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CONTENTS
OCTOBER 2026 EDITOR’S NOTE
4
COVER STORY The High At 100
6-11
BROOKHAVEN State Of The City International Festival
12 14
BUCKHEAD City Livability Beltline Resolution
16 16
MJCCA BOOK FESTIVAL
Atlanta Intown A
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NORCROSS Speed Limits Concrete Jungle
30 31
SANDY SPRINGS Water Negotiations
32
TUCKER American Legion
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DINING The Buttery AL Chef
36 36
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ‘Before I Do’
38
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ABOUT THE COVER The High Museum of Art unfurled a giant banner on its front facade to mark the 100th anniversary of the Midtown institution and its upcoming slate of centennial programming. (Photo by Collin Kelley) Honored as a newspaper of General Excellence
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One hundred years is a long time. For some, it’s too long. For example, take one of my favorite scenes in Ricky Gervais’ “Afterlife” CATHY COBBS Netflix comedy, when he talks to a woman who, after turning 100, gets a nice framed plaque and message from Queen Elizabeth. When Gervais, who plays a smalltown newspaper reporter, asks her what advice she would give to someone who wants to live as long as she has, she replies, “Don’t.” “It hurts just to be alive,” she snaps back. “I might as well have been a tree.” It gets much spicier after that, but the point has been made. Living until you are 100 years old might not be what you expect, or want, when you consider all the valleys you must traipse through to get there. Also throw in the fact that anyone who makes it 100 probably isn’t waterskiing, basejumping, skydiving, or even eating crunchy vegetables, and it can make one wish for a shorter life. However, there are also documented cases of people living long and well into their advanced years, despite health challenges and other factors. Men and women who are 100 or older tend to have extroverted personalities, according to Thomas T. Perls, the director of the New England Centenarian Study at Boston University. Centenarians, according to Perls, often have many friends, strong ties to relatives and high self-esteem. More research suggests that the offspring of centenarians are more likely to age with better cardiovascular health than their peers. In short, the key to longevity translates to resilience, strong community ties, and many friends – all descriptors that explain how the High Museum has thrived after 100 years in existence. The Atlanta museum traces its history to October 1926, when Hattie High donated her Peachtree Street residence to the city. The effort was backed by the support of friends and families, and the museum persevered through economic challenges like the Great Depression, and heartbreaking tragedy – including the 1962 plane crash that killed many of the High Museum Association’s members, who were returning from a 27-day factfinding trip to Europe. Through it all, the High has not only survived, but thrived, growing its programs and its footprint. It will celebrate its 100th anniversary this fall
with new collection galleries, more than 200 acquisitions, public art activations and community events. Collin Kelly’s story on page 6 has more details about the High’s celebration that beautifully illustrates how to turn 100 with grace, resilience and the support of good friends. In this issue, we also have a special section detailing the ongoing MJCCA Book Festival featuring a star-studded cast of speakers and lively hands-on experiences. As usual, we have our round-up of city, arts and dining news that will keep you informed about all things Atlanta. As always, thank you for reading and supporting our print and digital products.
Courtesy High Museum
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The High at 100
Museum to celebrate centennial with new galleries, acquisitions, and events By Collin Kelley The High Museum of Art will celebrate its 100th anniversary this fall with new collection galleries, more than 200 acquisitions, public art activations and community events. The Atlanta museum traces its history to October 1926, when Hattie High donated her Peachtree Street residence to the city. The museum has since grown into one of the South’s major cultural institutions, with a collection of more than 20,000 works spanning centuries, continents and artistic media.
The centennial celebrations will include new installations of the museum’s American and African art galleries. Rather than organizing the collections chronologically, the galleries will use thematic and material connections to bring works together across periods and disciplines. The American galleries will feature new acquisitions including a rare painting by Jacob Lawrence, a quilt by Carolyn L. Mazloomi and a work by Grandma Moses. New works in the African art galleries include paintings, textiles, prints, drawings and ceramics by artists including Ben Blackburn Park | Oct. 4 | 11 a.m.
Wednesday, October 7 Planning Commission 7 p.m. (5:30 p.m. work session) Monday, October 12 Development Authority 11 a.m.
Murphey Candler Park | Oct. 10 | 7 p.m.
Tuesday, October 13 City Council 6:30 p.m. (5 p.m. Mayor’s Town Hall) Wednesday, October 14 Arts & Culture Commission 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 21 Board of Appeals 7 p.m. (5:30 p.m. work session) Tuesday, October 27 City Council 6:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. work session) Updates & more info at BrookhavenGA.gov/Calendar OCTOBER 17 & 18, 2026 | 11AM-6PM
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Photos courtesy High Museum of Art
Enwonwu, Ladi Kwali, Nike Okundaye, Bruce Onobrakpeya and Jimoh Akolo. The museum also plans to add more than 200 works across photography, contemporary design and contemporary art. Among the exhibitions planned for the centennial year are “Martin Puryear: Nexus,” a survey of the acclaimed American sculptor’s work, and “I SPY! Walter Wick’s Hidden Wonders.” The High will also partner with organizations and companies including MARTA, the Atlanta Beltline, Atlanta Hawks, Havertys, UPS and Delta Air Lines on public art installations and other activations. As part of its arts education efforts, the museum will provide free admission for Atlanta Public Schools K-12 field trips throughout the 2026-27 school year. The High said it hosts about 4,000 APS students annually. Under Director Rand Suffolk, visitors of color have grown from 15% of attendance to 55%, bringing the museum’s audiences into closer alignment with Atlanta’s demographics, while younger audiences have become a defining part of the institution’s community. The High also has expanded exhibitions featuring women artists, artists of color, and LGBTQ+ artists. “Over the past decade, we have made significant strides toward becoming a profoundly different magnet in Atlanta and to being the art museum that our city deserves,” Suffolk said. “We are poised to enter our next 100 years as a dynamic, intentional and essential contributor to the cultural fabric of our city — an organization, in fact, dedicated to connecting and strengthening our community.” The High established the David C. Driskell Prize in 2005 to recognize contributions to African American art and art history. The 2026 recipient is
Cheryl Finley, a scholar at Spelman College. Previous recipients include artists Amy Sherald, Rashid Johnson and Mark Bradford, as well as curator Naomi Beckwith. The centennial will also include a commemorative book featuring 100 largescale reproductions from the museum’s collection and a visual timeline of its history. A new visual identity will be unveiled for the museum is planned for this fall. The Centennial Community Block Party is scheduled for Oct. 18 and will include gallery tours, activities, and a public talk about the museum’s century in Atlanta. Centennial programming is also planned for monthly free admission days on the second Sunday and third Wednesday of each month. Julia Forbes, the High’s Associate Director of Institutional Research, said that while the museum is celebrating its 100th birthday, there is also an eye on the future – especially growing its audience and cementing its place as an “essential” Atlanta institution. “More people need to feel there is value in being part of the museum,” Forbes said. “ Every day we do one more thing to help people understand that there is a place for them and they can find themselves and see themselves in the High.” “Over my 22 years with the High, I’ve talked to a lot of visitors to find out what they value, what they find impactful, what motivated them to visit,” she said. “And more and more, it’s about something personal. They want to have an experience that makes you feel something, and art is great for making you feel something: a sad moment, a happy one, a contemplative moment. Visitors want to feel awe or have a ‘wow and wonder’ moment, and we can provide that.” More information about centennial events and exhibitions is available at high.org/100.
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High Centennial Events Calendar High Recipe Revival Oct. 7, 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. The Recipe Collection was a cookbook published by The Member’s Guild of the High in 1981. At this event, the classic cookbook recipes will be reimagined by Atlanta’s top chefs, including Craig Richards, Steven Satterfield, Jiyeon Lee, and J. Trent Harris. There will be tastings and public conversation, and each attendee will receive a reprinted copy of the cookbook High 100th Celebration at UPS Second Sunday Oct. 11, noon to 5 p.m. Guests will enjoy centennial-themed activities and tours throughout the High’s monthly free admission day, presented in collaboration with UPS. The Braves High100 hat, developed in collaboration with the Atlanta Braves, will debut at the event and be available for purchase. Centennial Block Party Oct. 18, noon to 5 p.m. The High takes the party to the streets, closing a section of Peachtree Street to throw a 100th birthday party, including
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free activities for the whole family. There will be live music, DJs, artmaking, food vendors, and more. The event will also feature a ticketed public conversation focused on the museum’s history, “100 Years of Art for ATL,” at 2 p.m.
• Art & Myth: Nov. 13
“High History with Havertys” Access for All Day Oct. 21, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Art & Gingerbread: Dec. 11
Free admission day including themed tours of the High’s J. J. Haverty collection, sponsored by Havertys.
• High Spirits: Celebrating a Century cocktail class: Nov. 14 • Centennial Holiday Market: Nov. 20-21
For more information on Centennial events, and to purchase tickets, visit high.org/100. Photos courtesy High Museum of Art
Additional events will include: • Centennial Conversations: Two Atlanta Museums at 100: Oct. 8, at the Atlanta History Center, presented in collaboration with the High. • Teen Highlight: Centennial Halloween: Oct. 23 • 100 Years of High Museum History Walking Tour: Oct. 29 • “A Haunting at 100” Halloween party: Oct. 30
OCTOBER 2026
|9
Making the High Museum of Art A Centennial Timeline By Julia Forbes
1925: Haverty and Bowman host a second
exhibition from the Grand Central Galleries with a glittering opening gala attended by over four hundred of Atlanta’s leading citizens, including the governor, the mayor of Atlanta, and Harriet “Hattie” High. As Haverty later recounts, “This exhibition opened the eyes of all Atlanta and directed the attention of its citizens to the actual meaning of art.”
1903: Nannie Boyd, a prominent art
is granted a twenty-year charter by the Fulton County Superior Court. Boyd is elected its first president. The Association raises funds, holds meetings, builds a membership program ($5 per person), and advocates with city officials for a purposebuilt art museum and school.
1915: The Atlanta Art Association
receives its first work of art, a watercolor of the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. The painting, gifted by the artist, Cameron Burnside, will become part of the High Museum of Art’s permanent collection.
1932: Businessman and art collector
Samuel H. Kress’s traveling exhibition of more than fifty paintings comes to the High, kick-starting a game-changing relationship. The High is the first stop on a tour that, even during the Depression, lasts nearly three years and travels to twentyfour venues. Kress makes a generous gift, a painting by Italian Rococo master Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696–1770). In a letter to the Association, he writes that he donated the “instructive and educational work before all such rare paintings vanished from the art market completely.”
February 1949: After twenty-three
enthusiast, gathers a group of nine civicminded women at a friend’s home to discuss forming an art association with the mission of creating an art museum and an art school for Atlanta.
1905: The Atlanta Art Association
works of art, including pieces by John Henry Twachtman (1853–1902), Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792), and George Benjamin Luks (1867–1933).
