Brookhaven Reporter - November 2022

Brookhaven

Kind of Turkey Day

About the Cover

Sandy Springs

HOBNOB, which has

locations around the metro, has one of the largest selections of bourbons and whiskeys. (Photo by Brandon Amato)

Dunwoody & Brookhaven

If turkey isn’t your thing, try the steak frites at HOBNOB with a center-cut sirloin and parmesan truffle fries. (Photo courtesy Big Table Restaurants)

Buckhead

Food critic Christiane Lauterbach at Daily Chew in Morningside-Lenox Park. (Photo by Isadora Pennington)

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LOOK TO NORTHSIDE

A Community of Care on a Mission to Heal

At Northside Hospital, you can look forward to new beginnings, look ahead to comeback seasons, and look up for hope and strength. Led by our expertise in maternity, heart, cancer, orthopedics and more, you can move into tomorrow with confidence knowing there is a community of care at Northside that’s guided by one clear direction, a mission to heal.

a healthier future together, look to Northside Hospital.

BUCKHEAD

Last dance for ‘Disco Kroger’

2260 MARIETTA BOULEVARD, SUITE 105 ATLANTA, GA 30318 (404) 254-3235

SANDY

6125 ROSWELL ROAD, SUITE 1050 SANDY SPRINGS, GA 30328 (404) 565-0493

BY COLLIN KELLEY

Kroger has announced plans to close its supermarkets at 3330 Piedmont Road in Buckhead and 720 Commerce Drive in Decatur before Christmas.

Kroger said the Decatur store will close Dec. 2, while the Buckhead store will shut ter on Dec. 9.

“We appreciate the loyalty and sup port of our customers and look forward to continuing to serve their needs at nearby Kroger locations,” said Victor Smith, presi dent of Kroger’s Atlanta Division, in a press release.

The Buckhead location has been in business for 47 years and is affectionately known as “Disco Kroger” thanks to a for mer neighbor, the glitzy Limelight disco theque. Company officials said the lease is set to expire in 2023 as redevelopment in

the area continues.

The owners of the shopping center, Re gency Development, announced the store’s closure last year and said a new grocery store will take Kroger’s place.

Company officials said the Decatur loca tion, nicknamed “Baby Kroger” for its small size and in operation for 21 years, “has ex perienced declining sales and negative prof it over an extended period and its closure is necessary to make Kroger more competitive in the market.”

All 59 associates at the Commerce Drive location and all 84 associates at the Pied mont Road location will be reassigned to other Kroger locations as outlined in the company’s collective bargaining agree ment,” Smith said.

Kroger announced the closures the same week it purchased rival Albertsons for $24.6 billion.

Record-setting early voting in Georgia ahead of Nov. 8

BY COLLIN KELLEY

Early voting is underway across Geor gia ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm election, which will see ballots cast in fraught rac es for governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and more.

Ballots can be cast Monday through Fri day until Nov. 4 at polling places in Fulton and DeKalb counties.

In Fulton, advance voting takes place 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can see polling places and sample ballots at fultoncountyga.gov and click on the General Election 2022 tab.

In DeKalb, advance voting is also Mon day through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

You see locations and a sample ballot at dekalbcountyga.gov and clock on the “How Do I” tab for voter information.

By Oct. 25, Georgia’s early voting record was shattered as the Secretary of State’s of fice reported that more than 1 million bal lots had been cast.

More than 4 million Georgians are ex pected to vote in this year’s midterms as high-profile issues like abortion rights, in flation, and education continue to spark conflict.

To find out more about each candidate, be sure to visit the 2022 Election Guide created by Atlanta Civic Circle and Atlanta Journal-Constitution at atlantaciviccircle.org.

“Disco” Kroger in Buckhead. (Courtesy Google Maps)

Personalized,

us

State of the City: Mayor addresses arts, public works, affordable housing

BY BOB PEPALIS

Sandy Springs plans to find a develop ment partner by early 2023 to help expand the City Springs “campus” across Mount Vernon Highway, Mayor Rusty Paul said during his State of the City Address on Tues day.

Paul delivered his annual message to the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber of Com merce at a city hall luncheon on Oct. 18.

The mayor said the city has been buy ing the property and plans to have a request for qualifications (RFQ) out to the develop ment community this year. A development partner will be chosen early next year, Paul said.

“We really want to create a walkable, fam ily-friendly, family-oriented dynamic around this campus,” he said.

Becoming an arts community

Paul said when he couldn’t find consen sus on what Sandy Springs should become, he decided that as mayor he should figure it out.

“Let’s build it around the arts. Let’s talk about the performing arts, which we do in these facilities around us now, on the Green and down on the Society Lawn at Heritage,” he said.

The city annually chooses sculptures to purchase from artists in its ArtSS in the Open project and installs them at public parks like Abernathy Greenway Park and Marsh Creek Rain Garden.

The city also got an unexpected gift from Fulton County with the transfer of the Ab ernathy Arts Center deed. Millions of dol lars of work must be done, including tearing down the old buildings, which Paul called “unsalvageable.” A water detention facility needs to be cleaned out as it resembles an old-growth forest.

Public works projects completed, more on tap

Plans are to open a new Veterans Park across Roswell Road from the Performing Arts Center on Veterans Day in 2023. Work is about to begin on utility relocations and burials around Veterans Park.

The latest work on I-285 hasn’t been as bad on traffic as the mayor expected, though he said that might be similar to when every one was told to stay off the roads during the Atlanta Olympics and the highways were empty.

“But in the end, it’s going to have a ma jor transformational impact on our commu nity,” he said.

The city completed $22 million of its own transportation projects using local op

tion sales tax dollars, Paul said. Projects in cluded the Spalding-Trowbridge intersec tion, the Mount Vernon and Long Island safety project, and the Roswell Road-Glen ridge intersection working with the Georgia Department of Transportation.

“That was a very dangerous intersection with a lot of loss of life because of the angles and other things,” he said.

The Hammond Road widening project may begin construction in three years. The city began buying property several years ago and now owns much of what it needs for right-of-way, he said. More acquisitions and design work is necessary before construction can begin.

Many sidewalk projects were completed, he said.

The city also is trying to figure out if they can make Roswell Road more beautiful with plants, trees, and shrubs in the median. The challenge is to do that without damaging any of the businesses along the corridor. Install ing medians can block access to parking lots for motorists looking to turn left across the opposite lanes of traffic.

Twenty-one miles of streets have been paved and the city is starting work on Trail Segment 2A, part of a loop trail from Mor gan Falls Overlook Park to Roswell Road.

Affordable single-family homes needed

“It’s not fair that we’re cutting off ac cess to the American dream of homeowner ship to young families just with the cost of the house,” Paul said. “We’ve got to figure it out.”

Developers are beginning to understand that to bring more apartments into projects they must include single-family housing like townhomes or condos.

Tom Mahaffey may have thought he was retiring when he resigned from president/ CEO role with the Sandy Springs Perime ter Chamber of Commerce, but Paul said he was putting him to work helping to figure out a retail strategy for the city.

“Our biggest obstacle to success is finding the quality people that will come here and work for us,” he said.

Mayor Rusty Paul

Forrand named new CEO of Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber of Commerce

BY BOB PEPALIS

The Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber of Commerce announced that Adam P. For rand, currently a vice president for the Gwin nett Chamber and Partnership Gwinnett, will be SSPC’s new president and CEO, effective Nov. 1.

Chamber Board Chair Tisha Rosamond made the public announcement of theleader ship change at the Chamber’s recent signature luncheon.

“We could not be more pleased to have Adam at the helm. He brings extensive cham ber, business and workforce development ex perience and will be able to ‘hit the ground running’,” she said. “We are looking forward to collaborating with him and to his leader ship in taking the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber to the next level.”

Forrand was responsible for Education, Talent & Leadership Development for the Gwinnett Chamber and its economic and community development initiative, Partner ship Gwinnett.

“I am honored to be the Board’s selection as the next leader of the Sandy Springs Perim

eter Chamber. I am thankful for their confi dence in me, and I look forward to working with them to build a remarkable future for the SSPC.”

He said from his first conversation with former chamber CEO Tom Mahaffey, through the selection process and at the sig nature luncheon he recognized an energy and spirit among its members and leaders that served as an indicator of its stature in the com munity and the region.

Forrand’s previous positions included his own marketing communications agency, a Seattle-based education technology start-up, and multinational education companies such as Pearson Learning and McGraw-Hill. With the Gwinnett Chamber since 2015, he also served on the Atlanta Regional Workforce Development Board.

Born in Tampa, Florida, Forrand earned a BBA in Marketing from Florida’s Stetson University, where he met his wife Lori, a Spe cial Education teacher. They are parents of three children, Arden, a senior at Louisiana State University, Alex, a freshman at Berry College and Aidan, a high school junior.

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Plan Ahead For Any Emergency

Demolition underway on Nancy Creek Drive bridge

BY SAMMIE PURCELL

A contractor for the city of Brookhav en is in the process of demolishing a bridge along W. Nancy Creek Drive in preparation for a replacement.

At the beginning of July, the city an nounced that the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) discovered struc tural issues with a bridge near 1243 W. Nancy Creek Drive during an inspection, and that the bridge would need to be re placed. The city approved a design contract for a new bridge on July 26, and approved a demolition contract with Georgia Bridge and Concrete in September.

