07-11-2014 Brookhaven Reporter

Inside Gotta stop DeKalb CEO puts foot down on ethics violations COMMENTARY 6

Close encounter

Brookhaven Reporter

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JULY 11 — JULY 24, 2014 • VOL. 6 — NO. 14

Curb your appetite

What do you do when face-to-face with a snake?

COMMUNITY 10

Tree hugger Artist shows off his color palette at nature preserve OUT & ABOUT 14

Growth spurt New pastor has big plans for Primitive Baptist church FAITH 15

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Dining out

Anis Cafe and Bistro transports you to France RESTAURANTS 16

Police blotter

From left, Robert Lipscomb, 13, Joe Koenraod, 13, and Hayden Fukushima, 14, enjoy snacks from a food vendor during Brookhaven’s “Food Truck Roundup” at Blackburn Park on July 2. More photos on page 4.

Cities look to improve pedestrian safety, access

BY ANN MARIE QUILL

PHIL MOSIER

Shootings, council seat become talk of District 2

BY ANN MARIE QUILL

annmariequill@reporternewspapers.net

annmariequill@reporternewspapers.net

Spot crime trends in your area

A recent report by a group called Smart Growth America says Atlanta is the eighth deadliest city in the country for pedestrians.

That’s why police and planners in Reporter Newspapers communities say they’re working to cut down on jaywalking as they try to make their streets more “walkable.”

Their tactics recently have included pedestrian and driver education and enforcement, sidewalk and crosswalk improvements, and even an undercover sting.

“It’s challenging in a suburban environment because infrastruc-

Concerned about the recent resignation of their representative on City Council and by two unsolved drive-by shootings, residents of Brookhaven’s District 2 recently gathered for a “town hall” discussion in Ashford Park.

“The purpose of this meeting is to connect with District 2 residents due to the recent resignation of District 2 Councilman Jim Eyre, but more importantly to make sure the citizens of Ashford Park understood that although there’s no elected representative aside from the mayor, we’re all trying to pitch in,” Mayor J. Max Davis told the

PUBLIC SAFETY 19

SEE CITIES LOOK, PAGE 22

SEE UNSOLVED, PAGE 5

COMMUNITY Brookhaven lowers millage rate Brookhaven’s mayor and City Council on June 30 voted to lower the city’s tax rate for Fiscal Year 2014 to 2.795 mills, lower than the original proposed millage rate of 2.85 imposed last year.

Mayor J. Max Davis says the council is hoping to send a message to citizens that the city government is limiting itself by being conservative and safe.

“We lowered our rate to a level where we think we can still responsibly and efficiently continue providing our citizens a high level of service,” Davis said. “We also thought that by lowering our tax rate, we can demonstrate to residents that we are committed to limited government and living within our means.”

While the lower rate will cost the city approximately $100,000, Finance Director Bonnie Kline said, “We’ll make it work.”

The city will not know its complete revenue picture until late fall when the county actually collects the receipts and transfers them to the city, city officials said.

While the vote does lower the millage, it doesn’t necessarily lower tax collections because property values are rising. Due to a reassessment of homes by DeKalb County, the millage rate would have to roll back to 2.569 to keep everyone’s taxes steady.

Taxes on a particular property are computed by multiplying the millage times the property’s tax value.

“An individual’s property tax bill is dependent on a number of factors,” Davis added. “But we also have an assessment freeze in our charter for homeowners whose home was in the city limits at incorporation. This means for most homeowners this millage cut will mean a decrease in their city property taxes.”

The freeze does not apply to commercial or rental property.

Hundreds seek advice on challenging tax values More than 200 DeKalb and Fulton residents filled a Brookhaven church hall on July 1 for advice on how to challenge their new tax assessments.

The standing-room-only crowd at Chamblee First United Methodist Church heard Reps. Mike Jacobs (R-Brookhaven), Scott Holcomb (D-Atlanta) and Sen. Fran Millar (R-Dunwoody) discuss how to appeal county assessments of home values.

The deadline for most DeKalb County property assessment appeals is July 14, Jacobs said, while the deadline for most Fulton County appeals is July 21.

After the 90-minute meeting, Jacobs said he wasn’t surprised by the size of the crowd. “Property values clearly have gone up across the country,” he said. “It logically follows that we’ll start seeing an increase in assessments.”

That, he predicts, will produce more appeals. “I think we’ll see more appeals this year than any year in recent memory,” he said. “The [DeKalb County] Board of Equalization is probably going to be swamped.”

Police offering teen driving safety class The Brookhaven Police Department, in conjunction with The University of Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, is

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offering a driving safety class for teenagers.

The free class, for Brookhaven and DeKalb residents, takes place July 23 at 6 p.m. at 2665 Buford Highway, Brookhaven. It targets parents, guardians and teenage drivers who are just beginning to drive or are preparting for a learner’s permit.

To register, request a form by emailing: william.gilham@ brookhavenga.gov. For more information, call 404-955-4695.

BR I EF S

City now owns 10 parks within boundaries The city of Brookhaven says it now owns the 10 parks in the city.

“In a unanimous vote on Tuesday, June 25, the DeKalb Board of Commissioners approved the conveyance of 10 parks to the city,” Brookhaven said on its Facebook page.

The city said that after nearly a year of legal discussions, property appraisals and maintenance transfers, Brookhaven now has the license of the following parks: Ashford Park, Blackburn Park, Briarwood Park, Clacks Corner Park, Georgian Hills Park, Lynwood Park, Murphey Candler Park, Parkside Park, Perimeter Trail Park and Skyland Trail Park.

The city said that by the end of the year, Brookhaven will have acquired 14 parks and green spaces from DeKalb County.

Oglethorpe’s Owen named Division III golf coach of year again Oglethorpe University men’s head golf course Jim Owen won the Division III Dave Williams National Coach of the Year Award in June, marking the second time Owen has won the award in the last three years, the university said on its webpage.

During the 2013-14 season, the Oglethorpe team came within just a few strokes of winning their third national championship in six years, but came away with the program’s first national runner-up finish and fifth Top 5 finish in program history, the university said.

Sophomore Anthony Maccaglia was named First Team All-American for the third consecutive year in 2014 and became the first Division III golfer selected to compete in the Palmer Cup.

Brookhaven Government Calendar Brookhaven City Council usually meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 7 p.m. at 2 Corporate Boulevard, Suite 125, Brookhaven, GA 30329.

For complete and up-to-date schedule of Brookhaven city meetings, go to http://brookhavenga.gov .

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Voters in July 22 runoff will choose DeKalb’s next sheriff

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DeKalb County’s sheriff and a former county CEO meet in a runoff election July 22 to determine who will serve as the county’s next sheriff.

Sheriff Jeff Mann, who took office earlier this year after the resignation of former sheriff Tom Brown, and former DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones collected the largest number of votes in the eight-candidate field in the May 20 nonpartisan election for the office.

Mann received about 40 percent of the votes cast, with 28,886. Jones received about 22 percent, with 16,124.

In Georgia, a candidate must receive more than half the votes cast in an election to win, so the two will run head-tohead July 22 to determine the winner.