1926: Harriet “Hattie” High, widow
of successful local businessman Joseph Madison High donates her Walter T. Downing–designed Tudor mansion to become the High Museum and School of Art, named in memory of her husband. At the donation ceremony held on May 9, 1926, she says, “it was something of which I had been thinking a long time, but somehow the actual arrangements were never made until now.”
years living within Mrs. High’s Tudor mansion, the High Museum and School of Art expand. Two homes adjacent to the High home are added to the complex: the McRae home, south of the High house, for the art school, and the Wilkinson home, renamed the Scott Memorial Gallery, north of the High.
building to accommodate the museum’s growing collection and provide more room for storage and office space. The new structure is constructed on the site of the Scott Memorial Gallery, to the north of the High home.
1958: After almost $100,000 in
renovations, the McBurney Decorative Arts Center opens to the public. In 1940 McBurney bequeathed his home north of the 1955 building to be a decorative arts and costume wing. The High’s first curator is hired to manage this collection. The home will later become the site for the museum’s Stent Family Wing, complete with McBurney’s original Gingko tree.
May 1962: The Association organizes
a twenty-seven-day trip to Europe for members and their families. They are to return home filled with exciting ideas about how Atlanta can improve and expand its arts community, museum, and school.
October 1949: The High receives
its first major collection of art from J. J. Haverty’s family, given after his death in memory of his impact on the museum’s founding. Haverty’s gifts to the High include two prominent works by Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859–1930), who becomes the first African American artist added to the museum’s collection. The Haverty Collection debuts in the Scott Memorial Gallery.
1924: Businessman and art collector
J. J. Haverty becomes involved with the Association. He advocates at the city level for land dedicated to an art museum and forms an art committee of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. Hoping to generate excitement in the city at the prospect of its own museum, Haverty aims to bring some stellar art. In May, he and John Bowman, head of the Biltmore Hotel chain, organize a large exhibition from the Grand Central Galleries in New York City and host it at Atlanta’s newly built Biltmore Hotel.
June 1962: As the Association’s October 18, 1926: After several
months of renovation to make the ground floor suitable for showing art and to convert the top floor into classrooms, the High Museum and School of Art open to the public. The Atlanta Art Association remains the parent organization of both institutions.
1930: J. J. Haverty, the Association’s Photos and graphics courtesy High Museum of Art Archive.
president, founds the Friends of Art. Each member pledges $100 per year for five years to grow the collection. This effort makes possible the purchase of over fifty
September 24, 1955: The High
opens its first purpose-built museum, inspired by the 1951 gift of twenty-seven paintings from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. The donation requires a fireproof, climate-controlled, secure environment, so the Association commissioned architect Edward Moulthrop of Robert and Company to design a
European tour is returning home on June 3, tragedy strikes when their plane crashes at Orly Field near Paris. At the time, it is the worst single commercial plane crash in history. The loss both devastates and galvanizes the Atlanta arts community. James V. Carmichael, the Association’s new president, begins a memorial fundraising campaign for a new art school building.
May 1963: Gudmund Vigtel (“Vig”)
is hired as the High’s sixth director. When Vig takes over in the turbulent 1960s, the High’s collection holds less than a thousand works. When he retires twenty-eight years
1972: Inspired by employees in their later, the collection has grown to nearly ten thousand objects. He establishes almost $20 million in endowment and trust funds, which allow for major acquisitions of art, and becomes the longest-serving director (1963–1991).
August 1963: As the Atlanta Art
Association is desegregating and planning to build a new art school, another group in the city raises money and looks for land for a new performing arts center. Robert W. Woodruff quietly supports this effort, which eventually ends when a city bond regarding land fails to pass. The groups decide to join forces, forming a new organization called the Atlanta Arts Alliance, which includes the High Museum of Art, the Atlanta School of Art, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and, later, the newly formed Alliance Theatre.
1965-1966: Plans to build the
Memorial Arts Center in memory of those lost in the 1962 plane crash begin in earnest. Robert W. Woodruff (anonymously) is its major donor. The 1955 Moulthrop-designed building is subsumed into the new Arts Center, while the High House and the McRae House were demolished in 1963. The project breaks ground on June 3, 1966.
small sewing plant in Atlanta who wish to honor the Orly victims, New York–based collectors Fred and Rita Richman gift the museum with around two hundred fifty objects from their collection of sub-Saharan African art. Later, in 2001, they will promise the remainder of their collection to the museum, creating an endowment for the purchase of African art as well as an endowed curatorial position and establishing a formal department of African art.
October 1983: In anticipation of the opening of the Richard Meier–designed building, Atlanta-based collector and photographer Lucinda Weil Bunnen donates what will become the core of the High’s photography holdings.
1975: The High purchases its first
work by a living self-taught artist, Spring Vegetable Scene by local painter Mattie Lou O’Kelley (1908–1997). Over the next two decades, the museum grows its commitment to folk and self-taught artists, presenting its first exhibitions of artists like Carlton Garrett (1900–1992) and making prescient purchases of work by Bill Traylor (1854–1949) and William Edmondson (1874–1951), before these artists would become widely regarded as masters of the field.
1979: Collecting begins for what will
October 5, 1968: The
Memorial Arts Center, designed by Toombs, Amisano & Wells and Stevens & Wilkinson, opens to great fanfare. As the High receives very little upgrade, it quickly becomes clear that the museum will need its own standalone home. At the opening of the Memorial Arts Center, the French government presents the Atlanta community with a bronze cast of Auguste Rodin’s (1840–1917) The Shade, which resides inside the Arts Center building until it is permanently relocated outdoors on the museum’s green on September 21, 1995.
November 12, 2005: Using the
become the Virginia Carroll Crawford Collection of American Decorative Arts, which positions the High as a leader in collecting and preserving American decorative arts, with objects spanning from 1825 to 1917.
December 1979: When Atlanta
loses the blockbuster traveling exhibition Treasures of Tutankhamun (1977–1978) to New Orleans due to inadequate space, Vigtel secures funding from Robert W. Woodruff by way of a $7.5 million challenge grant for a brand-new building north of the Memorial Arts Center. Mr. Woodruff says, “It is vitally important to Atlanta’s cultural and economic life to have an outstanding museum capable of attracting and exhibiting the finest products of our world’s heritage.”
1980: After a national search by a task
force of the High Board as well as visits to museums in twenty-five cities, architect Richard Meier is tapped to design a new standalone building for the High Museum of Art.
slogan “a new High for Atlanta,” the Woodruff Arts Center reveals three new buildings and a transformed campus. Centered on a piazza, the Renzo Piano– designed buildings’ sleek, minimalist bodies are balanced by an architectural flourish in the roofs’ design: one thousand scooped skylights that allow soft, northern light to enter the top-floor galleries. The Wieland Pavilion, the Anne Cox Chambers Wing, and the Bunzl Administrative Center add 177,000 square feet to the museum complex, now totaling 312,000 square feet.
October 15, 1983: Later called the
Stent Family Wing, the new museum building opens to rave reviews. Its design provides viewers with multiple vistas, allowing them to see and re-see artworks across the light-filled Robinson Atrium.
July 1996: When director Ned
Rifkin learns that Atlanta is to host the 1996 Summer Olympics, he begins conversations with J. Carter Brown, director emeritus of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, to organize an exhibition. Called Rings: Five Passions in World Art, it celebrates the themes of the five Olympic rings and is the centerpiece of the cultural events surrounding the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. The show results in a series of exhibitions and partnerships with major museums around the world.
1998: A long-range planning committee, formed by museum leadership in 1993 to address the museum’s continuing growth, invites Italian architect Renzo Piano to create a proposal to expand the museum’s campus. Piano’s proposal is ultimately accepted, and construction will begin in June 2003.
2006: Director Michael Shapiro
launches a three-year partnership with the Musée du Louvre in Paris, building upon the deep connection made between Atlanta and Paris after the Orly crash. Louvre Atlanta welcomes over 1.3 million visitors from all fifty states. The six exhibitions highlight a combined 493 treasures from the Louvre’s collection. Masterworks from all eight of the Louvre’s curatorial departments travel to the High.
2016: The High establishes Friday nights as its signature evening for after-hours events, adding HIGH Frequency Friday to build upon the beloved Friday Jazz and expand its audience. These programs regularly sell out.
2026: In celebration of the High’s
centennial, the curatorial team sets several key initiatives to build its collection of quilts by Black artists, African art of the twentieth century, and queer photography while adding fashion as a new area of focus through the Lauren Amos Fashion Project. Julia Forbes is the Associate Director of Institutional Research at the High Museum of Art.
BROOKHAVEN For more Brookhaven headlines, subscribe to our daily newsletter at RoughDraftAtlanta.com/newsletters. Mayor reiterates theme of ‘Better Together’ during city speech By Cathy Cobbs Brookhaven Mayor John Park said the city is in strong financial shape during his state-of-the-city address to guests at the Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Sept. 24. “We have moved beyond the early work of incorporation and foundationbuilding,” he told a crowd of about 120 attendees at City Centre. “We are now in a different chapter, one that asks us to think carefully about what kind of city we want to become, how we invest in that future, and how we make sure Brookhaven remains a place where people feel safe, connected, welcomed, and proud to belong.” Park credited the city’s police force for a reduction in crime. In 2025, he said all eight FBI Index crimes decreased in Brookhaven, with overall criminal activity decreasing by 12 percent from the year before, and violent and property index crimes down by 20 percent. “We are moving forward,” he said, “and that forward motion is possible because of a simple idea that continues to define Brookhaven: We are better together.”
Park said Brookhaven officials are transparent about how public dollars are invested, adding that a recent property millage rate increase will “maintain the level of service our residents expect and deserve.” “That was not a decision made lightly. It was a decision grounded in responsibility,” he said. “Even with that adjustment, Brookhaven still has the second-lowest millage rate among DeKalb County cities and municipalities and remains considerably less than the DeKalb rate.” Brookhaven is one of only six cities in Georgia with double AAA bond ratings from Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s, he said. “Those ratings are not just plaques on a wall. They translate into lower borrowing costs and real savings for taxpayers — savings that help fund parks, infrastructure, stormwater, and pedestrian projects.” Growing smarter The Northbend development, he said, is a major example of smart growth. The $605 million development will replace the Corporate Square office park
Mayor John Park speaks at the Sept. 24 state-of-the-city luncheon at Brookhaven City Centre. (Photo by Cathy Cobbs)
with a mixed-use complex that includes townhomes, multifamily units, retail and dining, a medical office hub, and five acres of greenspace. In addition, Park pointed out another private investment with BMW that will bring $150 million in private investment to the area, which will include $8 million dedicated to trail, connectivity, and infrastructure improvements within the Peachtree Creek Greenway corridor, without tax abatements. Regarding connectivity, Park said that the city has added 109 acres of greenspace,
12 OCTOBER 2026
and “today 75 percent of Brookhaven is within a 10-minute walk of a park.” “That is something to be proud of, but it is also a foundation to build on,” he said. “Projects such as Peachtree Creek Greenway Phase II, the Caldwell Road infill sidewalk project, the Peachtree Creek Greenway Connector Bridge, the Murphey Candler II Trail Project, and the Briarwood Road Multi-Use Path represent more than infrastructure improvements. They represent a vision of Brookhaven where residents can move safely and conveniently through their city. ROUGHDRAFT.NEWS
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City’s fourth annual International Festival announces lineup By Rough Draft
Festival Highlights
Singer, songwriter and actor Olly Sholotan, Latin American cumbia dance party Cumbiatron, and rising K-pop group DROP will headline Brookhaven’s fourth annual International Festival, taking place Saturday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 18, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. This year the festival moves to a new home: Brookhaven Park, 4158 Peachtree Road NE., according to an announcement from the city.