The first phase of the demolition process required the relocation of DeKalb Coun

ty water lines, which were attached to the bridge. The city’s Public Works Depart ment anticipates that once those water lines are moved, the demolition process will take about two weeks.

“The DeKalb County Department of Water Management has been a great part ner in expediting this emergency repair,”

said Brookhaven Public Works Director Don Sherrill in the release. “Once the Wa ter line is removed, the bridge demolition will begin. The good news is, with the prog ress we are making, we are a little ahead of the schedule for completion.”

The city expects the bridge to be com plete by the end of spring 2023. Up dates about the process can be found at brookhavenga.gov/publicworks.

To coincide with the City of Brookhaven’s 10th anniversary, voting for 2022 Best of Brookhaven is underway.

Presented by Explore Brookhaven, the Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce, and the Brookhaven Reporter. Voting is open through Nov. 11, 2022 for categories in cluding beauty, drinking & nightlife, eating, health & wellness, shopping, and more. Winners will be announced in the December issue of the Brookhaven Reporter. Cast your vote at best.roughdraftatlanta.com.

Part of W. Nancy Creek Drive is closed while the bridge is replaced. (Courtesy City of Brookhaven)

Veterans Day

Dunwoody

Dunwoody City

a.m.

Zoning Board

Dunwoody City Hall 6 p.m.

Dunwoody Wine Stroll Pernoshal Park 2 - 6 p.m.

#GreatDunwoodyCleanup

Planning

p.m.

Citizens

p.m.

City Hall

City

Highlights

Dunwoody City Council Meeting

Dunwoody City Hall

p.m.

Holiday

Spruill Gallery

Dunwoody

Dunwoody City Hall 5 p.m.

Friday Night Hike Dunwoody Nature Center 8 p.m.

History

Donaldson-Bannister

9:30 a.m.

Bike-Walk Dunwoody meet at Village Burger 3:45 p.m.

Light Up Dunwoody Shops of Dunwoody 5 p.m.

Thanksgiving Dunwoody City Hall closed Nov. 23-24

Dunwoody City Council Meeting

Dunwoody City Hall 6 p.m.

Dunwoody

City dips into reserve for 2023 ‘hold-the-line’ budget

BY CATHY COBBS

The Dunwoody City Council unan imously passed a 2023 budget at its Oct. 24 meeting that holds the line on spending and services.

The $30.1 million budget, which will use $2 million of the city’s reserve funds to balance it, reflect revenue that will be gen erated from last year’s millage rate increase from 2.74 to 3.04. However, city officials said that inflation, salary increases, and higher employee insurance rates will eat up that increased revenue of approximately $1 million.

Dunwoody Assistant City Manager Jay Vinicki told the council during his presen tation that the city’s financial picture is still healthy, despite having to use reserve funds. “Is it where we want to be? No, but we are still well within the guidelines for a reserve fund,” Vinicki said.

Councilman John Heneghan likened the 2023 budget picture to “an ugly baby.”

“The baby picture is ugly, and the tod dler picture doesn’t look like it’s going to be much better,” Heneghan said. “This struc tural deficit has me concerned.”

Heneghan said he met with key mem bers of the budgeting team, including Dun woody Mayor Lynn Deutsch, before the council session “trying to find $2 million” so the reserve wouldn’t have to be touched, but conceded that the meeting did not pro duce any viable alternatives.

“I’m just concerned that we are funding things that the public doesn’t want and not funding things that they do want,” he said.

“I’m particularly concerned that we have sidewalk projects in this budget when we have heard from citizens that they want to slow down on them.”

Vinicki reminded the council that the budget can, and will, be modified through out the year to reflect changes in revenues and expenditures.

“This is something that will be modified 20 or more times throughout the course of the year,” he said. “Also, nothing can be spent until January of 2023.”

The budget includes a four-percent mar ket adjustment to be paid to public safe ty and other staff in the first pay period of 2023, and $2.75 million in road resurfacing funds that will be matched with $450,000 in state funds. The proposed budget also includes $515,000 to cover rising health care premiums, which are about 20 percent higher than 2021.

In addition, $600,000 has been desig nated to launch a pilot ambulance program that will assist in helping reduce response time within the city limits. Council Mem ber Tom Lambert, the chairman of the pan el’s budget committee, said the pilot pro gram, which would span three years, will be evaluated on an annual basis to measure its effectiveness.

As it has been in previous years, most of the budget, this year about $11 million, is designated to fund the city’s police depart ment. The parks department portion totals about 12 percent, or about $3.1 million, of the budget. Public works’ expenditures will total about $3 million or 10 percent of the 2023 budget.

Dunwoody Wine Stroll Pernoshal Park

Nov.

Golf tournament honors resident, raises money

PROPERTY TAX 2ND INSTALLMENT DEADLINE NOV. 15

Customers paying their DeKalb County property tax bills at the Memorial Drive office will use the UGA Extension Service entrance located at the front of the building from Nov. 7–15, Mon Fri, 8 AM 6 PM (extended hours) CLOSED Nov. 11 for Veterans Day holiday

Know before you go:

Second installment is due Nov 15; City of Atlanta/DeKalb due Nov 15 Remember to bring your tax bill stub and a valid Georgia ID or Georgia driver’s license.

Acceptable payment methods include a credit/debit card, check or money order; processing fees apply for credit/debit card payments

Parking is available near the UGA Extension Service lot facing Memorial Dr Disabled customers may use the Property Tax entrance off Northern Ave. Security screening and temperature checks are required for service

Failure to receive a bill does not relieve the responsibility of paying taxes due Property owners who have not received their bill may contact the tax office for assistance, or access a copy of their bill online at https://dekalbtax.org/property information.

BY CATHY COBBS

More than 100 golfers and friends turned out recently at Pinetree Country Club in Ken nesaw to honor the memory of Dunwoody resident Steve Gebhardt, who died in January of an accidental opioid overdose.

More than 100 golfers and friends turned out Sept. 26 at Pinetree Country Club in Ken nesaw to honor the memory of Dunwoody resident Steve Gebhardt, who died in January of an accidental opioid overdose.

The event raised more than $10,000 for Young Life – a cause that was important to the Gebhardt family. The funds will provide “camperships” for those unable to afford the cost of Young Life retreats.

Gephardt, known to most as “Stevie D,” was an athlete and popular Dunwoody High School graduate who had struggled with addiction issues for several years. He had been so ber for six months but according to his parents, had taken Xanax laced with Fentanyl with a friend on the evening of Jan. 26, which led to his death five days later.

“He was so good 90 percent of the time, but the other 10 percent was what killed him,” his father, Steve Gebhardt said. “He didn’t understand that a little pill could turn a life around so drastically.”

The Stevie D Classic was the brainchild of his close friends Logan and Tanner Elliott, Austin Broth, Tyler Reid and Rand Eberhard, Gebhardt said. Pinetree was the logical choice for the venue as Stevie D was an employee there prior to his death.

“The membership knew and loved him,” Gebhardt said. “He was very service-oriented.”

While the reason for the tournament was difficult, Gebhardt said that seeing all the peo ple who loved his son come to the event touched the family.

“He would have loved to see all of his buddies come together,” Gebhardt said. “It exceed ed our expectations in every way.”

Allison Witt, area director for Perimeter North Young Life, said the funds from the golf tournament will added to those already collected in Stevie D’s name in past months. Geb hardt said organizers hope to make the Stevie D Classic an annual event.

“Even though it was a lot of work, there seems to be a lot of momentum to continue it,” he said. “

Twenty-four teams took to the links during the day-long event, which, after a three-way tie, ended in a 25-meter swim-off in Pinetree’s pool. The Elliott team, comprised of the El liott brothers, dad, Jared Elliott, and Reid, prevailed to take home the title.

Attendees say they were drawn to a poster at the tournament featuring Stevie D’s wide smile and signature pose that summed up the complicated feelings surrounding his death –“Our lives are not the same without him, but we will do our part to see his legacy lived into the lives of young people.”

consider the

Online: dekalbtax.org/property information. Credit/debit card payments are accepted; processing fees apply. There is no service fee for paying by e Check. Drop box: 24 hour drop box available at all three office locations. Payment must be placed in the box by the due date; cash not accepted.

Pay-by-phone: Call 770 336 7500, Monday Friday, 8 AM 5 PM Payment does not apply to prior year, delinquent payments Credit/debit card payments are accepted; processing fees apply

Mailed payment must be postmarked by the U S Postal Service by the due date to avoid late fees; metered or kiosk postage dates are not accepted as proof of timely payment

made in the office

online may take 24 48 hours to appear on the website

to volume, payments received by mail during payment season may take up to a week

longer to post once received DO NOT cancel payment Please contact the tax office for payment concerns to avoid late fees

Stevie D Classic participants.

(From left) Dwight Smith, Chuck Christopher, Cal Christopher, and Kyle Smith, longtime friends of the Gebhardt family, participated in the Stevie D Classic.

Council passes park plan for Austin property, tables Vermack

BY CATHY COBBS

The Dunwoody City Council at its Oct. 24 meeting deferred without discussion a vote on a parks master plan on Vermack Road, angering neighbors who are opposed to a last-minute proposed addition of an ac cess path from their neighborhoods to the park.

