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Collin Kelley
Editor collin@roughdraftatlanta.com
Beth McKibben
Senior Editor, Food & Dining
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Associate Editor
Staff Writers
Dyana Bagby
Cathy Cobbs
Bob Pepalis
Logan C. Ritchie
Contributors
Eloisa Bloom, Melody L. Harclerode, Sarra Sedghi, Score Atlanta Team
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Rico Figliolini Creative Director
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Deborah Davis Account Manager | Sales Operations deborah@roughdraftatlanta.com
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RoughDraftAtlanta.com
We don’t usually toot our own horn here at Rough Draft, but I’m making an exception in this case. On July 23, our daily newsletter won the 2024 Publisher Newsletter Award for “Best Local & Community Newsletter.”
The award is not only a testament to the hard work our team has put into creating the Rough Draft newsletter but also to our readers and subscribers – more than 50,000 of you! – who faithfully read it every morning.
Two of our other newsletters – Sketchbook curated by Isadora Pennington and Side Dish curated by Beth McKibben – also made the 2024 shortlist in their categories at the awards.
link to a news story.
Putting together a daily newsletter is more than just a cut-and-paste job. While you’re reading the newsletter that arrives in your inbox at 7 a.m. Monday through Friday, we’re already planning the next day’s content. While we’ve already selected feature stories, the news cycle usually means updates through the evening and just before we hit send.
During Atlanta’s recent water crisis, I was up at 5 a.m. making updates and even writing new stories to keep the newsletter as timely and relevant as possible.
I’m approaching my 40th anniversary as a print journalist and I’ve been at the helm of Atlanta Intown since 2002. I still marvel every day that I’ve been able to sustain a career in journalism for this long. I think part of my staying power has been the ability to adapt.
Along with my duties editing the print issues of Atlanta Intown and the Reporters, I co-edit the daily newsletter with my indispensable associate editor, Sammie Purcell. Newsletter copy editor Julie E. Bloemeke makes sure we haven’t misspelled anyone’s name or included a broken
When our publisher Keith Pepper bought us during the pandemic, I was uncertain just how many of you would want to get another email in your inbox. As I watched the subscriber count tick up and got notes and comments about how Rough Draft is your main source of local news each day, I became a believer.
Knowing that you’re sitting down with your cup of coffee and spending a few minutes to catch up on all things ATL is what keeps me motivated. If you haven’t subscribed to Rough Draft or one of our other titles, visit roughdraftatlanta. com/newsletters.
Here’s the information we need:
■ Nominator (name, relationship to nominee and contact information)
■ Nominee (Name, age, grade, school, parent or guardian names, contact information)
■ Characteristics and service: Please provide a paragraph describing why this nominee deserves recognition. Include service projects, goals, and areas of interest.
■ A high resolution photograph (1MB in size or more) of the student in any setting.
MARTA hits pause on Five Points Station renovation plan
By Collin Kelley
MARTA paused “service impacts” at Five Points Station scheduled to begin in July as part of a $230 million renovation project.
The announcement came after weeks of pushback from Mayor Andre Dickens, the Atlanta City Council, Central Atlanta Progress, and after a protest of the revamp was held outside the Downtown Station.
MARTA had planned to reroute buses and close off all pedestrian access to Five Points to remove and replace the leaking concrete canopy and create a new pedestrian plaza. The process would take four years and close the station to thousands of users each day, not to mention visitors descending on the city in 2026 for the World Cup matches.
Just before we went to press, Dickens asked MARTA to look at repairing the canopy rather than removing it.
MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood said it would take a year to compile detailed
comparison information. The delay would likely increase the $230 million cost of the project, potentially threaten future federal funding, and open the transit agency up to lawsuits for breaking construction contracts.
MARTA said in a statement that decades of water intrusion have led to damage throughout Five Points Station, including to critical electric train control equipment, and the safety of riders.
“MARTA remains steadfast in our belief that removal and replacement of the canopy is the best option and one that was approved by our partners at the City of Atlanta,” the statement read. “We pledge to continue working with the Mayor and other stakeholders to deliver these critical infrastructure and safety improvements, enhance the customer experience, and
Atlanta moving forward as a worldclass destination.”
The renovation, which would be paid for by the More MARTA sales tax collection, would close the station for
Five candidates qualify to fill vacant seat on city council
By Dyana Bagby
Five people have qualified to run in the Nov. 5 special election to fill the vacant Post 3 At-Large seat on the Atlanta City Council.
The Nov. 5 date is also the same date of the General Election when voters will elect the next president and their U.S. congressional representatives.
Those who qualified to run for the unexpired term of the citywide seat during the June 25-27 qualifying period are: Nicole Evans Jones, Devin BarringtonWard, Duvwon Robinson, Amber Conner, and Eshé Collins.
not be resigning from the school board seat while vying for the city council seat.
The city council special election became necessary after Keisha Sean Waites resigned from the city council in March to run for Fulton County Superior Court Clerk. Waites lost the Fulton race to
A runoff for the city council post if necessary will be held Dec. 3.
Collins is a member of the Atlanta Board of Education and has said she would
keep
four years. An audit of the More MARTA program demanded by the city was still ongoing at press time.
incumbent Che’ Alexander. Waites’ resignation also ignited an uproar on the city council over when the qualifying period should be to fill the vacancy.
A rendering of the Five Points Station renovation. (Courtesy MARTA)
Courtesy Atlanta City Council
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Atlanta region adds 62,700 residents in past year
By Collin Kelley
The 11-county Atlanta region added 62,700 residents between April 2023 and April 2024, bringing the total population to 5.2 million, according to 2024 population estimates presented to the Atlanta Regional Commission in July.
The population figures are unofficial until formally voted on by the ARC Board in August.
The 11-county region’s growth slowed a bit compared to 2022-23, when the region added 66,730 people. This reflects a slowdown in housing permit activity and a slight moderation in jobs growth. High housing prices also have acted as a brake on population growth.
The fastest rate of growth in the past year occurred in the City of Atlanta (2.1%), which added 10,800 people, followed by Cherokee County (1.9%), which added 5,400 people, and Henry County (1.8%), which added 4,750.
“People from around the country are choosing metro Atlanta because of our great quality of life and our dynamic, diverse economy,” said ARC Board Chair and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. “Of course, our continued growth is not guaranteed. We must continue to invest in our region’s infrastructure to ensure a successful future.”
The region’s growth is being driven by the economy, the report says. Metro Atlanta’s job employment base has increased 6.4% since the pandemic began in early
2020. That’s the seventh highest in the nation among selected peer metro areas, trailing Austin, Dallas, Las Vegas, Orlando, Houston, and Miami.
Each of metro Atlanta’s 11 counties saw population increases in the past year. Fulton County, including the City of Atlanta, added 17,400 residents, the largest numeric increase in the region, followed by Gwinnett (14,900), Cobb (6,700) and Cherokee (5,400). Gwinnett County’s population topped 1 million for the first time and now totals 1,012,112.
Douglas County showed a sizable yearover-year increase, growing a rate of 1.6%, compared to 0.9% in 2022-23. Douglas added 2,400 residents in the past year and now has a population of 153,000. In 2023, 28,595 residential building permits were issued in the 11-county region, a decrease of 21%, or nearly 7,500 permits, compared to 2022. Current building permit activity remains lower than pre-Great Recession permit levels and fell below the 1980-2023 average annual level of 33,430.
The City of Atlanta once again led the region in number of building permits issued, with 7,621 – 85% of which were for multifamily housing units. Gwinnett had the second-most permits issued at 5,423, followed by Cobb at 2,956 and DeKalb at 2,276.
More information can be found at atlantaregional.org.
Courtesy Atlanta Regional Commission
News RoundUp
Atlanta has been named one of the six finalists to be the new host location of the Sundance Film Festival. The other finalists are Boulder, CO, Cincinnati, OH, Louisville, KY, Park City/Salt Lake City, UT, and Santa Fe, NM. The festival is currently held in Park City and Salt Lake City and would not move to a new location until 2027.
