on wrecks.

More than twice as many respondents believe the new state law prohibiting drivers from holding cellphones or similar electronic devices while driving. will help reduce the number of car crashes, compared to the number who thought it wouldn't. The new law took effect July 1.

“There are far too many distractions and temptations to use your phone if you are holding it,” a 51-year-old Buckhead man commented.

And a 59-year-old Sandy Springs man noted that “it’s obvious that some accidents happen because people are texting or paying attention to their phone. I think it will reduce [accidents], so I’m in favor of it.”

But others thought the new rules just won’t work. They argue the new law will be too hard to enforce. “People will still do it. Just like people speed even though there are posted speed limits,” a 43-year-old Sandy Springs man noted.

“While I think it will help in some cases, I think it could also lead to some crazier driving with people trying to hide that they’re using their phones,” a 37-year-old Brookhaven woman said.

The survey was conducted by 1Q.com via cellphones to 200 residents in Reporter Newspapers communities. The results are not scientific.

When asked which of five possible answers they thought would be the most effective way of reducing traffic accidents, nearly a quarter of the 200 respondents chose requiring more training for a driver’s license. Almost as many chose setting tougher penalties on DUIs or installing more traffic calming devices. Fewer supported hiring more police to enforce traffic laws or restricting built-in video screens or similar devices in new vehicles.

Car crashes are drawing new attention in Perimeter communities. Sandy Springs Police Chief Ken DeSimone has said publicly that traffic fatalities are “the thing that concerns me, as far as policing here in Sandy Springs.”

The city recorded 7,529 car crashes last year, or more than 20 a day. Although Sandy Springs recorded no non-vehicular homicides in 2017, traffic related deaths run about 10 a year, DeSimone said. And the main causes of fatal accidents, the chief said, are speeding, drunk driving and driving while distracted by activities such as texting.

“I think distracted driving is almost a bigger threat than drunk driving was years ago,” DeSimone told Sandy Springs City Council in January.

In response to similar concerns, state lawmakers this year imposed new restrictions on the use of cellphones.

According to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, the new rules say a driver cannot have a phone in his or hand or use any part of his or her body to support a phone. In-

WHAT PRACTICE DO YOU THINK WOULD OFFER THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN YOUR COMMUNITY?

Hiring more police officers to enforce traffic laws 33 (16.5%) Restricting video screens and similar devices built into new vehicles 31 (15.5%) Requiring more training for a driver's license 48 (24.0%) Setting tougher penalties for driving under the influence 45 (22.5%) Installing traffic calming devices such as speed humps 43 (21.5%)

stead, drivers must use “handfree” devices to make or receive calls. The new law also prohibits drivers from watching videos, except for navigation or sending or reading texts unless using voice-based technology that converts spoken words to text, according to the highway safety office. Violators face fines and points against their drivers' licenses.

Some respondents to the survey pointed out that the effectiveness of the new “handsfree” law may depend on how well it is enforced. Others argued it will take time to determine whether the new law actually cuts down accidents. But many thought the restrictions

are worth the effort to change drivers’ behavior.

A 59-year-old Sandy Springs woman, for instance, pointed to the damage traffic accidents can do.

“My daughter was hit by a woman who did not stop at a stop sign,” she wrote. “My daughter’s vehicle flipped three to four times and slid about 150 feet down the road on its roof.

While we are grateful she is alive, her quality of life is greatly diminished as a result. Was the woman texting? Was she talking on the phone? Was she glancing down to read a text?

These answers, we don’t know, but we do know the devastating outcome.”

The ‘Hands-Free Georgia Act’ The new statewide “Hands-Free Georgia Act” prohibits drivers from holding cellphones in an effort to reduce distracted driving.

Under the new law, drivers cannot have a phone in their hand or use any part of their body to support their phone. Texts, emails, social media and internet data content may not be written or read unless using voice-to-text technology.

Drivers are allowed to talk on the phone or watch GPS navigation as long as they are using hands-free technology.

There are exceptions for reporting an emergency and for vehi-

cles that are fully parked.

Penalties include a $50 fine for the first offense, $100 for the second and $150 for the third and after, according to the law.

Some other points of the law: Headsets and earpieces can only be worn for communication purposes and not for listening to music or other entertainment. A driver may not record a video or watch a video unless it is for navigation.

For more information, see headsupgeorgia.com.

2018 © 2018 with all rights reserved Publisher reserves the right to refuse editorial or advertising for any reason. Publisher assumes no responsibility for information contained in advertising. Any opinions expressed in print or online do not necessarily represent the views of Reporter Newspapers or Springs Publishing, LLC.