A decision on the final master plan for the Vermack property and another one on Roberts Drive had been tabled at the coun cil’s Oct. 10 meeting after several chang es were introduced to both plans. Several council members pointed out that the ad dition of a walking path from the Vermack Road property had not been fully vetted to the neighbors who lived in subdivisions that the pathway would link to the park.

During public comment prior to the Oct. 24 meeting, a half dozen residents liv ing near the Vermack Road property stat ed their opposition to the insertion of the walking path that would lead to and from their neighborhoods, citing safety concerns about increased and unmonitored public

access to their homes.

Peter Fritz, the president of the Heritage at Dunwoody, told the council that 82 fam ilies, representing about 160 residents, are opposed to its installation.

“Privacy and safety are paramount to the residents,” Fritz said.

A letter and petition submitted to the council said the residents “ask and demand the insertion of this pedestrian path is re moved and any master plan approved also adds measures (fencing, plantings, et al) to prevent any access to the park to/from the Heritage and Village Mill.”

The parks, both around 10 acres, are lo cated at 5435 Roberts Drive, the former Austin Elementary School, and 4809 and 4819 Vermack Road, which currently has two homes on the property.

Both plans have changed significantly after receiving feedback from the public as to various amenities that could be included in the final product. Instead of a one or two softball fields and batting cages at the Rob erts Drive location, that area has been re placed by a multi-use field.

At the Oct. 10 meeting, the coun cil looked at three options for the Rob erts property that focused on the size of the multi-use field. The original size, 300 x 150 feet, would include two half-court basket ball courts and one full basketball court. Another option would expand the field to 300 x 165 feet and have one full basket ball court and one half-court, and the third would be 330 x 165 feet, and would have one full basketball court and one half-court.

After some discussion on Oct. 24, the council passed the latter plan.

After the Roberts Drive agenda item, a motion to table the Vermack plan was in troduced and passed, with council mem bers Joe Seconder, Stacey Harris, Rob Price, and Catherine Lautenbacher voting to ta ble the measure and John Heneghan, Tom Lambert and Mayor Lynn Deutsch voting to open the matter for discussion.

Dunwoody City Attorney Ken Bernard had advised the council that once the mo tion was made to table the item, no discus sion or debate could occur, according to Robert’s Rule of Order.

During council comments at the end of the meeting, Heneghan said he was disap pointed that the Vermack issue was not dis cussed.

“(At the last meeting), we took the word ‘transparency’ out of our mission statement and I’m not sure that was the right deci sion,” he said. “I really wish we would have had the chance to comment among council the item that was tabled. I think we could have had some worthwhile discussion, and we could have been transparent to the 50 people who were in the room listening.”

The 2023 parks budget does not include any funds for construction, which have been estimated to be $10.5 million for the Roberts property and about $4 million for the Vermack property. The council had dis cussed funding Vermack, Roberts and oth er parks improvements with a $30 million parks bond, but in September decided not to put a parks bond referendum on the bal lot in November.

Discussions about putting a parks bond referendum on the ballot in 2023 are on going.

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Truth & Lies

Melissa Rivers channels her mother for new book

BY SAMMIE PURCELL

Everybody remembers the wild jokes and cracks comedian Joan Rivers would make onstage. But you might be a little less familiar with what she said offstage.

Joan passed away in 2014, but in her daughter Melissa Rivers’ new book, “Lies My Mother Told Me: Tall Tales From a Short Woman,” Melissa has a blast writ ing in her mother’s voice, making up lie after wild lie. Almost nothing in this book is true, Melissa told me. The falsehoods might stem from some kernel of truth –family vacations with Melissa, her mother, and her father, Edgar Rosenberg, or trips that Melissa’s son Cooper would take with his grandmother. But you’ll have to decide for yourself what’s true and what’s not.

Reporter Newspapers spoke with Me lissa about her working relationship with her mother, living in Las Vegas as a kid, and her own comedy style. This interview has been lightly edited for length and clar ity.

You can hear Melissa talk about the book during the Marcus Jewish Commu nity Center of Atlanta’s annual book fes tival. The event takes place on Nov. 5 at 8 p.m.

You talk about this a bit in the book, but how did the idea for this book come to you?

Everyone kept asking me, what would your mother be saying, you know, in these times. My writing partner and I started to write what we thought would be an arti

cle, or maybe an op-ed. We weren’t sure about what my mother would be saying about everything. We got into it and we realized, this is more than that. Then we were like, let’s write the history of the world according to Joan. Then we realized it would be more fun to sort of expand and open up the aperture and write about lies – you know, random lies. So, we just started making up these crazy stories, and it got us through COVID. It was definite ly a lifesaver.

This book has a very interesting style. Is there anything in the book that’s true? How did you come up with the different lies you included?

What’s true? There are very gener al, broad strokes. You’ll say what’s true, and I’m like, well you know, we did have Thanksgiving dinner! [Laughs] The truths are very, very broad. I did spend a lot of time growing up in Vegas. My mom and my dad were friendly with Siegfried & Roy. So, there are little fun places of jump ing off. But they’re very, very small. We just would think about what was funny. You know, my mother always hated when I had bangs. And we’re like, what could we tie that to? And we’re like, oh, you know, someone who got beheaded – French Rev olution! So we just started brainstorming about what would be funny.

I’m glad you mentioned the Las Vegas section. I can’t really imagine growing up in that environment as a kid. What was that like?

Melissa Rivers

Different, obvi ously. But my par ents tried to keep it as normal as possible. Like, during Hal loween we would go trick-or-treating in the hotel, you know, things like that. As a kid, you don’t real ize your parents have preset everything. So those little bits about that kind of fun in Vegas, they do stem from an actual mem ory of being in Vegas as a kid.

I can imagine go ing back over your whole life with your mom is a pretty big endeavor. When you were looking back at these real mem ories and bouncing off of them to make up these funny sto ries, were there any memories you hap pened upon that were particularly funny or emotional?

I don’t think there was anything that was really emotional, because it’s a very light-hearted book. [Laughs] We were not doing a deep dive into my psyche, you know, in any kind of a Freudian way. I think the most fun things to think about were the different family vacations we took, and that my mother continued that whole thing with Cooper and “Grandma Week.” That’s all true, the places they went to are true. What happened, I hope nev er actually happened – granted I wasn’t there, so I’ll plead the fifth on that one. So, I think that was more fun, just to think of fun things we did or ridiculous situations. This book is written in your mother’s voice. Was that a conscious decision to write from her perspective? How does your real comedy voice compare to hers?

How did I decide to write in her voice? Because by writing in her voice, I could get away with a lot more. It wasn’t me saying these things, it was her saying these things. It made it very freeing.

How are our comedy styles different? Mine is actually much more like my fa ther’s, in the sense that it’s very dry. I think that comes from the red carpets and all those years working with my mother. It’s much more reactive rather than proactive, and a lot more of finding the funny or the ridiculous in particular situations. Does

that make any sense?

I think so. You’re looking at something that’s mundane and figuring out what’s funny about it, is that a good way to de scribe it?

Absolutely. Or ridiculous. And my mother would too, I think it’s just a dif ferent dryness.

You worked a lot with your mother on quite a few things. I work with my dad a lot – we’re both musicians – and I know that working with a parent can some times be a little tenuous when you have two different relationships going on.

We like to say, “challenging.”

Yes, exactly. I wondered if you had ad vice or perspective on how you navigat ed those two intertwining relationships.

Pick your battles. Pick your battles, be cause when you are living with your par ent or spending a tremendous amount of time with your parent, I found I would re vert back to teenage behavior.

The last thing I wanted to ask – and I’m sure you’ve been asked this before – but, what do you think your mom would have thought about the book.

Oh, I think she would have loved it. I think more than anything, she would have been annoyed that she didn’t think of it.

You know, I know my mom. She would have been like, “Damn, why didn’t I think of that?”

Cirque’s

steampunk delight

BY JACOB NGUYEN

If you commute along the Downtown Connector, you might have noticed the giant, white circus tent in Atlantic Sta tion’s event lot. That can only mean one thing: Cirque du Soleil is back in town.

I attended the opening night of Cirque’s “Kurios: Cabinet of Curiosities” on Thursday already knowing what to ex pect, but delighted by what I saw just the same.

The famed Quebec-based circus – cre ated almost 40 years ago – has multiple touring shows, and although each has a different theme, Cirque never strays far from its classic acrobatic and aerial roots.

I’ve seen other Cirque shows, including the high-energy “Volta” in 2019 – which added parkour and BMX-style bike riding to the mix – but “Kurios” is a much more traditional circus, albeit with a steampunk and David Lynch sense of production.

Cirque shows typically have a loose sto ryline, and this one required a quick in ternet search as the show started to see exactly what this one was all about. It ac tually doesn’t matter, but for the curious: a 19th-century inventor creates a machine that opens a tunnel to a strange new world and a train full of oddities spills out in his laboratory.

The set crackles with old-fashioned lightbulbs, music comes from old Victro la phonographs, and a diminutive wom an named Mini Lili – who speaks French and lives in an elegant apartment inside the overcoat of a character named Mr. Mi crocosmos – appears unexpectedly like a “Twin Peaks” fever dream.