Six other candidates split smaller fractions of the May 20 vote: Dale Collins, 4 percent; Ted Golden, 4 percent; Tony Hughes, 6 percent; Melody Maddux, 7 percent; Melvin Mitchell, 14 percent; and LaSalle Smith Sr., 2 percent.

Also on July 22, DeKalb Republicans will cast their ballots for the party’s nominees for two state-wide offices.

Jack Kingston and David Perdue seek the party’s nomination for the United States Senate.

Michael L. “Mike” Buck and Richard L. Woods are in a runoff for the Republican nomination for State School Superintendent. In the Democratic Primary, Alisha Thomas Morgan faces Valarie D. Wilson in a runoff for their party’s nomination for State School Superintendent.

Registered voters who did not vote in the Democratic Primary on May 20 may vote in the Republican runoff, according to the secretary of state’s office.

Registered voters who did not vote in the Republican Primary may vote in the Democratic runoff.

If you have questions about your eligibility to vote or where to vote, go to www.mvp.sos.ga.gov.

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Blackburn Park was the place to be on July 2, the site of another “Food Truck Roundup.”

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Buckhead - Brookhaven Real Estate Specialist City residents questioned Mayor J. Max Davis over a City Council vacancy and two drive-by shootings at a town hall meeting.

ANN MARIE QUILL

Unsolved drive-by shootings hot topic at town hall meeting CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 consider adding one or two at-large memcrowd. bers.

Brookhaven Police Chief Gary YanduDavis responded that while working ra said that while his department has reon incorporating the city he was in favor ceived numerous tips on the two driveof at-large positions, but some citizens in by shootings in the Ashford Park area, it’s the Ashford Park and Brookhaven Fields “kind of at a dead end.” neighborhoods influenced the Legislature On the evening of June 23, two shots to create the five-person council, includwere fired from a silver or white car at ing the mayor and four council members a house on Green Meadows Lane, folrepresenting specific districts. lowed by a shot fired at a witness fleeing But, he said, he’s starting to think difthe scene. The next night, a shot was fired ferently about his original stance. Daat a home on Cravenridge Drive, which is vis explained that during conferences and about 1.4 miles away, from a car matching training, he’s found that cities with larga similar description. er councils and sometimes smaller pop“It could be ulations tend to gang initiation, disagree and not could be the wrong get much accomhouse,” Yandura plished. “There is said. a danger to havWhen a resiing too many peodent asked how ple trying to govlong it took police ern the city,” he to respond to the said, adding that Green Meadows BROOKHAVEN POLICE districts of about incident, Yandura 12,500 people This white or silver car was said it was about 13 each are managesupposedly involved in a driveminutes as it took able. by shooting on Green Meadow DeKalb County While unLane on June 23 and another on 911 around five or der state law Cravenridge Drive on June 24. six minutes to disBrookhaven canpatch the infornot hold an elecmation to Brookhaven Police. Yandura tion for District 2 until the General said he expects response times to get betElection in November, Councilwoman ter when the city switches over to ChatRebecca Chase Williams encouraged Comm, a 911 service used by Sandy those in attendance to start thinking about Springs and Johns Creek, in August. whom they would like to represent them.

Drew Valley resident Lissie Stahlman “Get some good candidates to run,” said that cars speeding through her neighshe said. “You’ve got such a wealth of talborhood concern her. ent in your area. I would encourage all of “I walk my dog every morning,” she you to start talking to your neighbors” besaid. “People leaving for work in my fore the Aug. 19, 20 and 21 qualifying neighborhood need to get up 10 minutes dates. earlier so they’re not breaking a land-speed City Manager Marie Garrett also atrecord getting out of my neighborhood. . tended the meeting to discuss planning in . I’m really getting fed up with it, but I the city, which is developing a master plan think we’re going to need some police inalong with transportation and parks plans, tervention.” and a strategy for improving the Buford Resident Ruth Blackstock said she was Highway corridor. concerned that with Eyre’s sudden resigna“We have a little jewel in this city that tion in April, citizens are under-representhas supreme opportunity for improveed and council members are overworked. ment,” she said. Garrett encouraged res“We are doing so much in this city, you idents to stay involved with the steering guys have taken on a tremendous agenda, committee and master plan process. “We and there are still only 24 hours in a day,” want community input,” she said. she said. “I am watching some very good Following the town hall, Davis said he people be very thinly stressed to try and thought it went well and was delighted to address the needs of all the constituents.” hear applause.

Blackstock asked if the council would “They’re listening,” Blackstock said.

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

Published by Springs Publishing LLC 6065 Roswell Road, Suite 225 Sandy Springs, GA 30328 Phone: 404-917-2200 • Fax: 404-917-2201 Brookhaven Reporter | Buckhead Reporter Dunwoody Reporter | Sandy Springs Reporter www.ReporterNewspapers.net Atlanta INtown www.AtlantaINtownPaper.com

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DeKalb CEO on ethics changes: ‘We are putting our money where our mouth is’ Nearly a year ago, I was appointed to the office of DeKalb’s Chief Executive by the governor under some pretty bad circumstances. As everyone is aware, there was a cloud of suspicion, uncertainty and a perception of impropriety, if not actual wrongdoing.

But before that, DeKalb County was in the news repeatedly with allegations and accusations. Certainly the suspended CEO captured most of the spotlight, but he was not alone. There were several employees at that time that had been caught taking or soliciting kickbacks. And over the past year, the hits just kept coming, including more allegations of potentially criminal wrongdoing and the whole Pcard [county-issued purchasing cards] fiasco.

What is frustrating is that DeKalb County has more than 6,500 employees. If everyone who has been in the news is rightly accused, then only a small fraction of all employees have sullied and tarnished the good work of all the rest. It is incumbent upon us to turn this negative perception around.

LEE As in every government body, we have mechanisms in place to properly adjudicate claims of wrongMAY doing. For example, our ethics board, which has one of the largest budgets, has the most resources and the most recourse to take action if it sees fit.

GUEST COLUMN I am a firm believer in due process and allowing the issues that have been brought forth to run their legal course. Having said that, it’s the improper and possible illegal activity in DeKalb’s ranks that we don’t know about that keeps me awake at night.

We need more tools in our toolbox of ensuring ethics and integrity in this county. This is why I announced an executive order that clearly defines what our ethics policy is. It compiles our ethics guidelines which can be found in the Organizational Act as it pertains to merit system employees, but this executive order will take it a step further.

All employees under the supervision of the CEO are required to adhere to the ethics policy. Specific guidelines as it pertains to gifts, meals, travel and tickets are spelled out so there is no room for interpretation.

No employee may receive a gift of more than $40 with a maximum of $120 per calendar year. It’s very simple, and the only exceptions are few and specific. The same applies to meals.

Travel and event tickets, which should not happen very frequently, if at all, are only allowed for official government purposes, and strict limits apply.

Also included in this executive order, I am recommending a budget adjustment to fund the creation of a fulltime Chief Integrity Officer, investigator and administrative assistant to serve the DeKalb County Ethics Board. These positions will be hired by, and report directly to, the Board of Ethics.