The historic Ebenezer Baptist Church on Auburn Avenue is one of 11 Civil Rights Movement sites in the South that could potentially be added the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The City of Atlanta is offering a rebate on a purchase of standard or cargo electric bikes sold at local bicycle shops. The Atlanta e-bike rebates range from $500 to $2,000, based on the applicant’s income and the type of e-bike requested.
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Transportation after an IT glitch in July forced the cancellation of hundreds of fights and left passengers stranded at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Metro Atlanta schools ban student cell phone use on campus
By Logan C. Ritchie
A new technology trend for the 202425 educational year is locking up students’ cell phones during the school day.
DeKalb County school board voted in July to join a growing movement to reduce cell phone usage at school. Marietta City Schools and Atlanta Public Schools have already committed to the plan.
Public school systems around the state are warming to the idea. Griffin Middle School in Smyrna barred cell phones during the 2023-2024 school year, and Liberty County near Savannah announced
in June that students would lock their cell phones in a pouch while on school grounds.
A May 21 letter from Midtown High School Principal Betsy Bockman said cell phones will be banned from hallways and classrooms based on feedback from staff.
“We polled our teaching staff about the biggest challenges to teaching at Midtown High. Policing cell phone use and competing with cell phones for student attention was by far the biggest challenge listed by teachers,” Bockman wrote to families. “This feedback came from across a wide spectrum of grade levels, departments
and courses. The burden on our teaching and administrative staff to manage cell phones and the behaviors enabled by cell phones is considerable.”
While Midtown High School’s policy is focused on phones, the ban will include personal computers, smart watches, tablets, earbuds, and headphones.
Students at the Midtown High School newspaper, The Southerner, wrote in an opinion piece that the ruling has the potential to curtail coverage and censor the journalism program.
Marietta City Schools Superintendent Dr. Grant Rivera wants the district to be the first in Georgia to pilot Yondr, a lockable pouch for phones.
“Teachers feel like they’re losing the battle,” Rivera said in an interview before the June 18 school board vote.
Letters of support came to Marietta City Schools from former Gov. Roy Barnes, Sens. Kay Kirkpatrick and Jason Esteves, Marietta Police Chief David Beam, as well as leaders in education and religious institutions.
Adrian Epps, dean of the Bagwell School of Education at Kennesaw State University, wrote, “This initiative is not merely about limiting technology; it’s about reclaiming the classroom as a space for intellectual engagement and personal growth … I applaud Marietta City Schools.”
At press time, both The Lovett School and The Westminster Schools also announced they were banning cell phones using various methods including the Yondr pouch.
Beltline unveils new branding
The Atlanta Beltline has unveiled a new “visual identity” and website designed to better update and engage users as the project moves toward its 2030 completion date.
The new branding, led by Atlantabased marketing agency Alloy, features a streamlined font and colorful logo called “The Beacon,” which will begin appearing on new signage along the trail over the next three to six months.
In an interview with Rough Draft, the project’s President & CEO Clyde Higgs said the Beltline is approaching the 20th
anniversary of the creation of the tax allocation district which kicked off the creation of the 22-mile trail loop around Atlanta.
“We’re embarking on the next chapter of our story,” Higgs said. “This new website and brand is truly a refresh. It reflects the progress we’ve made and where we’re going, emphasizing our role as a catalyst for making Atlanta a global beacon for equitable, inclusive, and sustainable life.”
Collin Kelley
SPORTS
High School Football Preview
Score Atlanta, founded in 2004 as a weekly sports paper, is now one of the state's largest producers of television and digital broadcasts of Georgia high school sports and has a multitude of promotional print projects for partners such as the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, the Georgia High School Association, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Score Atlanta has the most-used app for Georgia high school sports scores and operates events such as the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic, the Great Atlanta Bash, the Drive for the GHSA State Title, the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame, and the Georgia Elite Classic. Score Atlanta will also be introducing its very own High School Football & Flag Awards, with an award ceremony that will take place on Sunday, Dec. 8 at the new Teamsters Local 728 event hall, featuring the naming of the very first Mr. and Miss Georgia for football and flag. Additionally, a new studio within the Score Atlanta offices has been built, and starting in August will air daily high school sports shows starting at 11 a.m. In partnership with Rough Draft, these team previews were authored by Seth Ellerbee, Craig Sager II, Najeh Wilkins, Hayden Gilbert, and Max Wolborsky.
Decatur
Bulldogs
Head Coach: William Felton
Coach Record: 27-16
2023 Record: 5-6
2023 Region Record: 3-2
2023 Region: 4-5A
2024 Region: 4-5A
Stadium Name: Bulldog Stadium
2024 Schedule:
8/23 vs. Greater Atlanta Christian
8/29 @ Carver-Atlanta (Henderson)
9/6 vs. Stephenson
9/13 vs. Chamblee
9/20 @ Arabia Mountain (Hallford)
9/27 @ Dunwoody (North DeKalb)
10/4 @ Shiloh
10/18 vs. Lakeside-DeKalb
10/25 vs. Woodward Academy
11/01 @ Tri-Cities
Decatur carries a five-year playoff streak into the 2024 season and will enter its fifth season under head coach William Felton. The Bulldogs are in the midst of one of the most successful stretches in the program’s over 100-year history and will see their second former star get inducted into the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame this October with Class of 1941 grad Frank Broyles. In 2024, Decatur has the opportunity to match its all-time record with a sixth-straight playoff appearance and will compete in Region 4-AAAAA — which will present Woodward Academy, Dunwoody, Tri-Cities, Lakeside-DeKalb and Shiloh as new region challengers — replacing Tucker, ML King and Lithonia and maintaining Chamblee and Arabia Mountain to form an eight-team region instead of last year’s six-team size. This year’s team will return Class of 2025 quarterback Barron Scott and 3-star athlete Kaleb Lanier. Defensively, Ethan Johnson is back after leading the way with a teamhigh 86 tackles last season and can handle edge and outside linebacker duties as a disruptive force that produced 15 tackles for loss. At receiver, Rahmad Elmahdi, Kaleb Lanier, Jersharius Lawrence, and Christian Jamison are returning seniors who all hauled in doubledigit receptions last season. In the backfield, Darius White is a Class of 2027 prospect who finished his freshman season and varsity debut last year with a team-high 105 carries for 647 yards and eight touchdowns with a 6.2 yards per carry average. Rising seniors Barron Scott, Tim Britt, and Lawrence each rushed for multiple touchdowns last season and added to the major potential of this year’s rushing attack.
Druid
Hills Red Devils
Head Coach: Frederick Greene
Coach Record: 15-21-1
2023 Record: 8-1-1
2023 Region Record: N/A
2023 Region: 6-4A
2024 Region: 5-4A
Stadium Name:
Adams Memorial
2024 Schedule:
8/16 vs. Miller Grove (Adams Stadium)
8/23 @ Midtown
9/6 vs. North Springs (Druid Hills)
9/13 @ St. Pius
9/20 @ Marist
9/27 vs. Lithonia (Godfrey Stadium)
10/4 vs. Tucker (Adams Stadium)
10/18 @ Northview
10/24 vs. Clarkston (North DeKalb Stadium)
11/1 vs. Southwest DeKalb (North DeKalb Stadium)
Druid Hills will have an active region to participate in for the first time since 2019 this season. After an abbreviated COVID-19 season in 2020 that saw just three games and four forfeits, the Red Devils hired head coach Frederick Greene. The team went 0-10 that first season but followed it up with a 4-6 campaign in 2022. Druid Hills took another massive step forward last season and doubled their win total with an 8-1-1 finish. Dunwoody defeated Druid Hills 36-7 and Coach Greene’s team responded with a six-game winning streak that will carry over into this season. Defensively, the 12.4 ppg allowed by Druid Hills was the best production since the 1963 season. The next goal for the program will be making history and securing their first playoff berth since the 1956 season that saw the Red Devils win their lone region title and advance to the Class 2A finals. Druid Hills will compete in a 10-team region and its season opener against Miller Grove will be the only non-region game before it takes on Midtown in its Region 4-4A opener. Last year, Druid Hills scored a 27-0 win over the Grey Knights. Druid Hills will replace leading tackler Taylor Holloman with rising junior linebackers Camden Ezzard (62) and Niko Brown (61) — who combined for 123 tackles last year. On the defensive line, Class of 2026 prospect Xavier Norris led the way with 26.5 tackles for loss last season. Offensively, Bre’Lon Cade will be back to lead the receiving corps after hauling in 31 catches for a team-high 390 yards and five touchdowns.
