10-27-17 Brookhaven Reporter

OCT. 27 - NOV. 9, 2017• VOL. 9 — NO. 22

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► Local players get a kick out of new sport of FootGolf PAGE 4 ► Book Festival of the MJCCA will bring big-name authors PAGE 20

See STORY on page 8

See Robin’s Nest page 11

ELECTION DETAILS | PAGE 22

BY DYANA BAGBY dyanabagby@reporternewspapers.net

Lisa Tantillo of Calou Calay Studio begins creating a pottery cup in her booth at the Brookhaven Arts Festival Oct. 21. Tantillo and her sculptor fiancé, Zack Callaghan, were among more than 140 artists joining in the annual festival on Apple Valley Road, which extended into Oct. 22 with a car show and other events.

I finally figured out that a very effective way to get back at the offspring ... is to bombard them with Bitmojis.

VOTE TUESDAY NOV. 7

Peachtree Creek Greenway ‘model mile’ unveiled

Whirling away at Brookhaven Arts Festival

EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATOR Westminster counselor wins national honor

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PHIL MOSIER

OUT & ABOUT Gear up for the holidays at arts and crafts markets Page 18

Praise, and some pushback, greeted the unveiling of the “model mile” design for the Peachtree Creek Greenway, the first leg of the approximate 12-mile linear park that is expected to connect Brookhaven with Chamblee, Doraville and eventually the Atlanta BeltLine.

An Oct. 16 open house at the Salvation Army’s massive southern territory campus on Northeast Expressway attracted about 30 people. They were able to see and provide feedback on the first specific designs of the first mile of the Greenway, from Corporate Boulevard to Briarwood Road. Groundbreaking for the project is expected early next year.

“This trail is being built for the average person, not for the Spandex crowd,” Ed McBrayer, executive director of the PATH Foundation, said of the Greenway. The City Council hired the PATH Foundation this year to design its portion of the Greenway. Other PATH Foundation trails include the Atlanta BeltLine, the Silver Comet Trail and PATH 400.

See PEACHTREE on page 12

Council rejects fence, wants ungated communities

BY DYANA BAGBY dyanabagby@reporternewspapers.net

Gated communities in Brookhaven are not unusual today. But a move by the City Council points to a new trend by city leaders to eliminate enclosed complexes for a future of “connectivity” in the city.

“I don’t support any more gated communities in Brookhaven,” Councilmember Linley Jones said in an interview.

“In the long term, I think it will benefit the city through connectivity. I know we See COUNCIL on page 14

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Mayor John Ernst spoke last month at a panel discussion about the gentrification of Buford Highway, voicing the frustration and tension he faces as an elected official as developers continue to eye the corridor for redevelopment.

Mayor: City struggling with response to gentrification of Buford Highway

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City leaders have long said they want to preserve the multicultural diversity of Buford Highway. But their secret decision to pitch the corridor as the place for the new Amazon headquarters just magnifies the struggle taking place on how to handle its gentrification.

“No matter what I do, the buildings are going to go,” a visibly frustrated Mayor John Ernst said at a Sept. 14 panel discussion about ways to save Buford Highway that was held at the Latin American Association. The discussion was part of the Living Walls and We Love BuHi public art event to raise awareness about a corridor known throughout the country for its multicultural population and restaurants.

“As a local official, this is something I constantly struggle with,” he told the packed room after he listened in on more than an hour of discussion.

Ernst’s comments at that panel came one week after Amazon announced via its website it was seeking a new home for Amazon HQ2, a $5 billion new headquarters that promises 50,000 new jobs. The announcement sent cities across the country scrambling to make pitches. In Georgia, the state Economic Development Department submitted its bid proposals to Seattle on Oct. 19, the deadline set by Amazon.

Brookhaven’s idea of pitching the 41.5acre Northeast Plaza strip center property as the new Amazon home was not among the state’s bids, Ernst said. Deciding to put a massive new corporate headquarters in the middle of Buford Highway does not appear to be a way to preserve the corridor’s roots and raised some eyebrows.

“That was one of our selling points,”

Ernst said in response during a recent interview. “The diversity and the fact it is international ... we were celebrating the corridor as a selling point for that.”

While the pitch eventually fell through, Ernst said it was not a total loss.

“It was a great exercise with the Economic Development Department to come up with a plan in such a short amount of time,” he said. “We knew it was an extreme long shot of getting it.”

City officials reached out to the owners of Northeast Plaza to seek a partnership to make the bid proposal to the state. The property owners declined, however, saying they have their own long-term redevelopment plans.

Gentrification and redevelopment, which can lead to the displacement of the many immigrants who work and live in the corridor, are threatening Buford Highway’s regional attraction as a multi-cultural corridor. Ongoing debates have led to numerous studies about how to maintain the cultural diversity of Buford Highway as new development comes in.

On the question of transparency and not seeking community input for trying to bring such a massive headquarters to Brookhaven, Ernst stated simply, “No economic development has much transparency … Because real estate deals can’t be talked about.”

While city officials have stated they want to be sensitive to gentrification coming to Buford Highway, Ernst said he and the council are facing an “extremely difficult scenario.”

“Gentrification is already occurring,” he said. “We’re trying to come up with a solution. We formed the Affordable Housing Task Force, we will probably do some kind of [zoning] overlay there. But the goal I have BK

OCT. 27 - NOV. 9, 2017

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is how do we replace buildings and keep the people? It’s an extremely difficult scenario.”

At that Sept. 14 panel discussion, Ernst stepped forward to voice the difficult decisions and choices he, as a city elected official, has to make.

“I’ve lost 457 apartment units in the last three-and-a-half years,” he said.

“The complexes ... they’re going for $125,000 a door. In the last three years ...

Park Towne North [apartments], which probably had the lowest rent, has gone from $600 a month to $1,000 a month.”

The promise of a new Cross Keys High School in Brookhaven may spur even more gentrification, he said. The current Cross Keys High, which is vastly overcrowded and suffers from many maintenance issues, is set to become a middle school. A new high school is needed, but it will attract outsiders, he noted. No final site for the new high school has been officially decided.

“Do I support that or rail against that?” he said. “Do I [choose] to keep kids in horrendous conditions or advocate for money being spent for them?”

The city last year formed an Affordable Housing Task Force to try to deal with, in part, the gentrification of Buford Highway as apartment complexes are torn down to make way for luxury townhomes.

“I very strongly believe in the preservation ... of the city’s assets of Buford Highway and would not want its cultural diversity destroyed – that was one of the major issues on my mind when I proposed the Task Force,” said City Councilmember Linley Jones.

In July, the Task Force made its recommendations. To date, the city has made some small changes, including: translating zoning signs posted near Hispanic communities into Spanish; forwarding zoning information to Hispanic activists and organizations; holding meetings with city Community Development management, apartment tenants and community leaders to address specific concerns to apartments and zoning; and officially being named a “Welcoming City” to let people know the city is accepting of immigrants.

A lot of the recommendations of the Affordable Housing Task Force are part of, or depend on, the rewriting of the zoning ordinance, said city spokesperson Burke Brennan. “That process is underway and recommendations are being researched and incorporated as appropriate per council direction,” he said. “Similarly, the Zoning Rewrite and the Overlay District rewrite are both still underway and provide opportunities for integration of Affordable Housing recommendations.”

Jones declined to comment on the Amazon bid, as did Councilmember Joe Gebbia.

Jones did note the city has also partnered with a group of Georgia Tech graduate students currently working to come up with ways to ensure Buford Highway’s diversity survives. The creator of the Atlanta BeltLine, Ryan Gravel, also is teaching a studio class on Buford Highway at Georgia Tech in collaboration with We Love BuHi and its founder Marian Liou.

The Georgia Tech students hosted their BK

Community | 3

www.ReporterNewspapers.net first public meeting last month to garner input. Dale Boone, who is challenging Gebbia for the District 4 seat that includes Buford Highway, said in an interview his suggestions includes changing the name of Buford Highway in Brookhaven, perhaps to Brookhaven Boulevard. That way developers won’t be afraid of the “stigma” of Buford Highway, he said.

At the Sept. 14 panel discussion, Ernst was asked about the city changing Buford Highway’s name. He said that was not something he supported. The idea was part of a 2014 city-commissioned study of Buford Highway, but has not gained much public traction among council members.

Ernst did say a request by Pulte Homes to build a road through Briarwood Park to avoid a Buford Highway address for a proposed new neighborhood where the Terraces at Brookhaven and Northeast Plaza Apartments are currently located was rejected outright by the city.

“We denied it,” he said.

Ernst said developers approach him “all the time” about wanting to build on Buford Highway. He said “massive turnover and ownership” of the apartment complexes along Buford Highway mean that at some point owners are going to make a decision based solely on money and profit.

“I don’t know the answer,” he said. “No matter what decision I make, there will be change. Some will be positive, some will be negative.”

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Local players get a kick out of new sport of FootGolf

BY JOHN RUCH johnruch@reporternewspapers.net

PHOTOS BY PHIL MOSIER

Cesar Martinez kicks from a tee, while Victor Vazquez looks on, at Steel Canyon Golf Club’s FootGolf course.

A player teed up on a recent Saturday afternoon at Steel Canyon Golf Club in Sandy Springs and nailed a hole in one.

His buddies had the usual response.

“Gooooooooaaaalllll!” they shouted.