I am recommending the Chief Integrity Officer be responsible for training all county employees and investigating all tips regarding unethical behavior. There will also be an ethics hotline and email account which will be monitored regularly. Most importantly, the Chief Integrity Officer will have the unilateral power and responsibility to bring any ethics concerns directly to the attention of the Ethics Board.

I am serious about restoring ethics in DeKalb County Government. We will have the rules clearly spelled out, and an independent set of eyes and ears to ensure that the bad apples are dealt with expeditiously. This is all new to DeKalb County, but the time is now for us to take drastic steps to ensure integrity and ethics.

This is not the end. Rather, this is one aspect of a comprehensive, holistic and ultimately aggressive approach to restore the public’s trust in DeKalb County.

Over the next few weeks, I will be announcing additional initiatives that specifically address our Purchasing and Contracting department and a new division within our police department.

The bottom line is this: Violations of ethics rules will not be tolerated by anyone, and we are putting our money where our mouth is.

Lee May is the interim Chief Executive Officer of DeKalb County.

Office Manager Deborah Davis deborahdavis@reporternewspapers.net

On the record

Contributors Jenna Goff, Art Huckabee, Phil Mosier

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“One hundred thousand people work in and around Buckhead. We’ve got a neighborhood the street grid doesn’t support.

As the neighborhood grows, the traffic gets worse and worse, mostly caused by people who drive through here from [other areas].”

–North Buckhead Civic Association president Gordon Certain, as the neighborhood develops its own community plan “It’s a reminder there were actual farms in urban Atlanta, and Captain Cheshire might get a kick out of it.”

–Southfork Conservancy executive director Sally Sears, on the decision to name a new Buckhead trail Cheshire Farm Trail after Capt. Hezekiah Cheshire, who made his home in the area after the War of 1812

JULY 11 – JULY 24, 2014 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net

“I asked my granddaughter if she wanted to come and she said, ‘Are you kidding? It’s a tradition.’”

–Dunwoody resident Howard Kornfield, attending the city’s annual Fourth of July parade with his 13-year-old granddaughter, Maria Rodriguez “What that means is that us taxpayers here are buying that hole in the ground so that that the developers who are developing in the new City Center site don’t have to spend the money on stormwater management. We are going to pay for it, and we get to pay for ongoing maintenance.”

–Sandy Springs resident Patty Berkovitz on the city’s plans for a city flood-control project known as Marsh Creek Watershed Improvement Project BK

COMMENTARY

Some birds of a feather should not flock together I have a bit of a summertime routine. Each morning, as the humidity ripens and before it becomes oppressive, I go outside to my deck, drink a cup of coffee, wait for the Internet to connect, drink a cup of coffee, wait for my email to update, drink a cup of coffee, try to think of something to write, drink another cup of coffee, and thus ease into my day, all the while serenaded by a cacophony of tweets and trills from the backyard birds in my backyard aviary and distracted by their flights of color.

They charm me.

I had outwitted the squirrels and chipmunks that used to shimmy over the hanging rod and squeeze inside the feeder. Once I changed the feeder and the seed, those pesky varmints were dining elsewhere. Since then, birds have gathered at my feeder like commuters at a Starbucks.

I have been getting house finches and goldfinches, chickadees and towhees. Sometimes I even get bluebirds and, as we all know, bluebirds are special. Their indigo blue and cherry red colors punctuated in white and black inspire me to think of them as God’s winged rainbows, sent to me as a fluttering promise that everything will be OK. The birds were happy, I was happy, life was grand. And then…and then everything went terribly wrong.

I dashed to the wild bird store and started to explain: “I was getting all kinds of songbirds—finches and cardinals, and even bluebirds, and then…” “….and then the grackles came.”

As he finished the sentence for me, I could hear ominous music swell up in the background.

If you have a birdfeeder, you know about grackles. If you don’t, I will tell you: They are large, beady-eyed, sin-

ister-lookROBIN JEAN ing birds the color of old MARIE CONTE motor oil ROBIN’S NEST that travel in swarms and look as if, at any minute, they will perch on my deck railings and start cackling, “Nevermore.”

I don’t like them one bit.

Not only do they creep the daylights out of me, but they frighten away my pretty birds and devour my birdseed faster than it takes to say “Poe.” Plus, they make a mess and they don’t clean up after themselves, so they’re kind of like flying teenagers.

I wanted God’s winged rainbows back, not God’s winged delinquents.

Birdseed Man said the best thing to do was to remove the seed until the dreaded grackles went away.

So I removed the seed, and the grackles would squawk and crow and swoop by and leave their droppings all over my outdoor furniture in revenge, while my timid songbirds would hop around in forlorn curiosity, wondering what happened to their free lunch.

Finally, after the grackles tired of their retaliatory bombings and moved along, I would put out the birdfeeder and the lovely red and purple and gold finches would return to charm me until the word spread through the grackle grapevine, and they’d be back again, in droves.

I finally appealed to the Internet and discovered an entire community of bird-loving bloggers who were posting helpful suggestions under the headings, “bully birds,” “gangs of greedy grackles” and, “unwanted birdfeeder pests.”

We might love birds, but there is a limit to our birdseed benevolence. The truth is, grackles are no more welcome at our feeders than rats are at an animal shelter.

One blogging birder recommended using safflower seed because grackles don’t like it. So I tried that, and lo and behold, it is working. It has the same effect of announcing to my kids that we’re cleaning out the garage— it makes them disappear.

This morning I’m on my deck drinking coffee, admiring my birdfeeder that is once again covered with finches and towhees and cardinals.

And I’m waiting for bluebirds.

Robin Conte is a writer and mother of four who lives in Dunwoody. She can SPECIAL be contacted at robinjm@ earthlink.net.

Robin with her bags of bird seed.

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BY JENNA GOFF A sculpture of a door hangs in Miriam We really saw a change.”

Saul’s Sandy Springs home. Painted vividShe founded Friends of Jewish Cuba ly in blues and reds, the door was a gift in 2006 with the same goal of helping the from Temple Sinai to Saul for their trip to Cuban Jewish community. But she soon Cuba that she organized. Now, the door yearned to introduce others to the beauty stands out among Saul’s extensive collecof her home. “You can only travel for hution of Cuban art. manitarian, religious or people-to-people “I love it because reasons. You have to it reminds me of the qualify under OFAC Do you know an organization or doors that Cuba has [Office of Foreign Asindividual making a difference opened for me,” she sets Control] rules,” in our community? Email said. she said. “Others had editor@reporternewspapers.net Saul is a Cubanthe licensing, I had the American who left following.”

Cuba during that So along with her country’s revolution, when she was 11. Affriend Marla Whitesman, Saul founded ter an eight month separation from her Other Cuban Journeys. The two were able parents, her family moved into a small to get a People-to-People License from apartment in Atlanta. “I vividly remember OFAC that allows more varied groups to my father saying, ‘We’re not looking backtravel to Cuba. ward, we’re going forward,’” she said.

