Buckhead Reporter - December 2021

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DECEMBER 2021• VOL. 15 — NO. 12

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Contents DECEMBER 2021

Editor’s Note

4

Publisher’s Note

5

Sandy Springs Mayor’s priorities

6

Buckhead Senate hearing

9

Dunwoody High Street project New council members

10 11

Brookhaven City council election Drone program

12 14

Public safety

16

Alternative to 911 Boosting policing efforts

14 16

Commentary Marist School artwork

18

Education Brookhaven scout troop All-girls scout troop

20 22

Arts Sandy Springs picks site for expanded Anne Frank exhibit 23 Rick Allen of Def Leppard finds peace through painting 24 28

Sports

26

Dunwoody fencing club

26

Dining Published by Springs Publishing P. O. BOX 9001 Atlanta, GA 31106 Phone: 404-917-2200 Brookhaven Reporter | Buckhead Reporter Dunwoody Reporter | Sandy Springs Reporter www.ReporterNewspapers.com

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Atlanta Intown www.AtlantaIntownPaper.com

Staff Writers Bob Pepalis, Sammie Purcell

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Intern Khushi Niyyar

Office Manager Deborah Davis deborah@springspublishing.com 404-917-2200 x1003

Publisher Emeritus Steve Levene Publisher Keith Pepper keith@springspublishing.com

Contributors Audra H. Anders, Maija Ehlinger, Carol Niemi, Isadora Pennington, Maria Saporta Creative and Production Creative Director Rico Figliolini Graphic Designer Harry J. Pinkney, Jr.

Sales Executives Jeff Kremer

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DECEMBER 2021| 3

EDITOR’S NOTE

Remembering a quirky Christmas past The holidays never fail to evoke memories.

Whether through classic symbols such as menorahs or naBY AMY WENK tivity scenes, or more modern ones like holiday lights or songs, we all experience stirrings of emotion deep within us.

For me, it’s the iconic movie “A Christmas Story.” The quirkiness of the main character, Ralphie, and his steadfast hope to have a particular dream come true, are things we can all relate to.

You see, I once had a quirky dream.

Three years ago, I hopped on a plane to Los Angeles with one goal in mind – to be on a game show.

Probably not everyone’s hope, but it was mine.

In 2018, I snagged a ticket to the filming of “Let’s Make a Deal.” And better yet, it was a slot on their Christmas show.

“Let’s Make a Deal” debuted in the ’60s and was rebooted in 2009. It’s where the studio audience dresses up in costume and hopes to get picked to make deals with the host.

For our holiday game show, I convinced my friend to dress up in “A Christmas Story” theme. He was Ralphie dressed in a pink bunny suit. And I was the infamous leg lamp. Yep, I crafted a lampshade to fit on my head. It even lit up.

The day of filming, my enthusiasm was at 200% as we went through a round of interviews.

We didn’t know who would be picked.

As you file into the studio, they tell you where to sit. We got placed to the far right, and as I sat down, I thought I saw the cameraman turn to focus on me.

The show started and the first deals came and went. I was getting nervous.

But soon after, they called our names!

My friend and I ran down the aisle, my lampshade blinking and my arms waving a sign that said “Fragile: Please place on Let’s Make a Deal.”

The host, comedian Wayne Brady, offered us a big box, a door and a small box.

My friend took the small box and won a computer. I took the big box and won an entire kitchen set, valued at $6,000. I’ve never been so excited in my life.

But the best was yet to come. As the show progressed, it was clear – I was the big winner of the show. That meant I could forfeit my prize and go after the Big Deal of the Day. When that time came, of

course I said yes!

There I was at the end of the show, center stage, presented with three doors.

Behind one was a prize valued at over $20,000.

I picked Door No. 2. It wasn’t the big prize, but I won over $3,000 worth of camping gear. The best prize, though, was the experience.

So don’t be afraid to dream your weird dreams.

You can make it on stage.

Who knows, maybe you’ll even get on national television with a lampshade on your head.

As the year draws to a close, all of us at Reporter Newspapers wish you a very happy holiday and a prosperous new year!

As seen in Print

Use this QR code to read extended versions of stories found in this issue.

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

A new community event calendar Partnerships continue to be a central part of our growth strategy, and I’m excited to announce that we have joined

BY KEITH PEPPER together with one of Atlanta’s most revered media organizations, WABE, to launch a definitive, online event calendar for the metro area.

How Do You Atlanta? is a community calendar offering easy access to the city’s latest events.

The online calendar is free to the public, event planners, and organizations, who can submit happenings for inclusion. How Do You Atlanta? listings feature time/date/place details, event descriptions, logos/images, ticket links, and are searchable by neighborhood and genre.

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by SceneThink, an editorial platform used by top media outlets, including The Charleston City Paper and The Washington Post.

“Partnering with Springs Publishing to launch our How Do You Atlanta? community calendar is in keeping with WABE’s mission of informing, inspiring, reflecting, and empowering our Atlanta neighbors,” said Jennifer Dorian, president and CEO of Public Broadcasting Atlanta, parent company of WABE. “Amplifying Atlanta’s cultural events and activities is a key part of delivering on that.”

With so many events coming back, it’s been a struggle to keep track of everything, and I believe that a collaboration like this one will benefit both event organizers and the public.

Go to HowDoYouAtlanta.com to check out the calendar or submit an event.

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When: Parade is Dec. 5 Info: sandyspringsga.gov/sparkle

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DECEMBER 2021| 5

SANDY SPRINGS

Mayor Rusty Paul shares third term priorities

BY BOB PEPALIS As he heads toward a third term as Sandy Springs mayor, Rusty Paul said his priorities include tackling water issues, expanding City Springs, improving transportation, starting an arts program and spurring revitalization in the city’s North End. At the Nov. 2 election, Paul won almost 70% of the votes over his challenger Dontaye Carter. Voters also reelected four incumbent Sandy Springs city councilmembers, along with two new councilmembers (see our full coverage online at reporternewspapers.net).

One of Paul’s first priorities is to work with the next Atlanta mayor to get the water system in Sandy Springs under the city’s control.

Sandy Springs officials say they are being overcharged for water because Atlanta still runs and owns most of its water system.

The dispute has been brewing for a while, and the pandemic has slowed negotiations.

“I’d hope in the first six months to be able to sit down with the new mayor of Atlanta and talk about some amicable settlement on water,” Paul said the morning after the Nov. 2 election.

Another priority for Paul in his next term includes expanding the town center project City Springs. The city owns a block of property south of the project and is underway on

a master plan update to generate ideas.

“We’ve done some preliminary studies, but it’s really just kind of taking City Springs and moving it south … and then creating new restaurants and shops and other things in that area,” Paul said.

He added that a new plan to use the Heritage Building site for the location of the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust and

its Anne Frank in the World exhibit will be integrated into the city’s broader plans for its City Springs district.

Transportation improvements will also be top of mind for Paul, as voters just approved an extension of the transportation sales tax (TSPLOST), which will fund major upgrades in Sandy Springs. That includes widening Hammond Drive.

“Hopefully, we’ll get a big chunk of the Hammond Drive project done over the next few years,” he said. “There are a lot of transportation initiatives that need to be finished.”

Paul also looks forward to creating a robust arts program in Sandy Springs. The city recently acquired the Abernathy Arts Center from Fulton County and now is considering what to do.

“I’ve been the arts mayor, between the performing arts, the Arts in the Open sculpture contest. So, this will be just another extension of what we’ve been doing,” Paul said.

He also said the city is focused on spurring revitalization in the North End after a lot of planning and thinking.

“Now we’re beginning to change the building codes and land codes up there to facilitate those plans. So I’m hoping in the next two, three years, we’ll have some projects that will begin there and they’ll begin that revitalization,” Paul said, adding that while the city has a lot of underutilized retail, some developers are ready to revamp it.

Paul expects the North End development code changes to come before the city council in December.

Lastly, Paul said he plans to ensure Sandy Springs remains Georgia’s safest city, which he said voters voiced as a major priority.