If that sounds more like soccer than golf, it’s because the men were playing a combination of both. FootGolf, as it’s known, involves kicking a soccer ball into an oversized golf hole drilled into the fairway of a regular course. The sport was invented in Europe in the 1990s, but only recently came to America, where there’s now a professional American FootGolf League.

Steel Canyon appears to be the only course in the immediate metro Atlanta area that offers FootGolf, though farther-flung courses in Blairsville, Rome and Social Circle have it.

“The first time I heard it, I was pretty skeptical,” said Scott Busch, the owner and general manager of Steel Canyon, about the newfangled European sport.

But when another course operator told him it was a hit, he gave it a try. He configured the Steel Canyon links for FootGolf last year, figuring it might fill in some

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Community | 5

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•

• • • • Victor Vazquez watches a shot go in the hole along with fellow players, from left, Julio Martinez, Cesar Martinez and Rodrigo Garcia.

wintertime business.

“It actually sort of exploded,” Busch said, describing it as drawing thousands of players by word of mouth.

“We’ll get entire soccer teams coming out,” including the Oglethorpe University squad, he said, adding it’s also popular for kids’ birthday parties and groups of millennials.

FootGolf’s rules are much like that of regular golf, and so is the goal: get the ball in the hole with as few tries as possible. The difference is kicking a soccer ball instead of hitting a golf ball with a club, and doing it on an abbreviated course. At Steel Canyon, the 18 FootGolf holes – each 22 inches wide, Busch says – are drilled into the front nine fairways on a shortened course-within-thecourse. The FootGolf course yardages range from 46 to 160 and the holes have golf-style pars of 3 to 5 kicks.

Superimposing a FootGolf course onto a regular course can spark some cultural clashes, Busch acknowledged.

Especially in the beginning, he said, “golfers were freaked out to have soccer players right in the middle of the them” and vice versa. Steel Canyon has adopted a special time just for FootGolf play-

ers to minimize that mixing.

However, some conflicts were still evident during the recent Saturday game.

The director of a junior golf competition playing nearby holes twice had to ask the FootGolfers to quiet down, and another group of golfers said that if they had known FootGolf was underway, they would have played at another course.

Busch said the junior golfers arrived late for their tournament and would not have shared the course with FootGolfers otherwise.

The tradeoff is opening up the pleasures of the golf course to people who wouldn’t play otherwise, Busch said.

Aside from the kicking, FootGolf has the similar appeal of spending time talking with friends in a strolling game across the landscape.

“It’s a lot easier than golf. That’s the primary appeal,” Busch said, adding that only about 7 to 8 percent of Americans play golf. And it can be appealing even to a golf course owner.

“Sometimes I have more fun … playing foot golf,” Busch said, calling FootGolf “all of the fun … with none of the grief.”

For more about FootGolf at Steel Canyon, see steelcanyongolfclub.com.

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Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen creates a painting.

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Def Leppard drummer brings his veteran-inspired art to local galleries

BY JOHN RUCH johnruch@reporternewspapers.net

As the drummer for the legendary rock band Def Leppard, Rick Allen knows that timing is everything. So it’s no coincidence that his upcoming appearances at Buckhead and Dunwoody galleries to showcase his other creative work — mixed-media paintings, decorated drums and jewelry — are set for Veterans Day. The “Drums for Peace” artwork ties into, and helps fund, Project Resiliency, a nonprofit program Allen and wife Lauren Monroe formed to provide therapy and healing to veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder. The effort has become therapy for Allen himself, he says, as working with veterans made him aware that he suffers PTSD from the infamous 1984 car crash in which he lost his left arm.

In a phone interview from his California home, Allen said his work with veterans “became a healing tool for me. It became a two-way street.”

It also attuned him, he says, to the

many different types of trauma that his fans and others cope with.

“We wear a convincing mask, but everybody’s suffering,” he said.

Those are remarkably vulnerable words from a larger-than-life heavy metal hero known to fans as the “Thunder God.” Allen has one of rock’s great comeback stories, returning from the seemingly careerending injury with a new, more foot-centered drumming technique. He was soon back behind the kit to propel Def Leppard through its 1987 smash hit “Hysteria,” still one of the best-selling hard rock albums.

(The band will tour North America and possibly Europe early next year on the new “Hysteria” 30th anniversary box set, Allen said.)

But behind the comeback and success, Allen says, he was suffering and self-destructive. After pleading guilty to spousal abuse of his former wife in the mid1990s, Allen began straightening his life out. In 2001, he translated his interest in meditation, art therapy and other heal-

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Community | 7

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ing into the Raven Drum Foundation, intended to help other people in “crisis.”

In 2006, a visit to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., led him to make the foundation’s work more veterans-focused.

“It was just as simple as, go spend time with people with similar injuries to me,” Allen said of his reason for visiting the military hospital. “I saw how much suffering there was, but I also experienced how much potential healing there was.”

Meeting veterans struggling with PTSD awakened him to his own and how “trauma had really upset my balance … my existence.”

“I held it together there,” he said, but returned to the hotel, called his wife, and broke down. “It was the realization that I was one of them, in terms of my experience with extreme trauma,” he said.

Allen now partners with such organizations as the Wounded Warrior Project to offer a wide variety of therapeutic events, which he often attends. Some are lengthy retreats with drum circles and horseback rides. When Def Leppard is on tour, it might be an informal group therapy session backstage before the show.

In those pre-show gatherings, Allen said, “I’ll go into my experience of my car accident and how it affected me … pushing people I loved away from me, self-medication. I’ve experienced a fair amount of tears — people just letting it out … While I’m up there playing drums … I’m thinking about all those people I just talked with.”

Painting and photography are Allen’s early artistic loves, which he returned to in recent years after painting with his now 7-year-old daughter. While painting in his garage and joining Def Leppard on a massive tour are different expressions, Allen said they’re similar as therapy and as unifying people in what he called a “disappointing” time of cultural division.

“Music and art bring people from all walks of life together, and most importantly, [they] bring people together without words,” he said. “Personal experiences are more powerful than having somebody writing it down and reading it in a textbook.”

A blend of pop and abstract styles, Allen’s visual art often uses images of places or objects from his life, such as the London double-decker buses he says he is now painting in his garage. Common motifs are the flags of his native U.K. and his current home, the USA; both appear within a Purple Heart medal in a special piece he created for the local Veterans Day shows, where part of the sales will benefit Project Resiliency.

Allen says the flags touch on patriotism. What does patriotism mean to him?

“That’s a really good question,” he said. “To me, it’s about loving fellow human beings and giving people that respect, whether it’s people on the planet now” or people who are remembered for their “integrity and truth.”

“I don’t relate it to something political or even military … It’s something that

brings people together,” he said.

“I want it to be a unifying factor. If we all keep trying to throw a different slant, a different angle, on what it means to be patriotic, maybe that’s what we need to be searching for.”

Allen has seen cultural division up close during the 1980s culture wars, when a politically powerful group called the Parents Music Resource Center attempted to restrict or censor metal and rock albums, often by promoting SPECIAL conspiracy theoRick Allen’s painting “Courage After Combat.” ries. Def Leppard made the PMRC’s “Filthy Fifteen” list of seriously, he added of the would-be censongs it claimed were corrupting youths sors, “Hopefully, people went into detail a into sex, drugs, crime, suicide and Satanlittle more and said, ‘These guys aren’t so ism. bad after all.’ … Hopefully, they’re grow“By today’s standards, we’re like the ing into grace and wisdom.”

Andrews Sisters,” Allen joked, saying the “I don’t like to see division. We’re so PMRC’s claims seemed ridiculous. More

R I C K A L L EN A P P EA R A NC ES Saturday, Nov. 11

Rick Allen will appear at Wentworth Gallery locations in Perimeter Mall and Phipps Plaza Mall. The public is welcome, but RSVPs are strongly recommended due to limited space.

1-3 p.m.

Perimeter Mall 4400 Ashford-Dunwoody Road Dunwoody RSVP: 770-913-0641 or perimeter@wentworthgallery.com.

5-8 p.m.

Phipps Plaza Mall 3500 Peachtree Road Buckhead RSVP: 404-233-0903 or phipps@wentworthgallery.com.

Allen’s art will remain on display for public view and purchase.

For more about Allen and his nonprofit, see rickallen.com and project-resiliency.org

much stronger when we’re together,” Allen added. “Even when you have differences, talk about the things we have in common first.”

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8 | Education

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Nancy Beane, counselor at Westminster As college application season ramps up, seniors at the Westminster Schools in Buckhead are getting some awardwinning advice from counselor Nancy Beane. years.

Beane recently won a national award from the What do you want to Association of College see in students you counCounselors in Independent sel?

Schools. The Marty Elkins Award for Excellence in I want to see them develCollege Counseling is given op the confidence to know to one counselor each year that they can succeed, to es“to recognize those among tablish a strong work ethus whose work enriches ic that they will continue SPECIAL Nancy Beane. our profession,” according to develop as they become to the association’s website. Beane said she lifelong learners, to learn to think critical“was totally shocked and deeply honored” ly, to learn to work collaboratively, and to to receive the award. make an effort to establish mutual respect Beane, an educator for 44 years, became between themselves and all around them. a counselor at Westminster in 1992. She I want them to know that the world truly said she initially turned down the job, but needs their time, talents and skills and that now “cannot imagine doing anything else.” they have a responsibility to give their best each and every day.

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An An Independent Independent Catholic Catholic School School of of the the Marist Marist Fathers Fathers and and Brothers Brothers

Q: What do you do in your counselor position?