“Our trips focus on interactions with That is exactly what Saul did. For althe plain Cuban,” Saul said. “Cubans are most 40 years, she severed all relations she such remarkable people, and we want to had with Cuba. “I had no memories of my get an insight into their lives.” life there,” she said. “I didn’t identify.”

The interactions with Cubans on her It wasn’t until she turned 50 that she trips range from talking to workers at a started thinking about her home councigar factory to prominent artists. They try. So in 2000, she organized a trip to go touch on politics, economics, art, music, back. religion and more. “Every stop we make “I started having little flashes of memhas an element of learning,” said Saul. “We ory there,” she said. “And when I left, I learn from them, and they learn from us. started crying at the airport and didn’t Travelers say it’s the most complete trip stop. It was the start of a breakdown or a they’ve ever taken.” healing.”

Susanne Katz, a local curator, photogIt was also the beginning of countless rapher and writer, has taken a number of trips to Cuba. But what started out as a trips with Saul. She agrees that the journey personal journey quickly grew larger. “I is quite something. discovered a very needy Jewish communi“They are worthwhile trips,” she said. ty in Cuba,” said Saul.

“We bring all this aid, and just seeing In 2002, she began a community projwhere that goes and who it serves is pheect with the Marcus Jewish Community nomenal. But the blend of history and culCenter of Atlanta (MJCCA). The Interture that you get is what keeps me comnational Community Builders – Project ing back. It’s not at all what you’d expect.”

Cuba gathered a large amount of donaBut even after affecting lives like Katz’s tions such as clothing, toys and medicine and the Cuban community, Saul still conto bring to Cuba. siders her trips to be personal.

“You can’t get a lot of basic supplies “I’ve done things for people, but they there and you can’t ship things in,” said have done things for me,” she said. “I am Saul. “For six years, we carried supplies in. healed now.”

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Miriam Saul and her group at Fuster’s Folk Art Garden in Cuba.

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Randell Frostig and his dog, Allie, recently spotted a copperhead in the backyard of Frostig’s Buckhead home.

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Randell Frostig’s dogs noticed the intruder first.

“They were staring at something,” Frostig remembers. “They were just trying to figure it out.”

When Frostig checked around the fence behind his Buckhead home to see what had drawn his dogs’ attention, he was surprised to discover that a snake, a venomous copperhead, had slithered into his yard. “We were kind of startled,” he said. “We didn’t know what to do.”

Frostig grabbed his iPhone and shot a photo while he debated what to do next.

He didn’t want to kill the snake, he said, but he didn’t want it around. “I hate snakes,” he said as he recalled his copperhead confrontation a few weeks later.

Luckily, the snake quickly moved on, heading back under the fence toward a neighbor’s yard. Frostig warned his neighbor about the snake, which got away.

Spotting a venomous snake in the backyard may come as a surprise, but finding them in metro Atlanta suburbs shouldn’t. Snake sightings are common in the Reporter Newspapers communities of Buckhead, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and Brookhaven, just as they are across Georgia.

The warm days of spring and summer set snakes on the move, which means the scaly and sometimes scary reptiles are slithering through backyards, public parks and just about anywhere else you might want to be as the daily temperature rises.

The Dunwoody Nature Center gets a couple of calls a week from homeowners who encounter unwanted snakes, executive director Alan Mothner said. City

officials say they have gotten calls about snakes in city parks and residents’ backyards.

Georgia Department of Natural Resources snake expert John Jensen says he gets 20 calls or emails a week and estimates the department could get as many as 50 a week altogether asking what to do about snakes. And Matthew Field, who owns All Wildlife Control in Roswell and removes snakes when homeowners call for help, said he gets a few calls a day.

Steve Wallace was unsure just what to do when, one Saturday in late May, he found a two-foot-long copperhead in his backyard in Dunwoody. He pinned the animal with a hoe, but because the snake was on soft ground, Wallace couldn’t manage to kill it at first. His wife called 911.

“I thought they’d come out and shoot it,” he said.

But police usually don’t make snake calls. Wallace was referred to DNR, but the agency’s offices were closed for the weekend. He contacted wildlife removal expert Field, who headed to Dunwoody to deal with the snake. But by the time Field arrived at Wallace’s home, Wallace had managed to kill the copperhead with the hoe.

Wallace emailed Dunwoody city officials suggesting they publicize what homeowners should do upon confronting a snake. “After our copperhead experience this weekend, talking with friends, neighbors, folks at Publix, etc., we’re finding out how common these dangerous snakes are here,” he said. “With a lot of people relocating here from the north, a little Dunwoody, Georgia, wildlife education for

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The snake that apeared in Randell Frostig’s backyard. |

JULY 11 – JULY 24, 2014 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net

COMMUNITY them, and their families, and for their pets would be a good thing.”

In response, city officials in June posted a statement on the city website titled simply “Snakes in Dunwoody.” It tells homeowners to watch out for snakes around piles of brush or firewood and near crawl spaces beneath homes, and to call a private wildlife removal expert to deal with venomous snakes.

DNR officials advise homeowners to ignore most snakes. “My recommendation is to leave it alone,” Jensen said.

The first thing to do is to try to identify the snake, Jensen said. Suburban backyards and forests contain many types of snakes, including rat snakes, water snakes, garter snakes and others. They kill rodents and keep to themselves, he said. “There’s no reason to fear a non-venomous snake any more than a songbird,” he said.

Is it OK to kill one? “All non-venomous snakes are protected by state law. There’s

no reason to kill them anyway. They’re completely harmless...” Jensen said. Venomous snakes are a different story. “If it’s a venomous snake, you have the legal right [to kill it]. But the safest thing is to leave it alone.”

A person trying to kill a copperhead is as likely to hurt himself or herself as the snake. And backing a snake into a corner could convince it to strike to defend itself, Jensen said. “Snakes won’t come after you,” he said. “They don’t want to use their venom in defense. The safest thing is to just walk around them and leave them alone.”

Some homeowners who encounter venomous snakes find it difficult to walk away - even after the snake is long gone.

They see their backyards in a different way.

“Now when I go out into my backyard, I can’t help but think it’s coming back, or there’s another one,” Frostig said. “You see it once and that’s all it takes.”

Identifying Snakes The Georgia Department of Natural Resources suggests homeowners first try and identify a snake before trying to kill it. It is legal to kill venomous snakes, but illegal to kill most non-venomous ones, the DNR says. Here is a website DNR officials say should help identify snakes. http://georgiawildlife.com/node/497

DNR’s advice to homeowners on what to do when you see a snake in your yard: •Never attempt to handle any kind of snake. If you are unsure of the snake’s identification, keep your distance.

•A venomous snake will most often have a triangular-shaped head as well as elliptical pupils similar to cats’ eyes, rather than round ones.

•Snakes are important predators that feed on rodents, insects and even

other snakes. There is no need to fear a snake in your yard. Simply give them the space they need.

•Despite the relatively low level of danger posed by venomous snakes, many people consider their fear justification for killing snakes. In Georgia it is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and a year in jail to possess or kill many nongame wildlife species, including non-venomous snakes (O.C.G.A. §27-1-28).

