AUGUST 4 - 17, 2017 • VOL. 9 — NO. 16
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Brookhaven Reporter
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► Retiring to the North GA mountains
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► Chasing waterfalls in state parks
SPECIAL SECTION | P18-26
Price tag for park projects spurs sticker shock
Night Out hug break
BY DYANA BAGBY dyanabagby@reporternewspapers.net
KATE AWTREY
Brookhaven Police Officer Trent Williams gives police dog Thorr a hug at the National Night Out event Aug. 1 at Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody. Police and fire departments from Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Johns Creek and Sandy Springs joined in the ninth annual event, which is intended to build relationships between the police and the community.
EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATOR Sharing wisdom of ancient ages
With 102,000 students returning to DeKalb County and hundreds of teacher vacancies remaining, our community faces continued overcrowding along with all its negative impacts.
OUT & ABOUT Wing it with butterflies
First steps toward new Skyland Park underway BY DYANA BAGBY
What is your local school’s biggest challenge? See COMMENTARY, Page 14
See PRICE on page 16
dyanabagby@reporternewspapers.net
DIA PARKER AND KIM GOKCE DIRECTORS CROSS KEYS FOUNDATION
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City Council members expressed surprise and concern at the $1.8 million price tag for proposed improvements to Murphey Candler Park and Georgian Hills Park – a total significantly more than estimated as part of last year’s parks master plan approval. At the July 25 meeting, council members approved $600,000 to build a new 1.9-acre open field and walking trail at Murphey Candler Park. However, when the parks master plan was approved last year, the estimated cost of this project came in at $136,400. “I know that estimating costs is not a perfect science, but that’s a pretty dramatic discrepancy,” Councilmember Linley Jones said of the nearly $455,000 increase. Metro Atlanta’s economy is currently strong and that affects bid prices by construction companies, said Parks and
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Brookhaven Mayor John Ernst sat in the driver’s seat of an excavator on the morning of July 24 to take a ceremonial swing at the former Georgia Department of Public Health Vital Records Office building. The building, at 2600 Skyland Drive, is set to be demolished to make way for a new $3.05 million city park slated to open in January. Just a top corner of the building — where the “2600” for its address was located — came down after a few swats of the construction equipment’s bucket during the See FIRST on page 17