A: I meet with and advise students about

possible colleges, possible majors, possible locations, etc. While I do not do school counseling (emotional and counseling dealing with learning issues), much of my work is broader than just the college process. As a college counselor, I start working with individual students when they are juniors and continue working with them through their senior year. I travel to a good many colleges each year, attend conferences of admissions representatives and college counselors, go to meetings at school, consult with teachers about my students’ work in their classes and attend many of my students’ activities.

Q: What keeps you going year after year?

A: I truly believe in the work I am doing.

It’s my job to help equip students with the skills to continue their growth, to help them believe in themselves, to develop the determination to work hard and succeed, to learn how to think critically and problem solve and to learn how to work collaboratively. I still enjoy the work and am in awe of my students and all they do.

Early on, I became active in professional organizations. Through these groups, I have had numerous opportunities to focus more broadly on students and issues affecting them statewide, regionally, nationally and internationally. I have had tremendous concerns about the need for equity of opportunity and success for all students, whatever age, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, learning differences or other aspects of their lives.

There is so much work that needs to be done to make sure that that we meet the needs of all students and our work has become so much more complex through the

Q: What is your advice for high school seniors and their families?

A:

The first piece of advice is to take a deep breath and to make sure they don’t allow the college application process to overwhelm them. By taking the process a step at a time, giving their best in and out of the classroom, not expecting that everything will go perfectly and truly putting the process in perspective, I think they will have a good outcome.

Where a student goes to college will not determine that person’s life in and of itself.

What the students do with where they go is much more important than going to particular schools. I am concerned about much more than just where my students want to go to college and where they end up going.

Understanding that the path won’t always be easy will make the journey more meaningful and workable in a lot of ways.

Q:

What are you most proud of in your career?

A:

I’m most proud of my students with whom I’ve worked through the years. I truly believe in each and every one, think every student has the potential to learn and to thrive in school, and I’m honored to have hopefully played some small role in their journey through life.

Q:

What was your response when you found out you won the award?

A: I was totally shocked and deeply hon-

ored. I’ve had amazing opportunities and tremendous support in every school where I’ve worked, and I’m grateful to the profession and my colleagues in every school where I’ve served and in the professional organizations in which I have been a member.

Education | 9

OCT. 27 - NOV. 9, 2017 ■ www.ReporterNewspapers.net

Education Briefs

NORTH SPRINGS STUDENTS FUND MARCH OF DIMES WITH WATER BALLOONS

North Springs Charter High School’s Future Business Leaders of America club created, planned and executed a fundraiser that raised $1,700 to benefit the AtlanSPECIAL ta/Central Georgia North Springs Charter High School FBLA members March of Dimes. present a check for $1,700 to March of Dimes Senior Development Officer Erika Perry [center].

Over 1,000 students purchased a $1 ticket to march around the Sandy Springs school’s athletic field during the last class of the day, and for an additional dollar participated in the largest water balloon fight in school history, a press release said.

The fundraiser benefited the local Atlanta chapter of the March of Dimes, a nationwide nonprofit that works to prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

“Your donation will help fund research to understand why too many babies are born too early in Georgia,” Erika Perry, senior development manager for the Atlanta March of Dimes, said in a press release. “You have made a difference and we thank you all.”

DEKALB AGAIN CHANGES EXTENDED SCHOOL DAY SCHEDULE

New Year. New Look.

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The Epstein School offers integrated, dual-language learning that cultivates lifelong skills, inspires Jewish curiosity, critical thinking and creativity.

We are: • Centered around our students • Driven by our values • Developing our students’ passion • Building on our past • Focused on our future • Powered by our community

The DeKalb County School District announced Oct. 20 it will revise the schedule for extending the school days to make up for instructional time lost during Hurricane Irma. The school days will now be extended by 20 minutes until Nov. 30.

The district originally announced the extended days would go until the end of the semester on Dec. 20. The district then revised that schedule to end Oct. 31, citing community feedback, before moving the end date to Nov. 30.

335 COLEWOOD The extended days will allow the district to recover three of the four days lost to Irma, according to the release. The district will waive the fourth day, the press release said.

“This month, we have diligently surveyed a cross section of parents, teachers, principals, teacher organizations, parent-teacher organizations, parent council groups, and school council members. Ex5122 epst SimBuckhead ad 7_17_1.indd 1 tending the school day with this schedule is the least disruptive for all parties,” R. Stephen Green, DeKalb’s superintendent and CEO, said in a press release.

The press release also said DeKalb “will continue an aggressive communications campaign to keep students, parents and the community informed about how this temporary schedule change will impact student transportation, afterschool programs and athletics.”

Updates will be available on the district’s website at www.dekalbschoolsga.org, its mobile app and on Facebook and Twitter, the release said.

Visit us at EpsteinAtlanta.org to learn more and schedule a tour.

HOLY INNOCENT’S HOSTING MATH FOCUSED EVENT

Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School in Sandy Springs will host its second annual “STEMsational Saturday,” a math and engineering event for young children, on Nov. 4.

The STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — event, which is free and open to the public, invites children ages 3-6 and their parents to spend the morning programming robots, building sail cars and launching straw rockets, a press release said.

The event begins at 9 a.m. at the Alan A. Lewis Primary School, 805 Mount Vernon Hwy. To RSVP, call 404-303-2150, ext. 276 or email kay.wright@hies.org.

WAY NW| SANDY SPRINGS, GA 30328-2956 EPSTEINATLANTA.ORG

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10 | Commentary

Reporter Newspapers

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Community Survey: Halloween can be fun for adults, too Question: What is the best way for an adult to celebrate Halloween in metro Atlanta?

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

B

C D

A Attend a costume party at a

A

D Other. (.5%)

F

Atlanta Senior Life www.AtlantaSeniorLife.com

Managing Editor John Ruch johnruch@reporternewspapers.net INtown Editor: Collin Kelley Editor-at-Large Joe Earle Staff Writers Dyana Bagby, Evelyn Andrews Copy Editor: Donna Williams Lewis Creative and Production Creative Director Rico Figliolini rico@reporternewspapers.net Graphic Designer: Soojin Yang Advertising Director of Sales Development Amy Arno amyarno@reporternewspapers.net Sales Executives Julie Davis, Jeff Kremer, Janet Porter, Jim Speakman, Janet Tassitano Office Manager Deborah Davis deborahdavis@reporternewspapers.net Contributors John Awtrey, Robin Conte, Phil Mosier

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E Stay home and hand out candy

to costumed kids. (22.5%)

F Take the kids out trick-or-treating.

(16%)

C O NTA C T US

Editorial

B Visit a haunted house attraction. (7%) C Watch scary movies. (5%)

Atlanta INtown www.AtlantaINtownPaper.com

Founder & Publisher Steve Levene stevelevene@reporternewspapers.net

home or club. (49%)

E

We metro Atlantans are a party people, and Halloween is no exception.

Asked the best way an adult could celebrate Halloween, about half of the 200 respondents to the Reporter Newspapers’ latest 1Q.com cellphone survey voted to get dressed up and head to a costume party.

Most of the rest opted for trick-or-treating. Twenty-three percent voted to stay home and hand out candy to costumed kids, while 16 percent wanted to take their costumed kids out for a night of trick-or-treating. So, candy either way.

Who — or what — should you expect to see filling those parties or walking the streets come Halloween night?

Some are going with fairly traditional Halloween getups: witches, vampires, zombies, pirates. A few plan to embody specific creatures: Dracula, say, or Death, or the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, or the Kool-Aid Man, or Curious George, or Grumpy Cat. A 63-year-old Sandy Springs man said he would be an Atlanta Falcons player.

Others plan to act like movie characters: Snow White, Cruella De Vil, characters from “Beauty and the Beast,” Harry Potter, “scary Mickey Mouse.” There were a bunch with plans to dress as characters from Cartoon Network shows. One 27-year-old Atlanta woman somehow intends to be both Dory and Nemo.

Atlanta’s newest movie antihero is getting some costume attention, as a 35-year-old man will become the title character from the locally filmed thriller “Baby Driver.”

Still others plan to don secret identities as superheroes: Spider-Man, Captain America, Batman (or, as one 33-year-old Atlanta woman responded, “Batman!!!”) And the many Batmen will need to watch their backs, because others planned to hit the streets as comic book supervillains Harley Quinn and Bane.

One woman said she will be a “superhero so my daughter can see I’m a super mother.”

Halloween also has become a time to make some sort of political statement. Joining the political costume parade this year will be several versions of the current U.S. president, including “Sexy Donald Trump” and “Donald Trump deporting you.”

There also will be Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Adams, King George III and a 23-year-old man who said he planned to portray “an uninformed voter – the scariest thing of all.”

Then there were the themed couple costumes. One Atlanta couple plans to dress up as TV painter Bob Ross and his canvas. Another intends to go as characters Pam and Jim from the Halloween episode of the TV show “The Office.” A 19-year-old Buckhead man said he will dress up as an ear of corn while his date dresses as a unicorn. Together, he said, “we are both going to be uni(corn)s.”

“A PG adult version of My Little Pony – my daughter loves us to match,” said a 36-year-old Dunwoody mom.

Other tricksters planned equally creative costumes. One 45-yearold woman says she’ll be an “embarrassing mom.” A 28-year-old man will dress as a “tacky tourist,” while a 30-yearold man said he’ll pose as an “offended millennial.” A 28-year-old Brookhaven woman plans to go as “a cereal killer.” And a 36-year-old Atlanta woman said she will dress as boxed wine.