Source: Georgia Department of Natural Resources

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Wednesday, July 16, 10-11:30 a.m. Get a first-hand look at the electron tossing power of voltage, the withering heat of current, the essentials of electrical safety, and the most common techniques for generating electricity. Open to rising middle school and high school youth. Free. Open to all. Registration required by calling 404-303-6130 or emailing: marlan.brinkley@fultoncountyga.gov.

Sandy Springs Branch Library, 395 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs, 30328.

The Buckhead Library also holds the class on Thursday, July 17, 2-3 p.m. Register by calling 404-814-3500 or emailing: amy.alexander@fultoncountyga.gov. 269 Buckhead Ave., NE, Atlanta, 30305.

Wednesday, July 23, 10:30-11:30 a.m. In this hands-on workshop, students explore the challenges engineers face when designing dive suits that keep divers protected, warm and mobile in the ocean. Registration required and started July 10. For ages 4-12.

Free and open to the public. Call the Children’s Dept. at 404-303-6130 to sign up and with questions. Sandy Springs Branch Library, 395 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs, 30328. Email: comments@ co.fulton.ga.us for information.

Betsy Doty Wednesday, July 16, 10:30-11 a.m. Betsy captures your imagination with her magical storytelling skills! Here folktales full of rhythm, motion and multiple voices from around the world. Free, and open to the community. For ages 3 and up. Sandy Springs Branch Library, 395 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs, 30328. Call 404303-6130 or email: comments@co.fulton. ga.us for details.

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JULY 11 – JULY 24, 2014 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net

Thursday, July 17, 10:30-11:15 a.m.

Meet dogs and learn the different kinds of jobs dogs can have and how they help people. There will be time to pet them!

For ages 5-12. Registration required by calling 404-814-3500. The age requirement will be enforced. Free. Open to the community. Buckhead Branch Library, 269 Buckhead Ave., NE, Atlanta, 30305. Email: comments@co.fulton. ga.us to learn more.

Water Works Monday, July 21, 3-3:45 p.m. The Fulton County Department of Water Resources presents an environmental craft relating to the Chattahoochee River and the fish that live in it. Also, learn about the ancient Japanese art form Gyotaku (fish printing). Free. Open to everyone. For ages 6-8. Reservations required by calling 404-814-3508. Northside Branch Library, 3295 Northside Parkway, NW, Atlanta, 30327. Email: comments@co.fulton.ga.us with questions.

Marshmallow Bridges Monday, July 21, 4-5 p.m. Kids, learn about engineering by making marshmallow bridges! Open to the first 30 participants. For ages 4-14. Free and open to the community. Call 770-512-4640 or visit the Dunwoody Branch Library to register. 5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd., Dunwoody, 30338.

Reptiles Wednesday, July 23, 2-3 p.m. Participants will touch a live snake, learn what makes a reptile a reptile, and discover those you might encounter in your neighborhood.

Free. All are welcome. For ages 4-12. Reservations required by calling 404-814-3508.

Northside Branch Library, 3295 Northside Parkway, NW, Atlanta, 30327. Email: comments@co.fulton.ga.us for details.

Fizz, Boom, Cupcake Wednesday, July 23, 2:30-4 p.m. Check out cupcake decorating presented by professional cake decorator and sugar artist Sari McIntyre. Free. For ages 10-12; all are welcome. Open to the first 12 participants; registration began July 7. Call 404-848-7140 or visit the Brookhaven Branch Library to sign up. 1242 N. Druid Hills Rd., NE, Brookhaven, 30319.

Geology Fun Thursday, July 24, 10:30-11:15 a.m.

Learn about the rocks and minerals of Georgia, led by Bill Waggener, president of the Georgia Mineral Society. Session 1, for ages 5-7, at 10:30 a.m.; Session 2, for ages 8-12, at 11:45 a.m. Come handle some rock specimens! Free. Open to the public. Registration required by calling 404-814-3500 or emailing: comments@co.fulton.ga.us. Buckhead Branch Library, 269 Buckhead Ave., NE, Atlanta, 30305.

LET’S LEARN

Hot Flashes Tuesday, July 22, 6-8 p.m. Yoga to the rescue! Learn techniques using awareness, breath and yoga poses that help deal with hot flashes. Discover skills to help your reaction and decrease physical sensations. Free.

For members of the Cancer Support Community. RSVP to 404-843-1880. Cancer Support Community Atlanta, 5775 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd., Suite C-225, Atlanta, 30342. To find out more, visit: www. cscatlanta.org.

What the Yankees Did Thursday, July 24, 7-8:30 p.m. Historian Steve Davis takes a nearly street-bystreet inventory of Civil War Atlanta and explains what was destroyed by the Union Army, what was destroyed by the Confederate Army, and what was destroyed as a result of looting or rioting. Free; donations welcome. Open to the public. Heritage Hall, lower level of Heritage Sandy Springs, 6110 Bluestone Rd., Sandy Springs, 30328. For more information, visit www.heritagesandysprings.org or call 404-851-9111.

Women & Money Saturday, July 26, 4-5 p.m. More women are responsible for their financial well-being.

So, no matter what life stage they’re in, women should know how to save, invest and plan for their future. Session includes free workbook. No specific insurance or investment products will be discussed. Free; for adult audiences. Registration required by calling

Car Show Thursday, July 17, 6-9 p.m. Check out the next Dunwoody Driving Club Car event, this time at Brook Run Park. Enjoy vintage cars along with food trucks and live music. Free. All are welcome. 4770 North Peachtree Rd., Dunwoody, 30338. Call David Andersen at 404-514-0424 with questions. Go to: www.dunwoodydrivingclub. com to find out more about the club.

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Friday, July 18, 8 p.m. Storyteller Dolores Hydock and music historian Bobby Horton perform in “A Sweet Strangeness Thrills My Heart: The World of Sallie Independence Foster, 1861-1887.” Based on Sallie’s diaries, papers and letters from her brothers off at the Civil War, the act features camp songs, period favorites and original tunes, creating a world of innocence turned upside-down. $15 for Atlanta History Center members; $20 for non-members. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit: www.atlantahistorycenter.com or call 404-814-4000.

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Chamber Music Thursday, July 24, 10:30 a.m. Enjoy many well-known classic favorites during this Franklin Pond Chamber Music student outreach concert. Free. Appropriate for all ages. Sandy Springs Branch Library, 395 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs, 30328. Call 404-3036130 or email: comments@co.fulton. ga.us for details. Visit: http://franklinpond.org to find out more about the group.

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Limited to the first 20 participants. Registration required by emailing: amy.alexander@ fultoncountyga.gov or calling 404-8143500. Buckhead Branch Library, 269 Buckhead Ave., NE, Atlanta, 30305.

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out & about

Local artist’s work featured at Blue Heron Nature Preserve

BY JENNA GOFF Kerry Butler started painting when he was a boy.

“I was always drawing in class, starting at the age of 5,” said the Peachtree Hills artist. “So my parents gave me a paint-bynumbers kit and then a paint set, and it only progressed from there.”

While pursuing other jobs and moving around the East Coast, Butler consistently painted. “Whatever I was into, I was still doing art,” he said.