Launched in 2023 as the city’s first major event along the Buford Highway Cultural Corridor, the Brookhaven International Festival will again feature live cultural performances and music, art installations, international cuisine, a Kidz Zone and a global marketplace. Free shuttles will run from Apple Valley Road behind the MARTA parking lot. Attendees are encouraged to bring water, chairs or blankets, sunscreen and bug spray. “I’m so excited that Brookhaven Park will host our International Festival this year,” said Council Member Madeleine Simmons, who represents District 3, where the park is located. “Brookhaven Park is ready to show off some of its amazing improvements to a wider audience since the city became its official owner.”
The Lineup Olly Sholotan (Saturday) is a global artist whose sound blends pop, R&B and hip-hop with Afrobeats. Fresh off performances at The Peppermint Club in Los Angeles and SXSW in Austin, Sholotan is steadily building an international following. He is also known for playing Carlton Banks in Peacock’s Bel-Air. Cumbiatron (Saturday headliner) brings a high-energy cumbia music and dance experience to the stage, celebrating the genre’s rhythms and traditions in a vibrant, audience-centered performance. DROP (Sunday headliner) is a fivemember K-pop boy group known for dynamic performances, youthful energy and a blend of vocal and rap talent. Their digital single “Booster,” released Jan. 23.
14 OCTOBER 2026
5K Walk/Run Benefiting We Love Buford Highway For the fourth year, a 5K walk/run will kick off Sunday’s festivities on Oct. 18 along the Peachtree Creek Greenway, 1793 Briarwood Road. Proceeds benefit We Love Buford Highway, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit dedicated to preserving the multicultural identity of the Buford Highway corridor. “For the fourth year, this 5K directly
Olly Sholotan (City of Brookhaven)
supports the Buford Highway Orchestra Program, our free afterschool music education program for local children,” said Lily Pabian, executive director of We Love Buford Highway. “Because of support like this, 96 young musicians have participated in the program—gaining access to music education, mentorship, and a community where they can thrive. We are deeply
grateful to the City of Brookhaven and everyone who runs, walks, and invests in their future.” The USATF-certified course is a qualifier for the Northside Hospital Peachtree Road Race. Running along the greenway and adjacent parking lots, it is safe for runners and walkers of all ages and abilities.
ROUGHDRAFT.NEWS
SPONSORED BY THE BROOKHAVEN POLICE FOUNDATION
Support Brookhaven officers with a Georgia income tax credit How it works:
Every year, Georgia taxpayers send money to the state to satisfy their incometax obligations. But through the Georgia Qualified Law Enforcement Donation Tax Credit, you may choose where a portion of those dollars goes. Instead of sending all of your state income-tax payment to Atlanta, you can direct an eligible portion to the Brookhaven Police Foundation—and receive a dollar-for-dollar credit against your Georgia income-tax liability. This is not simply a charitable deduction: It is a state income-tax credit that allows you to keep your tax dollars in our community, supporting the officers who protect our families, neighborhoods and businesses every day. Your taxes. Your community. Your choice. Here is a simple example: If you anticipate owing $1,000 in Georgia income tax and receive approval to contribute $1,000 to the Brookhaven Police Foundation, your donation may reduce your Georgia income-tax liability by $1,000. You are not paying an additional $1,000. You are redirecting $1,000 that you would otherwise pay to the State of Georgia—and putting it to work supporting law enforcement right here in Brookhaven.
Scan the QR code to get started
1. REQUEST PREAPPROVAL— Apply electronically through the Georgia Tax Center for the Qualified Law Enforcement Donation Credit and select the Brookhaven Police Foundation.
2. Make your contribution—Once the Georgia Department of Revenue approves your request, make your authorized contribution to the Brookhaven Police Foundation within the required timeframe. 3. Claim your credit—Retain your confirmation documents and claim the approved credit when filing your Georgia income-tax return. Why send it away when you can keep it here? Brookhaven’s police officers answer the call every day. They protect our homes, assist our businesses, respond to emergencies and help make our community a safer place to live. The Georgia Qualified Law Enforcement Donation Tax Credit gives us an extraordinary opportunity to stand behind them—using tax dollars we are already obligated to pay. Participation is subject to approval by the Georgia Department of Revenue and the statewide annual credit limit, so taxpayers are encouraged to apply early. Redirect your Georgia tax dollars today. Support Brookhaven. Support our officers. Keep your tax dollars working at home.
Questions? Contact: Brookhaven Police Foundation jdclockadale@gmail.com (404) 596-1492 You can donate directly by mailing or sending checks, payable to the Brookhaven Police Foundation (mail to: 3198 Silver Lake Dr NE, Brookhaven, GA 30319) or at brookhavenpolice.foundation/donate/ The Qualified Law Enforcement Donation Tax Credit is authorized under O.C.G.A. § 48-7-29.25. Taxpayers must receive preapproval through the Georgia Tax Center before making a contribution intended for the credit. The amount of the credit is subject to applicable statutory limits, the taxpayer’s Georgia income-tax liability and available statewide funding. Please consult your tax professional regarding your individual circumstances.
BUCKHEAD
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Buckhead Coalition launches plan to boost community livability By Logan C. Ritchie Katharine Kelley, CEO of the Buckhead Coalition and CID, has announced a five-year roadmap to increase livability in the community. Buckhead Forward is a plan focusing on walkability, infrastructure, public safety, traffic mitigation, and community engagement “to drive economic growth and enhance quality of life in Buckhead,” Kelley said. The master plan update is being funded by the Atlanta Regional Commission – along with projects on Candler Road in DeKalb County, Mableton town center, Stockbridge, Sweet Auburn, and Morrow Trail. While Buckhead Coalition and CID will receive $240,000 for a study, ARC is investing $1.4 million total in this round of funding. The ARC monies will be used to conduct a comprehensive, district-wide study on Lindbergh, Buckhead, and Lenox MARTA station areas and their connected mixed-use districts. Mini
master plans will address Buckhead Village and the Lindbergh/Armour/ Piedmont district. While Buckhead is known for retail, dining, and commercial/office space, it is also made up of 45 neighborhoods. Months of listening sessions with civic association leaders, community surveys, and meetings with City of Atlanta, local, state and regional stakeholders across Metro Atlanta informed the plan. The final plan will establish a framework to align land use, multimodal transportation, and economic development. Buckhead Forward is working to repair potholes across the district in collaboration with the City of Atlanta and the Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods. By the end of 2026, streets will be repaved and many potholes will be filled, according to a press release. “Buckhead Forward is not about creating something new from scratch. It is about building on the foundation
Rendering of Lenox Boardwalk (File)
that already exists and strengthening the connections that create a thriving community,” Kelley said. “Our vision for Buckhead looks like streets designed for people, public
spaces and cultural venues that bring us together, traffic that flows, and investments in the fundamentals such as water and utility infrastructure, public safety, and transportation.”
Atlanta City Council sends Beltline rail resolution to mayor’s office By Collin Kelley
21 T H ANNIVERSARY
TASTE of BUCKHEAD
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OCTOBER 23, 2026 | 7 PM | GRAND HYATT BUCKHEAD Taste of Buckhead, Atlanta’s premier tasting experience hosted at the Grand Hyatt Buckhead, showcases the neighborhood’s vibrant culinary scene, unique beverages, and standout vendors. Now in its 21st year, it draws food lovers from across Georgia. Don’t miss this unforgettable night featuring diverse tastes, chef demonstrations, a VIP speakeasy, and community! GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!
@tasteofbuckhead facebook.com/ATOBB
16 OCTOBER 2026
The Atlanta City Council unanimously approved a resolution calling upon the city, Atlanta Beltline Inc., and MARTA to present an implementation plan and timeline for light rail on the Beltline corridor by January 2027. Atlanta City Council member Kelsea Bond introduced the resolution in support of light rail transit along the 22-mile loop, with nine fellow members joining as sponsors. However, the unanimous vote came after several amendments by Council member Byron Amos, including removing language in support of using funds from the Beltline Tax Allocation District (TAD) for the rail project. The TAD will sunset at the end of 2030, and Amos argued that the money should be spent on development opportunities for the Westside and Southwest sides of the Beltline corridor. “Equitably speaking, we shouldn’t spend the last of the funds to build rail when we still have other projects that need to be completed on the Westside,” Amos said. “What pot of money will be left to develop opportunities along the Westside trail like the other parts of the Beltline have enjoyed for years?”
Council member Antonio Lewis agreed with Amos, stating his southwest district “has not seen the same funds as the rest of the Beltline.” The amendments, which were ultimately approved, set off a back-andforth that Council member Eshé Collins warned could derail the resolution. “I think we need to get centered on the resolution that is before us.” Council member Michael Julian Bond reminded his colleagues that what they were voting on was not an ordinance, but simply a resolution of support urging the city, Beltline, and MARTA to act. I don’t think we should get too much heartburn over this resolution,” Julian Bond said. It’s a general policy statement that we support rail and want to see it happen.” Following the passage of the resolution, Julian Bond also made a motion to send the document to Mayor Andre Dickens’ office posthaste. That motion was also unanimously approved by the council. Before the vote, dozens of residents spoke in favor of Beltline rail during the public comment section of the meeting.
ROUGHDRAFT.NEWS
HAVE YOU HERD?
SCIENCE + NATURE = ELEPHANTS! New Exhibit Stomps into Fernbank on Oct. 10
The Secret World of Elephants is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (amnh.org). Sponsored locally by the Isdell Family Foundation, with additional support provided by the Frances Wood Wilson Foundation.
A WORLD OF WOW
Plan Your Visit at FernbankMuseum.org
Prologue Sunday, October 25 • 4:00 pm Event Billy Planer Conversations That Matter: How Americans Can Talk About Tough Issues And Remain United THE DR. CHARLES & BUNNY ROSENBERG JEWISH SPEAKER SERIES
Sunday, November 1 • 1:30 pm Dena Schusterman Stories Carry: A Memoir
Opening Day
Monday November 2 • 7:30 pm Rachel Goldberg-Polin When We See You Again NO PHOTO OR SIGNING LINE
Tuesday, November 3 • 12:00 pm Heather Morris The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse: A Novel
Don’t miss one of the most highly regarded cultural events in the Southeast.
Tuesday, November 3 • 7:30 pm Mary Claire Haver, MD The New Perimenopause: An Evidence-Based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again
Hear from, meet, and interact with the year’s most renowned authors, entertainers, thought leaders, and pop culture icons. With countless awardwinning and bestselling authors, our Book Festival is truly unlike any other.