The high-flying stunts kick off with a woman riding a bicycle before it sudden ly takes flight and she performs a series of tricks high over the stage.

A ringleader presides over a misbehav ing group of invisible circus animals, fol lowed by contortionists who cavort atop a giant steampunk finger – did I mention there is A LOT of steampunk aesthetic in this show? – and then the evening’s first big set piece gets underway and will, liter ally, have you seeing double.

A group of characters is having a jol ly dinner at a large round table at center stage when the candelabra levitates. High up in the big top amid the lighting rigs, the same group appears to be having din ner – except they’re upside down. The main acrobats begin stacking chairs both up and down trying to reach the candela bra – and each other. It’s a dizzying, gaspinducing moment as the acrobats scale the wobbly chairs.

The second act opens with a troupe of alien-like fish bouncing and somersaulting in a giant net stretched over the stage –gaining impressive air as they jump high

Photos by Jacob Nguyen

er and higher. Two impressively muscled men perform an aerial duet that sends them soaring out over the audience.

The steampunk hand reappears to be come a stage where a funny finger-puppet show is screened on a giant lantern sus pended above the stage. And then there’s an extended bit of audience participation where a young woman is pulled on stage to contend with an actor who impressive ly – and hilariously –transforms into a cat.

The acrobat who climbs atop a roll ing, wobbling bowling ball and series of platforms – both onstage and lifted high above it – surely has nerves of steel and no fear of heights.

The finale of the evening sees a large group of acrobats leaping from shoulders, seemingly running in mid-air, and per forming other butt-clenching stunts that could easily end in a broken bone or three.

They make it look fun and effortless, and their precision in these stunts is beyond impressive.

I’ll add a special note of praise for the live singers and musicians who accompa ny the scenes with a blend of whimsical circus-style tunes and what sounds like tango music. I actually went back and lis tened to the soundtrack on Spotify after the show.

“Kurios” is playing through Dec. 24, so there is plenty of time to grab a tick et. It’s perfect for the whole family. This is a Cirque du Soleil performance I would happily see again because there is so much to see and admire for both its simplicity and energetic performances. “Kurios” def initely earned the extended standing ova tion it received at the end of the show. Cirque du Soleil might be familiar, but it never ceases to amaze.

third art installation

BY CATHY COBBS

More than 100 people attending the Spirits for Spruill event Oct. 15 wit nessed the unveiling of the third annual winning AMPLIFY public art installa tion, “The Forest for the Trees” by Al ice Stone Collins, self-described as “con trasting energies of calm and chaos.”

Collins’ artwork, which was chosen from several dozen submissions, will be displayed on the Spruill Center for the Arts‘ smokehouse wall at 4681 Ashford Dunwoody Road for the next year. Pre vious winners included works entitled “Together We Bloom” and “Find Your Wings.”

Spruill CEO Alan Mothner called the event a great success.

“It was a perfect fall day to unveil Alice’s engaging and provocative work, which utilizes the power of art to call to question, in this particular instance, the fragile environment in which we live,” Mothner said. “We are looking forward to the work being in place for the com ing year and hearing the conversations spawned as a result.”

Collins, a Johns Creek resident, who is an educator and a mentor for a group called “Artist Mothers,” said the selec tion of her artwork was “a great honor.”

“The making of this mural has been such a great experience,” she said. “I was inspired by forest fires in my for mer home in Boulder, and now in Geor gia, and how they have become so com monplace that we start to gloss over it. I want people in Atlanta to stop and take note when they see the mural.”

Attendees enjoyed a signature bever age from Chamblee-based Distillery of Modern Art called the Dunwoody ’22, food from Good Foods Kitchen, and en tertainment from the Tyler Neal Band.

In its education center on Cham blee Dunwoody Road, the center pro vides more than 800 visual arts classes annually to about 5,000 students of all ages and skill levels, including ceram ics, decorative arts, drawing, glass, jew elry, mixed media, painting, photogra phy, and sculpture. Located in a historic 1867 home on Ashford Dunwoody Road, the center’s gallery mounts four to six exhibitions each year in a vari ety of mediums, including a holiday art market.

Farmhouse Realty, based out of Dun woody, was the presenting sponsor of the annual event. Other sponsors in cluded Georgia Power, JWB Realty Ser vices, Piedmont Bank and Regency Centers. Reporter Newspapers was the media sponsor for the event for the first year.

from Dunwoody

From left: Spruill Gallery Director Jennifer Price, Spruill CEO Alan Mothner, and AMPLIFY winner Alice Stone Collins.

Close Encounters

BY ISADORA PENNINGTON

that is so convincing it can actually trick viewers into thinking the glass is revealing a hole in the wall.

Kelly pointed out the expressions on the subjects in these images that look back at the viewer through the glass. “It doesn’t really allow you to be a passive voyeur of the images,” ex plained Kelly. “We think of photography as us looking at it, not it looking at us. With these images, it’s very much an encounter with the person who is in the portrait and I think that’s important.”

There is a pervasive sense of the importance of family and lineage in Lawson’s works. Showing the intimate inner worlds of her subjects they invite viewers to stop and linger, tak ing in the number of details captured by her large format camera. “You can kind of get lost in these images with everything you can see and read,” continued Kelly. “You have to really come in to experience it in person. You can see these works online but seeing it in person is such a different revelatory experience.”

Deana Lawson is on display at the High Museum through Feb. 19, 2023.

The High Museum of Art is debuting the first exhibition

the work of pho tographer Deana Lawson, showcasing 58 works produced over the past two decades.

The pictures are large, with figures that are nearly full-size who often gaze out confi dently toward the viewer.

“Deana is one of the most exciting photographers working today,” said Assistant Cu rator of Photography Maria Kelly. “Her works straddle the line between photography and contemporary art.”

Lawson is an artist and educator based in Brooklyn, New York, and her works are known to explore topics of intimacy, family, spirituality, sexuality, Black culture, and iden tity. She has won numerous awards including the Hugo Boss Prize in 2020 for achieve ments in contemporary art. This show comes to Atlanta from ICA Boston and MoMA PS and PS1 and is the last stop on this collection’s tour. The High Museum has been on the list waiting for this opportunity for at least two years, which was plenty of time to build anticipation and excitement.

This show is unlike many other photography exhibitions that have been shown at the High Museum of Art. Not only are there crystals in corners of the space which have been positioned there to “keep the energy right” but also “clouds” of 4×6 prints from pop cul ture, history, and Lawson’s own family. In one smaller room a film is projected on the wall, with found footage juxtaposed with chanting music, and on the wall is a hologram

A collage of Deana Lawson’s photographs.

Devastating hurricane strikes beloved island

ABOVE

BY SALLY BETHEA

On an over cast morning in mid-Octo ber, my journal ist son Charles Bethea boarded a small boat to reach the shores of Sanibel Is land—three miles across the choppy wa ters of San Car los Bay on Flor ida’s Gulf Coast. The causeway to the island

was in pieces, damaged by 150-mile-perhour winds and extreme storm surges that washed away portions of two man-made islands connecting spans of the bridge.

In my heart and mind, I was with him, waiting anxiously to learn the extent of the damage from Hurricane Ian: the night mare storm called historic for its intensity. The maelstrom bashed the southwest coast

of Florida on Sept. 28—the day my moth er would have turned 102. My sister and I were relieved that neither she nor our fa ther lived to see the catastrophic destruc tion of the place they—and we—so love.

Sanibel Memories

In the late 1950s, when my family first vacationed on Sanibel, it was largely un developed. We loved the island’s natural beauty despite the relentless no-see-ums and rustic accommodations. We collect ed shells on its beaches, visited the nation al wildlife refuge that comprises a third of the island, boated with friends, fished for snook, and painted watercolors of coconut palms waving in the ocean breezes.

In the backwaters of mangrove swamps, we waded barefoot—at times in waistdeep water—cautiously exploring the muddy bottom with our toes, seeking king’s crown conches. We watched the ev er-changing shoreline, altered through the seasons and years by wind, waves, and cur rents. My parents loved Sanibel’s wild na ture—its red mangrove forests, flocks of roseate spoonbills, and rare junonia shells—and did what they could to help preserve it.

Until 1963, when the original Sanibel Causeway was completed, we took a ferry, then in operation for more than fifty years, to reach the island. We would race in our hot, unairconditioned car to make the last departure of the day after the long drive from Atlanta, my father ever certain we wouldn’t make it in time. We always did. Fifteen years ago, a new causeway replaced and upgraded the original, but it was no match for Ian’s destructive force.

A Disaster Waiting to Happen

My father worried every year that a deadly hurricane might hit Sanibel and harm the island and the house he and my mother built there in the early 1970s. He was well aware they had chosen a site on the beautiful but shifting sands of a bar rier island, vulnerable to storms and the sea. He also knew that nearby Fort My ers on the mainland had once been a maze of swamps and mangroves, prone to fre quent flooding. It was all a disaster wait ing to happen.

Yet, as the years passed, people contin ued to move into the region: one of the fastest-growing areas in the country. New houses were built and mobile homes were placed mere feet from the water, often on “land” created by developers who used dredge-and-fill methods. River bottoms, marshes, and lowlands were scoured for fill material to elevate building sites surround ed by artificial canals to manage drainage and create “waterfront” property.