Lakeside Vikings
Head Coach: Morris Starr
Coach Record: 39-91
2023 Record: 5-5
2023 Region Record: 0-0
2023 Region: 4-6A
2024 Region: 4-5A
Stadium Name: Adams Stadium
2024 Schedule:
8/16 @ Berkmar
8/23 @ St. Pius X
8/30 vs. Macon County
9/12 @ Arabia Mountain
9/20 vs. Dunwoody
9/26 vs. Tri-Cities
10/03 @ Chamblee
10/18 @ Decatur 10/25 vs. Shiloh 11/01 vs. Woodward Academy
Lakeside has finished .500 or better in the last two seasons, with Head Coach Morris Starr guiding the program in the right direction. Despite not playing in a region last year, the Vikings finished the season strong, winning two of their last three games. During that stretch, the offense scored 29 points per game including scoring 30 points twice. Offensively, they will be led by senior quarterback Kyle Davis, who in the final three games of last season ended up with a five-to-one interception ratio and a quarterback rating of 105 during that span. Davis is also a dual threat and rushed for 422 yards and six touchdowns in 2023. He had his best game on the ground against Johnson-Gainesville where he rushed for 207 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively they will return their leading tackler Grady Ellerman who finished last season with 79 tackles. Another player to watch will be Makhi Williams-Lee who had a phenomenal junior season. He was second on the team with 77 tackles and also registered 10 sacks. His best game of the season came against Clarkston where he finished with four sacks. The backend will also be a place to watch for the Vikings, starting with safety Spencer Wise. Wise finished with 50 tackles and three interceptions (led the team) last season. This year Lakeside will compete in Region 4-5A which will include Arabia Mountain, Chamblee, Decatur, Dunwoody, Shiloh, TriCities, and Woodward Academy. It certainly won’t be easy for the Vikings as five of those seven teams made the postseason, including state-champion runner-up Woodward Academy.
Photo by Lily Collins
Midtown Grey Knights
Head Coach: Leroy Hood
Coach Record: 35-40-1
2023 Record: 5-5
2023 Region Record: 0-0
2023 Region: Region 5-5A
2024 Region: 4-4A
Stadium Name:
Eddie S. Henderson Stadium
2024 Schedule:
8/16: @ Lassiter
8/23: vs Druid Hills
8/30: @ McNair (AV)
9/13: vs Drew
9/19: @ Forest Park (T)
9/27: vs Jackson, Atlanta (EH)
10/4: @ M.L. King (AV)
10/10: @ Pace Academy (Riverview Sports Complex)
10/25: vs Mays (EH)
11/1: vs Creekside (EH)
The Midtown Grey Knights are entering their first season under new head coach Leroy Hood, who will be their fourth head coach in four years. Midtown is coming off a 5-5 season where its offense scored over 30 points in three games and over 20 points in six games throughout the Knights’ 10-game season. The Knights’ defense took a step forward from the year before allowing 199 points in 2022, to 178 points in 2023, the least amount of points a Midtown defense gave up during a season since 2016 when the Knights won the regional championship before they were eliminated in the second round of the GHSA Class 5A Playoffs. In 2024, the Knights moved from Class 5A to Class 4A for Hood's first season with the program. Coming off of a season with Salem in 2023, Hood spent four seasons with Pebblebrook and two seasons with Turner County before taking over the Midtown football program. With a new head coach, Midtown will look to get over six wins for the first time since 2016. The Knights are returning rising senior quarterback Noah Morrison and junior wide receiver Traevan “TJ” Jones as the pair bring back some familiar faces to the Midtown offense. Along with Morrison and Jones, the Knights return 6-foot-4, 200-pound junior wideout Kentrell White to the offense. White has attracted close to 10 offers from various college football programs such as Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Georgia State, and Western Kentucky.
North Atlanta Warriors
Head Coach: Jamie Aull Coach Record: 47-46
2023 Record: 9-2
2023 Region Record: 4-1
2023 Region: Region 4-6A
2024 Region: Region 6-6A
Stadium Name: Eddie S. Henderson Stadium
2024 Schedule:
8/14: @ Kell
8/23: vs Paulding County
8/30: vs Wheeler
9/13: vs Forsyth County
9/20: @ South Forsyth
9/27: @ Alpharetta
10/3: vs Lambert
10/11: @ North Forsyth
10/25: vs West Forsyth
11/1: vs Denmark
Coming off a successful 9-2 season, the North Atlanta Warriors will look to build off a tough first-round exit a year ago. North Atlanta head coach Jamie Aull enters his fifth season as the head coach of the Warriors, improving his win total in every season. After being a win away, a season ago, Aull and the Warriors are on the hunt for the first double-digit win season in program history this year. The nine wins last season were the most in a single season in school history, breaking the record set in 2022 at eight wins. Last season, the Warriors’ offense scored 423 points while their defense only let up 155 points, both major improvements from the years prior. With a 4-1 record within its region, North Atlanta finished second in the region to Marist who finished region play undefeated. The Warriors offense scored more than 30 points in all but one game last season and scored more than 40 on six different occasions including a 58-point outing against Johns Creek in their season opener. On the opposite side of the ball, the Warriors’ defense held their opponents to under 10 points in five games including two shutouts on the season. Key returners for the Warriors include rising senior defensive lineman, 4-star Rutgers-commit Chase Linton, and rising senior quarterback Ian Reynolds. Both Linton and Reynolds will be huge pieces for North Atlanta as they look to build off their successful season last year.
Maynard Jackson Jaguars
Head Coach: Eric Williams Coach Record: 94-115
2023 Record: 5-6
2023 Region Record: 3-4
2023 Region: Region 4-5A
2024 Region: 4-4A
Stadium Name: Eddie S. Henderson Stadium
2024 Schedule:
8/16: vs South Atlanta (EH)
8/23: vs Morrow (EH)
9/6: vs Redan (EH)
9/13: @ M.L. King (GO)
9/20: vs Drew (EH)
9/27: @ Midtown (EH)
10/4: @ Mays (Lakewood Stadium)
10/11: vs Forest Park (EH)
10/25: @ Creekside
11/1: @ Pace Academy (Riverview Sports Complex)
The Maynard Jackson Jaguars are looking to build off of an eventful 5-6 season where they went under .500 in the region with a record of 3-4. The Jaguars were eliminated in the first round of the GHSA Class 5A State Playoffs when they were defeated by Jefferson 48-14. Maynard Jackson started its season 3-1 featuring wins against Arabia Mountain, Lithonia, and Banneker with a loss to Miller Grove in the second game of the season. After their hot start, the Jaguars experienced four-straight defeats before ending the regular season on a two-game win streak. The Jaguars finished fourth in their region a year ago and are looking to improve on that mark this season. Maynard Jackson returns some of its biggest pieces to its offense starting with none other than rising senior wide receiver Rickey Dorn III. Dorn stands at around 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, and is a bigtime returning offensive playmaker who has picked up offers from Appalachian State, Memphis, and Liberty all before playing a down of his senior season. Along with Dorn, 3-star Vanderbilt-commit edge rusher Zion Lawson is one of the top returning players for the Jaguars due to his versatility. He can play all over the field on defense and can make plays on offense, playing both tight end and running back. The Jaguars also return junior lineman King McDowell, and senior kicker Fred Wallace to add some continuity for the team.