1Q is an Atlanta-based startup that has developed a technology which sends questions and surveys to a cellphone via app or text message from businesses and organizations across the country. Respondents are paid 50 cents per answer, through PayPal, for sharing their opinions.

Payments may also be donated directly to charity. Sign up to be included in our local community polls at 1Q.com/reporter or by texting REPORTER to 86312.

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JULY 6 - 19, 2018

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Around Town

Joe Earle is editor-at-large at Reporter Newspapers and has lived in metro Atlanta for over 30 years. He can be reached at joeearle@reporternewspapers.net

An Uber-seat view on Atlanta life About two years ago, I broke my leg and ankle in a fall. Recovering required repeated surgeries, which knocked me off my feet for months.

When I finally could leave the house, I couldn’t drive. I still can’t. And metro Atlanta, it turns out, is not a good place not to be able to drive.

Then I discovered Uber.

Uber, for anyone who hasn’t been paying attention to social media (or unsocial media, for that matter) is a product of the smartphone era. You press a black-and-white button on the little computer in your pocket and a stranger soon appears wherever you are and gives you a ride in his or her car to wherever you want to go. A few hours later, money magically disappears from your bank account to pay for the ride. There is a competing service called Lyft, which I’m told operates pretty much the same way.

Deprived of the use of my car, I have become a repeat Uber customer, what you might call a regular ride sharer.

I take Uber just about every place I need to go. I’ve Uber-ed to the office, to various doctor’s offices, to story interviews spread from Duluth to West Cobb and Sandy Sprints to Peachtree City. I’ve taken about 20 Uber rides in the last three months alone, according to the email receipts I’ve saved.

I enjoy sharing rides. Not because the cars are fancy – most certainly aren’t, although I have had ridden occasionally in limos, Mercedes-Benzes and at least one Cadillac – but because I find the drivers to be fascinating.

Meeting Uber drivers has given me a new, and totally unexpected, view of metro Atlanta and the people who live here.

I’m a ride-share talker, a chatty passenger. Some people tell me they keep to themselves during shared rides, but I don’t see how that’s possible. I like to hear the drivers and other passengers tell their stories.

And what stories they tell during our 30 minutes to an hour together.

One, for instance, said he’d started a career in community work and moved to Atlanta in the late 1970s to work with families involved in the Atlanta Child Murders cases. The work was so distressing, he said, that he quit and became a long-haul truck driver for the rest of his career.

Some drivers say they work for Uber (and many drive both Uber and

BH

Lyft) to pick up a little extra cash while they try to launch new businesses. Others have lost jobs and are looking to pay bills while they look for new ones. Still others see Uber as a full-time job.

Some use their time in the car as a sales opportunity. One driver was a real estate agent looking for new clients who gave me a 20-minute sales pitch. Another was a proud papa who played his 20-something daughter’s newly recorded CD in the car to show how talented she was.

Many of my drivers have been immigrants who are steering their way through a new country and culture.

I’ve met new Atlantans from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Caribbean and who somehow ended up maneuvering a Toyota Camry or a Honda Civic through bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Sometimes they tell me stories of the old country. Many left their homes because they wanted to try living in a new, freer and richer place where they and their families could prosper. They talk of how their parents or brothers and sisters emigrated, often one at a time, and gradually reunited in Atlanta or some other American city.

Once, I was in a car driven by an immigrant who said she had come here from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We stopped in Brookhaven to pick up a second passenger, who said he, too, came from the Congo. That set off an argument about which of them really called Congo home because neither could believe there could be another Congolese immigrant in Atlanta he or she didn’t already know.

Not every Uber ride is a treat, of course. Mostly, it’s just a way to get around town. And during one ride, I found myself a witness to a family’s private horror story when the driver’s grown son kept calling her to say another of her sons, who had been drinking, was angry and was trashing her apartment, which was a good hour’s drive from our location. She finally said someone would have to call the cops.

I hope I’ll be able to drive again someday, so I don’t know how long I’ll be a regular Uber user. But I know now, after months of pressing the little black-and-white button on my phone, that when that next driver comes, I’ll be in for ride.

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VOTERS GUIDE

Key races in the July 24 runoff election

FULTON COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE

Kevin Farmer and Fani Willis are competing for an open Fulton County Superior Court judge position on the July 24 runoff ballot. The winner of the runoff will win the race, which is nonpartisan.

KEVIN M. FARMER farmerforjudge.com

Occupation: Senior Assistant District Attorney in the Clayton County DA's Office Previous legal experience: Dec 2015 – present: Senior Assistant District Attorney in the Clayton County DA's Office; August 2011 - November 2015: Senior Attorney, Metro Conflict Defender's Office (Division of the Georgia Public Defenders Council); January 2002 - July 2011: Private practice, ran own small firm with a focus on civil law, including domestic relations and small business litigation; 1997-2001: Attorney, Fulton County Public Defender's Office

What makes you the better candidate to become a judge?