Now, Butler’s passion has produced over 300 paintings. Many are being showcased at the Blue Heron Nature Preserve Art Gallery until Aug. 29.

His work is fitting for such a gallery.

“I’ve always believed that I was reincarnated from a tree, because I love trees,” Butler said. “So naturally my work features a lot of trees, landscapes and nature scenes.”

Butler’s depiction of animals attracted people at the gallery to his artwork.

“Many of the paintings we’re exhibiting have animals in them that you can find here at the preserve,” said Nancy Jones, Blue Heron director.

While Butler is mainly moved by nature, he also finds inspiration from his extensive collection of used books. He will often find a photograph that he likes and create a painting off of it.

“I take bits and pieces from photo-

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graphs and then add what I see is missing,” Butler said. “The paintings then just kind of come together.”

In one such piece, he painted a sunstreaked evening sky from one photograph, and then added details such as a church from other photographs. The end result was entirely Butler’s own. “I want to be in most of my good paintings,” he said.

Over the years, Butler has experimented with a range of different mediums. “I first fell in love with oils,” he said. “But I’ve also been into acrylic and watercolors.”

No matter the medium, Butler’s

paintings show his attention to detail.

“I love the way he blends colors,” Jones said. “All of his work is colorful and realistic.”

Butler said that most of this technique comes intuitively. “I knew things about painting without being taught,” he said.

He explained his motivation to paint in a similar way. Even with the many that come from work, family and other hobbies, Butler said has always found himself drawn to painting.

“I can’t explain it so much in words,” he said. “It’s just something I’m driven to do.”

Butler’s artwork is on display now until Aug. 29 at the Blue Heron Nature Preserve. Visit www.bhnp.org for more information.

Where: Blue Heron Nature Preserve 4055 Roswell Rd., Buckhead When: Through August 29 How much: Free For more info: 404-345-1008, www.bhnp.org

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JENNA GOFF

Kerry Butler’s work features trees, landscapes and nature scenes.

JULY 11 – JULY 24, 2014 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net

Stage Door Players announce new season

BY JENNA GOFF

Dunwoody’s Stage Door Players have announced their 2014-2015 season, but first they conclude their 40th anniversary season this month with Neil Simon’s comedy “The Odd Couple.”

“This show was chosen as our yearly gift to our audiences,” said Robert Egizio, the artistic director of Stage Door Players.

“A classic comedy is a perfect way to end the season.”

“The Odd Couple” presents two drastically different men who decide to room together with disastrous, but comic, results. “It’s a great show with history and familiarity,” said Egizio.

The 2014-2015 season promises a variety of types of shows.

“We have two regional premieres of new comedies that I think the audience will really respond to,” Egizio said.

The comedy “I Do, I Do, I Do” runs from September through October of this year. It follows the misadventures of a bride who finds herself engaged to three ideal men, and she can only marry one.

The “Rabbit Hole” follows in November. The show is a tragic look at the life of a couple after a life-shattering accident.

“Private Lives,” a comedy about two ex-lovers honeymooning in the same location, brings in the new year, followed by “Rounding Third,” the story of two dissimilar Little League coaches, in March and April of 2015.

The romantic comedy “Sylvia,” about the impact of a stray dog on a couple, opens in May 2015.

“The Mystery of Edwin Drood” closes out the season next July.

What: Stage Door Players’ production of The Odd Couple Where: 5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd., Dunwoody, 30338 When: July 11 – August 3. Regular performances are on Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m., with a Sunday matinee at 2:30 p.m.

There will be an additional performance on Thursday, July 31 at 8 p.m.

How much: $27 for adults; $25 for seniors; $22 for students; $12 for youth 12 and under For more info: 770-396-1726; www.stagedoorplayers.net

FAITH

New pastor aims to make old church ‘blossom’

Brookhaven

BY JENNA GOFF Over the course of a few days, membership at Ebenezer Primitive Baptist Church jumped from one to 27. And the new pastor, Gus Harter, believes they’re only getting started.

After over 30 years as pastor of Bethany Primitive Baptist Church in Suwanee and eight years serving in the Philippines, Harter found himself called to the church in Sandy Springs.

“I came here to make this historic church work,” he said. “I don’t want to see it die.”

Ebenezer Primitive Baptist Church has fallen on hard times. First established in 1829, it sits on the corner of Roberts and Spalding Drives. But whereas it had over 1,000 people attend service in 1928, its membership dropped to an all-time low this spring.

“When I came, Edward Cagle [the previous pastor] was the only active member of the church,” Harter said.

“But 27 people joined with me so we’ve got a basic start.”

Patsy Froy is one of the members who moved with Harter from Bethany Primitive Baptist Church to Ebenezer. “I’ve known him my whole life, basically,” she said. “He’s been there for funerals, babies being born, weddings. He’s a very influential person in my life.”

Harter plans on renovating the church as his first order of business.

The current brick building stands across the street from the original church, which Harter said was taken apart by Union soldiers during the Civil War. The building as it is now is the church’s fourth reconstruction.

“I want to dress it up, but I don’t want to lose the antiquity of it,” said Harter. “It’s a beautiful church.”

He thinks that this beauty alone, coupled with the improvements, will help attract new members. But Harter also believes that the church offers something different.

“We are not contemporary, but we are unique,” he said. “Every service has 30 minutes of a capella singing, and about 45 minutes to an hour of expository preaching. And we have a potluck lunch after church.”

Primitive Baptists are known for the simplicity of their worship. No musical instruments are allowed in church, so members engage in Sacred Harp singing, a tradition where singers use their voices as instruments in four-part harmony. There are also no divisions by age or gender. This means that children attend services and are encouraged to participate in all activities.

Although this is different than many, more modern, churches, Froy is certain that membership will increase.

“We have really great services,” she said. “And Brother Harter is such an inspiration.”

Harter’s track record backs Froy’s confidence. He previously assisted in helping Bethany Primitive Baptist Church build their new building, which he claims is the largest Primitive Baptist church in the nation. And during his years in the Philippines from 2000 to 2008, he built 100 churches, he says, and started a clinic and an orphanage along with his wife, Betty Jo. “I’m anxious to get in there and rebuild this church,” Harter said.

For now, he plans to keep holding services on Sunday mornings starting at 10:30 a.m. But if membership continues to grow, he has other ideas.

“If we get membership in Dunwoody, I’ll add an afternoon service,” he said. “And we have over 5 acres.

If I need to, I’ll build another, larger, church.”

But no matter what the future holds for Ebenezer Primitive Baptist Church, Harter will remain positive.

“I want to see this church blossom,” he said. “And I believe that it will.”

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Ebenezer Primitive Baptist Church’s new pastor Gus Harter has big plans to make the church, established in 1829, “blossom” and grow.

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JULY 11 – JULY 24, 2014 | 15

rant Re

vi

au

t

Anis Cafe and Bistro

Res

DINING OUT:

ew

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Bonjour, mes ami! I’m dining at this quaint and charming café and bistro called Anis. Wish you were here!

But… don’t buy an airline ticket because I’m speaking French; this place is closer than you might think.