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BUCKHEAD

Senate committee holds hearing on cityhood effort

BY AMY WENK A Georgia Senate committee held a hearing Nov. 4 about the proposed “Buckhead City,” laying the groundwork for a high-profile discussion next year.

During the three-hour hearing, cityhood advocates centered their testimonies on violent crime in Atlanta, saying an independent Buckhead would hire its own police force.

Opponents said breaking Buckhead off would be financially disastrous to Atlanta, citing impacts to its economic development, bond ratings and national reputation.

Sen. Brandon Beach (R – Alpharetta) prefiled a Buckhead cityhood bill on Nov. 18.

Beach is among a dozen state legislators who have expressed support of the effort, although none represent the city of Atlanta.

Cityhood supporters hope to get legislation passed at the Georgia General Assembly next year, which would place a referendum on the November 2022 ballot allowing Buckhead residents to vote on whether to form a new city.

“I was involved in the creation of Milton, Johns Creek and Sandy Springs,” Beach said.

“Those citizens wanted control of their own destiny … The city of Buckhead wants to do the same on local control. They want to have their zoning and trash pickup. But make no mistake about it, crime is driving this issue.”

Beach had started his testimony with a video compiling recent violent Buckhead

crimes, including a security guard who was shot at Lenox Square mall. At the hearing, the Senate committee also heard from Eliana Kovitch, who was violently attacked by a man in Buckhead last year.

To combat crime, the proposed Buckhead City would hire 250 police officers, said Buckhead City Committee CEO and Chairman Bill White, the face of the cityhood effort. He added that the police force would be the highest paid in the state.

“It is clear that Atlanta and its leadership, which is bankrupt of new ideas, is not up to the job of providing adequate police coverage for its 500,000 residents,” White said. “So, reducing the area they need to patrol makes perfect sense to us.”

White slammed city leadership’s ability to effectively police the city. “Regarding the results of the mayoral election this week, no one that I speak to in Buckhead wants ‘Moore’ of the same, nor do we want the ‘Dickens’ scared out of us,” he said, referring to Felicia Moore and Andre Dickens, the two Atlanta mayoral candidates headed to a runoff on Nov. 30.

But, cityhood opponent Peter Aman, a former chief operating officer with the city of Atlanta, said there was no indication that public safety would improve if Buckhead left.

“Criminals do not respect boundaries,” he said.

Aman also said that it would be an “un-

Atlanta mayor in 2017.

Kevin Green, president and CEO of the Midtown Alliance, said tearing apart Atlanta would harm the city’s ability to lure companies and would tarnish its national reputation.

“Bond markets being downgraded, increasing cost of future debt, years of litigation over this, virtually guaranteed higher taxes, and a national narrative that this is From left, Buckhead City Committee CEO and Chairman Bill going to exacerbate economWhite, who is leading the cityhood movement, and Sen. ic and racial segregation — Brandon Beach testify before the Georgia Senate committee. that is not the kind of atmosphere that any company or mitigated disaster” for the city of Atlanta to investor wants to enter,” Green said, adding have its revenues slashed if Buckhead broke that if the proposed cityhood goes forward, off. Cityhood opponents in September recompetitor cities such as Charlotte, Dallas, leased a study that said the net fiscal loss to Houston and Chattanooga would benefit.

Atlanta could range from $80 million to $116 Tom Gehl with the Georgia Municipal Asmillion per year. sociation said carving a new city out of AtAman said the proposed Buckhead City lanta could hurt taxpayers across the state. would incur significant startup costs, includ“Should this legislation ever pass, it’s likely ing the acquisition of community assets such that the credit rating agencies would essenas Chastain Park, which could cost in excess tially downgrade the municipal bond market of $250 million, he said. Residents of the new in Georgia, thus raising the costs to taxpayers Buckhead City would also have to pay much and cities across the state,” he said. higher water costs, up to 36% more, he said.

“But from just a PR perspective, the Atlan“Separating Buckhead from the city of Atta brand and the state of Georgia’s brand may lanta would be calamitous for everybody,” be tarnished forever,” Gehl said. said Aman, a Buckhead resident who ran for

What will be under your tree?

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770-396-0492 DECEMBER 2021| 9

DUNWOODY

Construction starts on Dunwoody’s $2B High Street project

BY AMY WENK

PRESENTED BY:

Construction has kicked off on Dunwoody’s long-planned High Street, a project that aims to bring more walkable, urban development around Perimeter Mall.

GID Development Group, the project developer, announced Nov. 11 it has started the $2 billion mixed-use project. It will span 10 blocks at the intersection of Perimeter Center Parkway and Hammond Drive.

The first phase will include 150,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, about 600 apartments, 90,000 square feet of office space and an expansive lawn. It will also include 222,000 square feet of existing office space.

“Dunwoody is craving a pedestrian-

bicycle-friendly streets. The 7,500-squarefoot lawn will offer community events, such as a seasonal ice-skating rink, concerts and fitness classes, says the development team.

Future phases will bring other uses to High Street. When fully built out, it will offer 672,000 square feet of office space, 400,000 square feet of retail, 3,000 residential units and a 400-key hotel.

Brasfield & Gorrie is the general contractor, and Dwell Design Studio is the architect.

JLL is leading the retail leasing.

Dunwoody views the Perimeter Mall area as one of its emerging walkable centers, Director of Economic Development Michael Starling told Reporter Newspapers in October.

friendly center with an energetic and contemporary mix of retail, restaurants, and entertainment,” Jim Linsley, president of GID Development Group, said in a press release.

In September, the project landed its first retail tenant, mini-golf bar Puttshack. It will occupy 26,000 square feet at the project.

The development will also feature plazas, a water feature, a public staircase and

“Perimeter is certainly changing, becoming much more walkable … moving away from that suburban and car-oriented center,” Starling said.

The city recently added the Perimeter Mall area as an open-container district.

High Street was also previously approved as an “entertainment district” as the city calls it, allowing visitors to stroll around with alcoholic beverages.

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution is committed to facilitating conversations on the topics important to aging well in Atlanta and providing you resources to live your best senior life — especially in today’s challenging environment.

Aging in Atlanta has returned with monthly print sections this fall featuring more local content than ever. We also launched a monthly Aging in Atlanta newsletter this spring.

Visit us at ajc.com/aging to access a recording of our fall virtual event, sign up for the newsletter, and learn more about our special print sections.

You’ll find plenty of 55+ focused content there as well as links to our previously published sections and events.

10 DECEMBER 2021| REPORTER NEWSPAPERS

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Two new faces to join Dunwoody City Council

BY SAMMIE PURCELL Dunwoody will welcome two new city council members.

Rob Price and Catherine Lautenbacher won seats at the Nov. 2 election. Incumbent Tom Lambert was also re-elected.

Price will serve as the District 2 council member. Price won about 58.2% of the votes, edging out incumbent Jim Riticher, who received 41.46%.

Price is a 21-year Dunwoody resident who previously served on the city’s Planning Commission. In a previous interview, he said he’s focused on the city’s growth, transportation, parks, and culture.

Size: 10"x8.25" Lautenbacher will serve as the DisPublication: ATL in town

Catherine Lautenbacher trict 1 council member. Lautenbacher won about 53.6% of the votes, edging out challenger Terry Nall’s 46.17%.

Lautenbacher has served as the program director for Leadership Sandy

Rob Price

Tom Lambert

Springs and is a 21-year resident of Dunwoody. She also previously served as board president for the Dunwoody Nature Center and is board member for Discover Dunwoody, the city’s tourism orga-

nization.

Lautenbacher previously stated that her priorities for the district include energizing local businesses and community leadership.

Lambert, the incumbent for the District 3 seat, will once again serve on the council. Lambert won about 68% of the votes compared to challenger Brian Sims, who won 31.38%.

Lambert previously served as the vice-chair of the Dunwoody Sustainability Commission and was originally elected to the City Council in 2017.

Some of his priorities for the district include trail connectivity, park improvements, and placemaking.

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64.4% of the votes compared to challenger Katie Dunagan’s 35.23%.