And one 37-yearold woman said her costume this year would be a hospital gown. “I’m scheduled for a Halloween C-section!” she wrote.

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

Payments may also be donated directly to charity. Sign up to be included in our local community polls at 1Q.com/reporter or by texting REPORTER to 86312. © 2017 with all rights reserved Publisher reserves the right to refuse editorial or advertising for any reason. Publisher assumes no responsibility for information contained in advertising. Any opinions expressed in print or online do not necessarily represent the views of Reporter Newspapers or Springs Publishing, LLC.

Have something to say?

Send letters to editor@reporternewspapers.net BK

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Revenge is best served by Bitmoji To the absolute horror of my children, I now have a Bitmoji.

And I finally figured out that a very effective way to get back at the offspring for all the years of toddler tantrums, teen angst and post-graduate anxiety (and let’s not forget the combined 73 hours of labor), is to bombard them with Bitmojis … constant streams of cringe-worthy Bitmojis.

Robin Conte is a writer It’s like seeing me in a and mother of four who bathing suit. They hate it. lives in Dunwoody. She A Bitmoji, as you can be contacted at know, is basically an robinjm@earthlink.net. emoji cubed. It’s a smileyface unleashed in its animated form. It’s an iPaper doll with attitude. It’s an app on your smartPhone that creates a cartoon avatar of yourself and comes to life as your alter ego, complete with your face, your hair, your eyes and your wardrobe of choice. It was apparently invented for 12-year-old girls and middle-aged women, but now practically everyone has one.

One of the allures of Bitmoji-dom is that you can create your own and ostensibly personalize it to look just like you. But who are we kidding? It will look much better than you do. Faster than you can say “Botox,” you can choose a wrinkle-free complexion; in the time it takes to google “Mediterranean diet,” you can give your cyber-self a flab-free body.

Robin’s Nest

And then you can revert to your inner child and dress your little bitty Bitmoji.

I’ve done all that, and I have produced a Bitmoji that is way hotter than I am. She dresses better than I do, too. I’m actually getting jealous of my Bitmoji because she looks good in everything, even outfits I haven’t worn since I was 21, like a midriff top and cutoff shorts. She’s fab in the Wonder Woman getup, and she totally rocks the Turtleneck & Chain. She even looks good in a broken eggshell.

My Bitmoji is also more coordinated than I am, more adventurous than I am, more competent than I am, and wittier than I am. Plus, she has a lot more fun than I do. I don’t know if I can live up to her. But I’m still going to keep her around, because everything is cute in Bitmoji speak. You see, a Bitmoji is like an Irish accent, in that you can say anything with one and get away with it. You want to break up? Say you’re running late? Dis someone? Ask someone to the prom? There’s a Bitmoji for that. And there’s a Bitmoji that says, “There’s a Bitmoji for That.”

Which brings me back to annoying the kids.

Why just ask them to call me when I can send my Bitmoji with a megaphone to do the dirty work?

Or I could opt for a sassy message in the form of my Bitself flopping on the couch, asking the colorful question, “What Up Fam?” If they’re not sending me photos or following through on various tasks, I can admonish them with my Bitself dressed as a carrot top and threaten to send more.

Once they see me in Bitform, striking a John Travolta “Saturday Night Fever” pose beneath a disco ball, they’ll Bitmoji Robin may not look beg for mercy. vengeful, but don’t let that fool you.

Revenge is sweet.

I’m actually getting jealous of my Bitmoji because she looks good in everything, even outfits I haven’t worn since I was 21, like a midriff top and cutoff shorts.

Three court cases cost city more than $454K

BY DYANA BAGBY dyanabagby@reporternewspapers.net

The price tag for the city to defend itself in ongoing zoning-related lawsuits continues to tick upward.

At the Oct. 10 City Council meeting, members unanimously voted to approve another $150,000 to pay outside counsel defending the city in three separate lawsuits. That funding brings taxpayer costs to pay for the lawsuits to more than $454,000.

City Attorney Chris Balch said the money was to cover costs for three lawsuits: the Stardust lawsuit, what is known as the Hastings case, and a lawsuit filed this year against the city by a resident trying to stop the Dresden Village mixed-use development from being built on Dresden Drive.

None of these cases are covered by city insurance, according to city officials.

The Stardust case

BK

Price tag: $416,063.50 to attorney Scott Bergthold The Stardust case goes back to shortly after the city was incorporated in 2012.

Stardust, owned by Michael Morrison, operates at a smoke shop at 3007 Buford Highway near the Pink Pony strip club.

Weeks after the city was incorporated, the business began selling “sexual devices” which the city contends violated city ordi-

nance. The city began code enforcement against Stardust for selling sex toys, which it deemed as illegal under its ordinances.

In 2013, for example, Stardust was cited by code enforcement more than 500 times.

The city states Stardust cannot operate legally because of its close proximity to another sexually oriented business, the Pink Pony, and also because it did not clearly define what kind of business it was when it applied for a business license.

Morrison, represented by Cary Wiggins, sued the city in federal court in 2014, alleging the city is violating his First Amendment rights and also claiming the city illegally denied him a sign permit.

Representing the city in the Stardust lawsuit is Scott Bergthold, a Tennessee attorney who specializes in municipal laws cracking down on sexually oriented businesses. Bergthold represented Brookhaven in its lawsuit against the Pink Pony which resulted in a 2014 settlement in which the strip club agreed to close down in 2020 while also paying the city $225,000 a year to cover police costs.

U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross in 2016 ruled in favor of Brookhaven in the Stardust suit, but recent court records show Stardust is petitioning the case be heard the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Hastings case

Price tag: $29,559.57 to the firm Carothers & Mitchell JLB Realty and SDS Real Property, developers for the property known as the former Hastings Nursery site, are suing the city in a case that dates back to 2015.

JLB Realty and SDS Real Property sued the city and some individual residents two years ago after the city refused to issue a land disturbance permit for a 5-acre site located at 3920, 3926 and 3930 Peachtree Road for a mixed-use development. The property abuts the Historic Brookhaven neighborhood and lies within the Brookhaven-Peachtree Overlay District.

The development, named JLB Porter Square, includes plans for 273 apartments, 17,695 square feet of retail and commercial space, 2,500 square feet for a leasing office and 6,691 square feet for an enclosed amenity area.

The city and developers have battled in court for two years and the city is currently seeking to take the case to the state Supreme Court.

Dresden Village case

Price tag: Slightly more than $8,500 to the firm Freeman Mathis In February, Steve Pepmiller, who lives on Caldwell Road, sued the city in DeKalb Superior Court to overturn its aproval to

rezone 4 acres on Dresden Drive for a mixed-use development.

Connolly Investment and Development intends to build a five-story complex with 169 apartments and retail shops on the ground floor. The development will also include a six-level parking deck, seven for-sale townhouses facing Caldwell Road and the Scott Serpas Dixie Moon restaurant on Caldwell Road.

In recent weeks, Scott Serpas, the renowned Brookhaven chef, announced he was opening a barbecue restaurant in the former Slice restaurant at 2524 Caldwell Road, located just feet away from the Dresden Village mixed-use development.

Brian Fratesi, vice president of Development and Acquisitions at Connolly, said the Dixie Moon restaurant is still part of the Dresden Village development.

“We will be moving forward with the development, as soon as the lawsuit is resolved, which we expect to be very soon,” Fratesi said in an email. “We cannot comment in any more detail on the lawsuit because of litigation.

“Scott Serpas’ Dixie Moon is still slated for the restaurant pad along Caldwell as detailed in the approved zoning plan.

Additionally, we are talking to a number of unique local restaurant concepts for the retail along Dresden Drive that will complement the existing restaurant options,” Fratesi added.

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Peachtree Creek Greenway ‘model mile’ unveiled

Greenway to Inman Park or Candler Park because many employees, she said would like to ride their bikes from those neighborhoods to work. Eventually, yes, that would happen, McBrayer answered.

Design specifics

IMAGES COURTESY OF CITY OF BROOKHAVEN

A parking lot near the Salvation Army southern headquarters and Corporate Square as seen now, top right, and as envisioned in a rendering of the first trailhead and plaza area for the Peachtree Creek Greenway.

Continued from page 1 While the word “trail” was used, McBrayer said the Greenway is more of a linear park. Economic benefits of similar trails have shown that property values increase for those along a trail and businesses are created to exist alongside them, he said. The Atlanta BeltLine is an example of “economic development on steroids,” he added.

Jeri Breiner, who lives in the Pine Hills neighborhood that lies along the path of the Greenway, said while she supports the trail, she has serious concerns about how the city will deal with crime, parking, traffic and privacy in residential areas nearby.

She also said she’s raised these issues for months with city officials and Greenway designers, but has been ignored.

“We are all ‘pro-this,’” she said of the Greenway, “but we want it done correctly. I know I am talking for many who did not want to come tonight. I’m pro-trail, but I’m first pro-community that already lives there.”

McBrayer said in his 27 years of experience of building trails, crime rates have

never gone up.

“That’s not a reality,” he said. “That’s your perception. If you go to any police department, they will say trails decrease crime.”

“Ridiculous,” said one of several people sitting near Breiner who shook their heads.

Four people stormed out of the meeting.