Wednesday, November 4 • 7:30 pm Bruce Feiler A Time to Gather: How Ritual Created the World — and How It Can Save Us Thursday, November 5 • 7:30 pm Mimi Nichter Hostage: A Memoir of Terrorism, Trauma, and Resilience Jewelry Friday November 6 • 11:00 am Workshop Amanda Kingloff The Art of Jewish Joy: Crafts and Activities for Celebration and Connection
Buy Tickets Scan the QR code with your phone’s camera to buy tickets and learn more about our authors.
atlantajcc.org/bookfestival
All sales are final. Tickets and book sales are non-refundable. Tickets and Series Passes are subject to a $1.50 service charge. The presenters’ viewpoints and opinions are their own and should not be attributed to those of MJCCA leadership or management.
Saturday, November 7 • 8:00 pm Dr. Jill Biden View from the East Wing: A Memoir
Sunday, November 8 • 10:00 am & 1:30 pm Film Screening and Book Event Hadasa & Clila Bau Bau: Artist At War Sunday, November 8 • 7:30 pm Marc Shaiman Never Mind the Happy: Showbiz Stories from a Sore Winner Monday, November 9 • 7:30 pm Alon Shaya Memories of a Good Meal: Recipes of Resilience Inspired by Stories of World War II Survival
Tuesday, November 10 • 12:00 pm Karen Essex Run, Darling
Sunday, November 15 • 7:30 pm Shai Davidai American Intellectual Antisemitism: The Anti-Jewish Movement Tearing Through Our Universities
Lynn Cullen When We Were Brilliant: A Novel
Monday, November 16 • 12:00 pm Jenna Blum Murder Your Darlings: A Novel
Tuesday, November 10 • 7:30 pm Batya Unger-Sargon The Jews and the Left: A Jewish History of Antisemitism, Civil Rights, and the Unraveling of American Politics
Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shores Perfect Life: A Novel
Wednesday, November 11 • 12:00 pm Dr. Barak Benaryeh The Vet Will See You Now: What Every Pet Owner Needs to Know (but doesn’t)
Dessert Monday, November 16 • 7:30 pm Reception Adeena Sussman Zariz: 100 Easy, Breezy, Tel Aviv-y Recipes
Wednesday, November 11 • 7:30 pm Roy K. Altman Israel on Trial: Examining the History, the Evidence, and the Law Thursday, November 12 • 12:00 pm Jessica Handler The World to See: A Novel
Sara Goodman Confino Off the Record: A Novel
Thursday, November 12 • 7:30 pm Michael Kimmel Playmakers: The Jewish Entrepreneurs Who Created the Toy Industry in America Renée Rosen Let’s Call Her Barbie: A Novel
Shabbat Friday, November 13 • 12:00 pm Luncheon Rebekah Lowin A Year of Jewish Joy: Inspired Recipes, Rituals, and Traditions for Beautiful Celebrations
Saturday, November 14 • 8:00 pm Harry Connick, Jr. Babe: Elaboratio, A Tribute to My Mother
Sunday, November 15 • 1:30 pm Natalie Livingstone The Nuremberg Women
THE EVA & GEORGE STERN LECTURE
Tuesday, November 17 • 7:30 pm Simon Sebag Montefiore The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East THE ESTHER G. LEVINE COMMUNITY READ
Wednesday, November 18 • 7:30 pm Alyssa Rosenheck White. Blonde. Jew. A Call to End Extremism, Speak Up, and Reclaim Center Thursday, November 19 • 7:30 pm Steven J. Ross The Secret War Against Hate: American Resistance to Antisemitism and White Supremacy Floral Friday, November 20 • 11:00 am Workshop Jenny Barker Flower Energy: Channeling the Healing Power of Blooms
Saturday, November 21 • 8:00 pm Ben Mezrich Checkmate: Genius, Lies, Ambition, and the Biggest Scandal in Chess Closing Sunday, November 22 • 7:00 pm Night Dara Horn The Final Solution to the Jewish Question: A Love Story for the Living
Buy a 2026 Series Pass and attend for one low price!* MJCCA Member: $175 ($435 Value) Community: $215 ($575 Value) * Exclusions apply. See website for details.
Charles Lachman They Shall Not See the Dawn: The Manhunt for the Third Reich’s Most Wanted
Passes and tickets available at atlantajcc.org/ bookfestival
Festival vice-chair Tracey Grant’s favorites
Tracey Grant, MJCCA Book Festival vice-chair.
By Cathy Cobbs Tracey Grant, the vice-chair of the 35th Book Festival of the MJCCA, said after growing up going to the event, has been “beyond thrilled to be involved” as part of its inner circle. “I’ve always loved the energy around it, so it was an easy ‘yes’ when they asked me,” Grant said. “We have so many tremendous headliners this year that people are really excited to hear from authors who are premier voices in their fields.” Beside the top-name authors – Former first lady Dr. Jill Biden, discussing her memoir, “View from the East Wing: A Memoir” (Nov. 7) and Harry Connick Jr. with his book “Babe: Elaboratio, A Tribute to My Mother” (Nov. 14) – Grant said she is excited about many other authors who have “sparked my curiosity in ways that I would never have imagined.” Rachel Goldberg-Polin, whose son Hersh was taken hostage during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, penned “When We See You Again” and will appear on Nov. 2 in conversation with NBC News contributor Elizabeth Cohen to discuss her memoir of loss, advocacy, and grief. “Rachel is such a hero to many of us,” Grant said. “I’m really looking forward to that.” In addition, Grant said she is excited about the hands-on events that will allow attendees to use their creativity to put the writer’s wisdom to use immediately. The list includes Amanda Kingloff, who will discuss “The Art of Jewish Joy” on Nov. 6, a hands-on guide to Jewish holiday crafting during which every guest makes and takes home a handmade charm bracelet or necklace.
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Also on the schedule are Alon Shaya and June Hersh on Nov. 9, who will discuss “Memories of a Good Meal” and pair Holocaust survivor stories with the recipes behind them, and Rebekah Lowin (“A Year of Jewish Joy”) on Nov. 13, and will host a Kosher Shabbat lunch buffet catered by A Kosher Touch alongside a conversation on Jewish holiday entertaining. Grant said she is also looking forward to the Nov. 20 session by Jenny Barker (“Flower Energy”), who will lead a flowerarranging workshop, with guests leaving with their own centerpiece. Grant said, along with the headliners, she is interested in the authors who are hosting talks during the day, where “you can make intimate connections to them,” she said. “Every experience allows me to expand my book world beyond what it could ever have been,” she said. “I am so grateful for that.” The festival features a wide range of fiction, memoir, and history, all held at the MJCCA, 5342 Tilly Mill Road in Dunwoody from Nov. 1-22. It concludes with Dara Horn, the author of “The Final Solution to the Jewish Question: A Love Story for the Living.” Horn, the author of the awardwinning “People Love Dead Jews” confronts the myths and lies that have spread antisemitism and offers a vision for the future. Tickets are on sale at tlantajcc.org/ bookfestival,
(Above) Dr. Jill Biden discusses her memoir on Saturday, Nov. 7th. (Below) Friday, Nov. 20th, Jenny Barker leads a “Flower Energy” workshop.
“I’ve always loved the energy around it, so it was an easy ‘yes’ when they asked me,” Grant said. “We have so many tremendous headliners this year that people are really excited to hear from authors who are premier voices in their fields.” ROUGHDRAFT.NEWS
Hands-on experiences
Food, crafts, and hands-on connection remain central to the festival Friday, Nov. 6: Amanda Kingloff “The Art of Jewish Joy” Leads a Jewish holiday craft, with every guest making and taking home a charm bracelet or necklace. Monday, Nov. 9: Alon Shaya and June Hersh “Memories of a Good Meal.” Pair Holocaust survivor stories with the recipes behind them, part of the festival’s keynote programming. Friday, Nov. 13: Rebekah Lowin “A Year of Jewish Joy” Hosts a Kosher Shabbat lunch buffet catered by A Kosher Touch alongside a conversation on Jewish holiday entertaining. Monday, Nov. 16: Adeena Sussman “Zariz” Shares Tel Aviv-inspired recipes followed by a tasting reception. Friday, Nov. 20: Jenny Barker “Flower Energy” Leads a flower arranging workshop, with every guest leaving with their own centerpiece.
June Hersh and Alon Shaya present “Memories of a Good Meal” on Monday, Nov. 9th, as part of the festival’s keynote programming. ROUGHDRAFT.NEWS
OCTOBER 2026
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Other notable sessions at MJCCA Book Festival A wide range of fiction, memoir, and history Amanda Kingloff (Friday, Nov. 6, 1:00 p.m.), “The Art of Jewish Joy.” A hands-on guide to Jewish holiday crafting; every guest makes and takes home a handmade charm bracelet or necklace.
**Jessica Handler (Thursday, Nov. 12, 12:00 p.m.), “The World to See: A Novel.” Atlanta’s own novelist explores friendship, ambition, and self-image across four women’s lives.
Hadasa and Clila Bau (Sunday, Nov. 8, 1:30 p.m.), “Bau: Artist at War.” The daughters of Holocaust survivor and forger Joseph Bau share his story, preceded by a screening of the feature film “Bau, Artist at War.”
Michael Kimmel (Thursday, Nov. 12, 7:30 p.m.), “The Playmakers: The Jewish Entrepreneurs Who Created the Toy Industry in America.” The untold story of the Jewish toymakers who built Ideal, Hasbro, Mattel, and Lionel, paired with a holiday toy drive for Amy’s Holiday Party.
Marc Shaiman (Sunday, Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m.), “Never Mind the Happy.” The Tony-, Emmy-, and Grammy-winning composer of Hairspray looks back on five decades in Broadway and Hollywood. Karen Essex (Tuesday, Nov. 10, 12:00 p.m.), “Run, Darling.” A bestselling author traces the hidden story of the Gabor sisters, part of the festival’s Lit for Lunch series. **Lynn Cullen (Tuesday, Nov. 10, 12:00 p.m.), “When We Were Brilliant.” Atlanta’s own bestselling novelist imagines the friendship between Marilyn Monroe and photographer Eve Arnold. Dr. Barak Benaryeh (Wednesday, Nov. 11, 12:00 p.m.), “The Vet Will See You Now.” A veterinarian’s candid, often funny look inside the exam room, paired with a pet supply donation drive for local animal shelters. Sara Goodman Confino (Thursday, Nov. 12, 12:00 p.m.), “Off the Record.” A Cold War-set romantic comedy from a bestselling author, part of Lit for Lunch.
Renée Rosen (Thursday, Nov. 12, 7:30 p.m.), “Let’s Call Her Barbie: A Novel.” A USA Today bestselling author imagines the invention of the world’s most famous doll. Charles Lachman and Natalie Livingstone (Sunday, Nov. 15, 1:30 p.m.), “They Shall Not See the Dawn / The Nuremberg Women.” Two historians explore the manhunt for Hitler’s most wanted and the untold stories of the women of Nuremberg. **Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shores (Monday, Nov. 16, 12:00 p.m.), “Perfect Life: A Novel”. The Atlantabased bestselling duo returns with a twisty new novel, part of Lit for Lunch. Jenna Blum (Monday, Nov. 16, 12:00 p.m.), “Murder Your Darlings.” A New York Times bestselling author delivers a suspenseful, funny novel about writers, stalkers, and revenge.