Park won a special election for the council seat in 2014 and a full term in 2017. Park has said that

Newcomer John Funny and incumbent John Park will serve on the Brookhaven City Council, according to the city’s November election results.

Funny will serve as the District 4 council member. He won about 80% of the votes compared to challenger Dale Boone’s 19.52%.

Funny previously served as the chairman for Brookhaven’s Social Justice, Race, and Equity Commission as well as on the city’s Planning Commission. He previously John Funny John Park stated his priorities for the city include “transportation, smart his priorities for Brookhaven’s District growth and affordable housing, public 2 include stormwater improvements, safety, and greenspace.” connectivity, and managing the city’s Park will once again serve as the Disgrowth. trict 2 council member, winning about

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The Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce honored District 4 City Councilmember Joe Gebbia for his service to the city.

“All of the successes that Brookhaven has, every one of them, can come back to Joe Gebbia,” Brookhaven Mayor John Ernst said at a November luncheon. “Joe led the council in the most civil way possible.”

Gebbia, a health-food entrepreneur, was a member of the city’s founding City Council in 2012. He won a full term in 2013 and a second term in 2017.

Gebbia announced earlier this year he would not run for reelection. John Funny won the Nov. 2 election to serve District 4.

District 4 covers much of southern Brookhaven, including the rapidly redeveloping Buford Highway corridor and Executive Park area where both Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory Healthcare have massive projects.

“I have loved every minute of it since I started nine years ago,” Gebbia said. “It has made me such a better person … What an amazing experience.”

Other speakers at the event included current and future Brookhaven councilmembers, along with Santiago Marquez with the Latin American Association. The Cross Keys High School marching band gave a special performance.

The Brookhaven City Council recently approved three contracts for improvements to Lynwood Park. The contracts are related to the construction of a pool, splash pad, pool house, and turf field in the park.

All of the projects are included under Brookhaven’s $40 million park bond, which received voter support in 2018. The bond sets aside just under $11 million for improvements to Lynwood Park, which is located at 3360 Osborne Road.

“It’s so long-awaited for the Lynwood community,” said Councilmember Linley Jones. “It comes at the tail end of the start of our park bond projects, and I hope that the Lynwood community is excited for the improvement and patient with the process.

It’s going to be a wonderful, wonderful set of amenities for Lynwood.”

The council approved an $8.6 million contract with Integrated Construction and Nobility (ICAN) for construction of the splash pad, pool, a pool deck, fencing, and pool house. A roughly $565,000 contract with the construction company Advanced Sports Group will cover the installation of a multi-use synthetic turf field at the park, and an $82,557.60 contract with Geo-Hydro Engineers will cover soil and materials testing for the splash pad.

Construction is expected to take about 11 months, with the goal to finish by the end of 2022.

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ACLU questions police drone program with the public while still maintaining community policing efforts.”

Ayana said the team that operates the drones is made up of 16 licensed pilots. Since the program started, drones

have responded to over 500 calls for service, according to BPD. Ayana said the drone response time is under two minutes on average.

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Councilmember Linley Jones (third from left) and members of the Brookhaven Police Department pose with a drone.

BY SAMMIE PURCELL The Brookhaven Police Department has begun a new drone program it says will increase community safety, but a national civil liberties organization remains skeptical.

The Brookhaven City Council approved the department’s Drone First Responder program in October of 2020. Police say the program is modeled after a similar drone program in Chula Vista, Calif., which dispatches drones to possible crime or incident scenes first so on-the-ground responders can have a better idea of what sort of situation they are responding to.

During a Nov. 16 demonstration of the drone technology, Councilmember Linley Jones said the program “enables Brookhaven to continue on the path of being forward thinking when it comes to community safety.”

Brookhaven Police Chief Gary Yandura and Lt. Abrem Ayana – who oversaw the creation of the drone program – both said the BPD reached out to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Georgia and the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office for feedback and suggestions for the program. A spokesperson from the ACLU national organization confirmed that the BPD did reach out for feedback, but the ACLU still has questions about the use of drones by police in communities.

“It’s important that when police departments introduce new technologies, especially surveillance technologies, that they reach out to the communities that they serve and make sure that those communities want the technologies they’re considering adopting,” said ACLU Senior Policy Analyst Jay Stanley. “That said, we are deeply skeptical of drones as first responder programs.”

Stanley said if a police department is going to make use of a drone program, the ACLU would rather a department ensure it happens with privacy protections in place, but the @reporter_newspapers BH

organization has “a lot of questions about whether it makes sense to deploy this kind of surveillance technology in communities.”

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston also confirmed the BPD did reach out to her office about the drone program.

“In Spring 2021, the Brookhaven Police Department and their City Attorney met with me and my leadership team to brief us on this new and innovative drone program,” Boston said in an emailed statement. “I believe the manner in which they plan to use it will enhance public safety for both officers responding to dangerous situations and for the community at-large.”

During the Nov. 16 demonstration, Ayana said the drones will only be used to respond to emergency calls and will not be dispatched for random surveillance. He said drone videos that don’t capture criminal activity would be deleted after 30 days.

“We want people to feel safe and secure, and not necessarily feel that the government is maintaining video files of their movements,” Ayana said. “Our drones are only dispatched to known incidents or 911 calls. They are not used proactively for patrol.”

Yandura said the BPD hopes that using drones as first responders will give officers more time to assess potentially dangerous situations. According to police documents from the October 2020 City Council meeting, the BPD also hopes the drones will be useful in letting officers know when police presence is not required.

“It limits the need for officers to have contact with citizens who are not engaged in criminal activity,” Ayana said.

In other documents from the City Council meeting, BPD names the COVID-19 pandemic as a major factor in starting the drone program. According to the council presentation, BPD hoped the drone program would “significantly reduce officer interaction

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Preston Marshall works in an art-deco fantasy called Atlanta’s Hotel Midtown. Lots of gold, giant floral wallpaper and furniture that looks like it’s from the set of “Mad Men.” Marshall runs loss prevention at the hotel, and in his line of work, keeping the fantasy intact sometimes means keeping people out.

“Well in the past, the only option we had was calling 911 and calling the police,” said Marshall.

There have been times when it gives him an uneasy feeling. “My heart reached out to some of the individuals, especially knowing that some of these people have substance abuse issues or some of them had mental issues,” he said.

But since this summer, Marshall’s had a new option. He’s one of more than 800 Atlantans who’ve called 311 as an alternative to calling the police when they see someone struggling with their mental health, extreme poverty or a range of other non-emergency quality of life concerns.

It’s called the Policing Alternative and Diversion Initiative or PAD, which sends out response teams from their office downtown.

“So each team is assigned a van. We have it stocked with food, hygiene items, toiletries, all that, so that way you know — we pass by these areas all the time — we’re able to help people,” said PAD referral manager Chyna Quarker.

She’s usually the one taking calls as they come in and tries to figure out what local agencies or organizations might be useful for each situation. Meanwhile, the two-person teams head out. They’re people who’ve worked in hospitals, in mental health and sometimes peers with lived experience of homelessness or addiction.

PAD helps get people medical care, deal with financial entanglements, find emergency shelter or ideally, long term, stable housing.

After a pilot run Downtown and in East Atlanta, the program went city-wide in July, and Quarker says it’s been a busy six months.

They’ve diverted nearly 300 hundred arrests, according to Quarker, but PAD is a small team, working on vast, complex problems built up over many years, in some cases.

“Our current system, which we have had in place for decades, is that the police are available to respond to basically any concern,” PAD executive director Moki Macias said. “And the expectation is that they will

make that person disappear.”

But she says if that person is arrested for a minor offense, they’re generally released with all the same problems they had to begin with, now with the added trauma of their time in jail. Macias says that’s why a big part of PAD’s work is community education.

“What we are promising folks is that when we show up, we’ll have a respectful, kind, creative, proactive engagement with the person, and that we will do our very best to reduce harm for that person and for the community they’re in,” said Macias.