Photo by Nadia Jurkovic and Gigi Highlander
Photo by Keeva Linton
Photo by Keith Ellerman
Lovett Lions
Head Coach: Mike Muschamp
Coach Record: 187-107
2023 Record: 6-6
2023 Region Record: 5-2
2024 Region: 5-2A
Stadium Name: Kilpatrick Stadium and Conley-Oakley Field
2024 Schedule:
8/16 vs. Westminster
8/23 vs. Crisp County
8/29 @ Spencer
9/6 vs. Pace Academy
9/20 vs. KIPP
9/27 at Holy Innocents’
10/04 vs. Therrell
10/18 vs. Hapeville Charter
10/25 vs. Carver-Atlanta
11/1 vs. Washington
After second-round exits in the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, Lovett is looking to utilize experience and new talent to further extend the season. Previously in Class 4A, Lovett will move down to Class 2A this upcoming season. Head coach Mike Muschamp is at the helm again for the Lions after taking over the head coaching job in 2005. He coached the Lions to the state championship game in his third season but lost to Buford that year. In 2013, Muschamp led the Lions to a 14-1 record and capped the season with a 14-7 victory over Lamar County in the state championship game. Last season, Lovett finished 6-6 and 5-2 in Region 5-4A, earning the No. 3 seed from the region. In the first round, Lovett beat Madison County 31-24 before losing to Central-Carroll 38-10 in the second round. Junior quarterback Jayden Adams is 6-foot-2, 155 pounds, and will lead the Lions again this season. Also returning are receivers Casani Barlett, Jackson Schmidt, and Maclean Ball. Despite moving down two classes, the region battle won’t be much easier with Lovett reclassed into Region 5-2A alongside Carver-Atlanta, Hapeville Charter, Holy Innocents’, KIPP Charter, Therrell, and Washington. But with either first or second-round exits in each season since 2014’s quarterfinals appearance, Lovett wants a deep run now that it’s in Class 2A.
Westminster Wildcats
Head Coach: Gerry Romberg
Coach Record: 234-140
2023 Record: 8-4
2023 Region Record: 4-1
2023 Region: 6-4A
2024 Region: 6-4A
Stadium Name: Alfred E. Thompson Stadium
2024 Schedule:
8/16 @ Lovett
8/23 vs. Pace Academy
8/30 @ Calhoun
9/06 vs. Greater At-
lanta Christian
9/13 vs. Gilmer
9/20 vs. Benedictine
10/4 @ Cambridge
10/11 vs. Kell
10/18 @ Blessed Trinity
11/1 vs. Centennial
Westminster will again be led to the field by legendary coach Gerry Romberg who is entering his 33rd season as the head coach of the Wildcats. He is 234-140 overall and has one state championship (2015) along with seven region titles. The Wildcats return quarterback Michael Buhay who had a 63 percent completion percentage last season while averaging 112 yards per game, passing for nine touchdowns and rushing for 10. Tight end Brand Morgan had five touchdowns in six games last season before a torn ACL left him sidelined. He’s back and being looked at by Power 4 programs. The team lost its leading rushers — Fain Barton and Wade Penn — to graduation but returned Will Barton, Jonah Franco, Jack DeButts and Locke Patton to fill the spot. The biggest area for replacements is the receivers stall where five of the top six producers graduated, making way for Houston Gragnani, Mason Theis and Chase Marable. The offensive line will be anchored by Johnny Jackson who was First Team All-Region last season. The team lost its top-five tacklers but return proven contributors in DeButts (46 tackles, one interception), Braedon Willis (38 tackles, four sacks), and Theis (34 tackles, one interception, seven pass breakups and a forced fumble and recovery). Gragnani, a rising senior, had 33 tackles, one interception and two pass breakups. The Wildcats will have some holes to fill, but with returning experience, look for Westminster to make a quality postseason run after last year’s second round exit.
Woodward Academy War Eagles
Head Coach: John Hunt
Coach Record: 131-36
2023 Record: 12-3
2023 Region Record: 7-0
2023 Region: 3-6A
2024 Region: 4-5A
Stadium Name: Graham Hixon Field at Colquitt Stadium
2024 Schedule:
8/16 vs. Carrollton
8/23 @ Collins Hill
8/30 vs. Marist
9/13 vs. Shiloh
9/20 vs. Chamblee
9/27 vs. Arabia Mountain
10/4 @ Tri-Cities
10/11 vs. Dunwoody
10/25 @ Decatur
11/1 vs. Lakeside-DeKalb
Pace Academy Knights
Head Coach: Nick Bach
Coach Record: 33-22
2023 Record: 5-6
2023 Region Record: 4-3
2023 Region: 5-4A
2024 Region: 4-4A
Stadium Name: Walsh Field
2024 Schedule:
8/16 vs. Chamblee
8/23 @ Westminster
9/6 vs. Lovett
9/13 vs. Mays
9/20 @ M.L. King
9/27 @ Drew
10/4 vs. Creekside
10/10 vs. Midtown
10/25 vs. Forest Park
11/1 @ Jackson-Atlanta
WHoodward is not hiding from anyone, and they shouldn’t. They’re experienced and have a state-title-game-loss sized chip on their shoulders. The War Eagles dropped from Class 6A to 5A this season and in the team’s first two weeks, they will face two of the best teams from Class 6A, the state’s new highest class. The season-opener against Carrollton could shape up to be one of the best regular season games this year. Coach John Hunt took over at Woodward in 2011 and has won eight region titles but after the 49-28 loss to Thomas County Central in last year’s 6A championship game, the War Eagles were left wanting more. Returning experience could get Woodward back in the same position this season. Senior quarterback Landon Walker returns after going 107-of-182 passing for 1,437 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. Walker split duties with the graduated Griffin Marshall last year. The team’s top rusher from last year, Lucas Farrington (11 TDs), transferred to Walton High School in Cobb County. In the receivers' stall, Ben Grice led production last season with 11 touchdown receptions but has since graduated. Senior Josiah Abdullah had 52 catches for 786 yards and 10 touchdowns last season and returns alongside Jerome Bettis Jr. (4 TDs), Farrington (2), and London Merritt. The team graduated its leading tackler Andrew Hines III but returns Tyree Myrick who had 63 solo tackles, 19 assists, and nine tackles for loss last season.
ead coach Nick Bach looks to lead an immensely talented Pace Academy team to heights not seen in nearly a decade.
The Knights have a handful of high-end recruits on the roster. At wide receiver, this includes senior Cooper Williams, who recently received his first offer from UMass. On the offensive line, senior offensive tackle Miles Glover recently committed to William and Mary. In addition to the two seniors, sophomore offensive tackle Tim Harvey has five Division I offers from schools such as Memphis and Temple, and sophomore edge rusher Justin Weeks already has three Power 4 offers from Georgia Tech, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Pace Academy is currently on a 10-season playoff streak but will look to host and win its first playoff game since winning the Class 2A state championship in 2015. The team will be joining a new region that is very favorable for the Knights. They will kick off region play with one of the toughest tests of their season against perennial playoff team Mays. The Knights will then face M.L. King and Drew before facing the toughest test of region play, a game against 2023 5A runner-up Creekside. Pace will then face off against a Midtown team that is coming off two -straight .500 seasons. The Knights will then play a game against Forest Park and finish the season against perennial playoff team, Maynard Jackson, who has made the playoffs in eight of the last 10 years in a game that may have major playoff implications.
To see additional previews of local public and private school football team, please scan the QR code or visit RoughDraftAtlanta.com
Photo by Ben Ennis
Photo by Dave Quick
Parishioners, preservationists concerned about church renovations
By Dyana Bagby
But the Archdiocese of Atlanta, the governing body of Catholic churches throughout the northern portion of state, is backing the renovation and redesign of
Some parishioners say an approximately $4 million "redecoration" project at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus seeks to modernize the historic church and erase the history of the generations of community members who helped build and decorate it.
the Downtown landmark church known for its red brick and twin towers. The project is expected to give the church the look it had when it opened in the 1800s but with new furnishings and an updated lighting and audio visual system, according to officials.
Crews began tearing up the church's carpet and floors on July 15 to prepare the sanctuary for a new Carrara marble floor. They removed the liturgical furniture including the altar, tabernacle stand and ambo. Fabricated replacements will be installed over the next few months.
The life-sized crucifix displayed above the altar now hangs in the church's reception area. The apse mural seen above the altar and crucifix will be painted over with a new mural.