Sanibel employed a different approach for its inevitable growth, one that in all likelihood saved lives and property from the wrath of Ian. Beginning in the 1970s, local officials and residents (about 7,000 people live on the island year-round) de cided to work with nature to protect the island’s environment and curtail overde velopment. Ordinances limited devel opment and officials rejected engineered structures, such as sea walls; instead, living shorelines were installed with natural ma terials, and environmentally sensitive areas were preserved. Today, two-thirds of the island is designated as conservation land.

Destruction on Sanibel Island, Florida. (Courtesy of CNN)

Prior to its incorporation in 1974, when Sanibel secured autonomy to make land use decisions, county officials project ed that 30,000 residential units could be built on the island: a sandy strip of land twelve miles long and three miles across at its widest with an average elevation of about four feet. Although it’s difficult to acknowledge at the moment, Ian’s devasta tion could have been much worse.

Climate Change

More than 90 percent of the excess heat from global warming over the past fifty years has been absorbed by oceans, which is where storms gain strength. Higher sur face water temperatures allow hurricanes to reach high sustained wind levels. Warm er oceans also make the rate of intensifi cation more rapid. Globally, oceans have warmed an average of 1.5 degrees Fahren heit in the past century and their surface temperatures continue to rise. Climate scientists say there haven’t been

more hurricanes in recent years, but that, since 1980, storm intensity has increased. More storms have been major hurricanes (Category 3 or above) with an increase in those that undergo rapid intensifica tion; they are also producing more rain fall than in the past—another result of cli mate change.

I finally heard from Charles the morn ing after his long day of reporting on San ibel. Apocalyptic was the single word he chose to describe the wreckage. When Gulf waters submerged the island, the ground level of every building was ruined; where walls were still standing, interiors were filled with mud and mold. Smells were nauseating from broken sewage lines, dead animals, oily substances, and gener al decay.

Unable to reach my parents’ former house, which they sold in the 1990s, Charles serendipitously met a neighbor who showed him a post-hurricane photo.

The sturdy con crete walls and roof appeared intact; howev er, the interior was a dirty waste land like every other building in the neighbor hood. The house my parents loved may have to be demolished.

Charles spoke to many peo ple, all of whom said they hoped to rebuild, once insurance checks arrived. Will they erect the same expensive homes? Will the city of Sanibel adopt building codes requiring more storm-resilient structures? Will new land conservation and restoration proj

ects be prioritized? Perhaps the most im portant question of all: Does it make any sense to rebuild on a barrier island in the age of climate change?

JROTC builds character, not recruits

Thanks to the intrusion of technology and the pandemic, being a teenager in Amer ica has never been harder. Luckily, there’s an antidote – Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps, more commonly known as JROTC.

JROTC is a federal high school pro gram, with each school affiliat ing with a single branch of the armed forces. Unlike ROTC, the college scholarship pro gram leading to a commission into the U.S. military, JROTC has nothing to do with recruit ing. Its official purpose is to “in still in students … the values of citizenship, service to the Unit ed States, personal responsibil ity and a sense of accomplish ment.”

But, in fact, the program does a whole lot more.

Scott Hanson, North Springs principal.

“Our program is designed to build the character of a young person and teach them the value of respect, accountability, responsi bility, leadership and teamwork,” said Riley.

All agreed and expressed immense per sonal satisfaction with their mission.

WORTH KNOWING

BY CAROL NIEMI

Recently I discussed JROTC with Lt. Cdr. Kevin Riley, US Navy (ret.) and Sgt. Maj. Theodus Williams, US Marines (ret.)., who teach the Navy JROTC program at Cross Keys High School in Brookhaven, and Col. Todd Powers, US Army (ret.), who teaches Army JROTC at North Springs Charter High School in San dy Springs. I also spoke with Dr. Britta ny Cunningham, Cross Keys principal, and

Carol Niemi is a marketing consultant who lives writes about people whose lives inspire others. Contact

”Our job is to make them the best citizens we can. If we can make them a better person, so much the better,” said Pow ers. “North Springs has let me impact students and their lives for 13 years. I love what I do.”

Each program is totally ca det-run, with leadership posi tions based on their respective service command structure. In addition to functional military skills, such as weaponry and drills, the emphasis is on leader ship, teamwork and communi ty service. The cadets all have real functions and rank, including a commanding officer (Navy) or battalion commander (Army) and executive officer, who set their team’s goals for the year.

Carol Niemi is a marketing consultant who lives Sandy Springs line and writes about people others. Contact her at worthknowingnow@gmail.com.

At Cross Keys, where the equipment in cludes rifles, swords, flags, flag belts, sword harnesses and three different styles of weap

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NJROTC Color Guard at Cross Keys High School.

ons, the cadet supply officer oversees it all.

handles over $500,000

of

every year,” said Riley, adding the job will go on her resume.

Both programs have various competitive teams, which are a major source of pride for the cadets. The North Springs Raider Team was recently one of two area teams to quali fy for the state championship. At Cross Keys, where this year’s cadets are mostly under classmen, the cadets are so motivated their competition Drill Team went from 16th place to 6th place in just three weeks.

“They like to practice so much they of ten want to stay late,” said Williams. “Some times we say, ‘We have to go home too.’”

The main benefits to the students are last ing, transferable and deeply personal.

“The program builds the soft skills too, including a solid work ethic and attention to details,” said Cunningham. “These are trans

ferable skills that make students poised to be successful at whatever they choose to do.”

The Army program at North Springs hosts a formal military ball every year, total ly managed by the cadets including negotiat ing with the hotel, paid for by fundraising.

the best thing we do,” said Powers.

instructors all agree their programs are transformational.

read an

version of this story, scan the QR code.

NJROTC Drill Team at Cross Keys High School.

global concerns

BY ANDY BAUMAN

to Germany has never been

my

I jumped at the opportunity when I was in vited to participate in a leadership exchange program sponsored by the American Jew ish Committee (AJC) – of which I serve as

a vice president in the Atlanta/Southeast re gional office – and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAF). My participation was entirely in my personal capacity, and not as

an elected official.

AJC is the leading global Jewish advoca cy organization. It is at the forefront of the most important issues facing Jewish peo ple, including combatting antisemitism, promoting Israel’s place in the world, and advocating for democratic values. AJC’s Atlanta office regularly engages with elect ed officials in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast, to advocate on issues affecting the Jewish community and its partners.

Following German reunification, AJC was the first American Jewish advocacy or ganization to establish a permanent pres ence in Germany, with the opening of its Berlin office. With approximately 200,000 Jewish citizens in Germany, AJC plays a critical role in ensuring Europe and Germa ny remain a home for the Jewish people, a friend of Israel and an indispensable ally of the U.S.

When I arrived in Munich in Septem ber, I joined 13 AJC lay leaders from across the U.S. Our first activity was perhaps the most meaningful, a visit to the Olympic Park and the memorials to the 11 Israeli athletes and coaches taken hostage and slain by Palestinian terrorists.

As a child, one of my earliest memo ries of world events was the 1972 Olym pics, and those horrific images broadcast live on television. I remember the haunting words delivered by sportscaster Jim McKay: “They’re all gone.” Now, 50 years later (al most to the day), our group stood in front of the infamous apartment building where a masked terrorist defiantly stood on a bal cony for the world to see. Our group chose

Andy Bauman, left, with Israeli Ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor.

A memorial to the murdered Israeli athletes and coaches at the Munich Olympics Park.

remember the dead. We recited Kaddish.

the next week, we met with many elected officials (including two current members of the German Bundestag), along with government officials, diplomats (Ger man, U.S. and Israeli) policy experts and leading media figures. While we discussed a wide range of issues, including the Ger man/US transatlantic relationship, Iran, and Germany’s critical economic and secu rity ties with Israel, perhaps the hottest top ic was the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

As one of our speakers observed, “noth ing focuses the mind like 100,000 Russian troops on the border and a looming energy crisis.” While Germany has provided sig nificant support to Ukraine, the common opinion of our hosts was that more could and should be done.

Changing demographics, immigration, and the rise of antisemitism (from both the left and right) are a significant concern in Germany. We heard a mix of views on the outlook for the Jewish population in Ger many. Along with the rise of extremism and threats to democracy, parallels to the situation in the U.S. are unmistakable.

Germany’s approach to its troubled his tory and in combatting antisemitism and extremism were evidenced – at least in our visits to Munich and Berlin – in the many Holocaust memorials and education ef forts. “Never Again” and “Never Forget” are taken seriously. But challenges remain. Following far-right terror attacks in 2019 and 2020, Germany expanded criminal laws that prohibit public denial of the Ho locaust and disseminating Nazi propagan da and symbols. The prohibitions on hate speech, especially around antisemitism and

racism, go far beyond what would be al lowed in the U.S. because of the free speech protections in the First Amendment.

Our group’s final dinner was with the newly appointed Israeli Ambassador to Ger many, Ron Prosor. Ambassador Prosor’s previous postings include stints as ambas sador to the United Nations and as Perma nent Representative to the United King dom, where he presented his credentials to Queen Elizabeth II. And, yet, despite a resume that includes prestigious assign ments at the highest level of international diplomacy, Ambassador Prosor shared with our group, with a hint of a tear in his eye, that having his parents join him in Berlin as he presented his credentials – nearly 90 years after his grandfather had been forced to leave Germany following the 1933 mass book burning by the Nazis – was the high light of his career.