(Left) Mark Shaiman (Above) Dr. Barak Benaryeh
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ROUGHDRAFT.NEWS
Special Thank You to Our Sponsors The Book Festival of the MJCCA would not be possible without the generous and ongoing support of our sponsors. Thank you! Presenting Sponsors
Barbara and Ed Mendel Signature Event Sponsors
Platinum Sponsors
Sheryl S. Blechner
Lisa and Ron Brill Charitable Trust
The Beth and IJ Rosenberg Family The Eva and George Stern Family
Louise and Brett Samsky
The Zaban Foundation
Silver Sponsors
The Morris Family Foundation Bronze Sponsor
In-Kind/Media Sponsors
Official Bookseller
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DUNWOODY Subscribe to Cathy Cobbs on Dunwoody at RoughDraftAtlanta.com/newsletters. Childhood cancer survivor gets award named after doctor who saved his life By Cathy Cobbs At CURE Childhood Cancer’s 13th annual Believe Ball on Saturday, Oct. 3, the story of a Dunwoody cancer survivor came full circle when he received an award bearing the name of the doctor who saved his life. Matt Gephardt received the Ragab Spirit of Hope award, named after Dr. Abdel Ragab, Emory University’s first pediatric oncologist and founder of CURE Childhood Cancer – and fittingly, the man who treated then 17-month-old Gephardt in 1971 after he was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma.
“Matt is a true champion for children with cancer,” said Kristin Connor, CEO of CURE. “As a toddler, Matt received groundbreaking treatment by Dr. Ragab in St. Louis (before Ragab moved to Atlanta) … He was given a 10% chance of success, but it has now been more than 50 years since his treatment, and Matt is a true example of resilience.” Gephardt, in a recent interview with Rough Draft Atlanta, said a fast-growing, volleyball-sized tumor was found to be growing in his prostate and bladder, with almost no hope for recovery. ‘Don’t give up’ The family, devastated by the news,
OCT 10
OCT 29
dunwoodyga.gov | 4800 Ashford Dunwoody Rd., Dunwoody GA 30338 | 678.382.6700
Gr��vin’
DHA Farmers Market
Saturday ON THE GREEN 9 a.m. -Every noon | Brook Run Park CONCERT SERIES
October Highlights
1 Zoning Board of Appeals 2-3 Ceramic Bowl Sale 3 Explorefest City Hall | 6 p.m.
Spruill Center for the Arts
Create Dunwoody at Williamsburg Shopping Center | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Crafternoon
Spruill Center for the Arts | noon - 4 p.m.
3-18 “Ripcord” 6 Art Commission Meeting
Mainstage | Stage Door Theatre City Hall | 7:30 a.m.
Coffee with a Cop
Target Ashford Lane | 8 - 10 a.m.
Committee 8 Sustainability Meeting City Hall | 8 a.m.
Pizza with Police
Brook Run Park Great Lawn | 6 - 8 p.m.
9 10 Ride and Seek
Friday Night Hike
Dunwoody Nature Center Public Art Bike Tour Brook Run Park | 10 a.m.
Master Gardener Talk: Fall is for Planting
Brook Run Park Greenhouse | 11 a.m.
Groovin’ on the Green
Slippery When Wet and HeyDreamer Brook Run Park Amphitheater 6 - 9 p.m.
Hall closed 12 City 13 City Council Meeting 15 Development Authority Meeting 20 Planning Commission Meeting 22 Community Scavenger Hunt 24 Halloween Farm Festival City Hall | 6 p.m.
City Hall | 5 p.m. City Hall | 6 p.m.
Vintage Pizzaria | 6:30 p..m.
Donaldson-Bannister Farm | noon - 6 p.m.
World of Music Concert
James Violin Studios and World Music USA High Street Green | 7 - 9 p.m.`
26 City Council Meeting 29 Truck or Treat City Hall | 6 p.m.
Brook Run Park | 5 - 7 p.m.
Green Speak Series
Regenerative Landscaping Dunwoody Nature Center | 6 p.m.
Municipal Court Amnesty Months October | November 2026
City of Dunwoody
2027 Alcohol License Renewal Assistance Open Houses Oct. 7 — 4:30-6 p.m. Oct. 23 — 7:30-9 a.m.
RENEWAL DEADLINE: NOV. 30, 2026
28 OCTOBER 2026
Dr. Abdel Ragab (right) speaks at the first Spirit of Hope Award ceremony in 2017. Matt Gephardt is in the background (Via CURE Childhood Cancer Facebook).
sought a second opinion, and found Ragab, then working as a resident, who told them not to lose hope. “He said there was a chemotherapy treatment that is pretty new,” Gephardt recalled. “He said, ‘If I can get Matt into this trial, I think it will shrink the tumor enough to operate.’” Gephardt’s parents said they were aware that the chemotherapy would be so toxic that it might kill the toddler, but “they had very little to no options at this point, so they said, ‘Let’s try it.’” The radiation reduced the tumor from its original volleyball size to that of a baseball, allowing surgeons to remove it with limited damage to other organs, although Gephardt said his bladder and prostate had to be removed during the procedure. “I stayed on the chemotherapy after that, which attacked the rest of the cells that were left after the surgery, and it ultimately saved my life,” he said. How they reconnected Gephardt and his family stayed in touch with Ragab periodically throughout the years. The physician attended Gephardt’s wedding, but the two fell out of touch through Gephardt’s many moves around the country and Ragab’s relocation to Atlanta. The way they reconnected could be viewed as divine intervention. Gephardt, now living in Atlanta, said he received a call from Connor in 2017, who said CURE was giving Ragab the first-ever Spirit of Hope award, and that the organization had interviewed the doctor for a video it would be showing at the ceremony. “They asked him what the one case or patient that he remembers the most, and he told my story,” Gephardt said. “After the interview, they said, ‘We’ve got to go find Matt. He’s probably living in another state, but we need to fly him and his
parents in to give Dr. Ragab his award.’” Gephardt was not hard to locate. He was living about five minutes’ drive from CURE’s Dunwoody headquarters and he and his family were on hand to honor Ragab, who passed away later that year after being diagnosed with cancer. The call to contribute After the ceremony, Gephardt said he was moved to do more to support childhood cancer research and called Connor. He served six years on the board, two of them as president, while spending a significant portion of his life dealing with the ramifications of chemotherapy and radiation. A year ago, Gephardt, who is the coowner of seven Village Burger restaurants around Atlanta, had a full hip replacement because of the onset of arthritis caused by the treatments. “It was almost like a 90-year-old person’s hip,” he said. “I’ve been in and out of hospitals a lot during my life, but always felt incredibly grateful, even though it took me away from school and friends and made me stand out a bit, and not in a good way,” he said. Gephardt said he feels like he has found his true calling after reuniting with Ragab. “I need to do this. I need to help the organization and raise money so that they can do the work, continue to invest in research, to save children’s lives, and to serve the families who are fighting this terrible disease,” he said. Since its first event, CURE’s Believe Ball has raised more than $14 million to fund targeted research to find a cure for pediatric cancer and provide crisisoriented services to families, according to the release. For more information, visit www.curechildhoodcancer.org. ROUGHDRAFT.NEWS
Several buildings in State Farm campus up for sale By Cathy Cobbs Park Center II and III, the Southeast hub for State Farm, is for sale, according to multiple media outlets, totaling 1.1 million square feet, which could net up to $450 million. The properties, built for State Farm starting in 2014, are fully leased to the insurer and have 10 years and $527 million of rent remaining on their lease. Dunwoody Economic Development Director Michael Starling provided more details on the possible sale of the buildings. “KDC is listing the approximately 1.1 million-square-foot State Farm campus for sale, specifically Building 2 and Building 3,” Starling said in a statement to Rough Draft. “Building 1 is owned by a South Korean Bank. While the property continues to be commonly identified as
Rendering of the State Farm Campus (File photo)
the State Farm campus, the office buildings have not been owned by State Farm for many years.” The potential real estate transaction does not affect State Farm’s employment at the campus or its ongoing operations in Dunwoody, he added. “State Farms leases extend beyond 2035, and our latest conversations with them have been centered on increasing return-to-work for the nearly 7,000 employees who work out of the Atlanta Hub,” Starling said. “Office properties are investment assets and, like other commercial real estate, are routinely bought and sold by owners as market conditions and investment strategies evolve.” State Farm broke ground on the campus for its first building in 2014, with workers occupying the building starting in 2017. The second tower was completed around late 2019, and the third tower finished construction by 2021. The pandemic deeply affected many of the retailers, specifically restaurants located on the ground level of the campus. Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse in State Farm’s Park Center tower closed in early 2024, and in 2025, Iron Hill Brewery shut its doors at all of its locations around the nation, including the Dunwoody location, after declaring bankruptcy. A new Brazilian steakhouse, Adega, is slated to open in its place. Nearby Louisiana Bistreaux, and Yao Atlanta remain in business, as well as the newly opened Kruathaia Thai Kitchen and Craft Bar. Right around the corner at Campus 244, two restaurants have opened within the last few years – CT Cantina & Taqueria and Stäge Kitchen.