Brookhaven Fund Development Director Patty Hansen said the city is working with Jackson Square townhomes and Villas at Druid Hills, two multi-family complexes on Buford Highway and along the first phase, to ensure privacy for their residents. She said police will patrol the trails.

Greta deMayo of KAIZEN Collaborative, which is working with the PATH Foundation on the Greenway design, said plans are in the works for gated access to the trail for those living at Villas at Druid Hills. “People will want to live at the Villas so they can get on the trails,” deMayo said.

Hansen said the city is working with property owners and HOAs of Villas at Druid Hills and Jackson Square and they are on board with the Greenway’s plans. Villas at Druid Hills is home for many Latino residents and is adjacent to Northeast Plaza, a

The ‘model mile’ of the Peachtree Creek Greenway begins near Corporate Square and extends to Briarwood Road.

shopping center that caters to a largely Latino demographic.

One-bedroom apartments at Villas at Druid Hills currently rent for about $850 a month, according to information from its website. Jackson Square is a gated 60-unit townhome community with a one-bedroom unit selling for about $100,000, according to website information.

No residents from the complexes appeared to be attending the meeting. All information was presented in English, though the city’s bilingual public engagement specialist, Claudia Colichon, was in attendance.

In an interview after the meeting, Breiner said she lives near Victor Road and that plans for a future phase of the Greenway show a small trailhead is to be built near Victor Road. She said the trail would allow people to easily see into residents’ homes and she said statistics she has reviewed for the Silver Comet Trail show an uptick in crime.

“To ignore [crime] is nonsensical,” she said. “I do want parks. I just want them safe.”

She also said she worried about the displacement of largely Latino residents now living on Buford Highway.

Others praised the linear park. One resident noted that people will likely begin using it immediately, likely leading to it being crowded. He asked why work has not begun on portions of the trail in Chamblee, Doraville or Atlanta.

Hansen said the other cities are working on their own timeframes, but the hope is that the groundbreaking and completion of the first mile will spur activity in neighboring jurisdictions.

Another attendee said she works at the CDC at Corporate Square and wondered if there would eventually be access from the

The “model mile” will run from the Salvation Army property near Corporate Boulevard and end at Briarwood Road. Construction is expected to begin in early 2018.

Most of the Greenway will be a 14-foot wide concrete path. There will be some “pinch points” that are 12-feet wide and there will be some non-paved sections of the trail as well. Estimated cost for this section of the Greenway is approximately $9 million and is being funded through hotel/motel tax revenue.

Estimated construction time for the first phase is seven to eight months, McBrayer said.

Major design takeaways from the meeting: ■ The proposal for the first phase includes a trailhead on the Salvation Army property close to Corporate Boulevard. An upper and lower trail are proposed at the trailhead where the upper trail can be accessed via Corporate Boulevard and a future lower trail extension is proposed to be built toward North Druid Hills Road. The two trails would be connected by steps at Corporate Square.

The trailhead would include some parking and possibly an upper plaza area with tables and chairs. The city continues to work with the Salvation Army to obtain an easement on property behind its headquarters that runs along the creek to North Druid Hills Road. The Salvation Army’s Board of Trustees supports the Greenway project but has not yet voted on granting the easement, according to Hansen.

■ A “major bridge crossing” is also planned from Corporate Square to the north side of the creek to the Jackson Square townhome complex on Buford Highway, explained deMayo. There is a small parcel of land where the bridge ends near the residential property that is proposed to become a green space, she added. The small lot was acquired by DeKalb County via FEMA Hazard Mitigation and ownership is currently being transferred to the city of Brookhaven. The pedestrian bridge would allow access to the green space.

■ The Greenway would continue alongside the north side of the creek to the Villas at Druid Hills apartments on Buford Highway. DeMayo said the Greenway would run behind the apartment complex’s privacy fence, a “pinch point” where the path will BK

OCT. 27 - NOV. 9, 2017

■

Community | 13

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SOU TH E R N FOOD SOU T H E R N CH A R M

‘Gateway’ to Greenway not going as planned

DYANA BAGBY

The new QuikTrip under construction on Buford Highway that was supposed to include a connection to the Peachtree Creek Greenway.

The first planned connection from the Peachtree Creek Greenway to Buford Highway has hit a snag in the form of a gas station’s dumpster, residents discovered during an Oct. 16 open house on the project.

The connection was supposed to be placed at a new QuikTrip coming to 3249 Buford Highway, adjacent to Northeast Plaza.

Plans approved in 2016 included a 5-foot wide sidewalk and 10-foot greenway strip that would connect the business and Buford Highway to the Greenway. QuikTrip officials also promised bike racks and a bike repair station. At the time, Betsy Eggers, chair of the Peachtree Creek Greenway board of directors, hailed the planned connection as “a gateway to the Greenway” and said she understood the area would be like a promenade.

While a spokesperson for QT said that the corporation will follow through with its promises to the city, Eggers said the design and site plans she and the Greenway’s engineers have reviewed have dramatically changed.

“The issue is what the pedestrian experience will be as she walks from Buford Highway to Northeast Expressway, behind the QT and avoiding egresses for car traffic,” Eggers said.

“It was to be a 5-foot sidewalk with 10-foot of green/grass or shrubs for a protection before the parking lot,” Eggers said. “Now there’s no green strip. It looks like the parking lot is just extended to the fence, with 5-feet allowed for pedestrians who are ‘protected’ by bollards — far from the promenade that was included in the City Council packet.

“And now the sidewalk dead-ends into the dumpster,” Eggers said.

“Pedestrian safety has been pushed aside,” she added. “There’s room for pizza, there’s room for beer, but there’s no room for pedestrians. That’s the problem.”

At the Oct. 16 open house, Brookhaven Fund Development Director Patty Hansen said QT was doing only what it was legally required to do.

“It is not as illustrious as they committed,” she said. The city is currently putting some “good-natured pressure” on QuikTrip to live up to its commitment that included landscaping and direct access to the trail, she said.

Eggers said she is still hoping QT will make the area more pedestrian-friendly and possibly include public art.

– Dyana Bagby narrow from 14 feet to 12 feet. DeMayo said there are also discussions taking place to restructure the apartment complex’s parking lot to improve the back of the property and allow connectivity to the trail via a coded gate.

■ The Greenway would then “piggyback” on a road DeKalb County uses for sewer maintenance. DeMayo said there are several sewer lines in this area and designers are working with the county on such issues as lowering manhole covers. Connecting the Greenway to Northeast Plaza during the first phase is not financially feasible because of the steep slope from the Greenway to the shopping center’s property, deMayo said.

BK

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■ The Greenway would continue to parallel the DeKalb road used for sewer maintenance and end at Briarwood Road, where a trailhead is planned, with an upper and lower area, including an area for some parking. A pedestrian-activated signal at Briarwood Road that would allow pedestrians and cyclists to get to the Greenway is also planned.

Branding and signage for the Greenway is being designed with input from a steering committee. A logo design that includes the first letter of each city — Atlanta, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Doraville — as well as a more generic design are being considered, deMayo said.

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14 | Community

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Council rejects fence, wants ungated communities Continued from page 1 have many of them already, but I don’t support creating more.”

Jones led the effort at the Oct. 25 City Council meeting to deny Ardent Companies request to build a wrought iron fence around a 22-townhome development on Pine Cone Lane. The proposed 22-townhome project was to be part of the developer’s 73-townhome unit now under construction on Coosawattee Drive, where the Park Villa apartments were once located.

In a rare 3-2 vote, Mayor John Ernst broke the tie in favor of denying the request to add a wrought iron fence. The construction of the fence was part of Ardent Companies request to rezone approximately two acres at 2070, 2080, 2088 and 2096 Pine Cone Lane and 2069 Coosawattee Drive from R-75 (single-family) to RM-75 (multifamily) to make way for the new townhomes.

Four single-family houses are currently located on Pine Cone Lane and the 2069 Coosawattee Drive parcel is an access drive.

The council’s vote to reject the fence being built around the two acres led Ardent’s Neville Allison to say the project was now in jeopardy.

“If the gates are prohibited, we will not move forward with the project,” he told the council after the vote while urging them to find some way to add the gates back into the project.

“I know emotions are running high, but I’m not persuaded by the developer’s threat to take his ball and go home,” said Jones to mocking laughter from supporters of the project sitting in the crowd.

“I hope that he will develop this and accept that the direction of the city of Brookhaven is that we are not interested in gated communities,” she added.

Jones and Councilmember John Park voiced concerns about more and more developments being “walled off” in the city that would prohibit connectivity in the future as their reasons for opposing the gated community.

The council did approve Ardent’s request to rezone two acres. The rezoning allows Ardent to build the townhomes, but just not surrounded by a fence. Ardent has two other gated luxury townhome developments in the works in this area. But these developments are being built on former multi-family sites that include entitlements for gates. The two acres in question do not include entitlements for fences.

The 73-unit project now under construction will include fences along Coosawattee Drive and Pine Cone Lane. Ar-

DYANA BAGBY

Councilmember Linley Jones, right, and Mayor John Ernst, center, listen as Ardent Companies’ Neville Allison expresses his disappointment in the council’s decision not to allow a proposed townhome development be gated.

dent’s desire to add the extra two acres to in the city,” he said in reference to its build 22 more townhomes was to “square close proximity to Buford Highway. He up” the property and would mean extendalso added that the development does ing the fences further on Pine Cone Lane not have a park or amenity that will be and behind where the houses now sit. accessible to the public.