It was at that point, listening to Ambas sador Prosor, that I sensed what a remark able moment this was for our group and for me, personally. I thought of my grandpar ents, all who had emigrated from Eastern Europe long before the Holocaust, and how they would have marveled at their grand son meeting in Berlin (along with other Jews from the U.S.) with Israel’s ambassa dor to Germany.

There are many challenges for the Ger man Jews in Germany as there are through out Europe and even in the U.S. We can all play a small role in advancing common in terests and understanding.

Andy Bauman is the District 6 Sandy Springs Councilmember and vice-president of the American Jewish Committee’s Atlanta/South east regional office. Visit AJC.org for more.

The AJC group during a tour of the Bundestag in Berlin, where the German Parliament meets.

North Springs Spartans Water Polo wins state trophy

BY ALEX EWALT

Sandy Springs is now home to a titlewinning water polo program.

With the North Springs A and B teams seeded highly heading into the Geor gia High School Water Polo Association (GHSWPA) championship tournament, which was held the first weekend of Octo ber, the Spartans B team tore through the bracket to hoist the Division III state tro phy in the team’s first year of existence.

“Our B team made huge strides throughout the season,” Head Coach Julie Ferris said. “We’ve been looking the past few years to have enough players to have two teams. I started the program in 2009, but until last year, we were only able to fill one team. And thankfully with the past two years, we’ve gotten more interest and more players.”

The B team was seeded third heading into the tourney and defeated the Forsyth B team to advance to the semis, where it met the No. 2 seed APS (Atlanta Public Schools) B, a team the Spartans lost to 15-6 in the season’s opening game. But the Spar tans flipped the script on their semis oppo nents and defeated them 14-6 to advance to the finals, where the team knocked off Wildcats C, 12-5.

And the Spartans A team had a banner year in its own right. That squad won the Division II regular-season championship with eight experienced seniors, and though the Spartans faltered in the semifinals, they finished the tourney in third place.

The North Springs teams are co-ed, and both draw from North Springs High School as well as its feeder school, Sandy Springs Middle. The program also features players from Holy Innocents, St. Francis, and Roswell High School.

“We’re a club sport in Georgia so it’s a little bit different than varsity,” Ferris said. “We’re not under the GHSA, and so the clubs that are involved in the league gener ally pull from multiple schools. So we are not officially a school sport, but most of our kids go to North Springs.”

The programs have grown a lot over the past 13 years, when Ferris started the pro gram partly to get some of her high school swimmers more time in the pool outside of swim season. Ferris started out as swim coach at North Springs when she joined the faculty out of college in 2003. She swam competitively at Brookwood in Snellville and even began coaching summer swim leagues when she was still in high school.

“The president of the (water polo) coaches association for the state pitched it to us at meetings,” Ferris said. “He would tell us you can get your kids in the wa ter earlier and get some more hours in the pool, and I thought that sounded like a good idea. So I found eight kids who were willing to do it and in 2009 we started a team. We didn’t win a game, but we had fun and we learned. And at that point, I had really no water polo experience, so I went to other people’s practices, I brought other coaches in to help and show us what to do, and over the years I’ve had multiple people come in to help.”

Ferris coaches the teams these days with Josh Beck, a former St. Pius X water polo player who also coaches other club teams in the area.

Zach Eisenstat, a North Springs soph

The North Springs A Team celebrates victory (Courtesy Fulton County Schools )

B Team players prepare for a game.

omore who is in his second season in the program and plays the “driver” position on the B team, agreed that the eventual state champions made huge strides this fall.

“Going through practices this year, I re membered how it was last season with all the seniors teaching me all these skills I didn’t know,” Eisenstat said. “Now I was teaching it to the new players. And in games, if somebody messed up, you told them how to fix it, and every time on the next play they would correct it and we would score. And it was just like this awe some feeling of watching people fixing their mistakes and the team getting better and better every single time.”

Eisenstat had an entry point to the sport, as his father played high school wa ter polo in California, which is home to powerhouse college teams and intense youth development programs. And one of the A team’s top seniors and its captain, Matty Scalo, got a taste of that high-level West Coast competition when he attended a boarding camp for his second semester of junior year. Scalo trained and played at the 6-8 Sports Water Polo Development Sys tem based in California, which takes ap plicants from all over the country and fea tures top players who are looking to play in NCAA competition or even make a run at the national team.

“It was a lot of fun, going from being in Georgia and not being able to prac tice all that much to being in California and spending most of my time in the wa ter working on my skills and the game,” said Scalo, who tried multiple sports over his youth but found one that stuck in wa ter polo when he joined the Spartans as a freshman. Scalo plays the “hole set” posi tion for the Spartans offense, a sort of piv ot position in front of the opposing team’s goal. In water polo, there are six “outfield” positions and a goalie.

At the highest level, the sport is aggres

sive, fast, and as competitive as any of the more-established sports in the Southeast.

“It’s super, super physical,” Scalo said of the competition level in California, not ing that the intensity isn’t as high in North Springs’ club league but that the quality is improving year to year. “To me, it’s more physical than football could ever be.”

SOCCER CAMPSWinter

Join us this winter at soccer camp!

are camps for all ages and levels of play starting in December. All players are welcome Both Rec and

camps are available.

B team players Asher Maurice, Thomas Bykat, Adam Greenstein, and Zach Eisenstat.

A Different Kind of Turkey Day

The bird is not the last word for dining out on Thanksgiving

BY COLLIN KELLEY

While traditional turkey and dressing will be on many menus this Thanksgiv ing, the bird is not the last word. Why not try Japanese, Turkish, Persian, or French food? And top it off with cocktail flights and sumptuous desserts.

Many metro Atlanta restaurants will be open for the holiday offering something for all tastes. Be sure to check OpenT able.com or your favorite restaurant to see what their plans are for Thanksgiving.

Alon’s Bakery & Market: Place your or der now for appetizers, all-natural roast ed turkey, fixin’s, and desserts at the Dun woody, Buckhead, and Morningside locations. Visit alons.com for more de tails.

5Church Midtown: A Thanksgiving Buf fett is on the menu at 5church-atlanta.com.

Mojave: Latin American cuisine and handcrafted cocktails are on the menu in Sandy Springs at mojaverestaurant.com.

South City Kitchen: Turkey Day reser vations are going fast at the Midtown and Buckhead locations, so get yours today at southcitykitchen.com.

STK: The Midtown steakhouse will be serving up Thanksgiving in its din ing room and for takeout and delivery. Visit stksteakhouse.com for details.

Tiny Lou’s: Head to the Clermont Hotel for a taste of France on Turkey Day. Res ervations are going fast at tinylous.com. Ray’s in the City: Seafood is on the menu at this Downtown eatery. Reservations at raysrestaurants.com.

Truva: Virginia-Highland restaurant of fers up Turkish food at truvahighland.com.

Nakato: This Buckhead favorite will be firing up the hibachi for Thanksgiving. Visit nakatorestaurant.com.

Hard Rock Café: The Downtown tour ist favorite is cooking up a Thanksgiving at exploretock.com/hardrockcafeatlanta.

The Sun Dial: Zoom to the top of the Westin Peachtree in Downtown for a special Thanksgiving dinner with a view. Reservations are required at sundialresaturant.com.

HOBNOB: Head to Atlantic Sta tion, Brookhaven, or Dunwoody for the tavern’s three-course Thanksgiving meal. Reservations at hobnobatlanta.com.

Petite Violette: Dine out on turkey and all the trimmings. Reservations at petitevioletterestaurant.com.

Fox Bros. BBQ: Pick up your ribs and other barbecue favorites at Fox Bros. ahead of Turkey Day. Place orders at foxbrosbbq.com.

Star Provisions: A la carte Thanksgiving to go with all the fixings. To order, visit starprovisions.com.

Seasons 52: Meats and seafood prepared in a brick oven roasted oak-fire grilled at this Dunwoody favorite.

Capital Grille: Head to Dunwoody on Turkey Day for dry-aged steaks and more than 350 bottle wine list. Visit thecapital grille.com for more.

Fogo de Chao: You’ll have the Brazilian meat sweats after chowing down at the Buckhead or Dunwoody locations. Find out more at fogodechao.com.

Taki: If you’d rather have sushi or hibachi for Thanksgiving, Taki is serving on Nov. 24. Reservations at takijapaneseatl.com.

Zafron: Go Persian for Thanksgiv ing with hummus, kebabs, saffron chicken, and more at this Sandy Springs favorite. More details at persianrestaurantsandysprings.com.

Image courtesy of Pexels | Rodnae Productions

Dishing on Thanksgiving

Two local chefs share their favorite memories of the holiday

which included a stepbrother, stepsister, and many cousins, all took part.

After the dove shoot, his mother had a big breakfast ready with different types of breakfast casseroles, French toast, and more.

“Then the whole family just kind of spent the day cooking food, preparing food,” Keith recalled. “Everybody would be in the kitchen.”

They’d have all the Thanksgiving classics. His stepdad smoked a turkey, they’d also fry a turkey and have ham. Cornbread dressing and a bean casserole also were on the menu.