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OCTOBER 2026
| 29
NORCROSS Council considers citywide 25 mph speed limits
MOVIE MONDAY: WICKED FOR GOOD October 12 • 1:30 & 6:30 p.m. Cultural Arts & Community Center
WITCHES NIGHT OUT October 22 • 5:30 p.m. Downtown Norcross
LIONHEART THEATRE’S ‘LAWLESS SPIRITS’ October 22 - October 25 • 6:30 & 8:30 p.m. Downtown Norcross
DEUTSCHE KLASSIC GERMAN CAR SHOW October 24 • 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Downtown Norcross
MOVIE MONDAY: CASPER
October 26 • 1:30 & 6:30 p.m. Cultural Arts & Community Center
FLICK & FRIGHTS October 28 • 7:00 p.m. Thrasher Park
DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS FESTIVAL October 30 • 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. Thrasher Park
DOWNTOWN TRICK-OR-TREATING October 31 • 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. Downtown Norcross
S C A N H ER E FOR M O R E D ETA I LS 30 OCTOBER 2026
A Norcross department head and city contractor discuss a concept plan for the Piedmont Pathway park project. (Photo by Hayden Sumlin)
By Hayden Sumlin To reduce crashes and improve safety on city-owned streets, Norcross Council Member Bruce Gaynor is proposing a citywide ordinance that would lower speed limits to 25 mph on all city-owned streets. The Norcross City Council discussed several topics at its Sept. 21 policy work session, including speed limits, honoring the late Marshall Cheek, the Piedmont Pathway park project, and the ongoing moratorium on historic demolitions. Presenter reviews park improvement cost estimates on screen at a Norcross city meeting, with Hispanic Heritage stamp artwork on the wall. “Almost all of our streets are already 25 [mph],” Gaynor said. “One of the things we’re trying to do is make streets safer. And part of what we’re ending up with is traffic calming, lower speed limits: less speeding in the city.” Speed limit details The proposal to lower all speed limits on city-owned streets to 25 mph received varying levels of support from elected officials. Most of the city’s streets are residential with 25 mph limits. The city has a population of around 19,000, but traffic congestion and speeding are frequently cited issues among residents. Buford Highway (SR 13), Jimmy Carter Boulevard (SR 140), Beaver Ruin Road (SR 378), and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard (SR 141) see more than 140,00 vehicles a day, according to traffic counts from the Georgia Department of Transportation. The proposed ordinance would not affect county- and state-owned roads, including the major commercial thoroughfares above and I-85. According to a city memo, the city would need a traffic analysis to justify the change, but would not need GDOT’s approval. Associated costs mostly include road signage. Norcross Police Chief Bill Grogan said he’s concerned about the ordinance because the department would need state
approval for officers to enforce new 25 mph limits with speed detection devices. Grogan said he supports changing some segments and conducting a low-cost study. Public Works Director Len Housley agreed with Grogan that some roadway segments should have speed limits reduced, like along South Peachtree Street near downtown. Housley said that other commercial ones, like Atlantic Boulevard, don’t have a documented safety problem. Community residents learned about the development of the city’s Safety Action at a recent open house. Update on historic demolition moratorium Elected officials shortened the prohibition period on demolishing pre1950 homes from six months to 84 days and focused on defining what qualifies as historic. City staff is working to update the city’s historic preservation ordinance. City Attorney Bill Diehl, with Thompson O’Brien Kappler & Nasuti, said the city wants “carrots and sticks,” including incentives for owners investing in historic preservation and enforcement on nuisance properties. In early August, the city council narrowly approved a moratorium on demolition permits for pre-1950 structures until Nov. 2, looking to align policy with the community’s desired historical character. Some ideas include giving city boards and staff more authority to help applicants understand state tax incentives and dividing historic properties into tiers with varying levels of scrutiny. Because the Architectural Review Board meets on Oct. 20, elected officials won’t have comments from its members before the next policy work session, where the ordinance will be discussed. Diehl said council members may need to decide whether to extend the moratorium or allow it to expire before approving a new preservation ordinance in November. “If one of the boards needs additional time, we may come back to you,” Diehl said. “We are doing everything we can to meet all the publishing deadlines, get all the boards to look at that, and for you guys to have feedback.” ROUGHDRAFT.NEWS
Concrete Jungle harvests surplus produce to fight food insecurity By Sarra Sedghi On a Saturday morning in September, a collection of cars began lining up along one of the gravel roads in Adam’s Vineyard. Concrete Jungle volunteers arrived at the vineyard in the Norcross neighborhood from around metro Atlanta and Athens to pick muscadines for a local church to help fight food insecurity. By 12:30 p.m., the volunteer group had picked and packed nearly 700 pounds of grapes for Cross Pointe Church and its CarePointe program in Duluth. According to the USDA, more than a third of the country’s available food goes to waste. Concrete Jungle Director of Programs Virginia Ruiz Lawley said the statistic is startling, especially given the recent rise in food insecurity. Concrete Jungle began life as an applepicking endeavor in 2006. A bunch of Atlanta college students put out a call for apples to make homemade cider. They purchased a cider press and found urban apple trees growing in yards and on public properties throughout the city. The event grew into an annual Ciderfest and led to the founding of the Concrete Jungle nonprofit in 2009.
Today, Concrete Jungle has reached across the state, with another branch in Athens. The organization forages and donates more than one million pounds of produce annually, distributing to partners like NETWorks Cooperative Ministry, the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, and the Asian Americans Advancing Justice — Atlanta. To date, the volunteer-run organization has mapped out about 4,300 fruit trees in metro Atlanta and Athens. Concrete Jungle launched adventure picks like the one that took place at Adam’s Vineyard in 2016. The produce, which ranges from pears picked from an orchard in Tiger, Georgia, to excess corn harvested from a Sylvester, Georgia, farm, is redistributed to local food pantries and relief organizations. Ruiz Lawley said Concrete Jungle includes employees who specifically reach out to farms asking for extra crops that would otherwise go to waste before farmers turn their fields for the next planting season. “We had a lady in south Georgia reach out last week to say, ‘I’m not gonna be able to harvest all my peas. Do you think there’s a way to come harvest these peas?’” Ruiz Lawley said.
Volunteers pose with corn at an adventure pick in Sylvester, GA. (Provided by Concrete Jungle)
That’s where Concrete Jungle and its volunteer pickers come in. Adventure picks vary by location and range in intensity. The Adam’s Vineyard picks in Norcross are the closest to Atlanta and require the least amount of physical endurance. Ruiz Lawley said the corn picks in Sylvester, which can yield between 15,000 and 30,000 pounds of produce, are some of the organization’s most challenging. Picks farther out from Atlanta and Athens typically include some sort of activity afterwards, like a visit to a local brewery or a dip in a local swimming hole.
Concrete Jungle will be back at Adam’s Vineyard for a corn pick in Sylvester on Nov. 7, and a root vegetable pick in Clarkesville on Nov. 14. And Concrete Jungle’s volunteer opportunities aren’t just limited to harvesting during adventure picks. Doghead Farm in Sylvan Hills needs volunteers for weekly maintenance, while other farms and gardens require pruning before the next growing season. “There’s no shortage of food in this country, and there’s no shortage of people who can’t afford access to healthy food,” Ruiz Lawley said.
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OCTOBER 2026
| 31
SANDY SPRINGS
Subscribe to our weekly Sandy Springs newsletter at RoughDraftAtlanta.com/newsletters.
Mayor shares updates on Atlanta water negotiations By Hayden Sumlin
Water negotiation history
Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty gave the first State of the City address of his fourth and final term on Sept. 15, sharing the latest about water service negotiations with the City of Atlanta and teasing partnerships to expand the City Springs downtown district. Paul, the driving force behind City Springs, which officially opened in spring 2018, won reelection last fall after changing his mind about another run. He shared updates on nearby redevelopment and transportation projects, but led with the city’s aging water system.
Mediations are set to begin soon with Atlanta officials over control of the Sandy Springs water system. Atlanta provides water for Sandy Springs and owns the water system. “We’ll find out how serious the City of Atlanta is in working with us to solve the most basic, important asset that any government can provide, which is water,” he said. “We are determined that we shall operate the water system in this town, no matter what it takes, no matter how long it takes.” Sandy Springs residents have fought Atlanta over maintenance of its water
Rusty Paul highlights new development projects around the city and the importance of operating the water system. (Photo by Hayden Sumlin)
system and rates since before the city incorporated in 2005. Paul said his optimism about reaching an agreement wavers, and Thursday is important. This summer, Paul said the city wants to purchase the water system from Atlanta and is willing to risk funding. During the Sept. 15 Sandy Springs State of the City, he said he is optimistic that an agreement can be reached and that the city can avoid using eminent domain. “If we don’t go that particular route, what we call the service delivery strategy, then we will be in court to try to take that system over,” Paul said. “We are determined to get and provide, and make sure we have a secure and reliable water system in this community.” End-of-year deadline State law requires Fulton County and its 15 cities to finalize all intergovernmental agreements on public services by the end of the year, with an Oct. 5 submission deadline. “We have hotels that can’t flush their toilets above the third floor at certain times of the day,” Paul said. “We have hospitals without enough water pressure at certain times of the day … challenges with leaks, and there has been no investment in upgrading it.” Both municipalities can lose state and federal funding without an agreement. Paul said losing state and federal funding would impact Atlanta more than Sandy Springs, Despite his criticisms, Paul said he has a good relationship with Mayor Andre Dickens, who he said recognizes the problem both leaders inherited. “They don’t have the resources to come out here and do the repairs; I know that,
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he knows that,” Paul said. “The question is, are they willing to give up revenue that they get from us without putting things back … and we have a serious problem.” City Springs development As soon as next year, Sandy Springs residents could see construction on the south side of Mount Vernon Highway just south of City Springs, on the second phase of the downtown district. “We are in the final steps of choosing the development partner,” Paul said. “We’ve had some good meetings; we’ve got some great proposals.” The second phase of the Sandy Springs downtown district, called City Springs 2.0, has stalled due to financing difficulties and market constraints. Construction was expected to begin two years ago. This year’s opening of Summit Coffee at the Williams Payne House and the ongoing construction of the multi-use community, Hillcrest, are examples of private investment near city hall. After another round of meetings, Paul said city leaders hope to have a developer selected. “We hope to have a hotel over there; we need a hotel to get this campus to work the way it’s supposed to,” he said. “Beautiful, owner-occupied housing on part of it, some rental housing on another part of it, and some connectivity.” The concepts also call for more restaurants and retail, limited office space, additional greenspace, and shared parking facilities. “This is the heart of the city,” Paul said. “This is where we build what I call the connective tissue of community. We want to take that to the next level. Council is doing a great job.” ROUGHDRAFT.NEWS
SPONSORED BY SANDY SPRINGS POLICE FOUNDATION
Keep your Georgia income tax dollars working in Sandy Springs Every year, Sandy Springs residents and businesses pay Georgia state income taxes that support programs and projects throughout the state. But what if you could choose to keep a portion of your Georgia income tax payment right here in Sandy Springs— supporting the police officers, K-9 teams, youth programs, and public safety initiatives that protect our community every day? Through Georgia’s LESS Crime Act, you can. Your Tax Dollars. Your Community. Your Police. The Georgia LESS Crime Act allows eligible individuals and businesses to redirect a portion of their Georgia state income tax liability to support qualified local law enforcement foundations. That means instead of sending all of those tax dollars to the State of Georgia to be used throughout the state, you can choose to have a portion support public safety in Sandy Springs. Think about it: You are already going to pay Georgia income taxes. Why not keep some of those tax dollars working in the community where you live, work, raise your family, and operate your business?
Through the LESS Crime Act, contributions benefiting the Sandy Springs Police help provide resources beyond the City’s regular operating budget, including: ■
Advanced specialized equipment
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Support for Sandy Springs Police K-9 teams
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Youth and community engagement programs
■
Technology and public safety initiatives
■
First-responder training and preparedness
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Programs and resources that help keep Sandy Springs one of the safest communities in Georgia
Why send your tax dollars somewhere else? There are worthwhile projects and needs throughout Georgia. But the LESS Crime Act gives taxpayers a unique opportunity to have a greater say in where some of their Georgia income tax dollars are put to work.
Why not keep those dollars closer to home?
You have to pay Georgia income tax anyway
A strong and well-equipped police department benefits everyone. It helps protect our families and neighborhoods, strengthens our business community, supports a high quality of life, and gives our officers additional resources to serve and protect Sandy Springs. This is more than a charitable contribution. It is an opportunity created by Georgia law to use your state income tax liability to make a direct investment in your own community.
If you are going to write a check for Georgia income taxes, why not take advantage of the LESS Crime Act and direct an approved portion of that payment toward the men and women who protect Sandy Springs every day? Keep your tax dollars local Support Our Police. Strengthen Public Safety. Invest in Sandy Springs. To learn more about the Georgia LESS Crime Act and how to participate, visit SSPDFoundation.org, or call Tom Mahaffey (678) 906-7948.
OCTOBER 17
TUCKER Anonymous $150k donation secures reopening of American Legion Post 207
3-9 p.m.