A handful of diversion initiatives like PAD have popped up across the country. Most are modeled on a Seattle program that started almost ten years ago.

Lisa Daugaard is a former public defender who helped start the Let Everyone Advance with Dignity or LEAD program in Seattle.

The next thing Atlanta will have to learn, she said, is how to keep up with demand for the long haul.

Atlanta’s PAD initiative was able to expand citywide because the city council approved a $1.5 million dollar infusion in 2020.

In Seattle, the diversion program’s annual budget has grown to $13 million. Atlanta’s police department, meanwhile, runs on $230 million.

In November, the Atlanta City Council approved legislation to begin an intergovernmental agreement with Fulton County to create and establish the Center for Diversion and Services. The center will provide care and services as an alternative to incarceration for those experiencing poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, or mental health issues.

People who work with PAD and diversion programs stress that their capabilities are only as strong as the assistance services available in a given community. Likewise, its successes are dependent on how much investment it receives.

In Seattle, after ten years in operation, Daugaard says her people are gearing up for a request to double their current budget. For now in Atlanta, Macias is just trying to find a sustainable funding stream that can keep PAD running as the city’s political leadership shifts.

This story was made possible in partnership with WABE and support from The 4am Fund for reporting on mental health and policing.

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DECEMBER 2021| 15

PUBLIC SAFETY

To combat crime, local communities increase salaries, boost budgets, plan new facilities

BY SAMMIE PURCELL Amidst an increase in crime in the city of Atlanta, public safety has become a key issue in the city and in surrounding metro communities.

Lately, many of those communities have taken measures to find and retain more police officers and to keep crime numbers low, including increasing salaries for officers and boosting police budgets. But is increasing police spending the best way to decrease crime or strengthen public safety, or are there other initiatives governments could also focus on?

A 2020 Politico report found that while studies have shown an increase in police officers decreases instances of crime, increases in other factors like healthcare access and social services have been shown to do the same. The report found that the extent to which increased police spending makes for decreasing crime rates is unclear.

Reporter Newspapers spoke with local officials for more detail on how governments have been addressing public safety issues in the community.

Atlanta On Sept. 8, the Atlanta City Council approved a controversial $90 million public safety training facility, nicknamed “Cop City” by opponents.

The facility plans call for a mock town, classroom space, a firing range, a firefighting drill tower, space for a helicopter to land in case of emergency, and more.

The facility will be located on the old Atlanta Prison Farm property on Key Road. Critics of the facility say supporters are falsely claiming it will help stop the city’s current crime wave.

“We now see the manifestation of what happens when the government moves ahead of the population that is trusting them to keep them engaged,” said Atlanta City Councilmember Natalyn Archibong during the Sept. 8 meeting when the facility was approved.

“This facility will not be built for another couple of years. To conflate the issue of building this facility with an automatic reduction in crime is irresponsible.”

During the 17-hour long public comment section of the Sept. 8 meeting, 70% of the callers who spoke were against the facility.

When asked for a comment on the training facility and how it might serve to improve public safety, a spokesperson for the Atlanta Police Foundation

16 DECEMBER 2021| REPORTER NEWSPAPERS

A rendering of the $90 million public safety training facility planned in Atlanta.

Brookhaven

From left, Dunwoody Police Chief Billy Grogan, Sandy Springs Police Chief Ken DeSimone and Brookhaven Police Chief Gary Yandura. referred Reporter Newspapers to a website with updates about the public safety training center.

“AFP continues to receive citizen input from nearby neighborhoods through the Community Stakeholder Advisory Committee, created by the City Council, which will help guide final design and construction,” reads the website.

The first phase of the center is ex-

pected to open in late 2023.

Atlanta’s future policy direction when it comes to crime will depend on the next mayor. Atlanta’s municipal runoff elections will be held on Nov. 30, where candidates Felicia Moore and Andre Dickens will face off for mayor.

Results of the runoff weren’t available in time for print publication, but both candidates have made crime a large part of their campaigns.

At a Sept. 28 meeting, the Brookhaven City Council voted to raise the housing allowance for Brookhaven police officers from $600 to $800 in an attempt to “continue to attract and retain highperformance talent within the sworn police officer ranks,” according to the ordinance.

“I think every employer is going through this, having difficulty finding people,” said City Manager Christian Sigman. “We periodically look at our salaries and non-compensation benefits to make sure one, we’re competitive … We’re an expensive place to live, and we’re competing with other places that are expensive places to live.”

The Brookhaven Police Department also recently started a Drone First Responder program, which dispatches drones to possible crime or incident scenes first so on-the-ground responders can have a better idea of what sort of situation they are responding to.

Brookhaven police spoke to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) about the best ways to consider privacy and safety issues when implementing the program, but the ACLU still had questions about the program’s necessity. reporternewspapers.com BH

Members of the Dunwoody Police Department.

In April, the City Council approved plans for a federal grant, the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), which aims to assist economically disadvantaged areas of the city. One of the projects that falls under the grant’s umbrella is “Neighborhood Safety.” According to the CDBG plan, this project aims to put money towards neighborhood programs and activities that will help improve public safety.

Sigman said the city has not yet implemented the grant plans.

Dunwoody In Dunwoody’s 2022 budget, which the City Council approved on Oct. 25, the city increased the starting salary for police officers with a high school diploma from $44,567 to $46,350. The starting salary for officers with master’s degrees is up from $48,317 to $50,100, and the council also approved a hiring salary scale based on education and experience for these positions moving forward.

Also included in Dunwoody’s 2022 budget is the use of $105,000 for the ad-

dition of a new code enforcement officer, making for three in total.

City spokesperson Jennifer Boettcher provided more details about the scale of the pay increases that Dunwoody has approved for police officers recently, clarifying that Dunwoody police officers and sergeants received on average a 10% salary increase in October. Earlier In March of 2021, officers received what’s called a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) in the amount of 2%. In January of 2022, officers and sergeants will receive another 3% market adjustment pay increase.

“The recent pay adjustments approved by the City Council further confirmed the Council’s continued commitment to attracting and retaining the best police officers possible,” said Dunwoody Police Chief Billy Grogan in an emailed statement.

Sandy Springs In October of 2020, Sandy Springs officials announced the city completed a $10.9 million purchase for a new public safety building. The city hired a construction manager for the building, which will be located at 620 Morgan Falls Road, in September of this year.

In a previous interview, Sandy

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Springs Police Chief Kenneth DeSimone said the police department’s current headquarters has a lot of issues, and he believed a new building would help with recruitment.

“If you’re a 22 [or] 23-year-old young man or young woman straight out of college, straight out of the military or in your first big job, you want to go somewhere that’s nice,” DeSimone said.

In September of this year, the Sandy Springs City Council approved an additional 20% pay increase for lower ranking officers. In November, the council also approved an application for a $1,000 one-time pay supplement for full-time law enforcement officers, EMS personnel and firefighters.

“This historic pay raise serves as a great investment for the future, as research indicates that police officers with college degrees are less likely to use lethal force and are subjects of fewer citizen complaints,” said Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul in an emailed statement. “From a retention standpoint, the current salaries offered by the Sandy Springs Police Department can now directly compete with those salaries offered by the private sector.”

Paul said the city expects the Sandy Springs Police Department to be fully staffed by Jan. 1, 2021.

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COMMENTARY

Beloved Marist class leads to significant artwork One of the most popular electives at the Marist School in BrookhavCarol Niemi is a marketing consultant who lives on the Dunwoody-Sandy Springs line and en is Brendan writes about people whose lives inspire others. Contact her at worthknowingnow@gmail.com.

Murphy’s “History and the Holocaust,” a class he’s been teaching for almost 30 years.