The fact that I have a much more diverse legal and business background makes me the better candidate. My years of practice have been split almost evenly between the public and private sector, and between criminal and civil practice. The majority of my years in civil practice were spent

running my own small firm. Practicing throughout the metro area and the state has enabled me to see a diversity of judicial styles. These skills and experiences will enable me to run an efficient and respectful courtroom where rulings will be based on the facts as applied to the law.

Describe a tough legal decision you have faced in your career and where you are proud of the result.

I’ve argued for a directed verdict in favor of a client wrongfully accused of murder and had it granted, effectively finding my client not guilty.

I’ve successfully argued against a directed verdict as a prosecutor and had the judge rule in the state’s favor, with the jury ultimately convicting the defendant. Representing the children in a divorce proceeding, I’ve had to recommend that one parent not receive visitation. During all these arguments in different areas of the law, I’ve seen the process the judges have used to arrive at the correct decision, even if was not the popular one.

FANI T. WILLIS faniwillis.com

Occupation: Attorney Previous Legal Experience: Private practice as contract attorney and sole practitioner, 1996-2000; represented the city of Atlanta in city ordinance violations and became the lead solicitor handling preliminary hearings for murder cases, 2000-2001; I began my career at the District Attorney's office as an Assistant District Attorney. I was promoted to Senior Assistant District Attorney, where I prosecuted sex crimes.

I was then promoted to serve as Executive Assistant District Attorney, where I prosecuted homicides. I was promoted to Deputy District Attorney. I was assigned high-profile cases, such as the Atlanta Public Schools cheating case and the Martin Blackwell hate crime case, 2001-2018.

What makes you the better candidate to become a judge?

My entire 22-year career has been spent serving the citizens of Fulton County. I know this court system and how to run it efficiently. I have tried three times as many

cases as my opponent and the nature and complexity of the cases far outweighs his experience. I am credited with trying the longest and one of the most complex cases in Georgia history successfully. During my career I have tried both civil and criminal cases. Further, I serve this community in my personal time doing community service for children and the homeless.

Describe a tough legal decision you have faced in your career and where you are proud of the result.

A tough decision in my legal career has been to serve on the Atlanta Public Schools cheating trial as lead counsel. Many in the African American community despise that case because they feel like it targeted the African American middle class. The truth is the case defended the African American middle class. Most teachers in that case were victims that did the right thing and were abused by administration, and I defended poor children that with education will become the next African American middle class. Although sometimes demonized, I stood for children and my community.

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House demolished for development of Indian Creek Park

many ties to the neighborhood, including through a subdivision and garden club had that same name, the Creek Indians that settled in that area, and Indian Creek itself, which runs nearby, Santifer said.

“We’ve had amazing support from the community,” he said. “We hope to preserve a lot of the history there and make it a good a space for the neighborhood.”

Recycling facility won’t come to Lenox Square Continued from page 1

PHOTOS BY PHIL MOSIER

Atlanta Classical Academy students and parents helping with the park development pose with the official park sign on July 1. Pictured, from left, are Serena Kapor, Alexa Robbins, Alan Robbins, Max Tippett, Aurora Santifer, Jeanne Werner, Anna Robbins and Cindy Robbins.

BY EVELYN ANDREWS evelyn@reporternewspapers.net

A friends group hopes to use bricks from a recently-demolished house in Indian Creek Park in Pine Hills to preserve the history of the site, which includes the residence of a victim of an infamous plane crash.

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 two lots that were purchased by the city in 2017 for $3 million.

The house at 3162 Lenox Road was demolished in June to make way for park development. The house at 3148 Lenox Road, which was demolished years ago, once belonged to a victim of the 1962 plane crash in France that killed over 100 Atlanta residents, said Joe Santifer, the head of the park’s friends group.

The friends group once hoped to keep the vacant house at 3162 Lenox to use as a community center for the park, but once the lot was purchased and engineers got a look at the house, it became clear it was not feasible, Santifer said. There were too many structural issues, including some caused by a fire set by vandals, he said.

The cost to make the house useable would have been too expensive, he said.

“The city was very upfront that it would be difficult to do,” he said. “There are elements of the park that would benefit the community more we need the money for.”

Sally Silver, District 7 City Councilmember Howard Shook’s policy advisory, said the parks department is working to set up a steering committee to help guide the park planning process.