Gary Wolf, 75, has attended the church for roughly 40 years. He said he learned of the "drastic" changes last year when he walked into mass over Memorial Day weekend and saw renderings set up in the rectory. The lack of transparency, he said, led him to quit attending.
"It is a bit of a debacle. It's very sad situation," Wolf said. "They're tearing the whole altar apart, removing our crucifix, which is a major artifact, a huge crucifix that is a focal point of our church. They are totally making it look like some kind of art deco facility or something, and it will completely destroy the historical reverence of the church."
Other parishioners who have attended the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for decades are also hurt and angry by what is happening. They say the project, dubbed "For Such a Time as This," is dismantling not only the building's history, but also the history of so many families who watched their children married at that altar and then their grandchildren baptized.
"Sacred Heart was like going home,"
said Alison McGowan, 61, a volunteer at the church and whose family were members for decades. "It was so inviting. When you walked in; you felt like you were at home with your family."
A change.org petition urging the Archdiocese of Atlanta to stop the renovation has garnered more than 800 signatures since May. Other parishioners troubled by what they say has been a lack of transparency about the plans created another website, "Sacred Heart Dialogue: Save Our Sanctuary," where people voice their opposition to the changes.
A "For Such a Time as This" capital campaign has raised $800,000 so far with another $1.6 million pledged. The money has all come from parishioners, said Maureen Smith, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Atlanta.
The amount of money raised and input Father John Howren has received is a solid indication that the majority of parishioners support the redecoration project, Smith said.
Sacred Heart was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and received city landmark status in 1990. In 2010, the church was designated a minor basilica by the Vatican.
David Y. Mitchell, executive director of the Atlanta Preservation Center, said the 1976 application for the church includes numerous details about the interior.
Changing the interior, such as painting over the apse mural with a new one, could cause the church to be knocked off the National Register, he said.
If that happens, the church would not be eligible for federal assistance while planning continues to ramp up to build The Stitch, an urban greenspace, over the Downtown Connector where Sacred Heart is located, Mitchell said.
The interior of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart prior to renovation. (Courtesy Sacred Heart)
A rendering of the new interior of the Basilica. (Courtesy Sacred Heart)
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Georgia Tech’s Ramblin’ Reck showcased in net-zero garage
PERSPECTIVES IN ARCHITECTURE
The journey to create a permanent home for the Ramblin’ Reck has been paved with unwavering Georgia Tech spirit for over
100 years.
Students first gave the Ramblin’ Reck moniker to the Ford Model T, Ford Model A, and Ford V8 cars driven by Georgia Tech Dean Floyd “Bob Cat” Field on campus and with trips during his tenure from 1900-
1945.
By 1932, the car was featured with other classic vehicles and engineering contraptions during the Ramblin’ Reck Parades before all Tech homecomings.
Observing the student enthusiasm for classic cars, school leadership endorsed the vintage Ramblin’ Reck as the official mascot for Georgia Tech student body in 1960. Buzz the Yellow Jacket would appear in 1972 as the other official mascot.
On September 30, 1961, the current Ramblin’ Reck car, a Ford Model A, debuted at Bobby Dodd Stadium in front of 43,501 Tech fans for a football game against Rice University. The car has led Tech teams onto the football field at every home
Melody Harclerode
Square Feet Studio created the net-zero garage for Georgia Tech’s Ramblin’ Reck. (Photos by Garey Gomez)
A student driver, elected by the Ramblin’ Reck Club, stored the car in an undisclosed location for years. With the limited visibility of the iconic school mascot, the club hired Square Feet Studio, founded by John Bencich, AIA and his wife, Vivian, to design a 1,000 square-foot glassed pavilion and working garage to display the vintage vehicle.
The location of the Ramblin’ Reck Garage on Ferst Drive near a major pedestrian crossing on the southern end of the campus allows visitors to see the car during first-year student orientation ceremonies, school functions, and campus visits.
Square Feet Studio created a net-zero building that produces more energy than it utilizes. A six-foot roof provides natural lighting, shading from direct sunlight, and a discrete location for solar panels. Large, laminated doors pivot upwards for current Ramblin’ Reck driver and Georgia Tech
rising senior Matthew Kistner to easily enter the garage through both ends of the building. Inside the garage, visitors find a turnstile that Kistner uses to rotate the Ramblin’ Reck for display and maintenance. The interior ceiling grid mimics the grills on the car.
As Square Feet Studio Partner Emily Mastropiero, AIA notes, “We love working alongside clients who understand the commitment that we as professionals must take with respect to the environment. The meaning of this building to the Georgia Tech community made this project even more special.” The Ramblin’ Reck Garage has received 2023 design awards by the American Institute of Architects. For a university driven by the pursuit of innovation, Square Feet Studio reflects these values with a winning design.
For more information about Square Feet Studio and the Ramblin’ Reck Garage, tune into the Uplifting Places podcast hosted by Melody Harclerode on Spotify.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Summer Reading
Emily Giffin writes about friendship, love & mental health in new novel ‘The Summer Pact’
By Eloisa Bloom
Atlanta-based bestselling author Emily Giffin has just released her latest novel, “The Summer Pact,” which follows a group of college friends who make a promise to always be there for each other in the wake of tragedy.
Ten years later, the friends find themselves reuniting for an adventure that will change their lives.
I recently sat down with Giffin at her Ansley Park home to discuss friendship, love, loss, the importance of talking about mental health, her favorite Atlanta book spots, and her recent brush with royalty.
moment they lost their friend Summer. They were never the same, and we see how this continues to shape them when they come together to help each other through a different kind of crisis.
As for the three narrators, I’ll start with Hannah. I knew I wanted to have a traditional southern girl trying to find her own path. Hannah is under a lot of pressure from her narcissistic mother, who wants her to live her idea of a pictureperfect life without taking into account what Hannah truly wants.
The novel’s second narrator, Lainey, is very much a free spirit. She likes to have a great time. She has a ton of charisma and a big personality. But she is haunted by a family secret and drinks to numb herself and to cope with her feelings. This is the first time I’ve written about substance abuse with a protagonist, and I wanted to show how important friends are in dealing with weighty issues.
Lastly, we have Tyson. He is the rock of the group (and my favorite!). Tyson is also dealing with parental expectations as his mother and father are both high-profile federal judges, part of the DC elite, and he’s very bright and intellectual. Although he enjoys the academic pursuits that are expected of him, he’s not entirely happy as a lawyer in a big firm.
I read “The Summer Pact” in two sittings. It’s such a moving portrait of friendship, and how our friendships sustain us through the darkest of times. The book is narrated by three characters who meet at the beginning of their freshman year of college at the University of Virginia and form an intense bond that deepens after the tragic death of their friend, Summer. Can you tell us a bit about each of them?
Thank you so much for saying that. With this novel, I wanted to write about the power of coming-of-age friendships. My characters lost their innocence the
On the surface, it’s Hannah’s crisis — the collapse of the pictureperfect life – that brings the friends together. But the others realize they are all at turning points in their lives and have issues they must confront. I think that’s very true to life — that when we can take a pause in our life even if it’s just as simple as a benchmark birthday, we can rediscover ourselves.
For example, as I approached my 30th birthday, I decided to quit my job at my large Manhattan law firm and move to London where I wrote my first novel, “Something Borrowed” (published 20 years ago)!
It’s not a spoiler to tell readers your characters end up escaping their lives by taking a trip to Capri. How did you choose Capri? And did you have the chance to go there for research?
I have always loved Italy. I’ve been to the Amalfi Coast, but I’ve never been to Capri. It captured my imagination because it’s both a historical and a mythical place (Homer’s Odysseus arrived at Capri’s famed cliffs with his companions). And yes, I did have the opportunity to do book research there. I wanted all the details to feel authentic and vivid. The trip was magical. I went with a very dear friend (who happens to be an Atlanta-based travel advisor), and we had the most wonderful time eating and drinking and exploring and dreaming. Because the island is small, I was able to cover a lot of territory in a short period of time and see and get a lot of material for “The Summer Pact.”