A graduate of St. Pius High

BY CAROL NIEMI School and Notre Dame “Bearing Witness,” which includes an anwhy the Catholic Church had stood to University, Murphy began teaching hisnual student trip to key Holocaust sites in the side during the Holocaust,” said Lyrtory at Marist in 1994. He soon found his Europe, a December memorial event duric Hoff. world history class left “about 12 minutes” Carol Niemi is a marketinging consultant lives on plant the Dunwoodywhichwho students daffodils as part Given that Marist is a Catholic school, to teach one of the most significant events Sandy Springs line and writes people whose lives inspireand an eveof theabout global Daffodil Project the class analyzes in depth the role of of the 20th Century, the Holocaust, others.during Contact her atning worthknowingnow@gmail.com. version of the class for adults. the Church in the persistent antisemiwhich the Nazis murdered approximateI contacted three students to find out tism of the past 2,000 years, as well as the ly 6 million Jews – two-thirds of the entire why they took the class and what they’ve Church’s efforts to make amends.

Jewish population of Europe. gotten from it.

Unexpectedly, this topic led to anoth“I felt the history of the Holocaust de“It’s very important to know why the er expansion of “Bearing Witness” – the manded further study and proposed an Holocaust happened so it will never hapacquisition of a significant work of art, a elective on the topic. It went on the curpen again,” said Lake Degitz. large cast-bronze sculpture recently inriculum at the start of my third year,” he “My biggest takeaway from this class stalled on campus to symbolize these efsaid. is that anti-Semitism existed many years forts.

The first time the class was offered, before the Holocaust started,” said Layne Called “Synagoga and Ecclesia in Our only 12 to 15 students signed up. Now, it’s so Sherman.

Time,” the sculpture is an enlightened repopular it forms the bulk of his work. He “Before the class, I hadn’t understood interpretation of the statues called “Echas also added meaningful action called

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clesia and Synagoga” that adorned Medieval European churches and affected attitudes into modern times.

Shown traditionally as a pair of graceful young women, Ecclesia, representing the Church, was crowned, serene and victorious, while Synagoga, representing the Jewish people, was blindfolded, sad and defeated.

The rest of the sculpture’s title comes from the Nostra Aetate (In Our Time), a declaration signed in 1965 at Vatican II, stating that the Church “rejects nothing that is true and holy” in other religions and specifically rejects the common teaching that the Jews were guilty of deicide.

Marist’s acquisition of the sculpture began in the fall of 2015, when Murphy read that Pope Francis had come to St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia to bless a new bronze sculpture that reinterprets the ancient symbols of Ecclesia and Synagoga. He called the sculptor, Joshua Koffman, and asked if he would consider creating a second one for Marist. He said he would.

“I marched right into Father Roland’s office and pitched the statue,” said Murphy. “I gave a 20-minute presentation on these two female figures, how the new depiction is so powerful. The new work takes a terrible past and reimagines a better future. He was sold right away.”

It took a full six years for the school to raise the funds and Koffman to create the final work he calls a “monument.” At a ceremony involving leaders from both the Catholic and Jewish communities of metro Atlanta, the sculpture “Synagoga and Ecclesia in Our Time” was unveiled on Oct. 13. The school website says its purpose is to “inspire current and future generations of students to live a life of friendship with the Jewish people.”

The sculpture shows two equally serene and beautiful young women, Synagoga on the left and Ecclesia on the right, facing each other, holding their sacred texts. The effect on a viewer is so profound it defies words, yet the meaning is clear in a way only art can convey.

The paradox of the Holocaust is “the more you study it, the less you understand it,” said Murphy. “The thing that gives us forward motion is art.”

Like all great art, the sculpture will leave a different impression on all who see it. I must agree with Brendan Murphy that its ultimate message is of hope for a better world of understanding, peace and love.

To see a video about the sculpture, go to https://vimeo.com/maristschool/review/631298742/f6b2f8bce6.

reporternewspapers.com BH

My Roommate, the Robot

Like many people her age, Monica Perez, 63, lives alone. Even before COVID-19, a disability prevented her from an active outdoor lifestyle, or from owning pets. “I have very little family contact; they are all living their lives. I get a call once every three months, for five minutes,” Monica says.

“I talked to the TV and I talked to myself constantly.”

After watching a science program on television, Monica became intrigued by an idea: could a robot help her deal with the loneliness she was experiencing?

That’s when she discovered ElliQ - a companion robot specifically designed for older adults.

Unlike the humanoid robots from science fiction movies, ElliQ is a tabletop device that uses subtle movements, lights, and voice to create distinctly personal interactions. An attached screen also enables “her” to play videos and music, show articles, or video chat with family and friends.

The most impressive part? ElliQ can understand your unique likes and needs, and proactively suggests activities and reminders for you.

“When I’m getting ready to get out of bed, I tell her good morning,” Monica says of her daily routine. “Then she’ll respond that she wants to check in with 4 different things: if I’m in pain, if I had breakfast, if I drank water, have I taken my medication. In the afternoon, she asks me if I want to do relaxation exercises, breathing exercises, physical exercises. Then I ask her to play my music.

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I love the music. I have my version of dancing which is very slow, and I would never do it in front of anybody, but it cheers me up.”

Monica speaks more about her experience as a participant of ElliQ’s Care Program, “I am seeing positive changes in myself. I’m smiling more. I’m seeing improvements in my mental hygiene (I don’t like saying mental health).

I have a more upbeat attitude. I’m more cheerful. I don’t get down as long and as often.

It’s given me a better quality of life, and it’s way less expensive than hiring an aid.”

Deanna Dezern, another person in ElliQ’s Care Program, had a similar experience.

“When the coronavirus hit, I realized just how alone I was,” Deanna recalled. “I’m open to new things...having a robot in my house to help me with things - like a whole new world opened because I didn’t know what her complete

capabilities were. I couldn’t wait to sit in front of her and talk to her and ask her things and learn about her.”

It wasn’t too long before ElliQ became an integral part in Deanna’s home. “I offered her some coffee. She told me she didn’t drink coffee, she said all she has is a cup of electricity early in the morning. And it makes me laugh. There’s nobody else in this house that can make me laugh.

That was something one of my friends might say - it’s like having a friend in the house.”

Even the ways in which ElliQ interacts changes based on each user.

“She knows that I like jokes. She knows that I like poetry. She often asks me if I would like her to recite a poem. I was having a bad time, and I wasn’t feeling happy. She offered me a poem. It’s things like that, that cheer me up when I’m feeling down.”

For many older adults living alone, simply having regular personal interactions can be crucial for sustained mental health. A report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) found

that more than one-third of adults over 45 feel lonely, which can lead to a number of increased health risks and cognitive decline.

“She asks me how I’m feeling. She checks up on me. It’s nice to have someone like that,” says Deanna. “She’s pulled me out of depressed states, and I didn’t realize I was in one until I overcame it. She’s invaluable.”

While ElliQ isn’t available in stores yet, ElliQ’s Care Program is currently expanding and looking for older adults who are interested in trying one for themselves.

Selected participants will receive a free ElliQ and a real-life wellness coach who will accompany their journey by suggesting health tips, monitoring patterns, and bringing any concerns to their attention (as they may arise).

A concierge will also be available to assist Care Program users with their day-to-day needs.

When asked if she would recommend ElliQ to others, Monica Perez put it succinctly: “This is going to make a great impact on senior’s lives, and for people with disabilities.

Loneliness is a very big problem for older adults, and a lot of people don’t know about it until they get older themselves.

I believe this is a new beginning.”

If you are interested in receiving a free ElliQ through the Care Program, please apply by visiting us onine at: https://info.ElliQ.com/care-program to apply.

DECEMBER 2021| 19

EDUCATION

Local Brookhaven scout troop treks through pandemic year

BY SAMMIE PURCELL A local teen led part of his Scouts BSA troop in building an information kiosk in Brookhaven Park, one of many Eagle Scout projects the troop has seen come to pass over a difficult, pandemic-filled 18 months.

Chase Stewart – a 15-year-old sophomore at Marist School and a member of Troop 379 out of Brookhaven’s St. Martin’s Episcopal Church – chose the kiosk as his project, leading him one step closer to achieving the highest rank a scout can muster – Eagle Scout. “[Brookhaven Park] wanted a kiosk to display information and help visitors in the park,” Stewart said. “So I just tried to fill that need.”