The park is officially open and has hours on its official city sign, although BH

it is not developed and has no amenities yet.

Santifer said the specific dates have not been set, but community meetings about the park are coming “very soon.”

The lot is mostly covered with bamboo, which Santifer said will remain part of the park’s landscape.

“It’s definitely going to be a pretty prominent part of the park,” he said of the bamboo.

The group has saved the bricks from the house and millstones left behind from an old grist mill that used to be in the area, he said. They plan to incorporate those in the park design, depending on what the community says in the planning process, he said.

The history of Emily Bartholomai, who lived in the Lenox Road house that had previously been demolished, may also be incorporated. She was one of the 106 Atlanta residents on a European art tour that were killed in a plane crash headed back to the city from Paris, France, Santifer said.

The park development has included help from Atlanta Classical Academy students since the idea to build park there began in 2016. Some of those students are making their Eagle Scout and Girl Scout projects about preserving the history of the site, he said.

The Loridans Park in North Buckhead, which is being developed by Park Pride, is similarly looking to create ties to the history of the site, which includes a cemetery.

The friends group celebrated the establishment of the new park at naming ceremony in March this year, where the name Indian Creek Park was unveiled after having two different temporary names. It was chosen because it has

Live Thrive is soliciting different options in Buckhead, and it is considering “a few” potential locations, but cannot name any at this point, Ratcliffe said.

Live Thrive Atlanta opened the city’s first CHaRM facility in 2015 at 1110 Hill St. The Lenox Square location was meant to provide a more convenient location for Buckhead residents.

The existing center has since “been hugely successful,” diverting over 7,500 tons of materials from landfills, Ratcliffe previously said. It takes many items for free and some for a small fee, including mattresses, tires and paint. Free items include glass, metal, Styrofoam and batteries.

District 7 City Councilmember Howard Shook had introduced an ordinance specifically tailored to only allow a facility at that location at Lenox Square. A new location will need a new ordinance and a second vetting by NPU-B, which supported the mall option.

NPU-B voted unanimously at its June 5 to recommend the city approve the facility and some board members said they thought the recycling center would improve the unused lot.

Shook said he would “certainly support” a new location in Buckhead if the

stakeholders agreed. He hasn’t heard what the “Plan B” location is, but if an adequate site can be found in District 7, he would introduce a new ordinance, he said.

Sally Silver, Shook’s policy advisor, said this exercise proved that Buckhead would support a recycling facility and that one is needed in Buckhead.

“I wasn’t skeptical, but some people were skeptical that we couldn’t get community support, and we showed that we can,” she said.

Silver said she and others behind the plan see the failure of this location as a learning experience, and believe they have the tools they need to make the next potential site a success.

“I think we have our eyes a little more wide open,” she said. “We don’t perceive any problems.”

The North Buckhead Civic Association wrote in its July newsletter that the facility would have been “a wonderful addition to our community.” Gordon Certain, the association’s president, said the location would have perfectly central for Buckhead.

“It’s really a disappointment,” Certain said.

For more information about CHaRM, visit livethrive.org.

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14 | Special Section

Facebook.com/TheReporterNewspapers ■ twitter.com/Reporter_News Continued from page 36

A SPECIAL SECTION

Manchester

Calloway Gardens

Dowdell’s Knob

Little White House

Pine Mountain Panorama Callaway Gardens, Little White House, Warm Springs perfect for historic weekend getaway in the southern hills

BY KATHY DEAN AND COLLIN KELLEY A mountain getaway usually means heading to North Georgia, but why not head south instead? Pine Mountain and nearby attractions like Callaway Gardens, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Little White House, the historic towns of Warm Springs and Manchester are perfect for a weekend away from the city.

Located about 80 miles south of Atlanta, Pine Mountain is both scenic and activity-filled whether you’re an outdoor or history enthusiast. There’s also plenty in the way of accommodations, from resorts to campgrounds.

Warm Springs

The town of Warm Springs takes its name from the nearby springs – 88 degrees Fahrenheit and full of minerals – that edge Pine Mountain. Creek and Iroquois Indians used the springs to heal their sick and wounded, and in 1832, David Rose built the area’s first resort around them.

The town’s original name was Bullochville, and today, tight alleys lead visitors to Old Bullochville, a reconstructed homage to Warm Spring’s past, found behind Bulloch House and the many shops on Broad Street.

Warm Springs gained national recognition in 1924 when President Roosevelt vis-

ited the area to treat his polio-related paralysis. The springs are no longer open for public use, but they are used therapeutically by the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation, founded by FDR. Since the invention of the polio vaccine, the institute provides Vocational Rehabilitation programs for people with disabilities. The pools were recently refurbished

by Georgia State Parks and a touch pool allows visitors to feel the warm spring waters and learn about its history.