The vote Jones to rezone then made the property the formal seemed to be amendment a slam-dunk to prohiband included it fences.

Community That amendDevelopment ment was apstaff and the proved 3-2.

Planning The council Commission’s then voted recommendaunanimoustions for aply to rezone proval. Before the properthe rezoning ty for multivote, howevfamily use. er, the mayor Jones said stated he had she opposed some fundawalling off mental probcommunities LINLEY JONES lems with the and neighBROOKHAVEN COUNCILMEMBER proposed deborhoods bevelopment, incause she becluding his feeling this two-acre site did lieves in connectivity, walkability and not need to be a gated community and bike-ability in the city. As metro Atlanhis wish that “diversity in housing” was ta becomes more urbanized, these types included. of alternative transportation resources After Councilmember Bates Mattiwill be crucial to Brookhaven’s future, she son, who represents the district where said. the townhomes are proposed, made Allison told the council Ardent could the motion to approve the rezoning as already build gates along Pine Cone originally proposed, Jones asked if she Lane and Coosawattee Drive as part of could make a friendly amendment to the 73-unit development. The reason prohibit fences. to add the gates surrounding the addiMattison, who worked with the detional 22 units is because, in part, these velopers on its request, would not ackinds of townhomes attract a youngcept the friendly amendment. er, mostly female demographic, which “This area … is unfortunately right wants gates for security and exclusivity. next to the center of crime taking place The market also demands fences around

I know emotions are running high, but I’m not persuaded by the developer’s threat to take his ball and go home.

luxury residential units, he said.

Allison said Ardent is willing to make a contribution for a future sidewalk to nearby Briarwood Park. “We have a commitment to this area,” he said. “This is our third development here … and they are all gated.”

“By no means are we trying to wall off pedestrian connectivity,” Allison said.

Mattison, who seemed shocked by Jones’ amendment, said there was no path for successful connectivity from the development’s site and said it was bad policy to make changes to a zoning application from the dais. The city’s bike-pedestrian plan lays out a trail a few hundred feet away from the townhome development, he added.

“Doing this doesn’t provide any connectivity,” Mattison said. “To have a developer walk away from this property … I can’t understand why we are doing this.”

During public comment following the vote, an upset Michael Miller said he owns two of the houses on Pine Cone Lane that Ardent wants to buy. He said he rents the houses for $850 a month and taxes to the city were minimal from his rental properties. “You could have had [22] townhouses there bringing in [more] revenue,” he said.

Ronnie Mayer of Redding Road also spoke during public comment and said he was “appalled” by the council’s decision to reject the fences.

“You all think we are silly and stupid,” he told Jones, Park and Ernst. “You know nothing about the other side of Brookhaven, about this side. To say you don’t want gates — who presented you a crown?

These people are trying to turn a blighted area into $700,000-$800,000 townhomes and you are trying to block it over a little gate. This city is a farce.”

BK

OCT. 27 - NOV. 9, 2017

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16 | Out & About

BROOKHAVEN

•

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BUCKHEAD

•

DUNWOODY

•

SANDY SPRINGS

PERFORMANCES “INTO THE WOODS”

Nov. 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18 at 8 p.m.

Sunday matinees Nov. 5 and Nov. 12 at 3 p.m.

An ambivalent Cinderella, a bloodthirsty Little Red Riding Hood and a charming prince with a roving eye all get their wishes in Act3 Productions’ presentation of Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods.” $15-$30. Act3 Playhouse, Sandy Springs Plaza, 6285-R Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. Ticket and schedule info: act3productions.org.

DUNWOODY LEGENDS & LORE

Friday, Nov. 10 to Sunday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 6 p.m. Sunday. Picnicking and music begins one hour before show time.

Stroll through Dunwoody Park, led by lantern light, in a family-friendly evening of 20-minute stories, plays and reenactments drawn from the “Red Book” history of Dunwoody. Free, with limited tickets.

Hosted by the Stage Door Players, the Dunwoody Preservation Trust, the Dunwoody Nature Center and the city of Dunwoody and presented by Country Gardens. Dunwoody Nature Center, 5343 Roberts Drive, Dunwoody. Ticket info: dunwoodynature. org/theater-in-the-park.

GET ACTIVE ZYDECO CONCERT AND DANCE

Saturday, Nov. 4, 8 to 11 p.m. Tickets include free beginner Zydeco dance lesson at 7 p.m.

The Atlanta Cajun Zydeco Association presents a concert and Zydeco dance with Jeffery Broussard & the Creole Cowboys. No partner necessary. All ages welcome. Cajun/Creole food for sale from Fusions Catering. Dorothy Benson Center, 6500 Vernon Woods Drive, Sandy Springs. $18, $14 active military, $5 students. An intermediate/advanced Zydeco dance lesson will be held separately at the Benson Center from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. $15. Info: aczadance.org.

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OCT. 27 - NOV. 9, 2017

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DUNWOODY COMMUNITY BIKE RIDE Sunday, Nov. 5, 2:45 p.m. to 4 p.m.

A community ride for all ages and abilities kicks off at Dunwoody’s Village Burger. Helmets are required and bikes with gears are recommended to handle hills on a 4.5-mile loop around Dunwoody. Riders age 10 and under must be with an adult.

Ride cancelled in inclement weather. 1426 Dunwoody Village Pkwy., Dunwoody.

Info: bikewalkdunwoody.org.

FOOTPRINTS FOR THE FUTURE 5K ROAD RACE Saturday, Nov. 11, 8 a.m. Registration begins at 7 a.m.

This fourth annual 5K is a Peachtree Road Race qualifier that starts and finishes at Lake Forest Elementary School. Pre-race warmup by fitness professionals, live entertainment and vendor booths. Proceeds support the Sandy Springs Education Force.

5920 Sandy Springs Circle, Sandy Springs. $30-$35 adults; $12-$15, children 12 and under. Registration info: active.com. Use keywords: Footprints for the Future.

Continued on page 18

Saturday November 11th 11am - 1pm @ powers ferry square Enjoy free donut holes from Bon Glaze Hear Trinity Choir sing carols at 12:30 pm

18 | Out & About

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SANDY SPRINGS OFFICE

STYLISH NEW LOOK WITH THE SAME UNPARALLELED SERVICE!

Continued from page 17

GET INTO THE HOLIDAYS THE ELEGANT ELF MARKETPLACE

CONGRATULATIONS

STACEY ADAMS

Saturday, Nov. 4, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This seventh annual event presented by the Sandy Springs Society showcases 85 vendors’ unique jewelry, glass, wood and metal crafts, seasonal decor and gourmet foods. Musical and dance performances, fashion show, “Polar Express Cafe,” and an appearance by Steve Penley, who will sign his book, “Reagan and the American Ideal.” $5; free for children 10 and under. Proceeds support the Sandy Springs Society’s grant program for community nonprofits. Lake Forest Elementary School, 5920 Sandy Springs Circle, Sandy Springs. Info: www. sandyspringssociety.org.

Stacey Adams of Harry Norman, REALTORS® was awarded the prestigious Luxury Specialist Designation

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Holiday Gift Market Saturday and Sunday November 4 and 5, 2017

MARIST SCHOOL’S HOLIDAY TRADITIONS Saturday, Nov. 4, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

One of the largest juried arts and craft shows in the Southeast, this event is produced through the work of 400 volunteers with more than 240 vendors. Proceeds support Marist School programs. $5, no strollers. Lunch available for sale.

3790 Ashford-Dunwoody Road N.E., Brookhaven. Free shuttle service at the Ashford Green office complex, 4170 Ashford-Dunwoody Road. Info: marist.com/ holidaytraditions.

SO

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DUNWOODY GARDEN CLUB: HOLIDAY FLORAL DESIGN Wednesday, Nov. 8, 9:30 a.m.

LD

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Daniel Tindol, owner of Floristique, is scheduled to speak on holiday floral design at the next meeting of the Dunwoody Garden Club.

The club meets monthly on second Wednesdays through May at the Dunwoody Library.

Guests welcome. Williams Room of the Dunwoody Library, 5339 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody. Info: dunwoodygardenclub.com.

SO

DUNWOODY UMC HOLIDAY FESTIVAL Saturday, Nov. 11, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Dunwoody United Methodist Church presents its 26th Annual Holiday Festival, an indoor event featuring handmade arts and crafts by 125 artisans. Other activities include an online silent auction, “Attic Treasures” sale, Book Nook, Casseroles-to-Go, pancake breakfast from 7:30-10 a.m., BBQ and Chick-fil-A lunch, children’s activities and photos with Santa. Proceeds benefit Atlanta Habitat for Humanity. Free; fee for some children’s activities. 1548 Mount Vernon Road, Dunwoody. Info: dunwoodyumc.org.

3180 MATHIESON DRIVE ATLANTA, GA 30305 $1,025,000 STACEY ADAMS, REALTOR®

Senior Marketing Consultant Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist D: 404-271-9949 O: 404-250-9900 Stacey.Adams@HarryNorman.com

The above information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted.

Offer subject to errors, changes, omissions, prior sales and withdrawals without notice.

FESTIVALS DIA DE LOS MUERTOS FESTIVAL AND PARADE

Saturday, Nov. 4, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Presented by the nonprofit organization We Love BuHi, this event celebrates Día De Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, a holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and Latin American countries to honor departed family members and ancestors. Community altars, traditional arts and crafts and music, food for sale, and a one-mile round-trip walking procession and bicycle parade on Buford Highway after the sun sets. Free. Northeast Plaza, 3307 Buford Highway N.E., Brookhaven. Info: welovebuhi.com.