GAMES, PRIZES, FOOTBALL, FOOD AND LIVE MUSIC
(File photo)
OCTOBER MEETINGS & EVENTS
Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are held at Tucker City Hall, 1975 Lakeside Pkwy, Ste 350B, Tucker, GA 30084
• OCTOBER 3
THS FALL FESTIVAL Tucker High School
• OCTOBER 3
TASTE OF TUCKER Tucker Town Green
• OCTOBER 6
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
• OCTOBER 6
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT Church Street Greenspace
• OCTOBER 10
TUCKER CRUISE-IN Main Street
• OCTOBER 10
• OCTOBER 12
CITY BUILDINGS CLOSED Observance of Columbus and Indigenous People’s Day
• OCTOBER 13
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
• OCTOBER 16
MIDVALE FALL FESTIVAL Church Street Greenspace
• OCTOBER 17
PERK UP WITH PARKS Tucker Recreation Center
• OCTOBER 17
TEN-TOBER FESTIVAL Tucker Town Green & Main Street
UGA VS ALABAMA GAME-WATCHING PARTY Tucker Town Green • OCTOBER 23 • HALLOWEEN TRAIL OCTOBER 11 Henderson Park SUNDAY SHOWCASE SON LATINO • OCTOBER 26 Tucker Town Green CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
tuckerga.gov 34 OCTOBER 2026
By Katie Burkholder More than seven years after a fire destroyed American Legion Post #207 in Tucker, the community space dedicated to fostering connection among veterans will reopen later this year after an anonymous $150,000 donation. A fire devastated Post #207 in March 2019 after a wedding, leaving the community of about 80 veterans in Tucker, Lilburn, and Stone Mountain without a gathering space for Scout meetings, ceremonies, and parties. When Tucker resident and former Marine Scott Brady joined the fundraising effort to rebuild the post in 2022, it was two months away from permanently closing. Brady and fellow Marine veteran Anthony Mathis launched the Save the Seven campaign to raise the $750,000 needed to rebuild the beloved and necessary resource. In three months, the two vets were able to raise $260,000 to keep construction going, and over the next several years, the campaign received major contributions, including $75,000 in free landscaping and a $25,000 donation from Home Depot. Donations slowed in 2025, and as of only a couple months ago, the post was still $150,000 short of being fully rebuilt. That is, until a Tucker resident and veteran made an anonymous donation covering the entirety of the funds still needed. With this donation, Brady told Rough Draft that he’s hoping for the post to be reopened by Veterans’ Day later this year, bringing a much needed resource back to Tucker’s veterans and their families. “Saving this post is going to save veterans’ lives because it’s a place they could come, a place they could gather, a place that can provide them purpose,” Brady said.
Since 1919, American Legion has been an organization dedicated to the mental well-being of veterans. According to a 2025 National Veteran Suicide Prevention report, 13.9% of female veterans and 37.8% of male veterans die by suicide. The new Post #207 will serve as a home base for Tucker’s veterans to embody the American Legion’s mission with a threepronged approach: rescue veterans in need; restore their minds, bodies, and spirits; and repay the community. “We want to provide a place for veterans to come and have a sacred place where they can feel safe and have camaraderie and enjoy that part of being a veteran,” Brady said, “make sure we help those veterans that are in need, and make an impact on the community, with a special focus on the youth.” Post #207 gives back to the community as a sponsor of the Tucker Youth Soccer Association, the provider of the American Legion School Medal Award scholarship at Tucker High School, and a leader of the Boys State and Girls State mock city council program through the American Legion. In the new building, veterans in and around Tucker will again have a place to connect with other service members and grow their community impact. The rebuilding of Post #207 has been a long community-driven effort, done in part by donations made by Home Depot, Cowan Supply, Sherwin Williams, Socium Painting, Royal Flush Plumbing, Sears and Smith Landscaping, and Sustainable Design Collaborative of Atlanta. U.S. veterans and their families can join the American Legion through the organization’s website. More information and updates on Post #207 can be found on Facebook. ROUGHDRAFT.NEWS
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Chef Linton Hopkins bringing back The Buttery By Beth McKibben James Beard award-winning chef Linton Hopkins and Hopkins & Company hospitality group will open Linton’s Bar and Grill in Buckhead next spring. The opening of Linton’s will also see the return of Hopkins & Company’s popular bakery-cafe, The Buttery. The Buttery closed in 2024 after four years in the Morningside-Lenox Park neighborhood. Located within an office complex at the Buckhead Center, part of the Buckhead Village district, Linton’s will take over space previously occupied by Brio Tuscan Grille. The Buttery will adjoin the restaurant with a separate entrance. Linton’s will feature private events spaces, a dining room and bar, and a shared patio with The Buttery that overlooks Peachtree Road.
Hopkins describes Linton’s as a casual, neighborhood place. People can grab sandwiches and salads for a quick weekday lunch, drop in for martinis, calamari, and tuna tartare on the patio after work, or make evening reservations for a steak dinner. Starting in the morning, the Buttery will offer coffee, pastries, desserts, and breads, as well as croissant sandwiches and grab-and-go meals.
But the success of both Buckhead restaurants led to the James Beard Foundation naming Hopkins Best Chef: Southeast in 2012, and to the formation of Hopkins & Company. The group now owns C. Ellet’s Steakhouse at the Battery, Holeman & Finch at Colony Square in Midtown, and H&F Bottle Shop in Buckhead, along with locations of H&F Burger and Hop’s Chicken.
Returning to Buckhead
Revamping Atlanta’s office buildings
Hopkins and wife and business partner Gina opened Restaurant Eugene at The Brookwood on Peachtree Road in Buckhead in 2004, followed by Holeman & Finch four years later in the same complex. Restaurant Eugene closed in 2019, with Holeman & Finch (known for its coveted late-night burger) closing a year later. It reopened at Colony Square in 2023.
Linton’s and The Buttery are the latest establishments to join the ongoing renovation of the Buckhead Center complex, owned by commercial real estate developer CP Group and investment firm Cohen & Steers. Chris Eachus, a founding partner at CP Group, said Linton’s and The Buttery fit the company’s goal of making the two-building office property feel more connected to the neighborhood.
And this isn’t CP Group’s only iron in the fire in Atlanta. The group is also in the process of renovating the former CNN building in downtown Atlanta, which includes The CTR. The atrium-level food hall opened just days before the 2026 World Cup in Atlanta and features 11 restaurant stalls. Earlier this summer, CP Group announced it had partnered with New York-based Episcope Hospitality to open three food-driven spots inside the Bank of America building in Midtown. Plans call for a lobby restaurant and bar, a gourmet market and cafe, and a tenant-exclusive club located on the 37th floor. Linton’s Bar and Grill, The Buttery, 2970 Peachtree Road, Buckhead. Opening late spring 2027.
It’s a family affair at Clarkston halal food restaurant Al Chef By Sarra Sedghi Karim Alrubaii, co-owner of Al Chef restaurant in Clarkston, has decades of industry experience and feeding people in droves. His humility and kindness, as well as his family’s role within the Clarkston community and in uplifting local talent, keep customers coming back to the small, counter-service restaurant at Clarkston Market. Alrubaii grew up in Basra, Iraq. His mother ran a cooking school from inside their home, where Alrubaii was also a regular student. He often served as his mother’s cooking assistant. “When I came in [to my mother’s cooking school], I sat all day,” he said. From Iraq to Lebanon to Clarkston In 1977, Alrubaii joined the Iraqi army as a chef. The military even sent him to school. He remained at the post for 12 years, finally departing the army to open his own restaurant on a former supply ship. (Photographs of Alrubaii’s first restaurant in Iraq now adorn the walls at Al Chef, hanging above one of the Clarkston restaurant’s only dining tables.) Alrubaii fled Iraq for Lebanon as a war refugee in 1988, landing a restaurant job to make ends meet. He stayed in Lebanon for more than a decade, where he met future wife, Siham Suleiman. Ten years later, the couple married and had their first son, Sharbel. When the family moved to the United States in 2000, Alrubaii continued working in restaurants,
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becoming a chef at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. Alrubaii and a partner from Hyatt Regency briefly opened a restaurant in Scottdale that attracted a visit from former President Jimmy Carter. Alrubaii began working for Georgia Fugees Academy Charter School in 2013, preparing lunches for students. His menu primarily consisted of vegetarian dishes, like eggplant or okra stew over pasta or rice. Once a month, Alrubaii serves a halal meat-based meal. Referred to as Georgia’s most diverse square mile, Clarkston features a rich immigrant community. The majority of the children Alrubaii fed at the school came from Middle Eastern backgrounds and were familiar with many of the dishes he served. The couple’s three children attended Georgia Fugees Academy. After a decade there, however, Alrubaii left and started a catering service, which quickly became a go-to for area schools and private events held in and around Clarkston. Finding success with the catering business, Suleiman and the couple’s daughter, Miriam, started laying the foundation for opening a restaurant. They launched a limited liability company during Miriam’s tenure at Oglethorpe University, and with Clarkston International Bible Church providing space at Clarkston Market, the family opened Al Chef in 2024. Alrubaii still operates the catering business, including preparing lunches for nearby schools before Al Chef opens in the morning.
From catering to Al Chef A small cafeteria set-up, similar to a Southern meat-and-three, greets people as they walk in the door at Al Chef. The restaurant boasts a simple, cozy atmosphere. Photos of the family and Alrubaii’s former restaurant in Iraq serve as decoration. Seating includes one table inside and an indoor-outdoor counter with windows opening onto the courtyard at Clarkston Market. The couple’s son, Sharbel, works the counter. While at the Hyatt Regency, Alrubaii became known for his falafel. Its savory interior boasts a soft, moist texture, with the outer shell fried just enough to be crispy. Most local restaurants, Sharbel said, use pre-made falafel mix and water, resulting in a harder texture. Alrubaii makes his falafel dough from scratch, soaking dried garbanzo beans for 24 hours every Saturday, before grinding them and adding aromatics to the mix. Baking powder provides the crispiness for the exterior when fried. The menu at Al Chef primarily consists of combination plates at reasonable prices. Expect mains like Alrubaii’s tender falafel, chicken shawarma, and Iraqi lamb kebabs, along with kofta. Most of the sides are vegetarian. Ingredients are simple, many devoid of oil and possessing reasonable levels of salt. Everything is made from scratch. Only a handful of dishes, including the falafel, are fried and use oil. Vegetables come steamed, and desserts aren’t overwhelmingly sweet.
Suleiman handles the desserts at Al Chef, including baklava, cookies, and a fragrant orange cake, which she also offers as a tres leches-inspired variant. Alrubaii said the majority of Al Chef ’s customers come from the bicycle shop across the courtyard at Clarkston Market and from neighboring churches. Catering continues to be the bedrock of the business. But Alrubaii is just thrilled to be running a restaurant again. “This is my dream,” he said. Al Chef, Clarkston Market, 980 Rowland St., Clarkston. Open TuesdaySaturday, starting at 11:30 a.m.