Reading your book, I started thinking a lot about how so many novels and television shows feature friendships among four women. This made me appreciate that one of your characters in this group is a man, Tyson, who is willing to quit his job and break up with his girlfriend to be there for Hannah. You know, the age-old question from “When Harry Met Sally” of whether men and women can be friends or if it always morphs into a romantic entanglement. I’m a firm believer in the purity of male-female friendships and that there are plenty where the friendship is platonic from start to finish. I’ve always had close guy friends at every stage of my life. I remember at my eighth birthday party, five of the eight people at the party were boys. In college, I was a basketball manager at Wake Forest, and I had a lot of close friends on the team. Then in law school, my best friend was a guy. I think it adds another layer to include a male perspective. I love that Tyson brings a different viewpoint and that he is a man who so clearly values his friendships.
Tyson also offers a unique perspective as the only Black character in the trio. Frankly, I thought it more interesting to mix it up and have that layer and perspective. The fact that Tyson is not only the only man in the group but is also Black adds a different element, which I was nervous about because I wanted to write his story authentically. There’s always the question of do I, as a white female writer, have the right to tell a story from a point of view that is not my own. At the same time, I always want to write books that reflect the diverse world in which we live. Ultimately, I decided that because it was an ensemble cast with multiple viewpoints, I felt comfortable having a portion of the book being told from
Emily Giffin (Photo by Chris Martin)
Tyson’s point of view. I simply had to approach that POV with care and diligence. I hope readers appreciate that risk and feel that I did a good job with it.
“The Summer Pact” deals with some serious topics: mental illnesses, depression, substance abuse, and suicide. In all your work, how did you balance those heavy topics with the lighter, more romantic ones?
This might be a copout — or an overly simplistic answer – but those issues are part of life. Life is beautiful, but we go through these difficult experiences. We go through trauma and tragedy and pain and heartbreak. But the only thing we can do is to continue to go on with our lives, and try to find joy, connection, and purpose. That balance between romance and tragedy feels true to life.
Aside from that, I’m drawn to stories with multiple layers. I don’t want to spend several days reading a completely dark or a completely light book. My favorite movies and books have both.
I think the best friendships reflect this balance too; the friends you can tackle heavy experiences with, that you can be vulnerable with, but can also share moments where you can’t stop laughing are the most precious friendships to me. I wanted to include this type of friendship in “The Summer Pact.” The characters can take on serious issues, but they’re also a lot of fun.
The loss of Summer is the heart of the book, and of course, her name inspired the title. Her presence is felt even when she’s not there. What inspired the character of Summer in particular?
“The Summer Pact” is the first book I’ve written with a trigger warning. Summer, as we learn in the prologue, dies by suicide. I know there are so many layers to depression, and I’m not in any way trying to oversimplify the illness. It is an incredibly complex topic. But we have seen that young people, particularly college athletes like Summer, experience this heavy pressure and toxic culture perfectionism which can lead them to make these very impulsive decisions.
Suicide affects some of the best and the brightest, which I really started to delve into in 2017 when Kate Spade took her life and then when Anthony Bourdain died by suicide in 2018. In the lead-up to writing “The Summer Pact,” I started to see suicide impact star athletes, like the soccer goalkeeper Katie Meyer from Stanford. There was a time when we thought that suicide only affected those who were visibly depressed, but it touches people who seem to have it all. With Summer, I thought it was important to create a character who seemed to have it all and whose struggles were hidden even from those who knew her best.
Summer is an all-American distance runner, a sport that is so mentally challenging. It’s typically distance runners, too, who can be hard-working
perfectionists. I mean, who else would go out and run that kind of mileage? Having three distance runners for children who compete at high levels – my sons George and Edward compete in Division 1 at Columbia, and my daughter Harriet is a top runner in Georgia high school running– and witnessing the pressure they experience influenced my focus on mental health in distance running.
In the prologue, Tyson uses a David Foster Wallace quote in which he likens suicide to jumping off a burning building. He says, “It’s not that the person doesn’t fear falling – because he does – it’s just that falling feels less terrible than burning.”
I think this so beautifully attempts to explain the profound pain that some people experience.
Summer’s death is such a tragic loss. It is a powerful reminder that you never really know what people are carrying on the inside, even if everything looks perfect on the outside. What other messages do you hope your readers will take away from this book?
I never write a book with a message in mind — it comes together as I write it. The major takeaway didn’t come to me until I wrote the trigger warning, which I articulated in my final words to my readers, especially those who are struggling, in my acknowledgments: “Life is tough. Life is messy. Life can be heartbreakingly cruel. You have helped me through some tough times, and I hope my stories have brought you a measure of comfort. I care about each and every one of you and wish you endless silver linings.”
That’s so beautiful.
Thank you. I hope to spread the message that we are not the sum of our achievements. Our accolades, like doing well in school or having a successful career, do not define us. Rather, we are the sum of our relationships. I hope readers of “The Summer Pact” realize that our friendships are the pieces that complete us. For many people, your friends are your found family who rescue you from dark places, which is very true in this book. I hope the story is a comfort to people, and that it helps them get through tough things, hard things.
In the spirit of balancing light and dark, can we talk a little bit about Atlanta?
Hannah is from the Buckhead area. Seeing her at iconic spots like Goldbergs and Le Bilboquet was so fun. What are your favorite book-related spots in Atlanta?
For dinner and to shop gorgeous coffee table books: Lucian Books & Wine.
Favorite bookstores: Virginia Highland Books and A Capella Books.
Favorite spots to write: Urban Grind and Momo Cafe.
Visit EmilyGifffin.com to find out more about the novel and her upcoming appearances.
Margaret Mitchell House reopens with reimagined exhibits
By Dyana Bagby
The Atlanta History Center reopened the Margaret Mitchell House museum in Midtown July 10, with a new exhibit that examines more closely the popularity of “Gone With the Wind” — the novel and movie — and the influence they continue to have on American culture.
“Telling Stories: Gone With the Wind and American Memory” is the first exhibit at the museum since it was closed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The museum, at the corner of 10th and Peachtree streets, includes Margaret Mitchell’s apartment – nicknamed “The Dump” – where she wrote most of the novel.
The apartment includes Mitchell’s desk where she wrote about 90% of the more than 1,000-page novel first published in 1936. Photographs of her grandparents are now on a wall with each of their biographies. All had deep ties to the Confederacy during the Civil War; both grandfathers fought for the South.
In this environment, surrounded by supporters of the Confederacy, Mitchell learned what the Civil War meant, said Claire Haley, the vice president of Special Projects for the Atlanta History Center.
What Mitchell learned, however, is not historically accurate, as the exhibit points out.
For example, Mitchell wrote a great deal about the “Lost Cause” ideology, the idea that the Civil War was about anything other than slavery, that became popular in the South, Haley said.
“She straddled that line a little bit in the book and does acknowledge at some points that slavery was a main cause of the Civil War, but she also really assisted the viewpoint that glorifies the supposedly romantic, benign institution of slavery, one that paints Reconstruction as this great unfair evil to white people in the South,” Haley said.
“What we try to do through this exhibit is to show you who Margaret Mitchell was, and where she was getting these different ideas and stories that come out through ‘Gone With the Wind,’ to better understand how ‘Gone With the Wind’ influenced what people thought about the Civil War and Reconstruction for decades and still do to this day,” she said.
What’s so “crazy” about this time, said Sheffield Hale, president and CEO of the Atlanta History Center, is that while Mitchell is writing her novel on Peachtree
Street, just a few miles away at Atlanta U niversity, where W. E. B. Du Bois wrote and published “Black Reconstruction” in 1935.
The purpose of the exhibit is to show what was happening in the world Margaret Mitchell was in because of segregation and she was exposed politically, culturally, and intellectually “in this very specific sphere,” Haley said. At the same time, the exhibit shows what is happening outside of Mitchell’s sphere to make it part of the same story.
knowledge about the history, the story or Margaret Mitchell.
Haley said the Atlanta History Center hopes that when people walk through this exhibit, whether they love or hate “Gone With the Wind,” they leave with more
“And maybe they have a little bit more perspective about why this book and this movie continues to be so influential … how and why it continues to be relevant in our discussions that we’re having,” she said.