Also be sure to check out the Warm Spring National Fish Hatchery, which was established in 1899 to restore and manages fish such as striped bass, alligator gar and lake sturgeon. It’s also used to recover species that are listed under the Endangered Species Act and restore freshwater fish habitats.

The hatchery includes a public aquarium and visitors’ area with walkways amid a beautiful, natural environment.

Little White House

Built in 1932 by then-Governor of New York Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the Little White House became FDR’s home while he visited the area to take advantage of the springs. The people he met and experiences he had in Warm Springs prompted some of his programs once he became president, such as the Rural Electrification Administration.

In 1945, while posing for a portrait, FDR suffered a stroke and died shortly afterwards. The “Unfinished Portrait” is one of the many exhibits in the museum, as is his 1938 Ford convertible with hand controls.

The Little White House has been carefully preserved much as FDR left it. Visitors are welcome to visit the home, museum and pools.

F.D. Roosevelt State Park and Manchester

Georgia’s largest state park is set among the Pine Mountain Range. The 9,000-plus acre park offers more than 40 miles of trails, winding through pines and hardwood trees, over creeks and past small waterfalls.

Dowdell’s Knob offers a breath-taking view. It’s a spot that FDR was known to sometimes picnic and ponder national and international issues. He was so fond of the spot, he had a brick oven installed for barbecues. The overlook now features a lifesize sculpture of the president gazing out over the mountains.

Dowdell’s Knob is located just off Ga. 190, a winding and scenic roadway that begins just south of Manchester and takes you all the way to Callaway Gardens. There are plenty of places to stop and stretch your legs as well as snap more of those fantastic views from atop Pine Mountain.

Speaking of Manchester, it’s a fine ex-

ample of a mountain town with a delightful main street full of shops and the historic President Theatre, originally built in 1935 as movie house. It was recently restored with the help of a grant from the Fox Theatre Institute and is now home to regular community events, theater productions, films and more.

A fun fact for the literary-minded: Manchester is the hometown of bestselling author Stuart Woods, who fictionalized the city as Delano for his novel “Chiefs.”

CALLAWAY RESORT & GARDENS Founded in 1952 and set on nearly 7,000 acres, Callaway Gardens has become a favored weekend getaway spot, especially for golf lovers and nature enthusiasts.

One of the main attractions is the giant Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center, which has the distinction of being the largest enclosed tropical conservatory in North America.

Thousand of butterflies from 50 different species flutter over a vast array of flowers and plants.

There are also 10 miles of walking and biking paths, the white sand Robin Lake Beach and two 18-hole golf courses. Regular events are held, such as the annual Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival and Fantasy Lights, which see the gardens decked out in millions of twinkling bulbs for the holiday Continued on page 16 BH

JULY 6 - 19, 2018

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Special Section | 15

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Intown and in the Mountains

Pine Mountain Panorama

Bill Gilmore SOLD

Continued from page 14 season.

An array of accommodations are onsite, including The Lodge, villas, cottages and more affordable Mountain Creek Inn. You won’t go hungry either, with 10 restaurants and bars to choose from, includ-

ing the down-home southern delights of Country Kitchen located inside the rustic Callaway Gardens Country Store.

For more about all that Pine Mountain has to offer, visit pinemountain.org, gastateparks.org/

The Bulloch House rises from its ashes in Warm Springs

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The Bulloch House has a well-earned reputation of delicious, down-home cooking that draws people to Warm Springs.

The current owners, since 2009, are Peter and Sandy Lampert, and they’ve not only kept the business going strong, they’ve built upon it — or rather, the ashes of it.

The original Bulloch House was built in 1893 by Benjamin F. Bulloch, co-founder of the town of Bullochville. After the town changed its name to Warm Springs, the building held onto its original name and in 1990, it was renovated and turned into a restaurant.

Unfortunately, in June 2015, lightning stuck the original building, smoldered in the wiring and burnt the structure to the ground during the night.

“When it erupted, thankfully, no one was in the building,” Sandy said. “It was so old, that it was like fat lighter [kindling].

The fire department tried to enter but had to rush out because the fire was taking hold so quickly and completely. It took less than 10 minutes for the old part of the building to burn down completely. The sky was glowing, and the flames were higher than the trees.”

The Lamperts had planned to rebuild on the same spot but found that the cost was prohibitive. They thought about moving the restaurant to another town.

“After the fire, we considered a move to Hampton or Columbus,” Peter said. “But in the end, we felt that Bulloch House belongs to Warm Springs.”