Crispy falafel served with hummus, chickpeas, sumac, and parsley on a paper plate at a local restaurant. (Photo by Sarra Sedghi) ROUGHDRAFT.NEWS
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Filmmaker Gary Jaffe discusses Out on Film screening of ‘Before I Do’
Michael Hsu Rosen and Cole Doman in Gary Jaffe’s “Before I Do.” (Photo courtesy of Out on Film)
By Sammie Purcell When he’s writing a movie, Gary Jaffe starts with his own life. Once he has the details down, though, he starts to go off book. That’s how the film “Before I Do,” which was the opening night pick for this year’s Out on Film festival, began. The film follows a bachelor party that takes a turn when the groom, John Michael (Cole Doman) and the best man, Alex (Michael Hsu Rosen), start to rekindle their past romantic feelings for each other. With Alex just getting out of a bad relationship and John Michael questioning whether he wants to get married at all, the weekend devolves into chaos. Jaffe based the characters on himself and some of his friends in real life – or his own “queer-tet,” as the group calls themselves in the film. The rest of the cast is rounded out by Nico Greetham, Robin de Jesús, and Jared Reinfeldt. Ahead of the opening night screening, I spoke with Jaffe about the making of the film, covering everything from what to do when a septic tank needs emptying during your shoot to the importance of Meryl Streep. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. I was listening to an interview that you had done before, and while obviously this is not completely true to life, you were talking a little bit about how a lot of the aspects of the script came from something you had gone through and something a friend had gone through at similar inflection points. Could you talk about transposing that from your real life onto a script and how you went about that process? Gary Jaffe: To talk about the origins and my process in moving from reality to fiction, fundamentally, as a creator, I’m always going to start here, with my life. It’s just what I do. I saw, once upon a time,
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that it’s really productive for me to start with real life elements that I recognize and can really feel the tangible quality of, and then just take them in a totally fictitious direction – a little bit of a what if, a little bit of an alternate reality. A story needs to be fiction to be good, I find. If you take the actual events of your life and you put them into movie form, there’s something missing. It doesn’t feel real, in a weird way. But, if you take the details of your life, and the people you know, and the experience you’ve had, that builds a world in which then we can use our tools for storytelling to make something that actually feels real on screen. So, the origin point here is my friend and I – we were in the same “queer-tet” in college, and some of the other people in that friend group sort of appear through a glass darkly, sort of, as the other members of the queer-tet [in the movie]. It’s not like he and I were ever together. We were just really, really good friends, and then we semi-simultaneously went through big existential changes in our lives, one that reflects Alex’s life story – that’s me – and the other that’s more John Michael, who’s my friend. I don’t want to go too deeply into what’s real about Alex’s story and what’s real about mine, but I didn’t want to write a story about the collapse of that relationship. I wanted to start with something a little bit later and capture some of what it felt like for me to move forward after that moment, and how important my friend was. Literally, the day that I was supposed to get married to my ex, I met my friend in D.C. and we drove to Michigan to see a cousin. Like, this is the kind of importance that friendship had for me as I was recovering from this colossal change in my life. Then, he went through an interesting change of his own. So I wanted to pay homage to
that. Then, of course, I’m me, so I write romance. So I took that friendship and I made it a romance. “Before I Do,” which is this one weekend in these two people’s lives, and these questions of what was, what will be, what should be or shouldn’t be – all these things. It’s all very vivid, because I know myself and I know my friend, and I know the relationships that we have with our friends and each other. “Before I Do” just takes it and ramps it up – and casts some very attractive actors, and a beautiful location, and then we’ve got cinema, baby! [Laughs] It’s interesting you bring up the idea of what should and shouldn’t happen. This movie isn’t really tidy, which I kind of like about it, but can also be frustrating. Not necessarily with the plot, but just frustrating in terms of some of the choices characters are marking. I don’t know what the production period was like, but was there ever any pressure on you to neaten things up? What was that like? Jaffe: From the jump, we said that we wanted this movie to be a Rorschach test. I’m not interested in telling you, as a creator, what the right answer is, because I just don’t think that’s what life is. I want to help you see yourself in the movie. I see myself in the movie – I know what I think is right for these characters. It’s kind of important that I not say that out loud, because I have a certain authority as the writer and director. We have people really come away with different feelings about this relationship, and I think that captures something very true about reality. We’re always sitting outside of other people’s relationships, or even outside of our own relationships, at a certain point, and looking at the evidence and trying to think – okay, well, what should they do? Should they stay together? Should they break up? Should they get together? All these things. And of course, what are we using but ourselves, our own experiences, to make that decision? In some ways, being an independent movie made very quickly… gave us the independence to be more or less exactly what we wanted. The vision was never compromised because of some sort of external sense of pressure. In fact, I would say that our team and the producers really wanted me to keep the integrity of that semi-ambiguous vision. That’s what makes this movie special, and if we lose it, then we’re just any other movie. We don’t want to be just any other movie. How much did the script change? Like, when you brought the actors on, how did that change the movie, or change the characters?
“In some ways, being an independent movie made very quickly… gave us the independence to be more or less exactly what we wanted. The vision was never compromised because of some sort of external sense of pressure.” ~Alex Jaffe Jaffe: The script begins as a different movie called “The Groomsman.” This is a much bigger movie, that’s like a full *ss ’90s rom com. The bachelor party is just act one, and then there’s the rehearsal dinner, and it culminates at the altar – it’s a whole thing. It’s a great script! It was just huge. My collaborator Emily [McCann Lesser] and I were really trying to make our first film and make it really small. She had read “The Groomsman,” at the same time I was thinking, well – if you want to make a small movie, it’s good to have a free location. My grandmother built this cabin in 1983. I was like, cabin – free. Cabin – woods, water. Did I mention free? My joke is, I don’t have a trust fund, but my family does have a cabin. [Laughs] [Emily] reads “The Groomsman,” and she’s like, “This is a great story. I love these characters.” And I’m like, “I could make it all about the bachelor party, and I could just set it at the cabin.” The story just really shrinks, and focuses because of that. That’s big change number one. Of course, the revision process will have a lot of changes, but the most significant change is that originally it’s the four boys and John Michael’s sister, Kat.
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Marietta coffee shop offers a third space for night owls By Summer Evans A block away from historic Marietta Square sits a new coffee shop with unusual hours meant for night owls, college students, and third-shift workers seeking space to gather, work, and study. Ika Xiao, who immigrated to the U.S. from Shanghai, China, opened Terminus 72 on Polk Street in early July. But unlike most coffee shops that open with typical daytime hours, Terminus 72 opens at 9 p.m. and closes at 5 a.m. Xiao opened the “experimental cafe” in Marietta to showcase Chinese culture in the city. When you walk through the door of Terminus 72, you’re met with Chinese calligraphy as part of the design, matcha KitKats on the tables, and soft Asian instrumental music playing in the background. The atmosphere is warm and eclectic, with colorful murals of flora and fauna adorning the walls. The calm, cozy space seats just 24 people. She came up with the name by combining Atlanta’s original moniker, Terminus, with the seventh month of the year (July) and her birthday (July 2). Terminus 72 serves non-alcoholic drinks, from iced lattes to Chinese oolong to Japanese sencha (green tea). Xiao crafts each drink by hand with a manual espresso machine, French press, or pour-over. She wants to lean into the nostalgia of simpler times, especially in the current era of
automatic and “grab-and-go” coffee orders, something Terminus 72 doesn’t offer. The shop features a small food menu divided into “quickies” like curry ramen and “experimental” dishes such as “SlamDump Shanghai,” or vegan dumplings in broth. DIY and secondhand furniture are spread throughout the small space, with no outdoor seating available. When you arrive, you pick up a number, find a seat, decide what you want to order, then approach the counter. Sometimes it can take people between 20 to 30 minutes before ordering, but no one seems to mind the wait. On a recent visit, a wide range of people settled in at Terminus 72 for the night, including area college students looking for a place to study, EMT workers on a break from runs to nearby Kennestone Hospital, and friends meeting after work to catch up. Chattahoochee Tech student Gisele Lopez discovered the late-night spot on social media. “I thought [the operating hours] were a typo or something, but I saw it on TikTok and confirmed that it was actually open 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.” Xiao said the viral TikTok video generated so much attention that customers have been flocking to the small cafe in droves. But as much as she appreciates the business, she’s hesitant
Terminus 72 opens at 9 p.m. on Polk Street in Marietta. (Photo by Summer Evans)
about the sudden spotlight. West Cobb resident Matt Stigall is one of Xiao’s regulars. Stigall said he’s thankful for third spaces such as Terminus 72. “All the night places, not just in Georgia, but all over the country have shut down,” Stigall said. “There’s not a lot of places to be at at night, so when I saw this, I thought, ‘Yeah, we definitely need this.’ I’m here probably once a week.” As a late-night spot, Terminus 72 also gives locals an alternative to the bar scene, which is exactly what Roswell resident and voice actor Andrew Lander was looking for: a place to work, meal prep, and unwind. “After the World Cup was here, I felt like I really needed more of that
community. And doing that over drinks is one way, but it seems that the people here are more artsy and low-key,” Lander said. Xiao hopes that Terminus 72 becomes a space for the community, possibly for book clubs to meet, to host art events, and even somewhere she can conduct her own interviews with guests in the future. “I want this to be very local, something that we can all connect in, which is why I believe it’s so effective because people are like, ‘Wow, this is possible. We have a second home. We have a third space,’” Xiao said. Terminus 72, 46 Polk St., Marietta. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Atlanta Pride returns Oct. 10-11 with ‘Louder & Prouder’ theme By Collin Kelley The LGBTQ+ community and its allies will gather in Midtown Oct. 10-11 for the 2026 Atlanta Pride Festival, a two-day celebration featuring live entertainment, community programming, marches, vendors, and the city’s annual Pride parade. The festival will be held at Piedmont Park and is free and open to the public. Organizers have chosen “Louder & Prouder” as this year’s theme, emphasizing visibility, authenticity and community. Atlanta Pride officials said the theme reflects the strength and resilience of LGBTQ+ people while encouraging attendees to celebrate openly and support one another. The entertainment lineup also includes JT, Shea Coulee, Cain Culto, Zee Machine, DJ Neonhorror, DJ Jaybella Banks, Libbaloops, Aryee the Gem, New Weirdos, Waacklanta, and Asher Havon. There will also be drag during the Shooting Star Cabaret, the Queer Your ROUGHDRAFT.NEWS
Gender Dance Party featuring DJ Ganymede, a day party from Chaka Khan Hacienda, performances from Out Front Theatre, choruses of Voices of Note, and the annual closing event, Starlight Cabaret, featuring more drag performances. The Trans March is scheduled for 1:45 p.m., followed by the Bi+Pan March at 3:30 p.m. and the Dyke March at 5 p.m. The marches begin near the Charles Allen Gate at Piedmont Park and are open to members of the respective communities and their allies. The weekend’s centerpiece will be the Atlanta Pride Parade on Sunday, Oct. 11. The parade begins at noon at the Civic Center MARTA Station and travels north on Peachtree Street before turning onto 10th Street and ending near the Charles Allen Gate at Piedmont Park. In addition to performances and marches, the festival will feature community organizations, resource booths, local artists and vendors, food vendors and cultural programming. Atlanta Pride officials said the festival draws hundreds of
thousands of people each year and is the largest free Pride celebration in the United States. Organizers encourage visitors to use
public transportation because parking around Piedmont Park will be limited. For more information, visit atlantapride.org.
Photos courtesy Atlanta Pride OCTOBER 2026
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