Anis Café and Bistro occupies a converted house on a side street in the Garden Hills neighborhood of Buckhead, not the south of France. It’s full of personality and busting at the seams after enjoying over 20 years of awardwinning success.

It’s service beyond the branch.

Buckhead | Sandy Springs | Dunwoody *Deposits made at Synovus ATMs may not be available for immediate withdrawal.

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Mussels Marinieres

Anis does both “café” and “bistro” quite well. Sit outside under the covered patio and have a glass of Gousseaume Sauvignon Blanc and a plate of Mussels Marinieres, with white wine, garlic, parsley and cream. The mussels are tender, and you’ll want to sop up the garlicky broth with a hunk of crusty French bread.

Or order a Kronenbourg beer and a plate of Calamari Frit, nicely cooked and corn-meal dusted, with a Harissa remoulade providing a spicy kick. Yes, close your eyes and be transported to Provence. C’est si bon!

The popularity of Anis has not only caused it to physically expand to its limits with a variety of inside and outside dining options, along with a funky little bar, but also to expand its menu to dishes and price points that stretch the casualness and more forgiving atmosphere of a café/bistro.

Several of the dishes we tried were underdone and underseasoned, not befitting of a kitchen whose dinner menu “Plats Principaux” range from $21-$33 an entrée. The service, while also suited for a casual environ, stumbled with the finer points. Orders were served in “roll call” style fashion: “Alright, who had the chicken and who had the fish?” and additional glasses of wine, refills on water and additional utensils took repeated queries.

The Boeuf au Poivre, ordered by two at our table, was a fine piece of beef but both servings were undercooked, medium rare being rare, and medium being medium rare. The accompany-

ing cognac peppercorn sauce added a peppery heat but otherwise had little flavor. The Lyonnaise potatoes, roasted portabello mushrooms and sweet onions were a nice accompaniment, but a meager portion for a dinner entree. The Poulet Roti, thyme roasted, free-range chicken, was moist but needed seasoning, and lacked a nicely browned and well-rendered skin.

The kitchen actually prepares “poisson” quite well, and it was the highlight of our meal. The Truite Meuniere, a pan-roasted trout with wilted greens, marinated artichokes and capers in a lemon brown butter was perfectly done, the fish flakey and firm.

The Loup de Mer, the literal translation being “Wolf of the Sea”, but really a European version of sea bass, was nicely cooked and perched atop a concoction of leeks, potatoes and a saffron nage, a poaching liquid thickened with flour and butter. It was a comforting dish but light enough to still enjoy in the warmer weather.

The dessert offerings were the usual French suspects. We opted for the profiteroles and the crème brulee; both were faithful “examples” of each. Several of our diners’ preferences would have been that the caramel on the brulee be torch-fired just prior to serving so that it was not only crispy but warm as well.

Creme Brulee

A quick check of a favorite local airline produced round-trip ticket prices from Atlanta to France of over $2,000.

So save your Euros and visit Anis Café and Bistro. You’ll have a “bon moment” if you let it show you its more casual roots.

Anis Café and Bistro is located at 2974 Grandview Avenue, Atlanta, 30305, 404-233-9889. It can be found online at anisbistro.com.

Art Huckabee is one of Yelp’s Elite Reviewers, as well as a pilot, gourmet cook and food lover. Send feedback to atlantafoodwriter@gmail.com

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The Southern Gentleman, a gastropub, will open later this year at Buckhead Atlanta.

Chris Hadermann, John “JP” Piemonte and Mike Evertsen have started their own restaurant group, Southern Proper Hospitality. The trio have opened a string of notable restaurants – East Andrews Café, The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill and Smokebelly among them – and is formalizing their privately-held company and adding two more restaurants to the group this year.

Gypsy Kitchen and The Southern Gentleman will open later this year at Buckhead Atlanta. At the helm of the company’s day-to-day operations is Guido Piccinni, chief operating officer, who previously worked at fine dining restaurant Pricci, the acclaimed Five Diamond Rosewood Hotels & Resorts and Hotel Cresta & Duc in Italy.

Former NFL quarterback Nate Hybl will open Gusto Wood Fire Grill in Brookwood Village, 1935 Peachtree Road, later this summer. The space was formerly Saigon Café. The menu had not been made available at press time.

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Grace Guynn, rising junior St. Pius X Catholic School Though Grace Guynn has always had a love for service, she recently found a conduit for cultivating her passion.

Ever since she was young, Grace’s mother, the founder of a nonprofit, has instilled in her a love of serving the less fortunate. But when Grace joined the GivingPoint Institute, she discovered a way to nurture her love of volunteering while also building her own name in the world of philanthropy.

The institute is a nationwide youth development nonprofit that provides young people with tools to build effective projects based on their social causes. In the past year that Grace has worked with the institute, she has worked on constructing a curriculum for preschool children to teach them what volunteerism means and how to become a volunteer.

Grace plans to include three main aspects of community service in her curriculum: helping sick children, hungry children and animals.

Grace says the end goal of her project is to “build a new generation of teens and young adults who have a passion for service, so it comes as second nature to them.”

One of the key aspects of being a member of the institute is the mentorship. Grace is paired with Adam Ross of Social Vest, an Atlanta-based shopping website that allows customers to direct a portion of purchases of specific brands to charity. He has been her mentor since the launch of her project, and is able to guide her from the perspective of someone who has successfully turned his passion into a prosper-

ous company.

“She could have chosen a wide variety of ways to make the world a better place, but by choosing to teach small children about volunteering, she’s connecting with them at an age where she can really impact how they view service,” Ross said.

Through her experience with GivingPoint, Grace says she has learned skills that will lead her to achieving success in this project and future ventures. One of the greatest skills she has learned, she says, is how to effectively communicate her ideas to ultimately convince people to take her and her project seriously.

When Grace is not busy with her service work, she is a dedicated student, having achieved honor roll in each semester. She also plays for the junior varsity volleyball team at St. Pius, and is a team captain for a club volleyball team.

What’s Next: Grace will work through the GivingPoint Institute again for the 201415 school year.

–This article was reported and written by Elizabeth Harvey, a student at The Westminster Schools.

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 1900 block of Dresden Drive – A robbery in the street using a gun was reported on June 22.  3900 block of Peachtree Road – A robbery of a business using a weapon was reported on June 27.  3800 block of Peachtree Road – A robbery of a financial institution was reported on July 1.

BURGLA RY  1700 block of Briarwood Road – A burglary to a residence, without using forced entry, was reported on June 20.  4200 block of Reserve Drive – A burglary to a residence, using forced entry, was reported on June 24.

 3500 block of Ashford Dunwoody Road – A larceny of articles from a vehicle was reported on June 21.  700 block of Town Boulevard – A larceny of articles from a vehicle was reported on June 22; shoplifting was reported on June 29.  4000 block of Peachtree Road – A larceny of articles from a vehicle was reported on June 23; a larceny of articles from a vehicle was reported on June 26.  3200 block of Buford Highway – Theft was reported on June 23; theft was reported on June 30.  3100 block of Woodrow Way – A larceny of articles from a vehicle was reported on June 23.