They located a building on Broad Street that could be renovated, and after some negotiation, the owner agreed to lease it to the Lamperts while the insurance claim was being processed. Renovations got underway and the Bulloch House reopened on Dec. 1, 2015.

The spacious two-story restaurant has an elegant feel with high windows and white chandeliers. The walls are decorated with black-and-white photos of local history, and the menu, which changes weekly, features favorites like fried chicken, baked ham and catfish. There are also fried green tomatoes, collards, homemade biscuits and cornbread. Dessert includes six-layer chocolate cake, old fashioned pecan pie and banana pudding.

“A lot of people like this location better,” Peter said. “The parking can be a bit of a challenge, but it’s easier to find and it’s surrounded by shops.”

One of those shops is the Lampert’s own Fireflies Gift Boutique, just a few doors down. Shoppers delight in a wide selection of women’s jewelry and baby gifts as well as collegiate gear and must-have housewares.

The name of the shop has special meaning for Sandy and goes back to the fateful night of the fire. “We got the phone call in the middle of the night, and my husband rushed right over. He called me crying, ‘It’s gone…it’s all gone!’”

When she got there, Sandy watched the embers burning and floating up into the trees. “To me, they looked fireflies, what we call lightning bugs,” she said.

The original restaurant had a gift shop attached to it, and the shop also suffered from the fire. “When we reopened our gift shop in this new location, it just made sense to name it Fireflies,” Sandy said.

Recently, the Lamperts have added a bakery/cafe behind the gift boutique, offering coffee, fudge and cookies as well as specialty cakes and pies, all baked on premises.

And they’ve named it Lightnin’ Bugs.

For more about the Bulloch House, 70 Broad Street in Warm Springs, visit bullochhouse.com.

JULY 6 - 19, 2018

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LOOKING FOR A SIMPLE LIFESTYLE, SECOND HOME, OR RENTAL INVESTMENT?

Escape to the Blue Ridge Mountains...

Find new mountains to climb

You don’t have to head north to get a view of the hills

BY COLLIN KELLEY If you want to go visit the mountains, you don’t have to go far from metro Atlanta.

You don’t even have to go north. Check out these state parks and heritage areas that lie to the south, east and west. For more, be sure to visit gastateparks.org.

SWEETWATER CREEK

TOWN & COUNTRY

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Only minutes west of Atlanta in Douglas County, the hills, outcrops and rolling rapids of Sweetwater Creek make for a great afternoon hike. The centerpiece of the park is the ruin of the New Manchester Textile Mill, which was burned during the Civil War. Park rangers lead informative hikes through the park and to the old mill. There’s also plenty of fishing opportunities in the 215-acre George Sparks Reservoir. The park is located at 1750 Mount Vernon Road in Lithia Springs.

PANOLA MOUNTAIN

Just 15 minutes south of Atlanta, Panola Mountain is a100-acre granite outcrop similar to Stone Mountain, but smaller and much more pristine. Park visitors will see the outcrop and its rare ecosystem just as Native Americans did centuries ago. Reservations are required for ranger-led hikes that teach about the rare plants and animals found at the park.

There’s plenty of activities in the park, too, including a playground, archery, birding and tree-climbing programs. A paved trail is open for biking, roller blading, jogging and dog-walking, while forested fitness trails are open for hiking and running. 2620 Ga. 155 SW in Stockbridge.

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ARABIA MOUNTAIN

Located near Lithonia in southern DeKalb County, this national heritage area is also a granite outcrop similar to nearby Stone Mountain and Panola Mountain. The best way to see the park is on foot or by bike, and you can even get there using the PATH system of trails. The area is also dotted with historic homes and cultural buildings that have been preserved. For more information, visit arabiaalliance.org.

PROVIDENCE CANYON

Georgia’s “Little Grand Canyon” was created by combination of erosion and poor farming practices during the 1800s. There are now gullies 150 feet deep and the soil’s pink, orange, red and purples hues make for stunning photographs. Visitors can enjoy views of the canyons from the rim trail and also admire the beauty of the rare Plumleaf Azalea, which only grows in this region, and blooms in July and August. 8930 Canyon Road in Lumpkin.

JULY 6 - 19, 2018

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In the Heart of Downtown Blue Ridge

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20 | Special Section

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Things To Do

Balloons, beaches, trains and much more on tap If you’re heading down to the Pine Mountain region for a weekend – or longer – getaway, you might want to time your trip around some of these fun festivals and events.

SKY HIGH HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL Set for Aug. 31 to Sept. 2, dozens of hot hair balloons take part in the event – including the spectacular Friday Night Balloon Glow – along with music, food and more at Callaway Gardens. Info: callawaygardens.com.