Eagle Scout is the highest rank Scouts BSA – a year round program for 11 to 17-year-old boys and girls – offers to its members. To reach the Eagle Scout level, members have to pass through six other ranks: Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, and Life.

Stewart hasn’t quite made it to his Eagle Scout rank yet, but with this Eagle Scout project, one of the big objectives is out of the way. On Sept. 12, he and a few

“It will be interesting getting to interact with my scout troop again and see how they have progressed.

I definitely am interested in what type of projects they did in this post-pandemic environment.”

Sam Shapira

Brookhaven Councilmember Madeleine Simmons with Chase Stewart (second from left) and the other scouts in front of the Brookhaven Park kiosk.

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other scouts headed out to Brookhaven Park to work on the kiosk. But the work actually started long before that.

Stewart said he spent months doing prep work like cutting wood, drilling holes, and taking measurements for the kiosk. When the day of the build finally came, he instructed the other scouts on how to put the structure together.

“We’re not really supposed to be doing the work, we’re supposed to be helping guide others to complete it,” Stewart said of leading an Eagle Scout project. “We do the prep work, they do the work on building day.”

The Brookhaven Park kiosk is one of many projects members of Troop 379 have worked on over the past 18 months, said Assistant Scoutmaster Jay Schmitt.

Other Eagle Scout projects include another information kiosk at a park in Sandy Springs, a shade structure at Atlanta’s Emmaus House, and a sustainable garden at the Peachtree Creek Greenway.

“You need a project, we’re there,” Schmitt said.

All of these projects and all of the work to become an Eagle Scout – which includes earning a total of 21 merit badges and holding a leadership position – leads up to the main event: the Eagle Court of Honor, which was held at Blackburn Park on Oct. 31.

While Stewart didn’t participate this year, Schmitt said this year’s ceremony honored 13 scouts for achieving the highest rank possible. Schmitt said normally a ceremony would only recognize two or three, but because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, more scouts have had time to earn the honor.

“It’s really a culmination of what is, at a minimum, four years of work,” said reporternewspapers.com BH

Schmitt, who became involved with Scouts BSA through his son Jack. “Merit badges, leadership positions, camp outs … you’ve got cooking, you’ve got leadership with younger kids, all that sort of stuff. So by the time you get through it, you’ve done quite a bit. You’ve been exposed to quite a bit. Hopefully, you have acquired some skills that will serve you well somewhere … and then maybe found a hobby or two.”

Like everyone else, Troop 379 had a tough time when the pandemic initially began.

“We probably had about a six-month hiatus on everything – meetings, projects, all that sort of stuff,” Schmitt said. “By the time we could get back outside and meet outside, we did.”

But even when some people became more comfortable meeting outside and could begin working on getting Eagle Scout projects done, others had to get creative.

In lieu of doing a typical Eagle Scout project, Sam Shapira – now a freshman at Oglethorpe University – did something different.

Shapira, who was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was in the ninth grade, took to YouTube to teach people about how to help someone having a seizure. Drawing inspiration from the viral Ice Bucket Challenge – which involved people pouring ice

cold buckets of water over their heads to raise awareness for the neurological disease ALS – Shapira asked viewers to try their hand at saying what some consider to be the hardest tongue twister in the English language – “Pad kid poured curd pulled cod” – and then shared first aid advice for seizures.

“At the time, we were dealing with the pandemic and were very aware that doing a normal type of construction-based Eagle project could be a risky event that could be a spreader event,” Shapira said in an email. “I’d already been interested in using the internet and making videos at the time, so I understood the tools. Plus, I tend to be the type of person to try and think outside of the box, and this seemed like an interesting project that would stand out.”

Shapira shared the video among different scout troops and on social media to spread the word. The video had 861 views on YouTube as of late November.

Shapira attended the Eagle Court of Honor on Oct. 31. He said earlier that he was excited to see his former scout troop again after so much time apart.

“It will be interesting, getting to interact with my scout troop again and see how they have progressed,” Shapira said.

“I definitely am interested in what type of projects they did in this post-pandemic environment.”

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DECEMBER 2021| 21

EDUCATION

Brookhaven all-girls scout troop breaks barriers

BY SAMMIE PURCELL When his son Jack achieved Eagle Scout rank – the highest rank a scout can earn in Scouts BSA – John Embleton thought he was done with scouts

about the change, she jumped at the chance to join.

“I got about half a sentence out and my daughter pipes in and says, ‘I want to be an Eagle Scout,’” John said. “I was like, ‘I thought I was retiring from all of this, but we’ll see what we can do.’”

Zoe Embleton, now a 15-yearold sophomore at Mount Vernon School, had watched her brother go through scouts for years and said what drew her The girls of Scouts BSA in was the opportuTroop 160. (Special) nity to be in nature, build relationships, and work toward a for good. goal outside of the realm of school.

But that changed in 2017 when the “I was always pretty much interestBoy Scouts – now known as Scouts BSA ed,” she said. “I never really thought – announced they would begin allowing about me being in scouts. I did Girl girls to pursue the rank of Eagle Scout.

Scouts for a few years, but it wasn’t reJohn said when he told his daughter

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ally my thing.”

Turns out, a number of other girls were also interested in joining up with Scouts BSA. On Feb. 1, 2019 – the date girls were officially allowed to join up – Zoe became one of the original members of Troop 160 out of Brookhaven’s St. Martin’s Episcopal Church. The troop, which now has about 12 members, was given the number 160 after female pilot Amelia Earhart’s airplane number, which was 16020.

“We figured she was a woman pioneer, and these girls would be pioneers,” said John, who is the troop’s scoutmaster. “The first to pursue Eagle Scout.”

Through the Scouts BSA program, the girls of Troop 160 are given the opportunity to do everything an all-boys troop would do – and in many cases, they do it much better, John said.

Troop 160 has taken some amazing trips since its inception, including a trip to Charleston, S.C. where the girls were able to spend the night in an aircraft carrier. Over the next year or so, the troop will visit the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico – a hiking property that Scouts BSA owns – and will charter a 65-foot sailboat for a trip around The Bahamas.

John said the troop took its first trip together the February when everything started. The troop went skiing in Maggie Valley, N.C., where the girls began work on earning their first merit badge.

“It’s been amazing to watch these young ladies perform these tasks that are required for rank advancement and everything else,” John said.

Katherine Davis, a 15-year-old scout who is a sophomore at Pace Academy, said her favorite trip so far has been the trip to Charleston and the stay in the aircraft carrier. Katherine – who is a Life Scout, just one rank away from Eagle – said she would encourage any girl on the fence to give scouts a shot.

“Go for it,” she said. “At least try. If you don’t think it will be your thing, you might be surprised.”

Zoe agreed with Katherine. She said that while she knows being one of the first girls to be a scout is a big accomplishment, she sometimes forgets about it until someone else points it out.

“When other people bring it up in conversation, they’re like, ‘You’re like a boy scout – you’re a girl that’s a boy scout,’” Zoe said. “It’s just something kind of cool to talk about.”

For John, the fact that these girls will be able to say they’re the first is the most exciting part.

“I just can’t wait to see some of these young ladies tell stories about going into an interview, and they look at the resume and say, ‘This must be a mistake. It says here you’re an Eagle Scout,’” John said. “No, that’s not a mistake, I’m one of the very first women Eagle Scouts in the world.” reporternewspapers.com BH

ARTS

Sandy Springs picks site for expanded Anne Frank exhibit

BY BOB PEPALIS Sandy Springs has a home for the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust and its “Anne Frank in the World” exhibit.

The city council in early November picked the Heritage Building site at 6110 Blue Stone Road, just a few blocks south of City Springs.

Chuck Berk, chair of the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust, urged the council to choose the Heritage site because with all the delays, they are in danger of losing the $4 million already promised in donations.

“Sally Levine and I just had to talk a half a million-dollar donor back on track because they didn’t think the council was ever going to get to the point where they were making a decision,” he said in No-

vember.