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 3500 block of Ashford Dunwoody Road – A burglary to a non-residence, without using forced entry, was reported on June 26.  3500 block of Buford Highway – A burglary to a residence, without using forced entry, was reported on June 26.  100 block of Windmont Drive – A burglary to a residence, using forced entry, was reported on June 29.  100 block of Perimeter Summit Boulevard – A burglary to a residence, using forced entry, was reported on July 2.

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19  700 block of Brookhaven Avenue – A larceny of articles from a vehicle was reported on July 1.

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 1800 block of Corporate Boulevard – A missing person was reported on June 23.

 3800 block of Buford Highway/Clairmont Terrace – Simple assault was reported

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 2900 block of Clairmont Road – Terrorist threats/intimidation was reported on June 24; a public peace offense was reported on June 28.

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 2400 block of Skyland Drive – Firing a weapon was reported on June 24.

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 3500 block of Buford Highway – Firing a weapon was reported on June 27.

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 3700 block of Buford Highway – Firing a weapon was reported on June 21; harassing communications were reported on June 27; a public peace offense was reported on June 27; a verbal dispute was reported on June 27.

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 1000 block of Byrnwyck Road – A city ordinance violation was reported on June 27.  3200 block of Buford Highway/N. Cliff Valley Way – A city ordinance violation was reported on June 28.  2500 block of Caldwell Road/Dresden Drive – Firing a weapon was reported on July 2.

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PUBLIC SAFETY

Cities look to improve pedestrian safety, access CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

ture is more car-oriented, but we’re trying to be proactive to make it better for pedestrians,” said Dunwoody Public Works Director Michael Smith.

Local officials say they’re trying a variety of ways to address pedestrian problems.

“It’s a constant battle,” said Sandy Springs police Officer Brandon Smith. He says his department tries to educate pedestrians breaking the rules by stopping and talking to them when violations occur.

Smith said the problem occurs more in areas with apartment complexes located across the street from convenience and grocery stores. He said the fact that the city is installing more visible crosswalks and medians is encouraging.

Dunwoody Police Officer Tim Fecht says he recently acted as “pedestrian bait” to nab drivers who failed to yield when he attempted to walk across Mount Vernon Road.

“We’ve had several people complain about Mount Vernon traffic failing to yield to pedestrians,” he said, explaining that it’s state law for drivers to stop if they see a pedestrian approaching or crossing at a crosswalk.

During the undercover “sting,” nine violators were caught, Fecht said, with six citations handed out in an hour and a half.

Drivers also were given educational safety pamphlets.

In Brookhaven, jaywalkers haven’t been so lucky.

The report by Smart Growth America, a Washington, D.C.,-based group that advocates ways to defeat sprawl, said Buford Highway topped the metro Atlanta list of the worst roads to cross with 22 fatalities recorded in nine years. That’s why Brookhaven police want to teach residents how to safely cross a busy street.

Officer Carlos Nino, who conducts community outreach for the Brookhaven department, said his division is reaching out to pedestrians on Buford Highway by holding safety classes at apartment communities. “We truly believe that knowledge is power,” he said.

Nino said pedestrians often opt to jaywalk because

of the way Buford Highway is laid out. Pedestrians don’t want to walk hundreds of feet to a crosswalk just to cross the street, and then have to walk all the way back, he said. “There’s just so much distance between one traffic light and another, sometimes there can be a mile, or half a mile,” Nino said.

So officials have added pedestrian “islands” in some places to give walkers a place to pause halfway across.

Crossing a street at an inappropriate location, walking just outside a crosswalk, and not waiting for the correct signal can lead to jaywalkers receiving citations. Nino said fines are usually more than $200, and can run up to $500.

He thinks the situation has improved since Brookhaven became a city.

“I’m proud to say that since we started we really haven’t had the quantity of incidents that DeKalb County had,” he said, attributing the improvement to more manpower and police presence. “If you drive up and down Buford Highway you will see construction now in some pedestrian crosswalks.”

Another part of Brookhaven where officers are focusing on enforcing pedestrian laws is the Dresden Drive area near the MARTA station. Like Buford Highway, the area has a lot of pedestrians crossing the road away from the traffic signal, and also leaving bars intoxicated.

Better street and sidewalk planning also is part of the process for other cities.

In Sandy Springs, for example, the city is planning its City Center, a mixed-use development where citizens should be able to safely walk between home, shopping and offices. Sandy Springs city officials budgeted $13.5 million to spend on the City Center in the 201415 budget, $8.7 million for transportation improvements and $500,000 for its sidewalk program.

In Dunwoody, Michael Smith says that five miles of new sidewalk have been added since that community became a city five years ago. He said that in the city’s second year it won an award from PEDS, a pedestrian advocacy group in the Atlanta metro area.

In Buckhead, groups like the Community Improve-

Reporter Classifieds HELP WANTED Full time/Part time Cashier needed – Sunshine Car Wash and Detail - $8.50 per hour. Please contact 404245-9537 or apply in person: 1244 Dunwoody Village Parkway.

Software Engineers, Atlanta, GA. – Apply:www.airwatch.com Advertising Sales - Reporter Newspapers & Atlanta Intown – Join our team! You should have a record of success selling products or services to small and midsized businesses, know the local market and enjoy working in a fast-paced, deadline oriented, entrepreneurial company. Unlimited earning potential with base salary + commission + company paid health insurance. Contact Publisher: Steve Levene at 404-917-2200 ext. 111. or email stevelevene@ReporterNewspapers.net.

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ANN MARIE QUILL

Officer Carlos Nino, at Buford Highway, says jaywalking incidents are down since Brookhaven became a city.

ment District and Livable Buckhead have partnered on projects to create a network of sidewalks and trails. Projects in the area include Path400, a greenway stretching down Ga. 400, sidewalk improvements on Peachtree Road, and a pedestrian bridge at the MARTA station spanning Ga. 400.

“Buckhead is definitely making a lot of strides,” said Ian Sansom, PEDS’ pedestrian safety program manager. “It’s added a lot of density, which creates demand.

There are wider sidewalks along Peachtree that make it far more comfortable for pedestrians. But it could be a lot better. There needs to be easier ways to cross streets.

If you don’t have a street grid, it’s definitely more challenging.”

He said he also likes the progress he’s seeing in the suburbs.

“It’s fantastic seeing so many suburbs become more walkable,” Sansom said. “If you have the resources to do it you can turn any area into a walkable area.”

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JULY 11 – JULY 24, 2014 | 23

THINKING OF SELLING?

WE HAVE BUYERS!

Here is what our buyers are looking for: • Under 350, 3/2 preferred Drew Valley, Ashford Park • Under $550K - 4/2.5, updated kitchen, Montgomery Elementary • Montgomery school district tear down or newer under 800K • Anything near Murphey Candler - must have a least 4 bedrooms

IS YOUR HOUSE A MATCH? If so, call us today!

Kelly Marsh & Associates 678-576-7075 KellyM@KW.com

BrookhavenAtlanta.com The #1 Selling Team in Brookhaven 24

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JULY 11 – JULY 24, 2014 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net

BK