OCT. 27 - NOV. 9, 2017

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Out & About | 19

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LEARN SOMETHING

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“SOUP’ER FALL FOODS” Monday, Oct. 30, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Learn techniques to make rich and flavorful autumn meals including butternut squash, lentil soup, spicy black bean soup, broccoli-cheddar soup and zuppa al cioccolato (chocolate soup) at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta. Members: $45. Non-members: $55. Advanced registration requested. MJCCA-Zaban Park, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Register: atlantajcc.org. Info: email Howard Schreiber at howard.schreiber@ atlantajcc.org.

Wrap up your holiday décor now and save.

TITLES@TWILIGHT: “THE INK PENN” Tuesday, Nov. 7, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Kathy Manos Penn discusses “The Ink Penn: Celebrating the Magic in the Everyday,” a collection of favorites among her local newspaper columns, and her 2017 release, “Lord Banjo the Royal Pooch,” about a dog who discovers he’s descended from royalty. Free. Garden Room at the Williams-Payne House, 6075 Sandy Springs Circle, Sandy Springs.

Info: Melissa Swindell, mswindell@heritagesandysprings.org or 404-851-9111 x2.

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Georgia Blinds & Interiors 220 Sandy Springs Cir Ste 129 M-F: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Sat: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm Sun: Closed 404-252-6991 www.ga-blinds.com Talk to an Expert, Schedule a Free in home consultation today!

*Manufacturer’s mail-in rebate offer valid for qualifying purchases made 9/16/17—12/11/17 from participating dealers in the U.S. only. Rebate will be issued in the form of a prepaid reward card and mailed within 6 weeks of rebate claim receipt.

Funds do not expire. Subject to applicable law, a $2.00 monthly fee will be assessed against card balance 6 months after card issuance and each month thereafter. Additional limitations may apply.

Ask participating dealer for details and rebate form. ©2017 Hunter Douglas. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are the property of Hunter Douglas or their respective owners. 17Q4NPPIRC2

SCOTT KELLY: “ENDURANCE”

Thursday, Nov. 9, 7 p.m.

Retired astronaut and natural storyteller Scott Kelly, who spent a year aboard the International Space Station, will share his story in an inspirational talk at the Atlanta History Center. Pre-signed copies of Kelly’s book, “Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery,” are included in the cost of tickets. $35 members; $40 general public. 130 West Paces Ferry Road N.W., Buckhead. Info: atlantahistorycenter.com.

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“SWING TO THE BEAT” Friday, Nov. 3, 6 to 10 p.m.

A night of tennis, food and Motown hits benefits the Bitsy Grant Tennis Center and features honorary chairman William A. King Jr., a founding member of The Commodores band and a longtime member of the Friends of Bitsy Grant. Bitsy Grant Tennis Center, 2125 Northside Drive N.W., Buckhead. $100. Ticket info: swingtothebeat.eventbrite.com.

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“WHISKIES OF THE WORLD” Saturday, Nov. 4, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

One of the largest whisky tasting events in the U.S., this affair features more than 200 distilled spirits from around their globe, along with their makers and ambassadors. A benefit for the North Atlanta Rotary Foundation, the event includes whiskey seminars, whiskey and food pairings and whiskey and cigar pairings. Ages 21 and up. $120.

VIP admission: $145. Westin Buckhead Atlanta, 3391 Peachtree Rd N.E, Peachtree Road, Buckhead. Info: whiskiesoftheworld.com/atlanta.

LANGUAGE AND LITERACY GALA Sunday, Nov, 12, 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The Atlanta Speech School Guild holds its 44th annual gala supporting the Speech School’s mission of helping children reach their potential through language and literacy. Cocktail reception, silent and live auctions, dinner and dancing. Capital City Club, 53 West Brookhaven Drive N.E., Brookhaven. $125. Tickets: atlantaspeechschool. org/guild or call the school SUBMIT YOUR EVENT LISTING WITH US AT at 404-233-5332.

calendar@ReporterNewspapers.net

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20 | Out & About

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How are you going to provide safety and independence for your parents?

U.S. Sen. Al Franken, news icon Dan Rather, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, inventor Joy Mangano and social commentator Reza Aslan are just some of the big names scheduled to appear at this year’s Book Festival of the MJCCA. The festival, which runs Nov. 4-20, will feature more than 45 authors, with most events being held at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, 5342 Tilly Mill Road in Dunwoody.

Also slated to appear are former First Daughters Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush; author and journalist Walter Isaacson; lifestyle expert Lisa Lillien; NBC investigative reporter Jeff Rossen; bestselling author Nicole Krauss and author and humorist Dave Barry.

“The 26th Edition of the Book Festival of the MJCCA features everyone from renowned political figures and historians, to award-winning novelists and local luminaries,” said Book Festival Co-Chair Bea Grossman in a press release.

“Book topics range from scientific breakthroughs to fascinating biographies, from untold stories about the Holocaust to World War II epics, from brilliant Jewish humor to unwritten rules for sports fans. We truly have something for everyone — book lover or not.”

Justice Breyer will headline the opening night event on Nov. 4, discussing his book “The Court and the World,” while Franken will close this year’s festival on Nov 20 talking about his memoir “Giant of the Senate” with host Bill Nigut.

Individual tickets are available, as well as a series pass for $145 or $120 for members.

To see the schedule and buy tickets, visit atlantajcc.org/bookfestival.

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OCT. 27 - NOV. 9, 2017

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Classifieds | 21

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Reporter Classifieds

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Need Help? RETIRED TEACHER AVAILABLE – School pick-up, Monitor homework, Tutor.

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Food Pantry Coordinator – CAC seeks Full-Time Food Pantry Coordinator. Oversee daily operations, manage volunteers, purchasing, inventory, deliveries, stats.

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

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22 | Community

Community Briefs C IT Y B R IN G S TOURI SM AGEN C Y I N -HO U SE AG AIN

The city is set to once again have its own tourism agency.

The 2018 budget sets aside $1 million for the creation of a Convention and Visitors Bureau, which will include a volunteer board of directors and likely a paid administrator, according to Assistant City Manager Steve Chapman. Chapman said he hopes to have a board formed by early next year. The timing for hiring an administrator is not yet known, he said.

Funding for the city’s own CVB comes from the new revenue stream created this year by the increase in hotel-motel taxes to 8 percent from 5 percent that was initiated to fund the Peachtree Creek Greenway. The hotel-motel tax increase went into effect this month and collection of the additional funding begins Nov. 15, Chapman said.

The city once had its own tourism department with one employee, but Chapman said from what he could tell after reviewing documents, turmoil in the city led to hotel motel tax funds not being spent in the allotted one-year cycle. That led the city to decide to hand over marketing and promotional duties to Discover DeKalb, the marketing and tourism agency for DeKalb County.

He said the way the new CVB will be created will depend on what he finds in the city’s files on the past tourism department. He also plans to speak to representatives from Roswell and Dunwoody, which have their own CVBs, for input, he said.

State law requires the 3 percent be divided with 1.5 percent going to the city to use on a project for “creation and expansion” of a project to drive tourism to the city and region — in this case the Greenway — and the other 1.5 percent going toward the promotion and advertising of the Greenway. The full 1.5 percent, or $650,000 a year, was planned to go to Discover DeKalb.

But Chapman said after more review of the funding this year, the city decided it wanted to reestablish the CVB it once had when the city was founded. The CVB was essentially closed, but not officially dissolved, about two years ago and the money collected from the hotel motel tax was handed over to Discover DeKalb for promotion and marketing of such events as the Cherry Blossom Festival.

Chapman aid the city will continue its relationship with Discover DeKalb by paying it $575,000 a year.

“They’re very good,” he said. “We are not saying they are doing a bad job.”

BOY S & GI RLS C L UB REZ ON I N G D ELAYED

Ashton Woods, developers for a planned 64-townhome unit on the property of the Boys & Girls Club property, asked the City Council at its Oct. 24 meeting to delay a rezoning vote as they try to work with neighbors to garner their support for the project.

The council agreed. The proposed development will now go back to the Planning Commission on Dec. 6 and then to the City Council on Dec. 12.

FILE Several people spoke out against the controThe Boys & Girls Club is trying to sell its property on North Druid versial project at the Oct. 24 meeting, asking the Hills. Developers are proposing a council to simply deny the proposed project. The 64-townhome unit on the site. city has also been flooded with emails from residents opposing the project, citing concerns that include density and traffic.

The Planning Commission voted 6-1 on Oct. 4 to recommend council deny the application to rezone the site on North Druid Hills Road to allow the townhome development. Commissioners said they had concerns the development would not fit the character of the area and the recommended uses for the area laid out in the city’s comprehensive plan.

Ashton Woods is asking the city to rezone the property from R-75 (single-family residential) to RM-100 (multi-family residential). The developers, after community input, recently revised plans to lower density from 74 to 64 units and moved the entrance from Sylvan Circle to Briarwood Road.

The Brookhaven Boys & Girls Club is trying to sell its property to move to another location about four miles away in Chamblee at 2880 Dresden Drive, a property the organization already owns. The sale is contingent on the rezoning.

C O N TRA C TOR TO MA N AGE PAR TS O F C H ERRY BLOSSOM F ESTIVAL

The City Council on Oct. 24 approved entering into a contract with Splash Festivals Inc. for management of the arts and craft market and children’s play area for the 2018 Cherry Blossom Festival.