“My mom and my grandma would still make the old-school type of fruit congealed salads. So, we’d just have a big spread and then you know, we would probably have a late lunch that way,” Keith said.

After finishing lunch, everybody was ready to watch football. Then the family would return to the backyard for a family

TOM YUM COLLARD GREENS

Serves four to six people

Ingredients:

• 1 Bunch Collard Greens or 1 bag of Chopped Pre pared Collards

• 2 TBS Sesame Oil

• 1 Yellow Onion – Julienne

• 1 Red Bell Pepper – Julienne

• 6 Garlic Cloves – Minced

• 1 knob Ginger Root –Peeled & Minced

• 2 Stalks Lemongrass

– Finely Chopped

• 2 TBS Red Curry Paste

• ¼ Cup Fish Sauce

• ¼ Cup Light Brown Sugar

• 1 QT Chicken Stock

BY SAMMIE PURCELL AND BOB PEPALIS

Thanksgiving is coming up on Nov. 24, so we decided to reach out two local chefs and find out what their holiday traditions entailed – and one even gave us a side dish recipe.

Chef Randy Lewis, The Ashford in Brookhaven

Chef Randy Lewis, who is a founding partner and owner of a new Brookhaven res taurant called The Ashford, shared some of his favorite Thanksgiving dishes and tradi tions.

Lewis said Thanksgiving growing up cen tered around a traditional southern menu with lots of extended family. “My mother’s pecan pie, Rice & Giblet Gravy (or should I say gravy with a little rice), and Oyster Dressing to name a few,” he said.

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay area, Dungeness crab made its way onto the menu, too. Lewis said Dungeness sea son starts right around Thanksgiving, mak ing a great addition to the table. For those who want to try it at home, Lewis said you can usually find live Dungeness crabs at H Mart and Buford Highway Farmers Market.

Lewis said nne of the best uses of the left over turkey carcass, especially if smoked, is to make gumbo. This after Thanksgiving tra dition has turned into a Gumbo Cook-Off competition between his family members. “Not to brag, but I hold the trophy,” Lew is said.

The chef said he understands the nos talgia of a traditional Thanksgiving menu, but he’s always more excited about cooking something new.

“That could be an ingredient, technique,

or a recipe I’m developing,” Lewis comment ed. “Take the turkey as an example; you can roast, smoke, deep fry, sous vide, grill on the Big Green Egg. Most importantly I like to keep the menu seasonal. Autumn brings us fresh truffles, citrus, fall squashes, root vege tables, pears & apples, chestnuts, and shell fish.”

Chef Justin Keith, Southern Bistro in Sandy Springs

Southern Bistro chef and owner Jus tin Keith said when he was growing up in South Georgia, Thanksgiving was a big deal because it combined two great things: fam ily and food.

They lived on farmland and one tradition when he was growing up when they woke up on Thanksgiving morning was to have a dove shoot out in the fields. The large family,

skeet shooting contest.

While the Keith family has grown up and scattered, the chef said they still gather for the hoiday.

“We still try to put emphasis on getting together on Thanksgiving because every body’s lives are so busy and it’s difficult for us to get together,” he said. “But that’s Thanks giving certainly, one time we make a point to for everybody to get together still.”

Keith provided the recipe for one of his favorite traditional Thanksgiving sides, col ladard greens.

• 2 Cans Coconut Milk

• Zest & Juice of 4 limes

• 1 Bunch Fresh Cilan tro – Chopped

• 1 Bunch Fresh Mint Leaves – Chopped

• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large stew pot, sauté garlic, gin ger & lemongrass in the sesame oil un til fragrant.

Add onion & Bell Pepper and cook until slightly tender

Stir in Red Curry Paste and brown sugar

Add collard greens, chicken stock & coconut Milk

Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Cover and cook 30-45 min until leaves are tender

Add Fish sauce, Lime Juice & Zest

Taste for seasoning and just before serving, stir in chopped cilantro & Mint

Be sure to check out our new weekly Side Dish newsletter featuring restaurant news, recipes from local chefs, special events, and more. Sign-up at sidedishatlanta.com.

Chef Randy Lews at The Ashford in Brookhaven. (Photos by Donna P. Williams)

Chef Justin Keith at Southern Bistro in Sandy Springs.

The Grande Dame of Dining Out

BY DYANA BAGBY

Christiane Lauterbach would rather eat an Oscar Mayer hot dog slathered in Ger man mustard than a seasoned sausage that costs ten bucks.

“I would never say one duplicates the other,” says Lauterbach, the renowned restaurant critic for Atlanta magazine who is not afraid to share her opinions — glowing and critical — about the city’s dining scene.

“But nobody talks about the ratio of price to pleasure … there is a simplicity factor,” she says, explaining the difference between a cheap, tasty mass-produced hot dog and a chef-made, tasty hot dog.

“But I do love hot dogs, they are one of my vices,” she adds with a chuckle. This is pretty high praise from someone who served nearly 20 years on the James Beard Awards Committee tasked with se lecting the best of America’s food culture.

Lauterbach, who says she is “70ish,” was born in Paris. Her mother abandoned her when she was an infant and she was

raised by her father and a stern grand mother. As a child, she wandered the streets of Paris and discovered a world of architecture, parks, and food.

“I was a very lonely kid growing up in a very big city,” she says. “So, when you don’t have anybody and you live in Par is, you walk incessantly. And you look at stuff, you follow your own intuition.”

The young explorer observed what her family could and could not afford, and she was very interested to see what other people were eating. She would taste the free bites of food handed out by vendors, noticing the textures of a pâté or a pastry, for example. She also began paying atten tion to how different foods made her feel — excited, warm, sensual. These emo tions come back to her still today when she writes about dining.

She continued her explorations and moved to Munich, Germany, in her 20s and then later to New York City. She eventually settled in Atlanta where her husband attended Emory Law School. In the early 1980s, she helped found Knife

and Fork, the premier guide to local res taurants that was mailed to subscribers.

The popular newsletter is currently on hiatus after nearly 40 years. In Knife and Fork’s heyday not too long ago, however, it caught the attention of Jeff Bezos who advertised subscriptions to the newsletter on Amazon. He didn’t ask Lauterbach be fore doing so and didn’t have copies of Knife and Fork. Lauterbach angrily sent him a letter demanding he take her prod uct off his website. He did.

“He listed it for so much more mon ey than it really is,” she says, anger in her voice. And she adds, only half-joking. “It is worth living long enough to see him die.”

Although she has lived in Atlanta since

the 1970s, Lauterbach identifies solidly as a Parisian.

“There’s many, many cultural differ ences between Americans in general, but of course between Southerners and where I come from, where we are the world champion of pessimism,” she says. “I’m an admirer of many things about the South but I still feel like I’m an odd duck at times.”

People here are mostly shocked by crit icisms of anything, including some of her negative reviews of restaurants. She’s re ceived death threats. But Lauterbach can not write what years of experience in the global food scene has taught her.

“I can’t lie. I don’t lie,” she says.

Christiane Lauterbach at the Daily Chew in Morningside-Lenox Park. (Photo by Isadora Pennington)

“I don’t think there’s anybody who does what I do,” she says. “I have eaten more meals at more restaurants than any one in Atlanta. The main concern now adays has been the lack of opinion jour nalists — that nobody expresses strong opinion. It’s all descriptive.”

In the past several years, only two res taurants stand out to Lauterbach for their fine dining experiences: Lazy Betty in Candler Park; and Japanese restaurant Mujo in West Midtown, where she said she had her best meal in 20 years.

One of the terrible things about be ing a food critic, she says, is being only interested in the extremes. If a meal is very bad, food critics can have fun writ ing about the disaster. Peak experiences at a restaurant also help words flow.

“What’s happened in the middle is not

all that fascinating to us,” she says.

“But I have to remind myself all the time that it is people’s real lives. I think whatever your critics or your custom ers say, it doesn’t matter all that much in terms of economics,” she says.

There are plenty of bad but incredibly successful restaurants there are many very good but not as successful restaurants, she says.

“Whatever my influence is … I say to the restauranteurs it is best to listen to your cash register.

“But I guess I am addicted to knowl edge and to mastery,” she says. “Mastery is important. … I want people to know I am still looking out for their best in terest.”

Courtesy of the Horst Estate

Lauterbach's famed Knife & Fork newsletter mailed to subscribers.

Talking wine – and turkey – for Thanksgiving pairings

There are a lot of things that come with November: sweater weather, high school

season, too many leaves to rake. But the best day of the month comes on the fourth Thursday –

First things first, we have to consider what we drink before we drink. What wines pair well with cook ing, what wine works while we put together our awardwinning tablescape, and maybe what gives us the courage to face our uncle’s inquisition?

WOMEN & WINE

KATIE RICE & SARAH PIERRE

The legend of Thanksgiving is based on a feast that oc curred in 1621 with some of the first set tlers and the Indige nous People from the Wampanoag. George Washington actually declared the first rec ognized Thanksgiv ing in 1789 when he wished to build mo rale among the colonies after a hard-fought Revolutionary War and express gratitude for a newly ratified Constitution.

In the wine business, Thanksgiving is our Super Bowl. Choosing wines that pair well with people’s dinners is really a favorite part of our jobs and Thanksgiving allows us to really flex. This month we show off our skills and ask certified sommelier and field wine manag

er for Savannah Distributing Kate White for some of her favorite Turkey Day wines.