• Enclave of 36 intown cottages
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Margaret Mitchell House (Courtesy Atlanta History Center)
The Move: Three must-try restaurants for August
By Beth McKibben
Bangkok Thai
1492 Piedmont Avenue, Piedmont Heights bangkokthaiatl.com
Do you have a go-to restaurant in your neighborhood? For me, that’s Bangkok Thai at Ansley Mall. Serving the Midtown, Piedmont Heights, and Ansley Park neighborhoods since 1977, Bangkok Thai is within easy walking distance from my place in Midtown, and just down the street from the parking deck entrance to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. It’s not only my goto for Thai takeout, but the restaurant features one of my favorite comfort foods during lunch: drunken noodles (pad kee mao).
At $12, the stir-fry sees a heaping pile of wide, chewy rice noodles sauteed and tossed with chicken, onions, bell peppers, egg, slightly al dente green beans for crunch, and fresh basil leaves. There’s a subtle heat to Bangkok Thai’s take on drunken noodles, too, with the spiciness building with each bite. It’s not a blast of in-your-face spice that overwhelms the palate, as with some versions of drunken noodles I’ve had at other Thai restaurants. Don’t get me wrong, I love spicy food, but there’s an art to balancing heat in a dish without sacrificing the overall flavor.
For two people, two coconut chicken
old trade routes infused the country’s Mesoamerican cuisine with flavors, ingredients, and dishes from Spain, the Caribbean, and Africa.
Breakfast is the main meal of the day in Honduras, typically a hearty dish comprised of eggs, beans, fried plantains, queso fresco, avocado, and tortillas for scooping. La Glorieta serves desayuno catracho (Honduran breakfast) as well as a popular street food often eaten at breakfast: baleadas.
A layer of refried beans coats a large, thick, lightly browned flour tortilla topped with proteins like steak, chicken, scrambled or fried eggs, and avocado. The tortilla is then topped with queso fresco and crema fresca and folded over like a giant taco. At breakfast, eggs are the main protein of choice.
My move at La Glorieta is the baleada loca res. It comes with scrambled eggs and a choice of chicken or steak. I’ve added both chicken and steak to my baleada on past visits.
soups, an order of basil spring rolls, and an order of drunken noodles cost around $35 at lunch. Add $5 more to the total at dinner.
La Glorieta Honduran
4010 Lawrenceville Highway, Tucker
La Glorieta Honduran Restaurant has become one of my favorite spots to grab a quick lunch when I’m in Tucker. This small, counter-service restaurant on Lawrenceville Highway opened late last year in a former Subway.
Honduras borders the Caribbean Sea to the north, Guatemala to the west, El Salvador to the southwest, and Nicaragua to the southeast in Central America. Colonialism and centuries-
Meet the Panuozzo Napoletano. This is a take on the Campanian street food served on wood-fired focaccia found at Sunnyside Pizzeria in Sandy Springs worth seeking out during lunch.
Pizzeria Mascolo in Gragnano, Italy, south of Naples, first invented the pizza hybrid in the 1980s. Pizzaiolos shaped traditional Neapolitan pizza dough into a foot-long baguette and baked it in a wood-fired pizza oven for around 30 minutes. The bread was removed from the oven, sliced down the middle, stuffed with pizza toppings, and baked again to melt the cheese and crisp the crust. After baking, the panuozzo was sliced into pieces and wrapped in paper, creating pizza easily eaten on the go.
Sunnyside offers eight variations on the panuozzo during lunch, including the La Parma with San Manzano tomato sauce, prosciutto, and tangy parmigianoreggiano cheese and a roasted pepper version with caramelized onions, tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella drizzled
I highly recommend also ordering the pollo chuco con pechuga with fried chicken. Fried green plantains serve as the base for the dish. The crispy green plantains come topped with shredded cabbage, tomatoes, pink sauce, pickled vegetables, chismol (pico de gallo), and fried chicken.
Sunnyside Pizzeria
220 Sandy Springs Circle, Sandy Springs sunnysidepizzeria.com
Like barbecue, discussions on which Atlanta restaurants serve the best pizza will often end in a fierce debate. But what about pizza sandwiches?
with balsamic vinaigrette. I’m partial to spice, so the Diavola is my panuozzo move at Sunnyside.
Baked in a wood-fired pizza oven, the focaccia retains that signature springy crumb, but with a much crispier crust. It becomes the perfect vehicle for securely containing and soaking up wetter ingredients like tomatoes, roasted peppers, and pesto without getting soggy.
For the Diavola, a base of San Manzano tomato sauce sees spicy soppressata, savory capicola, sliced Calabrian chili peppers, and mozzarella layered on top. All panuozzos come with a choice of Caesar or sesame-ginger salad.
The drunken noodles at Bangkok Thai in Piedmont Heights. (Photo by Beth McKibben)
La Glorieta Honduran in Tucker. (Courtesy La Glorieta Honduran)
The Diavola (left) and roasted pepper panuozzo pizza sandwiches. (Photo by Beth McKibben)
Music takes center stage at these Atlanta bars and restaurants
By Sarra Sedghi
There has never been a better time to be a music lover in Atlanta. And for those who also love dining out, the proliferation of listening rooms and weekly events such as vinyl nights at coffee shops combine the experiences of dining, drinking, and listening to music in a communal space.
Music-oriented restaurants and bars aren’t a new phenomenon. Listening rooms, for example, date back to 1920s Japan with jazz kissas, which are still around to this day. These jazz cafes encourage listening to music played via vinyl recording or high-fidelity audio system rather than as background noise. There is minimal conversation between patrons, who sip everything from coffee and tea to beer and cocktails.
Bars and restaurants that center music
as part of the experience have increased in popularity across the United States in recent years. In Atlanta, these new third spaces now include The Frisky Whisker at Underground Atlanta, Stereo in Inman Park, Commune in Avondale Estates, Propaganda in Smyrna, Echo Room at Westside Motor Lounge, and The Bassment below Apt4B restaurant in Buckhead.
More music-driven restaurants and bars like Pisces on Edgewood Avenue and the Vinyl Room at Block and Drum in Chamblee are expected to open by the end of 2024.
Some longtime Miles Davis fans recently attended one of The Frisky Whisker’s jazz nights dedicated to playing music by the legendary trumpeter and composer. Afterwards, they told Cardenas they had never heard a Miles Davis album played so
clearly. It was like he was in the room with them.
That’s the point, said Cardenas. Highfidelity sound spaces like The Frisky Whisker tailor the music-listening experience as close to a recording’s original sound as possible. Dance, dine, drink, listen
Atlanta DJ and events promoter Ree de la Vega will add restaurateur to her resume when she opens Pisces on Edgewood Avenue later this year. The music-driven dining and drinking establishment will take over the space once home to The Sound Table.
While the first floor will be mainly for drinks and dancing to DJs, the second floor at Pisces will offer a place for people to dine on tacos and street food from Vice Taco and listen to vinyl records.
De La Vega ties the proliferation of sound-focused spaces like Pisces and others to the rise of Atlanta DJ culture and the DIY, pop-up, and underground music communities.
“There has never been such a wide variety of genres that you could experience in one night in Atlanta,” she said of the city’s thriving underground nightlife scene.
On any given night, people will find DJs spinning or listening parties hosted in shared
spaces, like Criminal Records, Banshee, and Stereo, the Inman Park coffee shop and listening bar from the team behind LLoyd’s and Victory Sandwich Shop. One of its owners, Caleb Wheelus, is also a DJ and often mans two turntables at Stereo in the evenings.
On the first and third Friday of every month, the High Museum hosts High Frequency and Jazz Fridays. A soundtrack curated live by DJs like de La Vega transforms the atrium and galleries of the Midtown art museum into one of Atlanta’s hottest clubs with dancing, cocktails, and guided tours of the exhibits.
A music and dining cocoon
The listening experience at most of Atlanta’s newest music-driven restaurants and bars comes down to hardware. Sometimes the trademark turntables are supplanted by horn speakers, tube mixers, stereo amps, and in many cases, vintage equipment that specialists and enthusiasts tinkered with to bring the aging sound equipment into the 21st century.