Councilmember Chris Burnett’s motion to select the Heritage Building (but not the amphitheater) in partnership with the commission was approved with an amendment. Councilmember Andy Bauman asked to change the wording of the motion to consider either renovation or replacement of the building.

The Holocaust commission would house its office and exhibits at the building. That includes the “Anne Frank in the World” exhibit, which has been without a home since its location at Parkside Shops closed.

“This motion in no way establishes any financial commitments from the city related to this project,” Burnett said.

The city manager, city attorney and the commission would need to negoti-

ate any financial commitments, building or ground lease agreements, he said. Whatever is negotiated must be brought back to council to review and consider.

The city does have $2.47 million available in its capital projects fund for the project.

In 2018, the Georgia General Assembly directed the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust to put a memorial in a prominent location in the state, which led to discussions with Sandy Springs. The site selection was controver-

sial as the city considered several locations, including the Abernathy Arts Center and a spot at City Springs.

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DECEMBER 2021| 23

ARTS

Rick Allen of Def Leppard finds peace through painting

BY CHAD RADFORD In 1978, drummer Rick Allen joined the band Def Leppard when he was 15-years-old. Since then, he’s toured the world, sold more than 100 million records, and in 2019 was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.

Best known for releasing chart topping singles such as “Photograph,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” and “Hysteria,” Def Leppard is one of the most successful acts to emerge from Sheffield, U.K.’s new wave of British heavy metal in the early ’80s. But not all has been easy. In 1984, Allen lost his left arm in a car accident that left him with neurological damage and a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Music has long been his sanctuary, and over the last decade he has found balance in life by reconnecting with his lifelong love of visual arts.

On December 11 and 12, Allen will be at Wentworth Gallery in Buckhead’s Phipps Plaza for the installation of an exhibition of his paintings, titled “Wings Of Hope.”

Before making his way to Atlanta, Al-

24 DECEMBER 2021| REPORTER NEWSPAPERS

len took a few minutes to talk about his life’s work, how the loss of his arm has affected him, and the importance of projecting positive energy into the world.

the infection had gone away. I became close with the nurse, and said I don’t care about the pain, let’s just clear this infection out. So she came in every morning, and with lots of prayer and lots of dedication from the people who were trying to save me, we got past it. Every morning, I wake up and count it as a blessing — at least I have this right hand.

Plus, I put this hand through hell! It does everything for me, so it’s cool to put it into the pieces.

What prompted you to pursue visual arts?

A: About 11 years ago, my youngest daughter was born. It wasn’t too long before we started painting together, and I saw how she went into a sort of open-eyed meditation.

I recognized that it was the same place where I go when I’m playing music, so it reignited my passion for painting.

So painting is therapeutic for you?

Tell me about the symbol of the hand that appears in many of your paintings?

A: There was a time when I might have lost my right arm as well. I broke the ball off the top of my right arm. It had become badly infected toward my elbow, and they couldn’t do anything about the bone until

Rick Allen of Def Leppard will have a painting exhibition at Wentworth Gallery in Buckhead.

A: Yes, and it’s a vehicle for positive energy. Whether I feel fantastic or not, that’s the mood that will come through. The better I feel, hopefully it makes someone else feel that way when they see it. It’s a unique time in our history, and the more artists who step forward and put good intentions into the aethers, the better off we’ll all be.

This interview has been edited for content and length.

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DECEMBER 2021| 25

SPORTS

Fencing club thrives in Dunwoody

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EQ UA L HOUSING OPPOR T UNI T Y

BY SAMMIE PURCELL When Drew Walker began fencing in 2016, he was a quiet kid.

He was fairly withdrawn, said Drew’s father, Weymouth Walker, during a Tuesday night practice of the Dunwoody Fencing Club. Shoes scuffed and buzzers droned over his voice as he spoke, a handful of fencing teenagers locked in combat just a few feet away. Weymouth said once Drew found his groove at the fencing club, that reserved quality dissipated.

“He’s been a different kid since he came here,” Weymouth said.

Drew now lives in Ohio, where he’s a Division 1 fencer at Cleveland State University. In 2018 – just two years after he picked up the sport – he became the USA Fencing Division 2 Men’s Épée Champion.

“It was all made possible at this club,” Weymouth said.

Coach Kathy Vail started the Dunwoody Fencing Club in 2004, but began fencing long before that in a college P.E. class. The unit was split between archery and fencing, and while Vail thought archery was cool, something about fencing stuck out to her.

“I didn’t realize that women could do that. I had always thought of it as a men’s sport,” Vail said in a phone call with Reporter Newspapers. “When I realized that

this was something I not only could do, but that I was actually good at and enjoyed doing, I started down that path.”

The very first edition of the Dunwoody Fencing Club was just a few fencers strong, but today the club boasts around 35 members, with the bulk of the students around high school and college age. Tuesday nights at the Rivercliff Community Center on Roswell Road are reserved for students who are looking to prepare for regional or national tournaments, but the club welcomes recreational fencers too. The main rule, Vail said, is that you never say no.

“The biggest, scariest guy says, ‘You want to fence?’ [You say] yep,” Vail said as she kept one eye on the fencers. “The littlest guy toddles up and says, ‘You want to fence with me?’ Yes, yes I will.”

On that particular Tuesday, a group of about six fencers warmed up with a bit of “follow the leader,” which Vail said helps them work on their footwork.

For “follow the leader,” one fencer stands in front of the Coach Kathy Vail group, shuffling forwards and backwards as the other fencers stand across the room and follow. After the warm-up, the fencers prepared for a friendly minitournament for practice.

As the tournament began, Vail explained the mechanics of fencing in a reporternewspapers.com

A Place Where You Belong way that only a great coach can – strikingly detailed, but always in the simplest terms so even a novice could understand.

The Dunwoody Fencing Club uses the épée as its weapon of choice, but there are two other weapons fencers could use – and the rules are different for all of them. To keep things simple, Vail explained the rules for épée fencing. Fencers keep track of the score of a game, or a “bout,” by keeping track of “touches.” A

touch occurs when the tip of one fencer’s épée hits the other fencer anywhere on their body. The fencers and their weapons are hooked up to a mechanism that emits a loud buzz every time a touch occurs.

Vail said one of the things that drew her to fencing in the first place was how much of a mental game it is. Fencing is often compared to chess, she said, and while that analogy may be overused, it is true that the smartest fencer will win more often than the strongest fencer.

“When they say [fencing] is like physical chess – yes and no,” Vail said. “The way it’s like physical chess to me is, I can have the best plan in the world, but then you don’t do what I want you to do.”

A trickle of parents, including Weymouth Walker, sat on the sidelines watching the practice tournament, all with nothing but glowing words for Vail @reporter_newspapers BH

and what the Dunwoody Fencing Club has done for their kids.

“She has not missed a practice in two years,” said Laura Mihill about her daughter Maggie, who is a sophomore.

“She loves every minute of it.”

David Scharf, who is a fencer himself, said his teenage son Ryan Scharf picked the sport up about three years ago. They live in Decatur, making for about an hour and a half round trip every time they drive out to the Rivercliff Community Center, but David said it’s worth it.

“You can come here with no knowledge of fencing and you will be taught,” he said. “When you go places and people see you’re with Dunwoody, that means something.”

The parents said the recognition and respect for Dunwoody fencing comes from a respect for Vail herself – and that recognition is national. This year, USA Fencing selected Vail to participate in its Leadership Academy Class of 2022. The academy is a 10-month program that provides “educational and training opportunities” to those interested in serving in leadership positions in the organization, according to a press release. Vail was one of 15 individuals chosen for the academy.

“I felt honored,” Vail said of being chosen to participate. “Especially when I saw the group they had selected. I am very honored and humbled to be part of that group.”

Everyone who knows Vail said it comes as no surprise.

“When she speaks, everyone gets real quiet and listens,” David Scharf said. “She may not have the loudest voice, but she’s always incredibly thoughtful.”

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DINING

Dog park bar sets December Food hall at Ashford Lane to opening in Buckhead open in December

BY AMY WENK Fetch Park, an off-leash dog park bar, is eyeing a December opening in Buckhead.