Kate’s go-to is bubbles. Cava, Cremant d’Alsace Rose, and of course, Cham pagne. “Everyone knows bubbles pair well with fes tivities, but don’t overlook how well they pair with the grunt work of preparing the meal. Remember it’s impor tant to have a nice reward for kitchen helpers, especial ly the ones who roll up their sleeves to wash the gnarly pots and pans. I pour them the finest I have to offer.”

Not only does sparkling wine put us in a great mood, it also pairs well with appe tizers like shrimp cocktail, stuffed mushrooms, and Katie’s husband’s traditional dip made with cream cheese, ketchup and horseradish. Kate

suggests Allimant Laugner Cremant d’Alsace Rose, and any Vilmart & Cie Champagne. For Cava, Katie loves Pere Mata ‘Cupada 21’, Brut Nature.

l id ay A r t is t s M ar ket

Now let’s talk turkey! The most important component of the table is the bird. Every one has their own twist, be it fried, smoked, brined or tofurkey, it is still white meat and luckily, this makes it rather easy to think of wines to gobble up. Katie’s favorite is Char donnay, whether it’s a rich California style or a tropical, elegant Chablis, this grape’s acidi ty and fruit-forward palate really accentuates the main course. Try Sandhi Central Coast Chardonnay for its subtle creaminess, flinty undertones and ripe pear and apple notes. For red, Gamay is a go-to, especially if they come from their birthplace of Beaujolais. The complimenting acidity, low tannins and juicy mouthfeel really balances with white meat. Kate suggests a classic from Perrachon, from the cru of Juliénas.

Another table staple is the damn ham! Kate suggests rosé from Tavel. These clas sic wines contain grapes like Grenache, Syr ah and Cinsault and have a beautiful vibrant hue, red wine complexity and definite notes of red berries and stony minerality that cuts right through the fat. Sarah will be pouring Hobo Wine Co. ‘Camp’ Zinfandel. This wine has all of the juicy red fruits that complement a brown sugar glaze and enough acid to bal ance out the savory.

When we are thinking about the sides, it is important to remember that there are a lot of flavors going on. Kate suggests, “because Thanksgiving meals can be complicated in breadth of flavors and people consuming the meal, I like to stay with generally food friend ly wines and non polarizing flavor profiles. I’m shopping for a wine that will play diplo matically with turkey, ham, or turducken. Bo nus points if it stands a chance to pair with Aunt Suzanne’s annual wildcard side dish.”

Options here include: Riesling (hear us out!) When you ask Somm what their fa vorite wines are, you will often hear Riesling and Thanksgiving is a perfect time to explore what this beloved grape can do. First, look for a wine that says dry or specifically ‘Troken.’ These wines are not the sugar ridden blue bot

sponsored bypresents the 29TH ANNUAL

Savannah Distributing field wine manager

Kate White.

tles that everyone fears, rather higher in acid, rich in mineral and versatile with cutting salt iness, balancing spice and complimenting heavy seasoning. Katie will be serving Lin genfelder ‘Bird Label’ Riesling from Pfaltz, Germany. Sarah also loves Seppeltsfield Eden Valley Riesling from Barossa, Australia for its lemon-lime acid and honeyed mouthfeel.

Another white suggestion is wines made from the grapes of the Rhône Valley. This French region grows predominantly Rous sanne, Marsanne, Viognier and Grenache Blanc, but in other parts of the world, these combinations have been duplicated. The blend brings out balanced acidity, ripe stone fruits, and a honeyed richness that compli ments white meats, baking spices and any thing rich. Kate suggests two South African optins: Kumusha ‘Flame Lilly’ or Avondale ‘Jonty’s Ducks’ Pekin White.

For reds, Pinot Noir is the classic sugges tion. This wine’s bright acidity and versatili ty is a no-brainer when it comes to compli menting the variety of dishes on your table. Whether the earthiness of Old World Pinot or the fruity and juicy New World options, Pinot is a crowd pleaser for even the most fickle guest at the table. Katie loves Domaine René Leclerc Bourgogne and Kate loves The Vice Pinot Noir from Carneros, California and Sarah is serving Fossil & Fawn Willa mette Valley, Oregon Pinot Noir.

No matter what, this holiday is about shar ing a meal with the ones who are most im portant. When we asked Kate about her most favorite pairing her answer was “any decent wine and chillin’ with my dad, turns out shar ing pairs well with most wine.”

The reason we all work in wine is the ca maraderie that it brings. The conversations around the table, the experimentation with different flavors and the stories that these wines tell are why we do what we do. This is truly why this holiday is a favorite – it allows us to expand our customers palates while mak ing them look good to the in-laws. Choosing the perfect wines fills our cup. Cheers to fam ily, both blood and chosen, great wines and a moist bird.

Happy Thanksgiving!

►Brown Bag Seafood Company is now open at Ashford Lane mixed-used devel opment in Dunwoody’s Perimeter Center.

Info @brownbagseafood on IG.

Westside Motor Lounge is open at Echo Street West in the English Avenue neigh borhood serving up serving a menu of Southern dishes, snacks, and cocktails.

Info: westsidemotorlounge.com

Azucar Cuban Cafe opened next door to Three Dollar Cafe on Roswell Road in San dy Springs. Info: @azucar_cuban_cafe on IG.

UK-based brewpub BrewDog is now open at Krog Street Market with 28 taps, beers brewed onsite, and a full kitchen serving pub grub. Info: brewdog.com/usa/atlanta.

Atlanta coffee lovers can now experience the full taste of Italy with illy Caffé, the Eu ropean-style café and coffee bar set to open at Atlantic Station at 264 19th Street.

Urban Hai is now open in the former BugerFi space on 12th Street with a full bar

and a menu featuring Peking duck, dim sum, and mapo tofu. Info: urbanhai.com.

Dolo’s Pizza, which combines New York pizzas and Caribbean flavors, has opened its brick-and-mortar restaurant along Low er Alabama Street at Underground Atlanta. Info: @dolospizza.co on IG.

Dorian Gray is now open in Buckhead serv ing continental cuisine and craft cocktails ac companied by a soundtrack of Deep House music. Info: @doriangrayatlanta on IG.

Cocktail bar Mambo Zombi is now open above Georgia Beer Garden on Edgewood Avenue. Info: @mambozombi on IG.

Builder: Arlene Dean Homes

Design: Jones Design

12-story apartment building planned for Buckhead’s West Village

BY DYANA BAGBY

Camden Development wants to build a 12-story apartment building with 341 units on East Andrews Drive in Buckhead, the planned third phase of its residential de velopment project in the West Village com munity.

The new building would be built at 55 East Andrews and named Camden An drews. The building would be “an anchor”

between two newly built streets — Ferry Landing Lane and Cains Hill Place — that intersect the developer’s Camden Buckhead apartment building at 3300 Roswell Road and a future, unnamed development at the intersection of Roswell Road and East Andrews. The developer’s Camden Paces apartment building at 77 East Andrews opened nearly a decade ago.

The new 12-story Camden Andrews apartment building would stand on two

stories of parking (with 490 spaces) built in a “T” shape with a rooftop swimming pool, according to Camden Development representatives who described the project to the Buckhead SPI-9 Development Review Committee on Oct. 5.

There would be 41 studios units, 204 one-bedroom units and 96 two-bedroom units. None of the units would be priced below market rate, or as affordable housing. Average rent for the units would be in the

$2,300 range. There are four townhouse units included on the top level and would be more ex pensive, although a price wasn’t given during the meeting.

The ground floor would be built doubleheight and include a main lobby, leasing of fice, fitness center and co-working space for tenants. There would be no retail as part of the building. No retail component raised concerns from some committee members who want more street activation through out Buckhead to make it a more walkable community.

Covered spaces on the ground floor to provide shade and landscaped open spaces, or pocket parks, where people could sit on benches around the building are intended to make the area walkable and active, ac cording to the developer’s plans.

Westbound at The Works apartment building tops out

BY COLLIN KELLEY

Selig Development and partner GID have announced the topping out of Westbound at The Works, the 306-unit apartment project underway at Selig’s 80-acre adaptive reuse de velopment on the Upper Westside.

The team also announced the opening of the Westbound at The Works Preview Center, which is located on property at 202A Chatta

hoochee

ect.

Westbound at The Works will welcome its first residents by July 2023, with pre-leasing set to start in January.

Located at the property’s main entrance, along Chattahoochee Avenue and Chatta hoochee Row, Westbound at The Works will

feature a mix of floorplans, comprising 70% one-bedroom and 30% two-bedroom units.

The five-story residential project will in clude a 547-space parking garage and stateof-the-art amenities that overlook The Camp, the property’s one-acre greenspace. Residents will have access to multiple private upscale offerings, including an indoor/outdoor fit ness area, co-working area, game room with indoor/outdoor bar, poolside open air TV

lounge, and pool courtyard with communal kitchens and a multitude of diverse outdoor lounging areas.

Once delivered, Westbound at The Works will complete the development’s Phase One, which spans 27 acres and is home to 184,000 square feet of retail and 125,000 square feet of office space.

For more information, visittheworksatl. com/live.

Investing in vibrant

places where people

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