Then there are places like Commune in Avondale Estates, manufactured with sound in mind. Think of the space as a modern-day cathedral, meant to capture and keep sound
Zopari Kristjanson and Chris Devoe. (Photo by Isadora Pennington)
Stereo is a coffee shop by day and Hi-Fi listening bar and cocktail lounge at night. (Courtesy Stereo)
inside like a cocoon.
“We were able to build from the ground up and hire an acoustic designer to add layers of rock wall and angle the walls and just make sure the layout was super conducive to listening,” said Commune co-owner Zopi Kristjanson.
Kristjanson opened Commune earlier this year with her friend and former musical partner Chris Devoe, a longtime Atlanta music producer and DJ.
Another hallmark of good sound is giving noise a limit. Soft surfaces like quilts and drapery, as well as acoustic panels, absorb renegade volume.
“The more dead a room is, the clearer the sound,” Kristjanson added. “Think about being in a bar where there’s glass and brick and tile everywhere, and people constantly have to talk more, and the whole energy gets so frenetic.”
Deadening a space like Commune results in an environment where all sorts of sound — a DJ’s vinyl set, a live jazz trio,
or even a playlist saved to a smartphone — can flourish without seeming garbled or overwhelming listeners’ ears.
Wine, overseen by Atlanta sommelier and musician Steven Grubbs, and a seasonal food menu serving everything from tomato and peach salad and oysters to entrees of flounder and lamb merguez enhance the overall experience at Commune.
Shared listening experiences
In January, Caleb Wheelus and his Victory Brands partner, Ian Jones, rebranded Victory Coffee and Calamity beside LLoyd’s Restaurant and Lounge to Stereo. The shop opens daily for coffee and biscuit sandwiches. But five nights a week, Stereo becomes a Hi-Fi listening bar serving cocktails and light bites.
Wheelus lined the shelves with records from his extensive collection, which serves as the backbone for music played nightly by him and other DJs at Stereo. He plans to
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The Vinyl Room at Block and Drum in Chamblee. (Courtesy Block and Drum)
launch a listening library soon, giving people with amazing record collections a chance to share their music with others at Stereo.
“There’s definitely some people who are prolific collectors [with] pretty impressive collections that are just really kind of something special,” Wheelus said.
Stereo also hosts record day pop-ups where people buy and sell vinyl, enjoy some coffee and bond over their shared love of music.
Upcoming venues, like Pisces, prove that musical third spaces are anything but one-dimensional, while established spots throughout Atlanta continue to solidify their identities.
“DJ culture has grown so much in the past 10 years [in Atlanta],” de la Vega noted.
“Everyone can participate and enjoy it, and everyone loves music, so I think the fact that there are more DJs [and] more people into music [creates] more opportunity for these types of spaces.”
Beth McKibben contributed to this story.
Lidl coming to Interlock Tower project on Westside
By Collin Kelley
SJC Ventures recently announced new openings, leases, and agencies for phase two of Interlock Tower at Northside on the Westside, including a Lidl supermarket.
Last month, Pinky Promise Champagne Bar, a champagne piano bar, opened its doors at Interlock Tower.
Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, featuring authentic Italian ice, soft ice cream and gelati, will also be joining Interlock Tower, as well as two new office tenants: Trevelino/Keller, a reputation marketing firm, and Nexus Cognitive, a data management firm.
SJC Ventures also named Lidl as the grocer to anchor Interlock Tower. The German-based supermarket is known for its locally sourced produce and “nofrills” displays of food and goods.
Zivalich Jr., associate vice president of real estate for Georgia Tech, said in the release. “This grocer has a proven global track record that serves the needs of the Georgia Tech community with a walkable, high quality, affordable, locally sourced food option for our students, staff and faculty, as well as the growing residential population in the West Midtown community.”
The developer also recently retained Cushman & Wakefield, a global commercial real estate services firm, to handle future leasing at the property. Aileen Almassy and Will Porter of Cushman & Wakefield will oversee office leasing efforts.
Additionally, Bridger Properties, a full-service commercial real estate company, has been chosen to handle property management.
“We are committed to create an amenity driven, energetic and connected community and an investment to bring grocery is essential to all of West Midtown,” Jeff Garrison, principal of SJC Ventures, said in a press release. “We’re thrilled to meet the community’s needs and to deliver not only the best place for food and entertainment but also the best place to live and work.”
“We are delighted to see Lidl join the West Midtown community and in particular, to the western edge of the Georgia Tech campus,” Tony
Several move-in ready suites offering immediate occupancy are now available on site in multiple sizes. Interlock Tower offers a prime location on Northside Drive in Atlanta, with dining, future grocery, student housing for Georgia Tech University and a ninelevel parking deck with a Starbucks drive-thru located inside the parking structure – all within walking distance of The Interlock, the property’s first phase located on the corner of Howell Mill Road NW and 14th St. NW.
Tenants currently open at Interlock Tower include Five Guys, Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, Starbucks, Salon Lofts, Eleven Nail Bar, and GoodVets.
Klipsch AK6 amps. A vintage quilt acts as sound dampening in the background. (Photo by Isadora Pennington)
Ree De La Vega, Atlanta DJ and owner of Pisces on Edgewood. (Photo by Arvin Temkar)
Interlock Tower (Courtesy SJC Ventures)
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REAL ESTATE
Cosm immersive entertainment venue coming to Atlanta’s Centennial Yards
By Dyana Bagby
An immersive entertainment venue is coming to Downtown Atlanta to anchor Centennial Yards’ new sports and entertainment district.
Centennial Yards Company announced July 22 it signed a long-term lease with Los Angelesbased Cosm digital technology company to create a 70,000-squarefoot, three-level venue adjacent to State Farm Arena and Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The venue will include an 87-foot diameter, 12K-resolution LED dome to “deliver live sports and experiential entertainment in Shared Reality,” according to a news release.
“Cosm’s experience is unparalleled, using its Shared Reality technology to provide guests with front-row access
to global events from Downtown Atlanta at Centennial Yards,” said Brian McGowan, president of Centennial Yards, in the news release.
“With existing, world-class sports venues and the addition of Cosm, we believe Centennial Yards will become the center of gravity for entertainment in Atlanta, connecting people of all ages with an incredible combination of sporting events, music, bars, restaurants and retail,” McGowan said.
Centennial Yards Company is an affiliate of CIM Group, the developer of the $5 billion transformation of what was known as “The Gulch” into a massive 50-acre mixed-use development.
A 19-story boutique hotel and 19-story apartment building are going vertical now at Centennial Yards and both are expected to be open in 2025.
Renderings courtesy of Cosm.
Druid Hills home sets record-breaking price for neighborhood
By Collin Kelley
A Druid Hills home sold for $8 million in June, setting a record price for the neighborhood and DeKalb County. The sale was made by Harvin Greene with Dorsey Alston Realtors.
Designed by renowned Dutch architect Wanda de Jong and crafted by Tuscany Builders, the 10,400 square foot home on Clifton Ridge sits on 1.28 acres and features six bedrooms, six full bathrooms, and three half baths.
Among its distinctive features, the
home has a wall adorned with hand-sewn mother of pearls and silk thread separating the living room and kitchen. Preserved and painted dried leaves in the primary bedroom form a unique wallpaper, adding an organic feel.
Greene, who is also a resident of Druid
Hills, is a life member of the Atlanta Board of Realtors Multi-Million Dollar Sales Club. Greene has facilitated numerous significant transactions in the metro Atlanta region, and this year alone she has already sold $75 million in properties.
Photos courtesy Dorsey Alston Realtors Freelance Photography
LUKAS BABUSAK
DUSTIN LYNCH
CATHERINE HATTAWAY
IAN KERCHNER
GIOVANY GONZALEZ
SCOTT HUTCHCROFT
MIKE MASIELLE
MARCO CALVO
KAY ARROUFI
LAUREN LITTLE
OLIVER SMITH
ROCKY HUTCHCROFT
SARA JALALE
AMANDA NOBLES
RENÉ SERRATE