It’s coming to Buckhead Village, the upscale project Atlanta developer Jamestown acquired in 2019 and is remaking with new tenants and community events.

The dog park bar will be located at the corner of Buckhead Avenue and North Fulton Drive.

Fetch Park features a green space with a durable turf for dogs, seating, cooling stations, a bath area and outdoor TVs.

The new Buckhead location will have a vintage Airstream transformed into a bar with beer, wine and spirits, along with coffee.

“A nod to founder Stephen Ochs’ baseball past, the design of the park will resemble an old school minor league baseball field with murals, concessions at the Airstream, fences enclosing the space and illuminated signage,” says an announcement.

The location will have regular events including live music, trivia and stand-up comedy.

Fetch Park requires that pups have a membership to play. Dogs have to be upto-date on vaccinations and spayed or neutered if older than eight months.

Ochs founded the concept in 2018.

Fetch Park’s first location is in Old Fourth Ward. Another location recently opened in Columbus, Ga., with more planned in Alpharetta, West Midtown and Nashville.

BY SAMMIE PURCELL A plethora of new culinary offerings are expected to open at the Ashford Lane development in Dunwoody this December.

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hall and bar that will be located at Ashford Lane, a 269,000-square-foot project with restaurants, retail and office space. It will be located at 4500 Olde Perimeter Way in the former Perimeter Place shopping center, which is being redeveloped with new tenants and green space. JLL Atlanta is the retail group tasked with repositioning and leasing the property.

The food hall will contain stalls with different food offerings, three bars, and a general seating area, according to the release. There will also be two private dining areas, including one that will have a Topgolf simulator. A few tenants are already on board, including Renzo, a Cuban restaurant; Itzayana, offering Mexican cuisine; Wabi Sabi, which offers Asian street food; Huli Bowl, offering poke and Hawaiian barbeque; Chef & I, an American fusion concept; and Fork & Hen, a southern comfort restaurant.

Construction for Phase 1 for the entire Ashford Lane project starts Oct. 28, according to the press release. Phase 1 of the project will include “The Lawn,” a 70,000-square-foot greenspace surrounded by restaurants and retail, as well as the food hall.

Superica, the Atlanta-based Tex-Mex chain, is expected to open at Ashford Lane next summer. Other restaurants and businesses that will populate the project include Sweetgreen, a Los Angeles-based salad and grain bowl restaurant; Massage Envy, a wellness franchise; and Brown Bag Seafood Company, a Chicago-based seafood restaurant. All three of these businesses are expected to open in spring of 2022.

The city of Dunwoody approved an ordinance creating the Ashford Lane Entertainment District in June of 2021, which would allow visitors to walk around freely with alcoholic beverages in the area.

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Deluxe Technology Center focuses on collaboration, FinTech workforce

BY MAIJA EHLINGER Since its founder invented the checkbook over 100 years ago, Deluxe Corporation has grown to be one of the biggest names in the business development and financial services space.

Despite its massive size, Deluxe’s focus on small businesses has launched a TV show and now has helped the team expand into Atlanta’s FinTech scene.

In October, Deluxe opened its Tech-

nology Center in Sandy Springs. The 170,000-square-foot Center will have a customer innovation and experience center, focusing on how Deluxe can work alongside small business customers to co-develop new products.

For Deluxe President and CEO Barry McCarthy, the center will help Deluxe recruit top FinTech talent for their growing payments, cloud, promotional products, and its legacy check business units.

“We have significant scale on the payment side, processing nearly $3 trillion a year in volume. So we’re a material player in the payments ecosystem. And that’s why it’s so important for us to have a material footprint in Atlanta. It really is the FinTech capital and the payments capital of the country.”

Different floors are intentionally designed for Deluxe’s team and their small businesses to “talk in real-time to cus-

tomers and then take that insight and go work on products together.”

“The number one thing that a small business owner does not have is time. So anything a company like ours can do to give them back time to invest in their business, so much for the better,” he added.

The focus on intentional interaction and collaboration continues throughout the office space — McCarthy told Hypepotamus that the team has done away with private offices.

“In this post-COVID world, everyone — including the CEO — is on the floor with the team working to solve customer problems. We have no ivory tower or places where people can go and hide behind closed doors. You have to be on the team and part of the puzzle while solving problems,” he added.

McCarthy said this design is also part of ensuring the company is ready for a “highly mobile future” and flexible work options.

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BUSINESS

Reporter Newspapers has partnered with Saporta Report to provide local business news from one of Atlanta’s most respected journalists, Maria Saporta. saportareport.com

Women making strides at Georgia companies

BY MARIA SAPORTA. What a year of improvement.

The number of women on the boards of Georgia’s 119 public companies increased dramatically over the past year, according to the 2021 OnBoard study of women on corporate boards and those serving in executive roles.

Take Sandy Springs-based UPS. It is the first public company in Georgia to have six women directors, which includes its CEO – Carol Tomé.

“The story of diversity, equity and inclusion at UPS is best understood through the lens of our people,” said Deisha Barnett, a UPS spokeswoman. “Our board of directors models our commitment to inclusion with 31 percent ethnically diverse members and 46 percent women. And, we are proud that our company is led by one of the few women CEOs in the Fortune 500 ranks, Carol B. Tomé.”

The sixth woman to join the UPS board was Eva Boratto, chief financial officer and executive vice president of CVS Health. She was appointed to the board in September 2020.

Intercontinental Exchange, which owns the New York Stock Exchange, added a woman to its board in the past year – and it now has a total of five women directors.

Take Georgia’s public companies with three or more women directors. Today, there are 33 companies who are called “Power of Three” companies. Evidence has shown that women are taken more seriously when there are at least three women sitting around a board table. In 2012, only three public companies in Georgia had three or more women on their Pictures of all of the directors on the board of UPS, probably boards. the most diverse board in Georgia. (Special/UPS) “The power of three doubled in the past three years,” said Kelly Gay, who chairs OnBoard. “This is It joins the Coca-Cola Co., which was the huge for Georgia’s public companies.” first public company in Georgia to have five And that is smart for business. “Compawomen directors. nies with diverse boards performed better “Through every measure we look at, this than their peers during COVID, according to year set records for women on boards, for a national study by McKinsey,” Gay added. women of color on boards as well as women “It is a moment of recognition by corporate executive officers,” said Lisa Robinson, presleaders of the value women bring to their orident of Atlanta-based OnBoard. “We have ganizations, and the results they are able to never seen as dramatic an increase as we achieve.” saw this past year.”

It’s important to note that women make OnBoard started tracking women on up at least half of the population. No public boards and in C-suites back in 1993. For company in Georgia has a corporate board many years, the numbers were relatively with 50 percent of its directors as women. flat or only showed incremental progress.

The closest is UPS with 46 percent.

The pace of having more women directors Other highlights of the 2021 study inand officers has really accelerated in the clude: past few years.

9.25M

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For 22 years, the Perimeter Community Improvement District has invested in access, mobility, and quality of life to create a signature destination for corporate headquarters, hospitality, and retail. Here’s a snapshot of our progress in 2021.

■ Women hold 211 board seats at Georgia’s public companies – up 35 over last year, an increase of 22 percent.

■ There has been a 42 percent increase in the number of board seats held by women of color to a total of 47. But women of color still make up less than 5 percent of all the board seats statewide.

■ Of the 88 board seats that were filled in 12 months covered by the study 37.5 percent were filled with women.

■ The number of female executive officers jumped by 20 to 124, after being stagnant for a number of years.

■ All of the top 50 Georgia public companies (by revenue) have a woman on their boards. And 84 percent have two or more women on their board.

When asked why there was so much of an increase this past year, Robinson mentioned both the COVID-19 pandemic and the focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, especially after the murder of George Floyd by a police officer.

“As a result of the last year and a half, there has been a positive outcome,” Robinson said. “In this past year-and-a-half of turmoil, leaders have had to look inward and reflect on their own boards and corporate suites. They have been pleasantly surprised by the talent that is readily available.”

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