OLD CHIPLEY TOWN FAIR Head to Pine Mountain on Sept. 29 for local crafts, pottery, metalwork, woodwork, food and entertainment. Spend the day strolling down Pine Mountain’s picturesque streets or shopping in downtown Pine Mountain’s and Chipley Village’s shopping centers, each filled with unique shops and boutiques. Information: pinemountain.org.

WARM SPRINGS HARVEST HOE DOWN Enjoy the changing of the fall colors with the Annual Harvest Hoe Down Festival on Oct. 13 in downtown Warm Springs. Arts, crafts, food vendors, kids’ activities, entertainment throughout the day, kiddie train rides, fruit and vegetable stand, hands-on crafts for children, and more are planned. The parade will be held at 11 a.m. Information: exploregeorgia.org.

MANCHESTER RAILROAD DAYS Calling all railroad fans! Come out and see the personal collection displays, model layouts, outdoor display, and view trains from Railfan Observation Deck. The event will take place Oct. 19-20. Information: exploregeorgia.org.

JULY 6 - 19, 2018

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DISCOVER

BLUE RIDGE’S ONLY GOLF & RIVER COMMUINITY IN GEORGIA’S FAVORITE MOUNTAIN TOWN Photo by SquareFrame Media

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Obtain the Property Report required by Federal law and read it before signing anything. No Federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property. This is not intended to be an offer to sell nor a solicitation of offers to buy real estate in Old Toccoa Farm by residents of Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania or South Carolina, or any other jurisdiction where prohibited by law. No offering can be made to residents of New York OLD TOCCOA FARM, LLC AND ITS PRINCIPALS TAKING PART IN THE PUBLIC OFFERING OR SALE ARE NOT INCORPORATED IN, LOCATED IN, OR RESIDENT IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK. THE OFFERING IS NEITHER MADE IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK NOR MADE TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. THE OFFERING IS NOT DIRECTED TO ANY PERSON OR ENTITY IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK BY, OR ON BEHALF OF, OLD TOCCOA FARM, LLC OR ANYONE ACTING WITH OLD TOCCOA FARM, LLC’S KNOWLEDGE. NO OFFERING OR PURCHASE OR SALE OF ANY PROPERTY SHALL TAKE PLACE AS A RESULT OF THIS OFFERING, UNTIL ALL REGISTRATION AND FILING REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE NEW YORK MARTIN ACT AND THE NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL’S REGULATIONS ARE COMPLIED WITH; A WRITTEN EXEMPTION IS OBTAINED PURSUANT TO AN APPLICATION IS GRANTED PURSUANT TO AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH COOPERATIVE POLICY STATEMENTS #1 OR #7; OR A “NO-ACTION” REQUEST IS GRANTED.

22 | Classifieds

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Reporter Classifieds

To Advertise, call 404-917-2200 ext 110

APARTMENT FOR RENT

HELP WANTED

SERVICES AVAILABLE

CARE GIVER

Midtown Prime Ansley Golf Course Area – 2 BR/ 1 BA 1300 SQ FT APT. Incl Off-Street Pkg in Multi-Family House with W/D in Unit, Gas Starter FPLC, Huge Built-In Bookshelf, Kitchen Island with Wine Rack, Private Porch.

Few Steps to Ansley Mall. Walk to Shops/ Attractions/ Beltline. Close to I-85/ I-75.

Available Early July. PH 404-874-4642 for Details/ No Texts Pls.

Dentist - Center for Pan-Asian Community Services seeks Dentist to est. Dental program policies & procedures; provide patient services; review/recommend fees for scope of practice; train/oversee Dept Staff; ensure compliance w/ Fed/State safety policies; maintain current knowledge on Dental practices & procedures.

Required: DDS degree & license to practice in GA. 40hrs/wk. Mail resumes to Klyde Kim, Director of HR, 3510 Shallowford Road NE Atlanta, GA 30341.

Driveways & Walkways – Replaced or repaired. Masonry, grading, foundations repaired, waterproofing and retaining walls.

Call Joe Sullivan 770-616-0576.

Certified Nursing Assistant – Caregiver for your love ones. Flexible & Dependable. References Available. Call 404-397-9429.

Friends of the Sandy Springs Library

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The library will be closing for extensive renovations.

All used book inventory priced at $1ea.

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Place your SERVICES ad here!

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Big Library Book Sale July 7 - 14

Arlington Memorial Cemetery - 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

Accountants

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Property Home Tending by Charles – “On the market or just Away.” Regular inspections of unoccupied property. Call 404-229-0490.

CEMETERY PLOTS

Caregivers

PETS

Matthew’s Handy Services – Small jobs & chores are my specialties!

