JULY 7 - 20, 2017 • VOL. 11 — NO. 14
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SPECIAL SECTION | P12-21
Inside the Buckhead Coalition’s neighborhood shrine BY EVELYN ANDREWS evelyn@reporternewspapers.net
EVELYN ANDREWS
Sam Massell, president of the Buckhead Coalition, sits at his desk in the organization’s office in the Tower Place building. His desk is often covered in papers because he handwrites all correspondence and does not use a computer.
DINING OUT Halal Guys gyros come to Buford Highway Page 4
My daughter breaks the mold. She cooks and cleans without being asked. Plus, she’s kind to animals and small children. But all this goodness comes at a price: She doesn’t like to shop.
See Robin’s Nest, Page 9
OUT & ABOUT Fido rules at Blue Heron’s ‘Doggie Daze’ Page 6
One of the first sights greeting a visitor to the Buckhead Coalition’s offices in the Tower Place skyscraper is the crest of Hamilton, Bermuda – the neighborhood’s sister city. It’s decorated with an image of a ship held up by a seahorse and a mermaid looking into a mirror. That’s one of hundreds of plaques, certificates and other memorabilia lining the offices’ walls and marking the coalition’s many achievements and partnerships. Sam Massell, the former mayor and current Buckhead Coalition president, calls the trophy-lined hallway “ego alley.” The Buckhead Coalition is a powerful and influential invitation-only group made up of 100 CEOs and other leaders in the community. Despite the group’s prominence, its office is little-known and rarely visited by the general public. See INSIDE on page 10
Hunting, fishing businesses stick together in move BY EVELYN ANDREWS evelyn@reporternewspapers.net
“We’ve been friends for many years, and I’m glad we could stay next to each other,” Gary Merriman, owner of The Fish Hawk, said of Chuck’s Firearms. The two sporting businesses have operated side-by-side in Buckhead for over 40 years, and have stuck together through two relocations — the latest in March, as they make way for a condo tower. They both moved from Buckhead Avenue to Peachtree Road in 2006 into adjacent suites with identical storefronts. In March, See HUNTING on page 2