As part of the agreement, the city will not pay Splash Festivals for its management.

Rather, the company will be paid through proceeds from booth rentals, vendors and market sponsorship.

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Voters to decide on sales tax increase, property tax freeze

BY DYANA BAGBY dyanabagby@reporternewspapers.net

Brookhaven voters will decide Nov. 7 if they want to raise their sales tax from 7 to 8 percent for six years as part of an initiative known as SPLOST [special purpose local option sales tax] to raise funds for capital projects for the city as well as unincorporated DeKalb County and 11 other cities in the county.

But that’s not the only ballot initiative they will be deciding on. The two other ballot initiatives are: ■ A new HOST (Homestead Option Sales Tax), which would replace an existing HOST by applying 100 percent of the revenue to reduce property taxes for homeowners. Currently, 80 percent goes to reduce property taxes for homeowners and 20 percent goes to capital projects. That 20 percent will no longer be needed if the SPLOST is approved. The HOST and SPLOST referendums must both be approved by voters for them to take effect. If one fails, they both fail.

■ Finally, voters will decide to vote for or against the continuing freeze on property tax increases for existing homeowners for the six-year period of the SPLOST. The estimated $600 million of revenue from the SPLOST will be split roughly 60 percent to the unincorporated areas of DeKalb and 40 percent to the 12 cities, according to state Sen. Fran Millar (R-Dunwoody), an author of the bill. Currently, due to the rise in cities, the unincorporated areas only get about $2 million a year and the cities get about $20 million a year.

If the SPLOST is approved, the city of Brookhaven is expected to rake in an additional $47 million over six years. The council agreed that $15 million would go toward public safety facilities and equipment; $14 million would go toward road pavement management; another $11.1 million would be used for transportation improvements; and $7 million would go to maintenance of existing capital assets.

Specific projects on where the money will be spent will be determined later, but state law requires most of the money go toward transportation.

DeKalb County also is asking the cities to kick in extra funding to cover Fire and Rescue Department costs, but Brookhaven has not yet decided if it will do so. If the SPLOST is approved, DeKalb would receive $388 million over six years and nearly 60 percent of that total is slated to go toward transportation projects, with $151 million for road resurfacing, according to CEO Michael Thurmond.

Millar, who is vocally supporting the SPLOST, said he wrote the SPLOST bill with input from Thurmond, including agreeing to Thurmond’s request that the penny tax increase not apply to food or prescription drugs so as to not be as a regressive tax against poorer residents.

Election Day is Nov. 7 Election Day is Nov. 7, and it’s a big one.

Voters in all of Brookhaven can weigh in on three ballot questions related to a special local option sales tax.

In addition, two local City Council seats are the ballot, representing Districts 2 and 4.

For more information about those races and the candidates, see our Voters Guides at ReporterNewspapers.net.

For information about your polling place and elected officials, see the elections page of the county website at DeKalbCountyGA.gov.

NOV

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OCT. 27 - NOV. 9, 2017

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Public Safety | 23

www.ReporterNewspapers.net

Police Blotter / Brookhaven From Brookhaven police reports dated Oct. 15 through Oct. 22 pulled from the Brookhaven Police-2-Citizen website.

T H E F T A N D B U R G L A RY 3100 block of Lenox Park Circle — On

Oct. 15, in the early morning, a verbal dispute was reported.

2000 block of Curtis Drive — On Oct.

Oct. 15, in the morning, items were reported stolen from a car.

15, in the early morning, a battery incident was reported and a man was arrested on related charges.

3600 block of Buford Highway — On

3200 block of Buford Highway — On

Oct. 16, in the early morning, a bicycle was reported stolen.

2900 block of Mabry

Road — On Oct. 16, in the early morning, a no-forced entry burglary to a residence was reported.

3900

block of Peachtree Road — On Oct. 16, in the morning, a shoplifting incident was reported.

Oct. 15, around noon, a battery incident took place.

rested and accused of making terroristic threats.

was arrested for using a fake ID.

2700 block of Buford Highway — On

— On Oct. 21, in the early morning, a woman was arrested and accused of marijuana possession.

Oct. 16, in the early morning, a woman was arrested and accused of public drunkenness.

3300 block of Clairmont Road — On

Oct. 16, in the early morning, a man was arrested and accused of driving under the influence of alcohol.

3800 block of Peachtree Road — On Oct. 15, in the evening, a simple battery was reported.

2200 block of Johnson Ferry Road —

3000 block of Buford Highway — On Oct. 15, at night, a simple battery was reported.

3400 block of Buford Highway — On

Oct. 22, in the afternoon, a man was arrested and accused of public intoxication and consumption.

2000 block of North Druid Hills Road

OT H E R I N C I D E N T S

— On Oct. 19, in the morning, a man was arrested and accused of driving with a suspended license.

3200 block of Buford Highway — On

Oct. 17, at night, a verbal dispute took place.

Corporate Boulevard/ North Druid

Oct. 16, a car was reported stolen.

3600 block of Ashford-Dunwoody

Road — On Oct. 16, at night, items were stolen from a car.

2900 block of Clairmont Road — On

Oct. 16, at night, parts from a car were stolen.

2100 block of Coventry Drive — On

Oct. 17, at midnight, someone illegally entered a car.

3100 block of Woodrow Way — On

Oct. 17, at night, a battery incident was reported and a woman was arrested on related charges.

2600 block of Derby Walk — On Oct.

20, at night, a man was arrested and accused of family violence.

1800 block of Corporate Boulevard —

On Oct. 21, in the early morning, a man was arrested and accused of battery.

ARRESTS

1000 block of Wimberly Road — On

3900 block of Peachtree Road — On

Oct. 17, in the morning, items were stolen from a car.

Oct. 15, at midnight, a wanted person was arrested during a traffic offense.

2400 block of Briarcliff Road — On

2800 block of Buford Highway — On

Oct. 17, in the evening, items were stolen from a car.

Oct. 15, in the early morning, a man was arrested and accused of driving under the influence of alcohol.

4000 block of Peachtree Road — On

Oct. 17, at night, items were stolen from a car.

700 block of Brookhaven Avenue —

On Oct. 17, three separate parties reported various thefts.

A S S AU LT 3500 block of Buford Highway — On

Oct. 15, in the early morning, a man was arrested and accused of aggravated assault.

1600 block of Briarwood Road — On

Oct. 15, in the early morning, two women were arrested and accused of obstruction and interference.

3800 block of Peachtree Road — On

Oct. 15, in the evening, following a traffic offense, a woman was arrested and accused of driving with a suspended license.

4400 block of Memorial Drive — On

Oct. 15, in the evening, a man was ar-

1700 block of Briarwood Road — On

Oct. 18, in the early morning, following a traffic stop, a woman was arrested and accused of marijuana possession.

2900 block of Clairmont Road — On

3100 block of Buford Highway — On

Oct. 22, in the early morning, someone was arrested and accused of an afterhours sale at a private club.

3300 block of Buford Highway — On

Road — On Oct. 20, after midnight, a man was arrested and accused of marijuana possession.

Oct. 16, at night, items were stolen from a car.

3000 block of Buford Highway — On

Oct. 22, in the morning, a man was arrested and accused of driving under the influence of alcohol with a BAC of .08 more than three hours later.

Highway — On Oct. 16, in the afternoon, a shoplifting incident was reported.

1400 block of Northeast Expressway

On Oct. 17, in the afternoon, a woman was arrested and accused of forging a check in the fourth degree.

3200 block of Druid Hills Reserve — On Oct. 15, at night, a woman was arrested and accused of simple battery.

3300 block of Buford

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2900 block of Caldwell Road — On

3800 block of Chamblee-Dunwoody

Hills — On Oct. 20, in the afternoon, two individuals were arrested and accused of urban camping.

3300 block of Buford Highway — On

Oct. 20, in the afternoon, a man was arrested and accused of driving unlicensed.

1400 block of Northeast Expressway

— On Oct. 20, in the evening, a woman

4000 block of Summit Boulevard —

On Oct. 15, in the early morning, officers investigated a death.

1200 block of Dresden Drive — On

Oct. 15, in the early morning, a business reported that they had sustained property damage.

1000 block of Mill Overlook — On Oct.

15, at night, officers investigated a death.

3300 block of Buford Highway — On

Oct. 16, at night, a hit-and-run accident was reported.

3900 block of Peachtree Road — On

Oct. 19, in the morning, someone received a criminal trespass warning.

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A WEEK OF GOOD EATS From November 4-10, explore the city’s diverse culinary scene and enjoy exclusive, multi-course menus during Sandy Springs Restaurant Week 2017.

Don’t forget to savor, snap, tag and share your favorite eats on Facebook and Instagram: #SSRestaurantWeek

LUNCH

(2 courses): $10, $15, or $20

DINNER

(3 courses): $25, $35, or $45 Plus Unique Offerings from local specialty food retailers – learn more online!

For participating restaurants and menus: visitsandysprings.org/restaurantweek Check out participating restaurants and menus at visitsandysprings.org/restaurantweek.

ELEGANT ELF MARKETPLACE Work up an appetite for Restaurant Week and check off your holiday shopping list at the Elegant Elf Marketplace presented by the Sandy Springs Society on November 4-5, 2017.

Visit sandyspringssociety.org/the-elegant-elf/ for more information.

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