Shelves, organizers, carpentry, drywall, painting, etc.

BBB rated. Call 404-547-2079 or email: mwarren8328@gmail.com

Hair Stylists

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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

BH

JULY 6 - 19, 2018

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Public Safety | 23

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Buckhead fire stations feel the pinch of staffing ‘crisis’ Continued from page 1 Battalion 6 Chief Al Robertson, who said he grew up on Lindbergh Drive, said that while Buckhead has grown enormously in size, it has had the same number of stations for decades.

“It would be great to build new stations in Buckhead with our growth. The fact is, how are we going to staff them?” he said.

As the population grows, so does the department’s response time, he said.

The target for emergency medical services and fire is around seven minutes, but the department is averaging about two minutes longer than that, he said.

The department expects the response times to get higher as density increases, he said.

“With the growth in Buckhead, all that means is that we’re going to need more and more year after year to help bring down response times,” he said.

Road improvement projects, such as the medians on Peachtree Road, have made it more difficult to get to calls, he said.

“One of the biggest issues we have, aside from volume, is beautification projects,” he said. “That really affects our response time. We can’t get around to you guys.”

Almost half of the departments calls are for emergency services, but, in addition to fire, they also handle gas leak calls, water rescues and fallen trees, he said.

“When in doubt, when 911 gets called and nobody knows who to send, we get called,” he said. “That’s the beauty of the fire department.”

The foundation, which operates out of an office on East Paces Ferry Road,

is dedicated to raising funds to help fill budget gaps and vacancies.

“Our job is to make sure that the fire department, regardless of what’s in the city’s budget, has the funding they need to actually protect and serve the citizens of the city of Atlanta,” she said.

The foundation does this through fundraisers, like its hallmark “Breakfast with Our Bravest” that is held each year in Buckhead’s Flourish event venue, Smith said.

It also runs an “adopt a fire station” program that has individuals or groups donate supplies, equipment or funds to a station, Smith said.

Although the Atlanta City Council approved last month a 3.1 percent pay raise for police and fire fighters, the pay remains low and still needs increases or subsidizing, Smith said. One way the foundation encourages fire fighters to remain in Atlanta is through a $1,000 bonus to help them move to the city, she said.

“We’re working on a lot on just what is it going to take to have trained firefighters who have the resources they need to go out to your home and businesses to respond on any incident,” she said.

The department spends about $100,000 to train each firefighter, some who then leave to nearby cities or counties with better pay and benefits, Smith said.

“We are actually the lowest paying fire department in the metro Atlanta area,” she said.

Most of the fire department’s budget is allocated toward salaries and pensions, leaving little flexibility for new

New Name, New Look, New Attitude!

Our job is to make sure that the fire department, regardless of what’s in the city’s budget, has the funding they need to actually protect and serve the citizens of the city of Atlanta” SHIRLEY ANNE SMITH, EXCECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ATLANTA FIRE RESCUE FOUNDATION

equipment and supplies, she said.

“While you might see an $88 [million] to $100 million budget, what we see are millions of dollars of unmet needs,” she said of the department’s budget.

As part of filling vacancies, Smith said the foundation is funding recruitment campaigns to draw people Rex Loves hanging out with his Daycare & Boarding friends! ► Cage-free playcare ► Small dogs 35 pounds & under ► Pawgress Reports

from underrepresented groups, such as women, Hispanic and LGBT people.

The amount of firefighters from those groups is low compared to their population in the city, she said.

“As we start to change in our demographics as a city, we also want to look like the people we serve,” she said.

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24 |

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IMAGINE...

RIVER LIFE

LAKE LIFE

MOUNTAIN LIFE

668 WHITE PINE TRAIL | SUCHES, GEORGIA 30572

185 SOURWOOD COVE LANE | MORGANTON, GEORGIA 30560

4 BEDROOMS • 3 BATHROOMS • OFFERED FOR $465,000

6 BEDROOMS • 6 BATHROOMS • OFFERED FOR $2,495,000

Plan Your Escape … to the picturesque town of Blue Ridge, Georgia, just a short distance from the hustle and bustle of Atlanta. Whether you are dreaming of a lake, river or mountain home for weekend enjoyment or a solid investment property for vacation rentals, I can help find the perfect setting just for you! Plan a weekend escape and allow me to introduce you to our North Georgia Mountains!

ANNIE BOLAND Your Connection to the North Georgia Mountains c. 404.449.1179 | o. 404.874.0300 ANNIEBOLAND@ATLANTAFINEHOMES.COM

ATLANTAFINEHOMES.COM | SIR.COM ©MMXVIII Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.